{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_15476/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_15476","id":"gutenberg_15476","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/15476","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Epic literature, Sanskrit"],"text":"Produced by John B. Hare.  Reproofed and corrected by David King.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Mahabharata\n\nof\n\nKrishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa\n\nBOOK 8\n\nKarna-parva\n\n\n\nTranslated into English Prose from the Original Sanskrit Text\n\nby\n\nKisari Mohan Ganguli\n\n[1883-1896]\n\nScanned and Proofed by Mantra Caitanya. Additional proofing and\nformatting at sacred-texts.com, by J. B. Hare, October 2003.\n\n\n\n\n\n1\n\nOm! Having bowed down unto Narayana, and unto that most exalted of male\nbeings, Nara, and unto the goddess Sarasvati also, must the word Jaya be\nuttered.\n\nVaishampayana said, \"After Drona had been slain, O monarch, the royal\nwarriors (of the Kaurava army) headed by Duryodhana, with hearts filled\nwith great anxiety, all repaired to Drona's son. Lamenting the loss of\nDrona, and deprived of energy in consequence of their cheerlessness, they\nsat around the son of Sharadvata's daughter, afflicted with grief.\nComforted for a little while by considerations founded upon the\nscriptures, when night came, those rulers of Earth proceeded to their\nrespective tents. Those lords of Earth, however, O thou of Kuru's race,\ncould feel no happiness in their abodes. Thinking of that immense\nslaughter, they could not also sleep. The Suta's son (Karna), and king\nSuyodhana and Duhshasana and Shakuni, in special, could not compose\nthemselves to sleep. Those four passed that night together in\nDuryodhana's tent, reflecting upon the woes they had inflicted upon the\nhigh-souled Pandavas. Formerly they had brought Draupadi, plunged into\nwoe on account of the match at dice, into the assembly. Recollecting it\nthey experienced great regret, their hearts being filled with anxiety.\nThinking of those sufferings inflicted (upon the Pandavas) in consequence\nof the gambling match they passed that night in sorrow, O king, as if it\nwere really a hundred years. Then when morning came, observing the\ndictates of the ordinance, all of them duly went through the customary\nrites. Having gone through these customary rites, and comforted to some\nextent, O Bharata, they ordered their troops to be arrayed, and then came\nout for battle, having made Karna their generalissimo by tying the\nauspicious thread round his wrists, and having caused many foremost of\nBrahmanas, by presents of vessels of curds, clarified butter, akshatas,\ncoins of gold, kine, jewels and gems, and costly robes, to pray for their\nvictory, and having caused heralds and musicians, and panegyrists to\nadore them with hymns about victory. The Pandavas also, O king, having\ngone through their morning rites, issued from their camp, resolved on\nbattle. Then commenced a fierce battle, making the hair to stand on end,\nbetween the Kurus and the Pandavas, each desirous of vanquishing the\nother. During the commandership of Karna, the battle that took place\nbetween the Kuru and the Pandava troops was exceedingly fierce and lasted\nfor two days. Then Vrisha (Karna) having made an immense slaughter of his\nenemies in battle, was at last slain in the sight of the Dhartarashtras,\nby Arjuna. Then Sanjaya, repairing to Hastinapura told Dhritarashtra all\nthat had happened at Kurujangala.\"\n\nJanamejaya said, \"Having heard of the fall of Bhishma and that other\nmighty car-warrior, Drona, the old king Dhritarashtra the son of Ambika\nhad been afflicted with great grief. How, O foremost of Brahmanas, could\nhe, plunged into grief, support his life having heard of the death of\nKarna, that well-wisher of Duryodhana? How indeed, could that descendant\nof Kuru support his life when he, upon whom that monarch had rested the\nhope of his sons' victory, had fallen? When the king did not lay down his\nlife even after hearing of Karna's death, I think that it is very\ndifficult for men to yield up life even under circumstances of great\ngrief! O Brahmana, when the king did not yield up his life after hearing\nof the fall of the venerable son of Shantanu, of Bahlika and Drona and\nSomadatta and Bhurishrava, as also other friends and his sons and\ngrandsons, I think, O regenerate one, that the act of yielding up one's\nlife is exceedingly difficult! Tell me all these in detail and as they\nactually happened! I am not satiated with hearing the high achievements\nof my ancestors!\"\n\n\n\n2\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Upon the fall of Karna, O monarch, the son of\nGavalgana, with a cheerless heart, set out that night for Nagapura, on\nsteeds that rivalled the wind in speed. Arrived at Hastinapura, with a\nheart filled with deep anxiety, he proceeded to Dhritarashtra's abode\nwhich no longer teemed with kinsmen and friends. Beholding the king\ndeprived of all energy by grief, joining his hands he worshipped, with a\nbend of his head, the monarch's feet. Having duly worshipped king\nDhritarashtra, he uttered an exclamation of woe and then began, 'I am\nSanjaya, O lord of Earth! Art thou not happy? I hope thou art not\nstupefied, having through thy own faults fallen into such distress?\nCounsels for thy good had been uttered by Vidura and Ganga's son and\nKeshava. I hope thou feelest no pain now, remembering thy rejection of\nthose counsels? Counsels for thy good had also been uttered in the\nassembly by Rama and Narada and Kanwa and others. I hope thou feelest no\npain now, remembering their rejection by thee? I hope thou feelest no\npain, remembering the slaughter in battle, by the foe, of Bhishma and\nDrona and others, those friends that were ever engaged in thy good?' Unto\nthe Suta's son who with joined hands was telling him so, the monarch\nafflicted with grief and drawing a long and hot breath, said these words.\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Hearing, O Sanjaya, of the fall of the heroic son\nof Ganga, that warrior of all celestial weapons, as also of the fall of\nthat foremost of all bowmen, Drona, my heart feeleth great pain! That\nhero endued with great energy and born of the Vasus themselves, who slew\nevery day 10,000 car-warriors clad in mail, that high-souled one unto\nwhom Bhrigu's son had given the highest weapons, that warrior who in his\nchildhood had been trained in the science of the bow by Rama, alas, even\nhe hath been slain by Yajnasena's son Shikhandi protected by the\nPandavas! At this my heart is greatly pained! That hero through whose\ngrace those mighty car-warriors, the royal sons of Kunti, as also many\nother lords of Earth, have become maharathas, alas, hearing of the\nslaughter of that great bowman of sure aim, Drona, by Dhrishtadyumna, my\nheart is exceedingly pained! Those two had not in the world a person\nequal to them in (knowledge and use of) the four kinds of weapons! Alas,\nhearing of the slaughter of these two, Bhishma and Drona, in battle my\nheart is exceedingly pained! That warrior who had not in the three worlds\na person equal to him in knowledge of weapons, alas, hearing of the\nslaughter of that hero, Drona, what did the people of my side do? After\nthe high-souled son of Pandu, Dhananjaya, exerting himself with prowess,\nhad despatched unto Yama's abode the strong force of the samsaptakas,\nafter the Narayana weapon of the intelligent son of Drona had been\nbaffled, and after the (Kaurava) divisions had begun to fly away, what,\nindeed, did the people of my side do? I think that, after Drona's death\nmy troops, flying away and sinking in an ocean of grief, resembled\nshipwrecked mariners struggling on the bosom of the vast deep. What also,\nO Sanjaya, became the colour of the faces of Duryodhana, and Karna, and\nKritavarma the chief of the Bhojas and Shalya, the ruler of the Madras,\nand of my remaining sons, and of the others, when the Kuru divisions fled\naway from the field? Tell me all this as it truly happened in battle, O\nson of Gavalgana, and describe to me the prowess put forth by the\nPandavas and the warriors of my side!'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'O sire, hearing all that has happened unto the Kauravas\nthrough thy fault, thou shouldst not feel any anguish! He that is wise\nnever feeleth any pain at what Destiny bringeth! And since Destiny is\nunconquerable, human purposes may or may not become attainable. Hence, he\nthat is wise never feeleth pain on the acquisition or the reverse of the\nobjects cherished by him.'\"\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'I do not feel great pain, O Sanjaya! I regard all\nthis to be the result of Destiny! Tell me all that thou wishest!'\"\n\n\n\n3\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Upon the fall of the great bowman Drona, thy sons, those\nmighty car-warriors, became pale and deprived of their senses. Armed with\nweapons, all of them, O monarch, hung down their heads. Afflicted with\ngrief and without looking at one another, they stood perfectly silent.\nBeholding them with such afflicted countenances, thy troops, O Bharata,\nthemselves perturbed by grief, vacantly gazed upwards. Seeing Drona slain\nin battle, the weapons of many of them, O king, dyed with blood, dropped\nfrom their hands. Innumerable weapons, again, O Bharata, still retained\nin the grasp of the soldiers, seemed in their pendent attitude, to\nresemble falling meteors in the sky. Then king Duryodhana, O monarch,\nbeholding that army of thine thus standing as if paralysed and lifeless,\nsaid, \"Relying upon the might of your army I have summoned the Pandavas\nto battle and caused this passage-at-arms to commence! Upon the fall of\nDrona, however, the prospect seems to be cheerless. Warriors engaged in\nbattle all die in battle. Engaged in battle, a warrior may have either\nvictory or death. What can be strange then in this (viz., the death of\nDrona)? Fight ye with faces turned towards every direction. Behold now\nthe high-souled Karna, the son of Vikartana, that great bowman of mighty\nstrength, careering in battle, using his celestial weapons! Through fear\nof that warrior in battle, that coward, viz., Dhananjaya, the son of\nKunti, always turns back like a small deer at the sight of a lion! It is\nhe who, by the ordinary methods of human battle, brought the mighty\nBhimasena endued with the strength of 10,000 elephants to that plight! It\nis he who, uttering a loud roar, slew with his invincible dart the brave\nGhatotkaca of a 1,000 illusions and well-acquainted with celestial\nweapons! Behold today the inexhaustible might of arms of that intelligent\nwarrior of sure aim and invincible energy! Let the sons of Pandu behold\ntoday the prowess of both Ashvatthama and Karna resembling that of Vishnu\nand Vasava! All of you are singly able to slay the sons of Pandu with\ntheir troops in battle! How much more then are you capable, when united\ntogether, of that feat! Endued with great energy and accomplished in\nweapons, you will today behold one another engaged in the achievement of\nmighty tasks!\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Having said these words, O sinless one, thy son\nDuryodhana, with his brothers, made Karna the generalissimo (of the Kuru\narmy). Obtaining the command, the mighty car-warrior Karna, so fierce in\nbattle, uttered loud roars and fought with the foe. He caused, O sire, a\ngreat carnage among the Srinjayas, the Pancalas, the Kekayas, and the\nVidehas. From his bow issued innumerable lines of arrows, one close\nbehind the wings of another, like flights of bees. Having afflicted the\nPancalas and the Pandavas endued with great activity, and slain thousands\nof warriors, he was at last slain by Arjuna!'\"\n\n\n\n4\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Hearing this intelligence, O monarch, Dhritarashtra\nthe son of Ambika, feeling the acme of grief, regarded Suyodhana to be\nalready dead. Exceedingly agitated, the king fell down on the Earth like\nan elephant deprived of its senses. When that foremost of the monarchs,\ngreatly agitated, fell down on the Earth, loud wails were uttered, O best\nof the Bharatas, by the ladies (of the royal household). That noise was\nso loud that it seemed to fill the entire Earth. Immersed in a deep ocean\nof woe, the Bharata ladies, with hearts exceedingly agitated and scorched\nby grief, wept aloud. Approaching the king, Gandhari, O bull of Bharata's\nrace, and the other ladies of the household, all fell down on the earth,\ndeprived of their senses. Then Sanjaya, O king, began to comfort those\nladies stricken with grief, bathed in tears, and reft of consciousness.\nComforted (by Sanjaya), those ladies began to tremble repeatedly like a\nplantain grove shaken by the wind. Vidura also, sprinkling that\ndescendant of Kuru with water, began to comfort the puissant monarch who\nhad knowledge only for his eye. Slowly restored to consciousness, and\nunderstanding that the ladies of the household were there, the king, O\nmonarch, remained perfectly silent for some time like one reft of reason.\nHaving reflected then for some time, and repeatedly drawn long breaths,\nthe king censured his own sons and applauded the Pandavas. Censuring also\nhis own intelligence and that of Shakuni the son of Subala, the king,\nhaving reflected for a long time, began to tremble repeatedly.\nControlling his mind once more, the king, with sufficient fortitude,\nquestioned his charioteer Sanjaya the son of Gavalgana.\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'I have heard, O Sanjaya, all that thou hast said.\nHath my son Duryodhana, O Suta, who is ever desirous of victory, already\ngone to Yama's abode, despairing of success? Tell me truly, O Sanjaya,\nall this even if thou wilt have to repeat it!'\"\n\nVaishampayana continued, \"Thus addressed by the king, O Janamejaya, the\nSuta said unto him, 'The mighty car-warrior Vaikartana, O monarch, hath\nbeen slain with his sons and brothers, and other Suta warriors, all of\nwhom were mighty bowmen ready to lay down their lives in battle!\nDuhshasana also hath been slain by the renowned son of Pandu. Indeed, his\nblood also hath been, from wrath, drunk by Bhimasena in battle!'\"\n\n\n\n5\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Hearing these words, O monarch, Ambika's son\nDhritarashtra, with heart agitated by grief, addressed his driver\nSanjaya, saying, 'Though the evil policy, O sire, of my son of little\nforesight, Vikartana's son hath been slain! This intelligence is cutting\nthe very core of my heart! I am desirous of crossing this sea of grief!\nRemove my doubts, therefore, by telling me who are still alive and who\nare dead amongst the Kurus and the Pandavas!'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Endued with great prowess and invincible in battle,\nBhishma the son of Shantanu, O king, having slain large numbers of\nSrinjayas and Pancalas, hath been slain after ten days. The mighty and\ninvincible bowman Drona of the golden car, having slaughtered the Pancala\ndivisions in battle, hath been slain. Having slaughtered the half of what\nremained after the carnage by Bhishma and the illustrious Drona,\nVikartana's son Karna hath been slain. Endued with great strength, O\nmonarch, prince Vivingsati, having slain hundreds of Anarta warriors in\nbattle, hath been slain. Thy heroic son Vikarna, deprived of steeds and\nweapons, stood, facing the foe, remembering the duties of Kshatriyas.\nRemembering the many foul wrongs inflicted upon him by Duryodhana, and\nbearing in mind his own vow, Bhimasena hath slain him. Possessed of great\nmight, Vinda and Anuvinda, the two princes of Avanti, after achieving the\nmost difficult feats, have gone to Yama's abode. That hero who had under\nhis sway ten kingdoms, having Sindhu for their chief, him who was ever\nobedient to thee, Jayadratha of mighty energy, O king, Arjuna hath slain\nafter vanquishing eleven Akshauhinis of troops with his keen arrows.\nEndued with great activity and incapable of being easily defeated in\nbattle, the son of Duryodhana, ever obedient to his sire's commands, hath\nbeen slain by the son of Subhadra. The brave son of Duhshasana, possessed\nof mighty arms and fierce in battle, hath been despatched to Yama's abode\nby Draupadi's son exerting himself with great prowess! The ruler of the\nKiratas and other dwellers of the lowlands on the seacoast, the much\nrespected and dear friend of the chief of the celestials himself, the\nvirtuous king Bhagadatta, who was ever devoted to Kshatriya duties, hath\nbeen despatched to Yama's abode by Dhananjaya exerting himself great with\nprowess. The kinsman of the Kauravas, the son of Somadatta, the brave and\ncelebrated Bhurishrava, O king, hath been slain by Satyaki in battle. The\nAmvashtha king Srutayus, that foremost of Kshatriyas, who used to career\nin battle most fearlessly, hath been slain by Arjuna. Thy son Duhshasana,\naccomplished in arms and invincible in battle, and who was always\nwrathful, hath, O monarch, been slain by Bhimasena. Sudakshina, O king,\nwho had many thousands of wonderful elephants, hath been slain in battle\nby Arjuna. The ruler of the Kosolas, having slain many hundreds of foes,\nhath himself been despatched to Yama's abode by Subhadra's son exerting\nhimself with prowess. Having fought with many thousands of foes and with\nthe mighty car-warrior Bhimasena himself, thy son Citrasena hath been\nslain by Bhimasena. The brave younger brother of the ruler of the Madras,\nthat enhancer of the fears of foes, that handsome warrior armed with\nsword and shield, hath been slain by Subhadra's son. He who was equal to\nKarna himself in battle, Karna's son Vrishasena, accomplished in arms, of\nmighty energy and steady prowess, hath, in the very sight of Karna, been\ndespatched to Yama's abode by Dhananjaya who put forth his prowess\nremembering the slaughter of his own son Abhimanyu and bearing in mind\nthe vow he had made. That lord of Earth, Srutayus, who always displayed a\ndeep-rooted antipathy towards the Pandavas, hath been slain by Partha who\nreminded him of that antipathy before taking his life. Shalya's son of\ngreat prowess, O sire, Rukmaratha, hath, O king, been slain in battle by\nSahadeva although the former happened to be the latter's brother, having\nbeen the son of the latter's maternal uncle. The old king Bhagiratha, and\nVrihatkshatra the ruler of the Kaikeyas both endued with great prowess\nand might and energy, have been slain. Bhagadatta's son, O king who was\npossessed of great wisdom and great strength, hath been slain by Nakula\nwho always careers in battle with the activity of the hawk. Thy grandsire\nBahlika, possessed of great might and prowess, hath, with all his\nfollowers, been slain by Bhimasena. The mighty Jayatsena the son of\nJarasandha, the prince of the Magadhas, O king, hath been slain in battle\nby the high-souled son of Subhadra. Thy son Durmukha, O king, as also thy\nother son Dussaha, that mighty car-warrior, both of whom were regarded as\nheroes, have been slain by Bhimasena with his mace. Durmarshana and\nDurvisaha and the mighty car-warrior Durjaya, having achieved the most\ndifficult feats, have gone to Yama's abode. The two brothers Kalinga and\nVrishaka, who were invincible in battle, having achieved very difficult\nfeats have gone to Yama's abode. Thy counsellor Vrishavarman of the Suta\ncaste, endued with great energy, hath been despatched to Yama's abode by\nBhimasena exerting himself with prowess. So also king Paurava who was\nendued with the might of 10,000 elephants, hath, with all his followers,\nbeen slain by Pandu's son Arjuna. The Vasatis, O king, numbering 2,000,\neffectual smiters of all, as also the Surasenas endued with prowess, have\nall been slain in battle. The Abhishahas, clad in mail, capable of\nsmiting effectually, and fierce in battle, also the Sivis, those foremost\nof car-warriors, with the Kalingas, have all been slain. Those other\nheroes also, (the Narayana Gopas) who live and grew in Gokula, who were\nexceedingly wrathful in battle, and who never retreated from the field\nhave been slain by Savyasaci. Many thousands of Srenis, as also the\nsamsaptakas, approaching Arjuna, have all repaired to the abode of Yama.\nThy two brothers-in-law, viz., the princes Vrishaka and Achala, who were\nendued with great prowess, have for thy sake been slain by Savyasaci.\nKing Shalva of mighty arms and fierce deeds, who was a great bowman both\nin name and feats, hath been slain by Bhimasena. Oghavat, O king, and\nVrishanta, fighting together in battle and exerting themselves with great\nvigour for the sake of their ally, have both repaired to Yama's abode. So\nalso that foremost of car-warriors, viz., Kshemadhurti, O monarch, hath\nbeen slain in battle by Bhimasena with his mace. So also that great\nbowman, viz., the mighty king Jalasandha, after causing an immense\ncarnage, hath been slain by Satyaki in battle. That prince of Rakshasas,\nviz., Alayudha, unto whose vehicle were yoked asses (of monstrous shape)\nhath been despatched to Yama's abode by Ghatotkaca exerting himself with\ngreat prowess. Radha's son of the Suta caste, and those mighty\ncar-warriors who were his brothers, and the Kaikeyas, the Malavas, the\nMadrakas the Dravidas of fierce prowess, the Yaudheyas, the Lalittyas,\nthe Kshudrakas, the Usinaras, the Tundikeras, the Savitriputras, the\nEasterners, the Northerners, the Westerners, and the Southerners, O sire,\nhave all been slain by Savyasaci. Large bands of foot-soldiers, myriads\nupon myriads of steeds, large number of car-warriors, and many huge\nelephants, have been slain. Many heroes also, with standards and weapons,\nand with armour and attire and ornaments, and endued with perseverance\nand possessed of high birth and good conduct, have been slain in battle\nby Partha who is never fatigued with exertion. Others, endued with\nimmeasurable might, and desirous of slaying their foes, (have met with a\nsimilar fate). These and many other kings, numbering thousands, with\ntheir followers, have, O monarch, been slain in battle. That which thou\naskest me I am answering now. Even thus did the destruction take place\nwhen Arjuna and Karna fought. Even as Mahendra slew Vritra, and Rama slew\nRavana; even as Krishna slew Naraka or Mura in battle; even as the mighty\nRama of Bhrigu's race slew the heroic Kartavirya, invincible in battle,\nwith all his kinsmen and friends, after fighting a terrible battle\ncelebrated through the three worlds; even as Skanda slew (the Asura)\nMahisha, and Rudra slew (the Asura) Andhaka, even so hath Arjuna, O king,\nin single combat, slain, with all his kinsmen, that foremost of smiters,\nviz., Karna, who was invincible in battle and upon whom the\nDhartarashtras had placed their hopes of victory, and who was the great\ncause of the hostility with the Pandavas! Pandu's son hath now\naccomplished that which at one time thou couldst not believe him capable\nof accomplishing, although, O monarch, well-meaning friends failed not to\napprise thee of it. That calamity, fraught with great destruction, hath\nnow come! Thou, O king wishing them well, hast heaped those evils on the\nheads of thy covetous sons! The fruit of those evils is now manifesting\nitself!'\"\n\n\n\n6\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Thou hast, O son, mentioned the names of those of\nmy side that have been slain in battle by the Pandavas. Tell me now, O\nSanjaya, the names of those amongst the Pandavas that have been slain by\nthe people of my side!'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'The Kuntis possessed of great prowess in battle, endued\nwith great energy and great might, have been slain in fight by Bhishma,\nwith all their kinsmen and advisers. The Narayanas, the Valabhadras, and\nhundreds of other heroes, all devoted (to the Pandavas) have been slain\nin battle by the heroic Bhishma. Satyajit, who was equal to the\ndiadem-decked Arjuna himself in battle as regards energy and might, hath\nbeen slain in battle by Drona of sure aim. Many mighty bowmen among the\nPancalas, all of whom were skilled in battle, encountering Drona, have\nrepaired to Yama's abode. So the two kings Virata and Drupada, both\nvenerable in years, who exerted themselves with great prowess for their\nally, have, with their sons, been slain in battle by Drona. That\ninvincible hero, viz., Abhimanyu, who, though a child in years, was still\nequal in battle to Arjuna or Keshava or Baladeva, O lord, that, warrior\nwho was highly accomplished in battle, after making an immense slaughter\nof the foe, was at last encompassed by six foremost of car-warriors and\nslain by them. Unable to resist Arjuna himself, they thus slew Arjuna's\nson! Deprived of his car, that hero, viz., the son of Subhadra, still\nstayed in battle, remembering the duties of a Kshatriya. At last, O king,\nDuhshasana's son slew him on the field. The slayer of the Patachchatras,\nviz., the handsome son of Amvashtha, surrounded by a large force, had put\nforth all his prowess for the sake of his allies. Having made a great\nslaughter among the foe, he was encountered by Duryodhana's son, the\nbrave Lakshmana, in battle and despatched to Yama's abode. The mighty\nbowman Vrihanta, accomplished in arms and invincible in battle, hath been\ndespatched to Yama's abode by Duhshasana, exerting himself with great\nprowess. The two kings Manimat and Dandadhara, both of whom were\ninvincible in battle and had put forth their prowess for their allies,\nhave been slain by Drona. Ansumat the ruler of the Bhojas, that mighty\ncar-warrior at the head of his own forces, hath been despatched to Yama's\nabode by Drona exerting himself with great prowess. Citrasena, the ruler\nof the sea-coast, with his son, O Bharata, hath been forcibly despatched\nby Samudrasena to Yama's abode. Another ruler of a maritime country,\nviz., Nila, and Vyaghradatta of great energy, have both, O king, been\ndespatched to Yama's abode by Ashvatthama. Citrayudha and Citrayodhin,\nafter making a great slaughter, have both been slain in battle by Vikarna\nexerting himself with great prowess and displaying diverse manoeuvres of\nhis car. The chief of the Kaikeyas, who was equal to Vrikodara himself in\nbattle and surrounded by Kaikeya warriors, has been slain by Kaikeya, the\nbrother by the brother. Janamejaya of the hilly country, endued with\ngreat prowess and accomplished in encounters with the mace, hath, O king,\nbeen slain by thy son Durmukha. Those two foremost of men, viz., the\nbrothers Rochamana, like two brilliant planets, have together been\ndespatched to heaven by Drona with his shafts. Many other kings, O\nmonarch, endued with great prowess, have fought (for the Pandavas). Having\nachieved the most difficult feats, all of them have gone to Yama's abode.\nPurujit and Kuntibhoja, the two maternal uncles of Savyasaci, have been\ndespatched by Drona with shafts to such regions as are attained by death\nin battle. Abhibhu of the Kasis, at the head of many of his followers, hath\nbeen obliged by Vasudana's son to lay down his life in battle. Yudhamanyu\nof immeasurable prowess, and Uttamauja of great energy, after slaying\nhundreds of heroic warriors, have themselves been slain by our men. The\nPancala prince Mitravarman, O Bharata, those two foremost of bowmen, have\nbeen despatched to Yama's abode by Drona. Shikhandi's son Kshatradeva,\nthat foremost of warriors, possessed of great bravery, hath, O king, been\nslain by thy grandson Lakshmana, O sire! The two heroes Sucitra and\nCitravarman, who were sire and son and endued with great might, and who\ncareered fearlessly in battle, have been slain by Drona. Vardhakshemi, O\nmonarch, who was like the ocean at full tide, having had his weapons\nexhausted in battle, hath at last obtained undisturbed peace. That\nforemost of Sutas, viz., Senavindu, having consumed many foes in battle,\nhath, at last, O king been slain by Bahlika. Dhrishtaketu, O monarch,\nthat foremost of car-warriors among the Cedis, after accomplishing the\nmost difficult feats, hath repaired to the abode of Yama. Similarly, the\nheroic Satyadhriti, endued with great prowess, having made a great\nslaughter in battle for the sake of the Pandavas, has been despatched to\nYama's abode. That lord of Earth, viz., Suketu, the son of Shishupala,\nhaving slain many foes, hath at last been slain by Drona in battle.\nVirata's son Sankha, as also Uttara of great strength, having\naccomplished the most difficult feats, have repaired to Yama's abode.\nSimilarly, Satyadhriti of the Matsyas, and Madiraswa of great energy, and\nSuryadatta possessed of great prowess, have all been slain by Drona with\nhis shafts. Srenimat also, O monarch, having fought with great prowess\nand accomplished the most difficult feats, hath repaired to Yama's abode.\nSimilarly, the chief of the Magadhas, that slayer of hostile heroes,\nendued with great energy and acquainted with the highest weapons,\nsleepeth on the field of battle, slain by Bhishma. Vasudana also, having\nmade an immense carnage in battle, has been despatched to Yama's abode by\nBharadwaja's son exerting himself with great prowess. These and many\nother mighty car-warriors of the Pandavas have been slain by Drona\nexerting himself with great energy. I have now told them all that thou\nhadst asked me.'\"\n\n\n\n7\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'When all the foremost of my warriors, O Sanjaya\nhave perished, I do not think that the remnant of my army will not\nperish! When those two heroes, those two mighty bowmen, those two\nforemost of the Kurus, Bhishma and Drona, have been slain, what use can I\nany longer have with life? I cannot also brook the death of Radha's son,\nthat ornament of battle, the might of whose arms was as great as that of\n10,000 elephants! O foremost of speakers, tell me now, O Suta, who are\nyet alive in my army after the death of all the foremost heroes! Thou\nhast told me the names of those that have fallen. It seems, however, to\nme that those who are still alive are almost all dead!'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'That hero O king, to whom Drona, that foremost of\nBrahmanas, imparted many blazing, celestial, and mighty weapons of the\nfour kinds, that mighty car-warrior, possessed of skill and lightness of\nhands, that hero of firm grasp, strong weapons, and powerful shafts, that\nhigh-souled son of Drona, capable of shooting to a great distance, is\nstill on the field, desirous of battling for thy sake. That dweller of\nthe Anarta country, that son of Hridika, that mighty car-warrior, that\nforemost one among the Satwatas, that chief of the Bhojas, Kritavarma,\naccomplished in arms, is on the field, desirous of battle. Artayana's\nson, dauntless in battle, that first of warriors, that foremost of all\nyet on thy side, he, that abandoned his own sister's sons, the Pandavas,\nfor making his own words true, that hero endued with great activity who\npromised in the presence of Yudhishthira that he would in battle depress\nthe proud spirit of Karna, that invincible Shalya, who is equal unto\nSakra himself in energy, is still on the field, desirous of battling for\nthy sake. Accompanied by his own force consisting of Ajaneyas,\nSaindhavas, mountaineers, dwellers of riparian regions, Kambojas, and\nVanayus, the king of the Gandharas stayeth on the field, desirous of\nbattling for thy sake. Sharadvata's son called Gautama, O king, endued\nwith mighty arms and capable of fighting with diverse weapons in diverse\nbeautiful ways, taking up a beautiful and large bow capable of bearing\ngreat strain, stayeth on the field, desirous of battle. That mighty\ncar-warrior, the son of the ruler of the Kaikeyas, riding on a goodly car\nequipped with standard and goodly steeds, stayeth on the field, O chief\nof Kuru's race, for battling for thy sake. Thy son also, that foremost of\nheroes in Kuru's race, Purumitra, O king, riding on his car possessed of\nthe effulgence of fire or the Sun, stayeth on the field, like the Sun\nhimself shining brilliantly in the cloudless firmament. Duryodhana also,\nendued with great energy, in the midst of an elephant force and\naccompanied by many foremost of combatants, stayeth on his car adorned\nwith gold, desirous of engaging in battle. In the midst of many kings,\nthat foremost of men, possessed of the splendour of a lotus, looked\nresplendent in his beautiful armour of gold like a fire with little smoke\nor the Sun emerged from the clouds. So also thy sons Sushena, armed with\nsword and shield, and the heroic Satyasena, are staying with Citrasena,\ntheir hearts full of joy and themselves desirous of battle. Endued with\nmodesty, the Bharata princes Citrayudha, Srutavarman, and Jaya, Dala, and\nSatyavrata, and Dussala, all of whom are possessed of great might, stay\non the field, desirous of battle. The ruler of the Kaitavyas, that prince\nproud of his courage, and capable of fearlessly careering in battle and\nslaying his foes, possessing foot-soldiers and cavalry, and elephants and\ncars, stayeth on the field, desirous of battling for thy sake. The heroic\nSrutayu and Srutayudha, and Citrangada and Citravarman, those foremost of\nmen, those proud warriors capable of smiting effectually and possessed of\nsureness of aim, stay on the field, desirous of battle. The high-souled\nSatyasandha, the son of Karna, stayeth on the field, desirous of battle.\nTwo other sons of Karna, possessing a knowledge of high weapons and\nendued with great lightness of hands, are both staying, O king, at the\nhead of forces that are large and incapable of being pierced by warriors\nof little energy, desirous of battling for thy sake. Accompanied by these\nheroes and by many other foremost of warriors, O king, that are possessed\nof immeasurable might, the Kuru king (Duryodhana) is staying like a\nsecond Indra in the midst of his elephant division in expectation of\nvictory!'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Thou hast told me duly all that are alive both\namongst us and the foe. From this I plainly see on which side the victory\nwill be. Indeed, it may be inferred from the facts.'\"\n\nVaishampayana continued, \"While saying this, Dhritarashtra the son of\nAmbika, having learnt that only a small portion of his army was alive,\nfor all his foremost of warriors had died, felt his heart to be\nexceedingly agitated by grief. The king swooned away. Partially restored\nto his senses, he addressed Sanjaya, saying, 'Wait for a moment!' And the\nking said, 'O son, having heard of this dire calamity, my heart is\ngreatly agitated. My senses are being stupefied, and my limbs are about\nto be paralysed!' Having said these words, Dhritarashtra the son of\nAmbika, that lord of earth, lost his senses and fell down on the earth.\"\n\n\n\n8\n\nJanamejaya said, \"Having heard of Karna's fall and the slaughter of his\nsons, what, O foremost of regenerate ones, did the king say, after he had\nbeen a little comforted? Indeed, poignant was the grief that he\nexperienced, arising from the calamity that befell his sons! Tell me, I\nask thee, all that the king said on that occasion!\"\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Hearing of the slaughter of Karna that was\nincredible and astounding, that was dreadful and capable of paralysing\nthe senses of all creatures, that looked like the downfall of Meru, or a\nnever-to-be-believed clouding of the intellect of the wise Shukra, or the\ndefeat of Indra of terrible feats at the hands of his foes, or the\nfalling down on the Earth of the resplendent Sun from the firmament, or a\nscarcely-to-be-comprehended drying up of the ocean, that receptacle of\ninexhaustible waters, or the annihilation, perfectly astounding, of the\nearth, the firmament, the points of the compass, and the waters, or the\nfruitlessness of acts both virtuous and sinful, king Dhritarashtra,\nhaving earnestly reflected for some time on it, thought that his army had\nbeen annihilated. Thinking that other creatures also, as unslayable as\nKarna, would meet with a similar fate, king Dhritarashtra the son of\nAmbika, scorched with grief and sighing like a snake, with limbs almost\npalsied, long breaths, highly cheerless, and filled with melancholy,\nbegan to lament, saying, 'Oh!' and 'Alas!' And the king said, 'O Sanjaya,\nthe heroic son of Adhiratha was endued with the prowess of the lion or\nthe elephant! His neck was as thick as that of a bull, and his eyes,\ngait, and voice were like the bull's! Of limbs as hard as the\nthunderbolt, that young man, like a bull never flying away from a bull,\nnever desisted from battle even if his foe happened to be the great Indra\nhimself! At the sound of his bow-string and palms and at the whizz of his\narrowy showers men and steeds and cars and elephants fled away from\nbattle. Relying upon that mighty-armed one, that slayer of large bands of\nfoes, that warrior of unfading glory, Duryodhana had provoked hostilities\nwith those mighty car-warriors, the sons of Pandu! How then could Karna,\nthat foremost of car-warriors, that tiger among men, that hero of\nirresistible onset, be forcibly slain by Partha in battle? Relying on the\nmight of his own arms, he always disregarded Keshava of unfading glory,\nand Dhananjaya, and the Vrishnis, and all other foes! Often did he use to\nsay unto the foolish, avaricious crestfallen, kingdom-coveting, and\nafflicted Duryodhana even such words as these, \"Alone, I shall, in\nbattle, throw down from their foremost of cars, those two invincible\nwarriors united together, the wielder of sarnga and the wielder of\nGandiva!\" He had subjugated many invincible and mighty foes--the\nGandharas, the Madrakas, the Matsyas, the Trigartas, the Tanganas, the\nKhasas, the Pancalas, the Videhas, the Kulindas, the Kasi-kosalas, the\nSuhmas, the Angas, the Nishadhas, the Pundras, the Kichakas, the Vatsas,\nthe Kalingas, the Taralas, the Asmakas, and the Rishikas. Subjugating all\nthese brave races, by means of his keen and whetted arrows equipped with\nKanka feathers, that foremost of car-warriors, Radha's son, had caused\nall of them to pay tribute to us for the aggrandisement of Duryodhana.\nAlas, how could that warrior acquainted with celestial weapons, that\nprotector of armies, Karna the son of Vikartana, called also Vrisha, of\nmighty energy, be slain in battle by his foes, the heroic and mighty sons\nof Pandu? As Indra is the foremost of gods, Karna was the foremost of\nmen. In the three worlds no third person has been heard of by us to be\nlike them. Amongst steeds, Uccaisravas is the foremost; amongst Yakshas,\nVaishravana is the foremost; amongst celestials, Indra is the foremost;\namongst smiters, Karna was the foremost. Unvanquished by even the most\nheroic and the mightiest of monarchs, he had, for Duryodhana's\naggrandisement, subjugated the whole earth. The ruler of Magadha, having\nby conciliation and honours obtained Karna for a friend, had challenged\nall the Kshatriyas of the world, except the Kauravas and the Yadavas, to\nbattle. Hearing that Karna hath been slain by Savyasaci in single combat,\nI am plunged in an ocean of woe like a wrecked vessel in the vast deep!\nIndeed, hearing that that foremost of men, that best of car-warriors,\nhath been slain in single combat, I am sinking in an ocean of grief like\na person without a raft in the sea! When, O Sanjaya, I do not die of such\ngrief, I think my heart is impenetrable and made of something harder than\nthe thunderbolt. Hearing of the defeat and humiliation of kinsmen and\nrelatives and allies, who else in the world, O Suta, save my wretched\nself, would not yield up his life? I desire to have poison or fire or a\nfall from the summit of a mountain, I am unable, O Sanjaya, to bear this\nheavy load of grief!'\"\n\n\n\n9\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'The world regards thee to be equal to Yayati the son of\nNahusha, in beauty, birth, fame, asceticism, and learning! Indeed, in\nlearning, thou art, O king, like a great rishi, highly accomplished and\ncrowned with success! Summon thy fortitude! Do not yield to grief!'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'I think destiny is supreme, and exertion fruitless\nsince even Karna, who was like a shala tree, hath been slain in battle!\nHaving slaughtered Yudhishthira's army and the large throngs of the\nPancala car-warriors, having scorched all the points of the compass by\nmeans of his arrowy showers, having stupefied the Parthas in battle like\nthe wielder of the thunderbolt stupefying the Asuras, alas, how could\nthat mighty car-warrior, slain by the foe, fall down on the earth like a\nlarge tree uprooted by the tempest? Indeed, I do not behold the end of my\nsorrows like a drowning man unable to see the end of the ocean. My\nanxieties are increasing, I do not desire to live, hearing of Karna's\ndeath and Phalguni's victory! Indeed O Sanjaya, I regard the slaughter of\nKarna to be highly incredible. Without doubt, this hard heart of mine is\nmade of the essence of adamant, for it does not burst into a 1,000\nfragments upon hearing of the fall of Karna! Without doubt, the gods\nordained, before (my birth), a very long life for me, since sore\ndistressed on hearing of the death of Karna, I do not die! Fie, O\nSanjaya, on this life of one that is destitute of friends. Brought today,\nO Sanjaya, to this wretched plight, miserably shall I have to live, of\nfoolish understanding that I am, pitied by all! Having formerly been the\nhonoured of the whole world, how shall I, O Suta, live, overridden by\nfoes? From pain to greater pain and calamity, have I come, O Sanjaya, in\nconsequence of the fall of Bhishma and Drona and the high-souled Karna! I\ndo not see that anyone (of my army) will escape with life when the Suta's\nson hath been slain in battle! He was the great raft, O Sanjaya, to my\nsons! That hero, having shot innumerable arrows, hath been slain in\nbattle! What use have I of life, without that bull among men? Without\ndoubt, the son of Adhiratha, afflicted with arrows, fell down from his\ncar, like a mountain-peak riven by the fall of thunder! Without doubt,\nbathed in blood, he lieth, adorning the Earth, like an elephant slain by\nan infuriate prince of elephants! He who was the strength of the\nDhartarashtras, he who was an object of fear to the sons of Pandu, alas,\nhe viz., Karna, that pride of all bowman, hath been slain by Arjuna! He\nwas a hero, a mighty bowman, the dispeller of the fears of my sons! Alas,\nthat hero, reft of life, lieth (on the earth), like mountain struck down\nby Indra! The fulfilment of Duryodhana's wishes is even like locomotion\nto one that is lame, or the gratification of the poor man's desire, or\nstray drops of water to one that is thirsty! Planned in one way, our\nschemes end otherwise. Alas, destiny is all powerful, and time incapable\nof being transgressed! Was my son Duhshasana, O Suta, slain, while flying\naway from the field, humbled (to the dust), of cheerless soul, and\ndestitute of all manliness? O son, O Sanjaya, I hope he did no dastardly\nact on that occasion? Did not that hero meet with his death like the\nother Kshatriyas that have fallen? The foolish Duryodhana did not accept\nYudhishthira's constant advice, wholesome as medicine, against the\npropriety of battle. Possessed of great renown, Partha, when begged for\ndrink by Bhishma then lying on his arrowy bed, pierced the surface of the\nearth! Beholding the jet of water caused by the son of Pandu, the\nmighty-armed (Bhishma, addressing Duryodhana), said, \"O sire, make peace\nwith the Pandavas! Hostilities ceasing, peace will be thine! Let the war\nbetween thyself and thy cousins end with me! Enjoy the earth in\nbrotherliness with the sons of Pandu!\" Having disregarded those counsels,\nmy child is certainly repenting now. That has now come to pass which\nBhishma of great foresight said. As regards myself, O Sanjaya, I am\ndestitute of counsellors and reft of sons! In consequence of gambling, I\nam fallen into great misery like a bird shorn of its wings! As children\nengaged in sport, O Sanjaya, having seized a bird and cut off its wings,\nmerrily release it, but the creature cannot achieve locomotion in\nconsequence of its winglessness; even so have I become, like a bird shorn\nof its wings! Weak, destitute of every resource, without kinsmen and\ndeprived of relatives and friends, cheerless and overpowered by enemies,\nto which point of the compass shall I go? He who vanquished all the\nKambojas and the Amvashthas with the Kaikeyas, that puissant one, who,\nhaving for the accomplishment of his purpose vanquished the Gandharas and\nthe Videhas in battle, subjugated the whole Earth for the sake of\nDuryodhana's aggrandisement, alas, he hath been vanquished by the heroic\nand strong Pandavas endued with mighty arms! Upon the slaughter, in\nbattle, of that mighty bowman, Karna, by the diadem-decked (Arjuna), tell\nme, O Sanjaya, who were these heroes that stayed (on the field)! I hope\nhe was not alone and abandoned (by friends) when slain in battle by the\nPandavas? Thou hast, O sire, told me, before this, how our brave warriors\nhave fallen. With his powerful shafts Shikhandi felled in battle that\nforemost of all wielders of weapons, viz., Bhishma, who did nothing to\nrepel the attack. Similarly, Sanjaya, Drupada's son Dhrishtadyumna,\nuplifting his scimitar, slew the mighty bowman Drona who, already pierced\nwith many arrows, had laid aside his weapons in battle and devoted\nhimself to Yoga. These two were both slain at a disadvantage and\nespecially by deceit. Even this is what I have heard about the slaughter\nof Bhishma and Drona! Indeed, Bhishma and Drona, while contending in\nfight, were incapable of being slain in battle by the wielder of the\nthunderbolt himself by fair means. This that I tell thee is the truth! As\nregards Karna, how, indeed, could Death touch him, that hero equal unto\nIndra himself, while he was engaged in shooting his manifold celestial\nweapons? He unto whom in exchange for his earrings, Purandara had given\nthat foe-slaying, gold-decked, and celestial dart of the splendour of\nlightning,--he who had, lying (within his quiver) amid sandal-dust, that\nsnake-mouthed celestial arrow decked with gold, equipped with goodly\nwings, and capable of slaying all foes, he who, disregarding those heroic\nand mighty car-warriors having Bhishma and Drona at their head, had\nacquired from Jamadagni's son the terrible brahmastra, that mighty-armed\none, who, having seen the warriors with Drona at their head afflicted\nwith arrows and turn away from the field, had cut off with his keen\nshafts the bow of Subhadra's son, he who, having in a trice deprived the\ninvincible Bhimasena endued with the might of 10,000 elephants and the\nspeed of the wind, of his car, had laughed at him,--he who, having\nvanquished Sahadeva by means of his straight shafts and made him carless,\nslew him not from compassion and considerations of virtue,--he who, with\nShakra's dart, slew that prince of Rakshasas, Ghatotkaca, who from desire\nof victory, had invoked a 1,000 kinds of illusions,--he whose feats in\nbattle, filling Dhananjaya with fear, had made the latter for such a long\nperiod avoid a single combat with him,--alas, how could that hero be\nslain in battle? How could he be slain by foes unless one of these had\nhappened to him viz., the destruction of his car, the snapping of his\nbow, and the exhaustion of his weapons? Who could vanquish that tiger\namong men, like a real tiger, endued with great impetuosity, Karna, while\nshaking his formidable bow and shooting therefrom his terrible shafts and\ncelestial weapons in battle? Surely, his bow broke, or his car sank in\nthe earth, or his weapons became exhausted, since thou tellest me that he\nis slain! I do not, indeed, see any other cause for (explaining) his\nslaughter! That high-souled one who had made the terrible vow \"I will not\nwash my feet till I slay Phalguni,\" that warrior through whose fear that\nbull among men, king Yudhishthira the just, had not, in the wilderness,\nfor thirteen years continuously, obtained a wink of sleep,--that\nhigh-souled hero of great prowess relying upon whose valour my son had\nforcibly dragged the wife of the Pandavas to the assembly, and there in\nthe midst of that conclave, in the very sight of the Pandavas and in the\npresence of the Kurus, had addressed the princess of Pancala as the wife\nof slaves, that hero of the Suta caste, who in the midst of the assembly\nhad addressed Krishna, saying, \"All thy husbands, O Krishna, that are\neven like sesamum seeds without kernel, are no more, therefore, seek some\nother husband, O thou of the fairest complexion!\" and in wrath had caused\nher to listen to other expressions equally harsh and rude, how was that\nhero slain by the foe? He who had said unto Duryodhana even these words,\nviz., \"If Bhishma who boasteth of his prowess in battle or Drona who is\ninvincible in fight, doth not, from partiality, slay the sons of Kunti, O\nDuryodhana, even I will slay them all, let the fever of thy heart be\ndispelled!\" who also said, \"What will (Arjuna's) Gandiva and the two\ninexhaustible quivers do to that shaft of mine, smeared with cool\nsandal-paste, when it will course through the welkin?\" alas, how could\nthat warrior possessed of shoulders broad as those of the bull be slain\nby Arjuna? He who, disregarding the fierce touch of the arrows shot from\nGandiva had addressed Krishna, saying, \"Thou hast no husbands now\" and\nglared at the Pandavas, he who, O Sanjaya, relying on the might of his\nown arms, had entertained no fear, for even a moment, of the Parthas with\ntheir sons and Janardana,--he, I think, could not possibly meet with\ndeath at the hands of the very gods with Vasava at their head rushing\nagainst him in fury, what then need I say, O sire, of the Pandavas? The\nperson could not be seen competent to stay before the son of Adhiratha,\nwhile the latter, putting on his fences, used to touch the bowstring! It\nwas possible for the Earth to be destitute of the splendour of the Sun,\nof the Moon, or of fire, but the death of that foremost of men, who never\nretreated from battle, could not be possible. That foolish child of mine,\nof wicked understanding, who having got Karna, as also his brother\nDuhshasana, for his ally, had made up his mind for the rejection of\nVasudeva's proposals, surely, that wight, beholding the slaughter of the\nbull-shouldered Karna and of Duhshasana, is now indulging in\nlamentations! Seeing Vikartana's son slain in single combat by Savyasaci,\nand the Pandavas crowned with victory, what indeed, did Duryodhana say?\nSeeing Durmarshana slain in battle and Vrishasena also, and seeing his\nhost break when slaughtered by mighty car-warriors, beholding also the\nkings (of his army) turn back their faces, intent on flight, and his\ncar-warriors already fled, I think that son of mine is now indulging in\nlamentations! Beholding his host dispirited, what, indeed, did the\nungovernable, proud, and foolish Duryodhana, with passions not under\ncontrol, say? Having himself provoked such fierce hostility though\ndissuaded by all his friends what, indeed, did Duryodhana, who has\nsuffered a great loss in battle of friends and followers, say? Beholding\nhis brother slain in battle by Bhimasena, and upon his blood being drunk,\nwhat indeed, did Duryodhana say? My son had, with the ruler of the\nGandharas, said, \"Karna will slay Arjuna in battle!\" When he saw that\nKarna slain, what indeed, did he say? What, O sire, did Shakuni, the son\nof Subala, who had formerly been filled with joy after going through the\nmatch at dice and cheating the son of Pandu, say when he saw Karna slain?\nWhat did that mighty car-warrior among the Satwatas, that great bowman,\nKritavarma the son of Hridika, say when he saw Vaikartana slain? Endued\nwith youth, possessed of a handsome form, agreeable to the sight, and\ncelebrated throughout the world, what, O Sanjaya, did Ashvatthama, the\nintelligent son of Drona, upon whom Brahmanas and Kshatriyas and Vaishyas\nwho are desirous of acquiring the science of arms wait, for protections,\nsay when he saw Karna slain? What did Sharadvata's son Kripa, O sire, of\nGotama's race, that foremost of car-warriors, that teacher of the science\nof arms, say when he saw Karna slain? What did the mighty leader of the\nMadras warriors, that king of the Madras, the great bowman Shalya of the\nSauvira clan, that ornament of assemblies, that foremost of car-warriors\n(temporarily) engaged in driving the car, say when he saw Karna slain?\nWhat also did all the other warriors, difficult of defeat in battle,\nthose lords of earth that came to fight, say, O Sanjaya, when they behold\nVaikartana slain? After the fall of the heroic Drona, that tiger among\ncar-warriors that bull among men, who, O Sanjaya, became the heads of the\nseveral division in their order? Tell me, O Sanjaya, how that foremost of\ncar-warriors, Shalya the ruler of the Madras, became engaged in driving\nthe car of Vaikartana! Who were they that guarded the right wheel of the\nSuta's son while the latter was engaged in fight, and who were they that\nguarded his left wheel, and who were they that stood at the rear of that\nhero? Who were those heroes that did not desert Karna, and who were those\nmean fellows that ran away? How was the mighty car-warrior Karna slain\namidst your united selves? How also did those mighty car-warriors, the\nbrave Pandavas, advance against him shooting showers of shafts like the\nclouds pouring torrents of rain? Tell me also, O Sanjaya, how that mighty\nshaft, celestial and foremost of its species, and equipped with a head\nlike that of a serpent became futile! I do not, O Sanjaya, see the\npossibility of even a small remnant of my cheerless host being saved when\nits leaders have been crushed! Hearing of the slaughter of those two\nheroes, those two mighty bowmen, Bhishma and Drona, who were ever ready\nto lay down their lives for my sake, what use have I of life? Again and\nagain I am unable to endure that Karna, the might of whose arms equalled\nthat of 10,000 elephants, should be slain by the Pandavas! Tell me, O\nSanjaya, all that occurred in the battle between the brave warriors of\nthe Kauravas and their foes, after the death of Drona! Tell me also how\nthe sons of Kunti fought the battle with Karna, and how that slayer of\nfoes received his quietus in the fight!'\"\n\n\n\n10\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'After the fall of the mighty bowman Drona on that day, O\nBharata, and after the purpose had been baffled of that mighty\ncar-warriors, viz., the son of Drona, and after the vasty army, O\nmonarch, of the Kauravas had fled away, Partha, having arrayed his own\ntroops, stayed on the field with his brothers. Perceiving him staying on\nthe field, thy son, O bull of Bharata's race, seeing his own army running\naway, rallied them with great courage. Having caused his divisions to\ntake up their stand, thy son, O Bharata, relying on the might of his\narms, fought for a long time with his foes, the Pandavas, who, having\ngained their end, were filled with joy and had been struggling for hours\ntogether. On the approach there of the evening twilight, he caused the\ntroops to be withdrawn. Having caused the withdrawal of their troops, and\nhaving entered their own encampment, the Kauravas held with one another a\nconsultation about their own welfare, seated like the celestials on\ncostly couches overlaid with rich coverlets, and on excellent seats and\nluxurious beds. Then king Duryodhana, addressing those mighty bowmen in\nagreeable and highly sweet expression, spoke the following words suited\nto the occasion.\n\n\"'Duryodhana said, \"Ye foremost of intelligent men, declare all of you,\nwithout delay, your opinions! Under these circumstances, ye kings, what\nis necessary and what is still more necessary?'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'When that prince of men had spoken those words,\nthose lions among men, seated on their thrones, made various gestures\nexpressive of their desire of battle. Observing the indications of those\nwho were all desirous of pouring their lives as libations on the\nbattle-fire, and beholding the monarch's face radiant as morning Sun, the\npreceptor's son endued with intelligence and accomplished in speech, said\nthese words: \"Enthusiasm, opportunity, skill and policy,--these are the\nmeans declared by the learned, to be capable of accomplishing all ends.\nThey are, however, dependent on destiny. Those foremost of men we had on\nour side, equal unto the celestials, mighty car-warriors all, possessed\nof policy, devoted, accomplished, and loyal, have been slain. For all\nthat we should not despair of victory. If all these means be properly\napplied, even destiny may be made propitious. All of us, therefore, O\nBharata, shall install Karna, that foremost of men, endued besides with\nevery accomplishment, in the command of the army! Making Karna our\ncommander, we shall crush our foes. This Karna is endued with great\nmight; he is a hero, accomplished in weapons, and incapable of defeat in\nbattle. Irresistible as Yama himself, he is quite competent to vanquish\nour foes in battle!\" Hearing these words from the preceptor's son, O\nking, at that time, built great hopes on Karna. Cherishing the hope in\nhis heart that after the fall of Bhishma and Drona, Karna would vanquish\nthe Pandavas, and comforted (by it), O Bharata, Duryodhana then, filled\nwith joy at having heard those words of Ashvatthama, steadying his mind\nand relying on the might of his arms, said unto Radha's son, O monarch,\nthese words that were fraught with affection and regard, and that were\ntrue, delightful, and beneficial to himself: \"O Karna, I know thy\nprowess, and the great friendship thou bearest to me! For all that, O\nmighty-armed one, I shall address to thee certain words that are for thy\ngood! Having heard them, O hero, do that which may appear desirable to\nthee! Thou art endued with great wisdom, and thou art even my supreme\nrefuge! Those two Atirathas that were my Generals, viz., Bhishma and Drona,\nhave been slain. Be thou my General, thou that art mightier than they! Both\nof those great bowmen were advanced in years. They were, besides, partial\nto Dhananjaya. Still both those heroes were respected by me, O son of\nRadha, at thy word! Viewing his relationship of grandsire unto them, the\nsons of Pandu, O sire, were spared in dreadful battle by Bhishma for ten\nsuccessive days! Thyself also having laid aside thy weapons, the valiant\nBhishma was slain in great battle by Phalguni with Shikhandi before him!\nAfter that great bowman had fallen and betaken himself to his bed of\narrows, it was at thy word, O tiger among men, that Drona was made our\nleader! By him also were the sons of Pritha spared, in consequence, as I\nthink, of their relationship unto him of pupils. That old man also has\nbeen slain by Dhrishtadyumna more speedily. I do not see, even on\nreflection, another warrior equal to thee in battle,--thee, that is,\nwhose prowess could not be measured by even those two foremost of\nwarriors that have been slain in the fight! Without doubt, thou alone\ntoday art competent to win victory for us! Before, in the middle, and\nlater on, thou hast accordingly acted for our good. Therefore, like a\nleader, it behoveth thee, in this battle, to bear the burden thyself.\nThyself install thy own self in the Generalship. Like the celestial\ngeneralissimo, the lord Skanda of unfading prowess, (supporting the\ncelestial army), do thou support this Dhartarashtra host! Like Mahendra\nslaying the Danavas, destroy thou all the throngs of our foes! Beholding\nthee staying in battle, the Pandavas, those mighty car-warriors, will,\nwith the Pancalas, fly away from battle, like the Danavas at sight of\nVishnu. Do thou, therefore lead this vast force! When thou shalt stand\nresolved on the field, the Pandavas of wicked hearts, the Pancalas, and\nthe Srinjayas, will all fly away with their friends. As the risen Sun,\nscorching everything by his energy, destroyeth the thick gloom, even so\ndo thou destroy our foes!'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Strong became that hope, O king, in the heart of thy\nson, viz., that where Bhishma and Drona had been slain, Karna would\nvanquish the Pandavas. Cherishing that hope within his heart, he said\nunto Karna, \"O Suta's son, Partha never wishes to fight, standing before\nthee!\" Karna said, \"I have, O son of Gandhari, said before in thy\npresence, even these words, 'vanquish all the Pandavas with their sons and\nJanardana!' I shall become thy General. In this there is no doubt.\nTranquilise thyself, O monarch, I consider the Pandavas to be already\nvanquished!\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus addressed, O monarch, king Duryodhana then\nstood up with all the monarchs, like He of a hundred sacrifices with the\ngods, for honouring Karna with the command of the army, like the\ncelestials for honouring Skanda. Then, O monarch, all the kings headed by\nDuryodhana, desirous of victory, installed Karna in the command,\naccording to the rites enjoined by the ordinance. With golden and earthen\njars filled to the brim with water and sanctified with mantras, with\ntusks of elephants and horns of rhinoceroses and mighty bulls, with other\nvessels decked with jewels and gems, with also fragrant herbs and plants,\nand with other articles collected in abundance, Karna, seated at his ease\non a seat made of udumvara wood and overlaid with silken cloth, was\ninvested with the command, according to the rites in the scriptures.\nBrahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and respectable Shudras, praised that\nhigh-souled one after he was bathed on that excellent seat. Thus\ninstalled in the command, O king, that slayer of foes, the son of Radha,\ncaused, by presents of Niskas and kine and other wealth, many foremost of\nBrahmanas to utter blessings on him. \"Vanquish the Parthas with Govinda\nand all their followers,\" even these were the words that the eulogists\nand the Brahmanas said (unto him), O bull among men! (And they also said)\n\"Slay the Parthas and the Pancalas, O son of Radha, for our victory, like\nrisen Sun ever destroying Darkness with his fierce rays! The sons of Pandu\nwith Keshava are not able to even look at the shafts shot by thee, like\nowls unable to gaze at the burning rays of the Sun! The Parthas with the\nPancalas are incapable of standing before thee armed with weapons, like\nthe Danavas before Indra in battle!\" Installed in the command, Radha's\nson of incomparable splendour looked resplendent in beauty and radiance\nlike a second Sun. Having installed the son of Radha (thus) in the\ncommand of the army, thy son, urged on by Death, regarded himself as one\nwho had his purpose accomplished. That chastiser of foes, Karna, also, O\nking, having obtained the command, ordered the troops to be arrayed, at\nthe rise of the Sun. Surrounded by thy sons, O Bharata, Karna looked\nresplendent like Skanda surrounded by the celestials, in the battle\nhaving Saraka for its evil root.'\"\n\n\n\n11\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'After having obtained the command of the army, and\nafter he had been addressed by the king himself in those sweet and\nbrotherly words, and after he had ordered the troops to be arrayed at the\nhour of sunrise, tell me, O Sanjaya, what did Vikartana's son Karna do?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Having learnt Karna's wishes, thy sons, O bull of\nBharata's race, ordered the troops to be arrayed with joyful music. While\nit still wanted a long period for the coming of the dawn, a loud noise of\n\"Array, Array!\" O king, suddenly arose among thy troops. And the uproar\nthat arose, became tremendous and touched the very heavens, of foremost\nof elephants and fenced cars while under process of equipment, of\nfoot-soldiers and steeds, O monarch, while putting on their armour or in\ncourse of being harnessed, and of combatants moving with activity and\nshouting unto one another! Then the Suta's son bearing a gold-backed bow\nappeared (on the field) in his car possessed of the splendour of the\nradiant Sun, crowned with many banners, equipped with a white standard,\nwith steeds of the hue of cranes, bearing the device of the elephants'\nrope, filled with a hundred quivers, furnished with mace and wooden\nfence, freighted with shataghnis and rows of bells and darts and lances\nand spears, and supplied with many bows. And the Suta's son appeared on\nthe field, blowing his conch, O king; decorated with a net-work of gold,\nand shaking his formidable bow adorned with pure gold. Beholding the\nmighty bowman Karna, that foremost of car-warriors, seated on his car,\ndifficult of approach and resembling the risen Sun that destroys the\ngloom, none amongst the Kauravas, O tiger among men, recked, O sire, the\nloss of Bhishma or Drona or other men! Speeding the warriors, O sire,\nwith the blasts of his conch, Karna caused the vast army of the Kauravas\nto be drawn out. Having arrayed the troops in the makara array, that\nmighty bowman, that scorcher of foes, viz., Karna, proceeded against the\nPandavas from desire of victory. In the tip of the beak of that makara, O\nking, was stationed Karna himself. In the two eyes were the brave Shakuni\nand the mighty car-warrior Uluka. In the head was Drona's son and in the\nneck were all the uterine brothers. In the middle was king Duryodhana\nsupported by a large force. In the left foot, O monarch, was stationed\nKritavarma accompanied by the Narayana troops, and those invincible\nwarriors, the gopalas. In the right foot, O king, was Gotama's son of\nprowess incapable of being baffled, surrounded by those mighty bowmen\nviz., the Trigartas and by the Southerners. In the left hind-foot was\nstationed Shalya with a large force raised in the country of Madras. In\nthe right (hind-foot), O monarch, was Sushena of true vows, surrounded by\na 1,000 cars and 300 elephants. In the tail were the two royal brothers\nof mighty energy, viz., Citra and Citrasena surrounded by a large force.\n\n\"'When, O great king, that foremost of men, Karna, thus came out, king\nYudhishthira the just, casting his eyes on Arjuna, said these words:\n\"Behold, O Partha, how the Dhartarashtra force, O hero, in this battle,\nprotected by heroes and mighty car-warriors, hath been arrayed by Karna!\nThis vast Dhartarashtra force hath lost its bravest warriors. They that\nremain, O mighty-armed one, are feeble, equal, as I think, to straw! Only\none great bowman, viz., the Suta's son, shineth in it! That foremost of\ncar-warriors is incapable of being vanquished by the three worlds with\ntheir mobile and immobile creatures, including the gods, Asuras and\nGandharvas, and the Kinnaras and great serpents! If thou slayest him\ntoday, O mighty-armed one, the victory will be thine, O Phalguna! The\nthorn also which for twelve years hath been planted in my heart will then\nbe plucked out! Knowing this, O thou of mighty arms, form thou the array\nthat thou wishest!\" Hearing those words of his brother, that Pandava of\nthe white steeds disposed his army in counter array after the form of the\nhalf moon. On the left side was stationed Bhimasena, and on the right was\nstationed the great bowman Dhrishtadyumna. In the middle of the array\nwere the king and Dhananjaya the son of Pandu. Nakula and Sahadeva were\nat the rear of king Yudhishthira the just. The two Pancala princes,\nYudhamanyu and Uttamauja, became the protectors of (Arjuna's) car wheels.\nProtected by the diadem-decked Arjuna himself, they did not quit Arjuna\nfor a moment. The remaining kings, possessed of great courage, clad in\nmail, stood in the array, each in the position assigned to him, according\nto the measure of his enthusiasm and resolution, O Bharata. Having thus\nformed their great array, O Bharata, the Pandavas, and the mighty bowmen\nof thy army set their hearts on battle. Beholding thy army disposed into\nbattle array by the Suta's son in battle Duryodhana with all his brethren\nregarded the Pandavas to be already slain. Similarly Yudhishthira, O\nking, beholding the Pandava army disposed in array, regarded the\nDhartarashtras with Karna to be already slain. Then conches, and\nkettle-drums, and tabours, and large drums, and cymbals, and Dindimas,\nand Jharjharas, were loudly blown and beaten on all sides! Indeed, those\nloud-sounding instruments were blown and beaten, O king, among both the\narmies. Leonine roars also arose, uttered by brave warriors for victory.\nAnd there also arose, O king, the noise of neighing steeds and grunting\nelephants, and the fierce clatter of car-wheels. None, O Bharata, (in the\nKaurava army), at that time, felt the loss of Drona, seeing the great\nbowman Karna clad in mail and stationed at the head of the array. Both\narmies, O monarch, teeming with joyous men, stood, eager for battle and\n(ready) to destroy each other without delay. There, the two heroes, viz.,\nKarna and the son of Pandu, excited with wrath at sight of each other,\nand both firmly resolved, stood or careered, O king, through their\nrespective divisions. The two armies, as they advanced to meet each\nother, seemed to dance (in joy). From the wings and the side-wings of\nboth, warriors desirous of battle came forth. Then commenced the battle,\nO monarch, of men, elephants, steeds, and cars, engaged in destroying one\nanother.'\"\n\n\n\n12\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Then those two vast armies, teeming with rejoicing men\nand steeds and elephants, resembling in splendour the celestial and the\nAsura hosts, meeting together, began to strike each other. Men, cars,\nsteeds, elephants, and foot-soldiers of fierce prowess, made sturdy\nstrokes destructive of bodies and sin. Lion-like men strewed the Earth\nwith the heads of lion-like men, each resembling the full moon or the sun\nin splendour and the lotus in fragrance. Combatants cut off the heads of\ncombatants, with crescent-shaped and broad-headed shafts and razor-faced\narrows and axes, and battle-axes. The arms of men of long and massive\narms, cut off by men of long and massive arms, falling upon the Earth,\nshone, decked with weapons and bracelets. With those writhing arms\nadorned with red fingers and palms, the Earth looked resplendent as if\nstrewn with fierce five-headed snakes slain by Garuda. From elephants and\ncars and steeds, brave warriors fell down, struck by foes, like the\ndenizens of heaven from their celestial cars on the exhaustion of their\nmerits. Other brave warriors fell down by hundreds, crushed in that\nbattle by brave combatants with heavy maces spiked clubs and short\nbludgeons. Cars also, in that tumultuous fight, were crushed by cars, and\ninfuriate elephants by infuriate compeers, and horsemen by horsemen. Men\ndestroyed by cars, and cars by elephants, and horsemen by foot-soldiers,\nand foot-soldiers by horsemen, dropped down on the field, as also cars\nand steeds and foot-soldiers destroyed by elephants and cars and steeds\nand elephants by foot-soldiers, and cars and foot-soldiers and elephants\nby steeds and men and elephants by cars. Great was the carnage made of\ncar-warriors and steeds and elephants and men by men and steeds and\nelephants and car-warriors, using their hands and feet and weapons and\ncars. When that host was being thus struck and slain by heroic warriors\nthe Parthas, headed by Vrikodara, advanced against us. They consisted of\nDhrishtadyumna and Shikhandi and the five sons of Draupadi and the\nPrabhadrakas, and Satyaki and Chekitana with the Dravida forces, and the\nPandyas, the Cholas, and the Keralas, surrounded by a mighty array, all\npossessed of broad chests, long arms, tall statures, and large eyes.\nDecked with ornaments, possessed of red teeth, endued with the prowess of\ninfuriate elephants, attired in robes of diverse colours, smeared with\npowdered scents, armed with swords and nooses, capable of restraining\nmighty elephants, companions in death, and never deserting one another,\nequipped with quivers, bearing bows adorned with long locks, and\nagreeable in speech were the combatants of the infantry files led by\nSatyaki, belonging to the Andhra tribe, endued with fierce forms and\ngreat energy. Other brave warriors such as the Cedis, the Pancalas, the\nKaikayas, the Karushas, the Kosalas, the Kanchis, and the Maghadhas, also\nrushed forward. Their cars and steeds and elephants, all of the foremost\nkind, and their fierce foot-soldiers, gladdened by the notes of diverse\ninstruments, seemed to dance and laugh. In the midst of that vast force,\ncame Vrikodara, riding on the neck of an elephant, and surrounded by many\nforemost of elephant-soldiers, advancing against thy army. That fierce\nand foremost of elephants, duly equipped, looked resplendent, like the\nstone-built mansion on the top of the Udaya mountain, crowned with the\nrisen Sun. Its armour of iron, the foremost of its kind, studded with\ncostly gems, was as resplendent as the autumnal firmament bespangled with\nstars. With a lance in his outstretched arm, his head decked with a\nbeautiful diadem, and possessed of the splendour of the meridian Sun at\nautumn, Bhima began to burn his foes. Beholding that elephant from a\ndistance, Kshemadhurti, himself on an elephant, challenging, rushed\ncheerfully towards Bhima who was more cheerful still. An encounter then\ntook place between those two elephants of fierce forms resembling two\nhuge hills topped with trees, each, fighting with the other as it liked.\nThose two heroes, then, whose elephants thus encountered each other,\nforcibly struck each other with lances endued with the splendour of solar\nrays, and uttered loud roars. Separating, they then careered in circles\nwith their elephants, and each taking up a bow began to strike the other.\nGladdening the people around with their loud roars and the slaps on their\narmpits and the whizz of the arrows, they continued to utter leonine\nshouts. Endued with great strength, both of them, accomplished in\nweapons, fought, using their elephants with upturned trunks and decked\nwith banners floating on the wind. Then each cutting off the other's bow,\nthey roared at each other, and rained on each other showers of darts and\nlances like two masses of clouds in the rainy season pouring torrents of\nrain. Then Kshemadhurti pierced Bhimasena in the centre of the chest with\na lance endued with great impetuosity, and then with six others, and\nuttered a loud shout. With those lances sticking to his body, Bhimasena,\nwhose form then blazed with wrath, looked resplendent like the\ncloud-covered Sun with his rays issuing through the interstices of that\ncanopy. Then Bhima carefully hurled at his antagonist a lance bright as\nthe rays of the Sun, coursing perfectly straight, and made entirely of\niron. The ruler of the Kulutas then, drawing his bow, cut off that lance\nwith ten shafts and then pierced the son of Pandu with sixty shafts. Then\nBhima the son of Pandu, taking up a bow whose twang resembled the roar of\nthe clouds, uttered a loud shout and deeply afflicted with his shafts the\nelephants of his antagonist. Thus afflicted in that battle by Bhimasena\nwith his arrows, that elephant, though sought to be restrained, stayed\nnot on the field like a wind-blown cloud. The fierce prince of elephants\nowned by Bhima then pursued his (flying) compeer, like a wind-blown mass\nof clouds pursuing another mass driven by the tempest. Restraining his\nown elephant valiant Kshemadhurti pierced with his shafts the pursuing\nelephant of Bhimasena. Then with a well-shot razor-headed arrow that was\nperfectly straight, Kshemadhurti cut off his antagonist's bow and then\nafflicted that hostile elephant. Filled with wrath, Kshemadhurti then, in\nthat battle, pierced Bhima and struck his elephant with many long shafts\nin every vital part. That huge elephant of Bhima then fell down, O\nBharata! Bhima, however, who had jumped down from his elephant and stood\non the Earth before the fall of the beast, then crushed the elephant of\nhis antagonist with his mace. And Vrikodara then struck Kshemadhurti\nalso, who, jumped down from his crushed elephant, was advancing against\nhim with uplifted weapon. Kshemadhurti, thus struck, fell down lifeless,\nwith the sword in his arm, by the side of his elephant, like a lion\nstruck down by thunder beside a thunder-riven hill. Beholding the\ncelebrated king of the Kulutas slain, thy troops, O bull of Bharata's\nrace exceedingly distressed, fled away.'\"\n\n\n\n13\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Then the mighty and heroic bowman Karna began to smite\nthe Pandava army in that battle, with his straight shafts. Similarly,\nthose great car-warriors, viz., the Pandavas, O king, filled with wrath,\nbegan to smite the army of thy son in the very sight of Karna. Karna\nalso, O king, in that battle slew the Pandava army with his cloth-yard\nshafts bright as the rays of the Sun and polished by the hands of the\nsmith. There, O Bharata, the elephants, struck by Karna with his shafts,\nuttered loud cries, lost strength, became faint, and wandered on all\nsides. While the army was being thus destroyed by the Suta's son, Nakula\nrushed with speed against that mighty car-warrior. And Bhimasena rushed\nagainst Drona's son who was engaged in the accomplishment of the most\ndifficult feats. Satyaki checked the Kaikaya princes Vinda and Anuvinda.\nKing Citrasena rushed against the advancing Srutakarman; and Prativindhya\nagainst Citra owning a beautiful standard and a beautiful bow. Duryodhana\nrushed against king Yudhishthira the son of Dharma; while Dhananjaya\nrushed against the angry throngs of the samsaptakas. In that slaughter of\ngreat heroes, Dhrishtadyumna proceeded against Kripa. The invincible\nShikhandi closed with Kritavarma. Srutakirti encountered Shalya, and\nMadri's son, the valiant Sahadeva, O king, encountered thy son\nDuhshasana. The two Kaikaya princes, in that battle, shrouded Satyaki\nwith a shower of blazing arrows, and the latter also, O Bharata, shrouded\nthe two Kaikaya brothers. Those two heroic brothers deeply struck Satyaki\nin the chest like two elephants striking with their tusks a hostile\ncompeer in the forest. Indeed, O king, those two brothers, in that\nbattle, their own vitals pierced with shafts, pierced Satyaki of true\ndeeds with their shafts. Satyaki, however, O great king, covering all the\npoints of the compass with a shower of arrows and smiling the while,\nchecked the two brothers, O Bharata. Checked by those showers of arrows\nshot by the grandson of Sini, the two brothers speedily shrouded the car\nof Sini's grandson with their shafts. Cutting off their beautiful bows,\nSaurin of great fame checked them both with his keen arrows in that\nbattle. Taking up two other beautiful bows, and a number of powerful\nshafts, the two began to cover Satyaki and career with great activity and\nskill. Shot by the two brothers, those mighty shafts equipped with the\nfeathers of the Kanka and the peacock and decked with gold, began to\nfall, illumining all the points of the compass. In that dreadful battle\nbetween them, O king, the arrows they shot caused a darkness there. Those\nmighty car-warriors then cut off each other's bows. Then the invincible\nSatwata, O king, filled with rage, took up another bow in that battle,\nand stringing it, cut off Anuvinda's head with a keen razor-headed shaft.\nDecked with earrings, that large head, O king, fell like the head of\nSamvara slain in the great battle (of old). And it reached the Earth in\nno time, filling all the Kaikayas with grief. Beholding that brave\nwarrior slain, his brother, the mighty car-warrior Vinda, stringing\nanother bow began to resist the grandson of Sini from every side.\nPiercing with sixty arrows equipped with wings of gold and whetted on\nstone, he uttered a loud shout and said, \"Wait, Wait!\" Then that mighty\ncar-warrior of the Kaikayas speedily struck Satyaki with many thousands\nof shafts in his arms and chest. All his limbs wounded with arrows,\nSatyaki, of prowess incapable of being baffled, looked resplendent in\nthat battle, O king, like a flowering Kinsuka. Pierced by the high-souled\nKaikaya in that encounter, Satyaki, with the greatest ease, pierced the\nKaikaya (in return) with five and twenty arrows. Then those two foremost\nof car-warriors, having each cut off the other's handsome bow in that\nencounter, and having each quickly slain the other's driver and steeds\napproached each other on foot for a fight with swords. Both endued with\nmassive arms, they looked resplendent on that extensive arena, each\nhaving taken up a shield decked with a hundred moons, and each armed with\nan excellent sword, like Jambha and Sakra, both endued with great might,\nin the battle between the gods and the Asuras (of old). Both of them, in\nthat great battle, then began to career in circles. And then they\nspeedily encountered each other in battle, each approaching the other\nnear. And each of them made great efforts for the destruction of the\nother. Then Satwata cut in twain the shield of Kaikeya. The latter also,\nO king, cut in twain the shield of Satyaki. Having cut off his\nantagonist's shield covered with centuries of stars, Kaikeya began to\ncareer in circles, advancing and receding (at times). Then the grandson\nof Sini, endued with great activity, cut off by a sidestroke the prince\nof the Kaikeyas thus careering in that great arena armed with excellent\nsword. Cased in armour that great bowman, viz., the Kaikeya prince, O\nking, thus cut off in twain in that great battle, fell down like a hill\nriven with thunder. Having slain him in battle that foremost of\ncar-warriors that scorcher of foes, viz., the brave grandson of Sini\nquickly got upon the car of Yudhamanyu. Afterwards riding upon another\ncar duly equipped (with everything), Satyaki began to slay with his\nshafts the large force of the Kaikeyas. The vast army of the Kaikeyas,\nthus slaughtered in battle, leaving that foe of theirs fled away on all\nsides.'\"\n\n\n\n14\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Srutakarman then, O king, filled with wrath, struck that\nlord of Earth, viz., Citrasena, in that battle, with fifty shafts. The\nruler of the Abhisars (in return), striking Srutakarman, O king, with\nnine straight arrows, pierced his driver with five. Srutakarman then,\nfilled with rage, struck Citrasena at the head of his forces, with a keen\narrow in a vital part. Deeply pierced, O monarch, with that arrow by that\nhigh-souled prince the heroic Citrasena felt great pain and swooned away.\nDuring this interval, Srutakarman of great renown covered that lord of\nEarth, (viz., his insensible antagonist), with ninety arrows. The mighty\ncar-warrior Citrasena then, recovering consciousness, cut off his\nantagonist's bow with a broad-headed arrow, and pierced his antagonist\nhimself with seven arrows. Taking up another bow that was decked with\ngold, and capable of striking hard, Srutakarman then, with his waves of\narrows, made Citrasena assume a wonderful appearance. Adorned with those\narrows, the youthful king, wearing beautiful garlands, looked in that\nbattle like a well-adorned youth in the midst of an assembly. Quickly\npiercing Srutakarman with an arrow in the centre of the chest, he said\nunto him, \"Wait, Wait!\" Srutakarman also, pierced with that arrow in the\nbattle, began to shed blood, like a mountain shedding streams of liquid\nred chalk. Bathed in blood and dyed therewith, that hero shone in battle\nlike a flowering Kinsuka. Srutakarman, then, O king, thus assailed by the\nfoe, became filled with rage, and cut in twain the foe-resisting bow of\nCitrasena. The latter's bow having been cut off, Srutakarman then, O\nking, pierced him with three hundred arrows equipped with goodly wings,\ncovering him completely therewith. With another broad-headed arrow,\nsharp-edged and keen pointed, he cut off the head, decked with head-gear\nof his high-souled antagonist. That blazing head of Citrasena fell down\non the ground, like the moon loosened from the firmament upon the Earth\nat will. Beholding the king slain, the troops of Citrasena, O sire,\nrushed impetuously against (his slayer). That great bowman then, filled\nwith rage, rushed, shooting his shafts, against that army, like Yama\nfilled with fury, against all creatures at the time of the universal\ndissolution. Slaughtered in that battle by thy grandson armed with the\nbow, they quickly fled on all sides like elephants scorched by a\nforest conflagration. Beholding them flying away, hopeless of vanquishing\nthe foe, Srutakarman, pursuing them with his keen arrows, looked\nexceedingly resplendent (on his car). Then Prativindhya, piercing Citra\nwith five arrows, struck his driver with three and his standard with one.\nHim Citra pierced, striking in the arms and the chest, with nine\nbroad-headed shafts equipped with wings of gold, having keen points, and\nplumed with Kanka and peacock feathers. Then Prativindhya, O Bharata,\ncutting off with his shafts the bow of his antagonist deeply struck the\nlatter with five keen arrows. Then Citra, O monarch, sped at thy grandson\na terrible and irresistible dart, adorned with golden bells, and\nresembling a flame of fire. Prativindhya, however, in that battle, cut\noff, with the greatest ease, into three fragments, that dart as it\ncoursed towards him like a flashing meteor. Cut off into three fragments,\nwith Prativindhya's shafts, that dart fell down, like the thunderbolt\ninspiring all creatures with fear at the end of the Yuga. Beholding that\ndart baffled, Citra, taking up a huge mace decked with a net-work of\ngold, hurled it at Prativindhya. That mace slew the latter's steeds and\ndriver also in that great battle, and crushing, besides, his car, fell\nwith great impetuosity on the Earth. Meanwhile, having alighted from his\ncar, O Bharata, Prativindhya hurled at Citra a dart, well-adorned and\nequipped with a golden staff. Catching it as it coursed towards him, the\nhigh-souled king Citra, O Bharata, hurled the very weapon at\nPrativindhya. Striking the brave Prativindhya in that battle, that\nblazing dart, piercing through his right arm, fell down on the Earth, and\nfalling illumined the whole region like a blast of lightning. Then\nPrativindhya, O king, filled with rage, and desiring to compass the\ndestruction of Citra, sped at him a lance decked with gold. That lance\npenetrating through his armour and chest, entered the Earth like a mighty\nsnake in its hole. Struck with that lance, the king fell down, stretching\nout his large and massive arms that resembled a couple of iron clubs.\nBeholding Citra slain, thy warriors, those ornaments of battle, rushed\nimpetuously at Prativindhya from all sides. Shooting diverse kinds of\nshafts and Sataghnis decked with rows of bells, they soon covered\nPrativindhya like masses of clouds covering the Sun. The mighty-armed\nPrativindhya, consuming with his arrowy showers those assailants of his\nin that battle, routed thy army like the thunder-wielding Sakra routing\nthe Asura host. Thus slaughtered in battle by the Pandavas, thy troops, O\nking, suddenly dispersed in all directions like congregated masses of\nclouds dispersed by the wind. While thy army, slaughtered on all sides,\nwas thus flying away, only Drona's son singly rushed with speed against\nthe mighty Bhimasena. All at once a fierce encounter ensued between them\nlike to what had taken place between Vritra and Vasava in the battle\nbetween the gods and the Asuras (of old).'\"\n\n\n\n15\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Endued with the greatest activity, Drona's son, O king,\ndisplaying the lightness of his arms, pierced Bhima with an arrow. Aiming\nat all his vital points--for he had a knowledge of all the vital points\nof the body--the quick-handed Ashvatthama again struck him with ninety\nshafts. Pierced all over with keen arrows by the son of Drona, Bhimasena\nlooked resplendent in that battle like the Sun himself with his rays. The\nson of Pandu then, covering the son of Drona with a 1,000 well-directed\nshafts, uttered a leonine roar. Baffling with his own shafts the shafts\nof his foe in that battle, the son of Drona, O king, as if smiling, then\nstruck the Pandava on the forehead with a cloth-yard shaft. The son of\nPandu bore that arrow on his forehead even as the proud rhinoceros, O\nking, in the forest bears its horn. The valiant Bhima, then, in that\nbattle as if smiling all the while, struck the struggling son of Drona on\nthe forehead with three cloth-yard shafts. With those three arrows\nsticking on his forehead, that Brahmana looked beautiful like a\nthree-peaked mountain washed with water in the season of rains. The son\nof Drona then afflicted the Pandava with hundreds of arrows, but failed\nto shake him like the wind failing to shake the mountain. Similarly the\nson of Pandu, filled with joy, could not in that battle shake the son of\nDrona with his hundreds of keen shafts like torrents of rain failing to\nshake a mountain. Shrouding each other with showers of terrible shafts\nthose two great car-warriors, those two heroes, endued with fierce might,\nshone resplendent on those two foremost of cars of theirs. Then they\nlooked like two blazing Suns risen for the destruction of the world, and\nengaged themselves in scorching each other with their rays representing\nexcellent arrows. Endeavouring with great care to counteract each other's\nfeats in the great battle, and actually engaged in matching deed by deed\nwith showers of arrows most fearlessly, those two foremost of men\ncareered in that combat like a couple of tigers. Both invincible and\nterrible, arrows constituted their fangs and bows their mouths. They\nbecame invisible under those clouds of arrows on all sides like the Sun\nand the Moon in the firmament shrouded by masses of clouds. And then\nthose two chastisers of foes soon became visible and blazed forth like\nMars and Mercury freed from cloudy screens. Then at that instant during\nthe progress of that awful battle, Drona's son placing Vrikodara to his\nright, poured hundreds of fierce arrows upon him like the clouds pouring\ntorrents of rain upon a mountain. Bhima, however, could not brook that\nindication of his enemy's triumphs. The son of Pandu, O king, from that\nvery station on Ashvatthama's right, began to counteract the latter's\nfeats. Their cars continuing to wheel around in diverse ways and advance\nand retreat (according to the exigencies of the situation), the battle\nbetween those two lions among men became exceedingly furious. Careering\nin diverse paths, and (executing) circular manoeuvres, they continued to\nstrike each other with arrows shot from their bows drawn to their fullest\nstretch. And each made the greatest endeavours to compass the destruction\nof the other. And each of them desired to make the other carless in that\nbattle. Then that car-warrior, viz., the son of Drona, invoked many\nmighty weapons. The son of Pandu, however, in that battle, with his own\nweapons, counteracted all those weapons of his foe. Then, O monarch,\nthere took place an awful encounter of weapons, like to the terrible\nencounter of planets at the time of the universal dissolution. Those\nshafts, O Bharata, let off by them, coming in collision, illuminated all\nthe points of the compass and thy troops also all around. Covered with\nflights of arrows, the welkin assumed a terrible sight, like to what\nhappens, O king, at the time of the universal dissolution, when it is\ncovered with falling meteors. From the clash of shafts, O Bharata, fire\nwas generated there with sparks and blazing flames. That fire began to\nconsume both armies. Siddhas, moving there, O monarch, said these words,\n\"O lord, this battle is the foremost of all battles. Any battle (fought\nbefore) does not come up to even a sixteenth part of this. A battle like\nthis will never occur again. Both these persons, viz., this Brahmana and\nthis Kshatriya, are endued with knowledge. Both are possessed of courage,\nand both are fierce in prowess. Dreadful is the might of Bhima, and\nwonderful is the skill of the other in weapons. How great is their energy\nand how wonderful the skill possessed by both! Both of them stand in this\nbattle like two universe-destroying Yamas at the end of the Yuga. They\nare born like two Rudras or like two Suns. These two tigers among men,\nboth endued with terrible forms, are like two Yamas in this battle.\" Such\nwere the words of the Siddhas heard there every moment. And among the\nassembled denizens of heaven there arose a leonine roar. Beholding the\namazing and inconceivable feats of the two warriors in that battle, the\ndense throngs of Siddhas, and Charanas were filled with wonder. And the\ngods, the Siddhas, and the great Rishis applauded them both saying,\n\"Excellent, O mighty-armed son of Drona. Excellent, O Bhima.\" Meanwhile\nthose two heroes, in that battle, O king, having done injuries to each\nother, glared at each other with eyes rolling in rage. With eyes red in\nrage, their lips also quivered in rage. And they grinded their teeth in\nwrath and bit their lips. And those two great car-warriors covered each\nother with showers of arrows, as if they were in that battle two masses\nof clouds that poured torrents of arrows for rain and that gleamed with\nweapons constituting their lightning. Having pierced each other's\nstandards and drivers in that great battle, and having also pierced each\nother's steeds, they continued to strike each other. Then, O monarch,\nfilled with rage, they took up in that dreadful encounter, two arrows,\nand each desirous of slaying the other shot quickly at his foe. Those two\nblazing arrows, resistless and endued with the force of thunder, coming,\nO king, to the two warriors as they stood at the head of their respective\ndivisions, struck them both. Each of the two mighty combatants then\ndeeply struck with those arrows, sank, on the terrace of their respective\ncar. Understanding the son of Drona to be insensible, his driver then\nbore him away from the battle-field, O king, in the sight of all the\ntroops. Similarly, O king, Bhima's driver bore away from the battle-field\non his car, the son of Pandu, that scorcher of foes, who was repeatedly\nfalling into a swoon.'\"\n\n\n\n16\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Describe to me the battle of Arjuna with the\nsamsaptakas, and of the other kings with the Pandavas. Narrate to me\nalso, O Sanjaya, the battle of Arjuna with Ashvatthama, and of the other\nlords of the Earth with Partha.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Listen, O king, as I speak to thee as to how occurred the\nbattle of the heroic warriors (on our side) with the foe--the battle\nwhich was destructive of bodies, sins, and lives. That slayer of foes,\nviz, Partha, penetrating into the Samsaptaka force that resembled the\nocean, agitated it exceedingly, like a tempest agitating the vast deep.\nCutting off with broad-headed arrows of keen edges the heads of brave\nwarriors that were decked with faces possessed of the splendour of the\nfull moon and with beautiful eyes and eyebrows and teeth, Dhananjaya\nspeedily caused the Earth to be strewn there as if with lotuses, plucked\nof their stalks. And in that battle Arjuna with his razor-headed shafts,\ncut off the arms of his foes, that were all well rounded, large and\nmassive, and smeared with sandal-paste and other perfumes, with weapons\nin grasp, with leathern gloves casing their fingers, and looking like\nfive-headed snakes. And the son of Pandu repeatedly cut off with his\nbroad-headed shafts, steeds, riders, drivers, and flags, and bows and\narrows, and arms decked with gems. And Arjuna in that battle, O king,\nwith many thousands of arrows, despatched to Yama's abode, car-warriors\nand elephants and horses and horsemen. Many foremost of warriors, filled\nwith rage and roaring like bulls mad (like them) with excitement for a\ncow in season, rushed towards Arjuna, with loud cries. All of them then\nbegan to strike Arjuna with their arrows as the latter was employed in\nslaying them, like infuriate bulls striking one of their species with\ntheir horns. The battle that took place between him and them made the\nhair to stand on end, even like the battle between the Daityas and the\nwielder of the thunderbolt on the occasion of the conquest of the three\nworlds. Resisting with his own weapons the weapons of his foes on all\nsides, Arjuna, piercing them fast with innumerable arrows, took their\nlives. Like the wind destroying vast masses of clouds, Arjuna, otherwise\ncalled Jaya, that enhancer of the fears of his foes, cutting off into\nminute fragments large throngs of cars,--cars, that is, whose poles,\nwheels, and axles had previously been shattered by him, and whose\nwarriors and steeds and drivers had been slain before, and whose weapons\nand quivers had been displaced, and standards crushed, and traces and\nreins sundered, and wooden fences and shafts broken already, and filling\nevery body with wonder, achieved feats magnificent to behold and\nrivalling those of a 1,000 great car-warriors fighting together. Crowds\nof Siddhas and celestial Rishis and Charanas all applauded him. And\ncelestial kettle-drums sounded, and floral showers fell upon the heads of\nKeshava and Arjuna. And an incorporeal voice said, \"These viz., Keshava\nand Arjuna, are those two heroes that always possess the beauty of the\nmoon, the splendour of fire, the force of the wind and the radiance of\nthe sun. Stationed on the same car these two heroes are invincible even\nlike Brahman and Isana. These two heroes the foremost of all creatures\nare Nara and Narayana.\" Hearing and beholding these wonderful things, O\nBharata, Ashvatthama, with great care and resolution, rushed against\nKrishna and Arjuna in that battle. With his arm that held an arrow in its\ngrasp, the son of Drona hailed the Pandava, shooting shafts equipped with\nfoe-slaying heads, and smilingly told him these words, \"If, O hero, thou\nregardest me a worthy guest arrived (before thee), then give me today,\nwith the whole heart, the hospitality of battle.\" Thus summoned by the\npreceptor's son from desire of battle, Arjuna regarded himself highly\nhonoured, and addressing Janardana said, \"The samsaptakas should be slain\nby me, but Drona's son again is summoning me. Tell me, O Madhava, to\nwhich of these duties should I first turn? First let the services of\nhospitality be offered, if thou thinkest that to be proper.\" Thus\naddressed, Krishna bore Partha who had been summoned according to the\nrules of triumphant challenge to the vicinity of Drona's son, like Vayu\nbearing Indra to the sacrifice. Saluting Drona's son whose mind was fixed\nupon one thing, Keshava said unto him, \"O Ashvatthama, be cool, and\nwithout losing a moment strike and bear. The time has come for those that\nare dependent on others to repay their obligation to their masters. The\ndisputes between Brahmanas are subtle. The consequences, however, of the\ndisputes of Kshatriyas are palpable, being either victory or defeat. For\nobtaining those excellent rites of hospitality that from folly thou\nsolicitest at the hands of Partha, fight coolly now with the son of\nPandu.\" Thus addressed by Vasudeva, that foremost of regenerate ones,\nreplied saying, \"So be it!\" pierced Keshava with sixty shafts and Arjuna\nwith three. Arjuna then, filled with rage, cut off Ashvatthama's bow with\nthree shafts. Drona's son took up another bow that was still more\nformidable. Stringing it within the twinkling of an eye, he pierced\nArjuna and Keshava, the latter with three hundred arrows, and the former\nwith a 1,000. And then Drona's son, with good care, stupefying Arjuna in\nthat battle, shot thousands and tens of thousands and millions of arrows.\nFrom the quivers, the bow, the bow-string, the fingers, the arms, the\nhands, the chest, the face, the nose, the eyes, the ears, the heads, the\nlimbs, the pores of the body, the armour on his person, the car, and the\nstandard, O sire, of that utterer of Brahma, arrows began to issue.\nPiercing Madhava and the son of Pandu with the thick arrowy shower,\nDrona's son filled with joy, roared aloud like a vast mass of congregated\nclouds. Hearing that roar of his, the son of Pandu said unto Keshava of\nunfading glory these words \"Behold, O Madhava, this wickedness towards me\nof the preceptor's son. He regardeth us to be slain, having shrouded us\nwith his dense arrowy shower. I will presently, however, by my training\nand might, baffle his purpose.\" Cutting off every one of those arrows\nshot by Ashvatthama into three fragments, that foremost one of Bharata's\nrace destroyed them all like the Sun destroying a thick fog. After this\nthe son of Pandu once more pierced with his fierce shafts, the\nsamsaptakas with their steeds, drivers, cars, elephants, standards and\nfoot-soldiers. Every one of those that stood there as spectators, every\none of those that were stationed there on foot or car or steed or\nelephant, regarded himself as shrouded by the arrows of Arjuna. Shot from\nGandiva, those winged arrows of diverse forms slew in that battle\nelephants and steeds and men whether stationed in his immediate front or\nat the distance of two miles. The trunks, cut off with broad-headed\nshafts, of elephants, down whose cheeks and other limbs flowed the juice\nindicative of excitement, fell down like tall trees in the forest struck\ndown with the axe. A little after down fell elephants, huge as hillocks,\nwith their riders, like mountains crushed by Indra with his thunder. With\nhis shafts cutting into minute portions well-equipped cars that looked\nlike dissolving edifices of vapour in the evening sky and unto which were\nyoked well-trained steeds of great speed and which were ridden by\nwarriors invincible in battle, the son of Pandu continued to shower his\narrows on his enemies. And Dhananjaya continued to slay well-decked\nhorsemen and foot-soldiers of the foe. Indeed, Dhananjaya, resembling the\nvery Sun as he rises at the end of the Yuga, dried up the samsaptaka\nocean incapable of being dried up easily, by means of keen arrows\nconstituting his rays. Without losing a moment, the son of Pandu once\nmore pierced Drona's son resembling a huge hill, with shafts of great\nimpetuosity and the splendour of the Sun, like the wielder of the\nthunderbolt piercing a mountain with the thunder. Desirous of battle, the\npreceptor's son then, filled with rage, approached Arjuna for piercing\nhim and his steeds and drivers by means of his swiftly coursing shafts.\nArjuna, however, quickly cut off the shafts shot at him by Ashvatthama.\nThe son of Pandu then filled with great wrath, proffered unto\nAshvatthama, that desirable guest, quivers upon quivers of arrows, like a\ncharitable person offering everything in his house unto a guest. Leaving\nthe samsaptakas then the son of Pandu rushed towards Drona's son like a\ndonor abandoning unworthy guests, for proceeding towards one that is\nworthy.'\"\n\n\n\n17\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Then occurred that battle between Arjuna and Ashvatthama\nresembling the planets Shukra and Brihaspati in splendour, like the\nbattle between Shukra and Brihaspati in the firmament for entering the\nsame constellation. Afflicting each other with blazing shafts that\nconstituted their rays, those terrifiers of the world stood like two\nplanets both deviating from their orbits. Then Arjuna deeply pierced\nAshvatthama with a shaft in the midst of his eyebrows. With that shaft\nthe son of Drona looked resplendent like the Sun with upward rays. The\ntwo Krishnas (Nara and Narayana), also deeply afflicted by Ashvatthama\nwith hundreds of arrows, looked like two Suns at the end of the Yuga,\nresplendent with their own rays. Then when Vasudeva seemed to be\nstupefied, Arjuna shot a weapon from which issued torrents of shafts on\nall sides. And he struck the son of Drona with innumerable shafts, each\nresembling the thunder or fire or the sceptre of Death. Endued with\nmighty energy, that achiever of fierce feats, (Ashvatthama) then pierced\nboth Keshava and Arjuna with well-shot shafts which were inspired with\ngreat impetuosity and struck with which Death himself would feel pain.\nChecking the shafts of Drona's son, Arjuna covered him with twice as many\narrows equipped with goodly wings, and shrouding that foremost of heroes\nand his steeds and driver and standard, began to strike the samsaptakas.\nWith his well-shot shafts Partha began to cut off the bows and quivers\nand bowstrings and hands and arms and tightly grasped weapons and\numbrellas and standards and steeds and car shafts and robes and floral\ngarlands and ornaments and coats of mail and handsome shields and\nbeautiful heads, in large numbers, of his unretreating foes.\nWell-equipped cars and steeds and elephants, ridden by heroes fighting\nwith great care, were destroyed by the hundreds of shafts sped by Partha\nand fell down along with the heroes that rode on them. Cut off with\nbroad-headed and crescent-shaped and razor-faced arrows, human heads,\nresembling the lotus, the Sun, or the full Moon in beauty and resplendent\nwith diadems and necklaces and crowns, dropped ceaselessly on the earth.\nThen the Kalinga, the Vanga, and the Nishada heroes, riding on elephants,\nthat resembled in splendour the elephant of the great foe of the Daityas,\nrushed with speed against the queller of the pride of the Danavas, the\nson of Pandu, from desire of slaying him. Partha cut off the vital limbs,\nthe trunks, the riders, the standards, and the banners of those\nelephants, upon which those beasts fell down like mountain summits riven\nwith thunder. When that elephant force was broken, the diadem-decked\nArjuna shrouded the son of his preceptor with shafts endued with the\nsplendour of the newly risen Sun, like the wind shrouding the risen Sun\nwith masses of congregated clouds. Checking with his own shafts those of\nArjuna, Drona's son shrouding both Arjuna and Vasudeva with his arrows,\ngave a loud roar, like a mass of clouds at the close of summer after\nshrouding the Sun or the Moon in the firmament. Deeply afflicted with\nthose arrows, Arjuna, aiming his weapons at Ashvatthama and at those\nfollowers of his belonging to the army, speedily dispelled that darkness\ncaused by Ashvatthama's arrows, and pierced all of them with shafts\nequipped with goodly wings. In that battle none could see when Savyasaci\ntook up his shafts, when he aimed them, and when he let them off. All\nthat could be seen was that elephants and steeds and foot-soldiers and\ncar-warriors, struck with his arrows, fell down deprived of life. Then\nDrona's son without losing a moment, aiming ten foremost of arrows, sped\nthem quickly as if they formed only one arrow. Shot with great force,\nfive of these pierced Arjuna and the other five pierced Vasudeva. Struck\nwith those arrows, those two foremost of men, like Kuvera and Indra,\nbecame bathed in blood. Thus afflicted, all the people there regarded\nthose two heroes as slain by Ashvatthama the warrior who had completely\nmastered the science of arms. Then the chief of the Dasharhas addressed\nArjuna and said, \"Why errest thou in thus sparing Ashvatthama? Slay this\nwarrior. If treated with indifference, even this one will be the cause of\ngreat woe, like a disease not sought to be put down by treatment.\"\nReplying unto Keshava of unfading glory with the words \"So be it!\" Arjuna\nof unclouded understanding began with good care to mangle the son of\nDrona with his shafts. Now the son of Pandu, filled with rage, quickly\npierced the massive arms, smeared with sandal-paste, and the chest, the\nhead, and the unrivalled thighs of his antagonist with shafts equipped\nwith heads like goats' ears, and shot with great force from Gandiva. Then\ncutting off the traces of Ashvatthama's steeds, Arjuna began to pierce\nthe steeds themselves, whereat the latter bore Ashvatthama away to a\ngreat distance from the field. Thus borne away by these steeds endued\nwith the speed of the wind, the intelligent son of Drona, deeply\nafflicted with the shafts of Partha, reflecting for some time, wished not\nto go back and renew the fight with Partha. Knowing that victory is ever\nwith the chief of the Vrishnis and with Dhananjaya, that foremost one of\nAngirasa's race, endued with great activity, entered the army of Karna,\ndeprived of hope and with shafts and weapons almost exhausted. Indeed,\nDrona's son, restraining his steeds, and having comforted himself a\nlittle, O sire, entered the force of Karna, teeming with cars and steeds\nand men. After Ashvatthama, that enemy of theirs, had been thus removed\nfrom the field by his steeds like a disease removed from the body by\nincantations and medicines and means, Keshava and Arjuna proceeded\ntowards the samsaptakas, on their car whose rattle resembled the roar of\nthe clouds and whose banner waved on the wind.'\"\n\n\n\n18\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Meanwhile towards the northern part of the Pandava army,\na loud uproar arose of cars and elephants and steeds and foot-soldiers as\nthose were being massacred by Dandadhara. Turning the course of the car,\nbut without stopping the steeds which were as fleet as Garuda or the\nwind, Keshava, addressing Arjuna, said, \"The chief of the Magadhas, with\nhis (foe-crushing) elephant is unrivalled in prowess. In training and\nmight he is not inferior to Bhagadatta himself. Having slain him first,\nthou wilt then slay the samsaptakas.\" At the conclusion of his words,\nKeshava bore Partha to the presence of Dandadhara. The chief of the\nMagadhas, peerless in handling the elephant-hook even as the headless\nplanet Ketu (is peerless) among all the planets, was destroying the\nhostile army like a fierce comet destroying the whole earth. Riding on\nhis foe-slaying and well-equipped elephant which looked like the danava\nwith elephantine face and form, and whose roar resembled that of a\ncongregated mass of clouds, Dandadhara was destroying with his shafts\nthousands of cars and steeds and elephants and men. The elephants also,\ntreading upon cars with their feet, pressed down into the Earth a large\nnumber of men with their steeds and drivers. Many were the elephants,\nalso, which that foremost of elephants, crushed and slew with his two\nforefeet and trunk. Indeed, the beast moved like the wheel of Death.\nSlaying men adorned with steel coats of mail, along with their horses and\nfoot-soldiers, the chief of the Magadhas caused these to be pressed down\ninto the earth, like thick reeds pressed down with crackling sounds, by\nmeans of that mighty and foremost of elephants belonging to him. Then\nArjuna, riding on that foremost of cars, rushed quickly towards that\nprince of elephants in the midst of that host teeming with thousands of\ncars and steeds and elephants, and resounding with the beat and blare of\ninnumerable cymbals and drums and conchs and uproarious with the clatter\nof car-wheels, the twang of bow-strings, and the sound of palms. Even\nDandadhara pierced Arjuna with a dozen foremost of shafts and Janardana\nwith sixteen and each of the steeds with three, and then uttered a loud\nshout and laughed repeatedly. Then Partha, with a number of broad-headed\nshafts, cut off the bow of his antagonist with its string and arrow fixed\nthereon, as also his well-decked standard, and then the guides of his\nbeast and the footmen that protected the animal. At this, the lord of\nGirivraja became filled with rage. Desirous of agitating Janardana with\nthat tusker of his, whose temples had split from excitement, and which\nresembled a mass of clouds and was endued with the speed of the wind,\nDandadhara struck Dhananjaya with many lances. The son of Pandu then,\nwith three razor-headed arrows, cut off, almost at the same instant of\ntime, the two arms each looking like the trunk of an elephant, and then\nthe head, resembling the full Moon, of his foe. Then Arjuna struck the\nelephant of this antagonist with hundreds of arrows. Covered with the\ngold-decked arrows of Partha, that elephant equipped with golden armour\nlooked as resplendent as a mountain in the night with its herbs and trees\nblazing in a conflagration. Afflicted with the pain and roaring like a\nmass of clouds, and exceedingly weakened, the elephant crying and\nwandering and running with tottering steps, fell down with the guide on\nits neck, like a mountain summit riven by thunder. Upon the fall of his\nbrother in battle, Danda advanced against Indra's younger brother and\nDhananjaya, desirous of slaying them, on his tusker white as snow and\nadorned with gold and looking like a Himalayan summit. Danda struck\nJanardana with three whetted lances bright as the rays of the sun, and\nArjuna with five, and uttered a loud shout. The son of Pandu then\nuttering a loud shout cut off the two arms of Danda. Cut off by means of\nrazor-headed shafts, those two arms, smeared with sandal-paste, adorned\nwith angadas, and with lances in grasp, as they fell from the elephant's\nback at the same instant of time, looked resplendent like a couple of\nlarge snakes of great beauty falling down from a mountain summit. Cut off\nwith a crescent-shaped arrow by the diadem-decked (Partha), the head also\nof Danda fell down on the Earth from the elephant's back, and covered\nwith blood it looked resplendent as it lay like the sun dropped from the\nAsta mountain towards the western quarter. Then Partha pierced with many\nexcellent arrows bright as the rays of the sun that elephant of his foe,\nresembling a mass of white clouds whereupon it fell down with a noise\nlike a Himalayan summit riven with thunder. Then other huge elephants\ncapable of winning victory and resembling the two already slain, were cut\noff by Savyasaci, in that battle, even as the two (belonging to Danda and\nDandadhara) had been cut off. At this the vast hostile force broke. Then\nelephants and cars and steeds and men, in dense throngs, clashed against\none another and fell down on the field. Tottering, they violently struck\none another and fell down deprived of life. Then his soldiers,\nencompassing Arjuna like the celestials encompassing Purandara, began to\nsay, \"O hero, that foe of whom we had been frightened like creatures at\nthe sight of Death himself, hath by good luck been slain by thee. If thou\nhadst not protected from that fear those people that were so deeply\nafflicted by mighty foes, then by this time our foes would have felt that\ndelight which we now feel at their death, O slayer of enemies.\" Hearing\nthese and other words uttered by friends and allies, Arjuna, with a\ncheerful heart, worshipped those men, each according to his deserts, and\nproceeded once more against the samsaptakas.'\"\n\n\n\n19\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Wheeling round, like the planet Mercury in the curvature\nof its orbit, Jishnu (Arjuna) once more slew large number of the\nsamsaptakas. Afflicted with the shafts of Partha, O king, men, steeds,\nand elephants, O Bharata, wavered and wandered and lost colour and fell\ndown and died. Many foremost of animals tied to yokes and drivers and\nstandards, and bows, and shafts and hands and weapons in grasp, and arms,\nand heads, of heroic foes fighting with him, the son of Pandu cut off in\nthat battle, with arrows, some of which were broad-headed, some equipped\nwith heads like razors, some crescent-shaped, and some furnished with\nheads like the calf's tooth. Like bulls fighting with a bull for the sake\nof a cow in season, brave warriors by hundreds and thousands closed upon\nArjuna. The battle that took place between them and him made the hair to\nstand on end like the encounter between the Daityas and Indra, the\nwielder of the thunderbolt on the occasion of the conquest of the three\nworlds. Then the son of Ugrayudha pierced Partha with three shafts\nresembling three venomous snakes. Partha, however, cut off from his\nenemy's trunk the latter's head. Then those warriors, filled with rage,\ncovered Arjuna from every side with diverse kinds of weapons like the\nclouds urged by the Maruts shrouding Himavat at the close of summer.\nChecking with his own weapons those of his foes on every side, Arjuna\nslew a large number of his enemies with well-shot shafts. With his arrows\nArjuna then cut off the Trivenus, the steeds, the drivers, and the\nparshni drivers of many cars, and displaced the weapons and quivers of\nmany, and deprived many of their wheels and standards, and broke the\ncords, the traces and the axles of many, and destroyed the bottoms and\nyokes of others, and caused all the equipment of many to fall from their\nplaces. Those cars, thus smashed and injured by Arjuna in large numbers,\nlooked like the luxurious mansions of the rich destroyed by fire, wind,\nand rain. Elephants, their vitals pierced with shafts resembling\nthunderbolts in impetuosity, fell down like mansions on mountain-tops\noverthrown by blasts of lightning. Large numbers of steeds with their\nriders, struck by Arjuna, fell down on the Earth, their tongues and\nentrails pressed out, themselves deprived of strength and bathed in\nblood, and presenting an awful sight. Men and steeds and elephants,\npierced by Savyasaci (Arjuna) with his shafts, wondered and tottered and\nfell down and uttered cries of pain and looked pale, O sire. Like\nMahendra smiting down the Danavas, Partha smote down large numbers of his\nfoes, by means of shafts whetted on stone and resembling the thunder of\npoison in deadliness. Brave warriors, cased in costly coats of mail and\ndecked with ornaments and armed with diverse kinds of weapons, lay on the\nfield, with their cars and standards, slain by Partha. Vanquished (and\ndeprived of life) persons of righteous deeds, possessed of noble birth\nand great knowledge, proceeded to heaven in consequence of those glorious\ndeeds of theirs while their bodies only lay on Earth. Then the chief,\nbelonging to thy army, of various realms, filled with wrath and\naccompanied by their followers, rushed against Arjuna, that foremost of\ncar-warriors. Warriors borne on their cars and steeds and elephants, and\nfoot-soldiers also, all desirous of slaying (Arjuna), rushed towards him,\nshooting diverse weapons with great speed. Then Arjuna like wind, by\nmeans of keen shafts, destroyed that thick shower of weapons dropped by\nthose warriors constituting a mass of congregated clouds. People then\nbeheld Arjuna crossing that raftless ocean constituted by steeds and\nfoot-soldiers and elephants and cars, and having mighty weapons for its\nwaves, on a bridge constituted by his own mighty weapons of offence and\ndefence. Then Vasudeva, addressing Partha, said, \"Why, O sinless one,\ndost thou sport in this way? Grinding these samsaptakas, haste thyself\nfor Karna's slaughter.\" Saying, \"So be it\" unto Krishna, Arjuna then,\nforcibly smiting the remnant of the samsaptakas with his weapons, began\nto destroy them like Indra destroying the Daityas. At that time, with\neven the closest attention, men could not mark when Arjuna took out his\nshafts, when he aimed them and when he let them off quickly. Govinda\nhimself, O Bharata, regarded it wonderful. Like swans diving into a lake\nthe shafts of Arjuna, white and active as swans, penetrated into the\nhostile force. Then Govinda, beholding the field of battle during the\nprogress of that carnage, said these words to Savyasaci, \"Here, O Partha,\nfor the sake of Duryodhana alone, occurreth this great and terrible\ndestruction of the Bharatas and other kings of Earth. Behold, O son of\nBharata, these bows, with golden backs, of many mighty bowmen, and these\ngirdles and quivers loosened from their bodies. Behold these straight\nshafts equipped with wings of gold, and these long arrows washed with oil\nand looking like snakes freed from their sloughs. Behold these beautiful\nlances decked with gold lying scattered about, and these coats of mail, O\nBharata, adorned with gold and fallen off from the bodies of the\nwarriors. Behold these spears embellished with gold, these darts adorned\nwith the same metal, and these huge maces twined round with threads of\ngold, and cords of hemp. Behold these swords decked with bright gold and\nthese axes adorned with the same, and these battle-axes equipped with\ngold-decked handles. Behold also these spiked clubs, these short arrows,\nthese Bhusundis, and these Kanapas; these iron Kuntas lying around, and\nthese heavy Mushalas. These victory-longing warriors endued with great\nactivity and armed with diverse weapons, though dead, still seem to be\nquick with life. Behold those thousands of warriors, their limbs crushed\nwith maces, and heads split with Mushalas or smashed and trod by\nelephants and steeds and cars. O slayer of foes, the field of battle is\nstrewn with the bodies of men and elephants and steeds, deprived of life,\ndreadfully mangled with shafts and darts and swords and lances and\nscimitars and axes and spears and Nakharas and bludgeons, and bathed in\nstreams of blood. Strewn with arms smeared with sandal-paste and decked\nwith Angadas and graced with auspicious indications and cased in leathern\nfences and adorned with Keyuras, the Earth looks resplendent, O Bharata.\nStrewn also with hands having fingers cased in fences, decked with\nornaments, and lopped off from arms, and with severed thighs looking like\nthe trunks of elephants, of heroes endued with great activity and with\nheads adorned with earrings and headgears set with gems, (the Earth looks\nexceedingly beautiful). Behold those beautiful cars, decked with golden\nbells, broken in diverse ways. Behold those numerous steeds bathed in\nblood, those bottoms of cars and long quivers, and diverse kinds of\nstandards and banners and those huge conchs, of the combatants, and those\nyak-tails perfectly white, and those elephants with tongues lolling out\nand lying on the field like hills, and those beautiful with triumphal\nbanners, and those slain elephant-warriors, and those rich coverlets,\neach consisting of one piece of blanket, for the backs of those huge\nbeasts, and those beautiful and variegated and torn blankets, and those\nnumerous bells loosened from the bodies of elephants and broken into\nfragments by those falling creatures, and those hooks with handles set\nwith stones of lapis lazuli fallen upon the Earth, and those ornamental\nyokes of steeds, and those armours set with diamonds for their breasts\nand those rich cloths, adorned with gold and tied to the ends of the\nstandards borne by horsemen, and those variegated coverlets and housings\nand Ranku skins, set with brilliant gems and inlaid with gold, for the\nbacks of steeds and fallen on the ground, and those large diamonds\nadorning the head-gears of kings, and those beautiful necklaces of gold,\nand those umbrellas displaced from their positions, and those yak-tails\nand fans. Behold the earth strewn with faces adorned with earrings bright\nas the moon or stars, and embellished with well-cut beards, and each\nlooking like the full moon. The earth, strewn with those faces looking\nlike lilies and lotuses, resembles a lake adorned with a dense assemblage\nof lilies and lotuses. Behold, the earth possessing the effulgence of the\nbright moon and diversified as if with myriads of stars, looks like the\nautumnal firmament bespangled with stellar lights. O Arjuna, these feats\nthat have been achieved by thee in great battle today are, indeed, worthy\nof thee or of the chief of the celestials himself in heaven.\" Even thus\ndid Krishna show the field of battle unto Arjuna. And while returning\n(from the field to their camp), they heard a loud noise in the army of\nDuryodhana. Indeed the uproar that was heard consisted of the blare of\nconchs and the beat of cymbals and drums and Patahas and the clatter of\ncar wheels, the neighing of steeds, the grunt of elephants, and the\nfierce clash of weapons. Penetrating into that force by the aid of his\nsteeds possessing the fleetness of the wind, Krishna became filled with\nwonder upon beholding the army grinded by Pandya. Like Yama himself\nslaying creatures whose lives have run out, Pandya, that foremost of\nwarriors skilled in shafts and weapons, was destroying crowds of foes by\nmeans of diverse kinds of shafts. Piercing the bodies of the elephants\nand steeds and men with sharp shafts, that foremost of smiters overthrew\nand deprived them of life. Cutting off with his own shafts the diverse\nweapons hurled at him by many foremost of foes, Pandya slew his enemies\nlike Sakra (Indra) destroying the Danavas.'\"\n\n\n\n20\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Thou didst mention to me before the name of Pandya,\nthat hero of world-wide celebrity, but his feats, O Sanjaya, in battle\nhave never been narrated by thee. Tell me today in detail of the prowess\nof that great hero, his skill, spirit, and energy, the measure of his\nmight, and his pride.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Bhishma and Drona and Kripa and Drona's son and Karna and\nArjuna and Janardana, those thorough masters of the science of weapons,\nare regarded by thee as the foremost of car-warriors. Know, however, that\nPandya regarded himself superior to all these foremost of car-warriors in\nenergy. Indeed he never regarded any one amongst the kings as equal to\nhimself. He never admitted his equality with Karna and Bhishma. Nor did\nhe admit within his heart that he was inferior in any respect to Vasudeva\nor Arjuna. Even such was Pandya, that foremost of kings, that first of\nwielder of weapons. Filled with rage like the Destroyer himself, Pandya\nat the time was slaughtering the army of Karna. That force, swelling with\ncars and steeds and teeming with foremost of foot-soldiers, struck by\nPandya, began to turn round like the potter's wheel. Like the wind\ndispersing a mass of congregated clouds, Pandya, with his well shot\narrows, began to disperse that force, destroying its steeds and drivers\nand standards and cars and causing its weapons and elephants to fall\ndown. Like the splitter of mountains striking down mountains with his\nthunder, Pandya overthrew elephants with their riders, having previously\ncut down the standards and banners and weapons with which they were\narmed, as also the foot-soldiers that protected those beasts. And he cut\ndown horses, and horsemen with their darts and lances and quivers.\nMangling with his shafts the Pulindas, the Khasas, the Bahlikas, the\nNishadas, the Andhakas, the Tanganas, the Southerners, and the Bhojas,\nall of whom, endued with great courage, were unyielding and obstinate in\nbattle, and divesting them of their weapons and coats of mail, Pandya\ndeprived them of their lives. Beholding Pandya destroying with his shafts\nin battle that host consisting of four kinds of forces, the son of Drona\nfearlessly proceeded towards that fearless warrior. Fearlessly addressing\nin sweet words that warrior who then seemed to dance on his car, Drona's\nson, that foremost of smiters, smiling the while, summoned him and said,\n\"O king, O thou with eyes like the petals of the lotus, thy birth is\nnoble and learning great. Of celebrated might and prowess, thou\nresemblest Indra himself. Stretching with thy two massive arms the bow\nheld by thee and whose large string is attached to thy grasp, thou\nlookest beautiful like a mass of congregated clouds as thou pourest over\nthy foes thick showers of impetuous shafts. I do not see anybody save\nmyself that can be a match for thee in battle. Alone thou crushest\nnumerous cars and elephants and foot-soldiers and steeds, like the\nfearless lion of terrible might crushing herds of deer in the forest.\nMaking the welkin and the Earth resound with the loud clatter of thy\ncar-wheels thou lookest resplendent, O king, like a crop-destroying\nautumnal cloud of loud roars. Taking out of thy quiver and shooting thy\nkeen shafts resembling snakes of virulent poison fight with myself only,\nlike (the asura) Andhaka fighting with the three-eyed deity.\" Thus\naddressed, Pandya answered, \"So be it.\" Then Drona's son, telling him\n\"Strike,\" assailed him with vigour. In return, Malayadhwaja pierced the\nson of Drona with a barbed arrow. Then Drona's son, that best of\npreceptors, smiling the while, struck Pandya with some fierce arrows,\ncapable of penetrating into the very vitals and resembling flames of\nfire. Then Ashvatthama once more sped at his foe some other large arrows\nequipped with keen points and capable of piercing the very vitals,\ncausing them to course through the welkin with the ten different kinds of\nmotion. Pandya, however, with nine shafts of his cut off all those arrows\nof his antagonist. With four other shafts he afflicted the four steeds of\nhis foe, at which they speedily expired. Having then, with his sharp\nshafts, cut off the arrows of Drona's son, Pandya then cut off the\nstretched bow-string of Ashvatthama, endued with the splendour of the\nsun. Then Drona's son, that slayer of foes, stringing his unstringed bow,\nand seeing that his men had meanwhile speedily yoked other excellent\nsteeds unto his car, sped thousands of arrows (at his foe). By this, that\nregenerate one filled the entire welkin and the ten points of the compass\nwith his arrows. Although knowing that those shafts of the high-souled\nson of Drona employed in shooting were really inexhaustible, yet Pandya,\nthat bull among men, cut them all into pieces. The antagonist of\nAshvatthama, carefully cutting off all those shafts shot by the latter,\nthen slew with his own keen shafts the two protectors of the latter's car\nwheels in that encounter. Beholding the lightness of hand displayed by\nhis foe, Drona's son, drawing his bow to a circle, began to shoot his\narrows like a mass of clouds pouring torrents of rain. During that space\nof time, O sire, which consisted only of the eighth part of a day, the\nson of Drona shot as many arrows as were carried on eight carts each\ndrawn by eight bullocks. Almost all those men that then beheld\nAshvatthama, who at the time looked like the Destroyer himself filled\nwith rage, or rather the Destroyer of the Destroyer, lost their senses.\nLike a mass of clouds at the close of summer drenching with torrents of\nrain, the Earth with her mountains and trees, the preceptor's son poured\non that hostile force his arrowy shower. Baffling with the Vayavya weapon\nthat unbearable shower of arrows shot by the Ashvatthama-cloud, the\nPandya-wind, filled with joy, uttered loud roars. Then Drona's son\ncutting off the standard, smeared with sandal-paste and other perfumed\nunguents and bearing the device of the Malaya mountain on it, of the\nroaring Pandya, slew the four steeds of the latter. Slaying then his\nfoe's driver with a single shaft, and cutting off with a crescent-shaped\narrow the bow also of that warrior whose twang resembled the roar of the\nclouds, Ashvatthama cut off his enemy's car into minute fragments.\nChecking with the weapons those of his enemy, and cutting off all the\nweapons of the latter, Drona's son, although he obtained the opportunity\nto do his enemy the crowning evil, still slew him not, from desire of\nbattling with him for some time more. Meanwhile Karna rushed against the\nlarge elephant force of the Pandavas and began to rout and destroy it.\nDepriving car-warriors of their cars, he struck elephants and steeds and\nhuman warriors, O Bharata, with innumerable straight shafts. That mighty\nbowman, the son of Drona, although he had made Pandya, that slayer of\nfoes and foremost of car-warriors, carless, yet he did not slay him from\ndesire of fight. At that time a huge riderless elephant with large tusks,\nwell-equipped with all utensils of war, treading with speed, endued with\ngreat might, quick to proceed against any enemy, struck with\nAshvatthama's shafts, advanced towards the direction of Pandya with great\nimpetuosity, roaring against a hostile compeer. Beholding that prince of\nelephants, looking like a cloven mountain summit, Pandya, who was well\nacquainted with the method of fighting from the neck of an elephant,\nquickly ascended that beast like a lion springing with a loud roar to the\ntop of a mountain summit. Then that lord of the prince of mountains,\nstriking the elephant with the hook, and inspired with rage, and with\nthat cool care for which he was distinguished in hurling weapons with\ngreat force, quickly sped a lance, bright as Surya's rays, at the\npreceptor's son and uttered a loud shout. Repeatedly shouting in joy,\n\"Thou art slain, Thou art slain!\" Pandya (with that lance) crushed to\npieces the diadem of Drona's son adorned with foremost of jewels and\ndiamonds of the first water and the very best kind of gold and excellent\ncloth and strings of pearls. That diadem possessed of the splendour of\nthe Sun, the Moon, the planets, or the fire, in consequence of the\nviolence of the stroke, fell down, split into fragments, like a mountain\nsummit riven by Indra's thunder, falling down on the Earth with great\nnoise. At this, Ashvatthama blazed up with exceeding rage like a prince\nof snakes struck with the foot, and took up four and ten shafts capable\nof inflicting great pain upon foes and each resembling the Destroyer's\nrod. With five of those shafts he cut off the four feet and the trunk of\nhis adversary's elephant, and with three the two arms and the head of the\nking, and with six he slew the six mighty car-warriors, endued with great\neffulgence, that followed king Pandya. Those long and well-rounded arms\nof the king, smeared with excellent sandal-paste, and adorned with gold\nand pearls and gems and diamonds falling upon the Earth, began to writhe\nlike a couple of snakes slain by Garuda. That head also, graced with a\nface bright as the full Moon, having a prominent nose and a pair of large\neyes, red as copper with rage, adorned with earrings, falling on the\nground, looked resplendent like the Moon himself between two bright\nconstellations. The elephant, thus cut off by that skilful warrior into\nsix pieces with those five shafts and the king into four pieces with\nthose three shafts lay divided in all into ten pieces that looked like\nthe sacrificial butter distributed into ten portions intended for the ten\ndeities. Having cut off numerous steeds and men and elephants into pieces\nand offered them as food into the Rakshasas, king Pandya was thus quieted\nby Drona's son with his shafts like a blazing fire in a crematorium,\nextinguished with water after it has received a libation in the shape of\na lifeless body. Then like the chief of the celestials joyfully\nworshipping Vishnu after the subjugation of the Asura Vali, thy son, the\nking, accompanied by his brothers approaching the preceptor's son\nworshipped with great respect that warrior who is a complete master of\nthe science of arms, after indeed, he had completed the task he had\nundertaken.'\"\n\n\n\n21\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'When Pandya had been slain and when that foremost\nof heroes, viz., Karna was employed in routing and destroying the foe,\nwhat, O Sanjaya, did Arjuna do in battle? That son of Pandu is a hero,\nendued with great might, attentive to his duties, and a complete master\nof the science of arms. The high-souled Sankara himself hath made him\ninvincible among all creatures. My greatest fears proceed from that\nDhananjaya, that slayer of foes. Tell me, O Sanjaya, all that Partha\nachieved there on that occasion.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'After Pandya's fall, Krishna quickly said unto Arjuna\nthese beneficial words, \"I do not behold the King. The other Pandavas\nalso have retreated. If the Parthas had returned, the vast force of the\nenemy would have been broken. In fulfilment of purposes entertained by\nAshvatthama, Karna is slaying the Srinjayas. A great carnage is being\nmade (by that warrior) of steeds and car-warriors and elephants.\" Thus\nthe heroic Vasudeva represented everything unto the diadem-decked\n(Arjuna). Hearing of and beholding that great danger of his brother\n(Yudhishthira), Partha quickly addressed Krishna, saying, \"Urge the\nsteeds, O Hrishikesha.\" Then Hrishikesha proceeded on that irresistible\ncar. The encounter then that once more took place became exceedingly\nfierce. The Kurus and the Pandavas once more fearlessly closed with each\nother, that is, the Parthas headed by Bhimasena and ourselves headed by\nthe Suta's son. Then, O best of kings, there once more commenced a battle\nbetween Karna and the Pandavas that swelled the population of Yama's\nkingdom. With bows and arrows and spiked clubs and swords and lances and\naxes and short clubs and Bhushundis and darts and rapiers and battle-axes\nand maces and spears and polished Kuntas, and short shafts and hooks, the\ncombatants quickly fell upon one another, desirous of taking one\nanother's life. Filling the welkin, the cardinal points of the compass,\nthe subsidiary ones, the firmament, and the Earth, with the whizz of\narrows, the twang of bow-strings, the sound of palms, and the clatter of\ncar-wheels, foes rushed upon foes. Gladdened by that loud noise, heroes,\nfought with heroes desirous of reaching the end of the hostilities. Loud\nbecame the noise caused by the sound of bow-strings and fences and bows,\nthe grunt of elephants, and the shouts of foot-soldiers and falling men.\nHearing the terrible whizz of arrows and the diverse shouts of brave\nwarriors, the troops took fright, became pale, and fell down. Large\nnumbers of those foes thus employed in shouting and shooting weapons, the\nheroic son of Adhiratha crushed with his arrows. With his shafts Karna\nthen despatched to Yama's abode twenty car-warriors among the brave\nPancala heroes, with their steeds, drivers, and standards. Then many\nforemost of warriors of the Pandava army, endued with great energy and\nquick in the use of weapons, speedily wheeling round, encompassed Karna\non all sides. Karna agitated that hostile force with showers of weapons\nlike the leader of an elephantine herd plunging into a lake adorned with\nlotuses and covered with swans. Penetrating into the midst of his foes,\nthe son of Radha, shaking his best of bows, began to strike off and fell\ntheir heads with his sharp shafts. The shield and coats of mail of the\nwarriors, cut off, fell down on the Earth. There was none amongst them\nthat needed the touch of a second arrow of Karna's. Like a driver\nstriking the steeds with the whip, Karna, with his shafts capable of\ncrushing coats of mail and bodies and the life that quickened them,\nstruck the fences (of his foes) perceivable only by their bow-strings.\nLike a lion grinding herds of deer, Karna speedily grinded all those\nPandus and Srinjayas and Pancalas that came within range of his arrows.\nThen the chief of the Pancalas, and the sons of Draupadi, O sire, and the\ntwins, and Yuyudhana, uniting together, proceeded against Karna. When\nthose Kurus, and Pancalas and Pandus were thus engaged in battle, the\nother warriors, reckless of their very lives, began to strike at one\nanother. Well-cased in armour and coats of mail and adorned with\nhead-gears, combatants endued with great strength rushed at their foes,\nwith maces and short clubs and spiked bludgeons looking like uplifted\nrods of the Destroyer, and jumping, O sire, and challenging one another,\nuttered loud shouts. They struck one another, and fell down, assailed by\none another with blood rising from their limbs and deprived of brains and\neyes and weapons. Covered with weapons, some, as they lay there with\nfaces beautiful as pomegranates, having teeth-adorned mouths filled with\nblood, seemed to be alive. Others, in that vast ocean of battle, filled\nwith rage mangled or cut or pierced or overthrew or lopped off or slew\none another with battle-axes and short arrows and hooks and spears and\nlances. Slain by one another they fell down, covered with blood and\ndeprived of life like sandal trees cut down with the axe falling down and\nshedding as they fall their cool blood-red juice. Cars destroyed by cars,\nelephants by elephants, men by men, and steeds by steeds, fell down in\nthousands. Standards, and heads, and umbrellas, and elephants, trunks,\nand human arms, cut off with razor-faced or broad-headed or\ncrescent-shaped arrows, fell down on the Earth. Large numbers also of\nmen, and elephants, and cars with steed yoked thereto, were crushed in\nthat battle. Many brave warriors, slain by horsemen, fell down, and many\ntuskers, with their trunks cut off, and banners and standards (on their\nbodies), fell down like fallen mountains. Assailed by foot-soldiers, many\nelephants and cars, destroyed or in course of destruction, fell down on\nall sides. Horsemen, encountering foot-soldiers with activity, were slain\nby the latter. Similarly crowds of foot-soldiers, slain by horsemen, laid\nthemselves down on the field. The faces and the limbs of those slain in\nthat dreadful battle looked like crushed lotuses and faded floral\nwreaths. The beautiful forms of elephants and steeds and human beings, O\nking, then resembled cloths foul with dirt, and became exceedingly\nrepulsive to look at.'\"\n\n\n\n22\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Many elephant-warriors riding on their beasts, urged by\nthy son, proceeded against Dhrishtadyumna, filled with rage and desirous\nof compassing his destruction. Many foremost of combatants skilled in\nelephant-fight, belonging to the Easterners, the Southerners, the Angas,\nthe Vangas, the Pundras, the Magadhas, the Tamraliptakas, the Mekalas,\nthe Koshalas, the Madras, the Dasharnas, the Nishadas uniting with the\nKalingas, O Bharata, and showering shafts and lances and arrows like\npouring clouds, drenched the Pancala force therewith in that battle.\nPrishata's son covered with his arrows and shafts those (foe-crushing)\nelephants urged forward by their riders with heels and toes and hooks.\nEach of those beasts that were huge as hills, the Pancala hero pierced\nwith ten, eight, or six whetted shafts, O Bharata. Beholding the prince\nof the Pancalas shrouded by those elephants like the Sun by the clouds,\nthe Pandus and the Pancalas proceeded towards him (for his rescue)\nuttering loud roars and armed with sharp weapons. Pouring their weapons\nupon those elephants, those warriors began to dance the dance of heroes,\naided by the music of their bow-strings and the sound of their palms, and\nurged by heroes beating the time. Then Nakula and Sahadeva, and the sons\nof Draupadi, and the Prabhadrakas, and Satyaki, and Shikhandi, and\nChekitana endued with great energy,--all those heroes--drenched those\nelephants from every side with their weapons, like the clouds drenching\nthe hills with their showers. Those furious elephants, urged on by\nMleccha warriors dragging down with their trunks men and steeds and cars,\ncrushed them with their feet. And some they pierced with the points of\ntheir tusks, and some they raised aloft and dashed down on the ground;\nothers taken aloft on the tusks of those huge beasts, fell down inspiring\nspectators with fear. Then Satyaki, piercing the vitals of the elephant\nbelonging to the king of the Vangas staying before him, with a long shaft\nendued with great impetuosity, caused it to fall down on the field of\nbattle. Then Satyaki pierced with another long shaft the chest of the\nrider whom he could not hitherto touch, just as the latter was about to\njump from the back of his beast. Thus struck by Satwata, he fell down on\nthe Earth.\n\n\"'Meanwhile Sahadeva, with three shafts shot with great care, struck the\nelephant of Pundra, as it advanced against him like a moving mountain,\ndepriving it of its standard and driver and armour and life. Having thus\ncut off that elephant, Sahadeva proceeded against the chief of the Angas.\n\n\"'Nakula, however, causing Sahadeva to desist, himself afflicted the\nruler of the Angas with three long shafts, each resembling the rod of\nYama, and his foe's elephant with a hundred arrows. Then the ruler of the\nAngas hurled at Nakula eight hundred lances bright as the rays of the\nSun. Each of these Nakula cut off into three fragments. The son of Pandu\nthen cut off the head of his antagonist with a crescent-shaped arrow. At\nthis that Mleccha king, deprived of life, fell down with the animal he\nrode. Upon the fall of the prince of the Angas who was well-skilled in\nelephant-lore, the elephant-men of the Angas, filled with rage, proceeded\nwith speed against Nakula, on their elephants decked with banners that\nwaved in the air, possessing excellent mouths, adorned with housings of\ngold, and looking like blazing mountains, from desire of crushing him to\npieces. And many Mekalas and Utkalas, and Kalingas, and Nishadas, and\nTamraliptakas, also advanced against Nakula, showering their shafts and\nlances, desirous of slaying him. Then the Pandus, the Pancalas, and the\nSomakas, filled with rage, rushed with speed for the rescue of Nakula\nshrouded by those warriors like the Sun by the clouds. Then occurred a\nfierce battle between those car-warriors and elephant-men, the former\nshowering their arrows and shafts the latter their lances by thousands.\nThe frontal globes and other limbs and the tusks and adornments of the\nelephants, exceedingly pierced with shafts, were split and mangled. Then\nSahadeva, with four and sixty impetuous arrows, quickly slew eight of\nthose huge elephants which fell down with their riders. And Nakula also,\nthat delighter of his race, bending his excellent bow with great vigour,\nwith many straight shafts, slew many elephants. Then the Pancala prince,\nand the grandson of Sini (Satyaki) and the sons of Draupadi and the\nPrabhadrakas, and Shikhandi, drenched those huge elephants with showers\nof shafts. Then in consequence of those rain-charged clouds constituted\nby the Pandava warriors, those hills constituted by the elephants of the\nfoe, fell, struck down by torrents of rain formed by their numerous\nshafts, like real mountains struck down with a thunder-storm. Those\nleaders of the Pandava car-warriors then, thus slaying those elephants of\nthine cast their eyes on the hostile army, which, as it fled away at that\ntime resembled a river whose continents had been washed away. Those\nwarriors of Pandu's son, having thus agitated that army of thine,\nagitated it once more, and then rushed against Karna.'\"\n\n\n\n23\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'While Sahadeva, filled with rage, was thus blasting thy\nhost, Duhshasana, O great king, proceeded against him, the brother\nagainst the brother. Beholding those two engaged in dreadful combat, all\nthe great car-warriors uttered leonine shouts and waved their garments.\nThen, O Bharata, the mighty son of Pandu was struck in the chest with\nthree arrows by thy angry son armed with bow. Then Sahadeva, O king,\nhaving first pierced thy son with an arrow, pierced him again with\nseventy arrows, and then his driver with three. Then Duhshasana, O\nmonarch, having cut off Sahadeva's bow in that great battle, pierced\nSahadeva himself with three and seventy arrows in the arms and the chest.\nThen Sahadeva filled with rage, took up a sword, in that dreadful\nconflict, and whirling, hurled it quickly towards the car of thy son.\nCutting off Duhshasana's bow with string and arrow fixed on it, that\nlarge sword fell down on the Earth like a snake from the firmament. Then\nthe valiant Sahadeva taking up another bow, shot a deadly shaft at\nDuhshasana. The Kuru warrior, however, with his keen-edged sword, cut off\ninto two fragments that shaft, bright as the rod of Death, as it coursed\ntowards him. Then whirling that sharp sword, Duhshasana quickly hurled it\nin that battle at his foe. Meanwhile that valiant warrior took up another\nbow with a shaft. Sahadeva, however, with the greatest ease, cut off,\nwith his keen shafts, that sword as it coursed towards him, and caused it\nto fall down in that battle. Then, O Bharata, thy son, in that dreadful\nbattle, quickly sped four and sixty shafts at the car of Sahadeva.\nSahadeva, however, O king, cut off every one of those numerous arrows as\nthey coursed with great impetuosity towards him, with five shafts of his.\nChecking then those mighty shafts sped by thy son, Sahadeva, in that\nbattle, sped a large number of arrows at his foe. Cutting off each of\nthose shafts with three shafts of his, thy son uttered a loud shout,\nmaking the whole Earth resound with it. Then Duhshasana, O king, having\npierced Sahadeva in that battle, struck the latter's driver with nine\narrows. The valiant Sahadeva then, O monarch, filled with rage, fixed on\nhis bow-string a terrible shaft resembling the Destroyer himself and\nforcibly drawing the bow, he sped that shaft at thy son. Piercing with\ngreat speed through his strong armour and body, that shaft entered the\nEarth, O king, like a snake penetrating into an ant-hill. Then thy son,\nthat great car-warrior, swooned away, O king. Beholding him deprived of\nhis senses, his driver quickly took away the car, himself forcibly struck\nall the while with keen arrows. Having vanquished the Kuru warrior thus,\nthe son of Pandu, beholding Duryodhana's division, began to crush it on\nall sides. Indeed, O king, as a man excited with wrath crushes swarm of\nants, even so, O Bharata did that son of Pandu begin to crush the Kaurava\nhost.'\"\n\n\n\n24\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'While Nakula was employed in destroying and routing the\nKaurava divisions in battle with great force, Vikartana's son Karna,\nfilled with rage, checked him, O king. Then Nakula smiling the while,\naddressed Karna, and said, \"After a long time, through the favour of the\ngods, I am seen by thee, and thou also, O wretch, dost become the object\nof my sight. Thou art the root of all these evils, this hostility, this\nquarrel. It is through thy faults that the Kauravas are being thinned,\nencountering one another. Slaying thee in battle today, I will regard\nmyself as one that has achieved his object, and the fever of my heart\nwill be dispelled.\" Thus addressed by Nakula, the Suta's son said unto\nhim the following words befitting a prince and a bowman in particular,\n\"Strike me, O hero. We desire to witness thy manliness. Having achieved\nsome feats in battle, O brave warrior, thou shouldst then boast. O sire,\nthey that are heroes fight in battle to the best of their powers, without\nindulging in brag. Fight now with me to the best of thy might. I will\nquell thy pride.\" Having said these words the Suta's son quickly struck\nthe son of Pandu and pierced him, in that encounter, with three and\nseventy shafts. Then Nakula, O Bharata, thus pierced by the Suta's son,\npierced the latter in return with eighty shafts resembling snakes of\nvirulent poison. Then Karna, that great bowman, cutting off his\nantagonist's bow with a number of arrows winged with gold and whetted on\nstone, afflicted him with thirty arrows. Those arrows, piercing through\nhis armour drank his blood in that battle, like the Nagas of virulent\npoison drinking water after having pierced through the Earth. Then\nNakula, taking up another formidable bow whose back was decked with gold,\npierced Karna with twenty arrows and his driver with three. Then, O\nmonarch, that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., Nakula, filled with rage,\ncut off Karna's bow with a razor-headed shaft of great keenness. Smiling\nthe while, the heroic son of Pandu then struck the bowless Karna, that\nforemost of car-warriors, with three hundred arrows. Beholding Karna thus\nafflicted, O sire, by the son of Pandu, all the car-warriors there, with\nthe gods (in the welkin), were filled with great wonder. Then Vikartana's\nson Karna taking up another bow, struck Nakula with five arrows in the\nshoulder-joint. With those arrows sticking to him here, the son of Madri\nlooked resplendent like the Sun with his own rays while shedding his\nlight on the Earth. Then Nakula piercing Karna with seven shafts, once\nmore, O sire, cut off one of the horns of Karna's bow. Then Karna, taking\nup in that battle a tougher bow, filled the welkin on every side of\nNakula with his arrows. The mighty car-warrior, Nakula, however, thus\nsuddenly shrouded with the arrows shot from Karna's bow quickly cut off\nall those shafts with shafts of his own. Then was seen overspread in the\nwelkin a vast number of arrows like to the spectacle presented by the sky\nwhen it is filled with myriads of roving fireflies. Indeed, the sky\nshrouded with those hundreds of arrows shot (by both the warriors)\nlooked, O monarch, as if it was covered with flights of locusts. Those\narrows, decked with gold, issuing repeatedly in continuous lines, looked\nbeautiful like rows of cranes while flying through the welkin. When the\nsky was thus covered with showers of arrows and the sun himself hid from\nthe view, no creature ranging the air could descend on the Earth. When\nall sides were thus covered with showers of arrows, those two high-souled\nwarriors looked resplendent like two Suns risen at the end of the Yuga.\nSlaughtered with the shafts issuing from Karna's bow the Somakas, O\nmonarch, greatly afflicted and feeling much pain, began to breathe their\nlast. Similarly, thy warriors, struck with the shafts of Nakula,\ndispersed on all sides, O king, like clouds tossed by the wind. The two\narmies thus slaughtered by those two warriors with their mighty celestial\nshafts, retreated from the range of those arrows and stood as spectators\nof the encounter. When both the armies were driven off by means of the\nshafts of Karna and Nakula, those two high-souled warriors began to\npierce each other with showers of shafts. Displaying their celestial\nweapons on the field of battle, they quickly shrouded each other, each\ndesirous of compassing the destruction of the other. The shafts shot by\nNakula, dressed with Kanka and peacock feathers, shrouding the Suta's\nson, seemed to stay in the welkin. Similarly, the shafts sped by the\nSuta's son in that dreadful battle, shrouding the son of Pandu, seemed to\nstay in the welkin. Shrouded within arrowy chambers, both the warriors\nbecame invisible, like the Sun and the Moon, O king, hidden by the\nclouds. Then Karna, filled with rage and assuming a terrible aspect in\nthe battle, covered the son of Pandu with showers of arrows from every\nside. Completely covered, O monarch, by the Suta's son, the son of Pandu\nfelt no pain like the Maker of day when covered by the clouds. The son of\nAdhiratha then, smiling the while, sped arrowy lines, O sire, in hundreds\nand thousands, in that battle. With those shafts of the high-souled\nKarna, an extensive shade seemed to rest on the field of battle. Indeed,\nwith those excellent shafts constantly issuing out (of his bow), a shade\nwas caused there like that formed by the clouds. Then Karna, O monarch,\ncutting off the bow of the high-souled Nakula, felled the latter's driver\nfrom the car-niche with the greatest ease. With four keen shafts, next,\nhe quickly despatched the four steeds of Nakula, O Bharata, to the abode\nof Yama. With his shafts, he also cut off into minute fragments that\nexcellent car of his antagonist as also his standard and the protectors\nof his car-wheels, and mace, and sword, and shield decked with a hundred\nmoons, and other utensils and equipments of battle. Then Nakula,\nsteedless and carless and armourless, O monarch, quickly alighting from\nhis car, stood, armed with a spiked bludgeon. Even that terrible\nbludgeon, so uplifted by the son of Pandu, the Suta's son, O king, cut\noff with many keen arrows capable of bearing a great strain. Beholding\nhis adversary weaponless. Karna began to strike him with many straight\nshafts, but took care not to afflict him greatly. Thus struck in that\nbattle by that mighty warrior accomplished in weapons, Nakula, O king,\nfled away precipitately in great affliction. Laughing repeatedly, the son\nof Radha pursued him and placed his stringed bow, O Bharata, around the\nneck of the retreating Nakula. With the large bow around his neck, O\nking, the son of Pandu looked resplendent like Moon in the firmament when\nwithin a circular halo of light, or a white cloud girdled round by\nIndra's bow. Then Karna, addressing him, said, \"The words thou hadst\nuttered were futile. Canst thou utter them now once more in joy,\nrepeatedly struck as thou art by me? Do not, O son of Pandu, fight again\nwith those amongst the Kurus that are possessed of greater might. O\nchild, fight with them that are thy equals. Do not, O son of Pandu, feel\nany shame for it. Return home, O son of Madri, or go thither where\nKrishna and Phalguna are.\" Having addressed him thus he abandoned him\nthen. Acquainted with morality as the brave Karna was, he did not then\nslay Nakula who was already within the jaws of death. Recollecting the\nwords of Kunti, O king, Karna let Nakula go. The son of Pandu, thus let\noff, O king, by that bowman, Suta's son, proceeded towards Yudhishthira's\ncar in great shame. Scorched by the Suta's son, he then ascended his\nbrother's car, and burning with grief he continued to sigh like a snake\nkept within a jar. Meanwhile Karna, having vanquished Nakula, quickly\nproceeded against the Pancalas, riding on that car of his which bore many\ngorgeous pennons and whose steeds were as white as the Moon. There, O\nmonarch, a great uproar arose among the Pandavas when they saw the leader\nof the Kaurava army proceeding towards the Pancala car-throngs. The\nSuta's son, O monarch, made a great massacre there at that hour when the\nSun had reached the meridian, that puissant warrior careering all the\nwhile with the activity of a wheel. We beheld many Pancala car-warriors\nborne away from the battle on their steedless and driverless cars with\nbroken wheels and broken axles and with standards and pennons also that\nwere broken and torn, O sire. And many elephants were seen to wander\nthere in all directions (with limbs scorched by arrows) like individuals\nof their species in the wide forest with limbs scorched and burned in a\nforest conflagration. Others with their frontal globes split open, or\nbathed in blood, or with trunks lopped off, or with their armour cut\ndown, or their tails lopped off, fell down, struck by the high-souled\nKarna, like straggling clouds. Other elephants, frightened by the shafts\nand lances of Radha's son proceeded against Radha's son himself like\ninsects towards a blazing fire. Other huge elephants were seen striking\nagainst one another and shedding blood from various limbs like mountains\nwith rillets running down their breasts. Steeds of the foremost breed,\ndivested of breast-plates and their ornaments of silver and brass and\ngold, destitute of trappings and bridle-bits and yak-tails and\nsaddle-cloths, with quivers fallen off from their backs, and with their\nheroic riders,--ornaments of battle,--slain, were seen wandering here and\nthere on the field. Pierced and cut with lances and scimitars and swords,\nO Bharata, we beheld many a horseman adorned with armour and head-gear,\nslain or in course of being slain or trembling with fear, and deprived, O\nBharata, of diverse limbs. Cars also, decked with gold, and unto which\nwere yoked steeds of great fleetness, were seen by us dragged with\nexceeding speed hither and thither, their riders having been slain. Some\nof these had their axles and poles broken, and some, O Bharata, had their\nwheels broken; and some were without banners and standards, and some were\ndivested of their shafts. Many car-warriors also were seen there, by us,\nO monarch, wandering all around, deprived of their cars and scorched with\nthe shafts of the Suta's son. And some destitute of weapons and some with\nweapons still in their arms were seen lying lifeless on the field in\nlarge numbers. And many elephants also were seen by us, wandering in all\ndirections, studded with clusters of stars, adorned with rows of\nbeautiful bells, and decked with variegated banners of diverse hues.\nHeads and arms and chests and other limbs, cut off with shafts sped from\nKarna's bow, were beheld by us lying around. A great and fierce calamity\novertook the warriors (of the Pandava army) as they fought with whetted\narrows, and mangled as they were with the shafts of Karna. The Srinjayas,\nslaughtered in that battle by the Suta's son, blindly proceeded against\nthe latter's self like insects rushing upon a blazing fire. Indeed, as\nthat mighty car-warrior was engaged in scorching the Pandava divisions,\nthe Kshatriyas avoided him, regarding him to be the blazing Yuga fire.\nThose heroic and mighty car-warriors of the Pancala that survived the\nslaughter fled away. The brave Karna, however, pursued those broken and\nretreating warriors from behind, shooting his shafts at them. Endued with\ngreat energy, he pursued those combatants divested of armour and\ndestitute of standards. Indeed, the Suta's son, possessed of great might,\ncontinued to scorch them with his shafts, like the dispeller of darkness\nscorching all creatures when he attains to the meridian.'\"\n\n\n\n25\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Against Yuyutsu who was employed in routing the vast army\nof thy son, Uluka proceeded with speed saying \"Wait, Wait.\" Then Yuyutsu,\nO king, with a winged arrow of keen edge struck Uluka with great force,\nlike (Indra himself striking) a mountain with the thunderbolt. Filled\nwith rage at this, Uluka, in that battle, cut off thy son's bow with a\nrazor-headed arrow and struck thy son himself with a barbed shaft.\nCasting off that broken bow, Yuyutsu, with eyes red in wrath, took up\nanother formidable bow endued with greater impetus. The prince then, O\nbull of Bharata's race, pierced Uluka with sixty arrows. Piercing next\nthe driver of Uluka, Yuyutsu struck Uluka once more. Then Uluka, filled\nwith rage pierced Yuyutsu with twenty shafts adorned with gold, and then\ncut off his standard made of gold. That lofty and gorgeous standard made\nof gold, O king, thus cut off (by Uluka), fell down in front of Yuyutsu's\ncar. Beholding his standard cut off, Yuyutsu, deprived of his senses by\nwrath, struck Uluka with five shafts in the centre of the chest. Then\nUluka, O sire, in that battle, cut off, with a broad-headed arrow steeped\nin oil, the head of his antagonist's driver, O best of the Bharatas.\nSlaying next his four steeds he struck Yuyutsu himself with five arrows.\nDeeply struck by the strong Uluka, Yuyutsu proceeded to another car.\nHaving vanquished him in battle, O king, Uluka proceeded quickly towards\nthe Pancalas and the Srinjayas and began to slaughter them with sharp\nshafts. Thy son Srutakarman, O monarch, within half the time taken up by\na wink of the eye, fearlessly made Satanika steedless and driverless and\ncarless. The mighty car-warrior Satanika, however, staying on his\nsteedless car, O sire, hurled a mace, filled with rage, at thy son. That\nmace, reducing thy son's car with its steeds and driver into fragments,\nfell down upon the Earth with great speed, and pierced it through. Then\nthose two heroes, both enhancers of the glory of the Kurus, deprived of\ntheir cars, retreated from the encounter, glaring at each other. Then thy\nson, overcome with fear, mounted upon the car of Vivingsu, while Satanika\nquickly got upon the car of Prativindhya. Shakuni, filled with rage,\npierced Sutasoma with many keen shafts, but failed to make the latter\ntremble like a torrent of water failing to produce any impression upon a\nmountain. Beholding that great enemy of his father, Sutasoma covered\nShakuni, O Bharata, with many thousands of arrows. Shakuni, however, that\nwarrior of sure aim and conversant with all methods of warfare, actuated\nby desire of battle, quickly cut off all those shafts with his own winged\narrows. Having checked those shafts with his own keen arrows in battle,\nShakuni, filled with rage, struck Sutasoma with three arrows. Thy\nbrother-in-law then, O monarch, with his arrows cut off into minute\nfragments the steeds, the standard, and the driver of his adversary, at\nwhich all the spectators uttered a loud shout. Deprived of his steed and\ncar, and having his standard cut off, O sire, the great bowman\n(Sutasoma), jumping down from his car, stood on the Earth, having taken\nup a good bow. And he shot a large number of arrows equipped with golden\nwings and whetted on stone, and shrouded therewith the car of thy\nbrother-in law in that battle. The son of Subala, however, beholding\nthose showers of arrows that resembled a flight of locusts, coming\ntowards his car, did not tremble. On the other hand, that illustrious\nwarrior crushed all those arrows with arrows of his own. The warriors\nthat were present there, as also the Siddhas in the firmament, were\nhighly pleased at sight of that wonderful and incredible feat of\nSutasoma, inasmuch as he contended on foot with Shakuni staying in his\ncar. Then Shakuni, with a number of broad-headed shafts of great\nimpetuosity, keen and perfectly straight, cut off, O king, the bow of\nSutasoma as also all his quivers. Bowless, and carless, Sutasoma then,\nuplifting a scimitar of the hue of the blue lotus and equipped with an\nivory handle, uttered a loud shout. That scimitar of the intelligent\nSutasoma of the hue of the clear sky, as it was whirled by that hero, was\nregarded by Shakuni to be as fatal as the rod of Death. Armed with that\nscimitar he suddenly began to career in circles over the arena,\ndisplaying, O monarch, the fourteen different kinds of manoeuvres, endued\nas he was with skill and might. Indeed, he displayed in that battle all\nthose motions such as wheeling about and whirling on high, and making\nside-thrusts and jumping forward and leaping on high and running above\nand rushing forward and rushing upwards. The valiant son of Subala then\nsped a number of arrows at his foe, but the latter quickly cut them off\nwith that excellent scimitar of his as they coursed towards him. Filled\nwith rage (at this), the son of Subala, O king, once more sped at\nSutasoma a number of shafts that resembled snakes of virulent poison.\nAided by his skill and might, Sutasoma cut off even these with his\nscimitar, displaying his great activity, and possessed as he was of\nprowess equal to that of Garuda himself. With a razor-headed arrow of\ngreat sharpness, Shakuni then, O king, cut off that bright scimitar of\nhis adversary as the latter careered in circles before him. Thus cut off,\n(half of) that large scimitar suddenly fell down on the Earth, while half\nof it, O Bharata, continued in the grasp of Sutasoma. Seeing his sword\ncut off, the mighty car-warrior Sutasoma retreated six steps and then\nhurled that half (of the scimitar) which he had in his grasp at his foe.\nThe fragment decked with gold and gems, cutting off the bow, with string,\nof the illustrious Shakuni, quickly fell down on the Earth. Then Sutasoma\nwent to the great car of Srutakirti. Subala's son also, taking up another\nformidable and invincible bow, proceeded towards the Pandava army,\nslaying large numbers of foes (on the way). Beholding the son of Subala\ncareering fearlessly in battle, a loud uproar, O king, arose among the\nPandavas in that part of the army. People witnessed those large and proud\ndivisions bristling with arms, routed by the illustrious son of Subala.\nEven as the chief of the celestials crushed the Daitya army, the son of\nSubala destroyed that army of the Pandavas.'\"\n\n\n\n26\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Kripa, O king, resisted Dhrishtadyumna in battle, like a\nSarabha in the forest resisting a proud lion. Checked by the mighty son\nof Gautama, Prishata's son, O Bharata, could not advance even one step.\nBeholding Gautama's car in front of Dhrishtadyumna's, all creatures were\ninspired with fright and regarded the latter's destruction to be at hand.\nCar-warriors and horsemen, becoming very cheerless, said, \"Without doubt,\nthis foremost of men, Sharadvata's son of mighty energy and great\nintelligence and versed in celestial weapon, is filled with rage at the\ndeath of Drona. Will Dhrishtadyumna today escape from the hands of\nGautama? Will this vast army escape today this great danger? Will not\nthis Brahmana slay all of us together? The form that he has assumed\ntoday, even like that of the Destroyer himself, shows that he will today\nact after the manner of Drona himself. The preceptor Gautama, endued with\ngreat lightness of hands, is ever victorious in battle. Possessing a\nknowledge of weapons, he is endued with great energy and filled with\nrage.\" Diverse speeches like these, uttered by the warriors of both the\narmies were, O monarch, heard there as those two heroes encountered each\nother. Drawing deep breath in rage, Sharadvata's son Kripa, O king, began\nto afflict the son of Prishata in all his vital limbs while the latter\nstood inactive. Struck in that battle by the illustrious Gautama,\nDhrishtadyumna, greatly stupefied, knew not what to do. His driver then,\naddressing him said, \"It is not all right with thee, O son of Prishata.\nNever before have I seen such a calamity overtake thee in battle. It is a\nlucky chance, it seems, that these shafts, capable of penetrating the\nvery vitals, sped by that foremost of Brahmanas aiming at thy vital\nlimbs, are not striking thee. I will presently cause the car to turn\nback, like the current of a river dashed back by the sea. I think that\nBrahmana, by whom thy prowess hath been annihilated, is incapable of\nbeing slain by thee.\" Thus addressed, Dhrishtadyumna, O king, slowly\nsaid, \"My mind becometh stupefied, O sire, and perspiration covereth my\nlimbs. My body trembles and my hair stands on end. Avoiding that Brahmana\nin battle, proceed slowly to where Arjuna is, O charioteer; arrived at\nthe presence of either Arjuna or Bhimasena, prosperity may be mine. Even\nthis is my certain conviction.\" Then, O monarch, the charioteer, urging\nthe steeds, proceeded to the spot where the mighty bowman Bhimasena was\nbattling with thy troops. Beholding the car, O sire, of Dhrishtadyumna\nspeedily moving away from that spot, Gautama followed it, shooting\nhundreds of shafts. And that chastiser of foes also repeatedly blew his\nconch. Indeed, he routed the son of Prishata like Indra routing the\nDanava Namuci.\n\n\"'The invincible Shikhandi, the cause of Bhishma's death, was in that\nbattle, resisted by Hridika's son who smiled repeatedly as he fought with\nthe former. Shikhandi, however, encountering the mighty car-warrior of\nthe Hridikas, struck him with five keen and broad-headed shafts at the\nshoulder-joint. Then the mighty car-warrior Kritavarma filled with rage,\npierced his foe with sixty winged arrows. With a single arrow then, he\ncut off his bow, laughing the while. The mighty son of Drupada, filled\nwith wrath, took up another bow, and addressing the son of Hridika, said,\n\"Wait, Wait.\" Then, O monarch, Shikhandi sped at his foe ninety shafts of\ngreat impetuosity, all equipped with golden wings. Those shafts, however,\nall recoiled from Kritavarma's armour. Seeing those shafts recoil and\nscattered on the surface of the Earth, Shikhandi cut off Kritavarma's bow\nwith a keen razor-headed arrow. Filled with wrath he struck the bowless\nson of Hridika, who then resembled a hornless bull, in the arms and the\nchest, with eighty arrows. Filled with rage but torn and mangled with\nshafts, Kritavarma vomited blood through his limbs like a jar disgorging\nthe water with which it is filled. Bathed in blood, the Bhoja king looked\nbeautiful like a mountain, O king, streaked with streams of liquefied red\nchalk after a shower. The puissant Kritavarma then, taking up another bow\nwith a string and an arrow fixed thereon, struck Shikhandi in his\nshoulder-joint. With those shafts sticking to his shoulder-joint,\nShikhandi looked resplendent like a lordly tree with its spreading\nbranches and twigs. Having pierced each other, the two combatants were\nbathed in blood, and resembled a couple of bulls that have gored each\nother with their horns Carefully exerting themselves to slay each other,\nthose two mighty car-warriors moved in a 1,000 circles with their\nrespective cars on that arena. Then Kritavarma, O king, in that\nencounter, pierced the son of Prishata with seventy shafts all of which\nwere equipped with wings of gold and whetted on stone. The ruler of the\nBhojas then, that foremost of smiters, sped with great activity a\nterrible and fatal shaft at his foe. Struck therewith, Shikhandi quickly\nswooned away. Overcome with stupefaction, he supported himself by seizing\nhis flag-staff. The driver then of that foremost of car-warriors speedily\nbore him away from the fight. Scorched with the shaft of Hridika's son he\ndrew breath upon breath repeatedly. After the defeat of the heroic son of\nDrupada, O lord, the Pandava army, slaughtered on all sides, fled away\nfrom the field.'\"\n\n\n\n27\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'The white steeded (Arjuna) also, O monarch, routed thy\nforce even as the winds, approaching a heap of cotton, scatters it on all\nsides. Against him rushed the Trigartas, the Sivis, the Kauravas, the\nSalwas, the samsaptakas, and that force which consisted of the Narayanas.\nAnd Satyasena and Candradeva, and Mitradeva and Satrunjaya, and Susruta's\nson, and Citrasena, and Mitravarman, O Bharata, and the king of the\nTrigartas surrounded by his brothers and by his sons that were all mighty\nbowmen accomplished in diverse weapons, suddenly advanced, shooting and\nscattering showers of shafts in that battle, against Arjuna, like a\nfierce current of water towards the ocean. Those warriors in hundreds of\nthousands, approaching Arjuna, seemed to melt away like snakes at sight\nof Garuda. Though slaughtered in battle, they did not still leave the son\nof Pandu like insects, O monarch, never receding from a blazing fire.\nSatyasena, in that encounter, pierced that son of Pandu with three\narrows, and Mitradeva pierced him with three and sixty, and Candradeva\nwith seven. And Mitravarman pierced him with three and seventy arrows,\nand Susruta's son with seven. And Satrunjaya pierced him with twenty, and\nSusharma with nine. Thus pierced in that encounter by many, Arjuna\npierced all those kings in return. Indeed, piercing the son of Susruta\nwith seven arrows, he pierced Satyasena with three, Satrunjaya with\ntwenty and Candradeva with eight, Mitradeva with a hundred, Srutasena\nwith three, Mitravarman with nine, and Susharma with eight. Then slaying\nking Satrunjaya with a number of arrows whetted on stone, he smote off\nfrom his trunk, the head, decked with headgear, of Susruta's son. Without\nany delay he then, with a number of other shafts, despatched Candradeva\nto the abode of Yama. As regards the other mighty car-warriors vigorously\ncontending with him, he checked each of them with five arrows. Then\nSatyasena filled with rage, hurled a formidable lance in that battle\naiming at Krishna and uttered a leonine roar. That ironmouthed lance\nhaving a golden shaft, piercing through the left arm of the high-souled\nMadhava, penetrated into the Earth. Madhava being thus pierced with that\nlance in great battle the goad and the reins, O king, fell down from his\nhands. Beholding Vasudeva's limb pierced through, Pritha's son Dhananjaya\nmustered all his wrath and addressing Vasudeva said, \"O mighty-armed one,\nbear the car to Satyasena, O puissant one, so that I may, with keen\nshafts, despatch him to Yama's abode.\" The illustrious Keshava then,\nquickly taking up the goad and the reins, caused the steeds to bear the\ncar to the front of Satyasena's vehicle. Beholding the Ruler of the\nUniverse pierced, Pritha's son Dhananjaya, that mighty car-warrior,\nchecking Satyasena with some keen arrows, cut off with a number of\nbroad-headed shafts of great sharpness, the large head of that king\ndecked with earrings, from off his trunk at the head of the army. Having\nthus cut off Satyasena's head, he then despatched Citravarman with a\nnumber of keen shafts, and then the latter's driver, O sire, with a keen\ncalf-toothed arrow. Filled with rage, the mighty Partha then, with\nhundreds of shafts, felled the samsaptakas in hundreds and thousands.\nThen, O king, with a razor-headed arrow equipped with wings of silver,\nthat mighty car-warrior cut off the head of the illustrious Mitrasena.\nFilled with rage he then struck Susharma in the shoulder-joint. Then all\nthe samsaptakas, filled with wrath, encompassed Dhananjaya on all sides\nand began to afflict him with showers of weapons and make all the points\nof the compass resound with their shouts. Afflicted by them thus, the\nmighty car-warrior Jishnu, of immeasurable soul, endued with prowess\nresembling that of Sakra himself, invoked the Aindra weapon. From that\nweapon, thousands of shafts, O king, began to issue continually. Then O\nking, a loud din was heard of falling cars with standards and quivers and\nyokes, and axles and wheels and traces with chords, of bottoms of cars\nand wooden fences around them, of arrows and steeds and spears and\nswords, and maces and spiked clubs and darts and lances and axes, and\nSataghnis equipped with wheels and arrows. Thighs and necklaces and\nAngadas and Keyuras, O sire, and garlands and cuirasses and coats of\nmail, O Bharata, and umbrellas and fans and heads decked with diadems lay\non the battle-field. Heads adorned with earrings and beautiful eyes, and\neach resembling the full moon, looked, as they lay on the field, like\nstars in the firmament. Adorned with sandal-paste, beautiful garlands of\nflowers and excellent robes, many were the bodies of slain warriors that\nwere seen to lie on the ground. The field of battle, terrible as it was,\nlooked like the welkin teeming with vapoury forms. With the slain princes\nand Kshatriyas of great might and fallen elephants and steeds, the Earth\nbecame impassable in that battle as if she were strewn with hills. There\nwas no path on the field for the wheels of the illustrious Pandava's car,\nengaged as he was in continually slaying his foes and striking down\nelephants and steeds with his broad-headed shafts. It seemed, O sire,\nthat the wheels of his car stopped in fright at the sight of his own self\ncareering in that battle through that bloody mire. His steeds, however,\nendued with the speed of the mind or the wind, dragged with great efforts\nand labour those wheels that had refused to move. Thus slaughtered by\nPandu's son armed with the bow, that host fled away almost entirely,\nwithout leaving even a remnant, O Bharata, contending with the foe.\nHaving vanquished large numbers of the samsaptakas in battle, Pritha's\nson Jishnu looked resplendent, like a blazing fire without smoke.'\"\n\n\n\n28\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'King Duryodhana, O monarch, himself fearlessly received\nYudhishthira, as the latter was engaged in shooting large numbers of\nshafts. The royal Yudhishthira the just, speedily piercing thy son, that\nmighty car-warrior, as the latter was rushing towards him with\nimpetuosity, addressed him, saying, \"Wait, Wait.\" Duryodhana, however,\npierced Yudhishthira, in return, with nine keen arrows, and filled with\ngreat wrath, struck Yudhishthira's driver also with a broad-headed shaft.\nThen king Yudhishthira sped at Duryodhana three and ten arrows equipped\nwith wings of gold and whetted on stone. With four shafts that mighty\ncar-warrior then slew the four steeds of his foe, and with the fifth he\ncut off from his trunk the head of Duryodhana's driver. With the sixth\narrow he felled the (Kuru) king's standard on the Earth, with the seventh\nhis bow, and with the eighth his scimitar. And then with five more shafts\nking Yudhishthira the just deeply afflicted the Kuru monarch. Thy son,\nthen, alighting from that steedless car, stood on the Earth in imminent\ndanger. Beholding him in that situation of great peril, Karna and Drona's\nson and Kripa and others rushed suddenly towards the spot, desirous of\nrescuing the king. Then the (other) sons of Pandu, surrounding\nYudhishthira, all proceeded to the encounter, upon which, O king, a\nfierce battle was fought. Thousands of trumpets then were blown in that\ngreat engagement, and a confused din of myriad voices arose there, O\nking. There where the Pancalas engaged the Kauravas, in battle, men\nclosed with men, and elephants with foremost of elephants. And\ncar-warriors closed with car-warriors, and horse with horse. And the\nvarious couples of battling men and animals, of great prowess and armed\nwith diverse kinds of weapons and possessed of great skill presented a\nbeautiful sight, O king, over the field. All those heroes endued with\ngreat impetuosity and desirous of compassing the destruction of one\nanother, fought beautifully and with great activity and skill. Observing\nthe (sanctioned) practices of warriors, they slew one another in battle.\nNone of them fought from behind others. For only a very short time that\nbattle presented a beautiful aspect. Soon it became an encounter of mad\nmen, in which the combatants showed no regard for one another. The\ncar-warrior, approaching the elephant, pierced the latter with keen\nshafts and despatched it to Yama's presence by means of straight arrows.\nElephants, approaching steeds, dragged down many of them in that battle,\nand tore them (with their tusks) most fiercely in diverse places. Large\nnumbers of horsemen also, encompassing many foremost of steeds, made a\nloud noise with their palms, and closed with them. And those horsemen\nslew those steeds as they ran hither and thither, as also many huge\nelephants as these wandered over the field, from behind and the flanks.\nInfuriate elephants, O king, routing large numbers of steeds, slew them\nwith their tusks or crushed them with great force. Some elephants, filled\nwith wrath pierced with their tusks horses with horsemen. Others seizing\nsuch with great force hurled them to the ground with violence. Many\nelephants, struck by foot-soldiers availing of the proper opportunities,\nuttered terrible cries of pain and fled away on all sides. Among the\nfoot-soldiers that fled away in that great battle throwing down their\nornaments, there were many that were quickly encompassed on the field.\nElephant-warriors, riding on huge elephants, understanding indications of\nvictory, wheeled their beasts and causing them to seize those beautiful\nornaments, made the beasts to pierce them with their tusks. Other\nfoot-soldiers endued with great impetuosity and fierce might, surrounding\nthose elephant-warriors thus engaged in those spots began to slay them.\nOthers in that great battle, thrown aloft into the air by elephants with\ntheir trunks, were pierced by those trained beasts with the points of\ntheir tusks as they fell down. Others, suddenly seized by other\nelephants, were deprived of life with their tusks. Others, borne away\nfrom their own divisions into the midst of others, were, O king, mangled\nby huge elephants which rolled them repeatedly on the ground. Others,\nwhirled on high like fans, were slain in that battle. Others, hither and\nthither on the field, that stood full in front of other elephants had\ntheir bodies exceedingly pierced and torn. Many elephants were deeply\nwounded with spears and lances and darts in their cheeks and frontal\nglobes and parts between their tusks. Exceedingly afflicted by fierce\ncar-warriors and horsemen stationed on their flanks, many elephants,\nripped open, fell down on the Earth. In that dreadful battle many\nhorsemen on their steeds, striking foot-soldiers with their lances,\npinned them down to the Earth or crushed them with great force. Some\nelephants, approaching mail-clad car-warriors, O sire, raised them aloft\nfrom their vehicles and hurled them down with great force upon the Earth\nin that fierce and awful fight. Some huge elephants slain by means of\ncloth-yard shafts, fell down on the Earth like mountain summits riven by\nthunder. Combatants, encountering combatants, began to strike each other\nwith their fists, or seizing each other by the hair, began to drag and\nthrow down and mangle each other. Others, stretching their arms and\nthrowing down their foes on the Earth, placed their feet on their chests\nand with great activity cut off their heads. Some combatant, O king,\nstruck with his feet some foe that was dead, and some, O king, struck off\nwith his sword, the head of a falling foe, and some thrust his weapon\ninto the body of a living foe. A fierce battle took place there, O\nBharata, in which the combatants struck one another with fists or seized\none another's hair or wrestled with one another with bare arms. In many\ninstances, combatants, using diverse kinds of weapons, took the lives of\ncombatants engaged with others and, therefore, unperceived by them.\nDuring the progress of that general engagement when all the combatants\nwere mangled in battle, hundreds and thousands of headless trunks stood\nup on the field. Weapons and coats of mail, drenched with gore, looked\nresplendent, like cloths dyed with gorgeous red. Even thus occurred that\nfierce battle marked by the awful clash of weapons. Like the mad and\nroaring current of the Ganga it seemed to fill the whole universe with\nits uproar. Afflicted with shafts, the warriors failed to distinguish\nfriends from foes. Solicitous of victory, the kings fought on because\nthey thought that fight they should. The warriors slew both friends and\nfoes, with whom they came in contact. The combatants of both the armies\nwere deprived of reason by the heroes of both the armies assailing them\nwith fury. With broken cars, O monarch, the fallen elephants, and steeds\nlying on the ground, and men laid low, the Earth, miry with gore and\nflesh, and covered with streams of blood, soon became impassable. Karna\nslaughtered the Pancalas while Dhananjaya slaughtered the Trigartas. And\nBhimasena, O king, slaughtered the Kurus and all the elephant divisions\nof the latter. Even thus occurred that destruction of troops of both the\nKurus and the Pandavas, both parties having been actuated by the desire\nof winning great fame, at that hour when the Sun had passed the\nmeridian.'\"\n\n\n\n29\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'I have heard from thee, O Sanjaya, of many poignant\nand unbearable griefs as also of the losses sustained by my sons. From\nwhat thou hast said unto me, from the manner in which the battle has been\nfought, it is my certain conviction, O Suta, that the Kauravas are no\nmore. Duryodhana was made carless in that dreadful battle. How did\nDharma's son (then) fight, and how did the royal Duryodhana also fight in\nreturn? How also occurred that battle which was fought in the afternoon?\nTell me all this in detail, for thou art skilled in narration, O Sanjaya.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'When the troops of both armies were engaged in battle,\naccording to their respective divisions, thy son Duryodhana, O king,\nriding on another car and filled with rage like a snake of virulent\npoison, beholding king Yudhishthira the just, quickly addressed his own\ndriver, O Bharata, saying, \"Proceed, proceed, quickly take me there, O\ndriver, where the royal son of Pandu, clad in mail shineth under yon\numbrella held over his head.\" Thus urged by the king, the driver, in that\nbattle, quickly urged his royal master's goodly car towards the face of\nYudhishthira. At this, Yudhishthira also, filled with rage and looking\nlike an infuriate elephant, urged his own driver saying, \"Proceed to\nwhere Suyodhana is.\" Then those two heroes and brothers and foremost of\ncar-warriors encountered each other. Both endued with great energy, both\nfilled with wrath, both difficult of defeat in battle, approaching each\nother, those two great bowmen began to mangle each other with their\narrows in that battle. Then king Duryodhana, in that encounter, O sire,\nwith a broad-headed arrow whetted on stone, cut in twain the bow of the\nvirtuous monarch. Filled with rage, Yudhishthira could not brook that\ninsult. Casting aside his broken bow, with eyes red in wrath, Dharma's\nson took up another bow at the head of his forces, and then cut off\nDuryodhana's standard and bow. Duryodhana then, taking up another bow,\npierced the son of Pandu. Filled with rage, they continued to shoot\nshowers of shafts at each other. Desirous of vanquishing each other, they\nresembled a pair of angry lions. They struck each other in that battle\nlike a couple of roaring bulls. Those mighty car-warriors continued to\ncareer, expecting to find each other's lapses. Then wounded with shafts\nsped from bows drawn to their fullest stretch the two warriors, O king,\nlooked resplendent like flowering Kinsukas. They then, O king, repeatedly\nuttered leonine roars. Those two rulers of men, in that dreadful battle,\nalso made loud sounds with their palms and caused their bows to twang\nloudly. And they blew their conchs too with great force. And they\nafflicted each other very much. Then king Yudhishthira, filled with rage,\nstruck thy son in the chest with three irresistible shafts endued with\nforce of thunder. Him, however, thy royal son quickly pierced, in return,\nwith five keen shafts winged with gold and whetted on stone. Then king\nDuryodhana, O Bharata, hurled a dart capable of slaying everybody,\nexceedingly keen, and resembling a large blazing brand. As it advanced,\nking Yudhishthira the just, with sharp shafts, speedily cut it off into\nthree fragments, and then pierced Duryodhana also with five arrows.\nEquipped with golden staff, and producing a loud whizz, that dart then\nfell down, and while falling, looked resplendent like a large brand with\nblazing flames. Beholding the dart baffled, thy son, O monarch, struck\nYudhishthira with nine sharp and keen-pointed arrows. Pierced deeply by\nhis mighty foe, that scorcher of foes quickly took up an arrow for aiming\nit at Duryodhana. The mighty Yudhishthira then placed that arrow on his\nbow-string. Filled with rage and possessed of great valour, the son of\nPandu then shot it at his foe. That arrow, striking thy son, that mighty\ncar-warrior, stupefied him and then (passing through his body) entered\nthe Earth. Then Duryodhana, filled with wrath, uplifting a mace of great\nimpetuosity, rushed at king Yudhishthira the just, for ending the\nhostilities (that raged between the Kurus and the Pandus). Beholding him\narmed with that uplifted mace and resembling Yama himself with his\nbludgeon, king Yudhishthira the just hurled at thy son a mighty dart\nblazing with splendour, endued with great impetuosity, and looking like a\nlarge blazing brand. Deeply pierced in the chest by that dart as he stood\non his car, the Kuru prince, deeply pained, fell down and swooned away.\nThen Bhima, recollecting his own vow, addressed Yudhishthira, saying,\n\"This one should not be slain by thee, O king.\" At this Yudhishthira\nabstained from giving his foe the finishing blow. At that time\nKritavarma, quickly advancing, came upon thy royal son then sunk in an\nocean of calamity. Bhima then, taking up a mace adorned with gold and\nflaxen chords, rushed impetuously towards Kritavarma in that battle. Thus\noccurred the battle between thy troops and the foe on that afternoon, O\nmonarch, every one of the combatants being inspired with the desire of\nvictory.'\"\n\n\n\n30\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Placing Karna at their van, thy warriors, difficult of\ndefeat in fight, returned and fought (with the foe) a battle that\nresembled that between the gods and the Asuras. Excited by the loud\nuproar made by elephants and men and cars and steeds and conchs,\nelephant-men and car-warriors and foot-soldiers and horsemen, in large\nnumbers, filled with wrath advanced against the foe and slew the latter\nwith strokes of diverse kinds of weapons. Elephants and cars, steeds and\nmen, in that dreadful battle were destroyed by brave warriors with sharp\nbattle axes and swords and axes and shafts of diverse kinds and by means\nalso of their animals. Strewn with human heads that were adorned with\nwhite teeth and fair faces and beautiful eyes and goodly noses, and\ngraced with beautiful diadems and earrings, and every one of which\nresembled the lotus, the Sun, or the Moon, the Earth looked exceedingly\nresplendent. Elephants and men and steeds, by thousands, were slain with\nhundreds of spiked clubs and short bludgeons and darts and lances and\nhooks and Bhusundis and maces. The blood that fell formed a river like\ncurrents on the field. In consequence of those car-warriors and men and\nsteeds and elephants slain by the foe, and lying with ghastly features\nand gaping wounds, the field of battle looked like the domains of the\nking of the dead at the time of universal dissolution. Then, O god among\nmen, thy troops, and those bulls amongst the Kurus, viz., thy sons\nresembling the children of the celestials, with a host of warriors of\nimmeasurable might at their van, all proceeded against Satyaki, that bull\nof Sini's race. Thereupon that host, teeming with many foremost of men\nand steeds and cars and elephants, producing an uproar loud as that of\nthe vast deep, and resembling the army of the Asuras or that of the\ncelestials, shone with fierce beauty. Then the son of Surya, resembling\nthe chief of the celestials himself in prowess and like unto the younger\nbrother of Indra, struck that foremost one of Sini's race with shafts\nwhose splendour resembled the rays of the Sun. That bull of Sini's race\nalso, in that battle, then quickly shrouded that foremost of men, with\nhis car and steeds and driver, with diverse kinds of shafts terrible as\nthe poison of the snake. Then many Atirathas belonging to thy army,\naccompanied by elephants and cars and foot-soldiers, quickly approached\nthat bull among car-warriors, viz., Vasusena, when they beheld the latter\ndeeply afflicted with the shafts of that foremost hero of Sini's race.\nThat force, however, vast as the ocean, assailed by foes possessed of\ngreat quickness viz., the Pandava warriors headed by the sons of Drupada,\nfled away from the field. At that time a great carnage occurred of men\nand cars and steeds and elephants. Then those two foremost of men, viz.,\nArjuna and Keshava, having said their daily prayer and duly worshipped\nthe lord Bhava, quickly rushed against thy troops, resolved to slay those\nfoes of theirs. Their foes (i.e., the Kurus) cast their eyes cheerlessly\non that car whose rattle resembled the roar of the clouds and whose\nbanners waved beautifully in the air and which had white steeds yoked\nunto it and which was coming towards them. Then Arjuna, bending Gandiva\nand as if dancing on his car, filled the welkin and all the points of the\ncompass, cardinal and subsidiary, with showers of shafts, not leaving the\nsmallest space empty. Like the tempest destroying the clouds, the son of\nPandu destroyed with his arrows many cars looking like celestial\nvehicles, that were well-adorned, and equipped with weapons and\nstandards, along with their drivers. Many elephants also, with the men\nthat guided them, adorned with triumphal banners and weapons, and many\nhorsemen with horses, and many foot-soldiers also, Arjuna despatched with\nhis arrows to Yama's abode. Then Duryodhana singly proceeded against that\nmighty car-warrior who was angry and irresistible and resembled a\nveritable Yama, striking him with his straight shafts. Arjuna, cutting\noff his adversary's bow and driver and steeds and standard with seven\nshafts, next cut off his umbrella with one arrow. Obtaining then an\nopportunity, he sped at Duryodhana an excellent shaft, capable of taking\nthe life of the person struck. Drona's son, however, cut off that shaft\ninto seven fragments. Cutting off then the bow of Drona's son and slaying\nthe four steeds of the latter with his arrow, the son of Pandu next cut\noff the formidable bow of Kripa too. Then cutting off the bow of\nHridika's son, he felled the latter's standard and steeds. Then cutting\noff the bow of Duhshasana, he proceeded against the son of Radha. At\nthis, Karna, leaving Satyaki quickly pierced Arjuna with three arrows and\nKrishna with twenty, and Partha again repeatedly. Although many were the\narrows that he shot while slaying his foes in that battle, like Indra\nhimself inspired with wrath, Karna yet felt no fatigue. Meanwhile\nSatyaki, coming up, pierced Karna with nine and ninety fierce arrows, and\nonce more with a hundred. Then all the foremost heroes among the Parthas\nbegan to afflict Karna. Yudhamanyu and Shikhandi and the sons of Draupadi\nand the Prabhadrakas, and Uttamauja and Yuyutsu and the twins and\nDhrishtadyumna, and the divisions of the Cedis and the Karushas and the\nMatsyas and Kaikeyas, and the mighty Chekitana, and king Yudhishthira of\nexcellent vows, all these, accompanied by cars and steeds and elephants,\nand foot-soldiers of fierce prowess, encompassed Karna on all sides in\nthat battle, and showered upon him diverse kinds of weapons, addressing\nhim in harsh words and resolved to compass his destruction. Cutting off\nthat shower of weapons with his sharp shafts, Karna dispersed his\nassailants by the power of his weapons like the wind breaking down the\ntrees that stand on its way. Filled with wrath, Karna was seen to destroy\ncar-warriors, and elephants with their riders, and horses with horse-men,\nand large bands of foot-soldiers. Slaughtered by the energy of Karna's\nweapons, almost the whole of that force of the Pandavas, deprived of\nweapons, and with limbs mangled and torn, retired from the field. Then\nArjuna, smiling the while, baffled with his own weapons the weapons of\nKarna and covered the welkin, the Earth, and all the points of the\ncompass with dense shower of arrows. The shafts of Arjuna fell like heavy\nclubs and spiked bludgeons. And some amongst them fell like Sataghnis and\nsome fell like fierce thunderbolts. Slaughtered therewith, the Kaurava\nforce consisting of infantry and horse and cars and elephants, shutting\nits eyes, uttered loud wails of woe and wandered senselessly. Many were\nthe steeds and men and elephants that perished on that occasion. Many,\nagain, struck with shafts and deeply afflicted fled away in fear.\n\n\"'Whilst thy warriors were thus engaged in battle from desire of victory,\nthe Sun approaching the Setting Mountain, entered it. In consequence of\nthe darkness, O king, but especially owing to the dust, we could not\nnotice anything favourable or unfavourable. The mighty bowmen (amongst\nthe Kauravas), fearing a night-battle, O Bharata, then retired from the\nfield, accompanied by all their combatants. Upon the retirement of the\nKauravas, O king, at the close of the day, the Parthas, cheerful at\nhaving obtained the victory, also retired to their own encampment,\njeering at their enemies by producing diverse kinds of sounds with their\nmusical instruments, and applauding Acyuta and Arjuna. After those heroes\nhad thus withdrawn the army, all the troops and all the kings uttered\nbenediction upon the Pandavas. The withdrawal having been made, those\nsinless men, the Pandavas, became very glad, and proceeding to their\ntents rested there for the night. Then Rakshasas and Pishacas, and\ncarnivorous beasts, in large numbers came to that awful field of battle\nresembling the sporting ground of Rudra himself.'\"\n\n\n\n31\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'It seems that Arjuna slew all of you at his will.\nIndeed, the Destroyer himself could not escape him in battle, if Arjuna\ntook up arms against Him. Single-handed, Partha ravished Bhadra, and\nsingle-handed, he gratified Agni. Single-handed, he subjugated the whole\nEarth, and made all the kings pay tribute. Single-handed, with his\ncelestial bow he slew the Nivatakavachas. Single-handed, he contended in\nbattle with Mahadeva who stood before him in the guise of a hunter.\nSingle-handed, he protected the Bharatas, and single-handed, he gratified\nBhava. Single-handed, were vanquished by him all the kings of the Earth\nendued with fierce prowess. The Kurus cannot be blamed. On the other\nhand, they deserve praise (for having fought with such a warrior). Tell\nme now what they did. Tell me also, O Suta, what Duryodhana did after\nthat.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Struck and wounded and overthrown from their vehicles and\ndivested of armour and deprived of weapons and their beasts slain, with\nplaintive voices and burning with grief and vanquished by their foes, the\nvain Kauravas, entering their tents once more took counsel of one\nanother. They then looked like snakes deprived of fangs and poison trod\nupon by others. Unto them, Karna, sighing like an angry snake, squeezing\nhis hands, and eyeing thy son, said, \"Arjuna is always careful, firm,\npossessed of skill, and endued with intelligence. Again, when the time\ncomes, Vasudeva awakes him (to what should be done). Today, by that\nsudden shower of weapons we were deceived by him. Tomorrow, however, O\nlord of Earth, I will frustrate all his purposes.\" Thus addressed by\nKarna, Duryodhana said, \"So be it,\" and then granted permission to those\nforemost of kings to retire. Bidden by the king, all those rulers\nproceeded to their respective tents. Having passed the night happily,\nthey cheerfully went out for battle (the next day). They then beheld an\ninvincible array formed by king Yudhishthira the just, that foremost one\nof Kuru race, with great care, and according to the sanction of\nBrihaspati and Usanas. Then that slayer of foes, Duryodhana, called to\nmind the heroic Karna, that counteractor of foes, that warrior with neck\nlike that of a bull, equal to Purandara himself in battle, the Maruts in\nmight, and Kartavirya in energy. Indeed, the heart of the king turned\ntowards Karna. And the hearts of all the troops also turned to that hero,\nthat Suta's son, that mighty bowman, as one's heart turns to a friend in\na situation of great danger.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'What did Duryodhana next do, O Suta, when the\nhearts of all of you turned towards Vikarna's son Karna? Did my troops\ncast their eyes on Radha's son like persons afflicted with cold turning\ntheir gaze towards the Sun? Upon the recommencement of the battle after\nthe withdrawal of the troops, how, O Sanjaya, did Vikarna's son Karna\nfight? How also did all the Pandavas fight with the Suta's son? The\nmighty-armed Karna would, single-handed, slay the Parthas with the\nSrinjayas. The might of Karna's arms in battle equals that of Sakra or\nVishnu. His weapons are fierce, and the prowess also of that high-souled\none is fierce. Relying upon Karna, king Duryodhana had set his heart on\nbattle. Beholding Duryodhana deeply afflicted by the son of Pandu, and\nseeing also the sons of Pandu displaying great prowess, what did that\nmighty car-warrior, viz., Karna, do? Alas, the foolish Duryodhana,\nrelying on Karna, hopeth to vanquish the Parthas with their sons and\nKeshava in battle! Alas, it is a matter of great grief that Karna could\nnot, with his strength, overcome the sons of Pandu in fight! Without\ndoubt, Destiny is supreme. Alas, the terrible end of that gambling match\nhath now come! Alas, these heartrending sorrows, due to Duryodhana's\nacts, many in number and like unto terrible darts, are now being borne\nby, me, O Sanjaya! O sire, Subala's son used to be then regarded as a\npolitic person. Karna also is always exceedingly attached to king\nDuryodhana. Alas, when such is the case, O Sanjaya, why have I then to\nhear of the frequent defeats and deaths of my sons? There is no one that\ncan resist the Pandavas in battle. They penetrate into my army like a man\ninto the midst of helpless women. Destiny, indeed, is supreme.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'O king, think now of all those wrongful acts of thine\nlike that match at dice and the others--acts that have passed away from\nthe subjects of thought with man. One should not, however, reflect on\nbygone acts. One may be ruined by such reflection. That result (which\nthou hadst expected) is now much removed from the point of fruition,\nsince, although possessed of knowledge, thou didst not reflect on the\npropriety or impropriety of thy acts then. Many a time wert thou, O king,\ncounselled against warring with the Pandavas. Thou didst not, however, O\nmonarch, accept those counsels, from folly. Diverse sinful acts of a\ngrave nature were perpetrated by thee against the sons of Pandu. For\nthose acts this awful slaughter of kings hath now come. All that,\nhowever, is now past. Do not grieve, O bull of Bharata's race. O thou of\nunfading glory, listen now to the details of the awful carnage that has\noccurred.\n\n\"'When the night dawned, Karna repaired to king Duryodhana. Approaching\nthe king, the mighty-armed hero said, \"I shall, O king, engage in battle\ntoday the illustrious son of Pandu. Either I will slay that hero today,\nor he will slay me. In consequence of the diverse things both myself and\nPartha had to do, O Bharata, an encounter, O king, could not hitherto\ntake place between myself and Arjuna! Listen now, O monarch, to these\nwords of mine, spoken according to my wisdom. Without slaying Partha in\nbattle I will not come back, O Bharata. Since this army of ours hath been\ndeprived of its foremost warriors, and since I will stand in battle,\nPartha will advance against me, especially because I am destitute of the\ndart Sakra gave me. Therefore, O ruler of men, listen now to what is\nbeneficial. The energy of my celestial weapons is equal to the energy of\nArjuna's weapons. In counteracting the feats of powerful foes, in\nlightness of hands, in range of the arrows shot, in skill, and in hitting\nthe mark, Savyasaci is never my equal. In physical strength, in courage,\nin knowledge of (weapons), in prowess, O Bharata, in aiming, Savyasaci is\nnever my equal. My bow, called Vijaya, is the foremost of all weapons (of\nits kind). Desirous of doing what was agreeable (to Indra), it was made\nby Viswakarman (the celestial artificer) for Indra. With that bow, O\nking, Indra had vanquished the Daityas. At its twang the Daityas beheld\nthe ten points to be empty. That bow, respected by all, Sakra gave to\nBhrigu's son (Rama). That celestial and foremost of bows Bhrigu's son\ngave to me. With that bow I will contend in battle with the mighty-armed\nArjuna, that foremost of victorious warriors, like Indra fighting with\nthe assembled Daityas. That formidable bow, the gift of Rama, is superior\nto Gandiva. It was with that bow that the Earth was subjugated thrice\nseven times (by Bhrigu's son). With that bow given to me by Rama I will\ncontend in battle with the son of Pandu. I will, O Duryodhana, gladden\nthee today with thy friends, by slaying in battle that hero, viz.,\nArjuna, that foremost of conquerors. The whole Earth with her mountains\nand forest and islands, without a heroic warrior (to oppose thy wish),\nwill, O king, become thine today, over which thyself with thy sons and\ngrandsons will reign supreme. Today there is nothing that is incapable of\nbeing achieved by me, especially when the object is to do what is\nagreeable to thee, even as success is incapable of being missed by an\nascetic zealously devoted to virtue and having his soul under control.\nArjuna will not be able to bear me in battle, even as a tree in contact\nwith fire is incapable of bearing that element. I must, however, declare\nin what respect I am inferior to Arjuna. The string of his bow is\ncelestial, and the two large quivers of his are inexhaustible. His driver\nis Govinda. I have none like him. His is that celestial and foremost of\nbows, called Gandiva, which is irrefragible in battle. I also have that\nexcellent, celestial, and formidable bow called Vijaya. In respect of our\nbows, therefore, O king, I am superior to Arjuna. Listen now to those\nmatters in which the heroic son of Pandu is superior to me. The holder of\nthe reins (of his steeds) is he of Dasharha's race who is adored by all\nthe worlds. His celestial car decked with gold, given unto him by Agni,\nis impenetrable in every part, and his steeds also, O hero, are endued\nwith the speed of the mind. His celestial standard, bearing the blazing\nApe, is exceedingly wonderful. Again, Krishna, who is Creator of the\nuniverse, protects that car. Though inferior to Arjuna in respect of\nthese things, I still desire to fight with him. This Shalya, however, the\nornament of assemblies, is equal to Saurin. If he becomes my driver,\nvictory will certainly be thine. Let Shalya, therefore, who is incapable\nof being resisted by foes be the driver of my car. Let a large number of\ncarts bear my long shafts and those that are winged with vulturine\nfeathers. Let a number of foremost cars, O monarch, with excellent steeds\nyoked unto them, always follow me, O bull of Bharata's race. By these\narrangements I will, as regards the qualities mentioned, be superior to\nArjuna. Shalya is superior to Krishna, and I am superior to Arjuna. As\nthat slayer of foes, viz., he of Dasharha's race, is acquainted with\nhorselore, even so is that mighty car-warrior, viz., Shalya acquainted\nwith horselore. There is none equal to the chief of the Madras in might\nof arms. As there is none equal to myself in weapons, so there is none\nequal to Shalya in knowledge of steeds. So circumstanced, I will become\nsuperior to Partha. Against my car, the very gods with Vasava at their\nhead will not dare advance. All these being attended to, when I take my\nstand on my car, I will become superior to Arjuna in the attributes of\nwarrior and will then, O best of the Kurus, vanquish Phalguna. I desire,\nO monarch, all this to be done by thee, O scorcher of foes. Let these\nwishes of mine be accomplished. Let no time be suffered to elapse. If all\nthis be accomplished, the most effectual aid will be rendered to me on\nevery desirable point. Thou wilt then see, O Bharata, what I will achieve\nin battle. I will by every means vanquish the sons of Pandu in battle\nwhen they will approach me. The very gods and Asuras are not able to\nadvance against me in battle. What need be said then of the sons of Pandu\nthat are of human origin?\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus addressed by that ornament of battle, viz.,\nKarna, thy son, worshipping the son of Radha, answered him, with a glad\nheart, saying, \"Accomplish that, O Karna, which thou thinkest. Equipped\nwith goodly quivers and steeds, such cars shall follow thee in battle.\nLet as many cars as thou wishest bear thy long shafts and arrows equipped\nwith vulturine feathers. Ourselves, as also all the kings, O Karna will\nfollow thee in battle.\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Having said these words, thy royal son, endued with\ngreat prowess, approached the ruler of the Madras and addressed him in\nthe following words.'\"\n\n\n\n32\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Thy son then, O monarch, humbly approaching that mighty\ncar-warrior, viz., the ruler of the Madras, addressed him, from\naffection, in these words, \"O thou of true vows, O thou of great good\nfortune, O enhancer of the sorrows of foes, O ruler of the Madras, O hero\nin battle, O thou that inspirest hostile troops with fear, thou hast\nheard, O foremost of speakers, how, for the sake of Karna who spoke unto\nme, I myself am desirous of soliciting thee among all these lions of\nkings. O thou of incomparable prowess, O king of the Madras, for the\ndestruction of the foe, I solicit thee today, with humility and bow of\nthe head. Therefore, for the destruction of Partha and for my good, it\nbehoveth thee, O foremost of car-warriors, to accept, from love, the\noffice of charioteer. With thee for his driver, the son of Radha will\nsubjugate my foes. There is none else for holding the reins of Karna's\nsteeds, except thee, O thou of great good fortune, thou that art the\nequal of Vasudeva in battle. Protect Karna then by every means like\nBrahma protecting Maheswara. Even as he of Vrishni's race protects by\nevery means the son of Pandu in all dangers, do thou, O chief of the\nMadras, protect the son of Radha today. Bhishma, and Drona, and Kripa,\nand thyself and the valiant ruler of the Bhojas, and Shakuni the son of\nSubala, and Drona's son and myself, constituted the chief strength of our\narmy. Even thus, O lord of Earth, we had divided amongst ourselves the\nhostile army into portions for the share of each. The share that had been\nallotted to Bhishma is now no more as also that which had been allotted\nto the high-souled Drona. Going even beyond their allotted shares, those\ntwo slew my foes. Those two tigers among men, however, were old, and both\nof them have been slain deceitfully. Having achieved the most difficult\nfeats, both of them, O sinless one, have departed hence to heaven.\nSimilarly, many other tigers among men, of our army, slain by foes in\nbattle, have ascended to heaven, casting off their lives and having made\ngreat exertions to the best of their powers. This my host, therefore, O\nking, the greater portion of which has been slaughtered, has been reduced\nto this state by the Parthas who were at first fewer than us. What should\nbe done for the present? Do that now, O lord of Earth, by which the\nmighty and the high-souled sons of Kunti, of prowess incapable of being\nbaffled, may be prevented from exterminating the remnant of my host. O\nlord, the Pandavas have in battle slain the bravest warriors of this my\nforce. The mighty-armed Karna alone is devoted to our good, as also\nthyself, O tiger among men, that art the foremost of car-warriors in the\nwhole world. O Shalya, Karna wishes to contend in battle today with\nArjuna. On him, O ruler of the Madras, my hopes of victory are great.\nThere is none else in the world (save thee) that can make so good a\nholder of the reins for Karna. As Krishna is the foremost of all holders\nof reins for Partha in battle, even so, O king, be thou the foremost of\nall holders of reins for Karna's car. Accompanied and protected, O sire,\nby him in battle, the feats that Partha achieve are all before thee.\nFormerly, Arjuna had never slain his foes in battle in such a way. Now\nhowever, his prowess has become great, united as he is with Krishna. Day\nafter day, O ruler of the Madras, this vast Dhritarashtra force is seen\nto be routed by Partha because he is united with Krishna. A portion\nremains of the share allotted to Karna and thyself, O thou of great\nsplendour. Bear that share with Karna, and destroy it unitedly in battle.\nEven as Surya, uniting with Aruna, destroys the darkness, do thou,\nuniting with Karna, slay Partha in battle. Let the mighty car-warriors\n(of the enemy), fly away, beholding in battle those two warriors endued\nwith the effulgence of the morning sun, viz., Karna and Shalya,\nresembling two Suns risen above the horizon. Even as darkness is\ndestroyed, O sire, at the sight of Surya and Aruna, even so let the\nKaunteyas (Pandavas) with the Pancalas and the Srinjayas perish beholding\nthee and Karna. Karna is the foremost of car-warriors, and thou art the\nforemost of drivers. In the clash of battle, again there is none equal to\nthee. As he of Vrishni's race protects the son of Pandu under all\ncircumstances, even so let thyself protect Vikarna's son Karna in battle.\nWith thee as his driver, Karna will become invincible, O king, in battle\neven with the gods having Sakra at their head! What then need be said\nabout the Pandavas? Do not doubt my words.'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Hearing these words of Duryodhana, Shalya, became\nfilled with rage. Contracting his brow into three lines, and waving his\narms repeatedly, and rolling his large eyes red in wrath, that warrior of\nmassive arms proud of his lineage and wealth and knowledge and strength,\nsaid these words:\n\n\"'Shalya said \"Thou insultest me, O son of Gandhari, or without doubt\nsuspectest me, since thou solicitest me, without hesitation, saying, 'Act\nthou as a driver.' Regarding Karna to be superior to ourselves, thou\napplaudest him thus. I, however, do not regard the son of Radha as my\nequal in battle. Assign to me a much greater share, O lord of Earth.\nDestroying that in battle, I will return to the place I come from. Or, if\nthou wishest, I will, O delighter of the Kurus, contend, single-handed,\nwith the enemy. While engaged in consuming the foe, behold thou my\nprowess today. Brooding upon an insult, O thou of Kuru's race, a person\nlike ourselves never engageth in my task. Do not have thy doubts about\nme. Never shouldst thou humiliate me in battle. Behold these two massive\narms of mine, strong as the thunder. Behold also my excellent bow, and\nthese shafts that resemble snakes of virulent poison. Behold my car, unto\nwhich are yoked excellent steeds endued with the speed of the wind.\nBehold also, O son of Gandhari, my mace decked with gold and twined with\nhempen chords. Filled with wrath, I can split the very Earth, scatter the\nmountains, and dry up the oceans, with my own energy, O king. Knowing me,\nO monarch, to be so capable, of afflicting the foe, why dost thou appoint\nme to the office of driver in battle for such a low-born person as\nAdhiratha's son? It behoveth thee not, O king of kings, to set me to such\nmean tasks! Being so superior, I cannot make up my mind to obey the\ncommands of a sinful person. He that causeth a superior person arrived of\nhis own will and obedient from love, to yield to a sinful wight,\ncertainly incurreth the sin of confusing the superior with the inferior.\nBrahman created the Brahmanas from his mouth, and the Kshatriyas from his\narms. He created the Vaishyas from his thighs and the Shudras from his\nfeet. In consequence of the intermixture of those four orders, O Bharata,\nfrom those four have sprung particular classes, viz., those born of men\nof superior classes wedding women of classes inferior to themselves, and\nvice versa. The Kshatriyas have been described to be protectors (of the\nother classes) acquirers of wealth and givers of the same. The Brahmanas\nhave been established on the Earth for the sake of favouring its people\nby assisting at sacrifices, by teaching and acceptance of pure gifts.\nAgriculture and tending of cattle and gift are the occupations of the\nVaishyas according to the scriptures. Shudras have been ordained to be\nthe servants of the Brahmanas, the Kshatriyas, and the Vaishyas.\nSimilarly, the Sutas are the servants of Kshatriyas, and not latter the\nservants of the former. Listen to these my words, O sinless one. As\nregards myself, I am one whose coronal locks have undergone the sacred\nbath. I am born in a race of royal sages. I am reckoned a great\ncar-warrior. I deserve the worship and the praises that bards and\neulogists render and sing. Being all this, O slayer of hostile troops, I\ncannot go to the extent of acting as the driver of the Suta's son in\nbattle. I will never fight, undergoing an act of humiliation. I ask thy\npermission, O son of Gandhari, for returning home.\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Having said these words that tiger among men and\nornament of assemblies, viz., Shalya, filled with rage stood up quickly\nand endeavoured to get away from that concourse of kings. Thy son,\nhowever, from affection and great regard, held the king, and addressed\nhim in these sweet and conciliatory words, that were capable of\naccomplishing every object, \"Without doubt, O Shalya, it is even so as\nthou hast said. But I have a certain purpose in view. Listen to it, O\nruler of men, Karna is not superior to thee, nor do I suspect thee, O\nking. The royal chief of the Madras will never do that which is false.\nThose foremost of men that were thy ancestors always told the truth. I\nthink it is for this that thou art called Artayani (the descendant of\nthose that had truth for their refuge). And since, O giver of honours,\nthou art like a barbed arrow to thy foes, therefore art thou called by\nthe name of Shalya on earth. O thou that makest large presents (to\nBrahmanas) at sacrifices, do thou accomplish all that which, O virtuous\none, thou hadst previously said thou wouldst accomplish. Neither the son\nof Radha nor myself am superior to thee in valour that I would select\nthee as the driver of those foremost of steeds (that are yoked unto\nKarna's car). As, however, O sire, Karna is superior to Dhananjaya in\nregard to many qualities, even so doth the world regard thee to be\nsuperior to Vasudeva. Karna is certainly superior to Partha in the matter\nof weapons, O bull among men. Thou too art superior to Krishna in\nknowledge of steeds and might. Without doubt O ruler of the Madras, thy\nknowledge of horse is double that which the high-souled Vasudeva hath.\"\n\n\"'Shalya said, \"Since, O son of Gandhari, thou describest me, O thou of\nKuru's race, in the midst of all these troops, to be superior to Devaki's\nson, I am gratified with thee. I will become the driver of Radha's son of\ngreat fame while he will be engaged in battle with the foremost one of\nPandu's sons, as thou solicitest me. Let this, however, O hero, be my\nunderstanding with Vikartana's son that I will in his presence utter\nwhatever speeches I desire.\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'O king, thy son, with Karna then, O Bharata,\nanswered the prince of the Madras, O best of Bharata's race, saying, \"So\nbe it.\"'\"\n\n\n\n33\n\n\"'Duryodhana said, \"Listen, once more, O ruler of the Madras, to what I\nwill say unto thee, about what happened, O lord, in the battle between\nthe gods and the Asuras in days of yore. The great rishi Markandeya\nnarrated it to my sire. I will now recite it without leaving out\nanything, O best of royal sages. Listen to that account confidingly and\nwithout mistrusting it at all. Between the gods and the Asuras, each\ndesirous of vanquishing the other, there happened a great battle, O king,\nwhich had Taraka for its evil (root). It hath been heard by us that the\nDaityas were defeated by the gods. Upon the defeat of the Daityas, the\nthree sons of Taraka, named Tarakaksha, Kamalaksha and Vidyunmalin, O\nking, practising the austerest penances, lived in the observance of high\nvows. By those penances they emaciated their bodies, O scorcher of foes.\nIn consequence of their self-restraint, their penances, their vows and\ncontemplation, the boongiving Grandsire became gratified with them and\ngave them boons. Unitedly they solicited the Grandsire of all the worlds,\nO king, for the boon of immunity from death at the hands of all Creatures\nof all times. The divine Lord and Master of all the worlds said unto\nthem, 'There is nothing like immunity from death at the hands of all\ncreatures. Therefore, ye Asuras, abstain from such a prayer. Solicit some\nother boon that may seem desirable to you.' When all of them, O king,\nhaving settled it amongst themselves after long and repeated conferences,\nbowed to the great Master of all the worlds and said these words, 'O god,\nO Grandsire, give us this boon. Residing in three cities, we will rove\nover this Earth, with thy grace ever before us. After a 1,000 years then,\nwe will come together, and our three cities also, O sinless one, will\nbecome united into one. That foremost one amongst the gods who will, with\none shaft, pierce those three cities united into one, will, O lord, be\nthe cause of our destruction.' Saying unto them, 'Let it be so,' that god\nascended to heaven. Those Asuras then, filled with joy at having obtained\nthose boons and having settled it among themselves about the construction\nof the three cities, selected for the purpose the great Asura Maya, the\ncelestial artificer, knowing no fatigue or decay, and worshipped by all\nthe Daityas and Danavas. Then Maya, of great intelligence, by the aid of\nhis own ascetic merit, constructed three cities, one of which was of\ngold, another of silver, and the third of black iron. The golden city was\nset in heaven, the silver city in the welkin, and the iron city was set\non the Earth, all in such a way as to revolve in a circle, O lord of\nEarth. Each of those cities measured a hundred yojanas in breadth and a\nhundred in length. And they consisted of houses and mansions and lofty\nwalls and porches. And though teeming with lordly palaces close to each\nother, yet the streets were wide and spacious. And they were adorned with\ndiverse mansions and gate-ways. Each of those cities, again, O monarch,\nhad a separate king. The beautiful city of gold belonged to the\nillustrious Tarakaksha: the silver city to Kamalaksha, and the iron one\nto Vidyunmalin. Those three Daitya kings, soon assailing the three worlds\nwith their energy, continued to dwell and reign, and began to say, 'Who\nis he called the Creator?' Unto those foremost of Danavas having no\nheroes equal to them, came from every side millions upon millions, of\nproud and flesh-eating Danavas who had before been defeated by the\ncelestials, and who now settled in the three cities, desirous of great\nprosperity. Unto all of them thus united, Maya became the supplier of\nevery thing they wanted. Relying upon him, all of them resided there, in\nperfect fearlessness. Whoever amongst those residing in the triple city\nwished for any object in his heart had his wish fulfilled by Maya aided\nby the latter's powers of illusion. Tarakaksha had a heroic and mighty\nson named Hari. He underwent the austerest of penances, upon which the\nGrandsire became gratified with him. When the god was gratified, Hari\nsolicited a boon of him, saying, 'Let a lake start into existence in our\ncity, such that persons, slain by means of weapons, may, when thrown into\nit, come out with life, and with redoubled strength.' Obtaining this\nboon, the heroic Hari, son of Tarakaksha, created a lake, O lord, in his\ncity, that was capable of reviving the dead. In whatever form and\nwhatever guise a Daitya might have been slain, if thrown into that lake,\nhe was restored to life, in the self-same form and guise. Obtaining alive\nthe slain among them, the Daityas began to afflict the three worlds.\nCrowned with success by means of austere penances, those enhancers of the\nfears of the gods sustained, O king, no diminution in battle. Stupefied\nthen by covetousness and folly, and deprived of their senses, all of them\nbegan to shamelessly exterminate the cities and towns established all\nover the universe. Filled with pride at the boons they had received, and\ndriving before them, at all times and from all places, the gods with\ntheir attendants, they roamed at will over celestial forests and other\nrealms dear to the denizens of heaven and the delightful and sacred\nasylums of Rishis. And the wicked Danavas ceased to show any respect for\nanybody. While the worlds were thus afflicted, Sakra, surrounded by the\nMaruts, battled against the three cities by hurling his thunder upon them\nfrom every side. When, however, Purandra failed to pierce those cities\nmade impenetrable, O king, by the Creator with his boons, the chief of\ncelestials, filled with fear, and leaving those cities, repaired with\nthose very gods to that chastiser of foes, viz., the Grandsire, for\nrepresenting unto him the oppressions committed by the Asuras.\nRepresenting everything and bowing with their heads unto him, they asked\nthe divine Grandsire the means by which the triple city could be\ndestroyed. The illustrious Deity, hearing the words of Indra, told the\ngods, 'He that is an offender against you offends against me also. The\nAsuras are all of wicked souls and always hate the gods. They that give\npain to you always offend against me. I am impartial to all creatures.\nThere is no doubt in this. For all that, however, they that are\nunrighteous should be slain. This is my fixed vow. Those three forts are\nto be pierced with one shaft. By no other means can their destruction be\neffected. None else, save Sthanu, is competent to pierce them with one\nshaft. Ye Adityas, select Sthanu, otherwise called Ishana and Jishnu, who\nis never fatigued with work, as your warrior. It is he that will destroy\nthose Asuras.' Hearing these words of his, the gods with Sakra at their\nhead, making Brahman take their lead, sought the protection of the Deity\nhaving the bull for his mark. Those righteous ones accompanied by Rishis\ndevoted to the severest penances and uttering the eternal words of the\nVedas, sought Bhava with their whole soul. And they praised, O king, in\nthe high words of the Vedas, that dispeller of fears in all situations of\nfear that Universal Soul, that Supreme Soul, that One by whom All this is\npervaded with his Soul. Then the gods who, by special penances, had\nlearnt to still all the functions of his Soul and to withdraw Soul from\nMatter,--they who had their soul always under control--beheld him, called\nIshana,--that lord of Uma, that mass of energy, that is, who hath no\nequal in the universe, that source (of everything), that sinless Self.\nThough that Deity is one they had imagined him to be of various forms.\nBeholding in that high-souled one those diverse forms that each had\nindividually conceived in own heart, all of them became filled with\nwonder. Beholding that Unborn one, that Lord of the universe, to be the\nembodiment of all creatures, the gods and the regenerate Rishis, all\ntouched the Earth with their heads. Saluting them with the word 'Welcome'\nand raising them from their bent attitudes, the illustrious Sankara\naddressed them smilingly, saying, 'Tell us the object of your visit.'\nCommanded by the Three-eyed god, their hearts became easy. They then said\nthese words unto him, 'Our repeated salutations to thee, O Lord.\nSalutations to thee that art the source of all the gods, to thee that art\narmed with the bow, to thee that art full of wrath. Salutations to thee\nthat hadst destroyed the sacrifice of that lord of creatures (viz.,\nDaksha), to thee that art adored by all the lords of creatures.\nSalutations to thee that art always praised, to thee that deservest to be\npraised, to thee that art Death's self. Salutations to thee that art red,\nto thee that art fierce, to thee that art blue-throated, to thee that art\narmed with the trident, to thee that art incapable of being baffled, to\nthee that hast eyes as beautiful as those of the gazelle, to thee that\nfightest with the foremost of weapons, to thee that deservest all praise,\nto thee that art pure, to thee that art destruction's self, to thee that\nart the destroyer; to thee that art irresistible, to thee that art\nBrahman, to thee that leadest the life of a brahmacari; to thee that art\nIshana; to thee that art immeasurable, to thee that art the great\ncontroller, to thee that art robed in tatters; to thee that art ever\nengaged in penances, to thee that art tawny, to thee that art observant\nof vows, to thee that art robed in animal skins; to thee that art the\nsire of Kumara, to thee that art three-eyed, to thee that art armed with\nthe foremost of weapons, to thee that destroyest the afflictions of all\nthat seek thy shelter, to thee that destroyest all haters of Brahmanas,\nto thee that art the lord of all trees, the lord of all men, the lord of\nall kine, and ever the lord of sacrifices. Salutations to thee that art\nalways at the head of troops, to thee that art three-eyed, to thee that\nart endued with fierce energy. We devote ourselves to thee in thought,\nword and deed. Be gracious unto us.' Gratified with these adorations, the\nholy one, saluting them with the word 'Welcome' said unto them, 'Let your\nfears be dispelled. Say, what we are to do for you?'\"'\"\n\n\n\n34\n\n\"'Duryodhana said, \"After the fears of those throngs of the pitris, the\ngods, and the Rishis had thus been dispelled by that high-souled Deity,\nBrahman then offered his adorations, unto Sankara, and said these words\nfor the benefit of the universe, 'Through thy favour, O Lord of all, the\nLordship of all creatures is mine. Occupying that rank, I have given a\ngreat boon to the Danavas. It behoveth none else, save thee, O Lord of\nthe Past and the Future, to destroy those wicked wights that show no\nregard for any one. Thou O god, art the only person competent to slay the\nfoes of these denizens of heaven that have sought thy protection and that\nsolicit thee. O lord of all the gods, show favour to these. Slay the\nDanavas, O wielder of the trident. O giver of honours, let the universe,\nthrough thy grace, obtain happiness. O Lord of all the worlds, thou art\nthe one whose shelter should be sought. We all seek thy shelter.'\n\n\"'\"Sthanu said, 'All your foes should be slain. But, I shall not however,\nslay them single-handed. The enemies of the gods are possessed of might.\nTherefore, all of you, united together, consume those enemies of yours in\nbattle, with half my might. Union is great strength.'\n\n\"'\"The gods said, 'Theirs (Danavas') is twice the energy and might of\nourselves, we think, for we have already seen their energy and might.'\n\n\"'\"The holy one said, 'Those sinful wights that have offended against ye\nshould be slain. With half of my energy and might, slay all those enemies\nof yours.'\n\n\"'\"The gods said, 'We will not be able, O Maheswara, to bear half of thy\nenergy. With, on the other hand, half of our united might, do thou slay\nthose foes.'\n\n\"'\"The holy one said, 'If, indeed, ye have not the ability to bear half\nof my might, then, endued with half of your united energy, I will slay\nthem.'\n\n\"'Duryodhana continued, \"The celestials then, addressing the god of gods,\nsaid 'So be it' O best of kings. Taking half of their energies from all\nof them, he became superior in might. Indeed, in might that god became\nsuperior to all in the universe. From that time Sankara came to be called\nMahadeva. And Mahadeva then said, 'Armed with bow and shaft, I will, from\nmy car, slay in battle those foes of yours, ye denizens of heaven.\nTherefore, ye gods, see now to my car and bow and shaft so that I may,\nthis very day, throw the Asuras down on the Earth.'\n\n\"'\"The gods said, 'Gathering all forms that may be found in the three\nworlds and taking portions of each, we will each, O Lord of the gods,\nconstruct a car of great energy for thee. It will be a large car, the\nhandiwork of Viswakarman, designed with intelligence.' Saying this, those\ntigers among the gods began the construction of that car. And they made\nVishnu and Soma and Hutasana the arrow for Sankara's use. Agni became the\nstaff, and Soma became the head, and Vishnu the point, O king, of that\nforemost of arrows. The goddess Earth, with her large cities and towns,\nher mountains and forests and islands, that home of diverse creatures,\nwas made the car. The Mandara mountain was made its axle; and the great\nriver Ganga was made its Jangha; and the points of the compass, cardinal\nand subsidiary became the ornaments of the car. The constellations became\nits shaft; the Krita age became its yoke; and that best of Snakes, viz.,\nVasuki, became the Kuvara of that car. Himavat and Vindhya mountains\nbecame its Apaskara and Adhishthana; and the Udaya and the Asta mountains\nwere made the wheels of that car by those foremost ones among the gods.\nThey made the excellent Ocean, that abode of the Danavas its other axle.\nThe seven Rishis became the protectors of the wheels of that car. Ganga\nand Sarasvati and Sindhu and the Sky became its Dhura; all the other\nrivers and all the waters became the chords for binding the several limbs\nof that car. Day and Night and the other divisions of time such as Kalas\nand Kasthas, and the Seasons became its Amukarsha. The blazing planets\nand the stars became its wooden fence; Religion, Profit, and Pleasure,\nunited together, became its Trivenu. The herbs and the creepers, decked\nwith flowers and fruits, became its bells. Making the Sun and the Moon\nequal, these were made the (other two) wheels of that foremost of cars.\nDay and Night were made its auspicious wings on the right and left. The\nten foremost of snakes having Dhritarashtra for their first, all\nexceedingly strong, formed the (other) shaft of that car. The Sky was\nmade its (other) yoke, and the clouds called Samvartaka and Valahaka were\nthe leathern strings of the yoke. The two Twilights and Dhritri and Medha\nand Sthiti and Sannati, and the firmament bespangled with planets and\nstars, were made the skins for covering that car. Those Regents of the\nworld, viz., the Lords of the gods, of the waters, of the dead, and of\ntreasures, were made the steeds of that car. Kalaprishtha, and Nahusha,\nand Karkotaka, and Dhananjaya and the other snakes became the chords for\nbinding the manes of the steeds. The cardinal and the subsidiary\ndirections became the reins of the steeds of that car. The Vedic sound\nVashat became the goad, and Gayatri became the string attached to that\ngoad. The four auspicious days were made the traces of the steeds, and\nthe pitris presiding over them were made the hooks and pins. Action and\ntruth and ascetic penances and profit were made the chords of that car.\nThe Mind became the ground upon which that car stood, and Speech the\ntracks upon which it was to proceed. Beautiful banners of various hues\nwaved in the air. With lightning and Indra's bow attached to it, that\nblazing car gave fierce light. That space of time which, on a former\noccasion, had, in the Sacrifice of the high-souled Ishana, been fixed as\na Year, became the bow, and the goddess Savitri became the loud-sounding\nbow-string. A celestial coat of mail was made, decked with costly gems,\nand impenetrable and effulgent, sprung from the wheel of Time. That\ngolden mountain, viz., the beautiful Meru, became the flagstaff, and the\nclouds decked with flashes of lightning became its banners. Thus\nequipped, that car shone brilliantly like a blazing fire in the midst of\nthe priests officiating at a sacrifice. Beholding that car properly\nequipped, the gods became filled with wonder. Seeing the energies of the\nentire universe united together in one place, O sire, the gods wondered,\nand at last represented unto that illustrious Deity that the car was\nready. After, O monarch, that best of cars had thus been constructed by\nthe gods, O tiger among men, for grinding their foes, Sankara placed upon\nit his own celestial weapons. Making the sky its flagstaff, he placed\nupon it his bovine bull. The Brahmana's rod, the rod of Death, Rudra's\nrod, and Fever became the protectors of the sides of that car and stood\nwith faces turned towards all sides. Atharvan and Angirasa became the\nprotectors of the car-wheels of that illustrious warrior. The Rigveda,\nthe Samaveda, and the Puranas stood in advance of that car. The histories\nand the Yajurveda became the protectors of the rear. All sacred Speeches\nand all the Sciences stood around it, and all hymns, O monarch, and the\nVedic sound of Vashat also. And the syllable Om, O king, standing in the\nvan of that car, made it exceedingly beautiful. Having made the Year\nadorned with the six seasons his bow, he made his own shadow the\nirrefragable string of that bow in that battle. The illustrious Rudra is\nDeath's self. The Year became his bow; Kala Ratri the Death-night\ntherefore, which is Rudra's shadow, became the indestructible string of\nthat bow. Vishnu and Agni and Soma became (as already said) the arrow.\nThe universe is said to consist of Agni and Soma. The universe is\nsimilarly said to consist of Vishnu. Vishnu is, again, the Soul of the\nholy Bhava of immeasurable energy. For this the touch of that bow-string\nbecame unbearable to the Asuras. And the lord Sankara cast on that arrow\nhis own irresistible and fierce wrath, the unbearable fire of anger,\nviz., that which was born of wrath of Bhrigu and Angirasa. Then He called\nNila Rohita (Blue and Red or smoke)--that terrible deity robed in\nskins,--looking like 10,000 Suns, and shrouded by the fire of\nsuperabundant Energy, blazed up with splendour. That discomfiter of even\nhim that is difficult of being discomfited, that victor, that slayer of\nall haters of Brahma, called also Hara, that rescuer of the righteous and\ndestroyer of the unrighteous, viz., the illustrious Sthanu, accompanied\nby many beings of terrible might and terrible forms that were endued with\nthe speed of the mind and capable of agitating and crushing all foes, as\nif with all the fourteen faculties of the soul awake about him, looked\nexceedingly resplendent. Having his limbs for their refuge, this entire\nuniverse of mobile and immobile creatures that were present there, O\nking, looked beautiful, presenting a highly wonderful appearance.\nBeholding that car, duly equipped, he cased himself in mail and armed\nhimself with the bow, and took up that celestial shaft born of Soma and\nVishnu and Agni. The gods, O king, then commanded that foremost of\ncelestials, viz., Wind, to breathe after that puissant Deity all the\nfragrance that he carries. Then Mahadeva, terrifying the very gods, and\nmaking the very Earth tremble, ascended that car resolutely. Then the\ngreat Rishis, the Gandharvas, those throngs of gods and those diverse\ntribes of Apsaras began to praise that Lord of the gods while he was\nabout to ascend that car. Adored by the regenerate Rishis, and praised by\nthe eulogists and diverse tribes of dancing Apsaras well-versed in the\nart of dancing, that boon-giving lord, armed with scimitar and arrow and\nbow, looked very beautiful. Smiling, he then asked the gods, 'Who will\nbecome my driver?' The gods answered him, saying, 'He whom thou wilt\nappoint, will, O Lord of the gods, without doubt, become thy driver!'\nUnto them the god replied, 'Reflecting yourselves, without delay make him\nmy driver who is superior to me!' Hearing these words uttered by that\nhigh-souled Deity, the gods repaired unto the Grandsire and inclining him\nto grace, said these words, 'We have accomplished everything, O holy one,\nthat thou hadst ordered us to do in the matter of afflicting the foes of\ncelestials. The Deity having the bull for his mark has been gratified\nwith us. A car hath been constructed by us, equipped with many wonderful\nweapons. We do not, however, know who is to become the driver of that\nforemost of cars. Therefore, let some foremost one among the gods be\nappointed as the driver. O holy one, it behoveth thee to make true those\nwords that thou, O lord, hadst then said to us. Before this, O god, thou\nhadst even said to us that thou wouldst do us good. It behoveth thee to\naccomplish that promise. That irresistible and best of cars, that router\nof our foes, hath been constructed out of the component parts of the\ncelestials. The Deity armed with Pinaka hath been made the warrior who is\nto stand on it. Striking the Danavas with fear, he is prepared for\nbattle. The four Vedas have become the four foremost of steeds. With her\nmountains, the Earth has become the car of that high-souled one. The\nstars have become the adornments of that vehicle. (As already said) Hara\nis the warrior. We do not, however, see who is to become the driver. A\ndriver should be sought for that car who is superior to all these. Equal\nto thee in importance is that car, O god, and Hara is the warrior.\nArmour, and weapons, and bow, these we have got already, O Grandsire.\nExcept thee, we do not behold any person that can make its driver. Thou\nart endued with every accomplishment. Thou, O lord, art superior to all\nthe gods. Mounting upon that car with speed, hold the reins of those\nforemost of steeds, for the victory of the celestials and the destruction\nof their foes.' It has been heard by us that bowing with their heads unto\nthe Grandsire that Lord of the three worlds, the gods sought to gratify\nhim for inducing him to accept the drivership.\n\n\"'\"The Grandsire said, 'There is nothing of untruth in all this that ye\nhave said, ye denizens of heaven. I will hold the reins of the steeds for\nKapaddin while he will be engaged in fight.' Then that illustrious god,\nthat Creator of the worlds, the Grandsire, was appointed by the gods as\nthe driver of the high-souled Ishana. And when he was about to ascend\nquickly upon that car worshipped by all, those steeds, endued with the\nspeed of the wind, bowed themselves with their heads to the Earth. Having\nascended the car the illustrious Deity, viz., the Grandsire resplendent\nwith his own energy, took the reins and the goad. Then the illustrious\ngod, raising those steeds addressed that foremost one among the gods,\nviz., Sthanu, saying, 'Ascend.' Then, taking that arrow composed of\nVishnu and Soma and Agni, Sthanu ascended the car, causing the foe to\ntremble by means of his bow. The great Rishis, the Gandharvas, the\nthrongs of gods, and the diverse tribes of Apsaras, then praised that\nLord of the gods after he had ascended the car. Resplendent with beauty,\nthe boon-giving Lord, armed with scimitar, shaft, and bow, stayed on the\ncar causing the three worlds to blaze forth with his own energy. The\ngreat Deity once more said unto the gods headed by Indra, 'Ye should\nnever grieve, doubting my ability to destroy the Asura. Know that the\nAsuras have already been slain by means of this arrow'. The gods then\nanswered, saying, 'It is true! The Asuras have already been slain.'\nIndeed, the gods thinking that the words which the divine Lord had said\ncould not be untrue, became exceedingly gratified. Then that Lord of the\ngods proceeded surrounded by all the gods, upon that large car, O king,\nwhich had nothing to compare with it. And the illustrious Deity was\nadored, all the while by the attendants that always wait upon him, and by\nothers that subsisted on meat, that were invincible in battle, and that\ndanced in joy on the present occasion, running wildly on all sides and\nshouting at one another. Rishis also, of great good fortune, possessed of\nascetic merit and endued with high qualities, as also the gods, wished\nfor Mahadeva's success. When that boon-giving Lord, that dispeller of the\nfears of the three worlds, thus proceeded, the entire universe, all the\ngods, O best of men, became exceedingly gratified. And the Rishis there\nadored the Lord of the gods with diverse hymns, and enhancing his energy,\nO king, took up their station there. And millions upon millions of\nGandharvas played upon diverse kinds of musical instruments at the hour\nof his setting out. When the boon-giving Brahman, having ascended the\ncar, set out for the Asuras, the Lord of the Universe, smiling the while,\nsaid, 'Excellent, Excellent! Proceed, O god, to the spot where the\nDaityas are. Urge the steeds wakefully. Behold today the might of arms\nwhile I slay the foe in battle.' Thus addressed, Brahman urged those\nsteeds endued with the fleetness of the wind or thought towards that spot\nwhere the triple city, O king, stood, protected by the Daityas and the\nDanavas. With those steeds worshipped by all the worlds, and which\ncoursed with such speed that they seemed to devour the skies, the\nillustrious god quickly proceeded for the victory of the denizens of\nheaven. Indeed, when Bhava, riding on the car, set out towards the triple\ncity, his bull uttered tremendous roars, filling all the points of the\ncompass. Hearing that loud and terrible roar of the bull, many of the\ndescendants and followers of Taraka, those enemies of the gods, breathed\ntheir last. Others amongst them stood facing the foe for battle. Then\nSthanu, O king, armed with trident became deprived of his senses in\nwrath. All creatures became frightened, and the three worlds began to\ntremble. Frightful portents appeared when he was on the point of aiming\nthat shaft. In consequence, however, of the pressure caused by the weight\nof Soma, Agni, and Vishnu that were in that shaft, as also of the\npressure caused by the weight of Brahman and Rudra and the latter's bow,\nthat car seemed to sink. Then Narayana, issuing out of the point of that\nshaft, assumed the form of a bull and raised that large car. During the\ntime the car had sunk and the foe had began to roar, the illustrious\nDeity, endued with great might began, from rage, to utter loud shouts,\nstanding, O giver of honours, on the head of his bull and the back of his\nsteeds. At that time the illustrious Rudra was employed in eyeing the\nDanava city. While in that posture, O best of men, Rudra cut off the\nteats of the horses and clove the hoofs of the bull. Blessed be thou,\nfrom the date the hoofs of all animals of the bovine species came to be\ncloven. And from that time, O king, horses, afflicted by the mighty Rudra\nof wonderful deeds, came to be without teats. Then Sarva, having stringed\nhis bow and aimed that shaft with which he had united the Pasupata\nweapon, waited thinking of the triple city. And O king, as Rudra thus\nstood, holding his bow, the three cities during that time became united.\nWhen the three cities, losing their separate characters became united,\ntumultuous became the joy of the high-souled gods. Then all the gods, the\nSiddhas, and the great Rishis, uttered the word Jaya, adoring Maheshwara.\nThe triple city then appeared immediately before that god of unbearable\nenergy, that Deity of fierce and indescribable form, that warrior who was\ndesirous of slaying the Asuras. The illustrious deity, that Lord of the\nuniverse, then drawing that celestial bow, sped that shaft which\nrepresented the might of the whole universe, at the triple city. Upon\nthat foremost of shafts, O thou of great good fortune, being shot, loud\nwails of woe were heard from those cities as they began to fall down\ntowards the Earth. Burning those Asuras, he threw them down into the\nWestern ocean. Thus was the triple city burnt and thus were the Danavas\nexterminated by Maheswara in wrath, from desire of doing good to the\nthree worlds. The fire born of his own wrath, the three-eyed god\nquenched, saying, 'Do not reduce the three worlds to ashes.' After this,\nthe gods, the Rishis, and the three worlds became all restored to their\nnatural dispositions, and gratified Sthanu of unrivalled energy with\nwords of high import. Receiving then the permission of the great god, the\ngods with the Creator at their head went away to the places they came\nfrom, their object being accomplished after such effort. Thus that\nillustrious Deity, that Creator of the worlds, that Lord of both the Gods\nand the Asuras, viz., Maheswara, did that which was for the good of all\nthe worlds. As the illustrious Brahman, the Creator of the worlds, the\nGrandsire, the Supreme Deity of unfading glory, acted as the driver of\nRudra, so do thou restrain the steeds of the high-souled son of Radha\nlike Grandsire restraining those of Rudra. There is not the slightest\ndoubt, O tiger among kings, that thou art superior to Krishna, to Karna,\nand to Phalguna. In battle, Karna is like Rudra, and thou art like\nBrahman in policy. United, ye two, therefore, are competent to vanquish\nmy foes that are even like the Asuras. Let, O Shalya, that be done\nspeedily today by which this Karna, grinding the Pandava troops, may be\nable to slay Kunti's son owning white steeds and having Krishna for the\ndriver of his car. Upon thee depend Karna, ourselves, our kingdom, and\n(our) victory in battle. Hold the reins, therefore, of the excellent\nsteeds (of Karna). There is another story which I will narrate. Listen\nonce more to it. A virtuous Brahmana had recited it in the presence of my\nfather. Hearing these delightful words fraught with the reasons and\npurposes of acts, do, O Shalya, what thou mayst settle, without\nentertaining any scruples. In the race of the Bhrigus was Jamadagni of\nsevere ascetic penances. He had a son endued with energy and every\nvirtue, who became celebrated by the name of Rama. Practising the\nausterest penances, of cheerful soul, bound to observances and vows, and\nkeeping his senses under control, he gratified the god Bhava for\nobtaining weapons. In consequence of his devotion and tranquillity of\nheart, Mahadeva became gratified with him. Sankara, understanding the\ndesire cherished in his heart, showed himself unto Rama. And Mahadeva\nsaid, 'O Rama, I am gratified with thee. Blessed be thou, thy desire is\nknown to me. Make thy soul pure. Thou wilt then have all that thou\ndesirest. I will give thee all weapons when thou wilt become pure. Those\nweapons, O son, of Bhrigu, burn a person that is incompetent and that is\nnot deserving of them.' Thus addressed by that god of gods, that deity\nbearing the trident, the son of Jamadagni, bending his head unto that\npuissant high-souled one, said, 'O god of gods, it behoveth thee to give\nthose weapons unto me that am always devoted to thy service, when, indeed\nthou wilt regard me fit for holding them.'\"'\n\n\"'Duryodhana continued. \"With penances then, and restraining his senses,\nand observances of vows, and worship and offerings and with sacrifices\nand Homa performed with mantras, Rama adored Sarva for many long years.\nAt last Mahadeva, pleased with the high-souled son of Bhrigu's race,\ndescribed him, in the presence of his divine spouse, as possessed of many\nvirtues: 'This Rama, of firm vows is ever devoted to me.' Gratified with\nhim, the Lord Sankara thus repeatedly proclaimed his virtues in the\npresence of gods and the Rishis, O slayer of foes. Meanwhile, the Daityas\nbecame very mighty. Blinded by pride and folly, they afflicted the\ndenizens of heaven. The gods then, uniting together, and firmly resolved\nto slay them, strove earnestly for the destruction of those foes. They,\nhowever, failed to vanquish them. The gods then, repairing to Maheswara,\nthe Lord of Uma, began to gratify him with devotion, saying, 'Slay our\nfoes.' That god, having promised the destruction of their foes unto the\ncelestials, summoned Rama the descendant of Bhrigu. And Sankara addressed\nRama, saying, 'O descendant of Bhrigu, slay all the assembled foes of the\ngods, from desire of doing good unto all the worlds as also for my\nsatisfaction.' Thus addressed, Rama replied unto that boon-giving Lord of\nThree-eyes, saying, 'What strength have I, O chief of the gods destitute\nas I am of weapons, to slay in battle the assembled Danavas that are\naccomplished in weapons and invincible in fight?' Maheswara said, 'Go thou\nat my command. Thou shalt slay those foes. Having vanquished all those\nenemies, thou shalt acquire numerous merits.' Hearing these words and\naccepting them all, Rama, causing propitiatory rites to be performed for\nhis success, proceeded against the Danavas. Addressing those enemies of\nthe gods that were endued with might and possessed with folly and pride,\nhe said, 'Ye Daityas that are fierce in battle, give me battle. I have\nbeen sent by the God of gods to vanquish you.' Thus addressed by the\ndescendant of Bhrigu, the Daityas began to fight. The delighter of the\nBhargavas, however, slaying the Daityas in battle, with strokes whose\ntouch resembled that of Indra's thunder, came back to Mahadeva.\nJamadagni's son, that foremost of Brahmanas returned with many wounds on\nhis person inflicted by the Danavas. Touched, however by Sthanu, his\nwounds were immediately healed. Gratified also with that feat of his, the\nillustrious god gave diverse kinds of boons unto the high-souled son of\nBhrigu. With satisfaction in his heart, the trident-wielding God of gods\nsaid, 'The pain thou hast suffered in consequence of the fall of weapons\nupon thy body evidences the super-human feat that thou hast achieved, O\ndelighter of the Bhrigus. As desired by thee, accept from me these\ncelestial weapons.'\"'\n\n\"'Duryodhana continued, \"Having obtained all the celestial weapons and\nthe boons that had been desired by him, Rama bowed unto Siva with his\nhead. Obtaining the leave also of the gods that great ascetic went away.\nThis is the old story that the rishi had recited. The descendant of\nBhrigu gave the whole science of weapons unto the high-souled Karna, O\ntiger among kings with delighted heart. If Karna had any fault, O lord of\nEarth, the delighter of Bhrigu's race would never have given him his\ncelestial weapons. I do not think that Karna could have been born in the\nSuta order. I think him to be the son of a god, born in the Kshatriya\norder. I think that he was abandoned (in infancy) in order that the race\nin which he was born might be ascertained (by his features and feats). By\nno means, O Shalya, could this Karna have been born in the Suta order.\nWith his (natural) earring and (natural) coat of mail, this mighty\ncar-warrior of long arms, resembling Surya himself, could not be borne by\na common woman even as a she-deer can never bear a tiger. His arms are\nmassive, each resembling the trunk of a prince of elephants. Behold his\nchest that is so broad and capable of resisting every foe. Karna\notherwise called Vaikartana, O king, cannot be an ordinary person. Endued\nwith great valour, this disciple of Rama, O king of kings, is a\nhigh-souled personage.\"'\"\n\n\n\n35\n\n\"'Duryodhana said, \"Even thus did that illustrious Deity, that Grandsire\nof all the worlds, viz., Brahman, act as driver on that occasion and even\nthus did Rudra become the warrior. The driver of the car, O hero, should\nbe superior to the warrior on it. Therefore, O tiger among men, do thou\nhold the reins of the steeds in this battle. As on that occasion the\nGrandsire had been selected with care by all the celestials, indeed, O\ngreat king, as one greater than Sankara, so thou that art superior to\nKarna art now selected by us with care. Like the Grandsire holding the\nreins of Rudra's steeds, do thou hold, without delay, the reins of\nKarna's steeds in battle, O thou of great splendour.\"\n\n\"'Shalya said, \"O foremost of men, many a time have I heard this\nexcellent and celestial history, recited to me, of those two lions among\ngods. Indeed, I have heard how the Grandsire acted as the driver of Bhava\nand how the Asuras also, O Bharata, were all destroyed with one shaft.\nKrishna also had knowledge of all this before, the knowledge, viz., of\nhow the illustrious Grandsire had become the driver on that occasion of\nyore. Indeed, Krishna knoweth the past and the future with all their\ndetails. Knowing this fact, he became the driver, O Bharata, of Partha\nlike the Self-create becoming the driver of Rudra. If the Suta's son, by\nsome means, succeeds in slaying the son of Kunti, Keshava, beholding\nPartha slain, will fight himself. That bearer of the conch, the discus,\nand the mace, will then consume thy army. There is no king here that will\nstay in the ranks in front of that illustrious one of Vrishni's race when\nhe will be excited with wrath.\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Unto the ruler of the Madras who was speaking in that\nstrain, that chastiser of foes, viz., thy mighty-armed son of cheerful\nsoul replied, saying, \"Do not, O mighty-armed one, think disparagingly of\nKarna, otherwise called Vaikartana, in battle,--that warrior who is the\nforemost of all wielders of arms and who is acquainted with the meaning\nof the whole body of our scriptures. Hearing the terrible and loud twang\nof his bow and the sound of his palms, the Pandava troops fly away on all\nsides. Thou hast witnessed it with thy own eyes, O mighty-armed one, how\nGhatotkaca, screened by his illusions and displaying hundreds of illusions,\nwas still slain that night (by Karna). Feeling a great fear all these days\nVibhatsu could never stand, fronting Karna. The mighty Bhimasena also,\nmoved hither and thither by the horn of Karna's bow, was, O king, addressed\nin very harsh words such as 'Fool' and 'Glutton.' The two brave sons of\nMadri also were defeated by Karna in great battle, though, from some\nobject he had in view, he did not, O sire, slay them then. That foremost\none of Vrishni's race, viz., the heroic Satyaki, the chief of the Satwata\nclan, was vanquished by Karna and made carless. Others, such as all the\nSrinjayas headed by Dhrishtadyumna, have been repeatedly defeated in\nbattle by Karna the great car-warrior who has achieved all these feats\nand who excited with wrath, is competent to slay Purandara himself armed\nwith the thunderbolt in fight. Thyself also, O hero, art acquainted with\nevery weapon. Thou art, again, the master of all branches of learning.\nThere is none on Earth who is thy equal in might of arms. Irresistible in\nprowess, thou art like a dart (Shalya) unto thy enemies. It is for this,\nO king, that thou O slayer of foes, art called 'Shalya.' Encountering the\nmight of thy arms, all the Satwatas were unable to get the better of it.\nIs Krishna superior to thee in might of arms, O king? Indeed, as Krishna\nis to bear the burthen of the Pandava troops upon the slaughter of\nPartha, even so art thou to bear the burthen of this vast (Kaurava) force\nif Karna lays down his life. Why should he be able to resist my troops\nand why shouldst not thou be able to slay the hostile troops, O sire? For\nthy sake, O sire, I would willingly follow the footsteps of my (slain)\nbrothers and the other heroic kings of the Earth.\"'\n\n\"'Shalya said, \"O son of Gandhari, when thou, O giver of honours,\ndescribest me before thy troops to be superior to the son of Devaki, I am\nexceedingly gratified with thee. I accept the drivership of the\ncelebrated son of Radha when he will fight with that foremost of the sons\nof Pandu, as thou desirest. I have, however, O hero, a compact to make\nwith Vaikartana, and that is this: I will utter whatever words I may\nwish, in this one's presence.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Thy son then, O king, with Karna, O sire, answered\nthe ruler of the Madras, saying, \"Let it be so\" in the presence of all\nthe Kshatriyas. Assured by Shalya's acceptance of the drivership,\nDuryodhana, filled with joy, embraced Karna. Eulogised (by bards and\npanegyrists around), thy son then once more addressed Karna, saying,\n\"Slay all the Parthas in battle, like the great Indra slaying the\nDanavas.\" Shalya having accepted the office of holding the reins of his\nsteeds, Karna, with a cheerful heart, once more addressed Duryodhana,\nsaying, \"The ruler of the Madras does not say very cheerfully what he\nsays. O king, solicit him once more in sweet words.\" Thus addressed, the\nmighty king Duryodhana, possessed of great wisdom and accomplished in\neverything, once more spoke unto that lord of Earth, viz., Shalya, the\nruler of Madras, in a voice deep as that of the clouds and filling the\nwhole region there with the sound of that voice: \"O Shalya, Karna thinks\nthat he should fight with Arjuna today. O tiger among men hold the reins\nof Karna's steeds in battle. Having slain all the other warriors Karna\ndesires to slay Phalguna. I solicit thee, O king, repeatedly, in the\nmatter of holding the reins of his steeds. As Krishna, that foremost of\nall drivers, is the counsellor of Partha, even so do thou protect the son\nof Radha today from every danger.\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Embracing thy son then, Shalya the ruler of the\nMadras, joyfully answered that slayer of foes, viz., Duryodhana, saying,\n\"If this is what is thou thinkest, O royal son of Gandhari, O thou of\nhandsome features, I shall, for that, accomplish everything that may be\nagreeable to thee. O chief of the Bharatas, for whatever acts I may be\nfit, employing myself therein with my whole heart, I will bear the\nburthen of those acts of thine. Let Karna, however, and thyself pardon me\nall those words, agreeable or disagreeable, that I may speak unto Karna\nfrom desire of his good.\"'\"\n\n\"'Karna said, \"O ruler of the Madras, be thou ever engaged in our good as\nBrahman in that of Ishana, as Keshava in that of Partha.\"\n\n\"'Shalya said, \"These four kinds of conduct--self-rebuke and self-praise,\nspeaking ill of others, and adulation of others, are never practised by\nthose that are respectable. That, however, O learned one, which I shall\nsay, for inspiring thy confidence is fraught with self-adulation. For all\nthat, listen to it duly. O puissant one, like Matali himself, I am fit to\nact as the driver of even Indra in watchfulness, in managing the steeds,\nin knowledge of coming danger and of the means of avoiding it, and in\ncompetence to avoid it in practice. When thou wilt be engaged in battle\nwith Partha, I will hold the reins of thy steeds. Let thy anxiety be\ndispelled, O Suta's son.\"'\"\n\n\n\n36\n\n\"'Duryodhana said, \"This one, O Karna, will act as thy driver, this ruler\nof the Madras, who is superior to Krishna, like Matali the driver of the\nchief of the celestials. Indeed, as Matali taketh the management of the\ncar unto which the steeds of Indra are attached, even so will Shalya be\nthe driver of the steeds of thy car today. With thyself as warrior on\nthat vehicle and the ruler of the Madras as its driver, that foremost of\ncar will certainly vanquish the Parthas in battle.\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'When the morning came, O monarch, Duryodhana once\nmore addressed the ruler of the Madras endued with great activity,\nsaying, \"O ruler of the Madras, hold the reins in battle of Karna's\nforemost of steeds. Protected by thee, the son of Radha will vanquish\nDhananjaya.\" Thus addressed, Shalya, answering, \"So be it\" ascended the\ncar, O Bharata. When Shalya approached that car, Karna with a cheerful\nheart addressed his driver, saying, \"O charioteer, quickly equip the car\nfor me.\" Having duly equipped that triumphal car, the foremost of its\nkind, which resembled the vapoury mansions in the sky, Shalya presented\nit to Karna, saying, \"Blessed be thou, victory to thee.\" Then Karna, that\nforemost of car-warriors, duly worshipping that car which had in days of\nold been sanctified by a priest conversant with Brahma, and\ncircumambulating it and carefully adoring the god Surya addressed the\nruler of the Madras standing near, saying, \"Ascend the vehicle.\"\nThereupon Shalya of mighty energy ascended that large, invincible, and\nforemost of cars, belonging to Karna like a lion ascending a mountain\nsummit. Beholding Shalya stationed, Karna ascended his excellent car like\nthe Sun riding on a mass of clouds charged with lightning. Mounted on the\nsame car, those two heroes endued with the splendour or the Sun of fire\nlooked resplendent like Surya and Agni sitting together on a cloud in the\nfirmament. Eulogised then (by bards and panegyrists), those two heroes of\ngreat effulgence looked like Indra and Agni adored with hymns in a\nsacrifice by Ritwiks and Sadasyas. Karna stood on that car, the reins of\nwhose steeds were held by Shalya, stretching his formidable bow, like the\nSun himself within a halo of circular light. Stationed on that foremost\nof cars, that tiger among men, Karna, with his shafts constituting his\nrays, looked beautiful like the Sun on the Mandara mountains. Unto the\nmighty-armed son of Radha that warrior of immeasurable energy, stationed\non his car for battle, Duryodhana said these words, \"O son of Adhiratha,\nO hero, do thou achieve that feat difficult of accomplishment which Drona\nand Bhishma have not achieved in the very sight of all the bowmen. I had\nalways believed that those two mighty car-warriors, viz., Bhishma and\nDrona, would without doubt slay Arjuna and Bhimasena in battle. Like a\nsecond wielder of the thunderbolt, O son of Radha, do thou in great\nbattle achieve that feat worthy of a hero which was not achieved by those\ntwo. Either seize king Yudhishthira the just or slay Dhananjaya and\nBhimasena, O son of Radha, and the twin sons of Madri. Blessed be thou,\nlet victory be thine. Set out for battle, O tiger among men. Reduce to\nashes all the troops of Pandu's son.\" Then thousands of trumpets and tens\nof thousands of drums, sounded together, produced a noise like that of\nthe clouds in the welkin. Accepting those words (of Duryodhana), the\nforemost of car-warriors stationed on his car, viz., the son of Radha,\naddressed Shalya, that warrior accomplished in battle, saying, \"Urge the\nsteeds, O mighty-armed one, so that I may slay Dhananjaya and Bhimasena\nand both the twins and king Yudhishthira. O Shalya, let Dhananjaya behold\ntoday the might of my arms, when I will be engaged in shooting shafts\nwinged with Kanka feathers in hundreds and thousands. Today, O Shalya, I\nwill shoot shafts with great energy for the destruction of the Pandavas\nand the victory of Duryodhana.\"\n\n\"'Shalya said, \"O Suta's son, why dost thou think so low of the sons of\nPandu, all of whom are endued with great might, all of whom are great\nbowmen, and all of whom are acquainted with every weapon? They are\nunretreating, of great good fortune, invincible, and of prowess incapable\nof being baffled. They are capable of inspiring fear in the heart of\nIndra himself. When, son of Radha thou wilt hear the twang of Gandiva in\nbattle, resembling the peal of the thunder itself, thou wilt not then\nutter such speeches. When thou wilt behold Dharma's son and the twins\ncausing a canopy, like that of the clouds in the welkin, with their sharp\narrows, and the other invincible kings (of the Pandava army), endued with\ngreat lightness of hands and shooting (showers of shafts) and weakening\ntheir foes, then thou wilt not utter such words.\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Disregarding those words spoken by the ruler of the\nMadras, Karna addressing him endued with great activity, saying,\n\"Proceed.\"'\"\n\n\n\n37\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding the mighty Karna take up his station from\ndesire of battle, the Kauravas, filled with delight, uttered loud shouts\nfrom every side. With the beat of cymbals and the sound of drums, with\nthe whizz of diverse kinds of arrows and the roars of combatants endued\nwith great activity, all thy troops proceeded to battle, making death\nonly the point at which to stop. When Karna set out and the warriors of\nthe Kuru army were filled with joy, the Earth, O king, trembled and made\na loud noise. The seven great planets including the Sun seemed to proceed\nagainst one another (for combat). Meteoric showers became noticeable and\nall the quarters seemed ablaze. Thunders fell from a cloudless sky, and\nfierce winds began to blow. Animals and birds in larger numbers kept thy\narmy to their right, foreboding great calamities. After Karna had set\nout, his steeds tumbled down on the Earth. A frightful shower of bones\nfell from the sky. The weapons (of the Kuru warriors) seemed to be\nablaze; their standards trembled; and their animals, O monarch, shed\ncopious tears. These and many other terrible and awful portents appeared\nfor the destruction of the Kurus. Stupefied by destiny, none of them\nregarded those portents at all. Beholding the Suta's son setting out, all\nthe rulers of men (in the Kaurava army) cried victory to him. The\nKauravas regarded the Pandavas to have been already vanquished. That\nslayer of hostile heroes, that foremost of car-warriors, viz.,\nVaikartana, as he stayed on his car recollecting the death of Bhishma and\nDrona, blazed up with splendour like the Sun or fire. Reflecting on the\nmighty feats of Partha, and burning with self-conceit and pride, and\nblazing with wrath and breathing long and hard, he addressed Shalya and\nsaid these words: \"When stationed on my car and armed with my bow, I\nwould not take fright at Indra himself armed with the thunder and excited\nwith wrath. Beholding those great heroes headed by Bhishma lying on the\nfield of battle, do not feel any anxiety. Seeing even the faultless\nBhishma and Drona, equal unto Indra and Vishnu, those crushers of\nforemost of cars and steeds and elephants, those heroes that were\nunslayable, slain by the foe, I do not still experience any fear in this\nbattle. Acquainted with mighty weapons, and himself the foremost of\nBrahmanas, why, indeed, did not the preceptor slay in battle all foes,\nseeing them destroy the mightiest of our kings with their drivers and\nelephants and cars? Remembering that Drona in great battle, I tell you\ntruly, listen to me, ye Kurus, there is none amongst you, save myself,\nthat is competent to bear the advancing Arjuna, that warrior who\nresembles Death himself in his fiercest form. In Drona were the skills\nattendant on practice, and might, and bravery, and the highest of weapons\nand policy. When even that high-souled one had to succumb to Death, I\nregard all the others (of our army), strengthless and on the point of\ndeath. In this world I do not find anything, even on reflection, to be\nstable, in consequence of the inevitable connection of acts. When the\npreceptor himself is dead, who then will indulge in the certain belief\nthat he will live till even today's sun-rise? When the preceptor was thus\nslain by the enemy in battle, without doubt weapons, ordinary and\ncelestial, and might and prowess, and achievements and wise policy, are\nnot able to compass the happiness of man. In energy Drona was equal to\nfire or the Sun, in prowess he resembled Vishnu or Purandara; in policy\nhe was equal to Brihaspati or Usana; irresistible as he was, weapons\ncould not yet protect him. When (our) women and children are weeping and\nuttering loud wails, when the valour of the Dhartarashtras has been\ndefeated, I know it, O Shalya, that it is I who am to fight. Proceed\ntherefore, against the army of our enemies. Who else, save myself, will\nbe able to bear those troops amongst whom are stationed the royal son of\nPandu firm in truth, and Bhimasena and Arjuna, and Satyaki, and the\ntwins? Therefore, O ruler of the Madras, proceed quickly, in this battle,\ntowards the Pancalas, the Pandavas, and the Srinjayas. Encountering them\nin battle, either I will slay them, or myself to Yama's presence by the\npath taken by Drona. Do not think, O Shalya, that I will not go into the\nvery midst of those heroes. These intestine dissensions cannot be\ntolerated by me. (Without seeking to tolerate them) I will even follow in\nthe wake of Drona. Wise or ignorant, when his period is run out,\neverybody is equally regarded by the Destroyer; no one can escape, O\nlearned one, for this, I will proceed against the Parthas. I am unable to\ntransgress my destiny. The son of Vichitravirya's son is, O king, always\nengaged in doing me good. For the accomplishment of his purpose, I will\ncast away my life-breaths that are so dear, and this body that is so\ndifficult of being cast away. This foremost of cars covered with\ntigerskins, with axle producing no sound equipped with a golden seat\nendued with trivenu made of silver, and unto which are yoked these\nforemost of steeds, Rama gave unto me. Behold, also, O Shalya, these\nbeautiful bows, these standards, these maces, these shafts of fierce\nforms, this blazing sword, this mighty weapon, this white conch of fierce\nand loud blare. Riding upon this car decked with banners, its wheels\nproducing a rattle deep as that of the thunder, having white steeds yoked\nunto it, and adorned with excellent quivers, I will, putting forth my\nmight, slay in battle that bull among car-warriors, Arjuna. If Death\nhimself, that universal consumer, were to protect with vigilance the son\nof Pandu in battle, I would still encounter him in fight and either slay\nhim or myself go to Yama's presence following Bhishma. If Yama, Varuna,\nKuvera, and Vasava, with all their followers coming hither, unitedly\nprotect the son of Pandu in this great battle, what need of many words, I\nwill still vanquish him with them.\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Hearing these words of the bragging Karna who was\nexceedingly delighted with the prospect of battle, the valiant king of\nthe Madras, deriding him, laughed aloud, and gave him the following reply\nfor checking him.\n\n\"'Shalya said, \"Forbear, forbear, O Karna, from such bragging. Thou art\nin transports of delight and sayest what thou shouldst never say. Where\nis Dhananjaya, that foremost of men, and where again, art thou, O lowest\nof men? Who else, save Arjuna, could take away the younger sister of\n(Keshava) that foremost of all persons, having forcibly agitated the home\nof the Yadus that was protected by the younger brother of Indra and that\nresembled heaven itself that is guarded by the chief of celestials? What\nman save Arjuna who is endued with prowess that is equal to the prowess\nof the chief of the celestials, could on the occasion of the dispute\ncaused by the slaughter of an animal, summon Bhava the Lord of Lords, the\nCreator of the worlds, to battle? For the sake of honouring Agni, Jaya\nhad vanquished Asuras and gods and great snakes and men and birds and\nPishacas and Yakshas and Rakshasas with his shafts and gave unto that god\nthe food he had desired. Dost thou remember, O Karna, the occasion when,\nslaughtering those foes in large numbers with his excellent shafts endued\nwith the effulgence of the Sun, Phalguna liberated Dhritarashtra's son\nhimself among the Kurus? Dost thou remember the occasion when, thyself\nhaving been the first to fly away, the quarrelsome sons of Dhritarashtra\nwere liberated by the Pandavas after the latter had defeated those\nrangers of the skies (the Gandharvas headed by Citraratha)? On the\noccasion also of the seizure of (Virata's) kine, the Kauravas, swelling\nwith numbers in respect of both men and animals, and having the preceptor\nand the preceptor's son and Bhishma amongst them, were vanquished by that\nforemost of men. Why, O son of Suta, didst thou not vanquish Arjuna then?\nFor thy destruction another excellent battle has now presented itself. If\nthou dost not fly away from fear of thy enemy, know O Suta's son, that as\nsoon as thou goest to battle thou wilt be slain.\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'When the ruler of the Madras was most heartily\nengaged in addressing these harsh speeches to Karna and uttering these\npraises of the latter's foe, that scorcher of foes, viz., the commander\nof the Kuru army, excited with rage, said these words unto the Madra king.\n\n\"'Karna said, \"Let it be so, let it be so. Why, however, dost thou\nindulge in Arjuna's praises? A battle is about to ensue between myself\nand him. If he vanquishes me in fight, then will these thy praises be\nregarded as well-uttered.\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'The ruler of the Madras said, \"Let it be so,\" and\ngave no reply. When Karna, from desire of fight, addressed Shalya,\nsaying, \"Proceed,\" then that great car-warrior, having white steeds yoked\nunto his vehicle and owning Shalya as his charioteer, proceeded against\nhis foes, slaying large numbers in battle along his way, like the Sun\ndestroying the darkness. Indeed, on that car covered with tiger-skins and\nhaving white steeds yoked unto it, Karna proceeded with a cheerful heart,\nand beholding the army of the Pandavas, speedily enquired after\nDhananjaya.'\"\n\n\n\n38\n\n\"Sanjaya said 'After Karna, gladdening thy army, had set out for battle,\nhe spoke unto every Pandava soldier that he met with, even these words:\n\"Unto him that will today point out the high-souled Dhananjaya of white\nsteeds to me, I will give whatever wealth he desires. If having got it he\ndoes not become satisfied, I shall in addition, give him,--him that is,\nthat will discover Arjuna to me, a cart-load of jewels and gems. If that\ndoes not satisfy the person who discovers Arjuna to me, I will give him a\ncentury of kine with as many vessels of brass for milking those animals.\nI will give a hundred foremost of villages unto the person that discovers\nArjuna to me. I will also give him that shows Arjuna to me a number of\nlong-tressed damsels of black eyes and a car unto which shall be yoked\nwhite mules. If that does not satisfy the person that discovers Arjuna to\nme, I shall give him another foremost of cars, made of gold, and having\nsix bulls yoked unto it that shall be as large as elephants. I shall also\ngive unto him a hundred damsels decked with ornaments, with collars of\ngold, fair-complexioned and accomplished in singing and dancing. If that\ndoes not satisfy the person that discovers Arjuna to me, I shall give him\na 100 elephants, a 100 villages and a 100 cars, and 10,000 steeds of the\nforemost of breed, fat, docile, endued with many excellent qualities,\ncapable of dragging cars and well-trained. I shall also give to the\nperson that discovers Arjuna to me four hundred kine, each with golden\nhorns and her calf. If that does not satisfy the person that discovers\nArjuna to me, I shall make him a more valuable gift, viz., five hundred\nsteeds, adorned with trappings of gold and decked with jewelled\nornaments. I shall also give eighteen other steeds of great docility. I\nshall also give the person that discovers Arjuna to me a bright car made\nof gold and adorned with diverse ornaments and having foremost of Kamboja\nsteeds yoked unto it. If that does not satisfy the person that discovers\nArjuna to me, I shall make him a more valuable gift, viz., six hundred\nelephants, with chains of gold around their necks, and covered with\nhousings of gold, born in the western shores of the ocean, and trained by\nelephant trainers. If that does not satisfy the person that discovers\nArjuna to me, I shall make him a more valuable gift, viz., fourteen\nVaishya villages, teeming with people, full of wealth, situated in the\nproximity of forests and rivers, free from all sorts of danger, well\nfurnished (with other necessaries), and worthy of being enjoyed by kings.\nTo him that will discover Dhananjaya to me, I shall also give a hundred\nfemale slaves, with golden collars, belonging to the country of the\nMagadhas, and of very youthful age. If that does not satisfy the person\nthat discovers Arjuna to me, I will make him a more valuable gift, that,\nindeed, which he himself will solicit. Sons, wives and articles of\npleasure and enjoyment that I have, these all I shall give him if he\ndesires them. Indeed, unto him who discovers Keshava and Arjuna to me, I\nshall, after slaying those two, give all the wealth that may be left by\nthem.\" Having uttered those diverse speeches in that battle, Karna blew\nhis excellent conch, sea-born and producing a sweet blare. Hearing these\nwords of Suta's son that were suitable to his disposition, Duryodhana, O\nking, with all his followers became filled with joy. At that juncture the\nbeat of cymbals and drums and leonine shouts, and grunts of elephants\nwith the sounds of diverse musical instruments, arose there, O king,\namong the (Kaurava) troops, O bull among men. The shouts also of warriors\nfilled with joy arose there. When the (Kaurava) troops were thus filled\nwith joy, the ruler of the Madras, laughing in scorn, said these words\nunto that grinder of foes, viz., the son of Radha, that mighty\ncar-warrior who was about to plunge into that ocean of battle and who was\nindulging in such vain bragging.'\"\n\n\n\n39\n\n\"'Shalya said, \"Do not, O Suta's son, give away to any man a golden car\nwith six bulls of elephantine proportions. Thou wilt obtain a sight of\nDhananjaya today. From foolishness thou art giving away wealth as if thou\nwert the Lord of treasures. Without any trouble, however, O son of Radha,\nthou wilt behold Dhananjaya today. Thou art for giving away this wealth\nlike a senseless person; but thou seest not the demerits attaching to\nthose gifts that are made to undeserving persons. With that large wealth\nwhich thou art desirous of giving away, thou art certainly able to\nperform many sacrifices. Therefore, O Suta's son, do thou perform those\nsacrifices. As regards thy desire, entertained from folly, that is surely\nvain. We have never heard of a couple of lions having been overthrown by\na fox. Thou seekest what should never be sought by thee. It seems that\nthou hast no friends for forbidding thee that art speedily falling into a\nblazing fire. Thou art unable to discriminate between what thou shouldst\ndo and what thou shouldst not. Without doubt thy period is full. What man\ndesirous of living would utter speeches that are so incoherent and\nundeserving of being listened to? This thy endeavour is like that of a\nperson desirous of crossing the ocean by the aid of only his two arms\nafter having attached to his neck a heavy stone, or of one desirous of\nleaping down from the summit of a mountain. If thou art desirous of\nwinning what is for thy good, fight with Dhananjaya, well protected from\nwithin thy arrayed division, and aided by all thy warriors. I say this to\nthee for the good of Dhritarashtra's son and not from any ill will to\nthee. If thou hast any wish for preserving thy life then accept the words\nspoken by me.'\"\n\n\"'Karna said, \"Relying on the might of my own arms I seek Arjuna in\nbattle. Thou, however, that art a foe with the face of a friend desirest\nto frighten me. No person shall deter me from this resolution, not even\nIndra himself uplifting his thunder; what then need be said of a mortal?\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'At the conclusion of these words of Karna, Shalya,\nthe ruler of the Madras, desirous of provoking Karna exceedingly, said\nthese words in reply, \"When keen-pointed shafts winged with Kanka\nfeathers, shot by Phalguna of mighty arms and impelled from his\nbow-string and sped with all his energy will seek thee then wilt thou\nlament thy encounter with that hero. When Partha, called also Savyasaci,\ntaking up his celestial bow, will scorch the (Kuru) army and afflict thee\nexceedingly with keen shafts, then, O Suta's son, wilt thou repent (of\nthy folly). As a child lying on the lap of its mother seeks to seize the\nMoon, even so dost thou from folly seek to vanquish the resplendent\nArjuna stationed on his car. In desiring, O Karna, to fight today with\nArjuna of keen-edged feats, thou art for rubbing all thy limbs against\nthe keen edges of a trident. This thy challenge of Arjuna, O Suta's son,\nis like that of a foolish young little deer of activity challenging a\nhuge lion excited with wrath. Do not, O Suta's son, challenge that prince\nof mighty energy like a fox gratified with meat in the forest challenging\nthe maned monarch of the forest. Do not be destroyed, encountering\nArjuna. Thou, O Karna, challengest Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha, even\nlike a hare challenging a mighty elephant with tusks large as\nplough-shafts, and with the juice issuing out of its mouth and rent\ncheeks. From folly thou art piercing, with a piece of wood, the black\ncobra of virulent poison excited to fury within its hole, in desiring to\nfight with Partha. Endued with little understanding, thou, O Karna,\ndisregarding that lion among men, viz., the son of Pandu, yellest at him,\nlike a jackal that, disregarding a maned lion excited with wrath, yells\nat him. As a snake, for its own destruction, challenges that foremost of\nbirds, viz., Vinata's son, possessed of beautiful plumage and great\nactivity, even so dost thou, O Karna, challenge Dhananjaya the son of\nPandu. Thou desirest to cross without a raft the terrible ocean, the\nreceptacle of all the waters, with its mountain waves and teeming with\naquatic animals, when at its height at the rise of the Moon. O Karna,\nthou challengest Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha, to battle even like a\ncalf challenging a smiting bull of keen horns and neck thick as a drum.\nLike a frog croaking at a terrible and mighty cloud yielding copious\nshowers of rain, thou croakest at Arjuna who is even like Parjanya among\nmen. As a dog from within the precincts of the house of his master barks\nat a forest-roaming tiger, even so, O Karna, thou barkest at Dhananjaya,\nthat tiger among men. A jackal, O Karna, residing in the forest in the\nmidst of hares regardeth himself a lion till he actually sees a lion.\nEven so, O son of Radha, thou regardest thyself a lion, for thou dost not\nbehold that repressor of foes, that tiger among men, viz., Dhananjaya.\nThou regardest thyself a lion till thou beholdest the two Krishnas\nstationed on the same car like Surya and Candramas. As long as thou dost\nnot hear the twang of Gandiva in great battle, so long art thou able to\ndo what thou pleasest. Beholding Partha, causing the ten points of the\ncompass to resound with the roar of his car and the twang of his bow, and\nbeholding him roaring like a tiger, thou wilt become a jackal. Thou art\nalways a jackal, and Dhananjaya always a lion. O fool, in consequence of\nthy envy and hatred for heroes, thou always, seemest to be like a jackal.\nAs a mouse and a car are to each other in strength, or a dog and a tiger,\na fox and a lion, or a hare and an elephant, as falsehood and truth, as\npoison and nectar, even so art thou and Partha known to all by your\nrespective deeds.\"'\"\n\n\n\n40\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Thus rebuked by Shalya of immeasurable energy, the son of\nRadha, feeling the propriety of his rebuker's name in consequence of his\nwordy darts, and becoming filled with rage, answered him thus:\n\n\"'Karna said, \"The merits of meritorious men, O Shalya, are known to them\nthat are themselves meritorious but not to them that are destitute of\nmerit. Thou, however, art destitute of every merit. How then canst thou\njudge of merit and demerit? The mighty weapons of Arjuna, his wrath, his\nenergy, his bow, his shafts and the prowess also of that high-souled hero\nare, O Shalya, well known to me. So also, O Shalya, thou dost not know,\nso as well as I myself, the greatness of Krishna, that bull among the\nlords of Earth. But knowing my own energy as also that of Pandu's son, I\nchallenge him to battle, O Shalya, I do not act like an insect in respect\nof a blazing fire. I have this shaft, O Shalya, of keen mouth,\nblood-drinking, lying alone within one quiver, equipped with wings,\nwell-steeped in oil and well-adorned. It lieth amid sandal dust,\nworshipped by me for long years. Partaking of the nature and form of a\nsnake, it is poisonous and fierce and capable of killing large numbers of\nmen and steeds and elephants of terrible form, and exceedingly awful, it\nis capable of piercing coats of mail and bones. Inspired with wrath, I\nmay pierce even the mighty mountains of Meru with it. That shaft I will\nnever shoot at any other person save Phalguna or Krishna, the son of\nDevaki. In this I tell thee the truth. Listen to it. With that shaft, O\nShalya, I will, inspired with rage, fight with Vasudeva and Dhananjaya.\nThat would be a feat worthy of me. Of all the heroes in the Vrishni race,\nit is Krishna in whom Prosperity is always established. Among all the\nsons of Pandu, it is Partha in whom Victory is always established. Those\ntwo tigers among men, stationed together on the same car, will advance\nagainst my single self for battle. Thou shalt, O Shalya, behold today the\nnobility of my lineage. Those two cousins, one of whom is the son of the\naunt and the other the son of the maternal uncle, those two invincible\nwarriors, thou shalt see, will be slain by me (with one shaft) and will\nlook like two pearls strung together in the same string. Arjuna's Gandiva\nand the ape-bearing banner, and Krishna's discus and the Garuda-bearing\nbanner, inspire with fear only those that are timid. To me, however, O\nShalya, they are causes of delight. Thou art a fool, of evil disposition,\nand unskilled in the ways of great battle. Overcome with terror, thou\nutterest these ravings. Or, thou art praising them for some reason not\nknown to me. Having slain those two first, I shall then slay thee today\nwith all thy kinsmen. Born in a sinful country thou art wicked-souled and\nmean, and a wretch amongst Kshatriyas. Being a friend, why dost thou,\nlike an enemy, frighten me with these praises of the two Krishnas? Either\nthey two will slay me today or I will slay them two. Knowing as I do my\nown might, I do not cherish any fear of the two Krishnas. A 1,000\nVasudevas and hundreds of Phalgunas, I shall, single-handed, slay. Hold\nthy tongue, O thou that art born in a sinful country. Hear from me, O\nShalya, the sayings, already passed into proverbs, that men, young and\nold, and women, and persons arrived in course of their listless\nwanderings, generally utter, as if those sayings formed part of their\nstudies, about the wicked Madrakas. Brahmanas also duly narrated the same\nthings formerly in the courts of kings. Listening to those sayings\nattentively, O fool, thou mayst forgive or rejoin. The Madraka is always\na hater of friends. He that hateth us is a Madraka. There is no\nfriendship in the Madraka who is mean in speech and is the lowest of\nmankind. The Madraka is always a person of wicked soul, is always\nuntruthful and crooked. It hath been heard by us that till the moment of\ndeath the Madrakas are wicked. (Amongst the Madrakas) the sire, the son,\nthe mother, the mother-in-law, the brother, the grand-son, and other\nkinsmen, companions, strangers arrived at their homes, slaves male and\nfemale, mingle together. The women of the Madrakas mingle, at their own\nwill, with men known and unknown. Of unrighteous conduct, and subsisting\nupon fried and powdered corn and fish, in their homes, they laugh and cry\nhaving drunk spirits and eaten beef. They sing incoherent songs and\nmingle lustfully with one another, indulging the while in the freest\nspeeches. How then can virtue have a place amongst the Madrakas who are\narrogant and notorious for all kinds of evil acts? No one should make\nfriends with a Madraka or provoke hostilities with him. In the Madraka\nland there is no friendship. The Madraka is always the dirt of humanity.\nAmongst the Madrakas all acts of friendship are lost as purity amongst\nthe Gandharakas and the libations poured in a sacrifice in which the king\nis himself the sacrificer and priest. Then again, it is truly seen that\nwise men treat a person bit by a scorpion and affected by its poison,\neven with these words: 'As a Brahmana that assists at the religious\nceremonies of a Shudra suffereth degradation, as one that hateth\nBrahmanas always suffereth degradation, even so a person by making an\nalliance with the Madrakas becometh fallen. As there is no friendship in\nthe Madraka, so, O scorpion, thy poison is nought.' With these mantras of\nthe Atharvan I have duly performed the rite of exorcism. Knowing this, O\nlearned one, hold thy tongue, or listen to something further that I will\nsay. Those women that, intoxicated by spirits, cast off their robes and\ndance, those women that are not attached (to particular individuals) in\nthe matter of intercourse and that they do as they please without owning\nany restrictions, I say, that being as thou art the child of one of those\nwomen, how canst thou, O Madraka, be a fit person for declaring the\nduties of men? Those women that live and answer calls of nature like\ncamels and asses, being as thou art the child of one of those sinful and\nshameless creatures, how canst thou wish to declare the duties of men?\nWhen a Madraka woman is solicited for the gift of a little quantity of\nvinegar, she scratches her hips and without being desirous of giving it,\nsays these cruel words, 'Let no man ask any vinegar of me that is so dear\nto me. I would give him my son, I would give him my husband, but vinegar\nI would not give.' The young Madraka maidens, we hear, are generally very\nshameless and hairy and gluttonous and impure. These and many other\nthings of a like nature, in respect of all their acts, from the crown of\ntheir heads to the tip of their toes, are capable of being asserted of\nthem by myself and others. How, indeed, would the Madrakas and the\nSindhu-Sauviras know anything of duty, being born, as they are, in a\nsinful country, being Mlecchas in their practices, and being totally\nregardless of all duties? It hath been heard by us that even this is the\nhighest duty of a Kshatriya, viz., that slain in battle, he should lie\ndown on the Earth, applauded by the righteous. That I should lay down (my\nlife) in this clash of arms is my foremost wish, desirous as I am of\nheaven through Death. I am also the dear friend of the intelligent son of\nDhritarashtra. For his sake are my life-breaths and whatever wealth I\nhave! As regards thyself, O thou that art born in a sinful country, it is\nevident that thou hast been tampered with by the Pandavas, since thou\nbehavest towards us in everything like a foe. Like a righteous man that\nis incapable of being led astray by atheists, surely I am incapable of\nbeing dissuaded from this battle by hundreds of persons like thee. Like a\ndeer, covered with sweat, thou art at liberty to weep or thirst.\nObservant as I am of the duties of a Kshatriya, I am incapable of being\nfrightened by thee. I recall to my mind the end, declared unto me in past\ntimes by my preceptor Rama, of those lions among men, those unreturning\nheroes, that laid down their lives in battle. Prepared for rescuing the\nKauravas and slaying our foes, know that I am now determined to imitate\nthe excellent behaviour of Pururavas. I do not, O ruler of the Madrakas,\nbehold the person in the three worlds that can, I think, dissuade me from\nthis purpose. Forbear to speak, knowing all this. Why dost thou rave in\nsuch a way from fear? O wretch amongst the Madrakas, I shall not now slay\nthee and present thy carcase as an offering to carnivorous creatures.\nFrom regard for a friend, O Shalya, for the sake of Dhritarashtra's son,\nand for avoiding blame, for these three reasons, thou still livest. If, O\nruler of the Madras, thou speakest such words again, I shall then crush\nthy head with my mace that is as hard as the thunder. People will today\nsee or hear, O thou that art born in a sinful country, either that the\ntwo Krishnas have slain Karna or that Karna has slain the two Krishnas.\"\nHaving said these words, the son of Radha, O monarch, once more addressed\nthe king of the Madras, fearlessly saying, \"Proceed, proceed.\"'\"\n\n\n\n41\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Hearing, O sire, these words of Radha's son who delighted\nin battle, Shalya once more addressed Karna, citing an example, \"I am\nborn in the race of men who performed great sacrifices, who never\nretreated from battle, who were kings whose coronal locks underwent the\nsacred bath. I am also myself devoted to the practice of virtue. Thou, O\nVrisha, seemest to be like one that is intoxicated with spirits. For all\nthat, I will, from friendship, seek to cure thy erring and intoxicated\nself. Listen, O Karna, to this simile of a crow that I am about to\nnarrate. Having heard it, thou mayest do what thou choosest, O thou that\nart destitute of intelligence and that art a wretch of thy race. I do\nnot, O Karna, remember the slightest fault in me for which, O thou of\nmighty arms, thou mayst desire to slay my innocent self. I must tell thee\nwhat is for thy good and what is for thy ill, acquainted as I am with\nboth, especially as I am the driver of thy car and desirous of the good\nof king Duryodhana. What land is level and what not, the strength or\nweakness of the warrior (on my vehicle), the fatigue and faintness, at\nall times, of the steeds and the warrior (I am driving), a knowledge of\nthe weapons that are available, the cries of animals and birds, what\nwould be heavy for the steeds and what exceedingly heavy for them, the\nextraction of arrows and the curing of wounds which weapons counteract\nwhich, the several methods of battle, and all kinds of omens and\nindications, I who am so nearly connected with this car, being none else\nthan its driver, should be familiar with. For this, O Karna, I narrate\nthis instance to thee once more. There lived on the other side of the\nocean a Vaishya who had abundance of wealth and corn. He performed\nsacrifices, made liberal gifts, was peaceful, devoted to the duties of\nhis own order, and pure in habits and mind. He had many sons whom he\nloved, and was kind unto all creatures. He lived fearlessly in the\ndominions of a king that was guided by virtue. There was a crow that\nlived on the refuse of the dishes set before those well-behaved young\nchildren of the Vaishya. Those Vaishya children always gave the crow meat\nand curds, and milk, and sugared milk with rice, and honey, and butter.\nThus fed with the refuse of their dishes by the young children of that\nVaishya, the crow became arrogant and came to disregard all birds that\nwere equal to him or even superior. It chanced that once certain swans of\ncheerful hearts, of great speed and capable of going everywhere at will\nand equal unto Garuda himself in range and speed of flight, came to that\nside of the ocean. The Vaishya boys, beholding those swans, addressed the\ncrow and said, 'O ranger of the skies, thou art superior to all winged\ncreatures.' Deceived by those children of little understanding, that\noviparous creature from folly and pride, regarded their words to be true.\nProud of the refuse of the children's dishes upon which he fed, the crow\nthen, alighting in the midst of those swans capable of traversing great\ndistances, desired to enquire as to who amongst them was their leader.\nThe foolish crow at last challenged him amongst those birds of tireless\nwings whom he regarded their leader, saying, 'Let us compete in flight.'\nHearing those words of the raving crow, the swans that had assembled\nthere, those foremost of birds endued with great strength, began to\nlaugh. The swans then, that were capable of going everywhere at will,\naddressed the crow, saying. 'We are swans, having our abode in the Manasa\nlake. We traverse the whole Earth, and amongst winged creatures we are\nalways applauded for the length of the distances we traverse. Being, as\nthou art, only a crow, how canst thou, O fool, challenge a swan endued\nwith might, capable of going everywhere at will, and doing large\ndistances in course of his flight? Tell us, O crow, how thou shalt fly\nwith us.' The boastful crow, in consequence of the foolishness of his\nspecies, repeatedly finding fault with the words of that swan, at last\ngave this answer. The crow said, 'I shall without doubt fly displaying a\nhundred and one different kinds of motion. Doing every hundred Yojanas in\na separate and beautiful kind of motion, I shall display all those\nmotions. Rising up, and swooping down, and whirling around, and coursing\nstraight, and proceeding gently, and advancing steadily, and performing\nthe diverse courses up and receding back, and soaring high, and darting\nforward and soaring upwards with fiercer velocity, and once more\nproceeding gently and then proceeding with great impetuosity, and once\nagain swooping down and whirling around and advancing steadily, and\nrising up by the jerks, and soaring straight, and once more falling down\nand wheeling in a circle and rushing proudly, and diverse other kinds of\nmotion, these all I shall display in the sight of all you. Ye shall then\nwitness my strength. With one of these different kinds of motion I shall\npresently rise into the sky. Point out duly, ye swans, by which of these\nmotions I shall course through space. Settling the kind of motion amongst\nyourselves, you will have to course with me. Adopting all those different\nmotion, ye shall have to course with me through supportless space.' The\ncrow having said these words, one of the swans addressed him, 'Listen, O\nson of Radha, to the words that the swan said. The swan spoke, 'Thou, O\ncrow, wilt doubtless fly the hundred and one different kinds of flight. I\nshall, however, fly in that one kind of motion that all (other) birds\nknow, for I do not, O crow, know any other. As regards thee, O thou of\nred eyes, fly thou in any kind of course that thou likest.' At these\nwords, those crows that had been assembled there laughed aloud, saying,\n'How will the swan with only one kind of flight get the better of a\nhundred different kinds of flight?'\n\n\"'\"Then those two, viz., the swan and the crow, rose into the sky,\nchallenging each other. Capable of going everywhere at will, the swan\nproceeded in one kind of motion, while the crow coursed in a hundred\ndifferent kinds. And the swan flew and the crow also flew, causing each\nother to wonder (at his skill) and each speaking highly of his own\nachievements. Beholding the diverse kinds of flight at successive\ninstants of time, the crows that were there were filled with great joy\nand began to caw more loudly. The swans also laughed in mockery, uttering\nmany remarks disagreeable (to the crows). And they began to soar and\nalight repeatedly, here and there. And they began to come down and rise\nup from tree-tops and the surface of the earth. And they uttered diverse\ncries indicative of their victory. The swan, however, with that one kind\nof slow motion (with which he was familiar) began to traverse the skies.\nFor a moment, therefore, O sire, he seemed to yield to the crow. The\ncrows, at this, disregarding the swans, said these words: 'That swan\namongst you which has soared into the sky, is evidently yielding'.\nHearing these words, the (soaring) swan flew westwards with great\nvelocity to the ocean, that abode of Makaras. Then fear entered the heart\nof the crow who became almost senseless at not seeing any island or trees\nwhereon to perch when tired. And the crow thought within his heart as to\nwhere he should alight when tired, upon that vast expanse of water. The\nocean, being as it is the abode of countless creatures, is irresistible.\nDwelt in by hundreds of monsters, it is grander than space. Nothing can\nexceed it in depth, O Suta's son. Men know, O Karna, that the waters of\nthe ocean are as limitless as space. For the extent of its waters, O\nKarna, what is a crow to it? The swan, having traversed a great distance\nin a moment, looked back at the crow, and (though capable) could not\nleave him behind. Having transgressed the crow, the swan cast his eyes on\nhim and waited, thinking, 'Let the crow come up.' The crow then,\nexceedingly tired, came up to the swan. Beholding him succumbing, and\nabout to sink, and desirous of rescuing him in remembrance of the\npractices of good folks, the swan addressed him in these words, 'Thou\nhadst repeatedly spoken of many kinds of flight while speaking on the\nsubject. Thou wouldst not speak of this (thy present motion) because of\nits having been a mystery to us? What is the name of this kind of flight,\nO crow, that thou hast now adopted? Thou touchest the waters with thy\nwings and beak repeatedly. Which amongst those diverse kinds of flight is\nthis, O crow, that thou art now practising? Come, come, quickly, O crow,\nfor I am waiting for thee.'\"'\"\n\n\"'Shalya continued, \"Exceedingly afflicted, and touching the water with\nhis wings and beak, O thou of wicked soul, the crow, beheld in that state\nby the swan, addressed the latter. Indeed, not seeing the limit of that\nwatery expanse and sinking down in fatigue, and exhausted with the effort\nof his flight the crow said unto the swan, 'We are crows, we wander\nhither and thither, crying caw, caw. O swan, I seek thy protection,\nplacing my life-breaths at thy hands. Oh, take me to the shores of the\nocean with the wings and beak.' The crow, very much fatigued, suddenly\nfell down. Beholding him fallen upon the waters of the ocean with a\nmelancholy heart, the swan, addressing the crow who was on the point of\ndeath, said these words, 'Remember, O crow, what thou hadst said in\npraise of thyself. The words even were that thou wouldst course through\nthe sky in a hundred and one different kinds of flight. Thou, therefore\nthat wouldst fly a hundred different kinds of flight, thou that art\nsuperior to me, alas, why then art thou tired and fallen down on the\nocean?' Overcome with weakness, the crow then, casting his eyes upwards\nat the swan, and seeking to gratify him, replied, saying, 'Proud of the\nremains of others' dishes upon which I fed, I had, O swan, regarded\nmyself as the equal of Garuda and disregarded all crows and many other\nbirds. I now, however, seek thy protection and place my life-breaths at\nthy hands. Oh, take me to the shores of some island. If, O swan, I can, O\nlord, return in safety to my own country, I will never again disregard\nanybody. Oh rescue me now from this calamity.' Him that said so and was\nso melancholy and weeping and deprived of senses, him that was sinking in\nthe ocean, uttering cries 'caw, caw,' him so drenched by the water and so\ndisgusting to look at and trembling with fear, the swan, without a word,\ntook up with his feet, and slowly caused him to ride on his back. Having\ncaused the crow whose senses had deserted him to ride upon his back, the\nswan quickly returned to that island whence they had both flown,\nchallenging each other. Placing down that ranger of the sky on dry land\nand comforting him, the swan, fleet as the mind, proceeded to the region\nhe desired. Thus was that crow, fed on the remains of others' dinners,\nvanquished by the swan. The crow, then, casting off the pride of might\nand energy, adopted a life of peace and quiet. Indeed, even, as that\ncrow, fed upon the remains of the dinners of the Vaishya children,\ndisregarded his equals and superiors, so dost thou, O Karna, that art fed\nby the sons of Dhritarashtra upon the remains of their dishes, disregard\nall thy equals and superiors. Why didst thou not slay Partha at Virata's\ncity when thou hadst the advantage of being protected by Drona and\nDrona's son and Kripa and Bhishma and the other Kauravas? There where,\nlike a pack of jackals defeated by a lion, ye all were defeated with\ngreat slaughter by the diadem-decked Arjuna, what became of your prowess?\nBeholding also thy brother slain by Savyasaci, in the very sight of the\nKuru heroes, it was thou that didst fly away first. By the skirts also of\nthe dvaitya lake, O Karna, when thou wert assailed by the Gandharvas, it\nwas thou that, deserting all the Kurus, didst first run away. Having\nvanquished in battle the Gandharvas headed by Citrasena, with great\nslaughter, it was Partha, O Karna, that liberated Duryodhana with his\nwife. Rama himself, O Karna, before the kings in the (Kuru) assembly\nspake of the great prowess of both Partha and Keshava. Thou didst\nfrequently hear the words of Drona and Bhishma, speaking in the presence\nof all the kings, that the two Krishnas are unslayable. I have told thee\na little only regarding those matters in which Dhananjaya is superior to\nthee like the Brahmana who is superior to all created beings. Soon wilt\nthou see, stationed on that foremost of cars, the son of Vasudeva and the\nson of Kunti and Pandu. As the crow (in the story), acting with\nintelligence, had sought the protection of the swan, so do thou seek the\nprotection of him of Vrishni's race, and of Pandu's son Dhananjaya. When\nthou shalt in battle behold Vasudeva and Dhananjaya, those two endued\nwith great prowess, stationed together on the same car, thou shalt not\nthen, O Karna, utter such speeches. When Partha will, with hundreds of\narrows, quell thy pride, then wilt thou behold the difference between\nthyself and Dhananjaya. Those two best of persons are celebrated among\nthe gods, the Asuras and human beings. Thou that art a firefly, do not,\nfrom folly, think disrespectfully of those two resplendent luminaries.\nLike the Sun and moon, Keshava and Arjuna are celebrated for their\nresplendence. Thou, however, art like a fire-fly among men. O learned\none, O son of a Suta, do not think disrespectfully of Acyuta and Arjuna.\nThose two high-souled persons are lions among men. Forbear indulging in\nsuch boasts.\"'\"\n\n\n\n42\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'The high-souled son of Adhiratha, having listened\nunconvinced to these words of the ruler of the Madras, addressed Shalya,\nsaying, \"That which Vasudeva and Arjuna are is well-known to me. The\nskill of Saurin in the management of cars, and the might and the high\nweapons of Arjuna, the son of Pandu are well known to me at this hour.\nThou however, O Shalya, hast no ocular proof of those matters. I shall\nfearlessly fight with the two Krishnas, those two foremost of all\nwielders of weapons. The curse, however, of Rama that best of regenerate\npersons, paineth me greatly today. I dwelt, in the disguise of a\nBrahmana, with Rama in former days, desirous of obtaining celestial\nweapons from him. On that occasion, O Shalya, the chief of the gods,\nwishing to benefit Phalguna, caused an obstacle, by approaching my thigh\nand piercing it, having assumed the dire form of a worm. When my\npreceptor slept, having laid his head thereon, that worm, approaching my\nthigh, began to pierce it through. In consequence of the piercing of my\nthigh, a pool of thick blood flowed from my body. For fear of (disturbing\nthe slumber of) my preceptor I did not move my limb. Awaking, the\nBrahmana, however, beheld what had taken place. Witnessing my patience he\naddressed me, saying, 'Thou art never a Brahmana. Tell me truly who thou\nart.' I then, O Shalya, truly informed him of myself, saying that I was a\nSuta. Hearing my words, the great ascetic, his heart filled with rage,\ncursed me, saying, 'In consequence of the deception, O Suta, by which\nthou hast obtained this weapon, it will never, at the time of need, when\nthe hour of thy death comes, occur to thy memory. Brahma cannot certainly\nreside in one that is not a Brahmana.' I have forgotten that great weapon\nin this fierce and terrible battle. He amongst the Bharatas, O Shalya,\nwho is accomplished, who is an effectual smiter, who is universal\ndestroyer, and who is exceedingly terrible, (viz., Arjuna),--that mighty\ncrusher,--I think, will burn many foremost of Kshatriyas. Know, however,\nO Shalya, that I will slay in battle that fierce bowman, that foremost of\nwarriors, that hero endued with activity, that terrible person whose\nenergy is unbearable, that warrior whose promises are accomplished, that\nson of Pandu, viz., Dhananjaya. I have that weapon (at least) under my\ncontrol today with which I will be able to destroy large numbers of foes.\nI will slay in battle that scorcher of enemies, that mighty warrior\naccomplished in weapons, that fierce bowman of immeasurable energy, that\ncruel and terrible hero, that great resister of enemies, viz.,\nDhananjaya. The immeasurable Ocean, that lord of all waters, rusheth with\nfierce impetuosity for overwhelming innumerable creatures. The continent,\nhowever, holds and checks him. Today, in this world, I will resist in\nfight the son of Kunti, that foremost of all drawers of the bow-string,\nwhile he will be engaged in ceaselessly shooting his countless shafts\nequipped with goodly wings, destructive of heroes, capable of penetrating\ninto every limb and none of which becomes futile. Like the continent\nresisting the Ocean, I will today resist that mightiest of the mighty,\nthat great warrior possessing the highest weapons, that hero like unto\nthe Ocean's self of far-reaching arrows, fierce, and having shafts for\nhis waves, while he will be engaged in overwhelming (hostile) kings.\nBehold today the fierce battle I fight with him that hath no equal, I\nthink, among men wielding the bow, and that would vanquish the very gods\nunited with the Asuras. Exceedingly proud is that son of Pandu. Desirous\nof battle he will approach me with his mighty and super-human weapons.\nBaffling his weapons with my own weapons in battle, I shall today\noverthrow that Partha with my own excellent shafts. Scorching his foes\nlike the Sun endued with fiery rays, and blazing with flame like that\ndispeller of the darkness, I shall, like a mass of clouds, completely\nshroud Dhananjaya today with my shafts. Like the clouds extinguishing a\nblazing fire of great energy and smoke-mixed flames, that seems ready to\nconsume the whole Earth, I shall, with my showers of arrows, extinguish\nthe son of Kunti in battle. With my broad-headed shafts I shall still the\nson of Kunti, that terrible snake of virulent poison, that is exceedingly\ndifficult of being captured, that is endued with keen fangs, that is even\nlike a blazing fire that flames up in wrath, and that always consumes his\nfoes. Like Himavat bearing the mighty, all-crushing, fierce and smiting\ngod of wind, I shall, without moving, bear the angry and vindictive\nDhananjaya. I shall resist in battle Dhananjaya, that foremost of all\nwielders of bows in the world, that hero in fight, that warrior who is\nalways in the van and who is competent to meet all foes, that car-warrior\nwho is conversant with all car-tracks. Today I shall fight in battle with\nthat person who hath, I think, no equal among men wielding the bow and\nwho conquered the entire Earth. What other man desirous of saving his\nlife, except myself, will fight with that Savyasaci, who vanquished all\ncreatures including the very gods in the country called Khandava? Arjuna\nis proud; his weapons strike deep; he is endued with great lightness of\nhands; he is conversant with steeds; he agitates vast hosts; he is\nregarded an Atiratha. Though such, I shall yet, with my sharp shafts,\nstrike his head from off his trunk today. O Shalya, ever keeping Death or\nvictory in battle before me, I shall today fight with Dhananjaya. There\nis none else save myself that would on a single car fight with that\nPandava who resembles the destroyer himself. I myself will gladly speak\nof the prowess of Phalguna in the midst of an assembly of Kshatriyas. Why\nhowever, dost thou, a fool as thou art and of foolish understanding,\nspeak to me of Phalguna's prowess? Thou art a doer of disagreeable deeds.\nThou art cruel and mean and being thyself unforgiving, thou art a\ndetractor of one that is forgiving. I can slay a hundred persons like\nthee, but I forgive thee in consequence of my forgiving disposition,\nowing to the exigency of the times. Thou art of sinful deeds. Like a fool\nthou hast, for the sake of Pandu's son, rebuked me and told me many\ndisagreeable things. Crooked-hearted as thou art, thou hast said all\nthese words unto me, that am of a sincere heart. Cursed art thou for thou\nart an injurer of friends,--of friends, because friendship is\nseven-paced. Terrible is the hour that is now passing. Duryodhana hath\nhimself come to battle. I am solicitous of seeing his purposes achieved.\nThou, however, art acting in such a way that it shows thee to have no\nfriendship (for the Kuru king)! He is a friend who shows affection for\nanother, who gladdens another, who makes himself agreeable to another,\nwho protects another, who honours another, and who rejoices in the joys\nof another. I tell thee that I have all those attributes, and the king\nhimself knows all this. He, on the other hand, that destroys, chastises,\nsharpens his weapons, injures, causes us to sigh, makes us cheerless, and\nwrongs us in diverse ways, is a foe. All these attributes are to be found\nin thee and thou discoverest all of them in me. For the sake of\nDuryodhana, for the sake of doing what is agreeable to thee, for the sake\nof victory, for the sake of myself, and for the sake of God himself, I\nwill with vigorous exertion, fight with Partha and Vasudeva. Witness\ntoday my feats. Behold today my excellent weapons, my brahmastra and\nother celestial weapons, as also those that are human. I will today slay\nthat hero of fierce prowess, like an exceedingly infuriate elephant\nslaying an infuriate compeer. I shall, by my mind alone, hurl today at\nPartha, for my victory, that weapon of immeasurable energy, called the\nbrahmastra. Arjuna will never be able to escape that weapon, if only the\nwheels of my car do not sink into the Earth in battle today. Know this, O\nShalya, that I would not take fright at Yama himself armed with his rod,\nor Varuna himself armed with his noose, or Kuvera himself armed with his\nmace, or Vasava himself armed with the thunderbolt, or at any other foe\nwhatever that may approach for slaying me. Therefore, I have no fear from\nPartha, nor from Janardana. On the other hand, I shall encounter them\nboth in today's destructive battle. Once on a time, while wandering for\nthe sake of practising weapons on my bow called Vijaya, O king, I had, by\nshooting many fierce shafts of terrible forms, heedlessly struck the calf\nof a (Brahmana's) homa cow with one of those shafts, and unwillingly\nkilled it while it was wandering in a solitary forest. The Brahmana then\naddressed me, saying, 'Since, becoming insensate, thou hast slain the\noffspring of my homa cow, the wheel (of thy car) will sink into the Earth\nwhile at the time of battle fear will enter thy heart.' From these words\nof the Brahmana I am experiencing great fear. These kings of the Lunar\nrace that are lords of (other people's) weal and woe, offered to give\nthat Brahmana a 1,000 kine and 600 bovine bulls. With even such a gift, O\nShalya, the Brahmana would not be gratified, O ruler of the Madras. I was\nthen for giving him seven hundred elephants of large tusks and many\nhundred of slaves male and female. That foremost of Brahmana would not\nstill be gratified. Collecting next full 14,000 kine, each black in hue\nand having a white calf I was still unable to obtain the grace of that\nbest of Brahmana. A wealthy mansion full of every object of desire, in\nfact, whatever wealth I had, I wished to give him with due worship, but\nhe refused to accept the gift. Unto me then that had offended and that\nhad begged so importunately for his pardon, the Brahmana said, 'That\nwhich, O Suta, hath been uttered by me is sure to happen. It cannot be\notherwise. A false speech would destroy creatures, and sin also would be\nmine. Therefore, for the preservation of virtue I do not venture to speak\nwhat is false. Do not, again, destroy the means of a Brahmana's support.\nThere is none in the world that would be able to falsify my speech.\nAccept those words. It will be thy atonement (for the sin of having slain\na calf).' Though rebuked by thee, still for friendship's sake, I have\ndisclosed to thee all this. I know thee that art rebuking me thus. Be\nsilent now, and hear what I will presently say.\"'\"\n\n\n\n43\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'That chastiser of foes, viz., the son of Radha, thus\nsilencing the ruler of the Madras, once more addressed him, O monarch,\nsaying these words, \"In answer to that which, O Shalya, thou hast said\nunto me by way of instance, I tell thee that I am incapable of being\nfrightened by thee in battle with thy words. If all the gods themselves\nwith Vasava would fight with me, I would not still feel any fear, what\nneed be said then of my fears from Pritha and Keshava? I am incapable of\nbeing frightened by means of words alone. He, O Shalya, whom thou wouldst\nbe able to frighten in battle is some other person (and not myself)! Thou\nhast spoken many bitter words to me. Therein lieth the strength of a\nperson that is low. Incapable of speaking of my merits, thou sayst many\nbitter things, O thou of wicked heart; Karna was never born, O Madraka,\nfor fear in battle. On the other hand, I was born for displaying valour\nas also for achieving glory for my own self. For the sake of my\nfriendship for thee, for my affection, and for thy being an ally,--for\nthese three reasons thou still livest, O Shalya. Important is the task\nthat has now to be done for king Dhritarashtra. That task, O Shalya,\ndepends on me. For this, thou livest a moment. Before this, I made a\ncompact with thee that any disagreeable speeches thou mightest utter\nwould be pardoned by me. That compact should be observed. It is for this\nthat thou livest, O Madraka. Without a 1,000 Salyas I would vanquish my\nfoes. He that injureth a friend is sinful. It is for this that thou\nlivest for the present.\"'\"\n\n\n\n44\n\n\"'Shalya said, \"These, O Karna, are ravings that thou utterest regarding\nthe foe. As regards myself without a 1,000 Karnas I am able to vanquish\nthe foe in battle.\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Unto the ruler of Madras, of harsh features, who was\nsaying such disagreeable things unto Karna, the latter once more said\nwords that were twice bitter.\n\n\"'Karna said, \"Listen with devoted attention to this, O ruler of the\nMadras, that was heard by me while it was recited in the presence of\nDhritarashtra. In Dhritarashtra's abode the Brahmanas used to narrate the\naccounts of diverse delightful regions and many kings of ancient times. A\nforemost one among Brahmanas, venerable in years while reciting old\nhistories, said these words, blaming the Vahikas and Madrakas, 'One\nshould always avoid the Vahikas, those impure people that are out of the\npale of virtue, and that live away from the Himavat and the Ganga and\nSarasvati and Yamuna and Kurukshetra and the Sindhu and its five\ntributary rivers. I remember from the days of my youth that a\nslaughter-ground for kine and a space for storing intoxicating spirits\nalways distinguish the entrances of the abodes of the (Vahika) kings. On\nsome very secret mission I had to live among the Vahikas. In consequence\nof such residence the conduct of these people is well known to me. There\nis a town of the name of Sakala, a river of the name of Apaga, and a clan\nof the Vahikas known by the name of the Jarttikas. The practices of these\npeople are very censurable. They drink the liquor called Gauda, and eat\nfried barley with it. They also eat beef with garlic. They also eat cakes\nof flour mixed with meat, and boiled rice that is bought from others. Of\nrighteous practices they have none. Their women, intoxicated with drink\nand divested of robes, laugh and dance outside the walls of the houses in\ncities, without garlands and unguents, singing while drunk obscene songs\nof diverse kinds that are as musical as the bray of the ass or the bleat\nof the camel. In intercourse they are absolutely without any restraint,\nand in all other matters they act as they like. Maddened with drink, they\ncall upon one another, using many endearing epithets. Addressing many\ndrunken exclamations to their husbands and lords, the fallen women among\nthe Vahikas, without observing restrictions even on sacred days, give\nthemselves up to dancing. One of those wicked Vahikas,--one that is, that\nlived amongst those arrogant women,--who happened to live for some days\nin Kurujangala, burst out with cheerless heart, saying, \"Alas, that\n(Vahika) maiden of large proportions, dressed in thin blankets, is\nthinking of me,--her Vahika lover--that is now passing his days in\nKurujangala, at the hour of her going to bed.\" Crossing the Sutlej and\nthe delightful Iravati, and arriving at my own country, when shall I cast\nmy eyes upon those beautiful women with thick frontal bones, with blazing\ncirclets of red arsenic on their foreheads, with streaks of jet black\ncollyrium on their eyes, and their beautiful forms attired in blankets\nand skins and themselves uttering shrill cries! When shall I be happy, in\nthe company of those intoxicated ladies amid the music of drums and\nkettle-drums and conchs sweet as the cries of asses and camels and mules!\nWhen shall I be amongst those ladies eating cakes of flour and meat and\nballs of pounded barley mixed with skimmed milk, in the forests, having\nmany pleasant paths of Sami and Pilu and Karira! When shall I, amid my\nown countrymen, mustering in strength on the high-roads, fall upon\npassengers, and snatching their robes and attires beat them repeatedly!\nWhat man is there that would willingly dwell, even for a moment amongst\nthe Vahikas that are so fallen and wicked, and so depraved in their\npractises?' Even thus did that Brahmana describe the Vahikas of base\nbehaviour, a sixth of whose merits and demerits is thine, O Shalya.\nHaving said this, that pious Brahmana began once more to say what I am\nabout to repeat respecting the wicked Vahikas. Listen to what I say, 'In\nthe large and populous town of Sakala, a Rakshasa woman used to sing on\nevery fourteenth day of the dark fortnight, in accompaniment with a drum,\n\"When shall I next sing the songs of the Vahikas in this Sakala town,\nhaving gorged myself with beef and drunk the Gauda liquor? When shall I\nagain, decked in ornaments, and with those maidens and ladies of large\nproportions, gorge upon a large number of sheep and large quantities of\npork and beef and the meat of fowls and asses and camels? They who do not\neat sheep live in vain!\"' Even thus, O Shalya, the young and old, among\nthe inhabitants of Sakala, intoxicated with spirits, sing and cry. How\ncan virtue be met with among such a people? Thou shouldst know this. I\nmust, however, speak again to thee about what another Brahmana had said\nunto us in the Kuru court, 'There where forests of Pilus stand, and those\nfive rivers flow, viz., the Satadru, the Vipasa, the Iravati, the\nCandrabhaga, and the Vitasa and which have the Sindhu for their sixth,\nthere in those regions removed from the Himavat, are the countries called\nby the name of the Arattas. Those regions are without virtue and\nreligion. No one should go thither. The gods, the pitris, and the\nBrahmanas, never accept gifts from those that are fallen, or those that\nare begotten by Shudras on the girls of other castes, or the Vahikas who\nnever perform sacrifices and are exceedingly irreligious.' That learned\nBrahmana had also said in the Kuru court, 'The Vahikas, without any\nfeelings of revulsion, eat of wooden vessels having deep stomachs and\nearthen plates and vessels that have been licked by dogs and that are\nstained with pounded barley and other corn. The Vahikas drink the milk of\nsheep and camels and asses and eat curds and other preparations from\nthose different kinds of milk. Those degraded people number many bastards\namong them. There is no food and no milk that they do not take. The\nAratta-Vahikas that are steeped in ignorance, should be avoided.' Thou\nshouldst know this, O Shalya. I must, however, again speak to thee about\nwhat another Brahmana had said unto me in the Kuru court, 'How can one go\nto heaven, having drunk milk in the town called Yugandhara, and resided\nin the place called Acyutasthala, and bathed in the spot called\nBhutilaya? There where the five rivers flow just after issuing from the\nmountains, there among the Aratta-Vahikas, no respectable person should\ndwell even for two days. There are two Pishacas named Vahi and Hika in\nthe river Vipasa. The Vahikas are the offspring of those two Pishacas.\nThey are not creatures created by the Creator. Being of such low origin,\nhow can they be conversant with the duties ordained in the scriptures?\nThe Karashakas, the Mahishakas, the Kalingas, the Keralas, the\nKarkotakas, the Virakas, and other peoples of no religion, one should\nalways avoid.' Even thus did a Rakshasa woman of gigantic hips speak unto\na Brahmana who on a certain occasion went to that country for bathing in\na sacred water and passed a single night there. The regions are called by\nthe name of Arattas. The people residing there are called the Vahikas.\nThe lowest of Brahmanas also are residing there from very remote times.\nThey are without the Veda and without knowledge, without sacrifice and\nwithout the power to assist at other's sacrifices. They are all fallen\nand many amongst them have been begotten by Shudras upon other peoples'\ngirls. The gods never accept any gifts from them. The Prasthalas, the\nMadras, the Gandharas, the Arattas, those called Khasas, the Vasatis, the\nSindhus and the Sauviras are almost as blamable in their practices.\"'\"\n\n\n\n45\n\n\"'Karna continued, \"Thou shouldst know all this, O Shalya. I shall\nhowever, again speak unto thee. Listen with close attention to what I\nsay. Once on a time a Brahmana came to our house as a guest. Observing\nour practices he became highly gratified and said unto us, 'I dwelt for a\nlong time on a peak of the Himavat quite alone. Since then I have seen\ndiverse countries following diverse religions. Never, however, have I\nseen all the people of a country act unrighteously. All the races I have\nmet will admit that to be true religion which has been declared by\npersons conversant with the Vedas. Travelling through various countries\nfollowing various religions, I at last, O king, came among the Vahikas.\nThere I heard that one at first becomes a Brahmana and then he becomes a\nKshatriya. Indeed, a Vahika would, after that, become a Vaishya, and then\na Shudra, and then a barber. Having become a barber, he would then again\nbecome a Brahmana. Returning to the status of a Brahmana, he would again\nbecome a slave. One person in a family becomes a Brahmana: all the\nothers, falling off from virtue, act as they like. The Gandharas, the\nMadrakas, and the Vahikas of little understanding are even such. Having\ntravelled through the whole world I heard of these practices, destructive\nof virtue, of these sinful irregularities amongst the Vahikas.' Thou\nshouldst know all this, O Shalya. I shall, however, again speak to thee\nabout those ugly words that another said unto me regarding the Vahikas.\nIn former days a chaste woman was abducted by robbers (hailing) from\nAratta. Sinfully was she violated by them, upon which she cursed them,\nsaying, 'Since ye have sinfully violated a helpless girl who am not\nwithout a husband, therefore, the women of your families shall all become\nunchaste. Ye lowest of men, never shall ye escape from the consequences\nof this dreadful sin.' It is for this, O Shalya, that the sisters' sons\nof the Arattas, and not their own sons, become their heirs. The Kauravas\nwith the Pancalas, the Salwas, the Matsyas, the Naimishas, the Koshalas,\nthe Kasapaundras, the Kalingas, the Magadhas, and the Cedis who are all\nhighly blessed, know what the eternal religion is. The wicked even of\nthese various countries know what religion is. The Vahikas, however, live\nwithout righteousness. Beginning with the Matsyas, the residents of the\nKuru and the Pancala countries, the Naimishas as well and the other\nrespectable peoples, the pious among all races are conversant with the\neternal truths of religion. This cannot be said of the Madrakas and the\ncrooked-hearted race that resides in the country of the five rivers.\nKnowing all these things, O king, hold thy tongue, O Shalya, like one\ndeprived of utterance, in all matters connected with religion and virtue.\nThou art the protector and king of that people, and, therefore, the\npartaker of sixth part of their merits and demerits. Or perhaps, thou art\nthe partaker of a sixth part of their demerits only, for thou never\nprotectest them. A king that protects is a sharer in the merits of his\nsubjects. Thou art not a sharer in their merits. In days of yore, when\nthe eternal religion was reverenced in all countries, the Grandsire,\nobserving the practices of the country of the five rivers, cried fie on\nthem. When even in the Krita age, Brahman had censured the practices of\nthose fallen people of evil deeds who were begotten by Shudras on others'\nwives, what would you now say to men in the world? Even thus did the\nGrandsire condemn the practices of the country of the five waters. When\nall people were observant of the duties of their respective orders, the\nGrandsire had to find fault with these men. Thou shouldst know all this,\nO Shalya. I shall, however, again speak to thee. A Rakshasa of the name\nof Kalmashapada, while plunging in a tank, said, 'Eleemosynation is a\nKshatriya's dirt, while the non-observance of vows is a Brahmana's dirt.\nThe Vahikas are the dirt of the Earth, and the Madra women are the dirt\nof the whole female sex.' While sinking in the stream, a king rescued the\nRakshasa. Asked by the former, the latter gave this answer. I will recite\nit to you. Listen to me. 'The Mlecchas are the dirt of mankind: the\noilmen are the dirt of the Mlecchas; eunuchs are the dirt of oilmen; they\nwho avail of the priestly ministrations of Kshatriyas, in their\nsacrifices, are the dirt of eunuchs. The sin of those again that have the\nlast-named persons for their priests, of also of the Madrakas, shall be\nthine if thou do not abandon me.' Even this was declared by the Rakshasa\nto be the formula that should be used for curing a person possessed by a\nRakshasa or one killed by the energy of a poison. The words that follow\nare all very true. The Pancalas observe the duties enjoined in the Vedas;\nthe Kauravas observe truth; the Matsyas and the Surasenas perform\nsacrifices, the Easterners follow the practices of the Shudras; the\nSoutherners are fallen; the Vahikas are thieves; the Saurashtras are\nbastards. They that are defiled by ingratitude, theft, drunkenness,\nadultery with the wives of their preceptors, harshness of speech,\nslaughter of kine, lustful wanderings during the night out of home, and\nthe wearing of other people's ornaments,--what sin is there that they do\nnot incur? Fie on the Arattas and the people of the country of the five\nrivers! Commencing with the Pancalas, the Kauravas, the Naimishas, the\nMatsyas,--all these,--know what religion is. The old men among the\nNortherners, the Angas, the Magadhas, (without themselves knowing what\nvirtue is) follow the practices of the pious. Many gods, headed by Agni,\ndwell in the East. The pitris dwell in the South that is presided over by\nYama of righteous deeds. The West is protected by the mighty Varuna who\noverlooks the other gods there. The north is protected by the divine Soma\nalong with the Brahmanas. So Rakshasas and Pishacas protect the Himavat,\nthe best of mountains. The Guhyakas, O great king, protect the mountains\nof Gandhamadana. Without doubt, Vishnu, otherwise, called Janardana,\nprotects all creatures. (For all that the Vahikas have no especial\nprotectors among the gods). The Magadhas are comprehenders of signs; the\nKoshalas comprehend from what they see; the Kurus and the Pancalas\ncomprehend from a half-uttered speech; the Salwas cannot comprehend till\nthe whole speech is uttered. The Mountaineers, like the Sivis, are very\nstupid. The Yavanas, O king, are omniscient; the Suras are particularly\nso. The Mlecchas are wedded to the creations of their own fancy. Other\npeoples cannot understand. The Vahikas resent beneficial counsels; as\nregards the Madrakas there are none amongst those (mentioned above.)\nThou, O Shalya, art so. Thou shouldst not reply to me. The Madrakas are\nregarded on Earth as the dirt of every nation. So the Madra woman is\ncalled the dirt of the whole female sex. They that have for their\npractices the drinking of spirits, the violation of the beds of their\npreceptors, the destruction of the embryo by procuring miscarriage, and\nthe robbing of other people's wealth, there is no sin that they have not.\nFie on the Arattas and the people of the country of the five rivers.\nKnowing this, be silent. Do not seek to oppose me. Do not let me slay\nKeshava and Arjuna, having slain thee first.\"'\"\n\n\"'Shalya said, \"The abandonment of the afflicted and the sale of wives\nand children are, O Karna, prevalent amongst the Angas whose king thou\nart. Recollecting those faults of thine that Bhishma recited on the\noccasion of the tale of Rathas and Atirathas, drive away thy wrath. Do\nnot be angry. Brahmanas may be found everywhere; Kshatriyas may be found\neverywhere; so also Vaishyas and Shudras, O Karna, women of chastity and\nexcellent vows may also be found everywhere. Everywhere men take delight\nin jesting with men and wounding one another. Lustful men also may be\nfound everywhere. Everyone on every occasion can command skill in\nspeaking of the faults of others. No one, however, knows his own faults,\nor knowing them, feels shame. Everywhere are kings devoted to their\nrespective religions, and employed in chastising the wicked. Everywhere\nmay be found virtuous men. It cannot be, O Karna, that all the people of\na country are sinful. There are men in many countries that surpass the\nvery gods by their behaviour.\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Then king Duryodhana stopped Karna and Shalya (from\ngoing on with their wordy warfare), addressing the son of Radha as a\nfriend, and beseeching Shalya with joined hands, Karna, O sire, was\nquieted by thy son and forbore saying anything more. Shalya also then\nfaced the enemy. Then Radha's son, smiling, once more urged Shalya,\nsaying, \"Proceed.\"'\"\n\n\n\n46\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding then that unrivalled array of the Parthas made\nby Dhrishtadyumna which was capable of resisting all hostile armies,\nKarna proceeded, uttering leonine shouts and causing his car to produce a\nloud rattle. And he made the Earth to tremble with the loud din of\nmusical instruments. And that chastiser of foes, that hero in battle,\nseemed to tremble in rage. Duly disposing his own troops in\ncounter-array, O bull of Bharata's race, that hero of great energy made a\ngreat slaughter of the Pandava forces like Maghavat slaughtering the\nAsura host. Striking Yudhishthira then with many arrows, he placed the\neldest son of Pandu to his right.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'How, O Sanjaya, did the son of Radha dispose his\nforces in counter array to all the Pandavas headed by Dhristadyumna and\nprotected by Bhimasena, viz., all those great bowmen invincible by the\nvery gods? Who, O Sanjaya, stood in the wings and the further wings of\nour army? Dividing themselves properly, how were the warriors stationed?\nHow also did the sons of Pandu dispose their army in counter-array to\nmine? How also did that great and awful battle commence? Where was\nVibhatsu when Karna proceeded against Yudhishthira? Who could succeed in\nassailing Yudhishthira in the presence of Arjuna? That Arjuna who had\nvanquished, single-handed in former days, all creatures at Khandava, who\nelse that is desirous of life, save the son of Radha, would fight with\nhim?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Hear now of the formation of the arrays, the manner in\nwhich Arjuna came and how the battle was fought by both sides surrounding\ntheir respective kings. Sharadvata's son Kripa, O king, and the Magadhas\nendued with great activity, and Kritavarma of Satwata race, took up their\nposition in the right wing. Shakuni, and the mighty car-warrior Uluka,\nstanding on the right of these, and accompanied by many fearless Gandhara\nhorsemen armed with bright lances, and many mountaineers difficult to\ndefeat, numerous as flights of locusts, and grim looking as Pishacas,\nprotected the (Kaurava) army. 34,000 unreturning cars of the samsaptakas,\nmad with desire of battle, with thy sons in their midst, and all desirous\nof slaying Krishna and Arjuna, protected the left side (of the Kaurava\narmy). On their left, the Kambojas, the Sakas, and the Yavanas, with cars\nand horse and foot, at the command of the Suta's son, stood, challenging\nArjuna and the mighty Keshava. In the centre, at the head of that host,\nstood Karna, clad in armour with beautiful coat of mail and adorned with\nAngadas and garlands, for protecting that point. Supported by his own\nangry sons, that foremost of all wielders of weapons, that hero, shone\nresplendent at the head of the army as he drew his bow repeatedly. The\nmighty-armed Duhshasana, possessed of the effulgence of the sun or fire\nwith tawny eyes and handsome features, riding on the neck of a huge\nelephant, surrounded by many troops, and stationed at the rear of the\narmy gradually approached for fight. Behind him came Duryodhana himself,\nO monarch, protected by his uterine brothers riding on beautiful steeds\nand cased in beautiful mail. Protected by the united Madrakas and the\nKekayas of exceeding energy, the king, O monarch, looked resplendent like\nIndra of a hundred sacrifices when surrounded by the celestials.\nAshvatthama and the other foremost of mighty car-warriors, and many\never-infuriate elephants shedding temporal secretions like the very\nclouds and ridden by brave Mlecchas, followed behind that car-force.\nDecked with triumphal standards and blazing weapons, those huge\ncreatures, ridden by warriors skilled in fighting from their backs,\nlooked beautiful like hills overgrown with trees. Many thousands of brave\nand unreturning warriors, armed with axes and swords, became the\nfootguards of those elephants. Gorgeously decked with horsemen and\ncar-warriors and elephants, that foremost of arrays looked exceedingly\nbeautiful like the array of the celestials or of the Asuras. That great\narray, formed according to the scheme of Brihaspati by its commander,\nwell-versed in ways of battle, seemed to dance (as it advanced) and\nstruck terror into the hearts of foes. Like ever-appearing clouds in the\nseason of rains, foot-soldiers and horsemen and car-warriors and\nelephants, longing for battle began to issue from the wings and further\nwings of that array. Then king Yudhishthira, beholding Karna at the head\nof the (hostile) army, addressed Dhananjaya, that slayer of foes, that\none hero in the world, and said these words, \"Behold, O Arjuna, the\nmighty array formed by Karna in battle. The hostile force looks\nresplendent with its wings and further wings. At sight of this vast\nhostile force, let such measures be adopted that it may not vanquish us.\"\nThus addressed by the king, Arjuna replied with joined hands, \"Everything\nwill be done as thou sayest. Nothing will be otherwise. I will, O\nBharata, do that by which the destruction of the enemy may be compassed.\nBy slaying their foremost of warriors, I will achieve their destruction.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"With that view, do thou proceed against the son of\nRadha, and let Bhimasena proceed against Suyodhana, Nakula against\nVirshasena, Sahadeva against the son of Subala, Satanika against\nDuhshasana, that bull amongst the Sinis, viz., Satyaki, against the son\nof Hridika, and Pandya against the son of Drona. I myself will fight with\nKripa. Let the sons of Draupadi with Shikhandi amongst them, proceed\nagainst the rest of the Dhartarashtras. Let the other warriors of our\narmy encounter our other foes.\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus addressed by Yudhishthira the just, Dhananjaya\nsaying, \"So be it,\" ordered his troops (to do the needful) and himself\nproceeded to the head of the army. That car for which the Leader of the\nuniverse, viz., Agni, who derives his effulgence from Brahman, became the\nsteeds, that car which was known amongst the gods as belonging to Brahman\nbecause it sprang first from Brahman himself, that car which in days of\nold had successively borne Brahman and Ishana and Indra and Varuna one\nafter another, riding on that primeval car, Keshava and Arjuna now\nproceeded to battle. Beholding that advancing car of wonderful aspect,\nShalya once more said unto Adhiratha's son, that warrior of great energy\nin battle, these words \"Yonder comes that car having white steeds yoked\nunto it and owning Krishna for its driver, that vehicle incapable of\nbeing resisted by all the troops, like the inevitable fruit of work.\nThere comes the son of Kunti, slaughtering his foes along the way,--he,\nthat is, about whom thou hadst been enquiring. Since tremendous is the\nuproar that is being heard, deep as the roar of the clouds, it is,\nwithout doubt, those high-souled ones, viz., Vasudeva and Dhananjaya.\nYonder ascends a cloud of dust that overspreads the welkin like a canopy.\nThe whole Earth, O Karna, seems to tremble, cut deep by the circumference\nof Arjuna's wheels. These violent winds are blowing on both sides of thy\narmy. These carnivorous creatures are yelling aloud and these animals are\nuttering fearful cries. Behold, O Karna, the terrible and portentous Ketu\nof vapoury form, making the hair to stand on end, hath appeared, covering\nthe Sun. Behold, diverse kinds of animals, all around in large packs, and\nmany mighty wolves and tigers are looking at the Sun. Behold those\nterrible Kankas and those vultures, assembled together in thousands,\nsitting with faces towards one another, in seeming discourse. Those\ncoloured yak-tails attached to thy great car are waving unquietly. Thy\nstandard also is trembling. Behold these thy beautiful steeds, of huge\nlimbs and great speed resembling that of soaring birds, are also\nquivering. From these portents, it is certain that kings, in hundreds and\nthousands, O Karna, deprived of life, will lie down on the ground for\neternal sleep. The loud uproar of conchs, making the hair to stand on\nend, is being heard. The sound also of drums and cymbals, O son of Radha,\nis being heard on all sides, as also the whizz of diverse kinds of\narrows, and the din made by cars and steeds and men. Listen also, O\nKarna, to the loud twang produced by the bow-strings of high-souled\nwarriors. Behold, O Karna, those banners of Arjuna, that are equipped\nwith rows of bells, and decked with golden moons and stars. Made by\nskilful artists out of cloths embroidered with gold and of diverse hues,\nthey are blazing with resplendence on Arjuna's car as they are shaken by\nthe wind, like flashes of lightning in a mass of clouds. Behold those\n(other) banners producing sharp sounds as they wave in the air. Those\ncar-warriors of the high-souled Pancalas, with flag-decked standards on\ntheir vehicles, are looking resplendent, O Karna, like the very gods on\ntheir celestial cars. Behold the heroic son of Kunti, the unvanquished\nVibhatsu (Arjuna) with that foremost of apes on his standard, advancing\nfor the destruction of the foe. There, on the top of Partha's standard,\nis to be seen that terrible ape, that enhancer of the fears of foes,\nattracting the gaze (of warriors) from every side. The discus, the mace,\nthe bow called Saranga and the conch (called Panchajanya) of the\nintelligent Krishna, as also his gem Kaustubha, look exceedingly\nbeautiful in him. The wielder of Saranga and the mace, viz., Vasudeva, of\ngreat energy, cometh, urging those white steeds endued with the fleetness\nof the wind. Yonder twangs Gandiva, drawn by Savyasaci. Those whetted\nshafts, sped by that strong-armed hero, are destroying his enemies. The\nEarth is strewn with the heads of unretreating kings, with faces\nbeautiful as the moon at full, and decked with large and expansive eyes\nof coppery hue. There the arms, looking like spiked maces, with weapons\nin grasp, and smeared with excellent perfumes, of warriors delighting in\nbattle and contending with uplifted weapons, are falling. Steeds with\neyes, tongues, and entrails drawn out along with their riders, are\nfalling and fallen and deprived of life lie prostrate on the Earth. Those\nlifeless elephants huge as mountain summits, torn, mangled, and pierced\nby Partha, are falling down like veritable hills. Those cars, looking\nlike the changeful forms of vapour in the sky, with their royal riders\nslain, are falling down like the celestial cars of the denizens of heaven\nupon the exhaustion of the latter's merits. Behold, the army is\nexceedingly agitated by the diadem-decked Arjuna, like herds of countless\ncattle by a maned lion. There the Pandava heroes, advancing for the\nattack, are slaying kings and large numbers of elephants and steeds and\ncar-warriors and foot-soldiers of thy army engaged in battle. There\nPartha, shrouded (by friends and foes and weapons and dust) is not to be\nseen, like the Sun shrouded by clouds. Only the top of his standard may\nbe seen and the twang of his bow-string may be heard. Thou art sure, O\nKarna, to behold today that hero of white steed with Krishna for his\ndriver, engaged in slaughtering his foes in battle. Thou art sure of\nbeholding him about whom thou hadst been enquiring. Today, O Karna, thou\nart sure to behold those two tigers among men, both of red eyes, both\nchastisers of foes, viz., Vasudeva and Arjuna, stationed on the same car.\nIf, O son of Radha, thou succeedest in slaying him that hath Keshava for\nhis driver and Gandiva for his bow, then thou shalt be our king.\nChallenged by the samsaptakas, Partha now proceedeth against them. That\nmighty warrior is engaged in making a great slaughter of his foes in\nbattle.\" Unto the ruler of the Madras who was saying so, Karna, in rage,\nsaid, \"Behold, Partha is assailed on all sides by the angry samsaptakas.\nLike the Sun shrouded by the clouds, Partha is no longer visible.\nPlunged, into that ocean of warriors, O Shalya, Arjuna is sure to perish.\"\n\n\"'Shalya said, \"Who is there that would slay Varuna with water, or quench\nfire with fuel? Who is there that would seize the wind, or drink off the\nocean? I regard thy act of afflicting Partha to be even such. Arjuna is\nincapable of being vanquished in battle by the very gods and the Asuras\nunited together and having Indra himself at their head. Or, suffer\nthyself to be gratified, and be of easy mind, having said those words\n(about thy capacity to slay Partha) Partha cannot be conquered in battle.\nAccomplish some other purpose thou mayst have in thy mind. He that would\nuplift this Earth on his two arms, or burn all creatures in wrath, or\nhurl the gods from heaven, may vanquish Arjuna in battle. Behold that\nother heroic son of Kunti, viz., Bhima, who is never fatigued with\nexertion, blazing with resplendence, mighty-armed, and standing like\nanother Meru. With wrath ever kindled and longing for revenge, Bhima of\ngreat energy stands there desirous of victory in battle, and remembering\nall his injuries. There that foremost of virtuous men, viz., king\nYudhishthira the just, that subjugator of hostile towns, stands difficult\nof being resisted by foes in battle. There stand those two tigers among\nmen, the twin Ashvinis, the two uterine brothers Nakula and Sahadeva,\nboth invincible in battle. Yonder may be seen the five sons of Krishna,\nthat have the features of Pancala princes. All of them, equal to Arjuna\nin battle, are standing, desirous of fight. There the sons of Drupada,\nheaded by Dhristadyumna, swelling with pride and energy,--heroes endued\nwith great energy,--have taken up their stand. There, that foremost one\namong the Satwatas, viz., Satyaki, irresistible like Indra, advanceth\nagainst us, from desire of fight, like the destroyer himself in wrath\nbefore our eyes.\" While those two lions among men were thus addressing\neach other, the two armies mingled fiercely in battle, like the currents\nof the Ganga and Yamuna.'\"\n\n\n\n47\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'When the two armies, duly arrayed, thus mingled\nwith each other for battle, O Sanjaya, how did Partha assail the\nsamsaptakas, and how Karna assail the Pandavas? Tell me the incidents of\nthe battle in detail, for thou art skilled in narration. Listening to the\naccounts of the prowess of heroes in battle, I am never satiated.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Observing the vast hostile force stationed in that\nmanner, Arjuna arrayed his troops in proper form, in consequence of the\nevil policy of thy son. The vast Pandava force then, teeming with\nhorsemen and elephants and foot-soldiers and cars, and headed by\nDhrishtadyumna, looked exceedingly magnificent. With his steeds white as\npigeons, the son of Prishata, equal in splendour to the Sun or the Moon,\narmed with bow, looked resplendent like Death himself in embodied form.\nThe sons of Draupadi, desirous of battle, stood by the side of the son of\nPrishata. They were clad in excellent coats of mail, and armed with\nexcellent weapons, and all of them were endued with the prowess of\ntigers. Possessed of effulgent bodies, they followed their maternal uncle\nlike the stars appearing with the Moon. Beholding the samsaptakas\nstanding in array, Arjuna, with wrath excited, rushed against them,\ndrawing his bow Gandiva. The samsaptakas then, desirous of slaying\nArjuna, rushed against Partha, firmly resolved on victory, and making\ndeath their goal. That brave host of heroes, teeming with men, steeds,\ninfuriate elephants, and cars, began very quickly to afflict Arjuna.\nTheir encounter with Kiritin (Arjuna) became exceedingly furious. That\nencounter resembled the one that took place between Arjuna and the\nNivatakavachas, as we have heard. Partha cut off cars and steeds and\nstandards and elephants and foot-soldiers engaged in fight, with shafts\nand bows and swords and discs and battle axes, and uplifted arms with\nweapons in grasp, and the heads also of foes, by thousands upon\nthousands. The samsaptakas, regarding the car of Partha sunk in that deep\nvortex of warriors, uttered loud roars. Partha, however, slaying all his\nfoes in front, slew those that stood further off, and then those that\nwere on his right and his back, like Rudra himself in rage slaughtering\nall created things endued with life. The encounter that took place when\nthe Pancalas, the Cedis, and the Srinjayas faced thy troops was\nexceedingly fierce. Kripa and Kritavarma, and Shakuni the son of Subala,\nthose heroes difficult of defeat in battle, accompanied by troops that\nwere all cheerful, themselves filled with rage, and capable of smiting\ndown thick ranks of cars, fought with the Koshalas, the Kasis, the\nMatsyas, the Karusas, the Kaikayas, and the Surasenas, all of whom were\npossessed of great courage. That battle fraught with great slaughter and\ndestructive of body, life and sins, became conducive to fame, heaven, and\nvirtue, in respect of the Kshatriya, the Vaishya, and the Shudra heroes\nthat were engaged in it. Meanwhile the Kuru king Duryodhana with his\nbrothers, O bull of Bharata's race, and supported by many Kuru heroes and\nmany mighty Madraka car-warriors, protected Karna while the latter was\nengaged in battle with the Pandavas, the Pancalas, the Cedis, and\nSatyaki. Destroying that vast division with his sharp arrows, and\ncrushing many foremost of car-warriors Karna succeeded in afflicting\nYudhishthira. Cutting off the armour, the weapons, and the bodies of\nthousands of foes and slaying his foes by thousands and sending them to\nheaven and making them earn great fame, Karna caused his friends great\njoy. Thus, O sire, that battle destructive of men, steeds, and cars,\nbetween the Kurus and the Srinjayas, resembled the battle between the\ngods and the Asuras of old.'\"\n\n\n\n48\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Tell me, O Sanjaya, how Karna, having caused a\ngreat slaughter penetrated into the midst of the Pandava troops, and\nstruck and afflicted king Yudhishthira. Who were those foremost of heroes\namong the Parthas that resisted Karna? Who were they whom Karna crushed\nbefore he could succeed in afflicting Yudhishthira?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding the Parthas headed by Dhrishtadyumna stationed\nfor battle, that crusher of foes, viz., Karna, rushed impetuously against\nthe Pancalas. Like swans rushing towards the sea, the Pancalas, longing\nfor victory, rushed as quickly against that high-souled warrior advancing\nto the encounter. Then the blare of thousands of conchs, as if piercing\nthe heart by its shrillness, arose from both hosts, and the fierce peal\nalso of thousands of drums. The sound also of diverse musical instruments\nand the noise made by elephants and steeds and cars, and the leonine\nshouts of heroes, that arose there, became exceedingly awful. It seemed\nthat the whole Earth with her mountains and trees and oceans, the entire\nwelkin covered with wind-tossed clouds, and the whole firmament with the\nSun, the Moon, and the stars, trembled with that sound. All creatures\nregarded that noise to be even such and became agitated. Those amongst\nthem that were endued with little strength fell dead. Then Karna, excited\nwith great wrath, quickly invoking his weapons, began to smite the\nPandava army like Maghavat smiting the army of the Asuras. Penetrating\nthen into the Pandava host and shooting his arrows, Karna slew seven and\nseventy foremost of warriors among the Prabhadrakas. Then that foremost\nof car-warriors, with five and twenty sharp shafts equipped with goodly\nwings, slew five and twenty Pancalas. With many cloth-yard shafts\nequipped with wings of gold and capable of piercing the bodies of all\nfoes, that hero slew the Cedis by hundreds and thousands. While he was\nemployed in achieving those superhuman feats in battle, large throngs of\nPancala cars, O king, quickly surrounded him on all sides. Aiming then, O\nBharata, five irresistible shafts, Karna, otherwise called Vaikartana or\nVrisha, slew five Pancala warriors. The five Pancalas, O Bharata, that he\nslew in that battle were Bhanudeva and Citrasena and Senavindu and Tapana\nand Surasena. While the Pancala heroes were thus being slaughtered with\narrows in that great battle, loud cries of \"Oh\" and \"Alas\" arose from\namong the Pancala host. Then ten car-warriors among the Pancalas, O\nmonarch, surrounded Karna. Them, too, Karna speedily slew with his\nshafts. The two protectors of Karna's car wheels, viz., his two\ninvincible sons, O sire, that were named Sushena and Satyasena, began to\nfight, reckless of their very lives. The eldest son of Karna, viz., the\nmighty car-warrior Vrishasena, himself protected his father's rear. Then\nDhrishtadyumna, Satyaki, and the five sons of Draupadi, and Vrikodara,\nJanamejaya, and Shikhandi, and many foremost warriors among the\nPrabhadrakas, and many amongst the Cedis, the Kaikayas, and the Pancalas,\nthe twins (Nakula and Sahadeva), and the Matsyas, all clad in mail,\nrushed fiercely upon Radha's son, skilled in smiting, from desire of\nslaying him. Pouring upon him diverse kinds of weapons and thick showers\nof arrows, they began to afflict him like the clouds afflicting the\nmountain breast in the season of rains. Desirous of rescuing their\nfather, the sons of Karna, all of whom were effectual smiters, and many\nother heroes, O king, of thy army, resisted those (Pandava) heroes.\nSushena, cutting off with a broad-headed arrow the bow of Bhimasena,\npierced Bhima himself with seven cloth-yard shafts in the chest, and\nuttered a loud roar. Then Vrikodara of terrible prowess, taking up\nanother tough bow and stringing it quickly, cut off Sushena's bow.\nExcited with rage and as if dancing (on his car), he quickly pierced\nSushena himself with ten arrows, and then pierced Karna, within the\ntwinkling of an eye, with seventy sharp shafts. With ten other shafts,\nBhima then felled Bhanusena, another son of Karna, with his steeds,\ndriver, weapons, and standard, in the very sight of the latter's friends.\nThe sightly head of that youth, graced with a face as beautiful as the\nMoon, cut off with a razor-headed arrow, looked like a lotus plucked from\nits stalk. Having slain Karna's son, Bhima began to afflict thy troops\nonce more. Cutting off the bows then of Kripa and Hridika's son, he began\nto afflict those two also. Piercing Duhshasana with three arrows made\nwholly of iron, and Shakuni with six, he deprived both Uluka and his\nbrother Patatri of their cars. Addressing Sushena next in these words,\nviz., \"Thou art slain,\" Bhima took up an arrow. Karna, however, cut off\nthat arrow and struck Bhima himself with three shafts. Then Bhima took up\nanother straight arrow of great impetuosity and sped it at Sushena. But\nVrisha cut that arrow also. Then Karna, desirous of rescuing his son, and\nwishing to make an end of the cruel Bhimasena, struck the latter with\nthree and seventy fierce arrows. Then Sushena taking up an excellent bow\ncapable of bearing a great strain, pierced Nakula with five arrows in the\narms and the chest. Nakula, then piercing his antagonist with twenty\nstrong shafts capable of bearing a great strain, uttered a loud roar and\ninspired Karna with fright. The mighty car-warrior Sushena, however, O\nking, piercing Nakula with ten shafts, quickly cut off the latter's bow\nwith a razor-headed arrow. Then Nakula, insensate with rage, took up\nanother bow, and resisted Sushena in that battle with nine shafts. That\nslayer of hostile heroes, O king, shrouding all the quarters with showers\nof arrows, slew Sushena's driver, and piercing Sushena himself again with\nthree shafts, and then with three other broad-headed arrows, cut off his\nbow of great strength into three fragments. Sushena also, deprived of his\nsenses in rage, took up another bow and pierced Nakula with sixty arrows\nand Sahadeva with seven. The battle raged fiercely, like that of the gods\nand the Asuras between those heroes striking one another. Satyaki,\nslaying the driver of Vrishasena with three arrows, cut off the latter's\nbow with a broad-headed shaft and struck his steeds with seven arrows.\nCrushing his standard then with another arrow, he struck Vrishasena\nhimself with three arrows in the chest. Thus struck, Vrishasena became\nsenseless on his car, but within the twinkling of an eye, stood up again.\nDeprived of his driver and steeds and car standard by Yuyudhana\n(Satyaki), Vrishasena then, armed with sword and shield, rushed against\nYuyudhana from desire of slaying him. Satyaki, however, as his antagonist\nrushed towards him, struck at his sword and shield with ten arrows\nequipped with heads like a boar's ear. Then Duhshasana, beholding\nVrishasena made carless and weaponless, quickly caused him to ascend his\nown car, and bearing him away from the spot, caused him to ride another\nvehicle. The mighty car-warrior Vrishasena then, riding on another\nvehicle, pierced the five sons of Draupadi with seventy and Yuyudhana\nwith five, and Bhimasena with four and sixty, and Sahadeva with five, and\nNakula with thirty, and Satanika with seven arrows, and Shikhandi with\nten, and king Yudhishthira with a hundred. These and many other foremost\nof heroes, O king, all inspired with desire of victory that great bowman,\nviz., the son of Karna, O monarch, continued to afflict with his shafts.\nThen, in that battle, the invincible Vrishasena continued to protect the\nrear of Karna. The grandson of Sini, having made Duhshasana driverless\nand steedless and carless by means of nine times nine arrows made wholly\nof iron, struck Duhshasana with ten shafts in the forehead. The Kuru\nprince then, riding on another car that was duly equipped (with all\nnecessary implements), once more began to fight with the Pandavas, from\nwithin the division of Karna. Then Dhristadyumna pierced Karna with ten\narrows, and the sons of Draupadi pierced him with three and seventy, and\nYuyudhana with seven. And Bhimasena pierced him with four and sixty\narrows, and Sahadeva with seven. And Nakula pierced him with thirty\narrows, and Satanika with seven. And the heroic Shikhandi pierced him\nwith ten and king Yudhishthira with a hundred. These and other foremost\nof men, O monarch, all inspired with desire of victory, began to grind\nthat great bowman, viz., the Suta's son, in that dreadful battle. That\nchastiser of foes, viz., the Suta's son of great heroism, performing\nquick evolutions with his car, pierced every one of those warriors with\nten arrows. We then, O king, witnessed the lightness of hand displayed by\nthe high-souled Karna and the power of his weapons. Indeed, what we saw\nappeared to be highly wonderful. People could not notice when he took up\nhis arrows, when he aimed them, and when he let them off. They only\nbeheld his enemies dying fast in consequence of his wrath. The sky, the\nfirmament, the Earth, and all the quarters seemed to be entirely shrouded\nwith sharp arrows. The firmament looked resplendent as if covered with\nred clouds. The valiant son of Radha, armed with the bow, and as if\ndancing (on his car), pierced each of his assailants with thrice as many\narrows as each of them had pierced him with. And once more piercing each\nof them, and his steeds, driver, car, and standard with ten arrows, he\nuttered a loud roar. His assailants then gave him a way (through which he\npassed out). Having crushed those mighty bowmen with showers of arrows,\nthe son of Radha, that crusher of foes, then penetrated, unresisted, into\nthe midst of the division commanded by the Pandava king. Having destroyed\nthirty cars of the unreturning Cedis, the son of Radha struck\nYudhishthira with many sharp arrows. Then many Pandava warriors, O king,\nwith Shikhandi and Satyaki, desirous of rescuing the king from the son of\nRadha, surrounded the former. Similarly all the brave and mighty bowmen\nof thy army resolutely protected the irresistible Karna in that battle.\nThe noise of diverse musical instrument arose then, O king, and the\nleonine shouts of brave warriors rent the sky. And the Kurus and the\nPandavas once more fearlessly encountered each other, the former headed\nby the Suta's son and the latter by Yudhishthira.'\"\n\n\n\n49\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Piercing through the Pandava host, Karna, surrounded by\nthousands of cars and elephants and steeds and foot-soldiers, rushed\ntowards king Yudhishthira the just. Cutting off with hundreds of fierce\nshafts the thousands of weapons sped at him by his foes, Vrisha\nfearlessly pierced through that host. Indeed, the Suta's son cut off the\nheads, the arms and the thighs of his enemies, who, deprived of life,\nfell down on the Earth. Others, finding their divisions broken, fled\naway. The Dravida, the Andhaka, and the Nishada foot-soldiers, urged on\nby Satyaki, once more rushed towards Karna in that battle, from desire of\nslaying him. Deprived of arms and head-gears, and slain by Karna with his\nshafts, they fell down simultaneously on the Earth, like a forest of Sala\ntree cut down (with the axe). Thus hundreds, thousands and ten thousands\nof combatants, deprived of life and filling the whole welkin with their\nfame, fell down with their bodies on the Earth. The Pandus and the\nPancalas obstructed Karna, otherwise called Vaikartana, who careered\nwrathfully in battle like the Destroyer himself, even as people seek to\nobstruct a disease with incantations and drugs. Crushing all those\nassailants Karna once more rushed towards Yudhishthira, like an\nirresistible disease unchecked by incantations and drugs and\n(propitiatory) rites. At last checked by the Pandus, the Pancalas, and\nthe Kekayas, all of whom were desirous of rescuing the king, Karna could\nnot succeed in passing them over, like Death that is unable to vanquish\npersons conversant with Brahma. Then Yudhishthira, with eyes red in\nwrath, addressed Karna, that slayer of hostile heroes, who was held in\ncheck at a little distance from him, and said these words \"O Karna, O\nKarna, O thou of vain sight, O son of a Suta, listen to my words. Thou\nalways challengest the active Phalguna in battle. Obedient to the\ncounsels of Dhritarashtra's son, thou always seekest to oppose us.\nMustering thy great prowess, show thou today all thy might, all thy\nenergy, and all the hatred thou bearest towards the sons of Pandu. Today\nin dreadful encounter, I will purge thee of thy desire for battle.\"\nHaving said these words, the son of Pandu, O king, pierced Karna with ten\nshafts made entirely of iron and equipped with wings of gold. That\nchastiser of foes, and great bowman, viz., the Suta's son, O Bharata,\npierced Yudhishthira, with the greatest care, in return, with ten arrows\nequipped with heads like the calf's tooth. Thus pierced by the Suta's son\nin contempt, O sire, the mighty-armed Yudhishthira, blazed up with wrath\nlike a fire upon receiving butter. Bending his formidable bow decked with\ngold, the son of Pandu placed on his bow-string a whetted arrow capable\nof piercing the very hills. Drawing the bow to its fullest stretch, the\nking quickly sped that arrow, fatal as the rod of the Destroyer, from\ndesire of slaying the Suta's son. Sped by the king endued with great\nmight, that arrow whose whizz resembled the noise of the thunder,\nsuddenly pierced Karna, that mighty car-warrior, on his left side. Deeply\nafflicted by the violence of that stroke, the mighty-armed Karna with\nweakened limbs, fell into a swoon on his car, his bow dropping from his\nhand. Beholding Karna in that plight, the vast Dhartarashtra host uttered\ncries of \"Oh\" and \"Alas,\" and the faces of all the combatants became\ncolourless. Beholding the prowess of their king, on the other hand, O\nmonarch, amongst the Pandavas, leonine roars and shouts and confused\ncries of joy arose. The son of Radha, however, of cruel prowess,\nrecovering his senses soon enough, set his heart on the destruction of\nYudhishthira. Drawing his formidable bow called Vijaya that was decked\nwith gold, the Suta's son of immeasurable soul began to resist the son of\nPandu with his sharp shafts. With a couple of razor-headed arrows he slew\nin that encounter Candradeva and Dandadhara, the two Pancala princes,\nthat protected the two car wheels of the high-souled Yudhishthira. Each\nof those heroes, standing by the side of Yudhishthira's car, looked\nresplendent like the constellation Punarvasu by the side of the moon.\nYudhishthira, however, once more pierced Karna with thirty arrows. And he\nstruck Sushena and Satyasena, each with three arrows. And he pierced\nevery one of the protectors of Karna with three straight arrows. The son\nof Adhiratha then, laughing and shaking his bow inflicted a cutting wound\non the king's body with a broad-headed arrow, and again pierced him with\nsixty arrows and then uttered a loud shout. Then many foremost heroes\namongst the Pandavas, desirous of rescuing the king, rushed in wrath\ntowards Karna and began to grind him with their arrows. Satyaki and\nChekitana and Yuyutsu and Shikhandi and the sons of Draupadi and the\nPrabhadrakas, and the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva) and Bhimasena and\nShishupala and the Karushas, Matsyas, the Suras, the Kaikayas, the Kasis\nand the Kosalas, all these brave heroes, endued with great activity,\nassailed Vasusena. The Pancala prince Janamejaya then pierced Karna with\nmany arrows. The Pandava heroes, armed with diverse kinds of arrows and\ndiverse weapons and accompanied by cars and elephants and steeds, rushing\ntowards Karna, encompassed him on all sides, from desire of slaying him.\nThus assailed on all sides by the foremost of Pandava warriors, Karna\ninvoked into existence the brahmastra and filled all the points of the\ncompass with arrows. The heroic Karna then, like unto a blazing fire\nhaving shafts for its scorching flame, careered in battle, burning that\nforest of Pandavas troops. The high-souled Karna, that great bowman,\naiming some mighty weapons, and laughing the while, cut off the bow of\nthat foremost of men, Yudhishthira. Then aiming ninety straight arrows\nwithin the twinkling of an eye, Karna cut off, with those sharp shafts,\nthe armour of his antagonist. That armour, decked with gold and set with\ngems, looked beautiful, as it fell down, like a wind-tossed cloud\npenetrated by the rays of the Sun. Indeed, that armour, adorned with\ncostly brilliants, fallen off from the body of that foremost of men,\nlooked beautiful like the firmament in the night, bespangled with stars.\nHis armour cut off with those arrows, the son of Pritha, covered with\nblood, wrathfully hurled at the son of Adhiratha a dart made wholly of\niron. Karna, however, cut (into pieces) that blazing dart, as it coursed\nthrough the welkin, with seven shafts. That dart, thus cut off with those\nshafts of great bowman, fell down on the Earth. Then Yudhishthira,\nstriking Karna with four lances in his two arms and forehead and chest,\nrepeatedly uttered loud shouts. Thereupon blood spouted forth from the\nwounds of Karna, and the latter, filled with rage and breathing like a\nsnake, cut off his antagonist's standard and pierced the Pandava himself\nwith three broad-headed arrows. And he also cut off the couple of quivers\n(that his foe had) and the car (he rode) into minute fragments. Thereupon\nthe king, riding on another car unto which were yoked those steeds, white\nas ivory and having black hair on their tails, that used to bear him (to\nbattle), turned his face and began to fly. Thus did Yudhishthira began to\nretreat. His Parshni driver had been slain. He became exceedingly\ncheerless and unable to stay before Karna. The son of Radha then,\npursuing Yudhishthira, the son of Pandu, cleansed himself by touching him\nin the shoulder with his own fair hand (the palm of which was) graced\nwith the auspicious signs of the thunderbolt, the umbrella, the hook, the\nfish, the tortoise, and the conchshell, and desired to seize him by\nforce. He then remembered the words of Kunti. Then Shalya addressed him,\nand said, \"Do not, O Karna, seize this best of kings. As soon as thou\nseizest him, he will reduce both thee and me to ashes.\" Then Karna, O\nking, laughing in mockery, addressed the son of Pandu and thus spoke unto\nhim disparagingly. \"How, indeed, born though thou art in a noble race,\nand observant though thou art of Kshatriya duties, wouldst thou leave the\nbattle in fear, desiring to save thy life? I think that thou art not\nwell-acquainted with the duties of Kshatriyas. Endued with Brahma-force,\nthou art indeed devoted to the study of the Vedas and the performance of\nsacrificial rites. Do not, O son of Kunti, fight again, and do not again\napproach brave warriors. Do not use harsh language towards heroes and do\nnot come to great battles. Thou mayst use such words, O sire, towards\nothers, but thou shouldst never address persons like us in that way. By\nusing such words towards persons like us, thou wouldst in battle meet\nwith this and other kinds of behaviour. Go back to thy quarters, O son of\nKunti, or thither where those two, viz., Keshava and Arjuna, are. Indeed,\nO king, Karna will never slay one like thee.\" Having said these words\nunto the son of Pritha, the mighty Karna, setting Yudhishthira free,\nbegan to slaughter the Pandava host like the wielder of the thunderbolt\nslaughtering the Asura host. That ruler of men, (viz., Yudhishthira,)\nthen, O king, quickly fled away. Beholding the king flying away, the\nCedis, the Pandavas, the Pancalas, and the mighty car-warrior Satyaki,\nall followed that monarch of unfading glory. And the sons of Draupadi,\nand the Suras, and the twin sons of Madri by Pandu, also followed the\nking. Beholding the division of Yudhishthira retreating, the heroic Karna\nbecame highly glad with all the Kurus and began to pursue the retreating\nforce. The din of battle-drums and conchs and cymbals and bows, and\nleonine shouts, arose from among the Dhartarashtra troops. Meanwhile\nYudhishthira, O thou of Kuru's race, quickly riding on the car of\nSrutakirti, began to behold the prowess of Karna. Then king Yudhishthira,\nthe just, seeing his troops fast slaughtered, became filled with rage,\nand addressing his warriors, commanded them, saying, \"Slay these enemies.\nWhy are ye inactive?\" Then the mighty car-warriors of the Pandavas,\nheaded by Bhimasena, thus commanded by the king, all rushed against thy\nsons. The shouts then, O Bharata, of the warriors (of both hosts), and\nthe noise made by cars and elephants and steeds and foot-soldiers, and\nthe clash of weapons, became tremendous. \"Exert,\" \"Strike,\" \"Face the\nfoe,\" were the words that the combatants addressed to one another as they\nbegan to slay one another in that dreadful battle. And in consequence of\nthe showers of shafts shot by them a shadow as that of the clouds seemed\nto spread over the field. And in consequence of those rulers of men,\ncovered with arrows, striking one another, they became divested of\nbanners and standards and umbrellas and steeds and drivers and weapons in\nthat battle. Indeed, those lords of Earth, deprived of life and limbs,\nfell down on the Earth. Looking like the mountain-summits in consequence\nof their uneven backs, huge elephants with their riders, deprived of\nlife, fell down like mountains riven by thunder. Thousands of steeds,\nwith their armour, equipments, and adornments all torn and broken and\ndisplaced, fell down, along with their heroic riders, deprived of life.\nCar-warriors with weapons loosened from their grasp, and deprived by\n(hostile) car-warriors of cars and life, and large bands of\nfoot-soldiers, slain by hostile heroes in that dreadful clash, fell down\nin thousands. The Earth became covered with the heads of heroic\ncombatants intoxicated with battle, heads that were adorned with large\nand expansive eyes of coppery hue and faces as beautiful as the lotus or\nthe moon. And people heard noises as loud in the sky as on the surface of\nthe Earth, in consequence of the sound of music and song proceeding from\nlarge bands of Apsaras on their celestial cars, with which those bands of\nheavenly choristers continually greeted the newly-arrived heroes slain in\nhundreds and thousands by brave enemies on Earth, and with which, placing\nthem on celestial cars, they repaired on those vehicles (towards the\nregion of Indra). Witnessing with their own eyes those wonderful sights,\nand actuated by the desire of going to heaven, heroes with cheerful\nhearts speedily slew one another. Car-warriors fought beautifully with\ncar-warriors in that battle, and foot-soldiers with foot-soldiers, and\nelephants with elephants, and steeds with steeds. Indeed, when that\nbattle, destructive of elephants and steeds and men, raged in this way,\nthe field became covered with the dust raised by the troops. Then enemies\nslew enemies and friends slew friends. The combatants dragged one another\nby their locks, bit one another with their teeth, tore one another with\ntheir nails, and struck one another with clenched fists, and fought one\nanother with bare arms in that fierce battle destructive of both life and\nsins. Indeed, as that battle, fraught with carnage of elephants and\nsteeds and men, raged on so fiercely, a river of blood ran from the\nbodies of (slain) human beings and steeds and elephants. And that current\ncarried away a large number of dead bodies of elephants and steeds and\nmen. Indeed, in that vast host teeming with men, steeds, and elephants,\nthat river formed by the blood of men and steeds and elephants and\nhorsemen and elephant-men, became miry with flesh and exceedingly\nterrible. And on that current, inspiring the timid with terror, floated\nthe bodies of men and steeds and elephants. Impelled by the desire of\nvictory, some combatants forded it and some remained on the other side.\nAnd some plunged into its depths, and some sank in it and some rose above\nits surface as they swam through it. Smeared all over with blood, their\narmour and weapons and robes--all became bloody. Some bathed in it and\nsome drank the liquid and some became strengthless, O bull of Bharata's\nrace. Cars and steeds, and men and elephants and weapons and ornaments,\nand robes and armour, and combatants that were slain or about to be\nslain, and the Earth, the welkin, the firmament, and all the points of\nthe compass, became red. With the odour, the touch, the taste, and the\nexceedingly red sight of that blood and its rushing sound, almost all the\ncombatants, O Bharata, became very cheerless. The Pandava heroes then,\nheaded by Bhimasena and Satyaki, once more rushed impetuously against\nthat army already beaten. Beholding the impetuosity of that rush of the\nPandava heroes to be irresistible, the vast force of thy sons, O king,\nturned its back on the field. Indeed, that host of thine, teeming with\ncars and steeds and elephants and men no longer in compact array, with\narmour and coats of mail displaced and weapons and bows loosened from\ntheir grasp, fled away in all directions, whilst being agitated by the\nenemy, even like a herd of elephants in the forest afflicted by lions.'\"\n\n\n\n50\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding the Pandava heroes rushing impetuously towards\nthy host, Duryodhana, O monarch, endeavoured to check the warriors of his\narmy on all sides, O bull of Bharata race. Although, however, thy son\ncried at the top of his voice, his flying troops, O king, still refused\nto stop. Then one of the wings of the army and its further wing, and\nShakuni, the son of Subala, and the Kauravas well-armed turned against\nBhimasena in that battle. Karna also, beholding the Dhartarashtra force\nwith all its kings flying away, addressed the ruler of the Madras,\nsaying, \"Proceed towards the car of Bhima.\" Thus addressed by Karna, the\nruler of the Madras began to urge those foremost of steeds, of the hue of\nswans, towards the spot where Vrikodara was. Thus urged by Shalya, that\nornament of battle, those steeds approaching the car of Bhimasena,\nmangled in battle. Meanwhile, Bhima, beholding Karna approach, became\nfilled with rage, and set his heart on the destruction of Karna, O bull\nof Bharata's race. Addressing the heroic Satyaki and Dhrishtadyumna, the\nson of Prishata, he said, \"Go you to protect king Yudhishthira of\nvirtuous soul. With difficulty he escaped from a situation of great peril\nbefore my very eyes. In my sight have the armour and robes of the king\nbeen cut off and torn, for Duryodhana's gratification, by Radha's son of\nwicked soul. I shall today reach the end of that woe, O son of Prishata.\nToday, either I shall slay Karna in battle, or he will slay me in\ndreadful battle. I tell thee truly. Today I make over the king to you as\nsacred pledge. With cheerful hearts exert ye today for protecting the\nking.\" Having said these words, the mighty-armed Bhima proceeded towards\nAdhiratha's son, making all the points of the compass resound with a loud\nleonine shout. Beholding Bhima, that delighter in battle, advancing\nquickly, the puissant king of the Madras addressed the Suta's son in the\nfollowing words:\n\n\"'Shalya said, \"Behold, O Karna, the mighty-armed son of Pandu, who is\nfilled with rage. Without doubt, he is desirous of vomiting upon thee\nthat wrath which he has cherished for many years. Never before did I see\nhim assume such a form, not even when Abhimanyu was slain and the\nRakshasa Ghatotkaca. Filled with wrath, the form he hath now assumed,\nendued with the splendour of the all-destroying fire at the end of the\nYuga, is such that it seems he is capable of resisting the three worlds\nunited together.\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'While the ruler of the Madras was saying these words\nunto the son of Radha, Vrikodara, excited with rage, came upon Karna.\nBeholding Bhima, that delighter in battle, approaching him in that way,\nthe son of Radha laughingly said unto Shalya these words, \"The words that\nthou, O ruler of the Madras, hast today spoken to me regarding Bhima, O\nlord, are without doubt all true. This Vrikodara is brave and is a hero\nfull of wrath. He is reckless in protecting his body, and in strength of\nlimbs he is superior to all. While leading a life of concealment in the\ncity of Virata, relying then on the might of his bare arms, for doing\nwhat was agreeable to Draupadi, he secretly slew Kichaka with all his\nrelatives. Even he stands today at the head of battle clad in mail and\ninsensate with wrath. He is ready to engage in battle with the Destroyer\narmed with uplifted mace. This desire, however, hath been cherished\nthrough all my days, viz., that either I shall slay Arjuna or Arjuna will\nslay me. That desire of mine may be fulfilled today in consequence of my\nencounter with Bhima. If I slay Bhima or make him carless, Partha may\ncome against me. That will be well for me. Settle that without delay\nwhich thou thinkest to be suitable to the hour.\" Hearing these words of\nRadha's son of immeasurable energy Shalya replied, saying, \"O thou of\nmighty arms, proceed against Bhimasena of great might. Having checked\nBhimasena, thou mayst then obtain Phalguna. That which is thy purpose,\nthat desire which for many long years thou hast cherished in thy heart,\nwill be accomplished, O Karna. I tell the truth.\" Thus addressed, Karna\nonce more said unto Shalya, \"Either I shall slay Arjuna in battle, or he\nwill slay me. Setting thy heart on battle proceed to the spot where\nVrikodara is.\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Then, O king, Shalya speedily proceeded on that car\nto the spot where that great bowman, viz., Bhima, was engaged in routing\nthy army. There rose then the blare of trumpets and the peal of drums, O\nmonarch, when Bhima and Karna met. The mighty Bhimasena, filled with\nrage, began to scatter thy troops difficult of defeat, with his sharp and\npolished shafts, to all sides. That collision in battle, O monarch,\nbetween Karna and the son of Pandu became, O king, fierce and awful, and\nthe noise that arose was tremendous. Beholding Bhima coming towards him,\nKarna, otherwise called Vaikartana or Vrisha, filled with rage, struck\nhim with shafts in the centre of the chest. And once more, Karna of\nimmeasurable soul, covered him with a shower of arrows. Thus pierced by\nthe Suta's son, Bhima covered the former with winged arrows. And he once\nmore pierced Karna with nine straight and keen shafts. Then Karna, with a\nnumber of arrows, cut in twain Bhima's bow at the handle. And after\ncutting off his bow, he pierced him once again in the centre of the chest\nwith a shaft of great keenness and capable of penetrating every kind of\narmour. Then Vrikodara, taking up another bow, O king, and knowing full\nwell what the vital parts of the body are, pierced the Suta's son with\nmany keen arrows. Then Karna pierced him with five and twenty arrows,\nlike a hunter striking a proud and infuriate elephant in the forest with\na number of blazing brands. His limbs mangled with those shafts, his eyes\nred with rage and the desire of revenge, the son of Pandu, insensate with\nwrath, and impelled by the desire of slaying the Suta's son, fixed on his\nbow an excellent shaft of great impetuosity, capable of bearing a great\nstrain, and competent to pierce the very mountains. Forcibly drawing the\nbow-string to his very ear, the son of the Wind-god, that great bowman,\nfilled with wrath and desirous of making an end of Karna, sped that\nshaft. Thus sped by the mighty Bhima, that shaft, making a noise loud as\nthat of the thunder, pierced through Karna in that battle,\nlike the thunderbolt itself piercing through a mountain. Struck by\nBhimasena, O perpetuator of Kuru's race, the Suta's son, that commander\n(of thy forces), sat down senseless on the terrace of his car. The ruler\nof the Madras then, beholding the Suta's son deprived of his senses, bore\nthat ornament of battle away on his car, from that fight. Then after\nKarna's defeat, Bhimasena began to rout the vast Dhartarashtra host like\nIndra routing the Danavas.'\"\n\n\n\n51\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Exceedingly difficult of accomplishment was that\nfeat, O Sanjaya, which was achieved by Bhima who caused the mighty-armed\nKarna himself to measure his length on the terrace of his car. There is\nonly one person, Karna, who will slay the Pandavas along with the\nSrinjayas--even this is what Duryodhana, O Suta, used very often to say\nunto me. Beholding, however, that son of Radha now defeated by Bhima in\nbattle, what did my son Duryodhana next do?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding Radha's son of the Suta caste turned back from\nthe fight in that great battle, thy son, O monarch, addressed his uterine\nbrothers, saying, \"Go ye quickly, blessed be ye, and protect the son of\nRadha who is plunged into that fathomless ocean of calamity represented\nby the fear of Bhimasena.\" Thus commanded by the king, those princes,\nexcited with wrath and desirous of slaying Bhimasena, rushed towards him\nlike insects towards a blazing fire. They were Srutarvan and Durddhara\nand Kratha and Vivitsu and Vikata and Soma, and Nishangin and Kavashin\nand Pasin and Nanda and Upanandaka, and Duspradharsha and Suvahu and\nVatavega and Suvarchasas, and Dhanurgraha and Durmada and Jalasandha and\nSala and Saha. Surrounded by a large car-force, those princes, endued\nwith great energy and might, approached Bhimasena and encompassed him on\nall sides. They sped at him from every side showers of arrows of diverse\nkinds. Thus afflicted by them, Bhima of great strength, O king, quickly\nslew fifty foremost car-warriors with five hundred others, amongst those\nsons of thine that advanced against him. Filled with rage, Bhimasena\nthen, O king, with a broad-headed arrow, struck off the head of Vivitsu\nadorned with earrings and head-gear, and graced with a face resembling\nthe full moon. Thus cut off, that prince fell down on the Earth.\nBeholding that heroic brother of theirs slain, the (other) brothers\nthere, O lord, rushed in that battle, from every side, upon Bhima of\nterrible prowess. With two other broad-headed arrows then, Bhima of\nterrible prowess took the lives of two other sons of thine in that\ndreadful battle. Those two, Vikata and Saha, looking like a couple of\ncelestial youths, O king, thereupon fell down on the Earth like a couple\nof trees uprooted by the tempest. Then Bhima, without losing a moment,\ndespatched Kratha to the abode of Yama, with a long arrow of keen point.\nDeprived of life, that prince fell down on the Earth. Loud cries of woe\nthen, O ruler of men, arose there when those heroic sons of thine, all\ngreat bowmen, were being thus slaughtered. When those troops were once\nmore agitated, the mighty Bhima, O monarch, then despatched Nanda and\nUpananda in that battle to Yama's abode. Thereupon thy sons, exceedingly\nagitated and inspired with fear, fled away, seeing that Bhimasena in that\nbattle behaved like the Destroyer himself at the end of the Yuga.\nBeholding those sons of thine slain, the Suta's son with a cheerless\nheart once more urged his steeds of the hue of swans to that place where\nthe son of Pandu was. Those steeds, O king, urged on by the ruler of\nMadras, approached with great speed the car of Bhimasena and mingled in\nbattle. The collision, O monarch, that once more took place between Karna\nand the son of Pandu in battle, became, O king, exceedingly fierce and\nawful and fraught with a loud din. Beholding, O king, those two mighty\ncar-warriors close with each other, I became very curious to observe the\ncourse of the battle. Then Bhima, boasting of his prowess in battle,\ncovered Karna in that encounter, O king, with showers of winged shafts in\nthe very sight of thy sons. Then Karna, that warrior acquainted with the\nhighest of weapons, filled with wrath, pierced Bhima with nine\nbroad-headed and straight arrows made entirely of iron. Thereupon the\nmighty-armed Bhima of terrible prowess, thus struck by Karna, pierced his\nassailant in return with seven shafts sped from his bow-string drawn to\nhis ear. Then Karna, O monarch, sighing like a snake of virulent poison,\nshrouded the son of Pandu with a thick shower of arrows. The mighty Bhima\nalso, shrouding that mighty car-warrior with dense arrowy downpours in\nthe very sight of the Kauravas, uttered a loud shout. Then Karna, filled\nwith rage, grasped his strong bow and pierced Bhima with ten arrows\nwhetted on stone and equipped with Kanka feathers. With another\nbroad-headed arrow of great sharpness, he also cut off Bhima's bow. Then\nthe mighty-armed Bhima of great strength, taking up a terrible parigha,\ntwined round with hempen cords and decked with gold and resembling a\nsecond bludgeon of Death himself, and desiring to slay Karna outright,\nhurled it at him with a loud roar. Karna, however, with a number of\narrows resembling snakes of virulent poison, cut off into many fragments\nthat spiked mace as it coursed towards him with the tremendous peal of\nthunder. Then Bhima, that grinder of hostile troops, grasping his bow\nwith greater strength, covered Karna with keen shafts. The battle that\ntook place between Karna and the son of Pandu in that meeting became\nawful for a moment, like that of a couple of huge lions desirous of\nslaying each other. Then Karna, O king, drawing the bow with great force\nand stretching the string to his very ear, pierced Bhimasena with three\narrows. Deeply pierced by Karna, that great bowman and foremost of all\npersons endued with might then took up a terrible shaft capable of\npiercing through the body of his antagonist. That shaft, cutting through\nKarna's armour and piercing through his body, passed out and entered the\nEarth like a snake into ant-hill. In consequence of the violence of that\nstroke, Karna felt great pain and became exceedingly agitated. Indeed, he\ntrembled on his car like a mountain during an earthquake. Then Karna, O\nking, filled with rage and the desire to retaliate, struck Bhima with\nfive and twenty shafts, and then with many more. With one arrow he then\ncut off Bhimasena's standard, and with another broad-headed arrow he\ndespatched Bhima's driver to the presence of Yama. Next quickly cutting\noff the bow of Pandu's son with another winged arrow, Karna deprived\nBhima of terrible feats of his car. Deprived of his car, O chief of\nBharata's race, the mighty-armed Bhima, who resembled the Wind-god (in\nprowess) took up a mace and jumped down from his excellent vehicle.\nIndeed, jumping down from his car with great fury, Bhima began to slay\nthy troops, O king, like the wind destroying the clouds of autumn.\nSuddenly the son of Pandu, that scorcher of foes, filled with wrath,\nrouted seven hundred elephants, O king, endued with tusks as large as\nplough-shafts, and all skilled in smiting hostile troops. Possessed of\ngreat strength and a knowledge of what the vital parts of an elephant\nare, he struck them on their temples and frontal globes and eyes and the\nparts above their gums. Thereupon those animals, inspired with fear, ran\naway. But urged again by their drivers they surrounded Bhimasena once\nmore, like the clouds covering the Sun. Like Indra felling mountains with\nthunder, Bhima with his mace prostrated those seven hundred elephants\nwith their riders and weapons and standards. That chastiser of foes, the\nson of Kunti, next pressed down two and fifty elephants of great strength\nbelonging to the son of Subala. Scorching thy army, the son of Pandu then\ndestroyed a century of foremost cars and several hundreds of\nfoot-soldiers in that battle. Scorched by the Sun as also by the\nhigh-souled Bhima, thy army began to shrink like a piece of leather\nspread over a fire. Those troops of thine, O bull of Bharata's race,\nfilled with anxiety through fear of Bhimasena, avoided Bhima in that\nbattle and fled away in all directions. Then five hundred car-warriors,\ncased in excellent mail, rushed towards Bhima with loud shouts, shooting\nthick showers of arrows on all sides. Like Vishnu destroying the Asuras,\nBhima destroyed with his mace all those brave warriors with their drivers\nand cars and banners and standards and weapons. Then 3,000 horsemen,\ndespatched by Shakuni, respected by all brave men and armed with darts\nand swords and lances, rushed towards Bhima. That slayer of foes,\nadvancing impetuously towards them, and coursing in diverse tracks, slew\nthem with his mace. Loud sounds arose from among them while they were\nbeing assailed by Bhima, like those that arise from among herd of\nelephants struck with large pieces of rocks. Having slain those 3,000\nexcellent horses of Subala's son in that way, he rode upon another car,\nand filled with rage proceeded against the son of Radha. Meanwhile, Karna\nalso, O king, covered Dharma's son (Yudhishthira) that chastiser of foes,\nwith thick showers of arrows, and felled his driver. Then that mighty\ncar-warrior beholding Yudhishthira fly away in that battle, pursued him,\nshooting many straight-coursing shafts equipped with Kanka feathers. The\nson of the Wind-god, filled with wrath, and covering the entire welkin\nwith his shafts, shrouded Karna with thick showers of arrows as the\nlatter pursued the king from behind. The son of Radha then, that crusher\nof foes, turning back from the pursuit, quickly covered Bhima himself\nwith sharp arrows from every side. Then Satyaki, of immeasurable soul, O\nBharata, placing himself on the side of Bhima's car, began to afflict\nKarna who was in front of Bhima. Though exceedingly afflicted by Satyaki,\nKarna still approached Bhima. Approaching each other those two bulls\namong all wielders of bows, those two heroes endued with great energy,\nlooked exceedingly resplendent as they sped their beautiful arrows at\neach other. Spread by them, O monarch, in the welkin, those flights of\narrows, blazing as the backs of cranes, looked exceedingly fierce and\nterrible. In consequence of those thousands of arrows, O king, neither\nthe rays of the Sun nor the points of the compass, cardinal and\nsubsidiary, could any longer be noticed either by ourselves or by the\nenemy. Indeed, the blazing effulgence of the Sun shining at mid-day was\ndispelled by those dense showers of arrows shot by Karna and the son of\nPandu. Beholding the son of Subala, and Kritavarma, and Drona's son, and\nAdhiratha's son, and Kripa, engaged with the Pandavas, the Kauravas\nrallied and came back to the fight. Tremendous became the din, O monarch,\nthat was made by that host as it rushed impetuously against their foes,\nresembling that terrible noise that is made by many oceans swollen with\nrains. Furiously engaged in battle, the two hosts became filled with\ngreat joy as the warriors beheld and seized one another in that dreadful\nmelee. The battle that commenced at that hour when the Sun had reached\nthe meridian was such that its like had never been heard or seen by us.\nOne vast host rushed against another, like a vast reservoir of water\nrushing towards the ocean. The din that arose from the two hosts as they\nroared at each other, was loud and deep as that which may be heard when\nseveral oceans mingle with one another. Indeed, the two furious hosts,\napproaching each other, mingled into one mass like two furious rivers\nthat run into each other.\n\n\"'The battle then commenced, awful and terrible, between the Kurus and\nthe Pandavas, both of whom were inspired with the desire of winning great\nfame. A perfect Babel of voices of the shouting warriors was incessantly\nheard there, O royal Bharata, as they addressed one another by name. He\nwho had anything, by his father's or mother's side or in respect of his\nacts or conduct, that could furnish matter for ridicule, was in that\nbattle made to hear it by his antagonist. Beholding those brave warriors\nloudly rebuking one another in that battle, I thought, O king, that their\nperiods of life had been run out. Beholding the bodies of those angry\nheroes of immeasurable energy a great fear entered my heart, respecting\nthe dire consequences that would ensue. Then the Pandavas, O king, and\nthe Kauravas also, mighty car-warriors all, striking one another, began\nto mangle one another with their keen shafts.'\"\n\n\n\n52\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Those Kshatriyas, O monarch, harbouring feelings of\nanimosity against one another and longing to take one another's life,\nbegan to slay one another in that battle. Throngs of cars, and large\nbodies of horses, and teeming divisions of infantry and elephants in\nlarge numbers mingled with one another, O king, for battle. We beheld the\nfalling of maces and spiked bludgeons and Kunapas and lances and short\narrows and rockets hurled at one another in that dreadful engagement.\nArrowy showers terrible to look at coursed like flights of locusts.\nElephants approaching elephants routed one another. Horsemen encountering\nhorsemen in that battle, and car-warriors encountering car-warriors, and\nfoot-soldiers encountering foot-soldiers, and foot-soldiers meeting with\nhorsemen, and foot-soldiers meeting with cars and elephants, and cars\nmeeting with elephants and horsemen, and elephants of great speed meeting\nwith the three other kinds of forces, began, O king, to crush and grind\none another. In consequence of those brave combatants striking one\nanother and shouting at the top of their voices, the field of battle\nbecame awful, resembling the slaughter-ground of creatures (of Rudra\nhimself). The Earth, O Bharata, covered with blood, looked beautiful like\na vast plain in the season of rains covered with the red coccinella.\nIndeed, the Earth assumed the aspect of a youthful maiden of great\nbeauty, attired in white robes dyed with deep red. Variegated with flesh\nand blood, the field of battle looked as if decked all over with gold.\nLarge numbers of heads severed from trunks and arms and thighs and\nearrings and other ornaments displaced from the bodies of warriors, O\nBharata, and collars and cuirasses and bodies of brave bowmen, and coats\nof mail, and banners, lay scattered on the ground. Elephants coming\nagainst elephants tore one another with their tusks, O king. Struck with\nthe tusks of hostile compeers, elephants looked exceedingly beautiful.\nBathed in blood, those huge creatures looked resplendent like moving\nhills decked with metals, down whose breasts ran streams of liquid chalk.\nLances hurled by horsemen, or those held horizontally by hostile\ncombatants, were seized by many of those beasts, while many amongst them\ntwisted and broke those weapons. Many huge elephants, whose armour had\nbeen cut off with shafts, looked, O king, like mountains divested of\nclouds at the advent of winter. Many foremost of elephants pierced with\narrows winged with gold, looked beautiful like mountains, O sire, whose\nsummits are lighted with blazing brands. Some of those creatures, huge as\nhills, struck by hostile compeers, fell down in that battle, like winged\nmountains (when clipped of their wings). Others, afflicted with arrows\nand much pained by their wounds, fell down touching the Earth, in that\ndreadful battle, at their frontal globes or the parts between their\ntusks. Others roared aloud like lions. And many, uttering terrible\nsounds, ran hither and thither, and many, O king, uttered cries of pain.\nSteeds also, in golden trappings, struck with arrows, fell down, or\nbecame weak, or ran in all directions. Others, struck with arrows and\nlances or dragged down, fell on the Earth and writhed in agony, making\ndiverse kinds of motion. Men also, struck down, fell on the Earth,\nuttering diverse cries of pain, O sire; others, beholding their relatives\nand sires and grandsires, and others seeing retreating foes, shouted to\none another their well-known names and the names of their races. The arms\nof many combatants, decked with ornaments of gold, cut off, O king, by\nfoes, writhed on the ground, making diverse kinds of motions. Thousands\nof such arms fell down and sprang up, and many seemed to dart forward\nlike five-headed snakes. Those arms, looking like the tapering bodies of\nsnakes, and smeared with sandal paste, O king, looked beautiful, when\ndrenched with blood, like little standards of gold. When the battle,\nbecoming general, raged so furiously on all sides, the warriors fought\nwith and slew one another without distinct perceptions of those they\nfought with or struck. A dusty cloud overspread the field of battle, and\nthe weapons used fell in thick showers. The scene being thus darkened,\nthe combatants could no longer distinguish friends from foes. Indeed,\nthat fierce and awful battle proceeded thus. And soon there began to flow\nmany mighty rivers of the bloody currents. And they abounded with the\nheads of combatants that formed their rocks. And the hair of the warriors\nconstituted their floating weeds and moss. Bones formed the fishes with\nwhich they teemed, and bows and arrows and maces formed the rafts by\nwhich to cross them. Flesh and blood forming their mire, those terrible\nand awful rivers, with currents swelled by blood, were thus formed there,\nenhancing the fears of the timid and the joy of the brave. Those awful\nrivers led to the abode of Yama. Many plunged into those streams\ninspiring Kshatriyas with fear, and perished. And in consequence of\nvarious carnivorous creatures, O tiger among men, roaring and yelling on\nall sides, the field of battle became terrible like the domains of the\nking of the dead. And innumerable headless trunks rose up on all sides.\nAnd terrible creatures, gorging on flesh and drinking fat, and blood, O\nBharata, began to dance around. And crows and vultures and cranes,\ngratified with fat and marrow and other animals relishing flesh, were\nseen to move about in glee. They, however, O king, that were heroes,\ncasting off all fear which is so difficult of being cast off, and\nobserving the vow of warriors, fearlessly did their duty. Indeed, on that\nfield where countless arrows and darts coursed through the air, and which\nwas crowded with carnivorous creatures of diverse kinds, brave warriors\ncareered fearlessly, displaying their prowess. Addressing one another, O\nBharata, they declared their names and families. And many amongst them,\ndeclaring the names of their sires and families, O lord, began to crush\none another, O king, with darts and lances and battle-axes. During the\nprogress of that fierce and awful battle, the Kaurava army became\nstrengthless and unable to bear up any longer like a foundered vessel on\nthe bosom of the ocean.'\"\n\n\n\n53\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'During the progress of that battle in which so many\nKshatriyas sank down, the loud twang of Gandiva, O sire, was heard above\nthe din on that spot, O king, where the son of Pandu was engaged in\nslaughtering the samsaptakas, the Kosalas, and the Narayana forces.\nFilled with rage and longing for victory, the samsaptakas, in that\nbattle, began to pour showers of arrows on Arjuna's head. The puissant\nPartha, however, quickly checking those arrowy showers, O king, plunged\ninto that battle, and began to slay many foremost of car-warriors.\nPlunging into the midst of that division of cars with the aid of his\nwhetted shafts equipped with Kanka feathers, Partha came upon Susharma of\nexcellent weapons. That foremost of car-warriors poured on Arjuna thick\nshowers of arrows. Meanwhile the samsaptakas also covered Partha with\ntheir shafts. Then Susharma, piercing Partha with ten shafts, struck\nJanardana with three in the right arm. With a broad-headed arrow then, O\nsire, he pierced the standard of Arjuna. Thereupon that foremost of apes,\nof huge dimensions, the handiwork of the celestial artificer himself,\nbegan to utter loud sounds and roared very fiercely, affrighting thy\ntroops. Hearing the roars of the ape, thy army became inspired with fear.\nIndeed, under the influence of a great fear, that army became perfectly\ninactive. That army then, as it stood inactive, O king, looked beautiful\nlike the Citraratha forest with its flowery burthen of diverse kinds.\nThen those warriors, recovering their senses, O chief of the Kurus, began\nto drench Arjuna with their arrowy downpours like the clouds drenching\nthe mountains. Then all of them encompassed the great car of the Pandava.\nAssailing him, they uttered loud roars although all the while they were\nbeing struck and slaughtered with sharp shafts. Assailing his steeds, his\ncar-wheels, his car-shaft, and every other limb of his vehicle, with\ngreat force, O sire, they uttered many leonine roars. Some among them\nseized the massive arms of Keshava, and some among them, O king, seized\nPartha himself with great joy as he stood on his car. Then Keshava,\nshaking his arms on the field of battle, threw down all those that had\nseized them, like a wicked elephant shaking down all the riders from his\nback. Then Partha, encompassed by those great car-warriors, and beholding\nhis car assailed and Keshava attacked in that manner became filled with\nrage, and overthrew a large number of car-warriors and foot-soldiers. And\nhe covered all the combatants that were close to him with many arrows,\nthat were fit for close encounters. Addressing Keshava then, he said,\n\"Behold, O Krishna, O thou of mighty arms, these countless samsaptakas\nengaged in accomplishing a fearful task although slaughtered in\nthousands. O bull amongst the Yadus, there is none on Earth, save myself,\nthat would be able to bear such a close attack on his car.\" Having said\nthese words, Vibhatsu blew his conch. Then Krishna also blew his conch\nfilling the welkin with its blare. Hearing that blare the army of the\nsamsaptakas began to waver, O king, and became inspired with great\nfright. Then that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the son of Pandu,\nparalysed the legs of the samsaptakas by repeatedly invoking, O monarch,\nthe weapon called Naga. Thus tied with those foot-tying bands by the\nhigh-souled son of Pandu, all of them stood motionless, O king, as if\nthey had been petrified. The son of Pandu then began to slay those\nmotionless warriors like Indra in days of yore slaying the Daityas in the\nbattle with Taraka. Thus slaughtered in that battle, they set the car\nfree, and commenced to throw down all their weapons. Their legs being\nparalysed, they could not, O king, move a step. Then Partha slew them\nwith his straight arrows. Indeed, all these warriors in that battle,\naiming at whom Partha had invoked that foot-tying weapon, had their lower\nlimbs encircled with snakes. Then the mighty car-warrior Susharma, O\nmonarch, beholding his army thus paralysed, quickly invoked the weapon\ncalled Sauparna. Thereupon numerous birds began to come down and devour\nthose snakes. The latter again, at the sight of rangers of the sky,\nbegan, O king, to fly away. Freed from that foot-tying weapon, the\nSamsaptaka force, O monarch, looked like the Sun himself giving light\nunto all creatures, when freed from clouds. Thus liberated, those\nwarriors once more shot their arrows, O sire, and hurled their weapons at\nArjuna's car. And all of them pierced Partha with numerous weapons.\nCutting off with his own arrowy downpour that shower of mighty weapons\nVasava's son, that slayer of hostile heroes, began to slaughter those\nwarriors. Then Susharma, O king, with a straight arrow, pierced Arjuna in\nthe chest, and then he pierced him with three other shafts. Deeply\npierced therewith, and feeling great pain, Arjuna sat down on the terrace\nof his car. Then all the troops loudly cried out, saying, \"Partha is\nslain.\" At this the blare of conchs, and the peal of drums, and the sound\nof diverse musical instruments, and loud leonine shouts, arose there.\nRecovering his senses, Partha of immeasurable soul, owning white steeds\nand having Krishna for his driver, speedily invoked the Aindra weapon.\nThen thousands of arrows, O sire, issuing from that weapon, were seen on\nall sides to slay kings and elephants. And steeds and warriors, in\nhundreds and thousands, were also seen to be slaughtered in that battle,\nwith these weapons. Then while the troops were thus being slaughtered, a\ngreat fear entered the hearts of all the samsaptakas and Gopalas, O\nBharata. There was no man amongst them that could fight with Arjuna.\nThere in the very sight of all the heroes, Arjuna began to destroy thy\ntroops. Beholding that slaughter, all of them remained perfectly\ninactive, without putting forth their prowess. Then the son of Pandu\nhaving slain full 10,000 combatants in that battle, looked resplendent, O\nmonarch, like a blazing fire without smoke. And then he slew full 14,000\nwarriors, and 3,000 warriors, and 3,000 elephants. Then the samsaptakas\nonce more encompassed Dhananjaya, making death or victory their goal. The\nbattle then that took place there between thy warriors and that mighty\nhero, viz., the diadem-decked son of Pandu became awful.'\"\n\n\n\n54\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Then Kritavarma, and Kripa, and the son of Drona and the\nSuta's son, O sire, and Uluka, and Subala's son (Shakuni), and the king\nhimself, with his uterine brothers, beholding the (Kuru) army afflicted\nwith the fear of Pandu's son, unable to stand together, like a vessel\nwrecked on the ocean, endeavoured to rescue it with great speed. For a\nshort space of time, O Bharata, the battle that once more took place\nbecame exceedingly fierce, enhancing as it did the fears of timid and the\njoy of the brave. The dense showers of arrows shot in battle by Kripa,\nthick, as flights of locusts, covered the Srinjayas. Then Shikhandi,\nfilled with rage, speedily proceeded against the grandson of Gautama\n(Kripa) and poured upon that bull amongst Brahmanas his arrowy downpours\nfrom all sides. Acquainted with the highest weapons Kripa then checked\nthat arrowy downpour, and wrathfully pierced Shikhandi with ten arrows in\nthat battle. Then Shikhandi filled with rage, deeply pierced Kripa, in\nthat encounter, with seven straight arrows equipped with Kanka feathers.\nThe twice-born Kripa then, that great car-warrior, deeply pierced with\nthose keen arrows, deprived Shikhandi of his steeds, driver and car.\nJumping down from his steedless vehicle, the mighty car-warrior\n(Shikhandi) rushed impetuously at the Brahmana, having taken up a sword\nand a shield. As the Pancala prince advanced, Kripa quickly covered him\nwith many straight arrows in that encounter, which seemed exceedingly\nwonderful. Indeed, exceedingly wonderful was the sight that we then\nbeheld, even like the flying of rocks, for Shikhandi, O king, (thus\nassailed) remained perfectly inactive in that battle. Beholding Shikhandi\ncovered (with arrows) by Kripa, O best of the kings, the mighty\ncar-warrior Dhrishtadyumna speedily proceeded against Kripa. The great\ncar-warrior Kritavarma, however, rushing impetuously received\nDhrishtadyumna as the latter proceeded against the son of Sharadvata\n(Kripa). Then Drona's son checked Yudhishthira as the latter, with his\nson and troops, was rushing towards the car of Sharadvata's son. Thy son\nDuryodhana, shooting a shower of arrows, received and checked Nakula and\nSahadeva, those two great car-warriors endued with celerity. Karna too,\notherwise called Vaikartana, O Bharata, in that battle, resisted\nBhimasena, and the Karushas, the Kaikayas, and the Srinjayas. Meanwhile\nSharadvata's son, in that battle, O sire, with great activity, sped many\narrows at Shikhandi, as if for the purpose of burning him outright. The\nPancala prince, however, whirling his sword repeatedly, cut off all those\narrows, decked with gold, that had been sped at him by Kripa from all\nsides. The grandson of Gautama (Kripa) then quickly cut off with his\narrows the shield of Prishata's son, that was decked with hundred moons.\nAt this feat of his, the troops made a loud uproar. Deprived of his\nshield, O monarch, and placed under Kripa's power Shikhandi still rushed,\nsword in hand, (towards Kripa), like a sick man towards the jaws of\nDeath. Then Suketu, the son of Citraketu, O king, quickly proceeded\ntowards the mighty Shikhandi plunged into such distress and assailed in\nthat manner by Kripa with his arrows. Indeed, the young prince of\nimmeasurable soul rushed towards the car of Sharadvata's son and poured\nupon that Brahmana, in that battle, innumerable shafts of great keenness.\nBeholding that Brahmana observant of vows thus engaged in battle (with\nanother), Shikhandi, O best of kings, retreated hastily from that spot.\nMeanwhile Suketu, O king, piercing the son of Gautama with nine arrows,\nonce more pierced him with seventy and again with three. Then the prince,\nO sire, cut off Kripa's bow with arrow fixed thereon, and with another\nshaft struck hard the latter's driver in a vital limb. The grandson of\nGautama then, filled with rage, took up a new and very strong bow and\nstruck Suketu with thirty arrows in all his vital limbs. All his limbs\nexceedingly weakened, the prince trembled on his excellent car like a\ntree trembling exceedingly during an earthquake. With a razor-headed\narrow then, Kripa struck off from the prince's trunk, while the latter\nwas still trembling, his head decked with a pair of blazing earrings and\nhead-protector. That head thereupon fell down on the Earth like a piece\nof meat from the claws of a hawk, and then his trunk also fell down, O\nthou of great glory. Upon the fall of Suketu, O monarch, his troops\nbecame frightened, and avoiding Kripa, fled away on all sides.\n\n\"'Encompassing the mighty Dhrishtadyumna, Kritavarma cheerfully addressed\nhim saying, \"Wait, Wait!\" The encounter then that took place between the\nVrishni and the Pancala warriors in that battle became exceedingly\nfierce, like that between two hawks, O king, for a piece of meat. Filled\nwith rage, Dhrishtadyumna, in that battle, struck the son of Hridika\n(Kritavarma, the ruler of Bhoja) with nine arrows in the chest, and\nsucceeded in afflicting him greatly. Then Kritavarma, thus deeply struck\nby Prishata's son in that encounter, covered his assailant, his steeds,\nand his car with his shafts. Thus shrouded, O king, along with his car,\nDhrishtadyumna became invisible, like the Sun shrouded by rain-charged\nclouds. Baffling all those shafts decked with gold, Dhrishtadyumna, O\nking, looked resplendent in that battle in his wounds. The commander of\nthe Pandava forces, viz., the son of Prishata, then, filled with rage,\napproached Kritavarma and poured upon him a fierce shower of arrows. The\nson of Hridika, however, in that battle, with many thousands of his own\narrows, destroyed that fierce arrowy shower coursing towards him with\ngreat impetuosity. Beholding his irresistible shower of arrows checked in\nthat battle by Kritavarma, the son of Prishata, approaching his\nantagonist, began to resist him. And soon he despatched Kritavarma's\ndriver to Yama's abode with a broad-headed arrow of great sharpness.\nDeprived of life, the driver fell down from the car. The mighty\nDhrishtadyumna, having vanquished his mighty antagonist, began then to\nresist the Kauravas with shafts, without losing a moment. Then thy\nwarriors, O king, rushed towards Dhrishtadyumna, uttering loud leonine\nroars. At this a battle once more took place between them.'\"\n\n\n\n55\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Meanwhile the son of Drona (Ashvatthama), beholding\nYudhishthira protected by the grandson of Sini (Satyaki) and by the\nheroic sons of Draupadi, cheerfully advanced against the king, scattering\nmany fierce arrows equipped with wings of gold and whetted on stone, and\ndisplaying diverse manoeuvres of his car and the great skill he had\nacquired and his exceeding lightness of hands. He filled the entire\nwelkin with shafts inspired with the force of celestial weapons.\nConversant with all weapons, Drona's son encompassed Yudhishthira in that\nbattle. The welkin being covered with the shafts of Drona's son, nothing\ncould be seen. The vast space in front of Ashvatthama became one expanse\nof arrows. The welkin then, thus covered with that dense shower of arrows\ndecked with gold, looked beautiful, O chief of the Bharatas, as if a\ncanopy embroidered with gold had been spread there. Indeed, the\nfirmament, O king, having been covered with that bright shower of arrows,\na shadow, as that of the clouds, appeared there on the occasion.\nWonderful was the sight that we then beheld when the sky had thus become\none expanse of arrows, for not one creature ranging the sky could course\nthrough his element. Then Satyaki, though struggling resolutely, and\nPandu's son king Yudhishthira the just, as also all the other warriors,\ncould not display their prowess. Beholding the great lightness of hands\ndisplayed by the son of Drona, the mighty car-warriors (of the Pandava\narmy) were filled with wonder. All the kings became incapable of even\nlooking at Ashvatthama, O monarch, who then resembled the scorching Sun\nhimself in the sky. While the Pandava troops were thus being slaughtered,\nthose mighty car-warriors, viz., the sons of Draupadi, and Satyaki, and\nking Yudhishthira the just, and the Pancala warriors, all uniting\ntogether, cast off their fears of death and rushed against the son of\nDrona. Then Satyaki, piercing the son of Drona with seventy arrows, once\nmore pierced him with seven long shafts decked with gold. And\nYudhishthira pierced him with three and seventy arrows, and Prativindya\nwith seven, and Srutakarman pierced him with three arrows and Srutakirti\nwith five. And Sutasoma pierced him with nine arrows, and Satanika with\nseven. And many other heroes pierced him with many arrows from every\nside. Filled then with rage and breathing, O king, like a snake of\nvirulent poison, Drona's son pierced Satyaki in return with five and\ntwenty arrows whetted on stone. And he pierced Srutakirti with nine\narrows and Sutasoma with five, and with eight arrows he pierced\nSrutakarman, and Prativindya with three. And he pierced Satanika with\nnine arrows, and Dharma's son (Yudhishthira) with five. And each of the\nother warriors he pierced with a couple of shafts. With some keen arrows\nhe then cut off the bow of Srutakirti. The latter then, that great\ncar-warrior, taking up another bow, pierced Drona's son, first with three\narrows and then with many others equipped with sharp points. Then, O\nmonarch, the son of Drona covered the Pandava troops, O sire, with thick\nshowers of arrows, O bull of Bharata's race. Of immeasurable soul, the\nson of Drona, next smiling the while, cut off the bow of king\nYudhishthira the just, and then pierced him with three arrows. The son of\nDharma then, O king, taking up another formidable bow, pierced Drona's\nson with seventy arrows in the arms and the chest. Then Satyaki, filled\nwith rage in that battle, cut off the bow of Drona's son, that great\nsmiter, with a sharp crescent-shaped arrow and uttered a loud roar. His\nbow cut off, that foremost of mighty men viz., the son of Drona, quickly\nfelled Satyaki's driver from his car with a dart. The valiant son of\nDrona then, taking up another bow, covered the grandson of Sini, O\nBharata, with a shower of arrows. His driver having been slain, Satyaki's\nsteeds were seen to run hither and thither, O Bharata, in that battle.\nThen the Pandava warriors headed by Yudhishthira, shooting sharp shafts,\nall rushed with impetuosity towards Drona's son, that foremost of all\nwielders of weapons. That scorcher of foes, however, viz., the son of\nDrona, beholding those warriors wrathfully advancing against him received\nthem all in that dreadful battle. Then like a fire in the forest\nconsuming heaps of dry grass and straw, that mighty car-warrior, viz.,\nDrona's son, having showers of arrows for his flames, consumed the\nPandava troops in that battle, who resembled a heap of dry grass and\nstraw. That army of Pandu's son, thus scorched by the son of Drona,\nbecame exceedingly agitated, O chief of the Bharatas, like the mouth of a\nriver by a whale. People then, O monarch, beholding the prowess of\nDrona's son, regarded all the Pandavas as already slain by him. Then\nYudhishthira, that great car-warrior and disciple of Drona, filled with\nrage and the desire to retaliate, addressed Drona's son, saying \"O tiger\namong men, thou hast no affection, thou hast no gratitude, since thou\ndesirest to slay me today. The duties of a Brahmana are asceticism and\ngift and study. The bow should be bent by the Kshatriya only. It seems,\ntherefore, that thou art a Brahmana in name only. In thy very sight,\nhowever.\" O thou of mighty arms, I will vanquish the Kauravas in battle.\nDo what thou canst in battle. I tell thee that thou art a wretch amongst\nBrahmanas.\" Thus addressed, the son of Drona, smiling, and reflecting\nupon what was proper and true, gave no reply. Without saying anything, he\ncovered the son of Pandu in that battle with a shower of arrows like the\ndestroyer himself in wrath while engaged in annihilating creatures. Thus\ncovered by Drona's son, O sire, the son of Pritha quickly went away from\nthat spot, leaving that large division of his. After Yudhishthira, the\nson of Dharma, had gone away, the high-souled son of Drona also, O king,\nleft that spot. Then Yudhishthira, O king, avoiding the son of Drona in\nthat great battle proceeded against thy army, resolved to achieve the\ncruel task of slaughter.'\"\n\n\n\n56\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Meanwhile Vikartana himself, resisting Bhimasena\nsupported by the Pancalas and the Cedis and the Kaikayas, covered him\nwith many arrows. In the very sight of Bhimasena, Karna, slew in that\nbattle many mighty car-warriors among the Cedis, the Karushas, and the\nSrinjayas. Then Bhimasena, avoiding Karna, that best of car-warriors,\nproceeded against the Kaurava troops like a blazing fire towards a heap\nof dry grass. The Suta's son also in that battle, began to slay the\nmighty bowmen amongst the Pancalas, the Kaikayas, and the Srinjayas, in\nthousands. Indeed, the three mighty car-warriors viz., Partha and\nVrikodara and Karna, began to exterminate the samsaptakas, the Kauravas,\nand the Pancalas, respectively. In consequence of thy evil policy, O\nking, all these Kshatriyas, scorched with excellent shafts by those three\ngreat warriors, began to be exterminated in that battle. Then Duryodhana,\nO chief of the Bharatas, filled with rage, pierced Nakula and his four\nsteeds with nine arrows. Of immeasurable soul, thy son next, O ruler of\nmen, cut off the golden standard of Sahadeva with a razor-faced shaft.\nFilled with wrath, Nakula then, O king, struck thy son with three and\nseventy arrows in that battle, and Sahadeva struck him with five. Each of\nthose foremost warriors of Bharata's race and foremost of all bowmen, was\nstruck by Duryodhana in rage with five arrows. With a couple of\nbroad-headed arrows, then, he cut off the bows of both those warriors;\nand then he suddenly pierced each of the twins with three and seventy\narrows. Taking up then two other beautiful and foremost of bows each of\nwhich resembled the bow of Indra himself, those two heroes looked\nbeautiful like a pair of celestial youths in that battle. Then those two\nbrothers, both endued with great activity in battle, poured upon their\ncousin, O king, ceaseless showers of terrible shafts like two masses of\nclouds, pouring rain upon a mountain breast. Thereupon thy son, that\ngreat car-warrior, O king, filled with rage, resisted those two great\nbowmen, viz., the twin sons of Pandu, with showers of winged arrows. The\nbow of Duryodhana in that battle, O Bharata, seemed to be continuously\ndrawn into a circle, and shafts seemed to issue from it ceaselessly on\nall sides. Covered with Duryodhana's shafts the two sons of Pandu ceased\nto shine brightly, like the Sun and the Moon in the firmament, divested\nof splendour, when shrouded by masses of clouds. Indeed, those arrows, O\nking, equipped with wings of gold and whetted on stone, covered all the\npoints of the compass like the rays of the Sun, when the welkin was thus\nshrouded and all that was seen was one uniform expanse of the Destroyer\nhimself, at the end of the Yuga. Beholding on the other hand, the prowess\nof thy son, the great car-warriors all regarded the twin sons of Madri to\nbe in the presence of Death. The commander then, O king, of the Pandava\narmy, viz., the mighty car-warrior Parshata (Son of Prishata) proceeded\nto that spot where Duryodhana was. Transgressing those two great\ncar-warriors, viz., the two brave sons of Madri, Dhrishtadyumna began to\nresist thy son with his shafts. Of immeasurable soul, that bull among\nmen, viz., thy son, filled with the desire to retaliate, and smiling the\nwhile, pierced the prince of Pancala with five and twenty arrows. Of\nimmeasurable soul and filled with the desire to retaliate, thy son once\nmore pierced the prince of Pancala with sixty shafts and once again with\nfive, and uttered a loud roar. Then the king, with a sharp razor-faced\narrow, cut off, in that battle, O sire, the bow with arrow fixed thereon\nand the leathern fence of his antagonist. Casting aside that broken bow,\nthe prince of Pancala, that crusher of foes, quickly took up another bow\nthat was new and capable of bearing a great strain. Blazing with\nimpetuosity, and with eyes red as blood from rage, the great bowman\nDhrishtadyumna, with many wounds on his person looked resplendent on his\ncar. Desirous of slaying Duryodhana, O chief of the Bharatas, the Pancala\nhero sped five and ten cloth-yard shafts that resembled hissing snakes.\nThose shafts, whetted on stone and equipped with the feathers of Kankas\nand peacocks, cutting through the armour decked with gold of the king\npassed through his body and entered the Earth in consequence of the force\nwith which they had been shot. Deeply pierced, O monarch, thy son looked\nexceedingly beautiful like a gigantic Kinsuka in the season of spring\nwith its flowery weight. His armour pierced with those shafts, and all\nhis limbs rendered exceedingly infirm with wounds, he became filled with\nrage and cut off Dhrishtadyumna's bow, with a broad-headed arrow. Having\ncut off his assailant's bow the king then, O monarch, with great speed,\nstruck him with ten shafts on the forehead between the two eyebrows.\nThose shafts, polished by the hands of the smith, adorned\nDhrishtadyumna's face like a number of bees, desirous of honey, adorning\na full-blown lotus. Throwing aside that broken bow, the high-souled\nDhrishtadyumna quickly took up another, and with it, sixteen broad-headed\narrows. With five he slew the four steeds and the driver of Duryodhana,\nand he cut off with another his bow decked with gold. With the remaining\nten shafts, the son of Prishata cut off the car with the upashkara, the\numbrella, the dart, the sword, the mace, and the standard of thy son.\nIndeed, all the kings beheld the beautiful standard of the Kuru king,\ndecked with golden Angadas and bearing the device of an elephant worked\nin jewels, cut off by the prince of the Pancalas. Then the uterine\nbrothers of Duryodhana, O bull of Bharata's race, rescued the carless\nDuryodhana who had all his weapons, besides, cut off in that battle. In\nthe very sight of Dhrishtadyumna, Durdhara, O monarch, causing that ruler\nof men to ride upon his car quickly bore him away from the battle.\n\n\"'Meanwhile the mighty Karna, having vanquished Satyaki and desirous of\nrescuing the (Kuru) king, proceeded straight against the face of Drona's\nslayer, that warrior of fierce shafts. The grandson of Sini, however,\nquickly pursued him from behind, striking him with his arrows, like an\nelephant pursuing a rival and striking him at the hinder limbs with his\ntusks. Then, O Bharata, fierce became the battle that raged between the\nhigh-souled warriors of the two armies, in the space that intervened\nbetween Karna and the son of Prishata. Not a single combatant of either\nthe Pandavas nor ourselves turned his face from the battle. Then Karna\nproceeded against the Pancalas with great speed. At that hour when the\nSun had ascended the meridian, great slaughter, O best of men, of\nelephants and steeds and men, took place on both sides. The Pancalas, O\nking, inspired with the desire of victory, all rushed with speed against\nKarna like birds towards a tree. The son of Adhiratha, of great energy,\nfilled with rage, began from their front to strike those Pancalas, with\nthe keen points of his shafts, singling out their leaders, viz.,\nVyaghraketu and Susharma and Citra and Ugrayudha and Jaya and Sukla and\nRochamana and the invincible Singhasena. Those heroes, speedily advancing\nwith their cars, encompassed that foremost of men, and poured their\nshafts upon that angry warrior, viz., Karna, that ornament of battle.\nThat foremost of men endued with great valour, viz., the son of Radha,\nafflicted those eight heroes engaged in battle with eight keen shafts.\nThe Suta's son possessed of great prowess, O king, then slew many\nthousands of other warriors skilled in fight. Filled with rage, the son\nof Radha then slew Jishnu, and Jishnukarman, and Devapi, O king, in that\nbattle, and Citra, and Citrayudha, and Hari, and Singhaketu and Rochamana\nand the great car-warrior Salabha, and many car-warriors among the Cedis\nbathed the form of Adhiratha's son in blood, while he himself was engaged\nin taking the lives of those heroes. There, O Bharata, elephants,\nassailed with arrows by Karna, fled away on all sides in fear and caused\na great agitation on the field of battle. Others assailed with the shafts\nof Karna, uttered diverse cries, and fell down like mountains riven with\nthunder. With the fallen bodies of elephants and steeds and men and with\nfallen cars, the Earth became strewn along the track of Karna's car.\nIndeed, neither Bhishma, nor Drona, nor any other warrior of thy army had\never achieved such feats as were then achieved by Karna in that battle.\nAmongst elephants, amongst steeds, amongst cars and amongst men, the\nSuta's son caused a very great carnage, O tiger among men. As a lion is\nseen to career fearlessly among a herd of deer, even so Karna careered\nfearlessly among the Pancalas. As a lion routeth a herd of terrified deer\nto all points of the compass, even so Karna routed those throngs of\nPancala cars to all sides. As a herd of deer that have approached the\njaws of a lion can never escape with life, even so those great\ncar-warriors that approached Karna could not escape with their lives. As\npeople are certainly burnt if they come in contact with a blazing fire,\neven so the Srinjayas, O Bharata, were burnt by the Karna-fire when they\ncame in contact with it. Many warriors among the Cedis and the Pancalas,\nO Bharata, that were regarded as heroes, were slain by the single-handed\nKarna in that battle who fought with them, proclaiming his name, in every\ninstance. Beholding the prowess of Karna, O king, I thought that a single\nPancala even would not, in that battle, escape from the son of Adhiratha.\nIndeed, the Suta's son in that battle repeatedly routed the Pancalas.\n\n\"'Beholding Karna thus slaughtering the Pancalas in that dreadful battle,\nKing Yudhishthira the just rushed in wrath towards him; Dhrishtadyumna\nand the sons of Draupadi also, O sire, and hundreds of warriors,\nencompassed that slayer of foes viz., the son of Radha. And Shikhandi,\nand Sahadeva, and Nakula, and Nakula's son, and Janamejaya, and the\ngrandson of Sini, and innumerable Prabhadrakas, all endued with\nimmeasurable energy, advancing with Dhrishtadyumna in their van, looked\nmagnificent as they struck Karna with shafts and diverse weapons. Like\nGaruda falling upon a large number of snakes, the son of Adhiratha,\nsinglehanded, fell upon all those Cedis and Pancalas and Pandavas in that\nencounter. The battle that took place between them and Karna, O monarch,\nbecame exceedingly fierce like that which had occurred in days of old\nbetween the gods and the Danavas. Like the Sun dispelling the surrounding\ndarkness, Karna fearlessly and alone encountered all those great bowmen\nunited together and pouring upon him repeated showers of arrows. While\nthe son of Radha was thus engaged with the Pandavas, Bhimasena, filled\nwith rage, began to slaughter the Kurus with shafts, every one of which\nresembled the lord of Yama. That great bowman, fighting single-handed\nwith the Bahlikas, and the Kaikayas, the Matsyas, the Vasatas, the\nMadras, and Saindhavas, looked exceedingly resplendent. There, elephants,\nassailed in their vital limbs by Bhima with his cloth-yard shafts fell\ndown, with their riders slain, making the Earth tremble with the violence\nof their fall. Steeds also, with their riders slain, and foot-soldiers\ndeprived of life, lay down, pierced with arrows and vomiting blood in\nlarge quantities. Car-warriors in thousands fell down, their weapons\nloosened from their hands. Inspired with the fear of Bhima, they lay\ndeprived of life, their bodies mangled with wounds. The Earth became\nstrewn with car-warriors and horsemen and elephant-men and drivers and\nfoot-soldiers and steeds and elephants all mangled with the shafts of\nBhimasena. The army of Duryodhana, O king, cheerless and mangled and\nafflicted with the fear of Bhimasena, stood as if stupefied. Indeed that\nmelancholy host stood motionless in that dreadful battle like the Ocean,\nO king, during a calm in autumn. Stupefied, that host stood even like the\nOcean in calm. However endued with wrath and energy and might, the army\nof thy son then, divested of its pride, lost all its splendour. Indeed,\nthy host, whilst thus being slaughtered became drenched with gore and\nseemed to bathe in blood. The combatants, O chief of the Bharatas,\ndrenched with blood, were seen to approach and slaughter one another. The\nSuta's son, filled with rage, routed the Pandava division, while\nBhimasena in rage routed the Kurus. And both of them, while thus\nemployed, looked exceedingly resplendent. During the progress of that\nfierce battle filling the spectators with wonder, Arjuna, that foremost\nof various persons, having slain a large number of samsaptakas in the\nmidst of their array, addressed Vasudeva, saying, \"This struggling force\nof samsaptakas, O Janardana, is broken. Those great car-warriors amongst\nthe samsaptakas are flying away with their followers, unable to bear my\nshafts, like deer unable to bear the roar of the lion. The vast force of\nthe Srinjayas also seems to break in this great battle. There that banner\nof the intelligent Karna, bearing the device of the elephant's rope, O\nKrishna, is seen in the midst of Yudhishthira's division, where he is\ncareering with activity. The other great car-warriors (of our army) are\nincapable of vanquishing Karna. Thou knowest that Karna is possessed of\ngreat energy as regards prowess in battle. Proceed thither where Karna is\nrouting our force. Avoiding (other warriors) in battle, proceed against\nthe Suta's son, that mighty car-warrior. This is what I wish, O Krishna.\nDo, however, that which thou likest.\" Hearing these words of his, Govinda\nsmiled, and addressing Arjuna, said, \"Slay the Kauravas, O son of Pandu,\nwithout delay.\" Then those steeds, white as swans, urged by Govinda, and\nbearing Krishna and the son of Pandu penetrated thy vast force. Indeed,\nthy host broke on all sides as those white steeds in trappings of gold,\nurged by Keshava, penetrated into its midst. That ape-bannered car, the\nclatter of whose wheels resembled the deep roar of the clouds and whose\nflags waved in the air, penetrated into the host like a celestial car\npassing through the welkin. Keshava and Arjuna, filled with rage, and\nwith eyes red as blood, as they penetrated, piercing through thy vast\nhost, looked exceedingly resplendent in their splendour. Both delighting\nin battle, as those two heroes, challenged by the Kurus, came to the\nfield, they looked like the twin Ashvinis invoked with proper rites in a\nsacrifice by the officiating priests. Filled with rage, the impetuosity\nof those two tigers among men increased like that of two elephants in a\nlarge forest, enraged at the claps of hunters. Having penetrated into the\nmidst of that car-force and those bodies of horse, Phalguna careered\nwithin those divisions like the Destroyer himself, armed with the fatal\nnoose. Beholding him put forth such prowess within his army, thy son, O\nBharata, once more urged the samsaptakas against him. Thereupon, with a\n1,000 cars, and 300 elephants, and 14,000 horses, and 200,000 of\nfoot-soldiers armed with the bow, endued with great courage, of sureness\nof aim and conversant with all the ways of battle, the leaders of the\nsamsaptakas rushed (from every side) towards the son of Kunti (in the\ngreat battle) covering the Pandava, O monarch, with showers of arrows\nfrom all sides. Thus covered with shafts in that battle, Partha, that\ngrinder of hostile forces, exhibited himself in a fierce form like the\nDestroyer himself, armed with the noose. While engaged in slaughtering\nthe samsaptakas, Partha became a worthy object of sight to all. Then the\nwelkin became filled with shafts decked with gold and possessed of the\neffulgence of lightning that were ceaselessly short by the diadem-decked\nArjuna. Indeed, everything completely shrouded with mighty shafts sped\nfrom Arjuna's arms and falling ceaselessly all around, looked\nresplendent, O lord, as if covered with snakes. The son of Pandu, of\nimmeasurable soul, shot on all sides his straight shafts equipped with\nwings of gold and furnished with keen points. In consequence of the sound\nof Partha's palms, people thought that the Earth, or the vault of the\nwelkin, or all the points of the compass, or the several oceans, or the\nmountains seemed to split. Having slain 10,000 Kshatriyas, Kunti's son,\nthat mighty car-warrior, then quickly proceeded to the further wing of\nthe samsaptakas. Repairing to that further wing which was protected by\nthe Kambojas, Partha began to grind it forcibly with his arrows like\nVasava grinding the Danavas. With broad-headed arrows he began to quickly\ncut off the arms, with weapons in grasp, and also the heads of foes\nlonging to slay him. Deprived of diverse limbs, and of weapons, they\nbegan to fall down on the Earth, like trees of many boughs broken by a\nhurricane. While he was engaged in thus slaughtering elephants and steeds\nand car-warriors and foot-soldiers, the younger brother of Sudakshina\n(the chief of the Kambojas) began to pour showers of arrows on him. With\na couple of crescent-shaped arrows, Arjuna cut off the two arms, looking\nlike spiked maces, of his striking assailant, and then his head graced\nwith a face as beautiful as the full moon, with a razor-headed arrow.\nDeprived of life, he fell down from his vehicle, his body bathed in\nblood, like the thunder-riven summit of a mountain of red arsenic.\nIndeed, people saw the tall and exceedingly handsome younger brother of\nSudakshina, the chief of the Kambojas, of eyes resembling lotus petals,\nslain and fall down like a column of gold or like a summit of the golden\nSumeru. Then commenced a battle there once more that was fierce and\nexceedingly wonderful. The condition of the struggling combatants varied\nrepeatedly. Each slain with a single arrow, and combatants of the\nKamboja, the Yavana, and the Saka races, fell down bathed in blood, upon\nwhich the whole field of battle became one expanse of red, O monarch. In\nconsequence of car-warriors deprived of steeds and drivers, and steeds\ndeprived of riders, and elephants deprived of riders, and riders deprived\nof elephants, battling with one another, O king, a great carnage took\nplace. When the wing and the further wing of the samsaptakas had thus\nbeen exterminated by Savyasaci, the son of Drona quickly proceeded\nagainst Arjuna, that foremost of victorious warriors. Indeed, Drona's son\nrushed, shaking his formidable bow, and taking with him many terrible\narrows like the Sun himself appearing with his own rays. With mouth wide\nopen from rage and with the desire to retaliate, and with red eyes, the\nmighty Ashvatthama looked formidable like death himself, armed with his\nmace and filled with wrath as at the end of the Yuga. He then shot\nshowers of fierce shafts. With those shafts sped by him, he began to rout\nthe Pandava army. As soon as he beheld him of Dasharha's race (Keshava)\non the car, O king, he once more sped at him, and repeated showers of\nfierce shafts. With those falling shafts, O monarch, sped by Drona's son,\nboth Krishna and Dhananjaya were completely shrouded on the car. Then the\nvaliant Ashvatthama, with hundreds of keen arrows, stupefied both Madhava\nand the son of Pandu in that battle. Beholding those two protectors of\nall mobile and immobile creatures thus covered with arrows, the universe\nof mobile and immobile beings uttered cries of \"Oh!\" and \"Alas!\" Crowds\nof Siddhas and Charanas began to repair to that spot from every side,\nmentally uttering this prayer, viz., \"Let good be to all the worlds.\"\nNever before, O king, did I see prowess like that of Drona's son in that\nbattle while he was engaged in shrouding the two Krishnas with shafts.\nThe sound of Ashvatthama's bow, inspiring foes with terror, was\nrepeatedly heard by us in that battle, O king, to resemble that of a\nroaring lion. While careering in that battle and striking right and left\nthe string of his bow looked beautiful like flashes of lightning in the\nmidst of a mass of clouds. Though endued with great firmness and\nlightness of hand the son of Pandu, for all that, beholding the son of\nDrona then, became greatly stupefied. Indeed, Arjuna then regarded his\nown prowess to be destroyed by his high-souled assailant. The form of\nAshvatthama became such in that battle that men could with difficulty\ngaze at it. During the progress of that dreadful battle between Drona's\nson and the Pandava, during that time when the mighty son of Drona, O\nmonarch, thus prevailed over his antagonist and the son of Kunti lost his\nenergy, Krishna became filled with rage. Inspired with wrath he drew deep\nbreaths, O king, and seemed to burn with his eyes both Ashvatthama and\nPhalguna as he looked at them repeatedly. Filled with rage, Krishna\naddressed Partha in an affectionate tone, saying, \"This, O Partha, that I\nbehold in battle regarding thee, is exceedingly strange, since Drona's\nson, O Partha, surpasseth thee today! Hast thou not now the energy and\nthe might of thy arms thou hadst before? Hast thou not that Gandiva still\nin thy hands, and dost thou not stay on thy car now? Are not thy two arms\nsound? Hath thy fist suffered any hurt? Why is it then that I see the son\nof Drona prevail over thee in battle? Do not, O Partha, spare thy\nassailant, regarding him as the son of thy preceptor, O bull of Bharata's\nrace. This is not the time for sparing him.\" Thus addressed by Krishna,\nPartha speedily took up four and ten broad-headed arrows at a time, when\nspeed was of the highest moment, and with them he cut off Ashvatthama's\nbow and standard and umbrella and banners and car and dart and mace. With\na few calf-toothed arrows he then deeply struck the son of Drona in the\nlatter's shoulder. Thereupon overcome with a deep swoon, Ashvatthama sat\ndown, supporting himself on his flagstaff. The latter's driver then, O\nmonarch, desirous of protecting him from Dhananjaya, bore him away\ninsensible and thus deeply afflicted by the foe. Meanwhile that scorcher\nof foes, viz., Vijaya, slaughtered thy troops by hundreds and thousands,\nin the very sight of that hero, viz., thy son, O sire. Thus, O king, in\nconsequence of thy evil counsels, a cruel and awful destruction and\ncarnage commenced as thy warriors were engaged with the enemy. Within a\nshort time Vibhatsu routed the samsaptakas, Vrikodara, the Kurus, and\nVasusena, the Pancalas. During the progress of the battle destructive of\ngreat heroes, there rose many headless trunks all around. Meanwhile\nYudhishthira, O chief of the Bharatas, in great pain owing to his wounds,\nretreating about two miles from the battle, rested himself for some\ntime.'\"\n\n\n\n57\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Then Duryodhana, O chief of Bharatas, repairing to Karna,\nsaid unto him as also unto the ruler of the Madras and the other lords of\nEarth present there, these words, \"Without seeking hath this occasion\narrived, when the gates of heaven have become wide open. Happy are those\nKshatriyas, O Karna, that obtain such a battle. Brave heroes fighting in\nbattle with brave Kshatriyas equal to them in might and prowess, obtain\ngreat good, O son of Radha. The occasion that hath come is even such.\nEither let these brave Kshatriyas, slaying the Pandavas in battle, obtain\nthe broad Earth, or let them, slain in battle by the foe, win the blessed\nregion reserved for heroes.\" Hearing these words of Duryodhana, those\nbulls among Kshatriyas cheerfully uttered loud shouts and beat and blew\ntheir musical instruments. When Duryodhana's force became thus filled\nwith joy, the son of Drona, gladdening all thy warriors further said, \"In\nthe very sight of all the troops, and before the eyes of you all, my\nfather after he had laid aside his weapons, was slain by Dhrishtadyumna.\nBy that wrath which such an act might kindle, and for the sake also of my\nfriend, ye kings, I swear truly before you all. Listen then to that oath\nof mine. Without slaying Dhrishtadyumna I shall not doff my armour. If\nthis vow of mine be not fulfilled, let me not go to heaven. Be it Arjuna,\nbe it Bhimasena, or be it anybody else, whoever will come against me I\nwill crush him or all of them. There is no doubt in this.\" After\nAshvatthama had uttered these words, the entire Bharata army, united\ntogether, rushed against the Pandavas, and the latter also rushed against\nthe former. The collision of brave leaders of car-divisions, O Bharata,\nbecame exceedingly awful. A destruction of life then set in at the van of\nthe Kurus and the Srinjayas, that resembled what takes place at the last\ngreat universal dissolution. Upon the commencement of that\npassage-at-arms, various (superior) beings, with the gods, came there\naccompanied by the Apsaras, for beholding those foremost of men. Filled\nwith joy, the Apsaras began to cover those foremost of men devoted to the\nduties of their order, with celestial garlands, with diverse kinds of\ncelestial perfumes, and with diverse species of gems. Soft winds bore\nthose excellent odours to the nostrils of all the foremost of warriors.\nHaving smelt those perfumes in consequence of the action of the wind, the\nwarriors once more engaged in battle, and striking one another began to\nfall down on the Earth. Strewn with celestial flowers, with beautiful\nshafts equipped with wings of gold, and with many foremost of warriors,\nthe Earth looked beautiful like the firmament bespangled with myriads of\nstars. Then in consequence of cheers coming from the welkin and the noise\nof musical instruments, the furious passage-at-arms distinguished by\ntwang of bows and clatter of car-wheels and shouts of warriors became\nexceedingly fierce.'\"\n\n\n\n58\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Thus raged that great battle between those lords of Earth\nwhen Arjuna and Karna and Bhimasena, the son of Pandu became angry.\nHaving vanquished the son of Drona, and other great car-warriors, Arjuna,\nO king, addressing Vasudeva, said, \"Behold, O Krishna of mighty arms, the\nPandava army is flying away. Behold, Karna is slaying our great\ncar-warriors in this battle. I do not, O thou of Dasaratha's race, see\nking Yudhishthira the just. Nor is the standard of Dharma's son, foremost\nof warriors, visible. The third part of the day still remaineth,\nJanardana. No one amongst the Dhartarashtras cometh against me for fight.\nFor doing, therefore, what is agreeable to me, proceed to the spot where\nYudhishthira is. Beholding Dharma's son safe and sound with his younger\nbrothers in battle, I will again fight with the foe, O thou of Vrishni's\nrace.\" At these words of Vibhatsu, Hari (Krishna) quickly proceeded on\nthat car to that spot where king Yudhishthira, along with the mighty\nSrinjaya car-warriors of great strength, were fighting with the foe,\nmaking death their goal. During the progress of that great carnage,\nGovinda, beholding the field of battle, addressed Savyasaci, saying,\n\"Behold, O Partha, how great and awful is this carnage, O Bharata, of\nKshatriyas on Earth for the sake of Duryodhana. Behold, O Bharata, the\ngold-backed bows of slain warriors, as also their costly quivers\ndisplaced from their shoulders. Behold those straight shafts equipped\nwith wings of gold, and those clothyard arrows washed with oil and\nlooking like snakes freed from their sloughs. Behold, O Bharata, those\nscimitars, decked with gold, and having ivory handles, and those\ndisplaced shields embossed with gold. Behold those lances decked with\ngold, those darts having golden ornaments, and those huge maces twined\nround with gold. Behold those swords adorned with gold, those axes with\ngolden ornaments, and the heads of those battle-axes fallen off from\ntheir golden handles. Behold those iron Kuntas, those short clubs\nexceedingly heavy, those beautiful rockets, those huge bludgeons with\nspiked heads, those discs displaced from the arms of their wielders, and\nthose spears (that have been used) in this dreadful battle. Endued (while\nliving) with great activity, warriors that came to battle, having taken\nup diverse weapons, are lying, though deprived of life, as if still\nalive. Behold, thousands of warriors lying on the field, with limbs\ncrushed by means of maces, or heads broken by means of heavy clubs, or\ntorn and mangled by elephants and steeds and cars. The field of battle is\ncovered with shafts and darts and swords and axes and scimitars and\nspiked maces and lances and iron Kuntas and battle-axes, and the bodies\nof men and steeds and elephants, hacked with many wounds and covered with\nstreams of blood and deprived of life, O slayer of foes. The Earth looks\nbeautiful, O Bharata, with arms smeared with sandal, decked with Angadas\nof gold and with Keyuras, and having their ends cased in leathern fences.\nWith hands cased in leathern fences, with displaced ornaments, with\nsevered thighs looking like elephants' trunks of many active warriors,\nwith fallen heads, decked with costly gems and earrings, of heroes having\nlarge expansive eyes, the Earth looks exceedingly beautiful. With\nheadless trunks smeared all over with blood with severed limbs and heads\nand hips, the Earth looks, O best of the Bharatas, like an altar strewn\nwith extinguished fires. Behold those beautiful cars with rows of golden\nbells, broken in diverse ways, and those slain steeds lying scattered on\nthe field, with arrows yet sticking to their bodies. Behold those bottoms\nof cars, those quivers, those banners, those diverse kinds of standards,\nthose gigantic conchs of car-warriors, white in hue and scattered all\nover the field. Behold those elephants, huge as hills, lying on the\nEarth, with tongues lolling out, and those other elephants and steeds,\ndeprived of life and decked with triumphal banners. Behold those housings\nof elephants, and those skins and blankets, and those other beautiful and\nvariegated and torn blankets. Behold those rows of bells torn and broken\nin diverse ways in consequence of falling elephants of gigantic size, and\nthose beautiful goads set with stones of lapis lazuli, and those hooks\nfalling upon the ground. Behold those whips, adorned with gold, and\nvariegated with gems, still in the grasp of (slain) horsemen, and those\nblankets and skins of the Ranku deer falling on the ground but which had\nserved for seats on horse back. Behold those gems for adorning the\ndiadems of kings, and those beautiful necklaces of gold, and those\ndisplaced umbrellas and yak-tails for fanning. Behold the Earth, miry\nwith blood, strewn with the faces of heroes, decked with beautiful\nearrings and well-cut beards and possessed of the splendour of the moon\nand stars. Behold those wounded warriors in whom life is not yet extinct\nand who, lying all around, are uttering wails of woe. Their relatives, O\nprince, casting aside their weapons are tending them, weeping\nincessantly. Having covered many warriors with arrows and deprived them\nof life, behold those combatants, endued with activity longing for\nvictory, and swelling with rage, are once more proceeding for battle\nagainst their antagonists. Others are running hither and thither on the\nfield. Being begged for water by fallen heroes, others related to them\nhave gone in quest of drink. Many, O Arjuna, are breathing their last\nmeanwhile. Returning their brave relatives, seeing them become senseless\nare throwing down the water they brought and are running wildly, shouting\nat one another. Behold, many have died after having slaked their thirst,\nand many, O Bharata, are dying while drinking. Others, though\naffectionate towards relatives, are still seen to rush towards foes in\ngreat battle deserting their dear relatives. Others, again, O best of\nmen, biting their nether lips, and with faces rendered terrible in\nconsequence of the contraction of their brows, are surveying the field\nall around.\" While saying these words unto Arjuna, Vasudeva proceeded\ntowards Yudhishthira. Arjuna also, beholding the king in that great\nbattle, repeatedly urged Govinda, saying, \"Proceed, Proceed.\" Having\nshown the field of battle to Partha, Madhava, while proceeding quickly,\nslowly said unto Partha once more, \"Behold those kings rushing towards\nking Yudhishthira. Behold Karna, who resembles a blazing fire, on the\narena of the battle. Yonder the mighty-bowman Bhima is proceeding to\nbattle. They that are the foremost among the Pancalas, the Srinjayas, and\nthe Pandavas--they, that is, that have Dhrishtadyumna for their head, are\nfollowing Bhima. The vast army of the enemy is again broken by the\nrushing Parthas. Behold, O Arjuna, Karna is trying to rally the flying\nKauravas. Resembling the Destroyer himself in impetuosity and Indra\nhimself in prowess, yonder proceedeth Drona's son, O thou of Kuru's race,\nthat hero who is the foremost of all wielders of weapons. The mighty\ncar-warrior Dhrishtadyumna is rushing against that hero. The Srinjayas are\nfollowing the lead of Dhristadyumna. Behold, the Srinjayas are falling.\"\nThus did the invincible Vasudeva describe everything unto the\ndiadem-decked Arjuna. Then, O king, commenced a terrible and awful\nbattle. Loud leonine shouts arose as the two hosts encountered each\nother, O monarch, making death their goal. Even thus, O king, in\nconsequence of thy evil counsels, did that destruction set in on Earth, O\nlord of Earth, of both thy warriors and those of the enemy.'\"\n\n\n\n59\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Then the Kurus and the Srinjayas once more fearlessly\nencountered each other in battle, the Parthas being headed by\nYudhishthira, and ourselves headed by the Suta's son. Then commenced a\nterrible battle, making the hair to stand on end, between Karna and the\nPandavas, that increased the population of Yama's kingdom. After that\nfurious battle, producing rivers of blood, had commenced, and when a\nremnant only of the brave samsaptakas, O Bharata, were left\nunslaughtered, Dhrishtadyumna, O monarch, with all the kings (on the\nPandava side) and those mighty car-warriors--the Pandavas themselves, all\nrushed against Karna only. Like the mountain receiving a vast body of\nwater, Karna, unaided by anyone, received in that battle all those\nadvancing warriors filled with joy and longing for victory. Those mighty\ncar-warriors encountering Karna, were beat off and broken like a mass of\nwater, and beat back on all sides when it encounters a mountain. The\nbattle, however, that took place between them and Karna made the hair\nstand on end. Then Dhrishtadyumna assailed the son of Radha with a\nstraight shaft in that battle, and addressing him said, \"Wait, Wait.\" The\nmighty car-warrior Karna, filled with rage, shook his foremost of bows\ncalled Vijaya, and cutting off the bow of Dhrishtadyumna, as also his\narrows resembling snakes of virulent poison assailed Dhrishtadyumna\nhimself with nine arrows. Those arrows, O sinless one, piercing through\nthe gold-decked armour of the high-souled son of Prishata, became bathed\nin blood and looked beautiful like so many cochineal. The mighty\ncar-warrior Dhrishtadyumna, casting aside that broken bow, took up\nanother bow and a number of shafts resembling snakes of virulent poison.\nWith those straight shafts numbering seventy, he pierced Karna.\nSimilarly, O king, Karna, in that battle, covered Prishata's son, that\nscorcher of foes, with many shafts resembling snakes of virulent poison.\nThe slayer of Drona, that great bowman, retaliated by piercing Karna with\nmany keen shafts. Filled with rage, Karna then, O monarch, sped at his\nantagonist a gold-decked shaft that resembled a second rod of death. That\nterrible shaft, O monarch, as it coursed impetuously towards Prishata's\nson, the grandson of Sini, O king, cut off into seven fragments,\ndisplaying great lightness of hand. Beholding his shaft baffled by the\narrows of Satyaki, O king, Karna resisted Satyaki with showers of arrows\nfrom every side. And he pierced Satyaki in that encounter with seven\nclothyard shafts. The grandson of Sini, however, pierced him in return\nwith many arrows decked with gold. The battle then that took place, O\nking, between those two warriors was such as to fill both spectators and\nlisteners with fear. Though awful, soon it became beautiful and deserving\nobjects of sight. Beholding the feats, in that encounter, of Karna and\nthe grandson of Sini, the hair of all the creatures there present seemed\nto stand on end. Meanwhile the mighty son of Drona rushed against\nPrishata's son, that chastiser of foes and queller of the prowess of all\nenemies. Filled with rage, Drona's son, that subjugator of hostile towns,\naddressing Dhrishtadyumna, said, \"Wait, wait, O slayer of a Brahmana,\nthou shalt not escape me today with life.\" Having said these words, that\nmighty car-warrior of great lightness of hand striving resolutely, deeply\npierced the brave son of Prishata, who also strove to the utmost of his\nprowess, with many keen and terrible shafts endued with great\nimpetuosity. As Drona (while alive), beholding the son of Prishata, O\nsire, had become cheerless and regarded him as his death, even so the son\nof Prishata, that slayer of hostile heroes, beholding Drona's son in that\nbattle, now regarded him as his death. Soon, however, remembering that he\nwas unslayable in battle by means of weapons, he rushed with great speed\nagainst Drona's son, like the Destroyer running against the Destroyer at\nthe time of the universal dissolution. Drona's heroic son, however, O\nmonarch, beholding Dhrishtadyumna stationed before him, drew deep\nbreaths, in wrath, and rushed towards him. Both of them were filled with\ngreat rage at the sight of each other. Endued with great activity, the\nvaliant son of Drona then, O monarch, said these words unto\nDhrishtadyumna staying not far from him, \"O wretch amongst the Pancalas,\nI shall today despatch thee to Yama. The sin thou hast committed before\nby slaying Drona will fill thee today with regret, to thy great evil, if\nthou stayest in battle without being protected by Partha, or if thou dost\nnot fly away, O fool, I tell thee truly.\" Thus addressed, the valiant\nDhrishtadyumna replied, saying, \"That same sword of mine which answered\nthy sire, resolutely engaged in battle, will today answer this speech of\nthine. If Drona could be slain by me, O thou that art a Brahmana in name\nonly, why should I not then, putting forth my prowess, slay thee also in\nbattle today?\" Having said these words, the wrathful commander of the\nPandava forces, viz., the son of Prishata, pierced Drona's son with a\nkeen arrow. Then Drona's son filled with great rage, shrouded every side\nof Dhrishtadyumna, O king, in that battle, with straight arrows. Shrouded\nwith thousands of arrows, neither the welkin, nor the points of the\ncompass, nor the combatants all around, could, O monarch, be any longer\nseen. Similarly, the son of Prishata, O king, shrouded Drona's son, that\nornament of battle, with arrows, in the very sight of Karna. The son of\nRadha, too, O monarch, singly resisted the Pancalas and the Pandavas and\nthe (five) sons of Draupadi and Yudhamanyu and the mighty car-warrior\nSatyaki, in consequence of which feat he became the cynosure of all eyes.\nThen Dhrishtadyumna in that battle cut off the very tough and formidable\nbow of Drona's son, as also all his arrows resembling snakes of virulent\npoison. Drona's son, however, with his arrows, destroyed within the\ntwinkling of an eye the bow, the dart, the mace, the standard, the\nsteeds, the driver, and the car of Prishata's son. Bowless and carless\nand steedless and driverless, the son of Prishata then took up a huge\nscimitar and a blazing shield decked with a hundred moons. Endued with\ngreat lightness of hand, and possessed of mighty weapons, that mighty\ncar-warrior, viz., the heroic son of Drona, O king, quickly cut off, in\nthat battle, with many broad-headed arrows, those weapons also of\nDhrishtadyumna before the latter could come down from his car. All this\nseemed exceedingly wonderful. The mighty car-warrior Ashvatthama,\nhowever, though struggling vigorously, could not, O chief of the\nBharatas, slay the carless and steedless and bowless Dhrishtadyumna,\nalthough pierced and exceedingly mangled with many arrows. When,\ntherefore, O king, the son of Drona found that he could not slay his\nenemy with arrows, he laid aside his bow and quickly proceeded towards\nthe son of Prishata. The impetuosity of that high-souled one, as he\nrushed towards his foe, resembled that of Garuda swooping down for\nseizing a large snake. Meanwhile Madhava, addressing Arjuna, said,\n\"Behold, O Partha, how the son of Drona is rushing with great speed\ntowards the car of Prishata's son. Without doubt, he will slay the\nprince. O mighty-armed one, O crusher of foes, rescue the son of\nPrishata, who is now within the jaws of Drona's son as if within the jaws\nof Death himself.\" Having said these words, the valiant Vasudeva urged\nthe steeds towards that spot where Drona's son was. Those steeds, of the\nsplendour of the moon, urged by Keshava, proceeded towards the car of\nDrona's son, devouring the very skies. Beholding those two of great\nenergy, viz., Krishna and Dhananjaya, coming towards him, the mighty\nAshvatthama made great efforts for slaying Dhrishtadyumna soon. Seeing\nDhrishtadyumna dragged, O ruler of men, by his enemy, the mighty Partha\nsped many arrows at the son of Drona. Those arrows, decked with gold and\nsped from Gandiva, approached the son of Drona and pierced him deeply\nlike snakes penetrating into an ant-hill. Thus pierced with those\nterrible arrows, the valiant son of Drona, O king, abandoned the Pancala\nprince of immeasurable energy. Indeed, the hero, thus afflicted with\nDhananjaya's shafts, mounted on his car, and taking up his own excellent\nbow, began to pierce Partha with many shafts. Meanwhile, the heroic\nSahadeva, O ruler of men, bore away on his car the son of Prishata, that\nscorcher of foes. Arjuna then, O king, pierced Drona's son with many\narrows. Filled with rage, Drona's son struck Arjuna in the arms and the\nchest. Thus provoked, Partha, in that battle, sped at Drona's son, a long\nshaft that resembled a second rod of Death, or rather, Death himself.\nThat arrow of great splendour fell upon the shoulder of the Brahmana\nhero. Exceedingly agitated, O monarch, in that battle, by the violence of\nthe stroke, he sat down on the terrace of his car and swooned away. Then\nKarna, O monarch, shook his bow Vijaya and, filled with rage, repeatedly\neyed Arjuna in that battle, desiring a single combat with him. Meanwhile\nthe driver of Drona's son, beholding the latter senseless, quickly bore\nhim away on his car from the field of battle. Beholding Prishata's son\nrescued and Drona's son afflicted, the Pancalas, O king, expectant of\nvictory, began to utter loud shouts. Thousands of sweet instruments began\nto be sounded. Seeing such wonderful feats in battle, the combatants\nuttered leonine roars. Having achieved that feat, Partha addressed\nVasudeva, saying \"Proceed, O Krishna, towards the samsaptakas, for this\nis greatly desired by me.\" Hearing those words of Pandu's son, he of\nDasharha's race proceeded on that car graced with many banners and whose\nspeed resembled that of the wind or the mind.'\"\n\n\n\n60\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Meanwhile Krishna, pointing out king Yudhishthira the\njust, unto Kunti's son Partha, addressed him in these words: \"Yonder, O\nson of Pandu, your brother (Yudhishthira) is being pursued by many mighty\nand great bowmen amongst the Dhartarashtras, all inspired with the desire\nof slaughtering him. The mighty Pancalas, difficult of defeat in battle,\nare proceeding after the high-souled Yudhishthira from desire of rescuing\nhim. Yonder, Duryodhana, O Partha, the king of the whole world, clad in\nmail and accompanied by a large car force, is pursuing the Pandava king.\nImpelled by the desire of slaughtering his rival, the mighty Duryodhana,\nO tiger among men, is pursuing him, accompanied by his brothers, the\ntouch of whose weapons is as fatal as that of poisonous snakes and who\nare all conversant with every mode of warfare. Those Dhartarashtra\nelephants and horses and car-warriors and foot-soldiers are advancing to\nseize Yudhishthira like poor men after a precious gem. Behold, checked by\nSatyaki and Bhima, they have again been stupefied, like the Daityas, that\ndesired to take away the Amrita, made motionless by Sakra and Agni. The\nmighty car-warriors (of the Kuru army), however, in consequence of the\nvastness of their numbers, are again proceeding towards Yudhishthira like\na vast quantity of water in the season of rains rushing towards the\nocean. Those mighty bowmen are uttering leonine roars, blowing their\nconchs, and shaking their bows. I regard Kunti's son Yudhishthira, thus\nbrought under the influence of Duryodhana, to be already within the jaws\nof Death or already poured as a libation on the sacrificial fire. The\narmy of Dhritarashtra's son, O Pandava, is arrayed and equipped duly.\nSakra himself, coming within the range of its arrows, can scarcely\nescape. Who will in battle bear the impetuosity of the heroic Duryodhana\nwho shoots showers of arrows with the greatest celerity and who, when\nangry, resembles the Destroyer himself? The force of the heroic\nDuryodhana's shafts, or Drona's son's or Kripa's or Karna's would break\ndown the very mountains. That scorcher of foes, viz., king Yudhishthira,\nwas once compelled by Karna to turn his back upon the field. The son of\nRadha is endued with great might and great lightness of hand. Possessed\nof great skill, he is accomplished in battle. He is competent to afflict\nthe eldest son of Pandu in fight, specially when he is united with the\nmighty and brave son of Dhritarashtra. Of rigid vows, when the son of\nPritha (Yudhishthira) had been engaged in battle with all those warriors,\nother great car-warriors had struck him and contributed to his defeat.\nThe king, O best of the Bharatas, is exceedingly emaciated in consequence\nof his fasts. He is endued with Brahma-force, but the puissant one is not\nendued with much of Kshatriya-might. Assailed, however, by Karna, the\nroyal son of Pandu, Yudhishthira, that scorcher of foes, hath been placed\nin a situation of great peril. I think, O Partha, that king Yudhishthira\nhas fallen. Indeed, since that chastiser of foes, the wrathful Bhimasena,\ncoolly heareth the leonine roars of the frequently shouting\nDhartarashtra's longing for victory and blowing their conchs, I think, O\nbull among men, that Pandu's son Yudhishthira is dead. Yonder Karna urges\nforward the mighty car-warriors of the Dhartarashtras towards the son of\nPritha with the weapons called Sthunakarna, Indrasjaha and Pasupata, and\nwith clubs and other weapons. The king, O Bharata, must be deeply\nafflicted and exceedingly weakened, because the Pancalas and the\nPandavas, those foremost of all wielders of weapons, are seen to proceed\nwith great speed towards him at a time when speed is of the highest\nmoment like strong men rushing to the rescue of a person sinking in a\nbottomless sea. The king's standard is no longer visible. It has probably\nbeen struck down by Karna with his shafts. In the very sight of the\ntwins, O Partha, and of Satyaki and Shikhandi, and Dhrishtadyumna and\nBhima and Satanika, O lord, as also of all the Pancalas and the Cedis, O\nBharata, yonder Karna is destroying the Pandava division with his arrows,\nlike an elephant destroying an assemblage of lotuses. There, those\ncar-warriors of thy army, O son of Pandu, are flying away. See, see, O\nPartha, how those great warriors are retreating. Those elephants, O\nBharata, assailed by Karna in battle, are flying away in all directions,\nuttering cries of pain. There those crowds of car-warriors, routed in\nbattle, O Partha, by Karna, that crusher of foes, are flying away in all\ndirections. Behold, O Partha, that foremost of standards, of the Suta's\nson, on his car, bearing the device of the elephant's rope, is seen to\nmove all over the field. There, the son of Radha is now rushing against\nBhimasena, scattering hundreds of shafts as he proceeds and slaughtering\nthy army therewith. There, those mighty car-warriors of the Pancalas are\nbeing routed (by Karna) even as the Daityas had been routed by Sakra in\ndreadful battle. There, Karna, having vanquished the Pancalas, the\nPandus, and the Srinjayas, is casting his eyes on all sides, I think, for\nseeking thee. Behold, O Partha, Karna, as he beautifully draws his\nforemost of bows, looketh exceedingly beautiful even as Sakra in the\nmidst of the celestials, after vanquishing his foes. There the Kauravas,\nbeholding the prowess of Karna, are roaring and inspiring the Pandus and\nthe Srinjayas with fear on every side. There, Karna himself, terrifying\nthe Pandus with his whole soul, in dreadful battle, is addressing all the\ntroops, O giver of honours, saying, 'Blessed be ye, advance, ye Kauravas\nand rush with such speed that no Srinjaya may, in this battle escape with\nlife. United together, do this all of you. As regards ourselves, we will\nfollow behind you.' Saying these words, he is advancing behind (his\ntroops), scattering his shafts. Behold Karna, adorned with his white\numbrella in this battle and looking like the Udaya hills adorned by the\nmoon. With his beautiful umbrella of a hundred ribs, resembling the moon\nin full, held over his head, O Bharata, in this battle, Karna, O prince,\nis casting his glances after thee. Without doubt, he will, in this\nbattle, come hither, with great speed. Behold him, O mighty-armed one, as\nhe shaketh his formidable bow and shooteth, in this dreadful battle, his\nshafts resembling snakes of virulent poison. There, the son of Radha\nturneth towards this direction, beholding thy banner bearing the ape, and\ndesiring, O Partha, an encounter with thee, O scorcher of foes. Indeed,\nhe cometh for his own destruction, even like an insect into the mouth of\na lamp. Wrathful and brave, he is ever engaged in the good of\nDhritarashtra's son. Of wicked understanding, he is always unable to put\nup with thee. Beholding Karna alone and unsupported, Dhritarashtra's son,\nO Bharata, turneth towards him with great resolution, accompanied by his\ncar-force, for protecting him. Let that wicked-souled one, along with all\nthose allies of his, be slain by thee, putting forth thy vigour, from\ndesire of winning fame, kingdom and happiness. Both of you are endued\nwith great strength. Both of you are possessed of great celebrity. When\nencountering each other in battle, O Partha, like a celestial and a\nDanava in the great battle between the gods and the Asuras, let all the\nKauravas behold thy prowess. Beholding thee filled with great rage and\nKarna also excited to fury, O bull of Bharata's race, Duryodhana in wrath\nwill not be able to do anything. Remembering thyself to be of purified\nsoul, O bull of Bharata's race, and remembering also that the son of\nRadha harboureth a great animosity for the virtuous Yudhishthira, achieve\nthat, O son of Kunti, which should now be achieved. Righteously setting\nthy heart on battle, advance against that leader of car-warriors. There,\nfive hundred foremost of car-warriors, O thou best of car-warriors, that\nare endued with great might and fierce energy, and 5,000 elephants, and\ntwice as many horses, and innumerable foot-soldiers, all united together,\nO son of Kunti, and protecting one another, O hero, are advancing against\nthee. Show thyself, of thy own will, unto that great bowman, viz., the\nSuta's son. Advance, O bull of Bharata's race, towards him with great\nspeed. There, Karna, filled with great wrath is rushing against the\nPancalas. I see his standard approaching towards the car of\nDhrishtadyumna. I think he will exterminate the Pancalas. I will tell\nthee, O bull of Bharata's race, some good news, O Partha. King\nYudhishthira the just is living. There, the mighty-armed Bhima, having\nreturned, is stationed at the head of the army, supported by the\nSrinjayas and by Satyaki, O Bharata. There, the Kauravas are being\nslaughtered with keen shafts by Bhimasena, O son of Kunti, and the\nhigh-souled Pancalas. The troops of Dhritarashtra's son, with their faces\nturned from the field, and with blood streaming down from their wounds,\nare speedily flying away from battle, struck by Bhima with his shafts.\nBathed in blood, the Bharata army, O chief of Bharata's race, presents an\nexceedingly cheerless aspect like that of the Earth when divested of\ncrops. Behold, O son of Kunti, Bhimasena, that foremost of combatants,\nfilled with rage like a snake of virulent poison, and engaged in routing\nthe (Kaurava) host. Yellow and red and black and white banners, adorned\nwith stars and moons and suns as also many umbrellas, O Arjuna, lie\nscattered about. Made of gold or silver or brass and other metals,\nstandards are lying about, and elephants and steeds also, scattered all\nover the field. There, those car-warriors are falling from their cars,\ndeprived of life by the unreturning Pancalas with shafts of diverse\nkinds. There the Pancalas of great speed, O Dhananjaya, are rushing\nagainst the riderless Dhartarashtra elephants and steeds and cars.\nReckless of their very lives, O chastiser of foes, those warriors,\ndifficult of defeat in battle aided by the might of Bhimasena are\ncrushing, O tiger among men, the hostile force. There, the Pancalas are\nuttering loud roars and blowing their conchs as they are rushing against\ntheir foes and crushing them with their shafts in battle. Behold their\ngreat energy and power. Through sheer valour, the Pancalas are\nslaughtering the Dhartarashtras like angry lions slaying elephants.\nUnarmed they are snatching the weapons of their armed foes and with those\nweapons thus snatched, they are slaying their foes that are effectual\nsmiters, and uttering loud roars. The heads and arms of their foes are\nbeing struck off and felled on the field. The Pancala cars and elephants\nand horses are all worthy of the highest praise. Like swans of great\nspeed leaving the Manasa lake and rushing into the Ganga, the Pancalas\nare rushing against the Kauravas, and every part of the vast\nDhartarashtra force is assailed by them. Like bulls resisting bulls, the\nheroic Kripa and Karna and other leaders are putting forth all their\nvalour for resisting the Pancalas. The Pancala heroes headed by\nDhrishtadyumna are slaying thousands of their foes, viz., the great\ncar-warriors of the Dhartarashtra army already sinking in the ocean of\nBhima's weapons. Beholding the Pancalas overwhelmed by their foes, the\nfearless son of the Wind-god, assailing the hostile force, is shooting\nhis shafts and uttering loud roars. The greater portion of the vast\nDhartarashtra army has become exceedingly frightened. Behold those\nelephants, pierced by Bhima with his cloth-yard shafts, are falling down\nlike mountain summits riven by the thunderbolt of Indra. There, those\nhuge elephants, deeply pierced with the straight shafts of Bhimasena are\nflying away, crushing their own ranks. Dost thou not recognise the\nunbearable leonine shouts, O Arjuna, of the terribly-roaring Bhimasena\ninspired with desire of victory in battle? There, the prince of the\nNishadas, filled with rage, is coming against the son of Pandu, on his\nforemost of elephants, from desire of slaying him with his lances, even\nlike Destroyer himself armed with his bludgeon. Struck by Bhima with ten\nkeen cloth-yard shafts endued with the splendour of the fire or the Sun,\nthe two arms of the roaring prince, with lances in grasp, are lopped off.\nSlaying the prince, Bhima proceedeth against other elephants looking like\nmasses of blue clouds and ridden by riders guiding them with skill.\nBehold those riders striking Vrikodara with darts and lances in\nprofusion. Slaying with his keen shafts those elephants, seven at a time,\ntheir triumphal standards also, O Partha, are cut down by thy elder\nbrother. As regards those other elephants, each of them is being slain\nwith ten shafts by him. The shouts of the Dhartarashtras are no longer\nheard, now that Bhima, O bull of Bharata's race, who is equal to\nPurandara himself, is engaged in battle. Full three Akshauhinis of\nDuryodhana's soldiers had been assembled together (in front of Bhima).\nThey have all been checked by that lion among men, Bhimasena, in wrath.\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Behold that feat, difficult of accomplishment,\nachieved by Bhimasena. Arjuna, with his keen shafts, destroyed the\nremnant of his foes. The mighty samsaptakas, O lord, slaughtered in\nbattle and routed (by Arjuna), fled away in all directions, overcome with\nfear. Many amongst them (that fell) became the guests of Shakra and\nattained to great happiness. As regards Partha, that tiger among men, he\ncontinued, with his straight shafts, to slaughter the Dhartarashtra host\nconsisting of four kinds of forces.'\"\n\n\n\n61\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'When Bhima and Pandu's son Yudhishthira were\nengaged in battle, when my troops were being slaughtered by the Pandus\nand the Srinjayas, when, indeed, my vast army being broken and routed\nrepeatedly became cheerless, tell me, O Sanjaya, what the Kauravas did.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding the mighty-armed Bhima, the Suta's son of great\nvalour, with eyes red in wrath, O king, rushed towards him. Seeing thy\narmy fly away from Bhimasena, the mighty Karna, O king, rallied it with\ngreat efforts. The mighty-armed Karna, having rallied thy son's host,\nproceeded against the Pandavas, those heroes difficult of defeat in\nbattle. The great car-warriors of the Pandavas also, shaking their bows\nand shooting their shafts, proceeded against the son of Radha. Bhimasena,\nand the grandson of Sini, and Shikhandi and Janamejaya, and\nDhrishtadyumna of great strength, and all the Prabhadrakas, and those\ntigers among men, the Pancalas, filled with rage and inspired with desire\nof victory, rushed in that battle from every side against thy army.\nSimilarly, the great car-warriors of thy army, O king, quickly proceeded\nagainst the Pandava host, desirous of slaughtering it. Teeming with cars\nand elephants and horses, and abounding with foot-soldiers and standards,\nthe two armies then, O tiger among men, assumed a wonderful aspect.\nShikhandi proceeded against Karna, and Dhrishtadyumna proceeded against\nthy son Duhshasana, accompanied by a large force. Nakula proceeded\nagainst Vrishasena, while Yudhishthira against Citrasena. Sahadeva, O\nking, in that battle, proceeded against Uluka. Satyaki proceeded against\nShakuni, and the sons of Draupadi against the other Kauravas. The mighty\ncar-warrior Ashvatthama proceeded, with great care, against Arjuna.\nSharadvata's son Kripa proceeded against the mighty bowman Yudhamanyu,\nwhile Kritavarma of great strength proceeded against Uttamauja. The\nmighty-armed Bhimasena, O sire, alone and unsupported, resisted all the\nKurus and thy sons at the head of their division. The slayer of Bhishma,\nShikhandi, then, O monarch, with his winged arrows, resisted Karna,\ncareering fearlessly in that battle. Held in check, Karna then, his lips\ntrembling in rage, assailed Shikhandi with three arrows in the midst of\nhis eyebrows. With those three arrows sticking on his forehead, Shikhandi\nlooked highly beautiful like a silver mountain with three elevated\ncrests. Deeply pierced by the Suta's son in that encounter, the mighty\nbowman Shikhandi pierced Karna, in return, with ninety keen shafts. The\nmighty car-warrior Karna then, slaying Shikhandi's steeds and next his\ndriver with three arrows, cut off his standard with a razor-faced arrow.\nThat mighty car-warrior then, that scorcher of foes, filled with rage,\njumped down from his steedless car and hurled a dart at Karna. Cutting\noff that dart with three shafts in that encounter, Karna then, O Bharata,\npierced Shikhandi with nine keen arrows. Avoiding then the shafts sped\nfrom Karna's bow, that best of men, Shikhandi, exceedingly mangled,\nretreated speedily from that spot. Then Karna, O monarch, began to\nscatter the troops of the Pandavas, like a mighty wind scattering a heap\nof cotton. Meanwhile Dhrishtadyumna, O monarch, afflicted by thy son,\npierced Duhshasana, in return, with three arrows in the centre of the\nchest. Then Duhshasana, O sire, pierced his assailant's left arm with a\nbroad-headed shaft, sharp and straight and equipped with wings of gold.\nThus pierced, Dhrishtadyumna, filled with wrath and the desire to\nretaliate, sped a terrible shaft, O Bharata, at Duhshasana. Thy son,\nhowever, O king, with three shafts of his, cut off that impetuous arrow\nsped by Dhrishtadyumna as it coursed towards him. Approaching\nDhrishtadyumna then, he struck him in the arms and the chest with\nseventeen other broad-headed shafts adorned with gold. Thereat Prishata's\nson, filled with rage, cut off Duhshasana's bow, O sire, with a sharp\nrazor-headed arrow, at which all the troops there uttered a loud shout.\nTaking up then another bow, thy son, as if smiling, held Dhrishtadyumna\nin check with showers of arrows from every side. Beholding the prowess of\nthat high-souled son of thine, the combatants, as also the Siddhas and\nthe Apsaras, became all filled with wonder. We then saw the mighty\nDhrishtadyumna thus assailed by Duhshasana to resemble a huge elephant,\nheld in check by a lion. Then many Pancala car-warriors and elephants and\nhorses, O elder brother of Pandu, desirous of rescuing the commander (of\nthe Pandava army) encompassed thy son. The battle that commenced, O\nscorcher of foes, between thy warriors and the enemy, presented as\nfrightful a sight as that which may be seen at the destruction of all\ncreatures at the end of the Yuga.\n\n\"'Vrishasena, staying by the side of his father, having pierced Nakula\nwith five arrows made wholly of iron, pierced him once again with three\nother arrows. The heroic Nakula then, as if smiling, deeply pierced\nVrishasena in the chest with a cloth-yard shaft of great keenness. Thus\npierced by his mighty foe, that scorcher of foes, viz., Vrishasena,\npierced his assailant with twenty arrows and was himself pierced by him\nwith five. Then those two bulls among men shrouded each other with\nthousands of arrows, at which the divisions that supported them broke.\nBeholding the troops of Dhritarashtra's son flying away, the Suta's son,\nfollowing them, O king, began to forcibly stop them. After Karna had gone\naway, Nakula proceeded against the Kauravas. Karna's son also, avoiding\nNakula, proceeded quickly, O sire, to where his father, the son of Radha,\nwas for protecting his car-wheel.\n\n\"'The angry Uluka was held in check by Sahadeva. Having slain his four\nsteeds, the valiant Sahadeva then despatched his foe's driver to the\nabode of Yama. Uluka then, that delighter of his father, jumping down\nfrom his car, O king, quickly proceeded and entered the division of the\nTrigartas. Satyaki, having pierced Shakuni with twenty keen arrows,\neasily cut off the standard of Subala's son with a broad-headed arrow.\nThe valiant son of Subala, filled with rage, O king, in that encounter,\npierced Satyaki's armour and then cut off his golden standard. Then\nSatyaki pierced him in return with many keen arrows, and struck his\ndriver, O monarch, with three arrows. With great speed then, he\ndespatched with other shafts the steeds of Shakuni to Yama's abode.\nSpeedily alighting then, O bull among men, from his car, Shakuni, that\nmighty car-warrior, quickly ascended the car of Uluka. The latter then\nbore away with great speed his father from Sini's grandson, that warrior\nskilled in battle. Then Satyaki, O king, rushed in that battle against\nthy army with great impetuosity, at which that army broke. Shrouded with\nthe arrows of Sini's grandson, thy army, O monarch, fled away on all\nsides with great speed, and fell down deprived of life.\n\n\"'Thy son resisted Bhimasena in that battle, in a trice Bhima made that\nruler of men steedless and driverless and carless and standardless, at\nwhich the (Pandava) troops became highly glad. Then thy son, O king, went\naway from Bhimasena's presence. The whole Kuru army, at this, rushed\nagainst Bhimasena. Tremendous became the din made by those combatants\ninspired with the desire of slaying Bhimasena. Yudhamanyu, piercing\nKripa, quickly cut off his bow. Then Kripa, that foremost of all wielders\nof weapons, taking up another bow, felled Yudhamanyu's standard and\ndriver and umbrella on the Earth. At this, the mighty car-warrior\nYudhamanyu retreated on his car, driving it himself. Uttamauja covered\nthe terrible son of Hridika, endued with terrible prowess, with a thick\nshower of arrows like a cloud pouring torrents of rain on a mountain. The\nbattle between them, O scorcher of foes, became so awful that its like, O\nmonarch, I had never seen before. Then Kritavarma, O king, in that\nencounter, suddenly pierced Uttamauja in the chest, at which the latter\nsat down on the terrace of his car. His driver then bore away that\nforemost of car-warriors. Then the whole Kuru army rushed at Bhimasena.\nDuhshasana and Subala's son, encompassing the son of Pandu with a large\nelephant force, began to strike him with small arrows. Then Bhima,\ncausing the wrathful Duryodhana to turn his back on the field by means of\nhundreds of arrows, quickly rushed towards that elephant force. Beholding\nthat elephant-force advance impetuously against him, Vrikodara became\nfilled with great rage and invoked his celestial weapons. And he began to\nstrike elephants with elephants like Indra striking the Asuras. While\nengaged in slaughtering those elephants, Vrikodara, in that battle,\ncovered the welkin with his shafts like myriads of insects covering a\nfire. Like the wind scattering masses of clouds, Bhima quickly scattered\nand destroyed crowds of elephants united together in thousands. Covered\nall over with networks of gold, as also with many gems, the elephants\nlooked exceedingly beautiful in that battle like clouds charged with\nlightning. Slaughtered by Bhima, those elephants, O king, began to fly\naway. Some amongst them, with their hearts pierced, fell down on the\nEarth. With those fallen and failing elephants adorned with gold, the\nEarth looked beautiful there, as if strewn with broken mountains. With\nthe fallen elephant-warriors of blazing resplendence and adorned with\ngems, the Earth looked beautiful as if strewn with planets of exhausted\nmerit. Then elephants, with their temples, frontal globes, and trunks\ndeeply pierced, fled in hundreds in that battle, afflicted with the\nshafts of Bhimasena. Some amongst them, huge as hills, afflicted with\nfear and vomiting blood, ran away, their limbs mangled with arrows, and\nlooked on that account, like mountains with liquid metals running down\ntheir sides. People then beheld the two arms of Bhima, resembling two\nmighty snakes, smeared with sandal-paste and other pounded unguents,\ncontinually employed in drawing the bow. Hearing the sound of his\nbow-string and palms that resembled the peal of thunder, those elephants,\nejecting urine and excreta, ran away in fear. The feats of the\nsingle-handed Bhima of great intelligence, on that occasion, shone like\nthose of Rudra, himself, while engaged in destroying all creatures.'\"\n\n\n\n62\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'The handsome Arjuna then, on that foremost car of his,\nunto which were yoked white steeds, and which was urged by Narayana\nhimself, appeared on the scene. Like the tempest agitating the ocean,\nVijaya, O foremost of kings, in that battle, agitated that host of thine\nteeming with horsemen. When the white-steeded Arjuna was otherwise\nengaged, thy son Duryodhana, filled with rage and surrounded by half his\ntroops, approached suddenly, and encompassed the advancing Yudhishthira\ninspired with the desire of revenge. The Kuru king then pierced the son\nof Pandu with three and seventy razor-headed arrows. At this,\nYudhishthira, the son of Kunti, became inflamed with ire, and quickly\nstruck thy son with thirty broad-headed arrows. The Kaurava troops then\nrushed impetuously for seizing Yudhishthira. Understanding the wicked\nintentions of the enemy, the great car-warriors of the Pandava army,\nuniting together, rushed towards Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, for\nrescuing him. Indeed, Nakula and Sahadeva and Dhrishtadyumna, the son of\nPrishata, surrounded by a full Akshauhini of troops, thus proceeded\ntowards Yudhishthira. Bhimasena also, in that battle, crushing the great\ncar-warriors of thy army, proceeded towards the king surrounded by foes.\nKarna, otherwise called Vaikartana, O king, shooting dense showers of\narrows, checked, single-handed, all those mighty bowmen thus advancing\n(to the rescue). Though they shot dense showers of arrows and hurled\ninnumerable lances, fighting with determination, yet they were unable\neven to look at the son of Radha. Indeed, the son of Radha, that master\nof all weapons offensive and defensive, by shooting dense showers of\nshafts checked all those great bowmen. The high-souled Sahadeva, however,\nquickly approaching (the spot where Duryodhana was), and invoking without\nloss of time a (celestial) weapon, pierced Duryodhana with twenty arrows.\nThus pierced by Sahadeva, the Kuru king, covered with blood, looked\nbeautiful, like a huge elephant of split temples. Beholding thy son\ndeeply pierced with many arrows of great energy, that foremost of\ncar-warriors, viz., the son of Radha, filled with rage, rushed to that\nspot. Seeing Duryodhana reduced to that plight, Karna, invoking his\nweapons quickly, began to slaughter the troops of Yudhishthira and\nPrishata's son. Thus slaughtered by the high-souled Karna, Yudhishthira's\ntroops, O king, afflicted with the arrows of the Suta's son, soon fled\naway. Showers of shafts fell together. Indeed, those sped subsequently\nfrom the bow of the Suta's son touched with their heads the wings of\nthose sped before. In consequence of those falling showers, of shafts, O\nmonarch, colliding with one another, a conflagration seemed to blaze\nforth in the welkin. Soon Karna shrouded the ten points of the compass, O\nking, with arrows capable of piercing the bodies of foes, as if with\nadvancing flights of locusts. Displaying the highest weapons, Karna began\nto wave with great force his two arms smeared with red sandal-paste and\nadorned with jewels and gold. Then stupefying all sides, O king, with his\nshafts, Karna deeply afflicted Yudhishthira the just. Filled with rage at\nthis, Dharma's son Yudhishthira struck Karna with fifty keen shafts. In\nconsequence then of the darkness caused by those showers of arrows, the\nbattle became awful to look at. Loud cries of woe arose from among thy\ntroops, O monarch, whilst they were being slaughtered by Dharma's son, O\nsire, with diverse kinds of keen shafts equipped with Kanka feathers and\nwhetted on stone, with numerous broad-headed arrows, and with diverse\nkinds of darts and swords and clubs. Thither where Pandu's son of\nvirtuous soul cast his eyes with the desire of producing evil, thither\nthy army broke, O bull of Bharata's race. Inflamed with great rage, Karna\nalso, of immeasurable soul, inspired with the desire of retaliating, his\nface flushed in anger, rushed in that battle against Pandu's son, king\nYudhishthira the just, shooting cloth-yard shafts and crescent-shaped\narrows and those equipped with heads like the calf's tooth. Yudhishthira\nalso pierced him with many whetted arrows equipped with wings of gold. As\nif smiling the while, Karna pierced the royal son of Pandu in the chest\nwith three broad-headed arrows, whetted on stone, and equipped with Kanka\nfeathers. Deeply afflicted therewith, king Yudhishthira the just, sitting\ndown on the terrace of his car, ordered his driver to retreat. Thereupon\nall the Dhartarashtras, with their king, set up a loud shout, saying,\n\"Seize! Seize!\" and all of them then pursued the (Pandava) king. Then\nseventeen hundred Kekaya troops, skilled in smiting, united with a body\nof the Pancala troops, O king, checked the Dhartarashtras. During the\nprogress of that fierce and terrible battle, Duryodhana and Bhima, those\ntwo warriors endued with great might, encountered each other.'\"\n\n\n\n63\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Meanwhile Karna also began, with his arrowy showers, to\nafflict the mighty car-warriors of the Kaikayas, viz., those great bowmen\nthat stood before him. Indeed, the son of Radha despatched to Yama's\nabode full five hundred of those warriors that were employed in checking\nhim in that battle. Beholding the son of Radha to be irresistible in that\nbattle, those warriors, afflicted with the arrows of their assailant,\nrepaired to the presence of Bhimasena. Breaking that car-force into many\nparts by means of his arrows, Karna, singly and riding on that same car\nof his, pursued Yudhishthira, who then, exceedingly mangled with arrows\nand almost insensible, was proceeding slowly for reaching the Pandava\nencampment with Nakula and Sahadeva on his two sides. Having approached\nthe king, the Suta's son, from desire of doing good to Duryodhana,\npierced the son of Pandu with three formidable arrows. In return, the\nking pierced Radha's son in the centre of the chest and then his driver\nwith three shafts. Then those two scorchers of foes, viz., the twin sons\nof Madri, those two protectors of Yudhishthira's car-wheels, rushed\ntowards Karna so that the latter might not succeed in slaying the king.\nThen Nakula and Sahadeva, both shooting showers of shafts with great\ncare, covered the son of Radha therewith. The valiant son of the Suta,\nhowever, in return, pierced those two high-souled chastisers of foes with\ntwo broad-headed arrows of great sharpness. The son of Radha then slew\nYudhishthira's excellent steeds, white as ivory and fleet as the mind,\nand having black hair in their tails. Then, smiling the while, the Suta's\nson, that great bowman, with another broadheaded shaft, felled the\nhead-gear of Kunti's son. Similarly, the valiant Karna, having slain the\nsteeds of Nakula, cut off the car shafts and bow of that intelligent son\nof Madri. Those two steedless and carless sons of Pandu,--those two\nbrothers,--thereupon ascended the car of Sahadeva. Beholding those two\nbrothers made carless, that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., their\nmaternal uncle, the ruler of the Madras, moved by compassion, addressed\nthe son of Radha and said, \"Thou art to fight today with Pritha's son\nPhalguna. Why dost thou then, with rage inflamed to such a pitch, battle\nwith Dharma's royal son? Thou art suffering thy weapons to be exhausted.\nThy own armour is being weakened. With thy shafts reduced, and without\nquivers, with thy driver and steeds fatigued, and thyself mangled by foes\nwith weapons, when thou wilt approach Partha, O son of Radha, thou wilt\nbe an object of derision and mirth.\" Though thus addressed by the ruler\nof the Madras, Karna still, filled with rage, continued to assail\nYudhishthira in battle. And he continued to pierce the two sons of Madri\nby Pandu with many keen arrows. Smiling the while, by means of his shafts\nhe made Yudhishthira turn his face from the battle. Then Shalya,\nlaughing, once more said unto Karna as the latter, excited with great\nwrath and resolved upon Yudhishthira's destruction stood on his car,\nthese words, \"Him for whose sake Dhritarashtra's son always honours thee,\nslay that Partha, O son of Radha. What wouldst thou gain by slaying\nYudhishthira? The two Krishnas are blowing their conchs, whose loud blare\nis being heard. The twang also of Arjuna's bow is being heard, like the\nroar of the clouds in the season of rains. There, Arjuna, striking down\nthe foremost of our car-warriors with his arrowy down-pours, is devouring\nall our troops. Behold him, O Karna, in this battle. The two that are\nprotecting his rear are Yudhamanyu and Uttamauja. The brave Satyaki is\nprotecting his left wheel, and Dhrishtadyumna is protecting his right\nwheel. There, Bhimasena is fighting with the royal son of Dhritarashtra.\nAct in such way, O son of Radha, that Bhima may not be able to slay the\nking today in the sight of us all,--that the king may, indeed, escape\nhim. Behold, Duryodhana is brought under the power of Bhimasena, that\nornament of battle. Approaching if thou canst rescue him, it will,\nindeed, be a very wonderful feat. Going thither, rescue the king, for a\ngreat peril has overtaken him. What wilt thou gain by slaying the sons of\nMadri or king Yudhishthira?\" Hearing these words of Shalya, O lord of\nEarth, and beholding Duryodhana overpowered by Bhima in that dreadful\nbattle, the valiant son of Radha, thus urged by the words of Shalya and\nexceedingly desirous of rescuing the king, left Ajatasatru and the twin\nsons of Madri by Pandu, and rushed for rescuing thy son. He was borne by\nhis steeds that were fleet as birds and that were urged by the ruler of\nthe Madras. After Karna had gone away, Kunti's son Yudhishthira\nretreated, borne, O sire, by the fleet steeds of Sahadeva. With his twin\nbrothers accompanying him, that ruler of men, quickly repairing in shame\nto the (Pandava) camp, his body exceedingly mangled with shafts, alighted\nfrom the car and hastily sat down on an excellent bed. The arrows then\nbeing extracted from his body, the royal son of Pandu, his heart\nexceedingly afflicted with sorrow's dart, addressed his two brothers,\nviz., those two mighty car-warriors, the sons of Madri, saying, \"Repair\nquickly to the division of Bhimasena. Roaring like a cloud, Vrikodara is\nengaged in battle.\" Riding another car, Nakula, that bull among\ncar-warriors, and Sahadeva of great energy,--those two brothers, those\ntwo crushers of foes,--both endued with great might, then proceeded\ntowards Bhima, borne by steeds of the utmost fleetness. Indeed, the\nbrothers having together repaired to Bhimasena's division, took up their\nplaces there.'\"\n\n\n\n64\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Meanwhile Drona's son, surrounded by a large car-force, O\nking, suddenly proceeded to that spot where Partha was. Like the\ncontinent withstanding the surging ocean, the heroic Partha having Saurin\n(Krishna) for his help-mate withstood the impetuously rushing\nAshvatthama. Then, O monarch, the valiant son of Drona, filled with rage,\ncovered both Arjuna and Vasudeva with his shafts. Beholding the two\nKrishnas shrouded with arrows, the great car-warriors (of the Pandava\narmy), as also the Kurus that witnessed it, wondered exceedingly. Then\nArjuna, as if smiling, invoked into existence a celestial weapon. The\nBrahmana Ashvatthama, however, O Bharata, baffled that weapon in that\nbattle. Indeed, all those weapons that Arjuna sped from desire of slaying\nthe son of Drona were baffled by the latter, that great bowman, in that\nencounter. During the progress of that awful encounter of weapons, O\nking, we beheld the son of Drona to resemble the Destroyer himself, with\ngaping mouth. Having covered all the points of the compass, cardinal and\nsubsidiary, with straight arrows, he pierced Vasudeva with three arrows\nin the right arm. Then Arjuna, slaying all the steeds of his high-souled\nassailant, caused the Earth in that battle to be covered with a river of\nblood that was exceedingly awful that led towards the other world, and\nthat had diverse kinds of creatures floating on it. All the spectators\nbeheld a large number of car-warriors along with their cars, belonging to\nthe division of Ashvatthama, slain and destroyed by means of the arrows\nsped from Partha's bow. Ashvatthama also, slaying his enemies, caused a\nterrible river of blood to flow there that led to Yama's domains. During\nthe progress of that fierce and awful battle between Drona's son and\nPartha, the combatants fought without showing any regard for one another,\nand rushed hither and thither. In consequence of cars having their steeds\nand drivers slain, and steeds having their riders slain, and elephants\nhaving their riders and guides slain, an awful carnage, O king, was made\nby Partha in that battle! Car-warriors, deprived of life with shafts sped\nfrom Partha's bow, fell down. Steeds freed from their trappings ran\nhither and thither. Beholding those feats of Partha, that ornament of\nbattle, that valiant son of Drona quickly approached the former, that\nforemost of victorious men, shook his formidable bow decked with gold,\nand then pierced him from every side with many sharp arrows. Once more\nbending the bow, O king, the son of Drona cruelly struck Arjuna, aiming\nat the chest, with a winged arrow. Deeply pierced by Drona's son, O\nBharata, in that encounter, the wielder of Gandiva, that hero of great\nintelligence forcibly covered the son of Drona with showers of arrows,\nand then cut off his bow. His bow cut off Drona's son then, taking up a\nspiked mace whose touch resembled that of thunder's, hurled it, in that\nencounter, at the diadem-decked Arjuna. The son of Pandu, however, O\nking, as if smiling the while, suddenly cut off that spiked mace decked\nwith gold, as it advanced towards him. Thus cut off with Partha's shafts,\nit fell down on the Earth, like a mountain, O king, broken into pieces,\nstruck with the thunderbolt. Filled with rage at this, Drona's son, that\ngreat car-warrior, began to cover Vibhatsu, aided by the energy of the\nAindra weapon. Beholding that shower of arrows spread over the welkin\nthrough the Aindra weapon, Partha, endued with great activity, O king,\ntaking up his bow Gandiva, and fixing on his bowstring a mighty weapon\ncreated by Indra, destroyed that Aindra-shower of arrows. Having baffled\nthat arrowy shower caused by the Aindra weapon, Partha soon covered the\ncar of Drona's son (with his own arrows). The son of Drona, however,\noverwhelmed with Partha's shafts, penetrated through that shower of\narrows shot by the son of Pandu, and approaching the latter, invoked a\nmighty weapon and suddenly pierced Krishna with hundred shafts and Arjuna\nwith three hundred small arrows. Then Arjuna pierced the son of his\npreceptor with a hundred arrows in all his vital limbs. And then he\npoured many arrows on the steeds and driver and the bowstring of Drona's\nson in the very sight of thy warriors. Having pierced Drona's son in\nevery vital part, Pandu's son, that slayer of hostile heroes, then felled\nhis adversary's driver from the car-niche with a broad-headed arrow.\nDrona's son, however, himself taking up the reins, covered Krishna with\nmany arrows. The activity of prowess that we then beheld in Drona's son\nwas exceedingly wonderful, since he guided his steeds while he fought\nwith Phalguni. That feat of his in battle, O king, was applauded by all\nthe warriors. Then Vibhatsu, otherwise called Jaya, smiling the while,\nquickly cut off the traces of Ashvatthama's steeds in that battle, with a\nrazor-faced arrow. Already afflicted by the energy of Arjuna's shafts,\nthe steeds of Drona's son thereupon ran away. Then a loud noise arose\nfrom thy troops, O Bharata! Meanwhile the Pandavas, having obtained the\nvictory, and desiring to improve it, rushed against thy troops, shooting\nfrom all sides sharp arrows at them. The vast Dhartarashtra host, then, O\nking, was repeatedly broken by the heroic Pandavas inspired with desire\nof victory, in the very sight, O monarch, of thy sons, conversant with\nall modes of warfare, and of Shakuni the son of Subala, and of Karna, O\nking! Though sought to be stopped, O king, by thy sons, that great army,\nafflicted on all sides, stayed not on the field. Indeed, a confusion set\nin among the vast terrified host of thy son in consequence of many\nwarriors flying away on all sides. The Suta's son loudly cried out,\nsaying \"Stay, Stay!\" but thy army, slaughtered by many high-souled\nwarriors, did not stay on the field. Loud shouts were uttered then, O\nmonarch, by the Pandavas, inspired with this desire of victory, on\nbeholding the Dhartarashtra host flying away on all sides. Then\nDuryodhana addressing Karna from affection, \"Behold, O Karna, how our\narmy, exceedingly afflicted by the Pandavas, though thou art here, is\nflying away from battle! Knowing this, O thou of mighty arms, do that\nwhich is suited to the hour, O chastiser of foes! Thousands of (our)\nwarriors, routed by the Pandavas, are, O hero, calling after thee only, O\nbest of men!\" Hearing these grave words of Duryodhana, the son of Radha,\nas if smiling, said these words unto the ruler of the Madras, \"Behold the\nprowess of my arms and the energy of my weapons, O ruler of men! Today I\nwill slay all the Pancalas and the Pandavas in battle! Cause the steeds\nto proceed with my car, O tiger among men! Without doubt, everything will\nbe as I have said!\" Having said these words, the Suta's son of great\nvalour, that hero, taking up his ancient and foremost of bows called\nVijaya, stringed it and rubbed the string repeatedly. Bidding the troops\nstay on the field after having assured them upon his truth and by an\noath, the mighty Karna of immeasurable soul fixed on his bow-string the\nweapon known by the name of Bhargava. From that weapon flowed, O king,\nmillions and millions of keen arrows in that great battle. Entirely\nshrouded with those blazing and terrible arrows winged with feathers of\nKankas and peacocks, the Pandava army could not see anything. Loud wails\nof woe arose from among the Pancalas, O king, afflicted, in that battle,\nwith the mighty Bhargava weapon. In consequence then of elephants, O\nking, and steeds, by thousands, and cars, O monarch, and men, falling on\nall sides, deprived of life, the Earth began to tremble. The vast force\nof the Pandavas became agitated from one extremity to another. Meanwhile\nKarna, that scorcher of foes, that foremost of warriors, that tiger among\nmen, while consuming his foes, looked resplendent like a smokeless fire.\nThus slaughtered by Karna, the Pancalas and the Cedis began to lose their\nsenses all over the field like elephants during the conflagration in a\nforest. Those foremost of men, O tiger among men, uttered loud roars like\nthose of the tiger. Loud became the wails of woe, like those of living\ncreatures at the universal dissolution that were uttered by those crying\ncombatants struck with panic and running wildly on all sides, O king, of\nthe field of battle and trembling with fear. Beholding them thus\nslaughtered, O sire, by the Suta's son, all creatures, even beasts and\nbirds, were filled with fear. The Srinjayas then, thus slaughtered in\nbattle by the Suta's son, repeatedly called upon Arjuna and Vasudeva like\nthe spirits of the dead within Yama's dominions calling upon Yama to\nrescue them. Hearing those wails of the troops slaughtered with Karna's\nshafts, and beholding the terrible bhargava weapon invoked into existence\nKunti's son Dhananjaya said unto Vasudeva these words, \"Behold, O Krishna\nof mighty arms, the prowess of the bhargava weapon! It cannot, by any\nmeans, be baffled! Behold the Suta's son also, O Krishna, filled with\nrage in this great battle and resembling the Destroyer himself, in\nprowess and employed in achieving such a fierce feat! Urging his steeds\nincessantly, he is repeatedly casting angry glances upon me! I will never\nbe able to fly away from Karna in battle! The person that is living, may,\nin battle, meet with either victory or defeat. To the man, however, that\nis dead, O Hrishikesha, even death is victory. How can defeat be his that\nis dead?\" Thus addressed by Partha, Krishna replied unto that foremost of\nintelligent men and chastiser of foes, these words that were suitable to\nthe occasion, \"The royal son of Kunti hath been deeply wounded and\nmangled by Karna. Having seen him first and comforted him, thou wilt\nthen, O Partha, slay Karna.\" Then Keshava proceeded, desirous of\nbeholding Yudhishthira, thinking that Karna meanwhile, O monarch, would\nbe overwhelmed with fatigue. Then Dhananjaya, himself desirous of\nbeholding the king afflicted with arrows, quickly proceeded on that car,\navoiding the battle, at Keshava's command. While the son of Kunti was\nthus proceeding from desire of seeing king Yudhishthira the just, he cast\nhis eyes on every part of the army but failed to find his eldest brother\nanywhere on the field. The son of Kunti proceeded, O Bharata, having\nfought with the son of his preceptor Drona, and having vanquished that\nhero incapable of being resisted by the wielder of the thunderbolt\nhimself.'\"\n\n\n\n65\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Having vanquished the son of Drona and achieved a mighty\nand heroic feat that is exceedingly difficult of accomplishment,\nDhananjaya, irresistible by foes, and with bow outstretched in his hands,\ncast his eyes among his own troops. The brave Savyasaci, gladdening those\nwarriors of his that were still battling at the head of their divisions\nand applauding those among them that were celebrated for their former\nachievements, caused the car-warriors of his own army to continue to stand\nin their posts. Not seeing his brother Yudhishthira of Ajamida's race,\nthe diadem-decked Arjuna, adorned, besides, with a necklace of gold,\nspeedily approached Bhima and enquired of him the whereabouts of the\nking, saying, \"Tell me, where is the king?\" Thus asked, Bhima said, \"King\nYudhishthira the just, hath gone away from this place, his limbs scorched\nwith Karna's shafts. It is doubtful whether he still liveth!\" Hearing\nthose words, Arjuna said, \"For this reason go thou quickly from the spot\nfor bringing intelligence of the king, that best of all the descendants\nof Kuru! Without doubt, deeply pierced by Karna with shafts, the king\nhath gone to the camp! In that fierce passage at arms, though deeply\npierced by Drona with keen shafts, the king endued with great activity,\nhad still stayed in battle, expectant of victory, until Drona was slain!\nThat foremost one among the Pandavas, possessed of great magnanimity, was\ngreatly imperilled by Karna in today's battle! For ascertaining his\ncondition, quickly go hence, O Bhima! I will stay here, checking all our\nfoes!\" Thus addressed, Bhima said, \"O thou of great glory, go thyself for\nascertaining the condition of the king, that bull amongst the Bharatas!\nIf, O Arjuna, I go there, many foremost of heroes will then say that I am\nfrightened in battle!\" Then Arjuna said unto Bhimasena, \"The samsaptakas\nare before my division! Without slaying those assembled foes first, it is\nimpossible for me to stir from this place!\" Then Bhimasena said unto\nArjuna, \"Relying upon my own might, O foremost one among the Kurus, I\nwill fight with all the samsaptakas in battle! Therefore, O Dhananjaya,\ndo thou go thyself!\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Hearing in the midst of foes, those words of his\nbrother Bhimasena that were difficult of accomplishment, Arjuna, desiring\nto see the king, addressed the Vrishni hero, saying, \"Urge the steeds, O\nHrishikesha, leaving this sea of troops! I desire, O Keshava to see king\nAjatasatru!\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Just as he was on the point of urging the steeds,\nKeshava, that foremost one of the Dasharhas, addressed Bhima, saying,\n\"This feat is not at all wonderful for thee, O Bhima! I am about to go\n(hence). Slay these assembled foes of Partha!\" Then Hrishikesha proceeded\nwith very great speed to the spot where king Yudhishthira was, O king,\nborne by those steeds that resembled Garuda, having stationed Bhima, that\nchastiser of foes, at the head of the army and having commanded him, O\nmonarch, to fight (with the samsaptakas). Then those two foremost of men,\n(Krishna and Arjuna), proceeding on their car, approached the king who\nwas lying alone on his bed. Both of them, alighting from that car,\nworshipped the feet of king Yudhishthira the just. Beholding that bull of\ntigers among men safe and sound, the two Krishnas became filled with joy,\nlike the twin Ashvinis on seeing Vasava. The king then congratulated them\nboth like Vivasvat congratulating the twin Ashvinis, or like Brihaspati\ncongratulating Sankara and Vishnu after the slaughter of the mighty asura\nJambha. King Yudhishthira the just, thinking that Karna had been slain,\nbecame filled with joy, and that scorcher of foes thereupon addressed\nthem in these words in a voice choked with delight.'\"\n\n\n\n66\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Welcome, O thou that hast Devaki for thy mother,\nand welcome to thee, O Dhananjaya! The sight of both of you, O Acyuta and\nArjuna, is exceedingly agreeable! I see that without being wounded\nyourselves, you two, his foes, have slain the mighty car-warrior Karna!\nHe was in battle like unto a snake of virulent poison. He was\naccomplished in all weapons. The leader of all the Dhartarashtras, he was\ntheir armour and protector! While fighting he was always protected by\nVrishasena and by Sushena, both of whom are great bowmen! Of great\nenergy, he had received lessons from Rama in weapons! He was invincible\nin battle! The foremost one in all the world, as a car-warrior he was\ncelebrated throughout all the worlds. He was the saviour of the\nDhartarashtras, and the proceeder in their van! A slayer of hostile\ntroops, he was the crusher of large bands of foes. Ever engaged in\nDuryodhana's good, he was always prepared to inflict woe on us! He was\ninvincible in battle by the very gods with Vasava at their head. In\nenergy and might he was equal unto the god of fire and the god of wind.\nIn gravity he was unfathomable as the Nether world. The enhancer of the\njoys of friends, he was like the Destroyer himself unto foes! Having\nslain Karna (who was even so) in dreadful battle, by good luck it is that\nyou two have come, like a couple of celestials after vanquishing an\nAsura! Today, O Acyuta and Arjuna, a great battle was fought between\nmyself exerting with might and that hero resembling the Destroyer\nhimself, while seeking to exterminate all creatures! My standard was cut\ndown, and my two Parshni drivers also were slain by him. I was also made\nsteedless and carless by him in the very sight of Yuyudhana, of\nDhrishtadyumna, of the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva), of the heroic\nShikhandi, as also in the very sight of the sons of Draupadi, and all the\nPancalas! Having vanquished those innumerable foes, Karna of mighty\nenergy then vanquished me, O thou of mighty arms, although I exerted\nmyself resolutely in battle! Pursuing me then and without doubt,\nvanquishing all my protectors, that foremost of warriors addressed me in\ndiverse harsh speeches. That I am still alive, O Dhananjaya, is due to\nthe prowess of Bhimasena. What more need I say? I am unable to bear that\nhumiliation! For thirteen years, O Dhananjaya, through fear of Karna, I\ndid not obtain any sleep by night or any comfort by day! Filled with\nhatred of Karna, I burn, O Dhananjaya! Like the bird Vaddhrinasa I fled\nfrom Karna, knowing that the time for my own destruction had come. The\nwhole of my time had passed in the thought as to how I would accomplish\nthe destruction of Karna in battle! Awake or asleep, O son of Kunti, I\nalways beheld Karna (with my mind's eye). Wherever I was, the universe\nappeared to me to be full of Karna! Inspired with the fear of Karna,\nwherever I used to go, O Dhananjaya, thither I beheld Karna standing\nbefore my eyes! Vanquished in battle, with my steeds and car, by that\nhero who never retreated from battle, alive I was let off by him! What\nuse have I of life or of kingdom either, since Karna, that ornament of\nbattle, today cried fie on me? That which I had never before met with at\nthe hands of Bhishma or Kripa or Drona in battle, that I met with today\nat the hands of the Suta's son, that mighty car-warrior! It is for this,\nO son of Kunti, that I ask thee today about thy welfare! Tell me in\ndetail how thou hast slain Karna today! In battle Karna was equal unto\nSakra himself. In prowess he was equal unto Yama. In weapons he was equal\nunto Rama. How then hath he been slain? He was regarded as a mighty\ncar-warrior, conversant with all modes of warfare. He was the foremost of\nall bowmen, and the one man amongst all men! O prince, the son of Radha\nwas always worshipped by Dhritarashtra and his son, for thy sake! How\nthen hath he been slain by thee? In all engagements, Dhritarashtra's son,\nO Arjuna, used to regard Karna as thy death, O bull among men! How then,\nO tiger among men, hath that Karna been slain by thee in battle? Tell me,\nO son of Kunti, how that Karna hath been slain by thee! How, while he was\nengaged in battle, didst thou, O tiger among men, strike off his head in\nthe very sight of all his friends like a tiger tearing off the head of a\nruru deer? That Suta's son who in battle searched all the points of the\ncompass for finding thee, that Karna who had promised to give a car with\nsix bulls of elephantine proportions unto him that would point thee out,\nI ask: doth that Karna of wicked soul lie today on the bare ground, slain\nwith thy keen arrows equipped with Kanka feathers? Having slain the\nSuta's son in battle, thou hast accomplished a deed highly agreeable to\nme! Encountering him in battle, hast thou really slain that Suta's son,\nwho, filled with arrogance and pride and bragging of his heroism, used to\nsearch everywhere on the field of battle for thee? Hast thou, O sire,\nreally slain in battle that sinful wretch who used to always challenge\nthee and who was desirous for thy sake of giving unto others a\nmagnificent car, made of gold along with a number of elephants and bulls\nand steeds? Hast thou really slain today that sinful wight who was\nexceedingly dear to Suyodhana, and who, intoxicated with pride of\nheroism, used always to brag in the assembly of the Kurus? Encountered in\nbattle, doth that wretch lie today on the field, his limbs exceedingly\nmangled with sky-ranging shafts sped by thee from thy bow and all steeped\nin blood? Have the two arms of Dhritarashtra's son been (at last) broken?\nHave those words been unfulfilled, uttered from folly by him who, filled\nwith pride, used to always boast in the midst of the kings for gladdening\nDuryodhana, saying, 'I will slay Phalguna'? O son of Indra, hath that\nKarna of little understanding been slain by thee today, that Suta's son\nwho made the vow that he would not wash his feet as long as Partha lived?\nThat Karna of wicked understanding who in the assembly before the Kuru\nchiefs, had addressed Krishna, saying, 'Why, O Krishna, dost thou not\nabandon the Pandavas that are divested of might, exceedingly weak, and\nfallen?' That Karna who had vowed for thy sake, saying that he would not\nreturn from battle without having slain Krishna and Partha. I ask, doth\nthat Karna of sinful understanding lie today on the field, his body\npierced with shafts? Thou knowest the nature of the battle that took\nplace when the Srinjayas and the Kauravas encountered each other, the\nbattle in which I was brought to that distressful plight. Encountering\nthat Karna, hast thou slain him today? O Savyasaci, hast thou today, with\nblazing shafts sped from Gandiva, cut off from the trunk of that Karna of\nwicked understanding his resplendent head decked with earrings? Pierced\nwith Karna's shafts today, I had, O hero, thought of thee (that thou\nwouldst slay him)! Hast thou then, by the slaughter of Karna, made that\nthought of mine true? In consequence of the protection granted him by\nKarna, Suyodhana, filled with pride, always recked us little. Displaying\nthy prowess, hast thou today destroyed that refuge of Suyodhana? That\nSuta's son of wicked soul, that Karna of great wrath, who had formerly,\nin the presence of the Kauravas and in the midst of the assembly called\nus sesame seeds without kernel, encountering that Karna in battle, hast\nthou slain him today? That Suta's son of wicked soul who had, laughing\nthe while, commanded Duhshasana to forcibly drag Yajnasena's daughter won\nin gambling by Subala's son, hath he been slain today by thee? That Karna\nof little understanding who, having been counted as only half a\ncar-warrior during the tale of rathas and atirathas, had upbraided that\nforemost of all wielders of weapons on Earth, our grandsire Bhishma, hath\nhe been slain by thee? Extinguish, O Phalguna, this fire in my heart that\nis born of vindictiveness and is fanned by the wind of humiliation, by\ntelling me that thou hast slain Karna today, having encountered him in\nbattle! The news of Karna's slaughter is exceedingly agreeable to me.\nTell me, therefore, how the Suta's son hath been slain! Like the divine\nVishnu waiting for the arrival of Indra with the intelligence of Vritra's\nslaughter, I had so long waited for thee, O hero!\"'\"\n\n\n\n67\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Hearing these words of the righteous king who had been\nfilled with anger, that high-souled atiratha, Jishnu of infinite energy,\nreplied unto the invincible Yudhishthira of great might, saying, \"While\nbattling with the samsaptakas today, Drona's son who always proceedeth at\nthe head of the Kuru troops, O king, suddenly came before me, shooting\nshafts that resembled snakes of virulent poison. Beholding my car, of\nrattle deep as the roar of clouds, all the troops began to encompass it.\nSlaying full five hundred of those, I then, O foremost of kings,\nproceeded against Drona's son. Approaching me, O king, that hero with\ngreat resolution rushed against me like a prince of elephants against a\nlion, and desired to rescue, O monarch, the Kaurava car-warriors that\nwere being slaughtered by me. Then, in that battle, O Bharata, the\npreceptor's son, that foremost of heroes among the Kurus, incapable of\nbeing made to tremble, began to afflict me and Janardana with whetted\nshafts resembling poison or fire. While engaged in battle with me, eight\ncarts, each drawn by eight bullocks, carried his hundreds of arrows. He\nshot them all at me, but like a wind destroying the clouds I destroyed\nwith my shafts that arrowy shower of his. He then shot at me, with skill\nand force and resolution, thousands of other arrows, all sped from his\nbow-string stretched to his very ear, even like a black cloud in the\nseason of rains pouring in torrents the water with which it is charged.\nSo quickly did Drona's son career in that battle that we could not\ndiscern from which side, the left or the right, he shot his arrows, nor\ncould we notice when he took up his arrows and when he let them off.\nIndeed, the bow of Drona's son was seen by us to be incessantly drawn to\na circle. At last, the son of Drona pierced me with five whetted arrows\nand Vasudeva also with five whetted arrows. Within the twinkling of an\neye, however, I afflicted him with the force of thunderbolts. Exceedingly\nafflicted with those shafts sped by me, he soon assumed the form of a\nporcupine. All his limbs became bathed in blood. Beholding his troops,\nthose foremost of warriors all covered with blood and overwhelmed by me,\nhe then entered the car-division of the Suta's son. Seeing the troops\noverwhelmed by me in battle, and struck with fear, and beholding the\nelephants and steeds flying away, that grinder (of hostile hosts), viz.,\nKarna approached me quickly with fifty great car-warriors. Slaying them\nall and avoiding Karna, I have quickly come hither for seeing thee. All\nthe Pancalas are afflicted with fear at sight of Karna like kine at the\nscent of a lion. The Prabhadrakas also, O king, having approached Karna,\nare like persons that have entered the wide open jaws of Death. Karna has\nalready despatched to Yama's abode full seventeen hundred of those\ndistressed car-warriors. Indeed, O king, the Suta's son did not become\ncheerless till he had a sight of us. Thou hadst first been engaged with\nAshvatthama and exceedingly mangled by him. I heard that after that thou\nwert seen by Karna. O thou of inconceivable feats, I thought that thou\nmust have, O king, been enjoying rest (in the camp), having come away\nfrom the cruel Karna. I have seen, O son of Pandu, the great and\nwonderful (Bhargava) weapon of Karna displayed in the van of battle.\nThere is now no other warrior among the Srinjayas that is able to resist\nthe mighty car-warrior Karna. Let Sini's grandson Satyaki and\nDhrishtadyumna, O king, be the protectors of my car-wheels. Let the\nheroic princes Yudhamanyu and Uttamauja protect my rear. O thou of great\nglory, encountering that heroic and invincible car-warrior, viz., the\nSuta's son, staying in the hostile army, like Sakra encountering Vritra,\nO foremost of kings, I will, O Bharata, fight with the Suta's son if he\ncan be found in this battle today. Come and behold me and the Suta's son\ncontending with each other in battle for victory. There, the Prabhadrakas\nare rushing towards the face of a mighty bull. There, O Bharata, 6,000\nprinces are sacrificing themselves in battle today, for the sake of\nheaven. If, putting forth my strength, I do not, O king, slay Karna today\nwith all his relatives while engaged in battle with him, then that end\nwill be mine, O lion among kings, which is his that does not accomplish a\nvow taken by him. I beg of thee, bless me, saying that victory will be\nmine in battle. Yonder, the Dhartarashtras are about to devour Bhima. I\nwill, O lion among kings, slay the Suta's son and his troops and all our\nfoes!\"'\"\n\n\n\n68\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Hearing that Karna of mighty energy was still alive,\nPritha's son Yudhishthira of immeasurable energy, exceedingly angry with\nPhalguna and burning with the shafts of Karna, said these words unto\nDhananjaya, \"O sire, thy army is fled and hath been beaten in a way that\nis scarcely honourable! Inspired with fear and deserting Bhima, thou hast\ncome hither since thou hast been unable to slay Karna. Thou hast, by\nentering her womb, rendered the conception of Kunti abortive. Thou hast\nacted improperly by deserting Bhima, because thou wert unable to slay the\nSuta's son. Thou hadst, O Partha, said unto me in the Dwaita woods that\nthou wouldst, on a single car, slay Karna. Why, then, through fear of\nKarna hast come hither, avoiding Karna and deserting Bhima? If in the\nDwaita woods thou hadst said unto me, 'O king, I shall not be able to\nfight with Karna,' we would then, O Partha, have made other arrangements\nsuitable to the circumstances. Having promised me the slaughter of Karna,\nthou hast not, O hero, kept that promise. Bringing us into the midst of\nfoes, why hast thou broken us into pieces by throwing us down on a hard\nsoil? Expecting diverse good things and benefits from thee, O Arjuna, we\nhave always uttered blessings on thee. All those expectations, however, O\nprince, have proved vain like those of persons expectant of fruit getting\ninstead of a tree burthened only with flowers! Like a fish-hook hid\nwithin a piece of meat, or poison overlaid with food, thou didst, for\ndisappointing us at last, point out destruction in the shape of kingdom\nunto ourselves covetous of kingdom! For these thirteen years, O\nDhananjaya, we have, from hope, lived relying on thee, like seeds sown on\nearth in expectation of the showers sent by the gods in season! Even\nthese were the words that a voice in the skies had said unto Pritha on\nthe seventh day after thy birth, O thou of foolish understanding! 'This\nson of thine that is born will have the prowess of Vasava himself! He\nwill vanquish all his heroic foes! Endued with superior energy, he will\nat Khandava vanquish all the celestials united together and diverse other\ncreatures. This one will subjugate the Madras, the Kalingas, and the\nKaikeyas. This one will, in the midst of many kings, slay the Kurus.\nThere will be no bowman superior to him, and no creature will ever be\nable to vanquish him. With his senses under control, and having obtained\nmastery over all branches of knowledge, this one, by merely desiring it,\nwill bring all creatures under subjection to himself. This high-souled\nson that is born of thee, O Kunti, will in beauty be the rival of Soma,\nin speed of the god of wind, in patience of Meru, in forgiveness of\nEarth, in splendour of Surya, in prosperity of the Lord of treasures, in\ncourage of Sakra, and in might of Vishnu. He will be the slayer of all\nfoes like Vishnu, the son of Aditi. Endued with immeasurable energy, he\nwill be celebrated for the destruction he will deal to foes and the\nsuccess he will win for friends. He will, besides, be the founder of a\nrace!' Even thus, in the skies, on the summit of the Satasringa\nmountains, in the hearing of many ascetics, that voice spoke. All that,\nhowever, hath not come to pass. Alas, it shows that the gods even may\nspeak untruths! Hearing also the words of praise always uttered about\nthee by many foremost of Rishis, I never expected that Suyodhana would\nwin success and prosperity or that thou thyself wouldst be afflicted with\nthe fear of Karna! Thou ridest upon an excellent car constructed by the\ncelestial artificer himself, with axles that do not creak, and with\nstandard that bears the ape. Thou bearest a sword attached to thy belt of\ngold and silk. This thy bow Gandiva is full six cubits long. Thou hast\nKeshava for thy driver. Why, then, through fear of Karna hast thou come\naway from battle, O Partha? If, O thou of wicked soul, thou hadst given\nthis bow to Keshava and become his driver, then Keshava could have (by\nthis time) slain the fierce Karna like the lord of the Maruts (Sakra)\nslaying with his thunder the Asura Vritra. If thou art unable to resist\nthe fierce son of Radha today, as he is careering in battle, give this\nthy Gandiva today to some other king, that may be thy superior in (the\nuse and knowledge of) weapons. If that be done, the world will not then\nbehold us bereft of sons and wives, deprived of happiness in consequence\nof the loss of kingdom, and sunk, O son of Pandu, in an unfathomable hell\nof great misery. It would have been better for thee if thou hadst never\nbeen born in the womb of Kunti, or having taken thy birth there, if thou\nhadst come out on the fifth month an abortion, than to have, O prince,\nthus come away from battle, O thou of wicked soul! Fie on thy Gandiva,\nfie on the might of thy arms, fie on thy inexhaustible arrows! Fie on thy\nbanner with the gigantic ape on it, and fie on thy car given thee by the\ngod of fire!\"'\"\n\n\n\n69\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Thus addressed by Yudhishthira, Kunti's son owning white\nsteeds, filled with rage, drew his sword for slaying that bull of\nBharata's race. Beholding his wrath, Keshava, conversant with the\nworkings of the (human) heart said, \"Why, O Partha, dost thou draw thy\nsword? I do not, O Dhananjaya, behold anyone here with whom thou hast to\nfight! The Dhartarashtras have now been assailed by the intelligent\nBhimasena. Thou comest from battle, O son of Kunti, for seeing the king.\nThe king has been seen by thee. Indeed, Yudhishthira is well. Having seen\nthat tiger among kings who is endued with prowess equal to that of a\ntiger, why this folly at a time when thou shouldst rejoice? I do not see\nhere, O son of Kunti, the person whom thou mayst slay. Why then dost thou\ndesire to strike? What is this delusion of thy mind? Why dost thou, with\nsuch speed, take up that formidable sword? I ask thee this, O son of\nKunti! What is this that thou art about, inasmuch as, O thou of\ninconceivable prowess, thou graspest that sword in anger?\" Thus addressed\nby Krishna, Arjuna, casting his eyes on Yudhishthira, and breathing like\nan angry snake, said unto Govinda, \"I would cut off the head of that man\nwho would tell me 'Give thy Gandiva to another person.' Even this is my\nsecret vow. Those words have been spoken by this king, O thou of\nimmeasurable prowess, in thy presence, O Govinda! I dare not forgive\nthem. I will for that slay this king who himself fears the slightest\nfalling from virtue. Slaying this best of men, I will keep my vow. It is\nfor this that I have drawn the sword, O delighter of the Yadus. Even I,\nslaying Yudhishthira, will pay off my debt to truth. By that I will\ndispel my grief and fever, O Janardana. I ask thee, what do you think\nsuitable to the circumstances that have arisen? Thou, O sire, knowest the\nentire past and future of this universe. I will do what thou wilt tell\nme.\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Govinda then said, \"Fie, fie,\" unto Partha and once\nmore continued to say, \"I now know, O Partha, that thou hast not waited\nupon the old, since, O tiger among men, thou hast yielded to wrath at a\ntime when thou shouldst not have done so. No one that is acquainted with\nthe distinctions of morality would act in the way, O Dhananjaya, in which\nthou, O son of Pandu, that art unacquainted with them, art acting today!\nHe, O Partha, is the worst of men who committeth acts that should not be\ndone and doeth acts that are apparently proper but condemned by the\nscriptures. Thou knowest not the decisions of those learned men who,\nwaited upon by pupils, declare their opinions, following the dictates of\nmorality. The man that is not acquainted with those rulings becomes\nconfounded and stupefied, O Partha, even as thou hast been stupefied, in\ndiscriminating between what should be done and what should not. What\nshould be done and what should not cannot be ascertained easily.\nEverything can be ascertained by the aid of the scriptures. Thou,\nhowever, art not acquainted with the scriptures. Since (believing\nthyself) conversant with morality, thou art desirous of observing\nmorality (in this way, it seems) thou art actuated by ignorance. Thou\nbelievest thyself to be conversant with virtue, but thou dost not know, O\nPartha, that the slaughter of living creatures is a sin. Abstention from\ninjury to animals is, I think, the highest virtue. One may even speak an\nuntruth, but one should never kill. How then, O foremost of men, couldst\nthou wish, like an ordinary person, to slay thy eldest brother, the King,\nwho is conversant with morality? The slaughter of a person not engaged in\nbattle, or of a foe, O Bharata who has turned his face from battle or who\nflies away or seeks protection or joins his hands or yields himself up or\nis carless, is never applauded by the righteous. All these attributes\nare in thy superior. This vow, O Partha, was adopted by thee before from\nfoolishness. In consequence of that vow thou art now, from folly,\ndesirous of perpetrating a sinful act. Why, O Partha, dost thou rush\ntowards thy reverend superior for slaying him, without having resolved\nthe exceedingly subtle course of morality that is, again, difficult of\nbeing understood? I will now tell thee, O son of Pandu, this mystery\nconnected with morality, this mystery that was declared by Bhishma, by\nthe righteous Yudhishthira, by Vidura otherwise called Kshatri, and by\nKunti, of great celebrity. I will tell thee that mystery in all its\ndetails. Listen to it, O Dhananjaya! One who speaks truth is righteous.\nThere is nothing higher than truth. Behold, however, truth as practised\nis exceedingly difficult to be understood as regards its essential\nattributes. Truth may be unutterable, and even falsehood may be utterable\nwhere falsehood would become truth and truth would become falsehood. In a\nsituation of peril to life and in marriage, falsehood becomes utterable.\nIn a situation involving the loss of one's entire property, falsehood\nbecomes utterable. On an occasion of marriage, or of enjoying a woman, or\nwhen life is in danger, or when one's entire property is about to be\ntaken away, or for the sake of a Brahmana, falsehood may be uttered.\nThese five kinds of falsehood have been declared to be sinless. On these\noccasions falsehood would become truth and truth would become falsehood.\nHe is a fool that practises truth without knowing the difference between\ntruth and falsehood. One is said to be conversant with morality when one\nis able to distinguish between truth and falsehood. What wonder then in\nthis that a man of wisdom, by perpetrating even a cruel act, may obtain\ngreat merit like Valaka by the slaughter of the blind beast? What wonder,\nagain, in this that a foolish and ignorant person, from even the desire\nof winning merit, earns great sin like Kausika (living) among the rivers?\"\n\n\"'Arjuna said, \"Tell me, O holy one, this story that I may understand it,\nviz., this illustration about Valaka and about Kausika (living) among\nrivers.\"\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"There was a certain hunter of animals, O Bharata, of\nthe name of Valaka. He used, for the livelihood of his son and wives and\nnot from will, to slay animals. Devoted to the duties of his own order\nand always speaking the truth and never harbouring malice, he used also\nto support his parents and others that depended upon him. One day,\nsearching for animals even with perseverance and care, he found none. At\nlast he saw a beast of prey whose sense of smell supplied the defect of\nhis eyes, employed in drinking water. Although he had never seen such an\nanimal before, still he slew it immediately. After the slaughter of that\nblind beast, a floral shower fell from the skies (upon the head of the\nhunter). A celestial car also, exceedingly delightful and resounding with\nthe songs of Apsaras and the music of their instruments, came from heaven\nfor taking away that hunter of animals. That beast of prey, having\nundergone ascetic austerities, had obtained a boon and had become the\ncause of the destruction of all creatures. For this reason he was made\nblind by the Self-born. Having slain that animal which had resolved to\nslay all creatures, Valaka went to heaven. Morality is even so difficult\nof being understood. There was an ascetic of the name of Kausika without\nmuch knowledge of the scriptures. He lived in a spot much removed from a\nvillage, at a point where many rivers met. He made a vow, saying, 'I must\nalways speak the truth.' He then became celebrated, O Dhananjaya, as a\nspeaker of truth. At that time certain persons, from fear of robbers,\nentered that wood (where Kausika dwelt). Thither even, the robbers,\nfilled with rage, searched for them carefully. Approaching Kausika then,\nthat speaker of truth, they asked him saying, 'O holy one, by which path\nhave a multitude of men gone a little while before? Asked in the name of\nTruth, answer us. If thou hast seen them, tell us this'. Thus adjured,\nKausika told them the truth, saying, 'Those men have entered this wood\ncrowded with many trees and creepers and plants'. Even thus, O Partha,\ndid Kausika give them the information. Then those cruel men, it is heard,\nfinding out the persons they sought, slew them all. In consequence of\nthat great sin consisting in the words spoken, Kausika, ignorant of the\nsubtilities of morality, fell into a grievous hell, even as a foolish\nman, of little knowledge, and unacquainted with the distinctions of\nmorality, falleth into painful hell by not having asked persons of age\nfor the solution of his doubts. There must be some indications for\ndistinguishing virtue from sin. Sometimes that high and unattainable\nknowledge may be had by the exercise of reason. Many persons say, on the\none hand, that the scriptures indicate morality. I do not contradict\nthis. The scriptures, however, do not provide for every case. For the\ngrowth of creatures have precepts of morality been declared. That which\nis connected with inoffensiveness is religion. Dharma protects and\npreserves the people. So it is the conclusion of the Pandits that what\nmaintains is Dharma. O Partha, I have narrated to you the signs and\nindications of Dharma. Hearing this, you decide whether Yudhishthira is\nto be slaughtered by you or not.\" Arjuna said, \"Krishna, your words are\nfraught with great intelligence and impregnated with wisdom. Thou art to\nus like our parents and our refuge. Nothing is unknown to thee in the\nthree worlds, so thou art conversant with the canons of morality. O\nKeshava of the Vrishni clan, thou knowest my vow that whoever among men\nwould tell me, 'Partha, give thy Gandiva to some one braver than you,' I\nshall at once put an end to his life. Bhima has also made a promise that\nwhoever would call him 'tularak', would be slaughtered by him there and\nthen. Now the King has repeatedly used those very words to me in thy\npresence, O hero, viz., 'Give thy bow.' If I slay him, O Keshava, I will\nnot be able to live in this world for even a moment. Having intended\nagain the slaughter of the king through folly and the loss of my mental\nfaculties, I have been polluted by sin. It behoveth thee today, O\nforemost of all righteous persons, to give me such counsel that my vow,\nknown throughout the world, may become true while at the same time both\nmyself and the eldest son of Pandu may live.\"'\"\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"The king was fatigued, and under the influence of\ngrief, He had been mangled in battle by Karna with numerous arrows. After\nthat, O hero, he was repeatedly struck by the Suta's son (with his\nshafts), while he was retreating from battle. It was for this that,\nlabouring under a load of sorrow, he spoke those improper words unto thee\nin wrath. He provoked thee by those words so that thou mightest slay\nKarna in battle. The son of Pandu knows that the wretched Karna is\nincapable of being borne by any one else in the world (save thee). It was\nfor this, O Partha, that the king in great wrath said those harsh words\nto thy face. The stake in the game of today's battle has been made to lie\nin the ever alert and always unbearable Karna. That Karna being slain,\nthe Kauravas would necessarily be vanquished. Even this is what the royal\nson of Dharma had thought. For this the son of Dharma does not deserve\ndeath. Thy vow also, O Arjuna, should be kept. Listen now to my counsels\nthat will be agreeable to thee, to counsels in consequence of which\nYudhishthira without being actually deprived of life may yet be dead. As\nlong as one that is deserving of respect continues to receive respect,\none is said to live in the world of men. When, however, such a person\nmeets with disrespect, he is spoken of as one that is dead though alive.\nThis king hath always been respected by thee and by Bhima and the twins,\nas also by all heroes and all persons in the world that are venerable for\nyears. In some trifle then show him disrespect. Therefore, O Partha,\naddress this Yudhishthira as 'thou' when his usual form of address is\n'your honour.' A superior, O Bharata, by being addressed as 'thou,' is\nkilled though not deprived of life. Bear thyself thus, O son of Kunti,\ntowards king Yudhishthira, the just. Adopt this censurable behaviour, O\nperpetuator of Kuru's race! This best audition of all auditions, hath\nbeen declared by both Atharvan and Angiras. Men desiring good should\nalways act in this way without scruples of any kind. Without being\ndeprived of life a superior is yet said to be killed if that venerable\none is addressed as 'thou.' Conversant with duty as thou art, address\nking Yudhishthira the just, in the manner I have indicated. This death, O\nson of Pandu, at thy hands, king Yudhishthira will never regard as an\noffence committed by thee. Having addressed him in this way, thou mayst\nthen worship his feet and speak words of respect unto this son of Pritha\nand soothe his wounded honour. Thy brother is wise. The royal son of\nPandu, therefore, will never be angry with thee. Freed from falsehood as\nalso from fratricide, thou wilt then, O Partha, cheerfully slay the\nSuta's son Karna!\"'\"\n\n\n\n70\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Thus addressed by Janardana, Pritha's son Arjuna,\napplauding those counsels of his friend, then vehemently addressed king\nYudhishthira the just, in language that was harsh and the like of which\nhe had never used before.\n\n\"'Arjuna said, \"Do thou not, O king, address these upbraidings to me,\nthou that art passing thy time full two miles away from battle. Bhima,\nhowever, who is battling with the foremost heroes of the world may\nupbraid me. Having afflicted his foes at the proper time in battle, and\nslain many brave lords of earth and many foremost of car-warriors and\nhuge elephants and many heroic horsemen and countless brave combatants,\nhe hath, in addition, slain a 1,000 elephants and 10,000 Kamboja\nmountaineers, and is uttering loud roars in battle like a lion after\nslaying innumerable smaller animals. That hero achieveth the most\ndifficult feats, the like of which thou canst never achieve. Jumping down\nfrom his car, mace in hand, he hath destroyed a large number of steeds\nand cars and elephants in battle. With also his foremost of swords he\nhath destroyed many horsemen and cars and steeds and elephants. With the\nbroken limbs of cars, and with his bow also, he consumeth his foes.\nEndued with the prowess of Indra, with his feet and also his bare arms he\nslayeth numerous foes. Possessed of great might and resembling Kuvera and\nYama, he destroyeth the hostile army, putting forth his strength. That\nBhimasena hath the right to upbraid me, but not thou that art always\nprotected by friends. Agitating the foremost of car-warriors and\nelephants and steeds and foot-soldiers, Bhima, single-handed, is now in\nthe midst of the Dhartarashtras. That chastiser of foes hath the right to\nupbraid me. The chastiser of foes who is slaying the Kalingas, the\nVangas, the Angas, the Nishadas, and the Magadhas, and large numbers of\nhostile elephants that are ever infuriated and that look like masses of\nblue clouds, is competent to upbraid me. Riding on a suitable car,\nshaking his bow at the proper time, and with shafts in his (other) hand,\nthat hero poureth showers of arrows in great battle like the clouds\npouring torrents of rain. Eight hundred elephants, I have seen, with\ntheir frontal globes split open and the ends of their tusks cut off, have\ntoday been slain by Bhima with shafts in battle. That slayer of foes is\ncompetent to tell me harsh words. The learned say that the strength of\nthe foremost of Brahmanas lies in speech, and that the Kshatriya's\nstrength is in his arms. Thou, O Bharata, art strong in words and very\nunfeeling. Thou thinkest me to be like thyself. I always strive to do\nthee good with my soul, life, sons and wives. Since, not withstanding all\nthis, thou still piercest me with such wordy darts, it is evident that we\ncannot expect any happiness from thee. Lying on Draupadi's bed thou\ninsultest me, though for thy sake I slay the mightiest of car-warriors.\nThou art without any anxiety, O Bharata, and thou art cruel. I have never\nobtained any happiness from thee. It was for thy good, O chief of men,\nthat Bhishma, firmly devoted to truth, himself told thee the means of his\ndeath in battle, and was slain by the heroic and high-souled Shikhandi,\nthe son of Drupada, protected by me. I do not derive any pleasure from\nthe thought of thy restoration to sovereignty, since thou art addicted to\nthe evil practice of gambling. Having thyself committed a wicked act to\nwhich they only are addicted that are low, thou desirest now to vanquish\nthy foes through our aid. Thou hadst heard of the numerous faults and the\ngreat sinfulness of dice that Sahadeva spoke about. Yet dice, which are\nworshipped by the wicked, thou couldst not abandon. It was for this that\nall of us have fallen into hell. We have never derived any happiness from\nthee since thou wert engaged in gambling with dice. Having, O son of\nPandu, thyself caused all this calamity, thou art, again, addressing\nthese harsh words to me. Slain by us, hostile troops are lying on the\nfield, with mangled bodies and uttering loud wails. It was thou that\ndidst that cruel act in consequence of which the Kauravas have become\noffenders and are being destroyed. Nations from the North, the West, the\nEast, and the South, are being struck, wounded and slain, after the\nperformance of incomparable feats in battle by great warriors of both\nsides. It was thou that hadst gambled. It was for thee that we lost our\nkingdom. Our calamity arose from thee, O king! Striking us, again, with\nthe cruel goad of thy speeches, O king, do not provoke our wrath.\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Having addressed these harsh and exceedingly bitter words\nunto his eldest brother and thereby committed a venial sin, the\nintelligent Savyasaci of calm wisdom, who is ever actuated by the fear of\ndefection from virtue, became very cheerless. The son of the chief of the\ncelestials became filled with remorse and breathing heavily, drew his\nsword. Seeing this, Krishna asked him, \"What is this? Why dost thou again\nunsheathe thy sword blue as the sky? Tell me what thy answer is, for then\nI shall give thee counsel for the gratification of thy object.\" Thus\naddressed by that foremost of men, Arjuna, in great sorrow answered\nKeshava, saying, \"I shall, putting forth my strength, slay my own self by\nwhom this wicked act hath been done.\" Hearing those words of Partha,\nKeshava, that foremost of all righteous persons said this unto\nDhananjaya, \"Having said these words unto the king, why hast thou become\nso cheerless? O slayer of foes, thou desirest now to destroy thy own\nself. This, however, Kiritin, is not approved by the righteous. If, O\nhero among men, thou hadst today, from fear of sin, slain this thy eldest\nbrother of virtuous soul, what would then have been thy condition and\nwhat wouldst thou not then have done? Morality is subtle, O Bharata, and\nunknowable, especially by those that are ignorant. Listen to me as I\npreach to thee. By destroying thy own self, thou wouldst sink into a more\nterrible hell than if thou hadst slain thy brother. Declare now, in\nwords, thy own merit. Thou shalt then, O Partha, have slain thy own\nself.\" Applauding these words and saying, \"Let it be so, O Krishna,\"\nDhananjaya, the son of Sakra, lowering his bow, said unto Yudhishthira,\nthat foremost of virtuous persons, \"Listen, O king, there is no other\nbowman, O ruler of men, like unto myself, except the deity that bears\nPinaka; I am regarded by even that illustrious deity. In a moment I can\ndestroy this universe of mobile and immobile creatures. It was I, O king,\nthat vanquished all the points of the compass with all the kings ruling\nthere, and brought all to thy subjection. The Rajasuya (performed by\nthee), brought to completion by gift of Dakshina, and the celestial\npalace owned by thee, were both due to my prowess. In my hands are (marks\nof) sharp shafts and a stringed bow with arrow fixed thereon. On both my\nsoles are the signs of cars with standards. No one can vanquish a person\nlike me in battle. Nations from the North, the West, the East and the\nSouth, have been struck down, slain, exterminated and destroyed. A small\nremnant only of the samsaptakas is alive. I alone have slain half of the\nentire (hostile) army. Slaughtered by me, the Bharata host that\nresembled, O king, the very host of the celestials, is lying dead on the\nfield. I slay those with (high) weapons that are conversant with high\nweapons. For this reason I do not reduce the three worlds to ashes.\nRiding upon my terrible and victorious car, Krishna and myself will soon\nproceed for slaying the Suta's son. Let this king become cheerful now. I\nwill surely slay Karna in battle, with my arrows. Either the Suta dame\nwill today be made childless by me, or Kunti will be made childless by\nKarna. Truly do I say it that I will not put off my armour before I have\nslain Karna with my arrows in battle.\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Having said these words unto that foremost of virtuous\npersons, viz., Yudhishthira, Partha threw down his weapons and cast aside\nhis bow and quickly thrust his sword back into its sheath. Hanging down\nhis head in shame, the diadem-decked Arjuna, with joined hands, addressed\nYudhishthira, and said, \"Be cheerful, O king, forgiving me. What I have\nsaid, you will understand a little while after. I bow to thee.\" Thus\nseeking to cheer that royal hero capable of bearing all foes, Arjuna,\nthat foremost of men, standing there, once more said, \"This task will not\nbe delayed. It will be accomplished soon. Karna cometh towards me. I\nshall proceed against him. I shall, with my whole soul, proceed for\nrescuing Bhima from the battle and for slaying the Suta's son. I tell\nthee that I hold my life for thy good. Know this for the truth, O king.\"\nHaving said so, the diadem-decked Arjuna of blazing splendour touched the\nking's feet and rose for proceeding to the field. Hearing, however, those\nharsh words of his brother Phalguna, Pandu's son, king Yudhishthira, the\njust, rising up from that bed (on which he had been sitting), said these\nwords unto Partha, with his heart filled with sorrow, \"O Partha, I have\nacted wickedly. For that, ye have been overwhelmed with terrible\ncalamity. Do thou strike off, therefore, this my head today. I am the\nworst of men, and the exterminator of my race. I am a wretch. I am\naddicted to wicked courses. I am of foolish understanding. I am idle and\na coward. I am an insulter of the old. I am cruel. What wouldst thou gain\nby always being obedient to a cruel person like me? A wretch that I am, I\nshall this very day retire into the woods. Live you happily without me.\nThe high-souled Bhimasena is fit to be king. A eunuch that I am, what\nshall I do with sovereignty? I am incapable of bearing these harsh\nspeeches of thee excited with wrath. Let Bhima become king. Having been\ninsulted thus, O hero, what use have I with life.\" Having said these\nwords, the king, leaving that bed, suddenly stood up and desired to go to\nthe woods. Then Vasudeva, bowing down, said unto him, \"O king, the\ncelebrated vow of the wielder of Gandiva who is ever devoted to truth\nabout his Gandiva, is known to thee. That man in the world who would tell\nhim, 'Give thy Gandiva to another', would be slain by him. Even those\nvery words were addressed to him by you. Therefore, for keeping that\nearnest vow, Partha, acting also at my instance, inflicted you this\ninsult, O lord of Earth. Insult to superiors is said to be their death.\nFor this reason, O thou of mighty arms, it behoveth thee to forgive me\nthat beseech and bow to thee this transgression, O king, of both myself\nand Arjuna, committed for maintaining the truth. Both of us, O great\nking, throw ourselves on thy mercy. The Earth shall today drink the blood\nof the wretched son of Radha. I swear truly to thee. Know the Suta's son\nas slain today. He, whose slaughter thou desirest, hath today lost his\nlife.\" Hearing those words of Krishna, king Yudhishthira the just, in a\ngreat fury, raised the prostrate Hrishikesha and joining his hands, said\nin haste, \"It is even so as thou hast said. I have been guilty of a\ntransgression, I have now been awakened by thee, O Govinda. I am saved by\nthee, O Madhava. By thee, O Acyuta, we have today been rescued from a\ngreat calamity. Both of us stupefied by folly, viz., myself and Arjuna,\nhave been rescued from an ocean of distress, having obtained thee as our\nlord. Indeed, having obtained the raft of thy intelligence today, we\nhave, with our relatives and allies, passed over an ocean of sorrow and\ngrief. Having obtained thee, O Acyuta, we are not masterless.\"'\"\n\n\n\n71\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Having heard these joyful words of king Yudhishthira,\nGovinda of virtuous soul, that delighter of the Yadus, then addressed\nPartha. The latter, however, having at the instance of Krishna addressed\nthose words unto Yudhishthira, became exceedingly cheerless for having\ncommitted a trivial sin. Then Vasudeva, smiling, said unto the son of\nPandu, \"What would have been thy condition, O Partha, if, observant of\nvirtue thou hadst slain the son of Dharma with thy sharp sword? Having\nonly addressed the king as thou, such cheerlessness hath possessed thy\nheart. If thou hadst slain the king, O Partha, what wouldst thou have\ndone after that? Morality is so inscrutable, especially by persons of\nfoolish understanding. Without doubt great grief would have been thine in\nconsequence of thy fear of sin. Thou wouldst have sunk also in terrible\nhell in consequence of the slaughter of thy brother. Gratify now this\nking of virtuous behaviour, this foremost of all practisers of virtue,\nthis chief of Kuru's race. Even this is my wish. Gratifying the king with\ndevotion, and after Yudhishthira will have been made happy, we two will\nproceed against the car of the Suta's son for fighting him. Slaying Karna\ntoday with thy keen shafts in battle, do thou, O giver of honours, give\ngreat happiness to Dharma's son. Even this, O mighty-armed one, is what I\nthink to be suitable to this hour. Having done this, thy purpose will be\nachieved.\" Then Arjuna, O monarch, in shame, touched king Yudhishthira's\nfeet with his head. And he repeatedly said unto that chief of the\nBharatas, \"Be pleased with me, Forgive, O king, all that I have said from\ndesire of observing virtue and from fear of sins.\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding Dhananjaya, that slayer of foes, lying weeping\nat his feet, O bull of Bharata's race, king Yudhishthira the just raised\nhis brother. And king Yudhishthira, that lord of the earth, then embraced\nhis brother affectionately and wept aloud. The two brothers, of great\nsplendour, having wept for a long while, at last became freed from grief,\nO monarch, and as cheerful as before. Then embracing him once more with\naffection and smelling his head, the son of Pandu, exceedingly gratified,\napplauded his brother Jaya and said, \"O thou of mighty arms, in the very\nsight of all the troops, my armour, standard, bow, dart, steeds, and\narrows, were cut off in battle, O great bowman, by Karna with his shafts,\nalthough I exerted myself with care. Thinking of and seeing his feats in\nbattle, O Phalguna, I lose my energies in grief. Life itself is no longer\ndear to me. If thou dost not slay that hero in battle today, I will cast\naway my life breaths. What use have I with life?\" Thus addressed, Vijaya,\nreplied, O bull of Bharata's race, saying, \"I swear by Truth, O king, and\nby thy grace, by Bhima, O best of men, and by the twins, O lord of the\nearth, that today I shall slay Karna, in battle, or, being myself slain\nby him fall down on the earth. Swearing truly, I touch my weapons.\"\nHaving said these words unto the king, he addressed Madhava, saying,\n\"Without doubt, O Krishna, I will slay Karna in battle today. Aided by\nthy intelligence, blessed be thou, the slaughter of that wicked-souled\none is certain.\" Thus addressed, Keshava, O best of kings, said unto\nPartha, \"Thou art competent, O best of the Bharatas, to slay the mighty\nKarna. Even this hath ever been my thought, O mighty car-warrior, as to\nhow, O best of men thou, wouldst slay Karna in battle.\" Endued with great\nintelligence, Madhava once more addressed the son of Dharma, saying, \"O\nYudhishthira, it behoveth thee to comfort Vibhatsu, and command him to\nslaughter Karna of wicked soul. Having heard that thou hadst been\nafflicted with shafts of Karna, myself and this one came hither, O son of\nPandu, for ascertaining thy plight. By good luck, O king, thou wert not\nslain. By good luck thou wert not seized. Comfort thy Vibhatsu, and bless\nhim, O sinless one, with thy wishes for his victory.\"'\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Come, Come, O Partha, O Vibhatsu, and embrace me, O\nson of Pandu. Thou hast told me beneficial words that deserved to be\nsaid, and I have forgiven thee. I command thee, O Dhananjaya, go and slay\nKarna. Do not, O Partha, be angry for the harsh words I said unto thee.\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Then Dhananjaya, O king, bowed unto Yudhishthira by\nbending his head, and seized with his two hands, O sire, the feet of his\neldest brother. Raising him and embracing him closely, the king smelt his\nhead and once more said these words unto him, \"O Dhananjaya, O thou of\nmighty arms, I have been greatly honoured by thee. Do thou ever win\ngreatness and victory.\"'\"\n\n\"'Arjuna said, \"Approaching Radha's son today that is proud of his might,\nI shall slay that man of sinful deeds with my shafts in battle, along\nwith all his kinsmen and followers. He who, having bent the bow strongly,\nafflicted thee with his shafts, I say, that Karna, will obtain today the\nbitter fruit of that act of his. Having slain Karna, O lord of the earth,\nI shall today come back from the dreadful battle to pay thee my respects\nby walking behind thee. I tell thee this truly. Without having slain\nKarna I shall not come back today from the great battle. Truly do I swear\nthis by touching thy feet, O lord of the universe.\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Unto the diadem-decked (Arjuna) who was speaking in\nthat way, Yudhishthira, with a cheerful heart, said these words of grave\nimport, \"Do thou obtain imperishable fame, and such a period of life as\naccordeth with thy own desire, and victory, and energy, and the\ndestruction of thy foes. Let the gods grant thee prosperity. Obtain thou\nall these to the measure desired by me. Go quickly to battle, and slay\nKarna, even as Purandara slew Vritra for his own aggrandisement.\"'\"\n\n\n\n72\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Having with a cheerful heart gratified king Yudhishthira\nthe just, Partha, prepared to slay the Suta's son, addressed Govinda,\nsaying, \"Let my car be once more equipped and let my foremost of steeds\nbe yoked thereto. Let all kinds of weapon be placed upon that great\nvehicle. The steeds have rolled on the ground. They have been trained by\npersons skilled in horse lore. Along with the other equipment of the car,\nlet them be quickly brought and decked in their trappings. Proceed\nquickly, O Govinda, for the slaughter of the Suta's son.\" Thus addressed,\nO monarch, by the high-souled Phalguna, Krishna commanded Daruka, saying,\n\"Do all that Arjuna, that chief of Bharata's race and that foremost of\nall wielders of the bow, hath said.\" Thus ordered by Krishna, Daruka, O\nbest of kings, yoked those steeds unto that car covered with tiger-skins\nand ever capable of scorching all foes. He then represented unto the\nhigh-souled son of Pandu the fact of having equipped his vehicle.\nBeholding the car equipped by the high-souled Daruka, Phalguna, obtaining\nYudhishthira's leave and causing the Brahmanas to perform propitiatory\nrites and utter benedictions on him, ascended that excellent vehicle.\nKing Yudhishthira the just, of great wisdom, also blessed him. After\nthis, Phalguna proceeded towards Karna's car. Beholding that great bowman\nthus proceeding, all creatures, O Bharata, regarded Karna as already\nslain by the high-souled Pandava. All the points of the compass, O king,\nbecame serene. King-fishers and parrots and herons, O king, wheeled\naround the son of Pandu. A large number of beautiful and auspicious\nbirds, O king, called Pung, causing Arjuna (by their timely appearance)\nto put forth greater speed in battle, cheerfully uttered their cries\naround him. Terrible Kankas and vultures, and cranes and hawks and\nravens, O king, tempted by the prospect of food, proceeded in advance of\nhis car, and indicated auspicious omens foreboding the destruction of the\nhostile host and the slaughter of Karna. And while Partha proceeded, a\ncopious perspiration covered his body. His anxiety also became very great\nas to how he would achieve his vow. The slayer of Madhu then, beholding\nPartha filled with anxiety as he proceeded, addressed the wielder of\nGandiva and said these words.\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"O wielder of Gandiva, save thee there exists no other\nman that could vanquish those whom thou hast vanquished with this bow of\nthine. We have seen many heroes, who, endued with prowess like that\nSakra, have attained to the highest regions, encountering thy heroic self\nin battle! Who else, O puissant one, that is not equal to thee, would be\nsafe and sound after encountering Drona and Bhishma and Bhagadatta, O\nsire, and Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti and Sudakshina, the chief of the\nKambojas and Srutayudha of mighty energy and Acyutayudha as well? Thou\nhast celestial weapons, and lightness of hand and might, and thou art\nnever stupefied in battle! Thou hast also that humility which is due to\nknowledge! Thou canst strike with effect! Thou hast sureness of aim, and\npresence of mind as regards the selection of means, O Arjuna! Thou art\ncompetent to destroy all mobile and immobile creatures including the very\ngods with the Gandharvas! On earth, O Partha, there is no human warrior\nwho is equal to thee in battle. Amongst all Kshatriyas, invincible in\nbattle, that wield the bow, amongst the very gods, I have not seen or\nheard of even one that is equal to thee. The Creator of all beings, viz.,\nBrahma himself created the great bow Gandiva with which thou fightest, O\nPartha! For this reason there is no one that is equal to thee. I must,\nhowever, O son of Pandu, say that which is beneficial to thee. Do not, O\nmighty-armed one, disregard Karna, that ornament of battle! Karna is\npossessed of might. He is proud and accomplished in weapons. He is a\nmaharatha. He is accomplished (in the ways of battle) and conversant with\nall modes of warfare. He is also well-acquainted with all that suits\nplace and time. What need is there of saying much? Hear in brief, O son\nof Pandu! I regard the mighty car-warrior Karna as thy equal, or perhaps,\nthy superior! With the greatest care and resolution shouldst thou slay\nhim in great battle. In energy he is equal to Agni. As regards speed, he\nis equal to the impetuosity of the wind. In wrath, he resembles the\nDestroyer himself. Endued with might, he resembles a lion in the\nformation of his body. He is eight ratnis in stature. His arms are large.\nHis chest is broad. He is invincible. He is sensitive. He is a hero. He\nis, again, the foremost of heroes. He is exceedingly handsome. Possessed\nof every accomplishment of a warrior, he is a dispeller of the fears of\nfriends. Engaged in the good of Dhritarashtra's son, he always hates the\nsons of Pandu. No one, not even the gods with Vasava at their head, can\nslay the son of Radha, save thee, as I think. Slay, therefore, the Suta's\nson today. No one possessed of flesh and blood, not even the gods\nfighting with great care, not all the warriors (of the three worlds)\nfighting together can vanquish that car-warrior. Towards the Pandavas he\nis always of wicked soul and sinful behaviour, and cruel, and of wicked\nintelligence. In his quarrel with the sons of Pandu, he is actuated by no\nconsideration affecting his own interests. Slaying that Karna, therefore,\nfulfill thy purpose today. Despatch today unto Yama's presence that\nSuta's son, that foremost of car-warriors, whose death is near. Indeed,\nslaying that Suta's son, that first of car-warriors, show thy love for\nYudhishthira the just. I know thy prowess truly, O Partha, which is\nincapable of being resisted by the gods and Asuras. The Suta's son of\nwicked soul, from exceeding pride, always disregards the sons of Pandu. O\nDhananjaya, slay that man today for whose sake the wretched Duryodhana\nregardeth himself a hero, that root of all (those) sinful persons, that\nson of a Suta. Slay, O Dhananjaya, that tiger among men, that active and\nproud Karna, who hath a sword for his tongue, a bow for his mouth, and\narrows for his teeth. I know thee well as regards the energy and the\nmight that are in thee. Slay the brave Karna in battle, like a lion\nslaying an elephant. Slay in battle today, O Partha, that Karna,\notherwise called Vaikartana, in consequence of whose energy\nDhritarashtra's son disregards thine.\"'\"\n\n\n\n73\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Once more Keshava of immeasurable soul said these words\nunto Arjuna, who, O Bharata, was advancing (to battle), firmly resolved\nupon slaying Karna, \"Today is the seventeenth day, O Bharata, of this\nterrible massacre of men and elephants and steeds. At the outset vast was\nthe host that belonged to you. Encountering the foe in battle, that host\nhas been very much reduced in numbers, O king! The Kauravas also, O\nPartha, were numerous at first, teeming with elephants and steeds.\nEncountering thee, however, as their foe, they have been nearly\nexterminated in the van of battle! These lords of Earth and these\nSrinjayas, united together, and these Pandava troops also, obtaining thy\ninvincible self as their leader, are maintaining their ground on the\nfield. Protected by thee, O slayer of foes, the Pancalas, the Matsyas,\nthe Karushas, and the Cedis, have caused a great destruction of thy foes.\nWho is there that can vanquish the assembled Kauravas in battle? On the\nother hand, who is there that can vanquish the mighty car-warriors of the\nPandavas protected by thee? Thou, however, art competent to vanquish in\nbattle the three worlds consisting of the gods, the Asuras, and human\nbeings, united together. What need I say then of the Kaurava host? Save\nthee, O tiger among men, who else is there, even if he resemble Vasava\nhimself in prowess, that could vanquish king Bhagadatta? So also, O\nsinless one, all the lords of earth, united together, are incapable, O\nPartha, of even gazing at this vast force that is protected by thee. So\nalso, O Partha, it is owing to their having been always protected by thee\nthat Dhrishtadyumna and Shikhandi succeeded in slaying Drona and Bhishma.\nWho, indeed, O Partha, could vanquish in battle those two mighty\ncar-warriors of the Bharatas, Bhishma and Drona, both of whom were endued\nwith prowess equal to that of Sakra himself? Save thee, O tiger among\nmen, what other man in this world is able to vanquish those fierce lords\nof Akshauhinis, those unreturning and invincible heroes, all accomplished\nin weapons and united together, Shantanu's son Bhishma, and Drona, and\nVaikartana, and Kripa, and Drona's son, and king Duryodhana himself?\nInnumerable divisions of soldiers have been destroyed (by thee), their\nsteeds and cars and elephants having been mangled (with thy shafts).\nNumberless Kshatriyas also, wrathful and fierce, hailing from diverse\nprovinces, have been destroyed by thee. Teeming with horses and\nelephants, large bodies of combatants of diverse Kshatriya clans, such as\nthe Govasas, the Dasamiyas, the Vasatis, O Bharata, and the Easterners,\nthe Vatadhanas, and the Bhojas that are very sensitive of their honour,\napproaching thee and Bhima, O Bharata, have met with destruction. Of\nterrible deeds and exceedingly fierce, the Tusharas, the Yavanas, the\nKhasas, the Darvabhisaras, the Daradas, the Sakas, the Kamathas, the\nRamathas, the Tanganas, the Andhrakas, the Pulindas, the Kiratas of fierce\nprowess, the Mlecchas, the Mountaineers, and the races hailing from the\nsea-side, all endued with great wrath and great might, delighting in\nbattle and armed with maces, these all--united with the Kurus and\nfighting wrathfully for Duryodhana's sake were incapable of being\nvanquished in battle by anybody else save thee, O scorcher of foes! What\nman, unprotected by thee, could advance, beholding the mighty and\nswelling host of the Dhartarashtras arrayed in order of battle? Protected\nby thee, O puissant one, the Pandavas, filled with wrath, and penetrating\ninto its midst, have destroyed that host shrouded with dust and\nresembling a swollen sea. Seven days have elapsed since the mighty\nJayatsena, the ruler of the Magadhas, was slain in battle by Abhimanyu.\nAfter that, 10,000 elephants, of fierce feats, that used to follow that\nking, were slain by Bhimasena with his mace. After that, other elephants,\nand car-warriors, by hundreds, have been destroyed by Bhima in that\nexercise of his might. Even thus, O Partha, during the progress of this\nawful battle, the Kauravas, with their steeds and car-warriors and\nelephants, encountering Bhimasena and thee, O son of Pandu, have from\nhence repaired to the region of Death. The van of the Kaurava army, O\nPartha, having been struck down by the Pandavas, Bhishma shot showers of\nfierce shafts, O sire! Conversant with the highest weapons, he shrouded\nthe Cedis, the Pancalas, the Karushas, the Matsyas, and the Kaikayas with\nthe shafts, and deprived them of life! The welkin became filled with\ngold-winged and straight coursing shafts, capable of piercing the bodies\nof all foes, that issued out of his bow. He slew thousands of\ncar-warriors, shooting showers of shafts at a time. In all, he slew a\n100,000 men and elephants of great might. Abandoning the diverse motions,\neach of a new kind, in which they careered, those wicked kings and\nelephants, while perishing, destroyed many steeds and cars and elephants.\nIndeed, numberless were the shafts that Bhishma shot in battle.\nSlaughtering the Pandava host for ten days together, Bhishma made the\nterraces of numberless cars empty and deprived innumerable elephants and\nsteeds of life. Having assumed the form of Rudra or of Upendra in battle,\nhe afflicted the Pandava divisions and caused a great carnage amongst\nthem. Desirous of rescuing the wicked Suyodhana who was sinking in a\nraftless sea, he slaughtered many lords of Earth among the Cedis, the\nPancalas, and the Kaikayas, and caused a great massacre of the Pandava\narmy teeming with cars and steeds and elephants. Innumerable\nfoot-soldiers among the Srinjayas, all well-armed, and other lords of\nearth, were incapable of even looking at that hero when he careered in\nbattle like the Sun himself of scorching splendour. At last the Pandavas,\nwith all their resources, made a mighty effort, and rushed against that\nwarrior who, inspired with the desire of victory, used to career in\nbattle even in this way. Without availing himself of any aid, he routed,\nhowever, the Pandavas and the Srinjayas in battle, and came to be\nregarded as the one foremost hero in the world. Encountering him,\nShikhandi, protected by thee, slew that tiger among men with his straight\nshafts. Having obtained thee that art a tiger among men (as his foe),\nthat grandsire is now stretched on a bed of arrows, like Vritra when he\nobtained Vasava for his foe. The fierce Drona also slaughtered the\nhostile army for five days together. Having made an impenetrable array\nand caused many mighty car-warriors to be slain, that great car-warrior\nhad protected Jayadratha (for some time). Fierce as the Destroyer\nhimself, he caused a great carnage in the nocturnal battle. Endued with\ngreat valour, the heroic son of Bharadwaja consumed innumerable\ncombatants with his arrows. At last, encountering Dhrishtadyumna, he\nattained to the highest end. If, on that day, thou hadst not checked in\nbattle all the (Dhartarashtra) car-warriors headed by the Suta's son,\nDrona then would never have been slain. Thou heldst in check the whole\nDhartarashtra force. It was for this, O Dhananjaya, that Drona could be\nslain by the son of Prishata. What other Kshatriya, save thee, could in\nbattle achieve such feats for compassing the slaughter of Jayadratha.\nChecking the vast (Kaurava) army and slaying many brave kings, thou\nkilledest king Jayadratha, aided by the might and energy of thy weapons.\nAll the kings regarded the slaughter of the ruler of the Sindhus to have\nbeen exceedingly wonderful. I, however, do not regard it so; thou didst\nit and thou art a great car-warrior. If this vast assemblage of\nKshatriyas, obtaining thee as a foe, suffer extermination in course of\neven a whole day, I should, I think, still regard these Kshatriyas to be\ntruly mighty. When Bhishma and Drona have been slain, the terrible\nDhartarashtra host, O Partha, may be regarded to have lost all its\nheroes. Indeed, with all its foremost warriors slain, with its steeds,\ncars, and elephants destroyed, the Bharata army looketh today like the\nfirmament, reft of the Sun, the Moon, and stars. Yonder host of fierce\nprowess, O Partha, hath been shorn of its splendours today like the Asura\nhost in days of yore shorn of its splendours by Sakra's prowess. The\nremnant of that grand master now consists of only five great\ncar-warriors, viz., Ashvatthama, Kritavarma, Karna, Shalya, and Kripa.\nSlaying those five great car-warriors today, O tiger among men, be thou a\nhero that hath killed all his foes, and bestow thou the Earth with all\nher islands and cities on king Yudhishthira. Let Pritha's son\nYudhishthira of immeasurable energy and prosperity, obtain today the\nwhole earth with the welkin above it, the waters on it, and the nether\nregions below it. Slaying this host like Vishnu in days of yore slaying\nthe Daityas and the Danavas, bestow the Earth on the king like Hari\nbestowing (the three worlds) on Sakra. Let the Pancalas rejoice today,\ntheir foes being slain, like the celestials rejoicing after the slaughter\nof the Danavas by Vishnu. If in consequence of thy regard for that\nforemost of men, viz., thy preceptor Drona, thou cherishest compassion\nfor Ashvatthama, if, again, thou hast any kindness for Kripa for the sake\nof respect that is due to a preceptor, if, approaching Kritavarma, thou\ndost not despatch him today to Yama's abode in consequence of the honour\nthat is due to one's kinsmen by the mother's side, if, O lotus-eyed one,\napproaching thy mother's brother, viz., Shalya, the ruler of the Madras,\nthou dost not from compassion slay him, I ask thee, do thou, with keen\nshafts, O foremost of men slay Karna today with speed, that vile wretch\nof sinful heart who cherisheth the fiercest hate for the son of Pandu.\nThis is thy noblest duty. There is nothing in it that would be improper.\nWe approve of it, and here is no fault in the act. The wicked-souled\nKarna is the root, O thou of unfading glory, of that attempt, O sinless\none, made in the night for burning thy mother with all her children, and\nof that conduct which Suyodhana adopted towards you in consequence of\nthat match at dice. Suyodhana always hopeth for deliverance through\nKarna. Filled with rage, he endeavours to afflict me also (in consequence\nof that support). It is the firm belief of Dhritarashtra's royal son, O\ngiver of honours, that Karna, without doubt, will slay all the Prithas in\nbattle. Though fully acquainted with thy might, still, O son of Kunti,\nDhritarashtra's son hath selected war with you in consequence of his\nreliance on Karna. Karna also always says, 'I will vanquish the assembled\nParthas and that mighty car-warrior, viz., Vasudeva of Dasharha's race'.\nBuoying up the wicked-souled son of Dhritarashtra, the wicked Karna\nalways roareth in the (Kuru) assembly. Slay him today, O Bharata. In all\nthe acts of injury, of which Dhritarashtra's son hath been guilty towards\nyou, the wicked-souled Karna of sinful understanding hath been the\nleader. I saw the heroic son of Subhadra of eyes like those of a bull,\nslain by six mighty car-warriors of cruel heart belonging to the\nDhritarashtra army. Grinding those bulls among men, viz., Drona, Drona's\nson, Kripa and other heroes, he deprived elephants of their riders and\nmighty car-warriors of their cars. The bull-necked Abhimanyu, that\nspreader of the fame of both the Kurus and the Vrishnis, deprived steeds\nalso of their riders and foot-soldiers of weapons and life. Routing the\n(Kaurava) divisions and afflicting many mighty car-warriors, he\ndespatched innumerable men and steeds and elephants to Yama's abode. I\nswear by Truth to thee, O friend, that my limbs are burning at the\nthought that while the son of Subhadra was thus advancing, consuming the\nhostile army with his shafts, even on that occasion the wicked-souled\nKarna was engaged in acts of hostility to that hero, O lord! Unable, O\nPartha, to stay in that battle before Abhimanyu's face, mangled with the\nshafts of Subhadra's son, deprived of consciousness, and bathed in blood,\nKarna drew deep breaths, inflamed with rage. At last, afflicted with\narrows, he was obliged to turn his back upon the field. Eagerly desirous\nof flying away and becoming hopeless of life, he stayed for some time in\nbattle, perfectly stupefied and exhausted with the wounds he had\nreceived. At last hearing those cruel words of Drona in battle--words\nthat were suited to the hour--Karna cut off Abhimanyu's bow. Made bowless\nby him in that battle, five great car-warriors then, well-versed in the\nways of foul warfare, slew that hero with showers of shafts. Upon the\nslaughter of that hero, grief entered the heart of everyone. Only, the\nwicked-souled Karna and Suyodhana laughed in joy. (Thou rememberest also)\nthe harsh and bitter words that Karna cruelly said unto Krishna in the\n(Kuru) assembly, in the presence of the Pandavas and Kurus, 'The\nPandavas, O Krishna, are dead! They have sunk into eternal hell! O thou\nof large hips, choose other lords now, O thou of sweet speeches! Enter\nnow the abode of Dhritarashtra as a serving woman, for, O thou of curving\neye-lashes, thy husbands are no more! The Pandavas will not, O Krishna,\nbe of any service to thee today! Thou art the wife of men that are\nslaves, O princess of Pancala, and thou art thyself, O beautiful lady, a\nslave! Today only Duryodhana is regarded as the one king on earth; all\nother kings of the world are worshipping the agency by which his\nadministration is kept up. Behold now, O amiable one, how all the sons of\nPandu have equally fallen! Overwhelmed by the energy of Dhritarashtra's\nson, they are now silently eyeing one another. It is evident that they\nare all sesame seeds without kernel, and have sunk into hell. They will\nhave to serve the Kaurava (Duryodhana), that king of kings, as his\nslaves.' Even these were the foul words that that wretch, viz., the\nsinful Karna of exceedingly wicked heart, spoke on that occasion, in thy\nhearing, O Bharata! Let gold-decked shafts whetted on stone and capable\nof taking the life of him at whom they are sped, shot by thee, quench\n(the fire of) those words and all the other wrongs that that\nwicked-souled wight did unto thee. Let thy shafts quench all those wrongs\nand the life also of that wicked wight. Feeling the touch of terrible\narrows sped from Gandiva, let the wicked-souled Karna recollect today the\nwords of Bhishma and Drona! Let foe-killing cloth-yard shafts, equipped\nwith the effulgence of lightning, shot by thee, pierce his vital limbs\nand drink his blood! Let fierce and mighty shafts, of great impetuosity,\nsped by thy arms, penetrate the vitals of Karna today and despatch him to\nYama's abode. Let all the kings of the earth, cheerless and filled with\ngrief and uttering wails of woe, behold Karna fall down from his car\ntoday, afflicted with thy arrows. Let his kinsmen, with cheerless faces,\nbehold Karna today, fallen down and stretched at his length on the earth,\ndipped in gore and with his weapons loosened from his grasp! Let the\nlofty standard of Adhiratha's son, bearing the device of the elephant's\nrope, fall fluttering on the earth, cut off by thee with a broad-headed\narrow. Let Shalya fly away in terror, abandoning the gold-decked car (he\ndrives) upon seeing it deprived of its warrior and steeds and cut off\ninto fragments with hundreds of shafts by thee. Let thy enemy Suyodhana\ntoday, beholding Adhiratha's son slain by thee, despair of both his life\nand kingdom. Yonder, O Partha, Karna, equal unto Indra in energy, or,\nperhaps, Sankara himself, is slaughtering thy troops with his shafts.\nThere the Pancalas, though slaughtered by Karna with his whetted shafts,\nare yet, O chief of Bharata's race, rushing (to battle), for serving the\ncause of the Pandavas. Know, O Partha, that is prevailing over the\nPancalas, and the (five) sons of Draupadi, and Dhrishtadyumna and\nShikhandi, and the sons of Dhrishtadyumna, and Satanika, the son of\nNakula, and Nakula himself, and Sahadeva, and Durmukha, and Janamejaya,\nand Sudharman, and Satyaki! The loud uproar made by those allies of\nthine, viz., the Pancalas, O scorcher of foes, as they are being struck\nby Karna in dreadful battle, is heard. The Pancalas have not at all been\ninspired with fear, nor do they turn away their faces from the battle.\nThose mighty bowmen are utterly reckless of death in great battle.\nEncountering even that Bhishma who, single-handed, had encompassed the\nPandava army with a cloud of shafts, the Pancalas did not turn away their\nfaces from him. Then again, O chastiser of foes, they always strove with\nalacrity to vanquish forcibly in battle their great foe, viz., the\ninvincible Drona, that preceptor of all wielders of the bow, that blazing\nfire of weapons, that hero who always burnt his foes in battle. They have\nnever turned their faces from battle, afraid of Adhiratha's son. The\nheroic Karna, however, with his shafts, is taking the lives of the\nPancala warriors endued with great activity as they are advancing against\nhim, like a blazing fire taking the lives of myriads of insects. The son\nof Radha, in this battle, is destroying in hundreds the Pancalas that are\nadvancing against him,--those heroes, that are resolved to lay down their\nlives for the sake of their allies! It behoveth thee, O Bharata, to\nbecome a raft and rescue those brave warriors, those great bowmen, that\nare sinking in the raftless ocean represented by Karna. The awful form of\nthat weapon which was obtained by Karna from that foremost of sages,\nviz., Rama of Bhrigu's race, hath been displayed. Scorching all the\ntroops, that weapon of exceedingly fierce and awful form is blazing with\nits own energy, surrounding our vast army. Those arrows, sped from\nKarna's bow, are coursing in battle thick as swarm of bees, and scorching\nthy troops. Encountering Karna's weapon in battle, that is irresistible\nby persons not having their souls under control, there the Pancalas, O\nBharata, are flying away in all directions! Yonder, Bhima, of\nunappeasable wrath, surrounded on all sides by the Srinjayas, is fighting\nwith Karna, O Partha, afflicted by the latter with keen shafts! If\nneglected, Karna will, O Bharata, exterminate the Pandavas, the\nSrinjayas, and the Pancalas, like a neglected disease whose germ has\nentered the body. Save thee I do not see another in Yudhishthira's army\nthat would come home safe and sound, having encountered the son of Radha\nin battle. Slaying that Karna today with thy keen shafts, O bull among\nmen, act according to thy vow, O Partha, and win great fame. I tell thee\ntruly, thou only art able to vanquish in battle the Kaurava host with\nKarna amongst them, and no one else, O foremost of warriors! Achieving\nthis great feat, viz., slaying the mighty car-warrior Karna, attain thy\nobject, O Partha, and crowned with success, be happy, O best of men!'\"\n\n\n\n74\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Hearing these words of Keshava, O Bharata, Vibhatsu soon\ncast off his anxiety and became cheerful. Rubbing then the string of\nGandiva and stretching it, he held his bow for the destruction of Karna,\nand addressed Keshava, saying, \"With thee for my protector, O Govinda,\nand when thou that art acquainted with the past and the future art\ngratified with me today, victory is sure to be mine. Aided by thee, O\nKrishna, I can, in great battle, destroy the three worlds assembled\ntogether, what need be said of Karna then? I see the Pancala host is\nflying away, O Janardana. I see also Karna careering fearlessly in\nbattle. I see too the bhargava weapon careering in all directions, having\nbeen invoked by Karna, O thou of Vrishni's race, like the puissant\nthunder invoked by Shakra. This is that battle in which Karna will be\nslain by me and of which all creatures will speak as long as the earth\nwill last. Today, O Krishna, unbarbed arrows, impelled by my arms and\nsped from the Gandiva, mangling Karna, will take him to Yama. Today king\nDhritarashtra will curse that intelligence of his in consequence of which\nhe had installed Duryodhana, who was undeserving of sovereignty, on the\nthrone. Today, O mighty-armed one, Dhritarashtra will be divested of\nsovereignty, happiness, prosperity, kingdom, city, and sons. I tell thee\ntruly, O Krishna, that today, Karna being slain, Duryodhana will become\nhopeless of both life and kingdom. Today, beholding Karna cut in pieces\nby me with my arrows, like Vritra in days of yore by Indra in the battle\nbetween the gods and the Asuras, let king Duryodhana call to mind the\nwords thou hast spoken for bringing about peace. Today let the son of\nSubala, O Krishna, know that my shafts are dice, my Gandiva the box for\nthrowing them, and my car, the chequered cloth. O Govinda, slaying Karna\nwith keen shafts I will dispel the long sleeplessness of Kunti's son.\nToday the royal son of Kunti, upon the slaughter of the Suta's son by me,\nshall be gratified and be of cheerful heart and obtain happiness for\never. Today, O Keshava, I will shoot an irresistible and unrivalled arrow\nthat will deprive Karna of life. Even this, O Krishna, was the vow of\nthat wicked-souled one about my slaughter, viz., 'I will not wash my feet\ntill I slay Phalguna.' Falsifying this vow of that wretch, O slayer of\nMadhu, I will, with straight shafts, throw down his body today from his\ncar. Today the earth will drink the blood of that Suta's son who in\nbattle condemns all other men on earth! With Dhritarashtra's approbation,\nthe Suta's son Karna, boasting of his own merits, had said, 'Thou hast no\nhusband now, O Krishna!' My keen shafts will falsify that speech of his.\nLike angry snakes of virulent poison, they will drink his life-blood.\nCloth-yard shafts, of the effulgence of the lightning, shot by myself\npossessed of mighty arms, sped from Gandiva, will send Karna on his last\njourney. Today the son of Radha will repent for those cruel words that he\nsaid unto the princess of Pancala in the midst of the assembly, in\ndisparagement of the Pandavas! They that were on that occasion sesame\nseeds without kernel, will today become seeds with kernel after the fall\nof the Suta's son Karna of wicked soul, otherwise called Vaikartana! 'I\nwill save ye from the sons of Pandu!'--even these were the words that\nKarna, bragging of his own merits, said unto the sons of Dhritarashtra!\nMy keen shafts will falsify that speech of his! Today, in the very sight\nof all the bowmen, I will slay that Karna who said, 'I will slay all the\nPancalas with their sons.' Today, O slayer of Madhu, I will slay that\nKarna, that son of Radha, relying on whose prowess the proud son of\nDhritarashtra, of wicked understanding, always disregarded us. Today, O\nKrishna, after Karna's fall, the Dhartarashtras with their king, struck\nwith panic, will fly away in all directions, like deer afraid of the\nlion. Today let king Duryodhana repent upon the slaughter of Karna, with\nhis sons and relatives, by me in battle. Today, beholding Karna slain,\nlet the wrathful son of Dhritarashtra, O Krishna, know me to be the\nforemost of all bowmen in battle. Today, I will make king Dhritarashtra,\nwith his sons and grandsons and counsellors and servants, shelterless.\nToday, cranes and other carnivorous birds will, O Keshava, sport over the\nlimbs of Karna cut off into pieces with my shafts. Today, O slayer of\nMadhu, I will cut off in battle the head of Radha's son Karna, in the\nvery sight of all the bowmen. Today, O slayer of Madhu, I will cut off in\nbattle the limbs of Radha's son of wicked soul with keen vipathas and\nrazor-faced arrows. Today, the heroic king Yudhishthira will cast off a\ngreat pain and a great sorrow cherished long in his heart. Today, O\nKeshava, slaying the son of Radha, with all his kinsmen, I will gladden\nking Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma. Today, I will slay the cheerless\nfollowers of Karna in battle, with shafts resembling the blazing fire or\nthe poison of the snake. Today, with my straight shafts equipped with\nvulturine feathers, I will, O Govinda, cause the earth to be strewn with\n(the bodies of) kings cased in golden armour. Today, O slayer of Madhu, I\nwill, with keen shafts, crush the bodies and cut off the heads of all the\nfoes of Abhimanyu. Today, I will bestow the earth, divested of\nDhartarashtras on my brother, or, perhaps, thou, O Keshava, wilt walk\nover the earth divested of Arjuna! Today, O Krishna, I will free myself\nfrom the debt I owe to all bowmen, to my own wrath, to the Kurus, to my\nshafts, and to Gandiva. Today, I will be freed from the grief that I have\ncherished for thirteen years, O Krishna, by slaying Karna in battle like\nMaghavat slaying Samvara. Today, after I have slain Karna in battle, let\nthe mighty car-warriors of the Somakas, who are desirous of accomplishing\nthe task of their allies, regard their task as accomplished. I do not\nknow what will be the measure, O Madhava, of the joy of Sini's grandson\ntoday after I shall have slain Karna and won the victory. Today, I will\nslay Karna in battle as also his son, that mighty car-warrior, and give\njoy to Bhima and the twins and Satyaki. Today, slaying Karna in dreadful\nbattle, I will pay off my debt, O Madhava, to the Pancalas with\nDhrishtadyumna and Shikhandi! Today let all behold the wrathful\nDhananjaya fight with the Kauravas in battle and slay the Suta's son.\nOnce more there is none equal to me in the world. In prowess also, who is\nthere that resembles me? What other man is there that is equal to me in\nforgiveness? In wrath also, there is no one that is equal to me. Armed\nwith the bow and aided by the prowess of my arms, I can vanquish the\nAsuras and the gods and all creatures united together. Know that my\nprowess is higher than the highest. Alone assailing all the Kurus and the\nBahlikas with the fire of my shafts issuing from Gandiva, I will, putting\nforth my might, burn them with their followers like a fire in the midst\nof a heap of dry grass at the close of winter. My palms bear these marks\nof arrows and this excellent and outstretched bow with arrow fixed on the\nstring. On each of the soles of my feet occur the mark of a car and a\nstandard. When a person like me goeth forth to battle, he cannot be\nvanquished by any one.\" Having said these words unto Acyuta, that\nforemost of all heroes, that slayer of foes, with blood red eyes,\nproceeded quickly to battle, for rescuing Bhima and cutting off the head\nfrom Karna's trunk.'\"\n\n\n\n75\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'In that awful and fathomless encounter of the\nPandavas and the Srinjayas with the warriors of my army, when Dhananjaya,\nO sire, proceeded for battle, how, indeed, did the fight occur?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'The innumerable divisions of the Pandava army, decked\nwith lofty standards and swelling (with pride and energy) and united\ntogether in battle, began to roar aloud, drums and other instruments\nconstituting their mouth, like masses of clouds at the close of summer\nuttering deep roars. The battle that ensued resembled a baneful shower\nout of season, cruel and destructive of living creatures. Huge elephants\nwere its clouds; weapons were the water they were to pour; the peal of\nmusical instruments, the rattle of car-wheels, and the noise of palms,\nconstituted their roar; diverse weapons decked with gold formed their\nflashes of lightning; and arrows and swords and cloth-yard shafts and\nmighty weapons constituted their torrents of rain. Marked by impetuous\nonsets blood flowed in streams in that encounter. Rendered awful by\nincessant strokes of the sword, it was fraught with a great carnage of\nKshatriyas. Many car-warriors, united together, encompassed one\ncar-warrior and despatched him to Yama's presence. Or, one foremost of\ncar-warriors despatched a single adversary, or one despatched many\nadversaries united together. Again, some one car-warrior despatched to\nYama's abode some one adversary along with his driver and steeds. Some\none rider, with a single elephant, despatched many car-warriors and\nhorsemen. Similarly, Partha, with clouds of shafts, despatched large\nnumber of cars with drivers and steeds, of elephants and horses with\ntheir riders, and of foot-soldiers, belonging to the enemy. Kripa and\nShikhandi encountered each other in that battle, while Satyaki proceeded\nagainst Duryodhana. And Srutasravas was engaged with Drona's son, and\nYudhamanyu with Citrasena. The great Srinjaya car-warrior Uttamauja was\nengaged with Karna's son Sushena, while Sahadeva rushed against Shakuni,\nthe king of the Gandharas, like a hungry lion against a mighty bull. The\nyouthful Satanika, the son of Nakula, rushed against the youthful\nVrishasena, the son of Karna, shooting showers of shafts. The heroic son\nof Karna struck that son of the princess of Pancala with many arrows.\nConversant with all modes of warfare, Madri's son Nakula, that bull among\ncar-warriors, assailed Kritavarma. The king of the Pancalas,\nDhrishtadyumna, the son of Yajnasena, attacked Karna, the commander of\nthe Kaurava army, with all his forces. Duhshasana, O Bharata, with the\nswelling host of the samsaptakas forming a portion of the Bharata army,\nfiercely attacked in that battle Bhima, that foremost of warriors of\nirresistible impetuosity. The heroic Uttamauja, putting forth his\nstrength struck the son of Karna and cut off his head which fell down on\nthe earth, filling the earth and the welkin with a loud noise. Beholding\nthe head of Sushena lying on the ground, Karna became filled with grief.\nSoon, however, in rage he cut off the steeds, the car, and the standard,\nof his son's slayer with many keen shafts. Meanwhile Uttamauja, piercing\nwith his keen shafts and cutting off with his bright sword the steeds of\nKripa and those warriors also that protected Kripa's sides, quickly\nascended the car of Shikhandi. Beholding Kripa deprived of his car,\nShikhandi who was on his vehicle, wished not to strike him with his\nshafts. The son of Drona then, covering with his own the car of Kripa,\nrescued the latter like a bull sunk in a mire. Meanwhile Bhima, the son\nof the Wind-god clad in golden mail, began to scorch with his keen arrows\nthe troops of thy sons like the mid-day sun scorching everything in the\nsummer season.'\"\n\n\n\n76\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'During the progress of the fierce engagement, Bhima,\nwhile fighting along, being encompassed by innumerable foes, addressed\nhis driver, saying, \"Bear me into the midst of the Dhartarashtra host.\nProceed, O charioteer, with speed, borne by these steeds. I will despatch\nall these Dhartarashtras to the presence of Yama.\" Thus urged by\nBhimasena, the charioteer proceeded, quickly and with great impetuosity,\nagainst thy son's host to that spot whence Bhima desired to slaughter it.\nThen a large number of Kaurava troops, with elephants and cars and horse\nand foot, advanced against him from all sides. They then, from every\nside, began to strike that foremost of vehicles belonging to Bhima, with\nnumerous arrows. The high-souled Bhima, however, with his own shafts of\ngolden wings, cut off all those advancing arrows of his enemies. Thus cut\noff into two or three fragments with Bhima's arrows, those shafts,\nequipped with golden wings, of his enemies, fell down on the earth. Then,\nO king, amongst those foremost of Kshatriyas, struck with Bhima's shafts,\nthe elephants and cars and horse and foot, set up a loud wail, O monarch,\nthat resembled the din made by mountains when riven with thunder. Thus\nstruck by Bhima, those foremost of Kshatriyas, their limbs pierced with\nBhima's powerful shafts, rushed against Bhima in that battle from every\nside, like new-fledged birds towards a tree. When thy troops thus rushed\nagainst him, Bhima of furious impetuosity displayed all his vim like\nDestroyer himself armed with a mace when he burns and exterminates all\ncreatures at the end of the Yuga. Thy soldiers were unable to resist in\nthat battle that fierce forcible energy of Bhima endued with fierce\nimpetuosity, like that of the Destroyer himself of wide open mouth when\nhe rusheth at the end of the Yuga for exterminating all creatures. Then,\nO Bharata, like masses of clouds scattered by the tempest the Bharata\nhost, thus mangled and burnt in that battle by the high-souled Bhima,\nbroke and fled in fear in all directions. Then the mighty Bhimasena of\ngreat intelligence once more cheerfully said unto his charioteer,\n\"Ascertain, O Suta, whether those assembled cars and standards that are\nadvancing towards me, are ours or the enemy's. Absorbed in battle, I am\nunable to distinguish them. Let me not shroud our own troops with my\nshafts. O Visoka, beholding hostile warriors and cars and the tops of\ntheir standards on all sides, I am greatly afflicted. The king is in\npain. The diadem-decked Arjuna also has not yet come. These things, O\nSuta, fill my heart with sorrow. Even this is my grief, O charioteer,\nthat king Yudhishthira the just should have gone away, leaving me in the\nmidst of the enemy. I do not know whether he, as also Vibhatsu, is alive\nor dead. This adds to my sorrow. I shall, however, though filled with\ngreat grief, destroy those hostile troops of great might. Thus\nslaughtering in the midst of battle my assembled foes, I shall rejoice\nwith thee today. Examining all the quivers containing my arrows, tell me,\nO Suta, ascertaining the matter well, what quantity of arrows is still\nleft on my car, that is, how much of what sort.\"\n\n\"'Thus commanded, Visoka said, \"Of arrows, O hero, thou hast yet 60,000,\nwhile thy razor-headed shafts number 10,000, and broad-headed ones number\nas much. Of cloth-yard shafts thou hast still 2,000, O hero, and of\nPradaras thou hast still, O Partha, 3,000! Indeed, of the weapons, O son\nof Pandu, the portion that still remains is not capable of being borne,\nif placed on carts, by six bullocks. Shoot and hurl them, O learned one,\nfor of maces and swords and other weapons used with the arms alone, thou\nhast thousands upon thousands, as also lances and scimitars and darts and\nspears! Never fear that thy weapons will be exhausted.\"\n\n\"'Bhima said, \"Behold, O Suta, today this awful battle in which\neverything will be shrouded with my impetuous arrows sped fiercely from\nmy bow and, mangling all my foes, and in consequence of which the very\nsun will disappear from the field, making the latter resemble the domains\nof Death! Today, even this will be known to all the Kshatriyas including\nthe very children, O Suta, that Bhimasena hath succumbed in battle or\nthat, alone, he hath subjugated all the Kurus! Today, let all the\nKauravas fall in battle or let all the world applaud me, beginning with\nthe feats of my earliest years. Alone, I will overthrow them all, or let\nall of them strike Bhimasena down. Let the gods that aid in the\nachievement of the best acts bless me. Let that slayer of foes Arjuna\ncome here now like Sakra, duly invoked, quickly coming to a sacrifice.\nBehold, the Bharata host is breaking! Why do those kings fly away? It is\nevident that Savyasaci, that foremost of men, is quickly shrouding that\nhost with his shafts. Behold, those standards, O Visoka, and elephants\nand steeds and bands of foot-soldiers are flying away. Behold, these\ncars, assailed with shafts and darts, with those warriors riding on them,\nare being scattered, O Suta! Yonder, the Kaurava host, assailed with the\nshafts, equipped with wings of gold and feathers of peacocks, of\nDhananjaya, and resembling thunderbolts in force, though slaughtered\nextensively, is repeatedly filling its gaps. There, cars and steeds and\nelephants are flying away, crushing down bands of foot-soldiers. Indeed,\nall the Kauravas, having lost their sense, are flying away, like\nelephants filled with panic at a forest conflagration, and uttering cries\nof woe. These huge elephants, again, O Visoka, are uttering loud cries,\nassailed with shafts.\"\n\n\"'Visoka said, \"How is it, O Bhima, that thou dost not hear the loud\ntwang of the yawning Gandiva stretched by Partha in wrath? Are these two\nears of thine gone? All thy wishes, O son of Pandu, have been fulfilled!\nYonder the Ape (on Arjuna's banner) is seen in the midst of the elephant\nforce (of the enemy). Behold, the string of Gandiva is flashing\nrepeatedly like lightning amid blue clouds. Yonder the Ape on\nDhananjaya's standard-top is everywhere seen to terrify hostile divisions\nin this dreadful battle. Even I, looking at it, am struck with fear.\nThere the beautiful diadem of Arjuna is shining brilliantly. There, the\nprecious jewel on the diadem, endued with the splendour of the sun,\nlooketh exceedingly resplendent. There, beside him, behold his conch\nDevadatta of loud blare and the hue of a white cloud. There, by the side\nof Janardana, reins in hand, as he penetrates into the hostile army,\nbehold his discus of solar effulgence, its nave hard as thunder, and its\nedge sharp as a razor. Behold, O hero, that discus of Keshava, that\nenhancer of his fame, which is always worshipped by the Yadus. There, the\ntrunks, resembling lofty trees perfectly straight, of huge elephants, cut\noff by Kiritin, are falling upon the earth. There those huge creatures\nalso, with their riders, pierced and split with shafts, are falling down,\nlike hills riven with thunder. There, behold, O son of Kunti, the\nPanchajanya of Krishna, exceedingly beautiful and of the hue of the moon,\nas also the blazing Kaustubha on his breast and his triumphal garland.\nWithout doubt, that first and foremost of all car-warriors, Partha, is\nadvancing, routing the hostile army as he comes, borne by his foremost of\nsteeds, of the hue of white clouds, and urged by Krishna. Behold those\ncars and steeds and bands of foot-soldiers, mangled by thy younger\nbrother with the energy of the chief of the celestials. Behold, they are\nfalling down like a forest uprooted by the tempest caused by Garuda's\nwings. Behold, four hundred car-warriors, with their steeds and drivers,\nand seven hundred elephants and innumerable foot-soldiers and horsemen\nslain in this battle by Kiritin with his mighty shafts. Slaughtering the\nKurus, the mighty Arjuna is coming towards thy side even like the\nconstellation Citra. All thy wishes are fulfilled. Thy foes are being\nexterminated. Let thy might, as also the period of thy life, ever\nincrease.\"\n\n\"'Bhima said, \"Since, O Visoka, thou tellest me of Arjuna's arrival, I\nwill give thee four and ten populous villages and a hundred female slaves\nand twenty cars, being pleased with thee, O Suta, for this agreeable\nintelligence imparted by thee!\"'\"\n\n\n\n77\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Hearing the roars of cars and the leonine shouts (of the\nwarriors) in battle, Arjuna addressed Govinda, saying, \"Urge the steeds\nto greater speed.\" Hearing these words of Arjuna, Govinda said unto him,\n\"I am proceeding with great speed to the spot where Bhima is stationed.\"\nThen many lions among men (belonging to the Kaurava army), excited with\nwrath and accompanied by a large force of cars and horse and elephants\nand foot-soldiers and making the earth resound with the whizz of their\narrows, the rattle of their car wheels, and the tread of their horses'\nhoofs, advanced against Jaya (Arjuna) as the latter proceeded for\nvictory, borne by his steeds white as snow or conchs and decked in\ntrappings of gold and pearls and gems like the chief of the celestials in\ngreat wrath proceeding, armed with the thunder, against (the asura)\nJambha for slaying him. Between them and Partha, O sire, occurred a great\nbattle destructive of body, life, and sin, like the battle between the\nAsuras and the god Vishnu, that foremost of victors for the sake of the\nthree worlds. Alone, Partha, decked with diadem and garlands, cut off the\nmighty weapons sped by them, as also their heads and arms in diverse\nways, with his razor-faced and crescent-shaped and broad-headed arrows of\ngreat keenness. Umbrellas, and yak-tails for fanning, and standards, and\nsteeds, and cars, and bands of foot-soldiers, and elephants, fell down on\nthe earth, mutilated in diverse ways, like a forest broken down by a\ntempest. Huge elephants, decked in caparisons of gold and equipped with\ntriumphal standards and warriors (on their backs), looked resplendent, as\nthey were pierced with shafts of golden wings, like mountains ablaze with\nlight. Piercing elephants and steeds and cars with excellent shafts\nresembling Vasava's thunder, Dhananjaya proceeded quickly for the\nslaughter of Karna, even as Indra in days of yore for riving (the asura)\nVala. Then that tiger among men, that mighty-armed chastiser of foes,\npenetrated into thy host like a makara into the ocean. Beholding the son\nof Pandu, thy warriors, O king, accompanied by cars and foot-soldiers and\na large number of elephants and steeds, rushed against him. Tremendous\nwas the din made by them as they advanced against Partha, resembling that\nmade by the waters of the ocean lashed into fury by the tempest. Those\nmighty car-warriors, resembling tigers (in prowess) all rushed in that\nbattle against that tiger among men, abandoning all fear of death.\nArjuna, however, routed the troops of those leaders of the Kurus as they\nadvanced, shooting at him showers of weapons, like a tempest driving off\nmasses of congregated clouds. Those great bowmen, all skilled in smiting,\nunited together and proceeded against Arjuna with a large number of cars\nand began to pierce him with keen shafts. Then Arjuna, with his shafts,\ndespatched to Yama's abode several thousands of cars and elephants and\nsteeds. While those great car-warriors in that battle were thus struck\nwith shafts sped from Arjuna's bow, they were filled with fear and seemed\nto disappear one after another from their cars. In all, Arjuna, with his\nsharp arrows, slew four hundred of those heroic car-warriors exerting\nthemselves vigorously in battle. Thus struck in that battle with sharp\nshafts of diverse kinds, they fled away on all sides, avoiding Arjuna.\nTremendous was the uproar made at the van of the army by those warriors\nas they broke and fled, like that made by the surging sea when it breaks\nupon a rock. Having routed with his arrows that army struck with fright,\nPritha's son Arjuna then proceeded, O sire, against the division of the\nSuta's son. Loud was the noise with which Arjuna faced his foes, like\nthat made by Garuda in days of yore when swooping down for snakes.\nHearing that sound, the mighty Bhimasena, desirous as he had been of\nobtaining a sight of Partha, became filled with joy. As soon as the\nvaliant Bhimasena heard of Partha's arrival, he began, O monarch, to\ngrind thy troops, reckless of his very life. Possessed of prowess equal\nto that of the wind, the valiant Bhima, the son of the Wind-god, began to\ncareer in that battle like the wind itself. Afflicted by him, O monarch,\nthy army, O king, began to reel like a wrecked vessel on the bosom of the\nsea. Displaying his lightness of hands, Bhima began to cut and mangle\nthat host with his fierce arrows and despatch large numbers to the abode\nof Yama. Beholding on that occasion the superhuman might of Bhima, O\nBharata, like that of the Destroyer at the end of the Yuga, thy warriors\nbecame filled with fright. Seeing his mightiest soldiers thus afflicted\nby Bhimasena, O Bharata, king Duryodhana addressed all his troops and\ngreat bowmen, O bull of Bharata's race, commanding them to slay Bhima in\nthat battle, since upon Bhima's fall he would regard the Pandava troops\nalready exterminated. Accepting that command of thy son, all the kings\nshrouded Bhima with showers of shafts from every side. Innumerable\nelephants, O king, and men inspired with desire of victory, and cars, and\nhorse, O monarch, encompassed Vrikodara. Thus encompassed by those brave\nwarriors on all sides, O king, that hero, that chief of Bharata's race,\nlooked resplendent like the Moon surrounded by the stars. Indeed, as the\nMoon at full within his corona looks beautiful, even so that best of men,\nexceedingly handsome, looked beautiful in that battle. All those kings,\nwith cruel intent and eyes red in wrath, inflicted upon Vrikodara their\narrowy downpours, moved by the desire of slaying him. Piercing that\nmighty host with straight shafts, Bhima came out of the press like a fish\ncoming out of a net, having slain 10,000 unretreating elephants, 200,200\nmen, O Bharata, and 5,000 horses, and a hundred car-warriors. Having\nslaughtered these, Bhima caused a river of blood to flow there. Blood\nconstituted its water, and cars its eddies; and elephants were the\nalligators with which it teemed. Men were its fishes, and steeds its\nsharks, and the hair of animals formed its woods and moss. Arms lopped\noff from trunks formed its foremost of snakes. Innumerable jewels and\ngems were carried along by the current. Thighs constituted its gravels,\nand marrow its mire. And it was covered with heads forming its rocks. And\nbows and arrows constituted the rafts by which men sought to cross that\nterrible river, and maces and spiked bludgeons formed its snakes. And\numbrellas and standards formed its swans, and head-gears its foam.\nNecklaces constituted its lotuses, and the earthy dust that arose formed\nits waves. Those endued with noble qualities could cross it with ease,\nwhile those that were timid and affrighted found it exceedingly difficult\nto cross. Warriors constituting its crocodiles and alligators, it ran\ntowards the region of Yama. Very soon, indeed, did that tiger among men\ncause that river to flow. Even as the terrible Vaitarani is difficult of\nbeing crossed by persons of unrefined souls, that bloody river, terrible\nand enhancing the fears of the timid, was difficult to cross. Thither\nwhere that best of car-warriors, the son of Pandu, penetrated, thither he\nfelled hostile warriors in hundreds and thousands. Seeing those feats\nachieved in battle by Bhimasena, Duryodhana, O monarch, addressing\nShakuni, said, \"Vanquish, O uncle, the mighty Bhimasena in battle. Upon\nhis defeat the mighty host of the Pandavas may be regarded as defeated.\"\nThus addressed, O monarch, the valiant son of Subala, competent to wage\ndreadful battle, proceeded, surrounded by his brothers. Approaching in\nthat battle Bhima of terrible prowess, the heroic Shakuni checked him\nlike the continent resisting the ocean. Though resisted with keen shafts,\nBhima, disregarding them all, proceeded against the sons of Subala. Then\nShakuni, O monarch, sped a number of cloth-yard shafts equipped with\nwings of gold and whetted on stone, at the left side of Bhima's chest.\nPiercing through the armour of the high-souled son of Pandu, those fierce\nshafts, O monarch, equipped with feathers of Kankas and peacocks, sunk\ndeep into his body. Deeply pierced in that battle, Bhima, O Bharata,\nsuddenly shot at Subala's son a shaft decked with gold. The mighty\nShakuni however, that scorcher of foes, O king, endued with great\nlightness of hands, cut off into seven fragments that terrible arrow as\nit coursed towards him. When his shaft fell down on the earth, Bhima, O\nking, became highly enraged, and cut off with a broad-headed arrow the\nbow of Subala's son with the greatest ease. The valiant son of Subala\nthen, casting aside that broken bow, quickly took up another and six and\nten broad-headed arrows. With two of those straight and broad-headed\narrows, O monarch, he struck Bhima himself, with one he cut off Bhima's\nstandard, and with two, his umbrella. With the remaining four, the son of\nSubala pierced the four steeds of his antagonist. Filled with rage at\nthis, the valiant Bhima, O monarch, hurled in that battle a dart made of\niron, with its staff adorned with gold. That dart, restless as the tongue\nof a snake, hurled from Bhima's arms, speedily fell upon the car of the\nhigh-souled son of Subala. The latter then, filled with wrath, O monarch,\ntook up that same gold-decked dart and hurled it back at Bhimasena.\nPiercing through the left arm of the high-souled son of Pandu, it fell\ndown on the earth like lightning flashed down from the sky. At this, the\nDhartarashtras, O monarch, set up a loud roar all around. Bhima, however,\ncould not bear that leonine roar of his foes endued with great activity.\nThe mighty son of Pandu then, quickly taking up another stringed bow, in\na moment, O monarch, covered with shafts the soldiers of Subala's son in\nthat battle, who were fighting reckless of their very lives. Having slain\nhis four steeds, and then his driver, O king, Bhima of great prowess next\ncut off his antagonist's standard with a broad-headed arrow without\nlosing a moment. Abandoning with speed that steedless car, Shakuni, that\nforemost of men, stood on the ground, with his bow ready drawn in his\nhands, his eyes red like blood in rage, and himself breathing heavily. He\nthen, O king, struck Bhima from every side with innumerable arrows. The\nvaliant Bhima, baffling those shafts, cut off Shakuni's bow in rage and\npierced Shakuni himself, with many keen arrows. Deeply pierced by his\npowerful antagonist, that scorcher of foes, O king, fell down on the\nearth almost lifeless. Then thy son, O monarch, seeing him stupefied,\nbore him away from battle on his car in the very sight of Bhimasena. When\nthat tiger among men, Shakuni was thus taken up on Duryodhana's car, the\nDhartarashtra troops, turning their faces from battle, fled away on all\nsides inspired with fear on that occasion of great terror due to\nBhimasena. Upon the defeat of Subala's son, O king, by that great bowman,\nBhimasena, thy son Duryodhana, filled with great fright, retreated, borne\naway by his fleet steeds, from regard for his maternal uncle's life.\nBeholding the king himself turn away from the battle, the troops, O\nBharata, fled away, from the encounters in which each of them had been\nengaged. Seeing all the Dhartarashtra troops turn away from battle and\nfly in all directions, Bhima rushing impetuously, fell upon them,\nshooting many hundreds of shafts. Slaughtered by Bhima, the retreating\nDhartarashtras, O king, approaching the spot where Karna was, once more\nstood for battle, surrounding him. Endued with great might and great\nenergy, Karna then became their refuge. Finding Karna, O bull of\nBharata's race, thy troops became comforted and stood cheerfully, relying\nupon one another, like shipwrecked mariners, O tiger of men, in their\ndistressful plight, when at last they reach an island. They then, once\nmore, making death itself their goal, proceeded against their foes for\nbattle.'\"\n\n\n\n78\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'When our troops were broken in battle by Bhimasena,\nwhat, O Sanjaya, did Duryodhana and Subala's son say? Or, what did Karna,\nthat foremost of victors, or the warriors of my army in that battle, or\nKripa, or Kritavarma, or Drona's son Duhshasana, say? Exceedingly\nwonderful, I think, is the prowess of Pandu's son, since, single-handed,\nhe fought in battle with all the warriors of my army. Did the son of\nRadha act towards the (hostile) troops according to his vow? That slayer\nof foes, Karna, O Sanjaya, is the prosperity, the armour, the fame, and\nthe very hope of life, of the Kurus. Beholding the army broken by Kunti's\nson of immeasurable energy, what did Karna, the son of Adhiratha and\nRadha, do in that battle? What also did my sons, difficult of defeat in\nbattle, do, or the other kings and mighty car-warriors of our army? Tell\nme all this, O Sanjaya, for thou art skilled in narration!'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'In that afternoon, O monarch, the Suta's son of great\nvalour began to smite all the Somakas in the very sight of Bhimasena.\nBhima also of great strength began to destroy the Dhartarashtra troops.\nThen Karna, addressing (his driver) Shalya, said unto him, \"Bear me to\nthe Pancalas.\" Indeed, beholding his army in course of being routed by\nBhimasena of great intelligence, Karna once more addressed his driver,\nsaying, \"Bear me to the Pancalas only.\" Thus urged, Shalya, the ruler of\nthe Madras, endued with great might, urged those white steeds that were\nfleet as thought, towards the Cedis, the Pancalas and the Karushas.\nPenetrating then into that mighty host, Shalya, that grinder of hostile\ntroops, cheerfully conducted those steeds into every spot that Karna,\nthat foremost of warriors, desired to go to. Beholding that car cased in\ntiger skins and looking like a cloud, the Pandus and the Pancalas, O\nmonarch, became terrified. The rattle then of that car, like unto the\npeal of thunder or the sound of a mountain splitting into fragments,\nbecame audible in that dreadful battle. With hundreds upon hundreds of\nkeen arrows sped from the bow-string drawn to his ear, Karna then smote\nhundreds and thousands of warriors belonging to the Pandava army. While\nthe unvanquished Karna was employed in achieving those feats, many mighty\nbowmen and great car-warriors among the Pandavas encompassed him on all\nsides. Indeed, Shikhandi, and Bhima, and Dhrishtadyumna, the son of\nPrishata, and Nakula, and Sahadeva, and the (five) sons of Draupadi, and\nSatyaki, surrounded the son of Radha, pouring showers of arrows upon him,\nfrom desire of despatching him to the other world. The heroic Satyaki,\nthat best of men, struck Karna in that engagement with twenty keen shafts\nin the shoulder-joint. Shikhandi struck him with five and twenty shafts,\nand Dhrishtadyumna struck him with seven, and the sons of Draupadi with\nfour and sixty, and Sahadeva with seven, and Nakula with a hundred, in\nthat battle. The mighty Bhimasena, in that encounter, filled with rage,\nstruck the son of Radha in the shoulder-joint with ninety straight\nshafts. The son of Adhiratha, then, of great might laughing in scorn, and\ndrawing his excellent bow let off many keen shafts, afflicting his foes.\nThe son of Radha pierced each of them in return with five arrows. Cutting\noff the bow of Satyaki, as also his standard, O bull of Bharata's race,\nKarna pierced Satyaki himself with nine shafts in the centre of the\nchest. Filled with wrath, he then pierced Bhimasena with thirty shafts.\nWith a broad-headed arrow, O sire, he next cut off the standard of\nSahadeva, and with three other arrows, that chastiser of foes afflicted\nSahadeva's driver. Within the twinkling of an eye he then deprived the\n(five) sons of Draupadi of their cars, O bull of Bharata's race, which\nseemed exceedingly wonderful. Indeed, with his straight shafts causing\nthose heroes to turn back from the fight, the heroic Karna began to slay\nthe Pancalas and many mighty car-warriors among the Cedis. Thus struck in\nthat battle, O monarch, the Cedis and the Matsyas, rushing against Karna\nalone, poured upon him showers of shafts. The Suta's son, however, that\nmighty car-warrior, began to smite them with his keen shafts. I beheld\nthis exceedingly wonderful feat, O Bharata, viz., that the Suta's son of\ngreat prowess, alone and unsupported in that battle, fought with all\nthose bowmen who contended with him to the utmost of their prowess, and\nchecked all those Pandava warriors, O monarch, with his shafts. With the\nlightness of hand, O Bharata, of the high-souled Karna on that occasion,\nall the gods as also the Siddhas and the Charanas were gratified. All the\ngreat bowmen among the Dhartarashtras also, O best of men, applauded\nKarna, that foremost of great car-warriors, that first of all bowmen.\nThen Karna, O monarch, burnt the hostile army like a mighty and blazing\nconflagration consuming a heap of dry grass in the summer season. Thus\nslaughtered by Karna, the Pandava troops, struck with fear, fled in all\ndirections, at the very sight of Karna. Loud wails arose there among the\nPancalas in that great battle, while they were thus struck with the keen\nshafts sped from Karna's bow. Struck with fear at the noise, the vast\nhost of the Pandavas, those enemies of Karna, regarded him as the one\nwarrior in that battle. Then that crusher of foes, viz., the son of\nRadha, once more achieved an exceedingly wonderful feat, inasmuch as all\nthe Pandavas, united together, were unable to even gaze at him. Like a\nswelling mass of water breaking when it comes in contact with a mountain,\nthe Pandava army broke when it came in contact with Karna. Indeed, O\nking, the mighty-armed Karna in that battle, burning the vast host of the\nPandavas, stood there like a blazing fire without smoke. With great\nactivity that hero, with his shafts, cut off the arms and the heads of\nhis brave foes, O king, and their ears decked with earrings. Swords with\nhilts of ivory, and standards, and darts, and steeds, and elephants, and\ncars of diverse kind, O king, and banners, and axles, and yokes, and\nwheels of many kinds, were cut off in various ways by Karna, observant of\na warrior's vow. There, O Bharata, with elephants and steeds slain by\nKarna, the earth became impassable and miry with flesh and blood. The\nuneven and even spots also of the field, in consequence of slain horse\nand foot and broken cars and dead elephants, could no longer be\ndistinguished. The combatants could not distinguish friends from foes in\nthat thick darkness caused by shafts when Karna's (celestial) weapon was\ndisplayed. The mighty car-warriors of the Pandavas, O monarch, were\ncompletely shrouded with shafts, decked with gold, that were sped from\nKarna's bow. Those mighty car-warriors of the Pandavas, O king, in that\nbattle, though struggling vigorously, were repeatedly broken by the son\nof Radha, even as a herd of deer in the forest is routed by an angry\nlion. Routing the foremost of Pancala car-warriors and (other) foes,\nKarna of great fame, in that battle, slew the Pandava warriors like a\nwolf slaying smaller animals. Beholding the Pandava army turn away from\nbattle, the Dhartarashtra bowmen of great might rushed against the\nretreating host uttering terrible shouts. Then Duryodhana, O monarch,\nfilled with great delight, caused diverse musical instruments to be\nbeaten and blown in all parts of the army. The great bowmen amongst the\nPancalas, those foremost of men, though broken, returned heroically to\nthe fight, making death their goal. The son of Radha, however, that bull\namong men and scorcher of foes, O monarch, in that battle, broke those\nreturned heroes in diverse ways. There, O Bharata twenty car-warriors\namong the Pancalas and more than a hundred Cedi warriors were slain by\nKarna with his shafts. Making the terraces of cars and the backs of\nsteeds empty, O Bharata, and slaying the combatants that fought from the\nnecks of elephants, and routing the foot-soldiers, that scorcher of foes,\nthe Suta's son of great bravery, became incapable of being gazed at like\nthe mid-day sun and looked resplendent like the Destroyer himself at the\nend of the Yuga. Thus, O monarch, that slayer of foes, that mighty\nbowman, Karna, having slain foot, horse, car-warriors, and elephants,\nstood there on his car. Indeed, like the Destroyer himself of great might\nstanding after slaying all creatures, the mighty car-warrior Karna stood\nalone, having slain the Somakas. The prowess that we then beheld of the\nPancalas seemed to be exceedingly wonderful, for, though thus struck by\nKarna, they refused to fly away from that hero at the head of battle. At\nthat time, the king (Duryodhana), and Duhshasana, and Kripa, the son of\nSharadvata, and Ashvatthama, and Kritavarma, and Shakuni also of great\nmight, slaughtered the Pandava warriors in hundreds and thousands. The\ntwo sons also of Karna, O monarch, those two brothers of prowess\nincapable of being baffled, filled with rage, slaughtered the Pandava\narmy in several parts of the field. The battle at that place was dreadful\nand cruel and the carnage that occurred was very great. Similarly the\nPandava heroes, Dhrishtadyumna and Shikhandi and the (five) sons of\nDraupadi, filled with rage, slaughtered thy host. Even thus a great\ndestruction took place among the Pandavas everywhere on the field, and\neven thus thy army also suffered great loss at the hands of the mighty\nBhima.'\"\n\n\n\n79\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Meanwhile Arjuna, O monarch, having slain the four kinds\nof forces (of the enemy), and having obtained a sight of the angry son of\nthe Suta in that dreadful battle, caused a river of blood to flow there\nthat was tawny with flesh and marrow and bones. Human heads constituted\nits rocks and stones. Elephants and steeds formed its banks. Full of the\nbones of heroic combatants, it resounded with the cries of ravens and\nvultures. Umbrellas were its swans or rafts. And that river ran, bearing\naway heroes like trees along its current. (Even) necklaces constituted\nits assemblage of lotuses, and head-gears formed its excellent foam. Bows\nand shafts constituted its fishes; and the crowns of crushed men floated\non its surface. Shields and armour were its eddies, and cars were the\nrafts with which it teemed. And it could be easily forded by persons\ndesirous of victory, while to those that were cowards it was unfordable.\nHaving caused that river to flow, Vibhatsu, that slayer of hostile heroes\nand bull among men, addressing Vasudeva said, \"Yonder, O Krishna, the\nstandard of the Suta's son is visible. There, Bhimasena and others are\nfighting with that great car-warrior. There, the Pancalas, afraid of\nKarna, are flying away, O Janardana. Yonder, king Duryodhana, with the\nwhite umbrella over his head, along with Karna, looketh exceedingly\nresplendent as he is engaged in routing the Pancalas. There Kripa, and\nKritavarma, and Drona's son, that mighty car-warrior, are protecting king\nDuryodhana, themselves protected by the Suta's son. There, O Krishna,\nShalya, well conversant with holding the reins, looketh exceedingly\nresplendent as, seated on the terrace of Karna's car, he guideth that\nvehicle. Bear me to that mighty car-warrior, for even such is the wish\ncherished by me. Without slaying Karna in this battle I will never\nreturn. Otherwise, the son of Radha, O Janardana, will, in my sight,\nexterminate the mighty car-warriors of the Parthas and the Srinjayas.\"\nThus addressed, Keshava quickly proceeded on his car, towards the mighty\nbowman Karna, for causing a single combat to take place between Karna and\nSavyasaci. Indeed, the mighty-armed Hari, at the command of Pandu's son,\nproceeded on his car, assuring (by that very act) all the Pandava troops.\nThe rattle then of Arjuna's vehicle rose loud in that battle, resembling,\nO sire, the tremendous peal of Vasu's thunder. Beholding Arjuna of white\nsteeds and having Krishna for his driver thus advance, and seeing the\nstandard of that high-souled one, the king of the Madras, addressing\nKarna, said, \"There cometh that car-warrior having white steeds yoked\nunto his vehicle and having Krishna for his driver, slaying his foes in\nbattle. There cometh he about whom thou wert enquiring, holding his bow\nGandiva. If thou canst slay him today, great good may then be done to us.\nHe cometh, O Karna, desirous of an encounter with thee, slaying, as he\ncometh, our chief warriors. Do thou proceed against that hero of\nBharata's race. Avoiding all our warriors, Dhananjaya advanceth with\ngreat speed, for, as I think, an encounter with thee, judging by his form\nswelling with rage and energy. Blazing with wrath, Partha will not stop\nfrom desire of battle with anybody else save thee, especially when\nVrikodara is being so much afflicted (by thee). Learning that king\nYudhishthira the just hath been exceedingly mangled and made carless by\nthee, and seeing (the plight of) Shikhandi, and Satyaki, and\nDhrishtadyumna, the son of Prishata, and the (five) sons of Draupadi, and\nYudhamanyu, and Uttamauja, and the brothers, Nakula and Sahadeva, that\nscorcher of foes, Partha, advanceth impetuously on a single car against\nthee. Without doubt, he is advancing with speed against us, avoiding\nother combatants. Do thou, O Karna, proceed against him, for there is no\nother bowman (among us that can do so). I do not behold any arrangements\nmade for his protection, either on his flanks or at his rear. He\nadvanceth alone against thee. Look after thy success now. Thou alone art\nable to encounter the two Krishnas in battle. Proceed, therefore, against\nDhananjaya. Thou art the equal of Bhishma, of Drona, of Drona's son, of\nKripa. Do thou resist in this great battle the advancing Savyasaci.\nIndeed, O Karna, slay this Dhananjaya that resembles a snake frequently\ndarting out its tongue, or a roaring bull, or a tiger in the forest.\nThere, those kings, those mighty car-warriors of the Dhritarashtra's\narmy, through fear of Arjuna, are quickly flying away, regardless of one\nanother. Save thee, O Suta's son, there is no other man, O hero, that\ncan, in battle, dispel the fears of those retreating combatants. All\nthose Kurus, O tiger among men, obtaining thee as their refuge in this\nbattle, stand depending on thee and desirous of thy protection. Mustering\nthy great prowess, O mighty-armed one, proceed against Vrishni's race,\nwho is always gratified by the diadem-decked (Arjuna).\"\n\n\"'Karna said, \"Thou seemest now to be in thy usual frame of mind and thou\nart now agreeable to me. Do not, O mighty-armed one, entertain any fear\nof Dhananjaya. Behold the might of my arms today, and behold my skill.\nSingle-handed, I will today destroy the mighty host of the Pandavas, as\nalso those two lions among men, the two Krishnas! I say this truly unto\nthee. I will never return from the field today without slaying two\nheroes. Or, slain by those two, I shall today sleep on the field of\nbattle. Victory is uncertain in battle. Slaying or slain, I shall today\nachieve my purpose.\"\n\n\"'Shalya said, \"All great car-warriors, O Karna, say that this foremost\nof car-warriors, (Arjuna), even when alone, is invincible. When again, he\nis protected by Krishna, who will venture to vanquish him?\"\n\n\"'Karna said, \"As far as I have heard, such a superior car-warrior has\nnever been born on earth! Behold my prowess, since I will contend in\nbattle with even that Partha who is such. This prince of Kuru's line,\nthis foremost of car-warriors, careers in battle, borne by his steeds\nwhite in hue. Perhaps he will despatch me to Yama's abode today. Know,\nhowever, that with Karna's death, these all will be exterminated. The two\narms of this prince are never covered with sweat. They never tremble.\nThey are massive and covered with cicatrices. Firm in the use of weapons,\nhe is possessed of great skill and endued with great lightness of hands.\nIndeed, there is no warrior equal to the son of Pandu. He taketh a large\nnumber of arrows and shooteth them as if they were one. Quickly fixing\nthem on the bow-string, he propelleth them to the distance of two miles.\nThey always fall on the foe. What warrior is there on earth that is\nequal to him? That Atiratha, endued with great activity, with Krishna as\nhis ally, gratified the god Agni at Khandava. There, on that occasion,\nthe high-souled Krishna obtained his discus, and Savyasaci, the son of\nPandu, obtained his bow Gandiva. There that mighty-armed one, endued with\nmight that knows no decay, also obtained his terrible car unto which are\nyoked those white steeds, as also his two great celestial and\ninexhaustible quivers, and many celestial weapons, from the God of Fire.\nIn the region of Indra he obtained his conch Devadatta and slew\ninnumerable Daityas, and all the Kalakeyas. Who is there on earth that is\nsuperior to him? Possessed of greatness of soul, he gratified Mahadeva\nhimself in fair fight, and obtained from him the terrible and mighty\nweapon Pasupata that is capable of destroying the three worlds. The\nseveral Regents of the world, united together gave him their weapons of\nimmeasurable energy, with which that lion among men quickly destroyed in\nbattle those united Asuras, the Kalakhanjas. So also, in Virata's city,\nmoving on a single car he vanquished all of us, and snatched from us that\nwealth of kine, and took from all the foremost of car-warriors (portions\nof) their garments. Challenging that foremost of Kshatriyas, that hero\nhaving him of Vrishni's race for his ally, that warrior who is endued\nwith such energy and such attributes, I regard myself, O Shalya, to be\nthe foremost of persons in all the world in point of courage. He is,\nagain, protected by that Keshava of great energy, who is Narayana himself\nand who is without a rival, that high-souled Vasudeva, that\never-victorious Vishnu armed with conch, discus, and mace, whose\nattributes all the world united together, cannot (in narrating) exhaust\nin 10,000 years. Beholding the two Krishnas together on the same car,\nfear entereth my heart together with courage. Partha is the foremost of\nall bowmen, while Narayana is unrivalled in encounters with the discus.\nEven such are Vasudeva, and the son of Pandu. Indeed, the mountains of\nHimavat may move from the spot where they stand but not the two Krishnas.\nBoth of them are heroes, possessed of great skill, firm in the use of\nweapons, and mighty car-warriors. Both of them have adamantine frames.\nWho else, O Shalya, save myself, would proceed against Phalguna and\nVasudeva that are even such? The desire cherished by me today, viz., that\nof a battle with the son of Pandu, O ruler of the Madras, will be\nfulfilled without delay. Soon will that wonderful and matchless and\nbeautiful battle take place. Either I will overthrow those two in battle\ntoday, or the two Krishnas will today overthrow me.\" Saying these words\nunto Shalya, Karna, that slayer of foes, began to utter loud roars in\nthat battle, like those of the clouds. Approaching then thy son, that\nforemost one among the Kurus, and saluted respectfully by him, Karna said\nunto that prince as also unto those two mighty-armed warriors, Kripa and\nthe Bhoja chief Kritavarma, and the ruler of the Gandharas with his son,\nand the preceptors and his own younger brothers, and all the\nfoot-soldiers and horsemen and elephant-riders, these words, \"Rush\ntowards Acyuta and Arjuna and close up their path all around, and cause\nthem to be tired with exertion, so that, ye lords of the earth, I may\neasily slay those two after ye all will have mangled them deeply.\"\nSaying, \"So be it!\" those foremost of heroes, desirous of slaying Arjuna,\nspeedily proceeded against him. Those mighty car-warriors then, obeying\nthe behest of Karna, began to strike Dhananjaya with innumerable arrows\nin that battle. Like the great ocean containing a vast quantity of water\nreceiving all rivers with their tributaries Arjuna received all those\nwarriors in battle. His foes could not notice when he fixed his excellent\narrows on the bow-string and when he let them off. All that could be seen\nwas that men and steeds and elephants, pierced with the arrows sped by\nDhananjaya, continually fell down, deprived of life. Like men with\ndiseased eyes that are unable to gaze at the sun, the Kauravas on that\noccasion could not gaze at Jaya who seemed to be possessed of the energy\nof the all-destroying Sun that rises at the end of the Yuga, having\narrows for his rays, and Gandiva for his beautiful circular disc. Smiling\nthe while, Partha with his own showers of arrows cut off the excellent\narrows sped at him by those mighty car-warriors. In return, he struck\nthem with innumerable arrows, drawing his bow Gandiva to a complete\ncircle. As the sun of fierce rays between the months of Jyaishtha and\nAshadha easily drieth up the waters (of the earth), even so Arjuna,\nbaffling the arrows of his foes, consumed thy troops, O king of kings!\nThen Kripa, and the chief of the Bhojas, and thy son himself shooting\nshowers of shafts, rushed towards him. Drona's son also, that mighty\ncar-warrior, rushed towards him, shooting his shafts. Indeed, all of them\nrained their arrows on him, like the clouds pouring torrents of rain on a\nmountain. The son of Pandu, however, with great activity and speed, cut\noff with his own shafts those excellent arrows sped at him with great\ncare in that dreadful battle by those accomplished warriors desirous of\nslaying him, and pierced the chest of each of his adversaries with three\nshafts. Having arrows for his fierce rays, the Arjuna sun, with Gandiva\ndrawn to its fullest stretch constituting his corona, looked resplendent,\nas he scorched his foes, like the Sun himself between the months of\nJyeshtha and Ashadha, within his bright corona. Then Drona's son pierced\nDhananjaya with ten foremost of shafts, and Keshava with three, and the\nfour steeds of Dhananjaya with four, and showered many shafts on the Ape\non Arjuna's banner. For all that, Dhananjaya cut off the full drawn bow\nin his adversary's hand with three shafts, the head of his driver with a\nrazor-faced arrow, and his four steeds with his four other shafts and his\nstandard with three other arrows and felled him from his car. The son of\nDrona then, filled with wrath, took up another costly bow, bright as the\nbody of Takshaka, and decked with gems and diamonds and gold, and\nresembling a mighty snake caught from the foot of a mountain. Stringing\nthat bow as he stood on the earth, and bringing out one after another\nshafts and weapons, Drona's son, that warrior who excelled in many\naccomplishments, began to afflict those two unvanquished and foremost of\nmen and pierce them from a near point with many shafts. Then those mighty\ncar-warriors, Kripa and Bhoja and thy son, standing at the van of battle,\nfell upon and shrouded that bull among the Pandavas, shooting showers of\nshafts, like clouds shrouding the dispeller of darkness. Possessed of\nprowess equal to that of the thousand-armed (Kartavirya), Partha then\nshowered his shafts on Kripa's bow with arrow fixed on it, his steeds,\nhis standard, and his driver, like the wielder of the thunder in days of\nyore showering his shafts on (the asura) Vali. His weapons destroyed by\nPartha's shafts, and his standard also having been crushed in that great\nbattle, Kripa was afflicted with as many thousands of arrows by Arjuna as\nGanga's son Bhishma before them (on the day of his fall) by the same\ndiadem-decked warrior. The valiant Partha then, with his shafts, cut off\nthe standard and the bow of thy roaring son. Destroying next the handsome\nsteeds of Kritavarma, he cut off the latter's standard as well. He then\nbegan to destroy with great speed the elephants of the hostile force, as\nalso its cars with their steeds and drivers and bows and standards.\nThereupon that vast host of thine broke into a hundred parts like an\nembankment washed off by the waters. Then Keshava, quickly urging\nArjuna's car, placed all his afflicted foes on his right side. Then other\nwarriors, desirous of an encounter, with their well-equipped cars bearing\nlofty standards, followed Dhananjaya who was proceeding with great speed\nlike Indra proceeding for the slaughter of Vritra. Then those mighty\ncar-warriors, Shikhandi and Satyaki and the twins, proceeding in the\ndirection of Dhananjaya, checked those foes and, piercing them with keen\narrows, uttered terrible roars. Then the Kuru heroes and the Srinjayas,\nencountering one another with rage, slew one another with straight shafts\nof great energy, like the Asuras and the celestials in days of yore in\ngreat battle. Elephant-warriors and horsemen and car-warriors,--all\nchastisers of foes,--inspired with desire of victory or impatient of\nproceeding to heaven, fell fast on the field. Uttering loud shouts, they\npierced one another vigorously with well-shot arrows. In consequence of\nthose high-souled warriors of great courage shooting their arrows at one\nanother in that dreadful battle and by that means causing a darkness\nthere, the points of the compass, cardinal and subsidiary became\nenveloped in gloom and the very effulgence of the sun became totally\nshrouded.'\"\n\n\n\n80\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Then, O king, Dhananjaya, desirous of rescuing Kunti's\nson Bhima who, assailed by many foremost of warriors of the Kuru army,\nseemed to sink (under that attack), avoided, O Bharata, the troops of the\nSuta's son and began, with his shafts, to despatch those hostile heroes\n(that were opposed to Bhima) to the regions of death. Successive showers\nof Arjuna's shafts were seen overspread on the sky, while others were\nseen to slay thy army. Filling the welkin with his shafts that resembled\ndense flights of feathery creatures, Dhananjaya, O monarch, at that time,\nbecame the very Destroyer unto the Kurus. With his broad-headed arrows,\nand those equipped with heads flat and sharp as razors, and cloth-yard\nshafts of bright polish, Partha mangled the bodies of his foes and cut\noff their heads. The field of battle became strewn with falling warriors,\nsome with bodies cut and mangled, some divested of armour and some\ndeprived of heads. Like the great Vaitarani (separating the regions of\nlife from those of the dead), the field of battle, O king, became uneven\nand impassable and unsightly and terrible, in consequence of steeds and\ncars and elephants, which struck with Dhananjaya's shafts, were mangled\nand crushed and cut off in diverse ways. The earth was also covered with\nbroken shafts and wheels and axles, and with cars that were steedless or\nthat had their steeds and others that were driverless or that had their\ndrivers. Then four hundred well-trained and ever-furious elephants,\nexcited with wrath, and ridden by warriors cased in mail of golden hue\nand adorned with ornaments of gold, and urged by fierce guides with\npressure of heels and toes, fell down, struck by the diadem-decked Arjuna\nwith his shafts, like loosened summits, peopled with living creatures, of\ngigantic mountains. Indeed, the earth became covered with (other) huge\nelephants struck down by Dhananjaya with his arrows. Like the sun\npiercing through masses of clouds, Arjuna's car passed through dense\nbodies of elephants with juicy secretions flowing down their bodies and\nlooking like masses of clouds. Phalguna caused his track to be heaped up\nwith slain elephants and steeds, and with cars broken in diverse ways,\nand with lifeless heroes deprived of weapons and engines and of armour,\nas also with arms of diverse kinds loosened from hands that held them.\nThe twang of Gandiva became tremendously loud, like the peal of thunder\nin the welkin. The (Dhartarashtra) army then, smitten with the shafts of\nDhananjaya, broke, like a large vessel on the bosom of the ocean\nviolently lashed by the tempest. Diverse kinds of fatal shafts, sped from\nGandiva, and resembling burning brands and meteors and thunderbolts,\nburnt thy army. That mighty host, thus afflicted with Dhananjaya's\nshafts, looked beautiful like a blazing forest of bamboos on a mountain\nin the night. Crushed and burnt and thrown into confusion, and mangled\nand massacred by the diadem-decked Arjuna with his arrows, that host of\nthine then fled away on all sides. Indeed, the Kauravas, burnt by\nSavyasaci, dispersed on all sides, like animals in the great forest\nfrightened at a forest conflagration. The Kuru host then (that had\nassailed Bhimasena) abandoning that mighty-armed hero, turned their faces\nfrom battle, filled with anxiety. After the Kurus had been routed, the\nunvanquished Vibhatsu, approaching Bhimasena, stayed there for a moment.\nHaving met Bhima and held a consultation with him, Phalguna informed his\nbrother that the arrows had been extracted from Yudhishthira's body and\nthat the latter was perfectly well.\n\n\"'With Bhimasena's leave, Dhananjaya then proceeded (once more against\nhis foes), causing the earth and the welkin, O Bharata, to resound with\nthe rattle of his car. He was then surrounded by ten heroic and foremost\nof warriors, viz., thy sons, all of whom were Duhshasana's juniors in\nage. Afflicting Arjuna with their shafts like hunters afflicting an\nelephant with burning brands, those heroes, with outstretched bow, seemed\nto dance, O Bharata, (on their cars). The slayer of Madhu then, guiding\nhis car, placed all of them to his right. Indeed, he expected that Arjuna\nwould very soon send all of them to Yama's presence. Beholding Arjuna's\ncar proceeding in a different direction, those heroes rushed towards him.\nSoon, however, Partha, with a number of cloth-yard shafts and\ncrescent-shaped arrows, cut off their standards and steeds and bows and\narrows, causing them to fall down on the earth. Then with some\nbroad-headed arrows he cut off and felled their heads decked with lips\nbit and eyes blood-red in rage. Those faces looked beautiful like an\nassemblage of lotuses. Having slain those ten Kauravas cased in golden\nmail, with ten broad-headed shafts endued with great impetuosity and\nequipped with wings of gold, that slayer of foes, Arjuna, continued to\nproceed.'\"\n\n\n\n81\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Meanwhile ninety Kaurava car-warriors rushed for battle\nagainst the ape-bannered Arjuna who was advancing, borne by his steeds of\nexceeding fleetness. Those tigers among men, having sworn a terrible oath\nabout the other world, encompassed that tiger among men, Arjuna. Krishna,\nhowever, (without minding those warriors), urged the white steeds of\nArjuna, endued with great speed and adorned with ornaments of gold and\ncovered with networks of pearls, towards Karna's car. Those ninety\nSamsaptaka cars pursued Dhananjaya, that slayer of foes, pouring upon him\nshowers of shafts, as he proceeded towards Karna's car. Then Arjuna, with\nhis keen shafts, cut off those ninety assailants endued with great\nactivity, along with their drivers and bows and standards. Slain by the\ndiadem-decked Arjuna with diverse kinds of shafts, they fell down like\nSiddhas falling down, with their cars, from heaven upon the exhaustion of\ntheir merits. After this, many Kauravas, with cars and elephants and\nsteeds, fearlessly advanced against that foremost one of Kuru's race,\nthat chief of the Bharatas, Phalguna. That large force of thy sons,\nteeming with struggling men and steeds, and swelling with foremost of\nelephants, then encompassed Dhananjaya, checking his further progress.\nThe mighty Kaurava bowmen shrouded that descendant of Kuru's race with\ndarts and swords and lances and spears and maces and scimitars and\narrows. Like the Sun destroying the darkness with his rays, the son of\nPandu destroyed with his own shafts that shower of weapons over-spread in\nthe welkin. Then a force of Mlecchas riding thirteen hundred\never-infuriated elephants, at the command of thy son, assailed Partha in\nthe flank. With barbed arrows and Nalikas and cloth-yard shafts and\nlances and spears and darts and Kampanas and short arrows, they afflicted\nPartha on his car. That matchless shower of weapons, some of which were\nhurled by the elephants with their tusks, Phalguna cut off with his\nbroad-headed shafts and crescent-shaped arrows of great keenness. With\nexcellent arrows of diverse kinds, he struck all those elephants and\ntheir standards and banners and riders, like Indra striking mountains\nwith thunderbolts. Afflicted with gold-winged shafts, those huge\nelephants decked with necklaces of gold fell down deprived of life, like\nmountains ablaze with volcanic fires. Amid that roaring and shouting and\nwailing army of men and elephants and steeds, the twang of Gandiva, O\nmonarch, rose high. Elephants, O king, struck (with shafts), fled away on\nall sides. Steeds also, their riders slain, wandered in all directions.\nCars, O monarch, looking like the changeful forms of vapour in the sky,\ndeprived of riders and steeds, were seen in thousands. Horsemen, O\nmonarch, wandering hither and thither, were seen to fall down deprived of\nlife by the shafts of Partha. At that time the might of Arjuna's arms was\nseen. (So great was that might) that alone, in that battle, he vanquished\nhorsemen and elephants and car-warriors (that had been assailing him from\nevery side). Then Bhimasena, beholding the diadem-decked Phalguna\nencompassed, O bull of Bharata's race, by a large (Kaurava) host\nconsisting of three kinds of forces, abandoned the small unslaughtered\nremnant of the Kaurava car-warriors with whom he had been engaged, and\nrushed impetuously, O king, to the spot where Dhananjaya's car was.\nMeanwhile the Kaurava force that still remained after heavy slaughter,\nexceedingly weakened, fled away, Bhima (as already said) beholding\nArjuna, proceeded towards his brother. The unfatigued Bhima, armed with a\nmace, destroyed, in that battle, the portion that still remained after\nthe greater part had been slaughtered by Arjuna, of the Kaurava host\npossessed of great might. Fierce as the death-night, subsisting upon men\nand elephants and steeds as its food, and capable of crushing walls and\nmansions and gates of cities, that exceedingly terrible mace of Bhima\nincessantly descended on men and elephants and steeds around him. That\nmace, O sire, slew numberless steeds and riders. With that mace the son\nof Pandu crushed men and steeds cased in steel armour. Struck therewith,\nthey fell down with great noise. Biting the earth with their teeth, and\nbathed in blood, these, with the crowns of their heads and bows and lower\nlimbs crushed, laid themselves down on the field, supplying all\ncarnivorous creatures with food. Satiated with blood and flesh and\nmarrow, and eating bones as well, that mace (of Bhimasena) became, like\nthe death-night, difficult of being gazed at. Having slain 10,000 horses\nand numerous foot-soldiers, Bhima ran hither and thither in rage, armed\nwith his mace. Then, O Bharata, thy troops, beholding Bhima mace in hand,\nthought that Yama himself, armed with his fatal bludgeon, was in their\nmidst. The son of Pandu then, excited with rage, and resembling an\ninfuriated elephant, penetrated into the elephant division (of the\nKauravas), like a Makara entering the ocean. Having, with his formidable\nmace, penetrated into that elephant division, the enraged Bhima, within a\nvery short time, despatched it to Yama's abode. We then beheld those\ninfuriated elephants with spiked plates on their bodies falling on every\nside, with their riders and standards, like winged mountains. Having\ndestroyed that elephant division, the mighty Bhimasena, once more riding\non his car, followed Arjuna at his rear. That great host, thus\nslaughtered, filled with cheerlessness and about to fly away, stood\nalmost inactive, O monarch, assailed on all sides with weapons. Beholding\nthat host looking humble and standing inactive and almost motionless,\nArjuna covered it with life-scorching shafts. Men and steeds and\nelephants, pierced in that battle with showers of shafts by the wielder\nof Gandiva, looked beautiful like Kadamva flowers with their filaments.\nThus struck with Arjuna's shafts that quickly slew men and steeds and\ncars and elephants, loud wails, O king, arose from the Kuru army. With\ncries of \"Oh\" and \"Alas,\" and exceedingly frightened, and huddling close\nto one another, thy army began to turn round with great speed. The\nbattle, however, continued between the Kurus and the Pandavas of great\nmight. There was not a single car-warrior or horseman or elephant-warrior\nor steed or elephant that was unwounded. Their coats of mail pierced with\nshafts and themselves bathed in blood, the troops looked blazing like a\nforest of flowering Asokas. Beholding Savyasaci putting forth his valour\non that occasion, the Kauravas became hopeless of Karna's life. Regarding\nthe touch of Arjuna's shafts to be unbearable, the Kauravas, vanquished\nby the wielder of Gandiva, fled from the field. Deserting Karna in that\nbattle as they were being thus struck with Arjuna's shafts, they fled\naway in fear on all sides, loudly calling upon the Suta's son (to rescue\nthem). Partha, however, pursued them, shooting hundreds of shafts and\ngladdening the Pandava warriors headed by Bhimasena. Thy sons then, O\nmonarch, proceeded towards the car of Karna. Sinking, as they seemed to\nbe, in a fathomless ocean, Karna then became an island unto them. The\nKauravas, O monarch, like snakes without poison, took Karna's shelter,\nmoved by the fear of the wielder of Gandiva. Indeed, even as creatures, O\nsire, endued with actions, from fear of death, take the shelter of\nvirtue, thy sons, O ruler of men, from fear of the high-souled son of\nPandu, took shelter with the mighty bowman Karna. Then, Karna, uninspired\nwith fear, addressed those distressed warriors afflicted with arrows and\nbathed in blood, saying, \"Do not fear! Come to me!\" Beholding thy army\nvigorously broken by Partha, Karna, stretching his bow, stood desirous of\nslaughtering the foe. Seeing that the Kurus had left the field, Karna,\nthat foremost of all wielders of weapons, reflecting a little, set his\nheart upon the slaughter of Partha and began to draw deep breaths.\nBending his formidable bow, Adhiratha's son Vrisha once more rushed\nagainst the Pancalas, in the very sight of Savyasaci. Soon, however, many\nlords of the earth, with eyes red as blood, poured their arrowy downpours\non him like clouds pouring rain upon a mountain. Then thousands of\narrows, O foremost of living creatures, shot by Karna, O sire, deprived\nmany Pancalas of their lives. Loud sounds of wailing were uttered by the\nPancalas, O thou of great intelligence, while they were being thus\nsmitten by the Suta's son, that rescuer of friends, for the sake of his\nfriends.'\"\n\n\n\n82\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'After the Kurus, O king, had been put to flight by the\nmighty car-warrior Arjuna of white steeds, the Suta's son Karna began to\ndestroy the sons of the Pancalas with his mighty shafts, like the tempest\ndestroying congregated masses of clouds. Felling Janamejaya's driver with\nbroad-faced shafts called Anjalikas, he next slew the steeds of that\nPancala warrior. With a number of broad-headed arrows he then pierced\nboth Satanika and Sutasoma and then cut off the bows of both those\nheroes. Next he pierced Dhrishtadyumna with six arrows, and then, without\nthe loss of a moment, he slew in that encounter the steeds of that\nprince. Having slain next the steeds of Satyaki, the Suta's son then slew\nVisoka, the son of the ruler of the Kaikayas. Upon the slaughter of the\nKaikaya prince, the commander of the Kaikaya division, Ugrakarman, rushed\nwith speed and striking Prasena, the son of Karna, with many shafts of\nfierce impetuosity caused him to tremble. Then Karna, with three\ncrescent-shaped arrows, cut off the arms and the head of his son's\nassailant, whereupon the latter, deprived of life, fell down upon the\nground from his car, like a Sala tree with its branches lopped off with\nan axe. Then Prasena, with many keen arrows of straight course, covered\nthe steedless grandson of Sini, and seemed to dance upon his car. Soon,\nhowever, the son of Karna, struck by the grandson of Sini, fell down.\nUpon the slaughter of his son, Karna, with heart filled with rage,\naddressed that bull among the Sinis from desire of slaying him, saying,\n\"Thou art slain, O grandson of Sini!\" and sped at him an arrow capable of\nslaying all foes. Then Shikhandi cut off that arrow with three shafts of\nhis, and struck Karna himself with three other shafts. The fierce son of\nthe Suta then, cutting off with a couple of razor-faced arrows the bow\nand the standard of Shikhandi, struck and pierced Shikhandi himself with\nsix shafts, and then cut off the head of Dhrishtadyumna's son. The\nhigh-souled son of Adhiratha then pierced Sutasoma with a very keen\nshaft. During the progress of that fierce battle, and after\nDhrishtadyumna's son had been slain, Krishna, O lion among kings,\naddressed Partha, saying, \"The Pancalas are being exterminated. Go, O\nPartha, and slay Karna.\" Thus addressed the mighty-armed Arjuna, that\nforemost of men, smiled and then proceeded on his car towards the car of\nAdhiratha's son desirous, on that occasion of terror, of rescuing the\nPancalas slaughtered by Karna, that leader of car-warriors. Stretching\nhis Gandiva of loud twang and fiercely striking his palms with her\nbow-string, he suddenly created a darkness by means of his arrows and\ndestroyed large numbers of men and steeds and cars and standards. The\nechoes (of that twang) travelled through the welkin. The birds, (no\nlonger finding room in their own element), took shelter in the caverns of\nmountains. With his full-drawn bow, Arjuna looked resplendent. Indeed, as\nthe diadem-decked Partha, at that terrible moment, fell upon the foe,\nBhimasena, that foremost of heroes, proceeded on his car behind that son\nof Pandu, protecting his rear. Those two princes then, on their cars,\nproceeded with great speed towards Karna, encountering their foes along\nthe way. During that interval, the Suta's son fought fiercely, grinding\nthe Somakas. He slew a large number of car-warriors and steeds and\nelephants, and covered the ten points of the compass with his shafts.\nThen Uttamauja and Janamejaya, and the enraged Yudhamanyu and Shikhandi,\nuniting with Prishata's son (Dhrishtadyumna) and uttering loud roars,\npierced Karna with many shafts. Those five foremost of Pancala\ncar-warriors rushed against Karna otherwise called Vaikartana, but they\ncould not shake him off his car like the objects of the senses failing to\nshake off the person of purified soul from abstinence. Quickly cutting\noff their bows, standards, steeds, drivers and banners, with his shafts,\nKarna struck each of them with five arrows and then uttered a loud roar\nlike a lion. People then became exceedingly cheerless, thinking that the\nvery earth, with her mountains and trees, might split at the twang of\nKarna's bow while that hero, with shafts in hand touching the bow-string,\nwas employed in shooting at his assailants and slaying his foes. Shooting\nhis shafts with that large and extended bow of his that resembled the bow\nof Sakra himself, the son of Adhiratha looked resplendent like the sun,\nwith his multitude of blazing rays, within his corona. The Suta's son\nthen pierced Shikhandi with a dozen keen shafts, and Uttamauja with half\na dozen, and Yudhamanyu with three, and then each of the other two, viz.,\nSomaka (Janamejaya) and Prishata's son (Dhrishtadyumna) with three\nshafts. Vanquished in dreadful battle by the Suta's son, O sire, those\nfive mighty car-warriors then stood inactive, gladdening their foes, even\nas the objects of the senses are vanquished by a person of purified soul.\nThe five sons of Draupadi then, with other well-equipped cars, rescued\nthose maternal uncles of theirs that were sinking in the Karna ocean,\nlike persons rescuing from the depths of the ocean ship-wrecked merchants\nin the sea by means of other vessels. Then that bull among the Sinis,\ncutting off with his own keen shafts the innumerable arrows sped by\nKarna, and piercing Karna himself with many keen arrows made entirely of\niron, pierced thy eldest son with eight shafts. Then Kripa, and the Bhoja\nchief (Kritavarma), and thy son, and Karna himself, assailed Satyaki in\nreturn with keen shafts. That foremost one, however, of Yadu's race\nfought with those four warriors like the chief of the Daityas fighting\nwith the Regents of the (four) quarters. With his twanging bow stretched\nto its fullest limits, and from which shafts flowed incessantly, Satyaki\nbecame exceedingly irresistible like the meridian Sun in the autumnal\nsky. Those scorchers of foes then, viz., the mighty car-warriors among\nthe Pancalas, once more riding on their cars and clad in mail and united\ntogether, protected that foremost one among the Sinis, like the Maruts\nprotecting Sakra while engaged in afflicting his foes in battle. The\nbattle fraught with the slaughter of men and steeds and elephants that\nthen ensued between thy foes and the warriors of thy army, became so\nfierce that it resembled the encounter in days of old between the gods\nand the Asuras. Car-warriors and elephants and steeds and foot-soldiers,\ncovered with showers of diverse weapons, began to move from one point to\nanother. Struck by one another, they reeled or uttered wails of woe in\naffliction or fell down deprived of life. When such was the state of\naffairs, thy son Duhshasana, the younger brother of the king, fearlessly\nadvanced against Bhima, shooting showers of shafts. Vrikodara also rushed\nimpetuously against him, like a lion springing towards a large Ruru deer.\nThe encounter then that took place between those two heroes incensed with\neach other and who engaged in battle's sport making life itself the\nstake, became exceedingly fierce, resembled that between Samvara and\nSakra in days of old. They struck each other deeply with shafts possessed\nof great energy and capable of piercing each other's body, like two\nmighty elephants excited with lust and with juicy secretions incessantly\ntrickling down their bodies, fighting with each other in the vicinity of\na she-elephant in her season. Vrikodara, with great speed, cut off, with\na couple of razor-headed arrows, the bow and the standard of thy son.\nWith another winged arrow he pierced his antagonist's forehead and then\n(with a fourth) cut off from his trunk the head of the latter's driver.\nPrince Duhshasana, taking up another bow, pierced Vrikodara with a dozen\nshafts. Himself holding the reins of his steeds, he once more poured over\nBhima a shower of straight arrows. Then Duhshasana sped a shaft bright as\nthe rays of the sun, decked with gold, diamonds, and other precious gems,\ncapable of piercing the body of his assailant, and irresistible as the\nstroke of Indra's thunder. His body pierced therewith, Vrikodara fell,\nwith languid limbs and like one deprived of life and with outstretched\narms, upon his own excellent car. Recovering his senses, however, he\nbegan to roar like a lion.'\"\n\n\n\n83\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Fighting fiercely, prince Duhshasana achieved the most\ndifficult feats in that encounter. With a single shaft he cut off Bhima's\nbow, and then with six shafts he pierced his foe's driver. Having\nachieved those feats, the prince, endued with great activity, pierced\nBhima himself with nine shafts. Indeed the high-souled warrior, without\nlosing a moment, then pierced Bhimasena with many shafts of great energy.\nFilled with rage at this, Bhimasena, endued with great activity, sped at\nthy son a fierce dart. Beholding that terrible dart impetuously coursing\ntowards him like a blazing brand, thy high-souled son cut it off with ten\nshafts shot from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch. Seeing that\ndifficult feat achieved by him, all the warriors, filled with joy,\napplauded him highly. Thy son then once more pierced Bhima deeply with\nanother shaft. Blazing with wrath at sight of Duhshasana, Bhima then\naddressed him, saying, \"Pierced I have been, O hero, quickly and deeply,\nby thee. Bear now, however, once more, the stroke of my mace.\" Having\nsaid this, the enraged Bhima took up that terrible mace of his for\nDuhshasana's slaughter. Once more addressing him, he said, \"O thou of\nwicked soul, I shall today drink thy blood on the field of battle.\" Thus\naddressed, thy son sped at Bhima with great force a fierce dart\nresembling Death itself. Bhima also, his form filled with wrath, whirled\nhis terrible mace and hurled it at his antagonist. That mace,\nprecipitately breaking Duhshasana's dart, struck thy son on his head.\nIndeed, perspiring like an elephant with juicy secretions trickling down\nhis body, Bhima, in that dreadful battle, hurled his mace at the prince.\nWith that weapon, Bhimasena forcibly threw Duhshasana down from his car\nat a distance measured by the length of ten bows. Struck with the\nimpetuous mace, Duhshasana, thrown down on the ground, began to tremble.\nAll his steeds also, O king, were slain, and his car too was reduced to\natoms by that falling weapon. As regards Duhshasana himself, his armour\nand ornaments and attire and garlands were all displaced, and he began to\nwrithe, afflicted with agony. Endued with great activity, Bhimasena then\nrecollected, in the midst of that terrible battle and standing as he did\namid many foremost warriors of the Kuru army, all the acts of hostility\n(done towards the Pandavas) by thy sons. The mighty-armed Bhima of\ninconceivable feats, O king, beholding Duhshasana (in that plight), and\nrecollecting the seizure of Draupadi's tresses and her disrobing while\nshe was ill,--indeed, the innocent Bhima, reflecting also upon the\ndiverse other wrongs inflicted on that princess while her husbands sat\nwith faces turned away from the scene, blazed up in wrath like fire fed\nwith libations of clarified butter. Addressing Karna and Suyodhana and\nKripa and Drona's son and Kritavarma, he said, \"Today I shall slay the\nwretched Duhshasana. Let all the warriors protect him (if they can).\"\nHaving said this, Bhima of exceeding strength and great activity suddenly\nrushed, from desire of slaying Duhshasana. Like a lion of fierce\nimpetuosity rushing towards a mighty elephant, Vrikodara, that foremost\nof heroes, rushed towards Duhshasana in that battle and attacked him in\nthe very sight of Suyodhana and Karna. Jumping down from his car, he\nalighted on the ground, and fixed his eyes steadfastly on his fallen foe.\nDrawing then his whetted sword of keen edge, and trembling with rage, he\nplaced his foot upon the throat of Duhshasana, and ripping open the\nbreast of his enemy stretched on the ground, quaffed his warm life-blood.\nThen throwing him down and cutting off, O king, with that sword the head\nof thy son, Bhima of great intelligence, desirous of accomplishing his\nvow, again quaffed his enemy's blood little by little, as if for enjoying\nits taste. Then looking at him with wrathful eyes, he said these words,\n\"I regard the taste of this blood of my enemy to be superior to that of\nmy mother's milk, or honey, or clarified butter, or good wine that is\nprepared from honey, or excellent water, or milk, or curds, or skimmed\nmilk, or all other kinds of drinks there are on earth that are sweet as\nambrosia or nectar.\" Once more, Bhima of fierce deeds, his heart filled\nwith wrath, beholding Duhshasana dead, laughed softly and said, \"What\nmore can I do to thee? Death has rescued thee from my hands.\" They, O\nking, that saw Bhimasena, while he filled with joy at having quaffed the\nblood of his foe, was uttering those words and stalking on the field of\nbattle, fell down in fear. They that did not fall down at the sight, saw\ntheir weapons drop from their hands. Many, from fear, cried out feebly\nand looked at Bhima with half-shut eyes. Indeed, all those that stood\naround Bhima and beheld him drink the blood of Duhshasana, fled away,\noverwhelmed with fear, and saying unto one another, \"This one is no human\nbeing!\" When Bhima had assumed that form, people, beholding him quaff his\nenemy's blood, fled away with Citrasena, saying unto one another, 'This\nBhima must be a Rakshasa!\" Then the (Pancala) prince Yudhamanyu, at the\nhead of his troops, fearlessly pursued the retreating Citrasena and\npierced him with seven keen shafts, quickly sped one after another. At\nthis, like a trampled snake of great energy repeatedly darting out its\ntongue and desirous of vomiting its poison, Citrasena turned back and\npierced the Pancala prince with three shafts and his driver with six. The\nbrave Yudhamanyu then struck off his enemy's head with a shaft equipped\nwith goodly wings and an exceedingly keen point and sped with great care\nfrom his bow drawn to its fullest stretch. Upon the fall of his brother\nCitrasena, Karna, filled with wrath and displaying his prowess, put the\nPandava host to flight, at which Nakula rushed against that warrior of\nimmeasurable energy. Bhima, having slain there (at the very sight of\nKarna) the vindictive Duhshasana, took up a little quantity of his blood,\nand, endued with stentorian lungs, he said these words in the hearing of\nall those foremost of heroes of the world, \"O wretch amongst men, here I\ndrink thy life-blood from thy throat. Filled with joy, abuse us once\nmore, saying 'beast, beast' (as thou didst before).\" And he continued,\n\"They that danced at us then, saying, 'beast, beast,' even we will dance\nat them now, repeating their own words. Our sleep at the palace at\nPramanakoti, the administration of deadly poison to our food, the bites\nof black cobras, the setting fire to the house of lac, the robbing of our\nkingdom by gambling, our exile in the woods, the cruel seizure of\nDraupadi's beautiful tresses, the strokes of shafts and weapons in\nbattle, our miseries at home, the other kinds of sufferings we endured at\nVirata's abode, all these woes borne by us through the counsels of\nShakuni and Duryodhana and Radha's son, proceeded from thee as their\ncause. Through the wickedness of Dhritarashtra and his son, we have\nendured all these woes. Happiness has never been ours.\" Having said these\nwords, O king, the victorious Vrikodara, once more spoke these words unto\nKeshava and Arjuna. Indeed, bathed in blood, with blood flowing from his\nwounds, with face exceedingly red, filled with great wrath, Bhimasena\nendued with great activity, said these words, \"Ye heroes, that which I\nhad vowed in respect of Duhshasana in battle, I have accomplished today.\nI will soon accomplish my other vow by slaying that second beast, viz.,\nDuryodhana, in this sacrifice of battle. Striking the head of that\nwicked-souled one with my foot in the presence of the Kauravas, I shall\nobtain peace.\" Having said these words, Bhima, filled with great joy,\ndrenched with blood, uttered loud shouts, even as the mighty and\nhigh-souled Indra of a 1,000 eyes had roared after slaying (the Asura)\nVritra.'\"\n\n\n\n84\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'After the slaughter of Duhshasana, O king, ten of thy\nsons, heroes that never retreated from battle, all of whom were great\ncar-warriors, endued with mighty energy, and filled with the poison of\nwrath, shrouded Bhima with their shafts. Nishangin, and Kavachin, and\nPasin and Dundadhara and Dhanurgraha, and Alolupa, and Saha, and Shanda,\nand Vatavega and Suvarchasas, these ten, afflicted at the slaughter of\ntheir brother, united together and checked the mighty-armed Bhimasena\nwith their shafts. Resisted on all sides with their shafts by those great\ncar-warriors, Bhima, with eyes red as fire with fury, looked resplendent\nlike the Destroyer himself in rage. Partha, however, with ten\nbroad-headed shafts of great impetuosity, equipped with golden wings,\ndespatched to Yama's abode those ten Bharata princes decked with golden\nbracelets. Upon the fall of those ten heroes, thy army fled away in the\nvery sight of the Suta's son, overwhelmed with the fear of the Pandavas.\nThen, O king, great fear entered the heart of Karna at sight of Bhima's\nprowess which resembled that of the Destroyer himself unto living\ncreatures. Then Shalya, that ornament of assemblies, understanding the\nstate of Karna's mind from a survey of his features, addressed that\nchastiser of foes in words suited to the hour, \"Do not be grieved, O son\nof Radha! This deed does not become thee. Afflicted with the fear of\nBhimasena, these kings are all flying away. Exceedingly pained by the\ncalamity that has befallen his brother Duhshasana in consequence of his\nblood having been quaffed by the high-souled Bhima, Duryodhana is\nstupefied! Kripa and others, and those of the king's brothers that are\nstill alive, with afflicted hearts, their rage quelled by sorrow, are\ntending Duryodhana, sitting around him. Those heroes, the Pandavas of\nsure aim, headed by Dhananjaya, are advancing against thee for battle.\nFor these reasons, O tiger among men, mustering all thy prowess and\nkeeping the duties of a Kshatriya before thy eyes, proceed against\nDhananjaya. The entire burthen (of this battle) has been placed upon thee\nby the son of Dhritarashtra. O thou of mighty arms, bear that burthen to\nthe best of thy power and might. In victory there will be great fame. In\ndefeat, heaven is certain. There, O son of Radha, thy son, Vrishasena,\nfilled with wrath at sight of the stupefaction that has overwhelmed thee,\nis rushing towards the Pandavas.\" Hearing these words of Shalya of\nimmeasurable energy, Karna, reflecting, concluded unalterably that\nfighting had become unavoidable. Then Vrishasena, filled with wrath, and\nriding upon his own car, rushed towards that son of Pandu, viz.,\nVrikodara, who, armed with his mace, resembled the Destroyer himself with\nhis fatal rod and was employed in slaughtering thy troops. That foremost\nof heroes, Nakula, filled with wrath, rushed at that enemy of theirs,\nKarna's son, striking him with arrows, like the victorious Maghavat with\njoyous heart rushing against (the Asura) Jambha. Then the brave Nakula,\nwith a razor-headed shaft, cut off his enemy's standard decked with gems.\nWith a broad-headed arrow, he next cut off the bow also of Karna's son,\nwith a golden belt attached to it. Possessed of mighty weapons, Karna's\nson then, desirous of showing his regard for Duhshasana, quickly took up\nanother bow, and pierced Nakula, the son of Pandu with many mighty\ncelestial weapons. The high-souled Nakula, then, filled with rage,\npierced his antagonist with shafts that resembled large blazing brands.\nAt this Karna's son also, accomplished in weapons, showered celestial\nweapon upon Nakula. From rage engendered by the strokes of his enemy's\nweapon, as also from his own resplendence and the energy of his weapons,\nthe son of Karna blazed up like a fire with libations of clarified\nbutter. Indeed, O king, Karna's son then slew with his excellent weapons\nthe beautiful steeds of the delicate Nakula, that were of the Vanayu\nbreed, white in hue, and decked with trappings of gold. Alighting then\nfrom his steedless vehicle, and taking up a bright shield decked with\ngolden moons, and armed also with a sword that was blue as the sky,\nNakula, frequently jumping up, careered there like a bird. Performing\ndiverse beautiful evolutions in the air, the son of Pandu cut off many\nforemost of men and steeds and elephants. Cut off with that sword, they\nfell down on the earth like animals cut off in a horse-sacrifice by the\nperson appointed to that duty. 2,000 well-trained heroes, delighting in\nbattle, hailing from diverse realms, well-paid, of sure aim, and their\nlimbs smeared with excellent sandal-paste, were quickly cut off by the\nsingle-handed Nakula inspired with desire of victory. Then Karna's son,\nsuddenly advancing with great speed against the rushing Nakula in that\nbattle pierced him from every side with many keen arrows from desire of\nslaying him. Thus struck with shafts (by Vrishasena), Nakula struck his\nbrave antagonist in return. Pierced by the son of Pandu, Vrishasena\nbecame filled with wrath. Protected, however, in that dreadful battle, by\nhis brother Bhima, the high-souled Nakula achieved such terrible feats on\nthat occasion. Filled with rage, the son of Karna then pierced with\neighteen shafts the heroic Nakula who seemed to sport in that battle,\nwhile employed, unaided, in destroying the foremost of men and steeds and\nelephants. Deeply pierced by Vrishasena in that battle, O king, Pandu's\nson Nakula, that foremost of men, endued with great activity, became\nfilled with rage and rushed in that encounter against the son of Karna\nfrom desire of slaying him. Then Vrishasena poured showers of keen shafts\nupon Nakula of great energy as the latter precipitately advanced against\nhim in that battle like a hawk with outstretched wings from desire of\nmeat. Baffling, however, his antagonist's showers of shafts, Nakula\ncareered in diverse beautiful motions. Then Karna's son, O king, in that\ndreadful battle, cut off, with his mighty shafts, the shield, decked with\na 1,000 stars, of Nakula, while he was careering with great activity in\nthose beautiful motions. Without losing a moment, that resister of foes,\n(Vrishasena), with half a dozen sharp razor-headed shafts, then cut off\nthat naked sword of Nakula, polished and keen-edged, made of steel,\ncapable of bearing a great strain and of destroying the bodies of all\nfoes, and terrible and fierce as the poison of the snake, while he was\nwhirling it rapidly. After this, Vrishasena deeply pierced his antagonist\nin the centre of his chest with some well-tempered and keen shafts.\nHaving achieved those feats in battle that were applauded by all noble\npersons and that could not be achieved by other men, the high-souled\nNakula of great activity, afflicted with those shafts, proceeded to the\ncar, O king, of Bhimasena. The steedless son of Madri, thus afflicted by\nKarna's son, sprang upon Bhima's car like a lion springing upon a\nmountain summit, in the sight of Dhananjaya. The high-souled and heroic\nVrishasena then, filled with wrath, poured his arrowy showers upon those\ntwo mighty car-warriors for piercing those two sons of Pandu. After the\ndestruction of that car belonging to the son of Pandu (Nakula), and after\nhis sword also had been speedily cut off with (Vrishasena's) shafts; many\nother foremost of Kuru heroes, uniting together, approached the Pandava\nbrothers, and began to strike them with showers of shafts. Then those two\nsons of Pandu, Bhima and Arjuna, filled with wrath, and resembling two\nfires fed with libations of clarified butter, poured terrible showers of\narrows upon Vrishasena and the other assembled warriors around him. The\nson of the Wind-god then, addressing Phalguna, said, \"Behold, Nakula here\nis being afflicted. The son of Karna is resisting us. Proceed, therefore,\nagainst Karna's son.\" Hearing these words, the diadem-decked (Arjuna)\napproached the car of his brother Vrikodara. Beholding that hero arrived\nnear, Nakula addressed him, saying, \"Do thou speedily slay this one.\"\nThus addressed in that battle by his brother, Nakula, standing before\nhim, the diadem-decked Arjuna, that formidable hero, precipitately caused\nhis ape-bannered vehicle, guided by Keshava himself, to be driven towards\nVrishasena.'\"\n\n\n\n85\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Learning that Nakula had been deprived of his car,\nafflicted with arrows and mangled with the weapons of Karna's son, and\nthat he had his shafts, bow, and sword cut off, these eleven formidable\nresisters of all foes, the five heroic sons of Drupada, the grandson of\nSini forming the sixth, and the five sons of Draupadi quickly proceeded\non their loud-sounding cars drawn by bounding steeds, with banners waving\nin the air, and guided by accomplished drivers. Those well-armed warriors\nbegan to destroy thy elephants and cars and men and steeds with shafts\nthat resembled formidable snakes. Then Hridika's son and Kripa and\nDrona's son and Duryodhana and Shakuni's son and Vrika and Kratha and\nDevavridha, those foremost of Kaurava car-warriors, speedily proceeded\nagainst them, armed with their bows and mounted upon their cars of rattle\ndeep as the roar of elephants or the clouds. These Kaurava warriors,\nassailing those foremost of men and first of car-warriors, those eleven\nheroes (of the Pandava army), O king, with the mightiest of shafts,\nchecked their progress. At this, the Kulindas, riding upon their\nelephants of impetuous speed that looked like mountain summits and that\nwere of the hue of newly-risen clouds, advanced against those Kaurava\nheroes. Well-equipped, and covered with gold, those infuriated elephants,\nborn in Himalayan regions and ridden by accomplished warriors longing for\nbattle, looked resplendent like clouds in the welkin, charged with\nlightning. The prince of the Kulindas then vigorously assailed Kripa and\nhis driver and steeds, with ten shafts made wholly of iron. Struck (in\nreturn) with the shafts of Sharadvata's son, the prince fell down with\nhis elephant on the ground. The younger brother of that prince then,\nassailing Kripa's car with a number of lances made wholly of iron and all\nbright as the rays of the sun, uttered loud roars. The ruler of the\nGandharas, however, cut off the head of that warrior while still\nuttering those roars. Upon the fall of those Kulindas, those mighty\ncar-warriors of thy army, filled with joy, blew their sea-born conchs,\nand, armed with bows, rushed against their enemies. The battle then that\nonce more took place between the Kurus on the one side and the Pandavas\nand the Srinjayas on the other, with arrows and scimitars and darts and\nswords and maces and battle-axes, became fierce and awful and exceedingly\ndestructive of men and steeds and elephants. Car-warriors and steeds and\nelephants and foot-soldiers, striking one another, fell down on the\nground, making the field of battle look like the welkin when congregated\nmasses of clouds charged with lightning and producing incessant peals of\nthunder are assailed by fierce winds from all sides. Then the chief of\nthe Bhojas struck the huge elephants, the car-warriors, the innumerable\nfoot-soldiers, and the horse under Satanika. Struck with Kritavarma's\nshafts, these soon fell down on the ground. About this time, struck with\nAshvatthama's shafts, three huge elephants equipped with all kinds of\nweapons, ridden by accomplished warriors, and adorned with lofty\nstandards, fell down lifeless on the ground like gigantic cliffs riven by\nthunder. Then the third brother of the Kulinda chief assailed thy son\nDuryodhana with some excellent shafts in the centre of the chest. Thy\nson, however, pierced him as also his elephant with many whetted shafts.\nThat prince of elephants then, with the prince on his back, fell down,\nwith streams of blood issuing from every part of his body, like a\nmountain of red chalk in the season of rains, with red streams running\ndown its breast, tumbling down when riven by the thunder of Sachi's lord.\nThe Kulinda prince, however, having saved himself in time, rode another\nelephant. Urged by the prince, that animal assailed Kratha with his\ndriver and steeds and car. Pierced, however, with Kratha's shafts, that\nelephant, with its rider, fell down like a thunder-riven hill. The ruler\nof the Krathas, that invincible car-warrior, however, struck with shafts\nby the prince born on the mountains from the back of another elephant,\nfell down with his steeds, driver, bow, and standard, like a mighty tree\nuprooted by the tempest. Then Vrika deeply pierced with a dozen shafts\nthat prince having his abode on the Himavat as he stood on his elephant.\nThe huge beast quickly crushed with his four legs (the Kaurava warrior)\nVrika with his steeds and car. That prince of elephants then, with its\nrider, deeply pierced by the son of Vabhru, advanced impetuously against\nthe latter. Vabhru's son, however, that prince of the Magadhas, afflicted\nwith arrows by Sahadeva's son, fell down. The prince of the Kulindas\nthen, with that elephant of his which was capable of slaying the foremost\nof warriors with its tusks and body, rushed impetuously towards Shakuni\nfor slaying him. The mountaineer succeeded in afflicting Shakuni greatly.\nSoon, however, the chief of the Gandharas cut off his head. About this\ntime huge elephants and steeds and car-warriors and large bands of foot,\nstruck by Satanika, fell down on the earth, paralysed and crushed like\nsnakes beaten by the tempest caused by Garuda's wings. Then a Kulinda\nwarrior (on the Kaurava side), smiling the while, pierced Satanika, the\nson of Nakula, with many whetted arrows. Nakula's son, however, with a\nrazor-headed arrow, cut off from his antagonist's trunk his head\nresembling a lotus. Then Karna's son pierced Satanika with three arrows,\nmade wholly of iron and Arjuna also with as many. And he pierced Bhima\nwith three arrows and Nakula with seven and Janardana with a dozen.\nBeholding that feat of Vrishasena, that achiever of superhuman feats, the\nKauravas became filled with joy and applauded him greatly. They, however,\nthat were conversant with Dhananjaya's prowess, regarded Vrishasena as a\nlibation already poured on the fire. The diadem-decked Arjuna then, that\nslayer of hostile heroes, seeing Madri's son Nakula, that foremost of\nmen, deprived of his steeds in the midst of all, and beholding Janardana\nmangled with arrows, rushed in that battle against Vrishasena who was\nthen staying in front of the Suta's son (Karna). Like Namuci rushing\nagainst Indra, Karna's son, that great car-warrior, also rushed, in that\nbattle, against that fierce and foremost of men, Arjuna, that warrior\npossessing thousands of arrows, as the latter advanced towards him.\nUnsupported by any one, the high-souled son of Karna, quickly piercing\nPartha with a shaft in that battle, uttered a loud shout, like Namuci in\ndays of old after having pierced Indra. Once more Vrishasena pierced\nPartha in the left arm-pit with many formidable shafts. Piercing Krishna\nnext with nine arrows, he struck Partha again with ten shafts. The\nwhite-steeded Arjuna, having before been pierced by Vrishasena with those\nformidable arrows, became slightly enraged and set his heart on the\nslaughter of Karna's son. The high-souled and diadem-decked Arjuna then,\nhis brow furrowed from wrath with three lines, quickly sped from the van\nof battle a number of shafts for the destruction of Vrishasena in that\nencounter. With eyes red in wrath, that hero capable of slaying Yama\nhimself if the latter fought with him, then laughed terribly and said\nunto Karna and all the other Kaurava heroes headed by Duryodhana and\nDrona's son, these words, \"Today, O Karna, in thy very sight in this\nbattle, I will despatch the fierce Vrishasena unto Yama's abode with my\nkeen arrows! People say that all of you, united together, slew my son,\nendued with great activity, in my absence, and while he was alone and\nunsupported on his car. I, however, will slay thy son in the very sight\nof you all. Let all the Kaurava car-warriors protect him. I will slay the\nfierce Vrishasena. After that, I will slay thee, O fool, even I, Arjuna,\nin the midst of battle! Today I will, in battle, slay thee that art the\nroot of this quarrel and that hast become so proud in consequence of\nDuryodhana's patronage. Putting forth my strength, I will certainly slay\nthee in this battle, and Bhimasena will slay this Duryodhana, this wretch\namong men, through whose evil policy this quarrel born of dice hath\narisen.\" Having said these words, Arjuna rubbed the string of his bow and\ntook aim at Vrishasena in that battle, and sped, O king, a number of\nshafts for the slaughter of Karna's son. The diadem-decked Arjuna then,\nfearlessly and with great force, pierced Vrishasena with ten shafts in\nall his vital limbs. With four fierce razor-headed arrows he cut off\nVrishasena's bow and two arms and head. Struck with Partha's shafts, the\nson of Karna, deprived of arms and head, fell down on the earth from his\ncar, like a gigantic shala adorned with flowers falling down from a\nmountain summit. Beholding his son, thus struck with arrows, fall down\nfrom his vehicle, the Suta's son Karna, endued with great activity and\nscorched with grief on account of the death of his son, quickly proceeded\non his car, inspired with wrath, against the car of the diadem-decked\nPartha.\n\n\"'Indeed, beholding his son slain in his sight by the white-steeded Arjuna\nin battle, the high-souled Karna, filled with great wrath, rushed against\nKrishna and Arjuna.'\"\n\n\n\n86\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding the gigantic and roaring Karna, incapable of\nbeing resisted by the very gods, advancing like the surging sea, that\nbull amongst men, viz., he of Dasharha's race, addressed Arjuna, saying,\n\"That car-warrior having white steeds and owning Shalya for his driver\ncometh hither with whom thou art to contend in battle. Therefore, O\nDhananjaya, summon all thy coolness. Behold then, O son of Pandu, the\nwell-equipped car of Karna. White steeds are yoked unto it and Radha's\nson himself is the warrior that stands upon it. Teeming with banners and\ndecked with rows of bells, it looks like a celestial car borne along the\nwelkin by steeds white in hue. Behold also the standard of the\nhigh-souled Karna, bearing the device of the elephant's rope, and looking\nlike the bow of Indra himself that divides the firmament by a clear line.\nBehold Karna as he advanceth from desire of doing what is agreeable to\nDhritarashtra's son, shooting showers of shafts like the clouds pouring\ntorrents of rain. There the royal chief of the Madras, stationed on the\nfore-part of the car, guideth the steeds of Radha's son of immeasurable\nenergy. Hear the peal of their drums and the fierce blare of their\nconchs. Hear, O son of Pandu, the diverse leonine roars coming from every\nside. Hear the terrible twang, silencing all other loud sounds, of the\nbow (Vijaya) stretched by Karna of immeasurable energy. There the mighty\ncar-warriors among the Pancalas, with their followers, are breaking like\na herd of deer in the great forest at the sight of an angry lion. It\nbehoveth thee, O son of Kunti, to slay the Suta's son with every care. No\nother person save thee can venture to bear the shafts of Karna. It is\nwell known to me that thou art competent to vanquish in battle the three\nworlds with all their mobile and immobile creatures including the very\ngods and the Gandharvas. What need be said about battling with that\npuissant one, when people are incapable of even gazing at him, viz., the\nfierce and terrible Isana, that great god, the three-eyed Sarva,\notherwise called Kapardin? Thou, however, hadst, by battle, gratified\nthat god of gods himself, that Siva who is the source of bliss unto all\ncreatures, that deity called Sthanu. The other deities also have all\ngiven thee boons. Through the grace, O Partha, of that god of gods, that\ndeity armed with a trident, slay Karna, O mighty-armed one, like Indra\nslaying the Asura Namuci. Let prosperity be ever with thee, O Partha, and\ndo thou obtain victory in battle.\"\n\n\"'Arjuna said, \"My victory, O Krishna, is certain. There is no doubt in\nthis, since thou, O slayer of Madhu, that art the master of all the\nworlds, art pleased with me. Urge the steeds, O Hrishikesha, and my car,\nO great car-warrior! Today Phalguna will not return from battle without\nslaying Karna. Behold Karna slain today and cut in pieces with my shafts.\nOr, O Govinda, thou wilt today behold me slain with (Karna's) arrows.\nThat terrible battle, capable of stupefying the three worlds, is at hand.\nAs long as the earth will last, people will speak of it.\" Saying these\nwords unto Krishna who is never tired with exertion, Partha quickly\nproceeded on his car against Karna like an elephant against a rival\nelephant. Once more Partha of great energy said unto Krishna, that\nchastiser of foes, these words, \"Urge the steeds, O Hrishikesha, for time\npasseth.\" Thus addressed by the high-souled son of Pandu, Keshava wished\nhim victory and urged steeds as fleet as thought. Then that car of\nPandu's son, possessed of great speed, soon reached the front of Karna's\ncar.'\"\n\n\n\n87\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding Vrishasena slain, Karna, filled with grief and\nrage, shed tears from his eyes for the death of his son. Endued with\ngreat energy, with eyes red as copper from rage, Karna proceeded in the\nface of his foe, having summoned Dhananjaya to battle. Then those two\ncars, both possessed of solar effulgence and covered with tiger-skins,\nwhen they came together, looked like two suns close to each other. Both\nhaving white steeds and both crushers of foes, those two great bowmen,\nthose two warriors possessed of solar effulgence, looked resplendent like\nthe sun and the moon in the firmament. Beholding those two warriors that\nresembled Indra and Virochana's son (Vali) carefully preparing for battle\nfor the conquest of the three worlds, all creatures were filled with\nwonder. Seeing those two warriors rushing towards each other with the\nclatter of car-wheels, the twang of bows, the sound of palms, the whizz of\narrows, and leonine shouts, and seeing also their standards, viz., that\nof Karna bearing the elephant's rope and that of Partha bearing the ape,\napproach each other, all the lords of the earth became filled with\nwonder. Seeing those two car-warriors engaged with each other, O Bharata,\nall the kings uttered leonine shouts and cheered them repeatedly with\napplause. Beholding that single combat between Partha and Karna,\nthousands of combatants there slapped their armpits and waved their\ngarments in the air. The Kauravas beat their musical instruments and blew\ntheir numerous conchs for gladdening Karna. Similarly, all the Pandavas,\nfor gladdening Dhananjaya, caused every point of the compass to resound\nwith the blasts of their trumpets and conchs. With those leonine shouts\nand slaps on armpits and other loud cries and roars of brave warriors,\ntremendous became the noise there on the occasion of that encounter\nbetween Karna and Arjuna. People beheld those two tigers among men, those\ntwo foremost of car-warriors, stationed on their cars, each armed with\nhis formidable bow, each equipped with arrows and darts, and each owning\na lofty standard. Both were clad in mail, both had scimitars tied to\ntheir belts, both had white steeds, and both were adorned with excellent\nconchs. One had Krishna for driver on his car, and the other had Shalya.\nBoth of them were great car-warriors and both looked alike. Both\npossessed of leonine necks and long arms, the eyes of both were red, and\nboth were adorned with garlands of gold. Both were armed with bows that\nseemed to flash like lightning, and both were adorned with wealth of\nweapons. Both had yak-tails for being fanned therewith, and both were\ndecked with white umbrellas held over them. Both had excellent quivers\nand both looked exceedingly handsome. The limbs of both were smeared with\nred sandal-paste and both looked like infuriated bulls. Both were\nbroad-necked like the lion, both were broad-chested, and both endued with\ngreat strength. Challenging each other, O king, each desired to slay the\nother. And they rushed against each other like two mighty bulls in a\ncow-pen. They were like a couple of infuriated elephants or of angry\nmountains or of infant snakes of virulent poison or of all-destroying\nYamas. Enraged with each other like Indra and Vritra, they looked like\nthe sun and the moon in splendour. Filled with wrath, they resembled two\nmighty planets risen for the destruction of the world at the end of the\nYuga. Both of them born of celestial fathers, and both resembling gods in\nbeauty, they were of godlike energy. Indeed, they looked like the sun and\nthe moon come of their own accord on the field of battle. Both of them\nendued with great might, both filled with pride in battle, they were\narmed with diverse weapons. Beholding those two tigers among men, those\ntwo heroes endued with the impetuosity of tigers, thy troops, O monarch,\nwere filled with great joy. Seeing those two tigers amongst men, viz.,\nKarna and Dhananjaya, engaged in battle, a doubt entered the hearts of\nall as to which of them would be victorious. Both armed with superior\nweapons, and both well-practised in battle, both made the welkin resound\nwith the slaps on their armpits. Both possessed of great celebrity in\nconsequence of prowess and might, they resembled the Asura Samvara and\nthe chief of the celestials in respect of their skill in battle. Both\nequal to Kartavirya or Dasaratha's son in battle, both resembled Vishnu\nhimself in energy or Bhava himself in fight. Both had white steeds, O\nking, and both were borne on foremost of cars. Both of them, again, had\nforemost of drivers in that great battle. Beholding, O monarch, those two\ngreat car-warriors looking resplendent on their cars, the bands of\nSiddhas and Charanas that came there became filled with wonder. The\nDhartarashtras then, O bull of Bharata's race, with their troops,\nencompassed the high-souled Karna, that ornament of battle, without\nlosing any time. Similarly the Pandavas headed by Dhrishtadyumna, filled\nwith joy, encompassed that high-souled Partha who was unrivalled in\nbattle. Karna became the stake, O monarch, of thy army in that battle,\nwhile Partha became the stake of the Pandavas. The soldiers of both sides\nwere as members of that assembly and became the spectators of that game.\nIndeed, as regards the parties engaged in that game of battle, either\nvictory or defeat was certain. Those two then, Karna and Arjuna, for\nvictory or the reverse, began the match between ourselves and the\nPandavas both standing on the field of battle. Skilled in fight, the two\nheroes, O monarch, in that encounter, became highly enraged with each\nother and wished to slay each other. Desiring to take each other's life,\nlike Indra and Vritra, O lord, they faced each other like two mighty\ncomets of terrible form. Then in the sky, differences and disputes,\naccompanied with revilings, arose among the creatures there, O bull of\nBharata's race, on the subject of Karna and Arjuna. All the inhabitants\nof the world, O sire, were heard to differ amongst themselves. The gods,\nthe Danavas, the Gandharvas, the Pishacas, the Snakes, the Rakshasas,\nadopted opposite sides in that encounter between Karna and Arjuna. The\nwelkin, O monarch, with all the stars, became anxious on Karna's account,\nwhile the wide earth became so on Partha's account, like the mother for\nher son. The rivers, the seas, the mountains, O best of men, the trees,\nthe deciduous plants and herbs, took the side of the diadem-decked\nArjuna. The Asuras, Yatudhanas, the Guhyakas, O scorcher of foes, and\nravens and other rangers of the sky, sided with Karna. All the gems and\nprecious jewels, the four Vedas with the histories as the fifth, the\nUpavedas, the Upanishads, with all their mysteries, and the compilations,\nand Vasuki, and Citrasena, and Takshaka, and Upatakshaka, and all the\nmountains, and all the offspring of Kadru with their children, all the\ngreat snakes endued with poison, and the Nagas, took the side of Arjuna.\nAiravata and his children, the offspring of Surabhi, the offspring of\nVaisali, and the Bhogins sided with Arjuna. The smaller snakes all sided\nwith Karna. Wolves and wild stags and all kinds of auspicious animals and\nbirds were, O king, for victory to Partha. The Vasus, the Maruts, the\nSadhyas, the Rudras, the Vishvedevas and the Ashvinis, and Agni and Indra\nand Soma and Pavana, and the ten points of the compass, became the\npartisans of Dhananjaya, while all the Adityas sided with Karna. The\nVaishyas, the Shudras, the Sutas, and those castes that were of a mixed\norigin, all, O king, adopted the side of Radha's son. The celestials,\nhowever, with the pitris, and with all that were numbered with them as\nalso with their followers, and Yama and Vaishravana and Varuna were on\nthe side of Arjuna. The Brahmanas, the Kshatriyas, the sacrifices, and\nthose gifts called dakshinas, were for Arjuna. The pretas, and Pishacas,\nmany carnivorous animals and birds, the Rakshasas with all the monsters\nof the sea, the dogs, and the jackals were for Karna. The diverse tribes\nof celestial and regenerate and royal Rishis were for the son of Pandu.\nThe Gandharvas headed by Tumvuru, O king, were on the side of Arjuna.\nWith the offspring of Pradha and Mauni, the several classes of Gandharvas\nand Apsaras, and many wise sages, having for their vehicles wolves and\nstags and elephants and steeds and cars and foot, and clouds and the\nwind, came there for witnessing the encounter between Karna and Arjuna.\nThe gods, the Danavas, the Gandharvas, the Nagas, the Yakshas, the birds,\nthe great Rishis versed in the Vedas, the pitris that subsist upon the\ngifts called svadha, and asceticism and the sciences, and the (celestial)\nherbs with diverse virtues, came, O monarch, and took up their stations\nin the welkin, making a great noise. Brahman, with the regenerate Rishis\nand the Lords of creatures, and Bhava himself on his car, came to that\npart of the welkin. Beholding those two high-souled ones, Karna and\nDhananjaya, about to encounter each other, Shakra himself said, \"Let\nArjuna vanquish Karna.\" Surya, however, said, \"Let Karna vanquish Arjuna.\nIndeed, let my son Karna, slaying Arjuna, gain the victory in this\nbattle. Let my son, slaying Karna, win victory.\" Even thus did Surya and\nVasava, those two foremost of personages, who were there and had adopted\nopposite sides, dispute with each other. Beholding those two high-souled\nones, Karna and Dhananjaya, about to engage themselves in battle, the\ngods and the Asuras adopted opposite sides. The three worlds with the\ncelestial Rishis and all the gods and all other creatures, trembled at\nthe sight. The gods were on the side of Partha, while the Asuras were on\nthat of Karna. Thus all creatures were interested in that encounter,\nsiding with this or that leader of car-warriors, the Kuru or the Pandava\nhero. Beholding the Self-born Lord of Creation (viz., Brahman), the gods\nurged him, saying, \"Let, O god, the success of these two lions among men\nbe equal. Let not the vast universe be destroyed in consequence of this\nencounter between Karna and Arjuna. O Selfborn one, say but the word, let\nthe success of these two be equal.\" Hearing these words, Maghavat, bowing\ndown unto the Grandsire, represented this unto that god of gods, that\nforemost one of all intelligent beings, saying, \"Formerly it was said by\nthy holy self that the two Krishnas are always sure to win victory. Let\nit be (now) as thou then saidest. Be gratified with me, O holy one!\" At\nthis, Brahman and Isana replied unto the chief of the celestials, saying,\n\"The victory of the high-souled Vijaya is certain, of that Savyasaci who\ngratified the eater of sacrificial libations in the forest of Khandava\nand who, coming to heaven, rendered assistance to thee, O Sakra! Karna is\non the side of the Danavas. It is proper, therefore, that he should meet\nwith defeat. By this, without doubt, the purposes of the gods will be\nachieved. One's own business, O chief of the celestials, should always be\nimportant. The high-souled Phalguna, again, is devoted to truth and to\nmorality. He must always be victorious, without doubt. He by whom the\nhigh-souled and holy god having the bull on his standard was gratified,\nwhy should not he, O thou of a hundred eyes, be victorious,--he, that is,\nwho hath for the driver of his car that Lord of the universe, Vishnu\nhimself? Possessed of great energy of mind and great strength, Partha is\na hero, accomplished in arms and endued with ascetic merit. Possessed\nalso of great energy of body, he beareth the entire science of weapons.\nIndeed, Partha hath every accomplishment. He ought to be victorious,\nsince that would accomplish the purposes of the gods. In consequence of\nhis greatness, Partha transgresses destiny itself, whether favourable or\nunfavourable, and when he does so, a great destruction of creatures takes\nplace. When the two Krishnas are excited with wrath, they show regard for\nnothing. These two bulls among beings are the Creators of all real and\nunreal things. These two are Nara and Narayana, the two ancient and best\nof Rishis. There is none to rule over them. They are rulers over all,\nperfectly fearless, they are scorchers of all foes. In heaven or among\nhuman beings, there is none equal to either of them. The three worlds\nwith the celestial Rishis and the Charanas are behind these two. All the\ngods and all creatures walk behind them. The entire universe exists in\nconsequence of the power of these two. Let Karna, that bull among men,\nobtain these foremost of regions of bliss here. Let him obtain identity\nwith the Vasus or the Maruts. Let him, with Drona and Bhishma, be\nworshipped in heaven, for Vikartana's son is brave and is a hero. Let the\nvictory, however, belong to the two Krishnas.\" After those two foremost\nones among the gods (Brahman and Isana), said so, the deity of a 1,000\neyes, worshipping those words of Brahman and Isana and saluting all\ncreatures himself said, \"Ye have heard what has been said by the two gods\nfor the benefit of the universe. It will be even so and not otherwise.\nStay ye then, with cheerful hearts.\" Hearing these words of Indra, all\ncreatures, O sire, became filled with wonder and applauded, O king, that\ndeity. The celestials then showered diverse kinds of fragrant flowers and\nblew their trumpets. Indeed, the gods, the Danavas and the Gandharvas all\nwaited there for witnessing that matchless single combat between those\ntwo lions among men. The two cars, O king, upon which Karna and Arjuna\nwere stationed, had white steeds yoked unto them both. And both had\nexcellent standards, and both produced a loud rattle. Many foremost of\nheroes, approaching the brave Vasudeva and Arjuna as also Shalya and\nKarna, began each to blow his conch. The battle then commenced (between\nthe two warriors), overwhelming all timid persons with fear. Fiercely\nthey challenged each other like Sakra and Samvara. The standards of the\ntwo heroes, perfectly bright, looked exceedingly beautiful on their cars,\nlike the planets Rahu and Ketu risen in the firmament at the time of the\nuniversal dissolution. The elephant's rope on Karna's banner, looking\nlike a snake of virulent poison and made of jewels and gems and\nexceedingly strong and resembling the bow of Indra, looked resplendent\n(as it waved in the air). That foremost of apes, again, belonging to\nPartha, with jaws wide open and terrible, and difficult of being gazed\nat, like the sun himself, inspired fear by his formidable teeth. The\nimpetuous Ape on the standard of the wielder of Gandiva, becoming\ndesirous of battle, rushed from his station and fell upon Karna's\nstandard. Endued with great impetuosity, the Ape, darting forward, struck\nthe elephant's rope with his nails and teeth, like Garuda falling upon a\nsnake. Decked with rows of little bells, hard as iron, and resembling the\nfatal noose (in the hands of Yama or Varuna), the elephant's rope, filled\nwith wrath, closed with the Ape. Thus in that fierce single combat\nbetween those two heroes, which was the result of what had been settled\nat the time of the match at dice, their standards first battled with each\nother. Meanwhile the steeds of the one neighed at the steeds of the\nother. The lotus-eyed Keshava pierced Shalya with his keen glances. The\nlatter also cast similar glances at the former. Vasudeva, however,\nvanquished Shalya with those glances of his, while Dhananjaya, the son of\nKunti, vanquished Karna with his glances. Then the Suta's son, smilingly\naddressing Shalya, said, \"If Partha by any means slays me in battle\ntoday, tell me truly, O friend, what thou wilt do after that.\" Shalya\nanswered, saying, \"If thou art slain, I myself will slay both Krishna and\nDhananjaya.\" Once more the ruler of the Madras said, \"If, O Karna, the\nwhite steeded Arjuna slays thee in battle today, I myself, on a single\ncar, will slay both Madhava and Phalguna.\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Arjuna also asked Govinda a similar question.\nKrishna, however, smiling, said unto Partha these words of grave import,\n\"The Sun himself may fall down from his place, the Earth herself may\nsplit into a 1,000 fragments; fire itself may become cold. Still Karna\nwill not be able to slay thee, O Dhananjaya! If, however, any such\noccurrence takes place, know then that the destruction of the universe\nwill be at hand. As regards myself, I will, using my bare arms, slay both\nKarna and Shalya in battle.\" Hearing these words of Krishna, the\nape-bannered Arjuna, smiling, replied unto Krishna who was never fatigued\nwith exertion, saying, \"Shalya and Karna, united together, are not a\nmatch for myself alone, O Janardana! Thou shalt today, O Krishna, behold\nKarna with his standard and banners with Shalya and his car and steeds,\nwith his umbrella and armour and darts and shafts and bow, cut in pieces\nwith my shafts in battle. Thou shalt today behold him with his car and\nsteeds and darts and armour and weapons, reduced to dust like a tree in\nthe forest crushed by a tusker. Today the widowhood of the wives of\nRadha's son is at hand. Verily, they must have in their (last night's)\ndreams seen signs of approaching evil, O Mahadeva! Verily, thou shalt\ntoday see the wives of Karna become widows. I cannot restrain my wrath at\nwhat was done before now by this fool of little foresight when he beheld\nKrishna dragged to the assembly and when laughing at us he abused us\nrepeatedly in vile words. Today, O Govinda, thou shalt behold Karna\ncrushed by me like a tree with its load of flowers crushed by an\ninfuriated elephant. Today, O slayer of Madhu, thou shalt, after Karna's\nfall, hear those sweet words, 'By good luck, O thou of Vrishni's race,\nvictory hath been thine!' Thou shalt today comfort the mother of\nAbhimanyu with a lighter heart for having paid thy debt to the foe. Today\nthou shalt, filled with joy, comfort thy paternal aunt Kunti. Today thou\nshalt, O Madhava, comfort Krishna of tearful face and king Yudhishthira\nthe just with words sweet as nectar.\"'\"\n\n\n\n88\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Meanwhile the welkin, filled with gods and Nagas and\nAsuras and Siddhas and Yakshas and with large bands of Gandharvas and\nRakshasas, and Asuras and regenerate Rishis and royal sages and birds of\nexcellent feathers, assumed a wonderful aspect. All human beings\nassembled there beheld those beings of wonderful aspect staying in the\nsky, and the sky itself resounded with the voice of musical instruments\nand song and adulatory hymns and laughter and dance, and diverse other\nkinds of charming sounds. Then both the Kaurava and the Pandava warriors,\nfilled with joy, and causing the earth and the ten points of the compass\nto resound with the voice of musical instruments, the blare of conchs,\nand leonine roars and the din of battle, began to slaughter their foes.\nTeeming with men and steeds and elephants and cars and weapons,\nunbearable to combatants in consequence of the falling of maces and\nswords and darts and rapiers, abounding in heroes, and crowded with\nlifeless bodies, the field of battle, crimsoned with gore, looked\nexceedingly resplendent. Indeed, the battle between the Kurus and the\nPandavas then resembled that in days of yore between the gods and the\nAsuras. After that fierce and awful battle had commenced between\nDhananjaya and Adhiratha's son, each of those two heroes, clad in\nexcellent mail, shrouded the ten points of the compass and the host\nopposed to him with keen and straight arrows. A darkness having been\ncaused there with the arrows shot on that occasion, neither thy warriors\nnor the enemy could any longer see anything. From fear all the warriors\nthere sought the protection of either Karna or Arjuna like rays of light\nspread out in the welkin converging towards either the sun or the moon.\nThe two heroes then, each baffling the other's weapons with his own, like\nthe east and the west winds encountering each other, looked exceedingly\nresplendent like the sun and the moon risen after dispelling the darkness\ncaused by the clouds and covering the welkin. Each having encouraged his\ntroops, saying, \"Do not fly away!\" the enemy and thy warriors stood their\nground, encircling those two mighty car-warriors like the gods and the\nAsuras standing around Vasava and Samvara. The two armies then greeted\nthose two best of men with the sounds of drums and other instruments and\nwith leonine roars, at which those two bulls among men looked beautiful\nlike the sun and the moon greeted by roaring clouds gathered around. Each\narmed with a formidable bow drawn to a complete circle and looking like a\n(solar or lunar) corona, those two heroes of great splendour, shooting,\nin that battle thousands of arrows that constituted their rays, resembled\ntwo unbearable suns risen at the end of the yuga for burning the entire\nuniverse with its mobile and immobile creatures. Both invincible, both\ncapable of exterminating foes, each desirous of slaying the other; and\neach displaying his skill upon the other, those two warriors, Karna and\nthe son of Pandu, closed fearlessly with each other in that dreadful\nbattle, like Indra and the asura Jambha. Invoking the mightiest of\nweapons then, those two formidable bowmen began, with their terrible\nshafts, to slay innumerable men and steeds and elephants as also to\nstrike each other, O king! Afflicted once more by those two foremost of\nmen, the troops of both the Kurus and the Pandavas, consisting of\nelephants and foot-soldiers and horsemen and car-warriors, fled away on\nall sides like other animals in the forest when assailed by the lion.\nThen Duryodhana, and the chief of the Bhojas, and Subala's son, and\nKripa, and the son of Sharadvata's daughter, these five great\ncar-warriors, assailed Dhananjaya and Keshava with shafts capable of\nproducing great pain. Dhananjaya, however, with his shafts, cut off at\nthe same time the bows, the quivers, the steeds, the elephants, and the\ncars with their drivers, of those warriors, and mangling every one of\nthem with excellent shafts, pierced the Suta's son with a dozen arrows.\nThen a hundred cars, a hundred elephants, and a number of Saka and\nTukhara and Yavana horsemen, accompanied by some of the foremost\ncombatants among the Kambojas, quickly rushed against Arjuna from desire\nof slaying him. Speedily cutting off with the shafts and razor-headed\narrows in his hands the excellent weapons of his foes, as also their\nheads, and steeds, and elephants, and cars, Dhananjaya felled his\ncontending enemies on the field. Then in the welkin blasts of celestial\ntrumpets were blown by the excellent gods. These were mingled with the\npraises of Arjuna. Blown by gentle breezes, excellent floral showers,\nfragrant and auspicious, fell (upon Arjuna's head). Beholding that\nincident, which was witnessed by gods and men, all creatures, O king,\nwere filled with wonder. Only thy son and the Suta's son who were both\nof the same opinion, felt neither pain nor wonder. Then Drona's son,\ncatching hold of Duryodhana's hand, and adopting a soothing tone,\naddressed thy son, saying, \"Be gratified, O Duryodhana! Make peace with\nthe Pandavas. There is no need for quarrel. Fie on war! The preceptor,\nconversant with the mightiest of weapons and like unto Brahma itself,\nhath been slain. Other bulls among men, headed by Bhishma, have also been\nslain. As regards myself, I am unslayable, as also my maternal uncle.\nRule the kingdom for ever, (sharing it) with the sons of Pandu. Dissuaded\nby me, Dhananjaya will abstain. Janardana also doth not desire\nhostilities. Yudhishthira is always engaged in the good of all creatures.\nVrikodara is obedient to him. So also are the twins. Peace being made\nbetween thee and the Parthas, all creatures will be benefited, through,\nas it would seem, thy desire. Let the kings that are still alive go back\nto their homes. Let the troops abstain from hostilities. If thou dost not\nlisten to my words, O king, struck by foes in battle, thou wilt have to\nburn with grief. Thou hast beheld, as well as the universe, what has been\nachieved by the single-handed Arjuna decked with diadem and garlands. The\nslayer of Vala himself could not achieve its like, nor the Destroyer, nor\nPrachetas, nor the illustrious king of the Yakshas. Dhananjaya, as\nregards his merits, is even much greater than that. He will never\ntransgress whatever I say unto him. He will always follow thee. Be thou\ngratified, O king, for the benefit of the universe. Thou always honourest\nme greatly. I, too, bear a great friendship for thee. It is for this that\nI say so unto thee. I shall dissuade Karna also, provided thou art\ninclined to peace. Discerning persons say that there are four kinds of\nfriends, viz., those that are naturally so, those that are made so by\nconciliation, those that become so through wealth, and lastly those\nbrought under subjection by the exercise of power. All these elements are\nowned by thee with regard to the sons of Pandu. The Pandavas, O hero, are\nnaturally thy friends. Obtain them again as friends for certain by\nconciliation. If upon thyself being gratified, they agree to become\nfriends, do thou, O king of kings, act in that way.\" These beneficial\nwords having been said unto him by his friends, Duryodhana reflected for\nsome time. Drawing deep breaths, he then, with a cheerless heart, said,\n\"It is as thou, O friend, hast said. Listen, however, to the words that I\nwould say unto thee. The wicked-hearted Vrikodara, having slain\nDuhshasana like a tiger, spoke words that still dwell in my heart. Thou\nalso heardest the same. How then can there be peace? Arjuna again will\nnot be able to bear Karna in battle, like a tempest whose force is\nweakened when encountering the mighty mountains of Meru. Nor will the\nsons of Pritha have the least confidence in me, thinking of the many acts\nof forceful hostility (done by me towards them). Nor, O preceptor's son\nof unfading glory, doth it behove thee to say unto Karna now 'Abstain\nfrom battle!' Phalguna is exceedingly tired today. Karna will soon slay\nhim\". Having with humility said these words repeatedly unto the\npreceptor's son, thy son commanded his own troops, saying, \"Armed with\narrows, rush against and slay these foes. Why stand ye inactive?\"'\"\n\n\n\n89\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Then when the blare of conchs and the peal of drums became\nvery loud, those two foremost of men, both owning white steeds, the\nSuta's son Vikartana and Arjuna, encountered each other in consequence, O\nking, of thy son's evil policy. Those two heroes endued with great\nimpetuosity, Dhananjaya and Adhiratha's son, closed with each other like\ntwo infuriated Himalayan elephants, both of full-grown tusks, fighting\nwith each other for the sake of a she-elephant in her season. Like a mass\nof clouds encountering another mass, or a mountain encountering a\nmountain, those two warriors, both pouring showers of arrows, encountered\neach other, their bows loudly twanging the while, and the wheels of their\ncars producing a deafening clatter, and their bow-strings and palms\nemitting loud sounds. Like two mountains, both endued with tall cliffs\nand abounding in trees and creepers and herbs and both teeming with the\ndiverse other denizens that are natural to them, moving towards each\nother for an encounter, those two mighty warriors encountered each other,\neach striking the other with mighty weapons.\n\n\"'The combat between the two heroes became furious like that between the\nchief of the celestials and Virocana's son in days of yore. Incapable of\nbeing endured by others and marked by a river whose distasteful water\nconsisted of blood, the limbs of those two heroes, as also their drivers\nand animals, became exceedingly mangled. Like two large lakes, both\nteeming with lotuses of diverse kinds and fish and tortoises, and echoing\nwith the voices of diverse kinds of fowl, and softly stirred by the wind,\napproaching each other, those two cars graced with standards approached\neach other. Both endued with prowess equal to that of the great Indra,\nboth resembling the great Indra himself, those two mighty car-warriors\nstruck each other with shafts that resembled the great Indra's thunder,\nlike the great Indra himself and (the asura) Vritra.\n\n\"'Both the armies consisting of cars and elephants and steeds and\nfoot-soldiers, all equipped with beautiful armour and ornaments and robes\nand weapons, and those also that were in the welkin, were inspired with\nfear upon beholding that encounter of wonderful aspect between Arjuna and\nKarna. Others among the spectators, filled with joy and uttering leonine\nshouts, raised their arms, waving their fingers or the pieces of cloth\nthey held, when Arjuna rushed against the son of Adhiratha, from desire\nof slaughter, like one infuriated elephant rushing against another.\n\n\"'The Somakas then loudly shouted to Partha, saying, \"Be quick, O Arjuna,\ngo and pierce Karna. Cut off his head without delay, and (with it) the\ndesire of Dhritarashtra's son for kingdom.\" Similarly many warriors of\nours that were there, said unto Karna, \"Proceed, proceed, O Karna, and\nslay Arjuna with keen shafts. Let the sons of Pritha once more go to the\nwoods forever.\"\n\n\"'Then Karna first pierced Partha in that encounter, with ten mighty\nshafts. Arjuna pierced him in return with ten keen-pointed shafts, shot\nwith great vigour, in the centre of the chest. Indeed, the Suta's son and\nArjuna then mangled each other with many shafts equipped with goodly\nwings. Desirous of obtaining advantage of each other's lapses in that\ndreadful encounter, with cheerful hearts they rushed against each other\nfiercely.\n\n\"'Rubbing his two arms and the string also of Gandiva, that fierce bowman,\nArjuna, then sped showers of cloth-yard shafts, and Nalikas and arrows\nequipped with heads like boar's ears and razors, and Anjalikas, and\ncrescent-shaped arrows. Those arrows of Partha, O king, spread over the\nwelkin, penetrated into Karna's car like flights of birds, with heads\nbent down, penetrating in the evening into a tree for roosting there in\nthe night. All those arrows, however, O king, that Arjuna, that victor\nover all foes, with furrowed brow and angry glances, sped at Karna, all\nthose successive showers of shafts shot by the son of Pandu, were cut off\nby the Suta's son with his own arrows.\n\n\"'The son of Indra then sped at Karna a fiery weapon capable of slaying all\nfoes. Covering the earth and the welkin and the ten points of the compass\nand the very course of the sun with its effulgence, it caused his own\nbody also to blaze up with light. The robes of all the warriors took\nfire, at which they fled away. Loud sounds also arose there, like what is\nheard when a forest of bamboos in a wilderness is on fire. Beholding that\nfiery weapon acting on all sides, the Suta's son Karna of great valour\nshot in that encounter the varunastra for quenching it. That\nconflagration then, in consequence of Karna's weapon, became quenched.\n\n\"'A large mass of clouds quickly caused all the points of the compass to be\nenveloped with darkness. Those clouds whose extremities presented the\naspect of mountains, surrounding every side, flooded the earth with\nwater. That fierce conflagration, though it was such, was still quenched\nby those clouds in a trice. The entire welkin and all the directions,\ncardinal and subsidiary, were shrouded by clouds. Thus shrouded by\nclouds, all the points of the compass became dark and nothing could be\nseen.\n\n\"'Then Arjuna dispelled those clouds caused by Karna, by means of the\nvayavyastra. After this, Dhananjaya, incapable of being over-mastered by\nfoes inspired Gandiva, its string, and his shafts, with mantras, and\ninvoked into existence another weapon that was the favourite of the chief\nof the celestials and that resembled the thunder in energy and prowess.\nThen razor-headed arrows, and Anjalikas, and crescent-shaped shafts, and\nNalikas, and cloth-yard shafts and those equipped with heads like the\nboar's ear, all keen and sharp, issued from Gandiva in thousands, endued\nwith the force and impetuosity of the thunder. Possessed of great might\nand great energy, those impetuous and keen shafts equipped with vulturine\nfeathers piercing all the limbs, the steeds, the bow, the yoke, the\nwheels, and the standard of Karna, quickly penetrated into them like\nsnakes frightened by Garuda penetrating into the earth. Pierced all over\nwith arrows and bathed in blood, (the high-souled) Karna then, with eyes\nrolling in wrath, bending his bow of enduring string and producing a\ntwang as loud as the roar of the sea, invoked into existence the Bhargava\nweapon. Cutting off Partha's showers of shafts proceeding from the mouth\nof that weapon of Indra (which Arjuna had shot), Karna, having thus\nbaffled his antagonist's weapon with his own, destroyed cars and\nelephants and foot-soldiers (of the Pandava army). Unable to endure the\nfeats of Arjuna in that fierce battle, the mighty car-warrior Karna did\nthis, through the energy of the Bhargava weapon. Filled with wrath and\npossessed of great activity, the Suta's son, that foremost of men,\nlaughing at the two Krishnas, pierced the foremost of Pancala warriors\nwith well shot arrows in that battle. Then the Pancalas and the Somakas,\nO king, thus afflicted by Karna with showers of shafts in that encounter,\nbecame filled with wrath and uniting together pierced the Suta's son with\nkeen arrows from every side. Quickly cutting off those arrows with his\nown, the Suta's son, vigorously agitating them in that battle, afflicted\nwith many shafts the cars, the elephants, and the steeds of the Pancalas.\nTheir bodies pierced with those shafts of Karna, they fell down, deprived\nof life, on the earth, making loud sounds, like mighty elephants slain by\nan angry lion of terrible strength. Having slain those foremost of\nwarriors, those heroes endued with great strength, those leaders of the\nPancala forces who had always challenged him (to battle), Karna, O king,\nas he shot his arrows, looked beautiful, like a mass of clouds pouring\ntorrents of rain. Then thy warriors, thinking that Karna had won the\nvictory, clapped loudly and uttered leonine roars. O chief of the Kurus,\nall of them then regarded the two Krishnas as brought by Karna under his\npower, seeing that valour, incapable of being borne by foes, of the\nmighty car-warrior Karna. Beholding that weapon of Dhananjaya frustrated\nby Karna in the midst of battle, the angry son of the Wind-god, with eyes\nblazing with wrath, began to squeeze his hands. Indeed, the wrathful\nBhima, his anger being provoked, drew deep breaths and addressing Arjuna\nof true aim, said, \"How, O Jishnu, could this wretch fallen off from\nvirtue, this Suta's son, putting forth his might in battle, slay so many\nforemost of Pancala warriors, in thy sight? Before now thou couldst not\nbe conquered by the very gods or the Kalakeyas. Thou receivedst the touch\nof the arms of Sthanu himself. How, then, O diadem-decked Arjuna, could\nthe Suta's son pierce thee first with ten long shafts such as are used by\ncar-warriors? That the Suta's son should today have succeeded in baffling\nthe arrows shot by thee seems to me to be very amazing. Recollect the\nwoes of Krishna, and those disagreeable, keen, and cutting words that\nthis wicked-souled and fearless son of a Suta used towards us, viz.,\n'Sesame seeds without kernel!' Recollecting all this, O Savyasaci,\nquickly slay the wretched Karna in battle today. Why, O diadem-decked\nArjuna, dost thou show such indifference (towards this act)? This is not\nthe time for showing thy indifference to Karna's slaughter. That patience\nwith which thou didst vanquish all creatures and feed Agni at Khandava,\nwith that patience, slay thou the Suta's son. I also will crush him with\nmy mace.\" Then Vasudeva, beholding Partha's shafts baffled by Karna, said\nunto the former, \"What is this, O diadem-decked Arjuna, that Karna should\nsucceed in crushing thy weapons today with this? Why dost thou, O hero,\nlose thy wits? Markest thou not that the Kauravas, (standing behind\nKarna), are even now shouting in joy? Indeed, all of them know that thy\nweapons are being baffled by Karna with his. That patience with which,\nYuga after Yuga, thou hadst slain persons having the quality of darkness\nfor their weapons, as also terrible Kshatriyas, and Asuras born of pride,\nin many a battle--with that patience do thou slay Karna today. Putting\nforth thy might, strike off the head of that foe of thine with this\nSudarsana, of edge keen as a razor, that I give unto thee, like Sakra\nstriking off the head of his foe Namuci, with the thunderbolt. That\npatience with which thou didst gratify the illustrious deity Mahadeva\nin the guise of a hunter, summoning that patience once again, O hero,\nslay the Suta's son with all his followers. After that, bestow upon king\nYudhishthira the earth with her belt of seas, her towns and villages, and\nwealth, and from off whose surface all foes will have been removed. By\nthat act, O Partha, do thou also win unrivalled fame.\" Thus addressed (by\nKrishna), the high-souled Partha of exceeding might set his heart upon\nthe slaughter of the Suta's son. Indeed, urged by Bhima and Janardana,\nand recollecting (his woes), and taking an internal survey of himself,\nand calling to mind the object for which he had come to this world, he\naddressed Keshava, saying, \"I will now invoke into existence a mighty and\nfierce weapon for the good of the world and the destruction of the Suta's\nson. Let me have thy permission, as also Brahman's and Bhava's, and of\nall those that are conversant with Brahma.\" Having said these words unto\nthe holy Keshava, Savyasaci of immeasurable soul bowed unto Brahman and\ninvoked into existence that excellent irresistible weapon called\nbrahmastra which could be applied by the mind alone. Baffling that\nweapon, however, Karna looked beautiful as he continued, like a cloud\npouring torrents of rain, to shoot his shafts. Beholding that weapon of\nthe diadem-decked Arjuna baffled in the midst of battle by Karna, the\nwrathful and mighty Bhima, blazing up with rage, addressed Arjuna of sure\naim and said, \"People say that thou art a master of the high brahmastra,\nthat mighty means (for achieving the destruction of foes). Do thou then,\nO Savyasaci, use another weapon of the same kind.\" Thus addressed by his\nbrother, Savyasaci used a second weapon of the kind. With that, Partha of\nabundant energy shrouded all the points of the compass, cardinal and\nsubsidiary, with arrows sped from Gandiva that resembled fierce snakes\nand were like the blazing rays of the sun. Created by that bull of\nBharata's race, those arrows of golden wings, in hundreds upon hundreds,\nendued with the effulgence of the yuga fire or the sun, in a moment\nshrouded the car of Karna. Thence also issued long darts and battle-axes\nand discs and cloth-yard shafts in hundreds, all of awful forms, at which\nhostile warriors all around began to be deprived of life. The head of\nsome hostile warrior, severed from his trunk, fell down on the field of\nbattle. Another, beholding his fallen comrade, fell down dead on the\nearth, through fear. The (right) arm of a third, large and massive as the\ntrunk of an elephant, cut off (by Partha), fell down with the sword in\ngrasp. The left arm of a fourth, cut off with a razor-headed arrow, fell\ndown with the shield in it. Even thus, Partha, decked with diadem and\ngarlands, wounded and slew all the foremost warriors of Duryodhana's army\nwith his terrible and death-dealing shafts. Vaikartana also, in the midst\nof that battle, shot thousands of arrows. These, with a loud whizz, fell\nupon the son of Pandu like torrents of rain poured from the clouds. Then\npiercing Bhimasena and Janardana and the diadem-decked Arjuna of\nsuperhuman feats, each with three arrows. Karna of terrible might uttered\na loud awful roar. Struck with Karna's shafts, the diadem-decked Arjuna,\nbeholding Bhima and Janardana, became unable to endure (the feats of his\nantagonist). Once more, therefore, Partha shot eight and ten arrows.\nPiercing the beautiful standard of Karna with one of those arrows, he\npierced Shalya with four and Karna himself with three. With ten other\nwell-shot shafts he then struck the Kaurava warrior Sabhapati, clad in\ngolden mail. Thereupon that prince, deprived of head and arms and steeds\nand driver and bow and standard, fell down, wounded and dead, from his\nforemost of cars, like a Sala tree cut down with an axe. Once more\npiercing Karna with three, eight, twelve, four, and ten arrows, Partha\nslew 400 elephants equipped with many weapons, and 8,000 car-warriors, and\n1,000 steeds with riders, and 8,000 brave foot-soldiers. And soon Partha\nmade Karna with his driver and car and steeds and standard invisible with\nstraightly coursing shafts. Then the Kauravas, thus slaughtered by\nDhananjaya, loudly addressed Adhitratha's son, saying, \"Shoot thy arrows\nand slay the son of Pandu. Already, he has begun to exterminate the Kurus\nwith his shafts!\" Thus urged, Karna, with his best endeavours,\nincessantly shot many arrows. Capable of cutting the very vitals, those\nblood-drinking shafts, well sped by Karna, slew large numbers of the\nPandavas and the Pancalas. Thus those two foremost of all bowmen, those\ntwo warriors of great strength that were capable of bearing all foes,\nthose two heroes acquainted with weapons, struck the warriors opposed to\nthem, as also each other, with mighty weapons. Then Yudhishthira, clad in\ngolden mail, his arrows having been extracted and himself made sound with\nmantras and drugs by foremost of surgeons well-disposed towards him,\nquickly came to that spot for witnessing (the encounter between Arjuna\nand Karna). Beholding king Yudhishthira the just arrived there like the\nresplendent full Moon freed from the jaws of Rahu and risen in the\nfirmament, all creatures became filled with delight. Beholding those two\nforemost of warriors, those two first of heroes and slayers of foes,\nviz., Karna and Partha, engaged in fight, the spectators, both celestial\nand terrestrial, restraining the animals they rode or that were yoked\nunto their vehicles, stood motionless. As the two heroes, O king, struck\neach other with many foremost of arrows, O king, the sounds caused by the\nbows, bow-strings, and palms, of both Dhananjaya and Adhiratha's son,\nbecame tremendous and their well-sped arrows also caused a deafening\nwhizz. Then the bow-string of the son of Pandu, stretched with force,\nbroke with a loud noise. During the interval thus offered, the Suta's son\npierced Partha with a hundred small arrows, keen and steeped in oil,\nwinged with the feathers of birds, and resembling snakes freed from their\nsloughs. He then quickly pierced Vasudeva with sixty shafts, and then\nPhalguna again with eight. Surya's son then pierced Bhima with thousands\nupon thousands of mighty arrows. Having pierced Krishna and Partha's\nstandard, Karna felled many amongst the Somakas that followed Partha.\nThese, however, in return shrouded Karna with showers of straight shafts\nlike masses of clouds shrouding the sun in the welkin. Accomplished in\nthe use of weapons, the Suta's son, stupefying those advancing warriors\nwith his shafts and baffling all the weapons shot by them, destroyed\ntheir cars and steeds and elephants. And the Suta's son, O king, also\nafflicted with his arrows many foremost of warriors among them. Their\nbodies pierced with Karna's shafts, they fell down on the ground,\ndeprived of life and making a loud noise as they fell. Indeed, those\nmighty combatants, afflicted by Karna of terrible strength, perished like\na pack of dogs afflicted by an angry lion. And once more many foremost of\ncombatants among the Pancalas and many such (among the Kauravas) fell\ndown after this, slain by Karna and Dhananjaya. Deprived of life by the\nmighty Karna with well-aimed arrows shot with great force, many fell\ndown, purging the contents of their stomachs. Then thy troops, regarding\nthe victory to be already theirs, clapped furiously and uttered loud\nleonine roars. Indeed, in that dreadful encounter, all of them regarded\nthe two Krishnas to have been brought by Karna under his power. Then\nquickly bending his bow-string and baffling all those shafts of\nAdhiratha's son, Partha, filled with rage in consequence of his limbs\nhaving been mangled with Karna's arrows, assailed the Kauravas. Rubbing\nhis bow-string, he clapped his palms and suddenly caused a darkness there\nwith the showers of shafts he shot. The diadem-decked Arjuna pierced\nKarna and Shalya and all the Kurus with those arrows. The welkin having\nbeen darkened by means of that mighty weapon, the very birds were unable\nto range in their element, a delicious wind then blew, bearing fragrant\nodours. Laughing the while, Partha forcibly struck Shalya's armour with\nten arrows. Piercing Karna next with a dozen shafts, he struck him once\nmore with seven. Deeply struck with those winged arrows of fierce energy\nshot with great force from Partha's bow, Karna, with mangled limbs and\nbody bathed in blood, looked resplendent like Rudra at the universal\ndestruction, sporting in the midst of crematorium at noon or eve, his\nbody dyed with blood. The son of Adhiratha then pierced Dhananjaya who\nresembled the chief of the celestials himself (in energy and might) with\nthree arrows, and he caused five other blazing arrows resembling five\nsnakes to penetrate the body of Krishna. Shot with great force, those\narrows, decked with gold, pierced through the armour of that foremost of\nbeings and passing out of his body fell upon the earth. Endued with great\nenergy, they entered the earth with great force and having bathed (in the\nwaters of the Bhogavati in the nether region) coursed back towards Karna.\nThose shafts were five mighty snakes that had adopted the side of\nTakshaka's son (Aswasena whose mother Partha had slain at Khandava). With\nten broad-headed arrows shot with great force, Arjuna cut off each of\nthose five snakes into three fragments whereupon they fell down on the\nearth. Beholding Krishna's limbs thus mangled with those snakes\ntransformed into arrows sped from Karna's arms, Arjuna, decked with\ndiadem and garlands, blazed up with wrath like a fire engaged in burning\na heap of dry grass. He then pierced Karna in all his vital limbs with\nmany blazing and fatal shafts shot from the bow-string stretched to the\nvery ear. (Deeply pierced), Karna trembled in pain. With the greatest\ndifficulty he stood, summoning all his patience. Dhananjaya having been\nfilled with wrath, all the points of the compass, cardinal and\nsubsidiary, the very splendour of the Sun, and Karna's car, O king, all\nbecame invisible with the showers shot by him. The welkin seemed as if it\nwere shrouded by a thick forest. Then that slayer of foes, that bull of\nKuru's race, that foremost of heroes, viz., Savyasaci, O king, soon slew\nin that battle 2,000 foremost of Kuru warriors, with their cars and\nsteeds and drivers, forming the protectors of Karna's car-wheels and\nwings and his van-guard and rear-guard and who constituted the very pick\nof Duryodhana's car-force, and who, urged by Duryodhana, had been\nfighting with great energy. Then thy sons and the Kauravas that were\nstill alive fled away, deserting Karna, and abandoning their dying and\nwounded, and their wailing sons and sires. Beholding himself abandoned by\nthe terrified Kurus and seeing the space around him empty, Karna felt no\nagitation, O Bharata, but, on the other hand, rushed at Arjuna, with a\ncheerful heart.'\"\n\n\n\n90\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Flying away in consequence of the falling of Arjuna's\narrows, the broken divisions of the Kauravas, staying at a distance,\ncontinued to gaze at Arjuna's weapon swelling with energy and careering\naround with the effulgence of lightning. Then Karna, with showers of\nterrible shafts, baffled that weapon of Arjuna while it was still\ncareering in the welkin and which Arjuna had shot with great vigour in\nthat fierce encounter for the destruction of his foe. Indeed, that weapon\n(of Partha) which, swelling with energy, had been consuming the Kurus,\nthe Suta's son now crushed with his shafts winged with gold. Bending then\nhis own loud-sounding bow of irrefragable string, Karna shot showers of\nshafts. The Suta's son destroyed that burning weapon of Arjuna with his\nown foe-killing weapon of great power which he had obtained from Rama,\nand which resembled (in efficacy) an Atharvan rite. And he pierced Partha\nalso with numerous keen shafts. The encounter then, O king, that took\nplace between Arjuna and the son of Adhiratha, became a very dreadful\none. They continued to strike each other with arrows like two fierce\nelephants striking each other with their tusks. All the points of the\ncompass then became shrouded with weapons and the very sun became\ninvisible. Indeed, Karna and Partha, with their arrowy downpours, made\nthe welkin one vast expanse of arrows without any space between. All the\nKauravas and the Somakas then beheld a wide-spread arrowy net. In that\ndense darkness caused by arrows, they were unable to see anything else.\nThose two foremost of men, both accomplished in weapons, as they\nincessantly aimed and shot innumerable arrows, O king, displayed diverse\nkinds of beautiful manoeuvres. While they were thus contending with each\nother in battle, sometimes the Suta's son prevailed over his rival and\nsometimes the diadem-decked Partha prevailed over his, in prowess and\nweapons and lightness of hands. Beholding that terrible and awful\npassage-at-arms between those two heroes each of whom was desirous of\navailing himself of the other's lapses, all the other warriors on the\nfield of battle became filled with wonder. The beings in the welkin, O\nking, applauded Karna and Arjuna. Indeed, many of them at a time, filled\nwith joy, cheerfully shouted, sometimes saying, \"Excellent, O Karna!\" and\nsometimes saying, \"Excellent, O Arjuna!\" During the progress of that\nfierce encounter, while the earth was being pressed deep with the weight\nof cars and the tread of steeds and elephants, the snake Aswasena, who\nwas hostile to Arjuna, was passing his time in the nether region. Freed\nfrom the conflagration at Khandava, O king, he had, from anger,\npenetrated through the earth (for going to the subterranean region). That\nbrave snake, recollecting the death of his mother and the enmity he on\nthat account harboured against Arjuna, now rose from the lower region.\nEndued with the power of ascending the skies, he soared up with great\nspeed upon beholding that fight between Karna and Arjuna. Thinking that\nthat was the time for gratifying his animosity towards, as he thought,\nthe wicked-souled Partha, he quickly entered into Karna's quiver, O king,\nin the form of an arrow. At that time a net of arrows was seen, shedding\nits bright arrows around. Karna and Partha made the welkin one dense mass\nof arrows by means of their arrowy downpours. Beholding that wide-spread\nexpanse of arrows, all the Kauravas and the Somakas became filled with\nfear. In that thick and awful darkness caused by arrows they were unable\nto see anything else. Then those two tigers among men, those two foremost\nof all bowmen in the world, those two heroes, fatigued with their\nexertions in battle, looked at each other. Both of them were then fanned\nwith excellent and waving fans made of young (palm) leaves and sprinkled\nwith fragrant sandal-water by many Apsaras staying in the welkin. And\nSakra and Surya, using their hands, gently brushed the faces of those two\nheroes. When at last Karna found that he could not prevail over Partha\nand was exceedingly scorched with the shafts of the former, that hero,\nhis limbs very much mangled, set his heart upon that shaft of his which\nlay singly within a quiver. The Suta's son then fixed on his bow-string\nthat foe-killing, exceedingly keen, snake-mouthed, blazing, and fierce\nshaft, which had been polished according to rule, and which he had long\nkept for the sake of Partha's destruction. Stretching his bow-string to\nhis ear, Karna fixed that shaft of fierce energy and blazing splendour,\nthat ever-worshipped weapon which lay within a golden quiver amid sandal\ndust, and aimed it at Partha. Indeed, he aimed that blazing arrow, born\nin Airavata's race, for cutting off Phalguna's head in battle. All the\npoints of the compass and the welkin became ablaze and terrible meteors,\nand thunderbolts fell. When that snake of the form of an arrow was fixed\non the bow-string, the Regents of the world, including Sakra, set up loud\nwails. The Suta's son did not know that the snake Aswasena had entered\nhis arrow by the aid of his Yoga powers. Beholding Vaikartana aim that\narrow, the high-souled ruler of the Madras, addressing Karna, said, \"This\narrow, O Karna, will not succeed in striking off Arjuna's head. Searching\ncarefully, fix another arrow that may succeed in striking off thy enemy's\nhead.\" Endued with great activity, the Suta's son, with eyes burning in\nwrath, then said unto the ruler of the Madras, \"O Shalya, Karna never\naimeth an arrow twice. Persons like us never become crooked warriors.\"\nHaving said these words, Karna, with great care, let off that shaft which\nhe had worshipped for many long years. Bent upon winning the victory, O\nking, he quickly said unto his rival, \"Thou art slain, O Phalguna!\" Sped\nfrom Karna's arms, that shaft of awful whizz, resembling fire or the sun\nin splendour, as it left the bow-string, blazed up in the welkin and\nseemed to divide it by a line such as is visible on the crown of a woman\ndividing her tresses. Beholding that shaft blazing in the welkin, the\nslayer of Kamsa, Madhava, with great speed and the greatest ease, pressed\ndown with his feet that excellent car, causing it to sink about a cubit\ndeep. At this, the steeds, white as the rays of the moon and decked in\ntrappings of gold, bending their knees, laid themselves down on the\nground. Indeed, seeing that snake (in the form of an arrow) aimed by\nKarna, Madhava, that foremost of all persons endued with might, put forth\nhis strength and thus pressed down with his feet that car into the earth,\nwhereat the steeds, (as already said) bending down their knees, laid\nthemselves down upon the earth when the car itself had sank into it. Then\nloud sounds arose in the welkin in applause of Vasudeva. Many celestial\nvoices were heard, and celestial flowers were showered upon Krishna, and\nleonine shouts also were uttered. When the car had thus been pressed down\ninto the earth through the exertions of the slayer of Madhu, the\nexcellent ornament of Arjuna's head, celebrated throughout the earth, the\nwelkin, heaven, and the waters, the Suta's son swept off from the crown\nof his rival, with that arrow, in consequence of the very nature of that\nsnaky weapon and the great care and wrath with which it had been shot.\nThat diadem, endued with the splendour of the sun or the moon or fire or\na planet, and adorned with gold and pearls and gems and diamonds, had\nwith great care been made by the puissant Self-born himself for\nPurandara. Costly as its appearance indicated, it was inspiring terror in\nthe hearts of foes, contributing to the happiness of him that wore it,\nand shedding a fragrance, that ornament had been given by the chief of\nthe celestials himself with a cheerful heart unto Partha while the latter\nhad proceeded to slaughter the foes of the gods. That diadem was\nincapable of being crushed by Rudra and the Lord of waters and Kuvera\nwith Pinaka and noose and thunderbolt and the very foremost of shafts. It\ncould not be endured by even the foremost ones among the gods. Vrisha,\nhowever, now broke it forcibly with his snake-inspired shaft. Endued with\ngreat activity, that wicked-natured snake of fierce form and false vows,\nfalling upon that diadem-decked with gold and gems, swept it away from\nArjuna's head. That snake, O king, forcibly tore it away from Partha's\nhead, quickly reducing into fragments that well-made ornament set over\nwith many a gem and blazing with beauty, like the thunderbolt riving a\nmountain summit decked with lofty and beautiful trees graced with\nflowers. Crushed by that excellent weapon, possessed of splendour, and\nblazing with the fire of (the snake's) poison, that beautiful and\nmuch-liked diadem of Partha fell down on the earth like the blazing disc\nof the Sun from the Asta hills. Indeed, that snake forcibly swept away\nfrom Arjuna's head that diadem adorned with many gems, like the thunder\nof Indra felling a beautiful mountain summit adorned with lofty trees\nbearing budding leaves and flowers. And the earth, welkin, heaven, and\nthe waters, when agitated by a tempest, roar aloud, O Bharata, even such\nwas the roar that arose in all the worlds at that time. Hearing that\ntremendous noise, people, notwithstanding their efforts to be calm,\nbecame extremely agitated and reeled as they stood. Reft of diadem, the\ndark complexioned and youthful Partha looked beautiful like a blue\nmountain of lofty summit. Binding then his locks with a white cloth,\nArjuna stood perfectly unmoved. With that white gear on his head, he\nlooked like the Udaya hill illumined with the rays of the sun. Thus that\nshe-snake (whom Arjuna had killed at Khandava) of excellent mouth,\nthrough her son in the form of an arrow, sped by Surya's son, beholding\nArjuna of exceeding energy and might standing with his head at a level\nwith the reins of the steeds, took away his diadem only, that well-made\nornament (formerly) owned by Aditi's son and endued with the effulgence\nof Surya himself. But Arjuna also (as will appear in the sequel) did not\nreturn from that battle without causing the snake to succumb to the power\nof Yama. Sped from Karna's arms, that costly shaft resembling fire or the\nsun in effulgence, viz., that mighty snake who from before had become the\ndeadly foe of Arjuna, thus crushing the latter's diadem, went away.\nHaving burnt the gold-decked diadem of Arjuna displayed on his head, he\ndesired to come to Arjuna once more with great speed. Asked, however, by\nKarna (who saw him but knew him not), he said these words, \"Thou hadst\nsped me, O Karna, without having seen me. It was for this that I could\nnot strike off Arjuna's head. Do thou quickly shoot me once again, after\nseeing me well. I shall then slay thy foe and mine too.\" Thus addressed\nin that battle by him, the Suta's son said, \"Who are you possessed of\nsuch fierce form?\" The snake answered, saying, \"Know me as one that has\nbeen wronged by Partha. My enmity towards him is due to his having slain\nmy mother. If the wielder of the thunderbolt himself were to protect\nPartha, the latter would still have to go to the domains of the king of\nthe pitris. Do not disregard me. Do my bidding. I will slay thy foe.\nShoot me without delay.\" Hearing those words, Karna said, \"Karna, O\nsnake, never desires to have victory in battle today by relying on\nanother's might. Even if I have to slay a hundred Arjunas, I will not, O\nsnake, still shoot the same shaft twice.\" Once more addressing him in the\nmidst of battle, that best of men, viz., Surya's son, Karna, said, \"Aided\nby the nature of my other snaky weapons, and by resolute effort and\nwrath, I shall slay Partha. Be thou happy and go elsewhere.\" Thus\naddressed, in battle, by Karna, that prince of snakes, unable from rage\nto bear those words, himself proceeded, O king, for the slaughter of\nPartha, having assumed the form of an arrow. Of fierce form, the desire\nhe ardently cherished was the destruction of his enemy. Then Krishna,\naddressing Partha in that encounter, said into him, \"Slay that great\nsnake inimical to thee.\" Thus addressed by the slayer of Madhu, the\nwielder of Gandiva, that bowman who was always fierce unto foes, enquired\nof him, saying, \"Who is that snake that advanceth of his own accord\nagainst me, as if, indeed he advanceth right against the mouth of\nGaruda?\" Krishna replied, \"Whilst thou, armed with bow, wert engaged at\nKhandava in gratifying the god Agni, this snake was then in the sky, his\nbody ensconced within his mother's. Thinking that it was only a single\nsnake that was so staying in the sky, thou killedest the mother.\nRemembering that act of hostility done by thee, he cometh towards thee\ntoday for thy destruction. O resister of foes, behold him coming like a\nblazing meteor, falling from the firmament!\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Then Jishnu, turning his face in rage, cut off, with\nsix keen shafts, that snake in the welkin as the latter was coursing in a\nslanting direction. His body thus cut off, he fell down on the earth.\nAfter that snake had been cut off by Arjuna, the lord Keshava himself, O\nking, of massive arms, that foremost of beings, raised up with his arms\nthat car from the earth. At that time, Karna, glancing obliquely at\nDhananjaya, pierced that foremost of persons, viz., Krishna, with ten\nshafts whetted on stone and equipped with peacock feathers. Then\nDhananjaya, piercing Karna with a dozen well-shot and keen arrows\nequipped with heads like the boar's ear, sped a cloth-yard shaft endued\nwith the energy of a snake of virulent poison and shot from his\nbow-string stretched to his ear. That foremost of shafts, well shot by\nArjuna, penetrated through Karna's armour, and as if suspending his life\nbreaths, drank his blood and entered the earth, its wings also having\nbeen drenched with gore. Endued with great activity, Vrisha, enraged at\nthe stroke of the shaft, like a snake beaten with stick, shot many mighty\nshafts, like snakes of virulent poison vomiting venom. And he pierced\nJanardana with a dozen shafts and Arjuna with nine and ninety. And once\nmore piercing the son of Pandu with a terrible shaft, Karna laughed and\nuttered a loud roar. The son of Pandu, however, could not endure his\nenemy's joy. Acquainted with all the vital parts of the human body,\nPartha, possessed of prowess like that of Indra, pierced those vital\nlimbs with hundreds of arrows even as Indra had struck Vala with great\nenergy. Then Arjuna sped ninety arrows, each resembling the rod of Death\nat Karna. Deeply pierced with those shafts, Karna trembled like a\nmountain riven with thunder. The head-gear of Karna, adorned with costly\ngems and precious diamonds and pure gold, as also his earrings, cut off\nby Dhananjaya with his winged arrows, fell down on the earth. The costly\nand bright armour also of the Suta's son that had been forged with great\ncare by many foremost of artists working for a long time, the son of\nPandu cut off within a moment in many fragments. After thus divesting him\nof his armour, Partha then, in rage, pierced Karna with four whetted\nshafts of great energy. Struck forcibly by his foe, Karna suffered great\npain like a diseased person afflicted by bile, phlegm, wind, and fever.\nOnce more Arjuna, with great speed, mangled Karna, piercing his very\nvitals, with numerous excellent shafts, of great keenness, and sped from\nhis circling bow with much force and speed and care. Deeply struck by\nPartha with those diverse arrows of keen points and fierce energy, Karna\n(covered with blood) looked resplendent like a mountain of red chalk with\nstreams of red water running down its breast. Once more Arjuna pierced\nKarna in the centre of the chest with many straight-coursing and strong\nshafts made entirely of iron and equipped with wings of gold and each\nresembling the fiery rod of the Destroyer, like the son of Agni piercing\nthe Krauncha mountains. Then the Suta's son, casting aside his bow that\nresembled the very bow of Sakra, as also his quiver, felt great pain, and\nstood inactive, stupefied, and reeling, his grasp loosened and himself in\ngreat anguish. The virtuous Arjuna, observant of the duty of manliness,\nwished not to slay his enemy while fallen into such distress. The younger\nbrother of Indra then, with great excitement, addressed him, saying,\n\"Why, O son of Pandu, dost thou become so forgetful? They that are truly\nwise never spare their foes, however weak, even for a moment. He that is\nlearned earneth both merit and fame by slaying foes fallen into distress.\nLose no time in precipitately crushing Karna who is always inimical to\nthee and who is the first of heroes. The Suta's son, when able, will once\nmore advance against thee as before. Slay him, therefore, like Indra\nslaying the Asura Namuci.\" Saying, \"So be it, O Krishna!\" and worshipping\nJanardana, Arjuna, that foremost of all persons in Kuru's race once more\nquickly pierced Karna with many excellent arrows like the ruler of\nheaven, piercing the Asura, Samvara. The diadem-decked Partha, O Bharata,\ncovered Karna and his car and steeds with many calf-toothed arrows, and\nputting forth all his vigour he shrouded all the points of the compass\nwith shafts equipped with wings of gold. Pierced with those arrows\nequipped with heads like the calf's tooth, Adhiratha's son of broad chest\nlooked resplendent like an Asoka or Palasa or Salmali decked with its\nflowery load or a mountain overgrown with a forest of sandal trees.\nIndeed, with those numerous arrows sticking to his body, Karna, O\nmonarch, in that battle, looked resplendent like the prince of mountains\nwith its top and glens overgrown with trees or decked with flowering\nKarnikaras. Karna also shooting repeated showers of arrows, looked, with\nthose arrows constituting his rays, like the sun coursing towards the\nAsta hills, with disc bright with crimson rays. Shafts, however, of keen\npoints, sped from Arjuna's arms, encountering in the welkin the blazing\narrows, resembling mighty snakes, sped from the arms of Adhiratha's son,\ndestroyed them all. Recovering his coolness, and shooting many shafts\nthat resembled angry snakes, Karna then pierced Partha with ten shafts\nand Krishna with half a dozen, each of which looked like an angry snake.\nThen Dhananjaya desired to shoot a mighty and terrible arrow, made wholly\nof iron, resembling the poison of snake or fire in energy, and whose\nwhizz resembling the peal of Indra's thunder, and which was inspired with\nthe force of a high (celestial) weapon. At that time, when the hour of\nKarna's death had come, Kala, approaching invisibly, and alluding to the\nBrahmana's curse, and desirous of informing Karna that his death was\nnear, told him, \"The Earth is devouring thy wheel!\" Indeed, O foremost of\nmen, when the hour of Karna's death came, the high brahmastra that the\nillustrious Bhargava had imparted unto him, escaped from his memory. And\nthe earth also began to devour the left wheel of his car. Then in\nconsequence of the curse of that foremost of Brahmanas, Karna's car began\nto reel, having sunk deep into the earth and having been transfixed at\nthat spot like a sacred tree with its load of flowers standing upon an\nelevated platform. When his car began to reel from the curse of the\nBrahmana, and when the high weapon he had obtained from Rama no longer\nshone in him through inward light, and when his terrible snake-mouthed\nshaft also had been cut off by Partha, Karna became filled with\nmelancholy. Unable to endure all those calamities, he waved his arms and\nbegan to rail at righteousness saying, \"They that are conversant with\nrighteousness always say that righteousness protects those that are\nrighteous. As regards ourselves, we always endeavour, to the best of our\nability and knowledge to practise righteousness. That righteousness,\nhowever, is destroying us now instead of protecting us that are devoted\nto it. I, therefore, think that righteousness does not always protect its\nworshippers.\" While saying these words, he became exceedingly agitated by\nthe strokes of Arjuna's arrows. His steeds and his driver also were\ndisplaced from their usual position. His very vitals having been struck,\nhe became indifferent as to what he did, and repeatedly railed at\nrighteousness in that battle. He then pierced Krishna in the arm with\nthree terrible arrows, and Partha, too, with seven. Then Arjuna sped\nseven and ten terrible arrows, perfectly straight and of fierce\nimpetuosity, resembling fire in splendour and like unto Indra's thunder\nin force. Endued with awful impetuosity, those arrows pierced Karna and\npassing out of his body fell upon the surface of the earth. Trembling at\nthe shock, Karna then displayed his activity to the utmost of his power.\nSteadying himself by a powerful effort he invoked the brahmastra.\nBeholding the brahmastra, Arjuna invoked the Aindra weapon with proper\nmantras. Inspiring Gandiva, its string, and his shafts also, with\nmantras, that scorcher of foes poured showers like Purandara pouring rain\nin torrents. Those arrows endued with great energy and power, issuing out\nof Partha's car, were seen to be displayed in the vicinity of Karna's\nvehicle. The mighty car-warrior Karna baffled all those shafts displayed\nin his front. Seeing that weapon thus destroyed, the Vrishni hero,\naddressing Arjuna, said, \"Shoot high weapons, O Partha! The son of Radha\nbaffles thy shafts.\" With proper mantras, Arjuna then fixed the\nbrahmastra on his string, and shrouding all the points of the compass\nwith arrows, Partha struck Karna (with many) arrows. Then Karna, with a\nnumber of whetted shafts endued with great energy, cut off the string of\nArjuna's bow. Similarly he cut off the second string, and then the third,\nand then the fourth, and then the fifth. The sixth also was cut off by\nVrisha, and then the seventh, then the eighth, then the ninth, then the\ntenth, and then at last the eleventh. Capable of shooting hundreds upon\nhundreds of arrows, Karna knew not that Partha had a hundred strings to\nhis bow. Tying another string to his bow and shooting many arrows, the\nson of Pandu covered Karna with shafts that resembled snakes of blazing\nmouths. So quickly did Arjuna replace each broken string that Karna could\nnot mark when it was broken and when replaced. The feat seemed to him to\nbe exceedingly wonderful. The son of Radha baffled with his own weapons\nthose of Savyasaci. Displaying also his own prowess, he seemed to get the\nbetter of Dhananjaya at that time. Then Krishna, beholding Arjuna\nafflicted with the weapons of Karna, said these words unto Partha:\n\"Approaching Karna, strike him with superior weapons.\" Then Dhananjaya,\nfilled with rage, inspiring with mantras another celestial weapon that\nlooked like fire and that resembled the poison of the snake and that was\nas hard as the essence of adamant, and uniting the Raudra weapon with it,\nbecame desirous of shooting it at his foe. At that time, O king, the\nearth swallowed up one of wheels of Karna's car. Quickly alighting then\nfrom his vehicle, he seized his sunken wheel with his two arms and\nendeavoured to lift it up with a great effort. Drawn up with force by\nKarna, the earth, which had swallowed up his wheel, rose up to a height\nof four fingers' breadth, with her seven islands and her hills and waters\nand forests. Seeing his wheel swallowed, the son of Radha shed tears from\nwrath, and beholding Arjuna, filled with rage he said these words, \"O\nPartha, O Partha, wait for a moment, that is, till I lift this sunken\nwheel. Beholding, O Partha, the left wheel of my car swallowed through\naccident by the earth, abandon (instead of cherishing) this purpose (of\nstriking and slaying me) that is capable of being harboured by only a\ncoward. Brave warriors that are observant of the practices of the\nrighteous, never shoot their weapons at persons with dishevelled hair, or\nat those that have turned their faces from battle, or at a Brahmana, or\nat him who joins his palms, or at him who yields himself up or beggeth\nfor quarter or at one who has put up his weapon, or at one whose arrows\nare exhausted, or at one whose armour is displaced, or at one whose\nweapon has fallen off or been broken! Thou art the bravest of men in the\nworld. Thou art also of righteous behaviour, O son of Pandu! Thou art\nwell-acquainted with the rules of battle. For these reasons, excuse me\nfor a moment, that is, till I extricate my wheel, O Dhananjaya, from the\nearth. Thyself staying on thy car and myself standing weak and languid on\nthe earth, it behoveth thee not to slay me now. Neither Vasudeva, nor\nthou, O son of Pandu, inspirest me with the slightest fear. Thou art born\nin the Kshatriya order. Thou art the perpetuator of a high race.\nRecollecting the teachings of righteousness, excuse me for a moment, O\nson of Pandu!\"'\"\n\n\n\n91\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Then Vasudeva, stationed on the car, addressed Karna,\nsaying, \"By good luck it is, O son of Radha, that thou rememberest\nvirtue! It is generally seen that they that are mean, when they sink into\ndistress, rail at Providence but never at their own misdeeds. Thyself and\nSuyodhana and Duhshasana and Shakuni, the son of Subala, had caused\nDraupadi, clad in a single piece of raiment, to be brought into the midst\nof the assembly. On that occasion, O Karna, this virtue of thine did not\nmanifest itself. When at the assembly Shakuni, an adept in dice,\nvanquished Kunti's son Yudhishthira who was unacquainted with it, whither\nhad this virtue of thine gone? When the Kuru king (Duryodhana), acting\nunder thy counsels, treated Bhimasena in that way with the aid of snakes\nand poisoned food, whither had this virtue of thine then gone? When the\nperiod of exile into the woods was over as also the thirteenth year, thou\ndidst not make over to the Pandavas their kingdom. Whither had this\nvirtue of thine then gone? Thou didst set fire to the house of lac at\nVaranavata for burning to death the sleeping Pandavas. Whither then, O\nson of Radha, had this virtue of thine gone? Thou laughedest at Krishna\nwhile she stood in the midst of the assembly, scantily dressed because in\nher season and obedient to Duhshasana's will, whither, then, O Karna, had\nthis virtue of thine gone? When from the apartment reserved for the\nfemales innocent Krishna was dragged, thou didst not interfere. Whither,\nO son of Radha, had this virtue of thine gone? Thyself addressing the\nprincess Draupadi, that lady whose tread is as dignified as that of the\nelephant, in these words, viz., 'The Pandavas, O Krishna, are lost. They\nhave sunk into eternal hell. Do thou choose another husband!' thou\nlookedest on the scene with delight. Whither then, O Karna, had this\nvirtue of thine gone? Covetous of kingdom and relying on the ruler of the\nGandharas, thou summonedest the Pandavas (to a match of dice). Whither\nthen had this virtue of thine gone? When many mighty car-warriors,\nencompassing the boy Abhimanyu in battle, slew him, whither had this\nvirtue of thine then gone? If this virtue that thou now invokest was\nnowhere on those occasions, what is the use then of parching thy palate\nnow, by uttering that word? Thou art now for the practice of virtue, O\nSuta, but thou shalt not escape with life. Like Nala who was defeated by\nPushkara with the aid of dice but who regained his kingdom by prowess,\nthe Pandavas, who are free from cupidity, will recover their kingdom by\nthe prowess of their arms, aided with all their friends. Having slain in\nbattle their powerful foes, they, with the Somakas, will recover their\nkingdom. The Dhartarashtras will meet with destruction at the hands of\nthose lions among men (viz., the sons of Pandu), that are always\nprotected by virtue!\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus addressed, O Bharata, by Vasudeva, Karna hung\ndown his head in shame and gave no answer. With lips quivering in rage,\nhe raised his bow, O Bharata, and, being endued with great energy and\nprowess, he continued to fight with Partha. Then Vasudeva, addressing\nPhalguna, that bull among men, said, \"O thou of great might, piercing\nKarna with a celestial weapon, throw him down.\" Thus addressed by the\nholy one, Arjuna became filled with rage. Indeed, remembering the\nincidents alluded to by Krishna, Dhananjaya blazed up with fury. Then, O\nking, blazing flames of fire seemed to emanate from all the pores of the\nangry Partha's body. The sight seemed to be exceedingly wonderful.\nBeholding it, Karna, invoking the brahmastra, showered his shafts upon\nDhananjaya, and once more made an effort to extricate his car. Partha\nalso, by the aid of the brahmastra, poured arrowy downpours upon Karna.\nBaffling with his own weapon the weapon of his foe, the son of Pandu\ncontinued to strike him. The son of Kunti then, aiming at Karna sped\nanother favourite weapon of his that was inspired with the energy of\nAgni. Sped by Arjuna, that weapon blazed up with its own energy. Karna,\nhowever, quenched that conflagration with the Varuna weapon. The Suta's\nson also, by the clouds he created, caused all the points of the compass\nto be shrouded with a darkness such as may be seen on a rainy day. The\nson of Pandu, endued with great energy, fearlessly dispelled those clouds\nby means of the Vayavya weapon in the very sight of Karna. The Suta's son\nthen, for slaying the son of Pandu, took up a terrible arrow blazing like\nfire. When that adored shaft was fixed on the bow-string, the earth, O\nking, trembled with her mountains and waters and forests. Violent winds\nbegan to blow, bearing hard pebbles. All the points of the compass became\nenveloped with dust. Wails of grief, O Bharata, arose among the gods in\nthe welkin. Beholding that shaft aimed by the Suta's son, O sire, the\nPandavas, with cheerless hearts, gave themselves up to great sorrow. That\nshaft of keen point and endued with the effulgence of Sakra's thunder,\nsped from Karna's arms, fell upon Dhananjaya's chest and penetrated it\nlike a mighty snake penetrating an ant-hill. That grinder of foes, viz.,\nthe high-souled Vibhatsu, thus deeply pierced in that encounter, began to\nreel. His grasp became loosened, at which his bow Gandiva dropped from\nhis hand. He trembled like the prince of mountains in an earthquake.\nAvailing himself of that opportunity, the mighty car-warrior Vrisha,\ndesirous of extricating his car-wheel that had been swallowed up by the\nearth, jumped down from his vehicle. Seizing the wheel with his two arms\nhe endeavoured to drag it up, but though possessed of great strength, he\nfailed in his efforts, as destiny would have it. Meanwhile the\ndiadem-decked and high-souled Arjuna, recovering his senses, took up a\nshaft, fatal as the rod of Death, and called anjalika. Then Vasudeva,\naddressing Partha, said, \"Cut off with thy arrow the head of this enemy\nof thine, viz., Vrisha, before he succeeds in getting upon his car.\"\nApplauding those words of the lord Vasudeva, and while the wheel of his\nenemy was still sunk, the mighty car-warrior Arjuna took up a\nrazor-headed arrow of blazing effulgence and struck the standard (of\nKarna) bearing the elephant's rope and bright as the spotless sun. That\nstandard bearing the device of the costly elephant's rope, was adorned\nwith gold and pearls and gems and diamonds, and forged with care by\nforemost of artists excelling in knowledge, and possessed of great\nbeauty, and variegated with pure gold. That standard always used to fill\nthy troops with high courage and the enemy with fear. Its form commanded\napplause. Celebrated over the whole world, it resembled the sun in\nsplendour. Indeed, its effulgence was like that of fire or the sun or the\nmoon. The diadem-decked Arjuna, with that razor-headed shaft, exceedingly\nsharp, equipped with wings of gold, possessed of the splendour of fire\nwhen fed with libations of clarified butter, and blazing with beauty, cut\noff that standard of Adhiratha's son, that great car-warrior. With that\nstandard, as it fell, the fame, pride, hope of victory, and everything\ndear, as also the hearts of the Kurus, fell, and loud wails of \"Oh!\" and\n\"Alas!\" arose (from the Kuru army). Beholding that standard cut off and\nthrown down by that hero of Kuru's race possessed of great lightness of\nhand, thy troops, O Bharata, were no longer hopeful of Karna's victory.\nHastening then for Karna's destruction, Partha took out from his quiver\nan excellent Anjalika weapon that resembled the thunder of Indra or the\nrod of fire and that was possessed of the effulgence of the\nthousand-rayed Sun. Capable of penetrating the very vitals, besmeared\nwith blood and flesh, resembling fire or the sun, made of costly\nmaterials, destructive of men, steeds, and elephants, of straight course\nand fierce impetuosity, it measured three cubits and six feet. Endued\nwith the force of the thousand-eyed Indra's thunder, irresistible as\nRakshasas in the night, resembling Pinaka or Narayana's discus, it was\nexceedingly terrible and destructive of all living creatures. Partha\ncheerfully took up that great weapon, in the shape of an arrow, which\ncould not be resisted by the very gods, that high-souled being which was\nalways adored by the son of Pandu, and which was capable of vanquishing\nthe very gods and the Asuras. Beholding that shaft grasped by Partha in\nthat battle, the entire universe shook with its mobile and immobile\ncreatures. Indeed, seeing that weapon raised (for being sped) in that\ndreadful battle, the Rishis loudly cried out, \"Peace be to the universe!\"\nThe wielder of Gandiva then fixed on his bow that unrivalled arrow,\nuniting it with a high and mighty weapon. Drawing his bow Gandiva, he\nquickly said, \"Let this shaft of mine be like a mighty weapon capable of\nquickly destroying the body and heart of my enemy, if I have ever\npractised ascetic austerities, gratified my superiors, and listened to\nthe counsels of well-wishers. Let this shaft, worshipped by me and\npossessed of great sharpness, slay my enemy Karna by that Truth.\" Having\nsaid these words Dhananjaya let off that terrible shaft for the\ndestruction of Karna, that arrow fierce and efficacious as a rite\nprescribed in the Atharvan of Angiras, blazing with effulgence, and\nincapable of being endured by Death himself in battle. And the\ndiadem-decked Partha, desirous of slaying Karna, with great cheerfulness,\nsaid, \"Let this shaft conduce to my victory. Shot by me, let this arrow\npossessed of the splendour of fire or the sun take Karna to the presence\nof Yama.\" Saying these words, Arjuna, decked with diadem and garlands,\ncherishing feelings of hostility towards Karna and desirous of slaying\nhim, cheerfully struck his foe with that foremost of shafts which was\npossessed of the splendour of the sun or the moon and capable of\nbestowing victory. Thus sped by that mighty warrior, that shaft endued\nwith the energy of the sun caused all the points of the compass to blaze\nup with light. With that weapon Arjuna struck off his enemy's head like\nIndra striking off the head of Vritra with his thunder. Indeed, O king,\nwith that excellent Anjalika weapon inspired with mantras into a mighty\nweapon, the son of Indra cut off the head of Vaikartana in the afternoon.\nThus cut off with that Anjalika, the trunk of Karna fell down on the\nearth. The head also of that commander of the (Kaurava) army, endued with\nsplendour equal to that of the risen sun and resembling the meridian sun\nof autumn, fell down on the earth like the sun of bloody disc dropped\ndown from the Asta hills. Indeed, that head abandoned with great\nunwillingness the body, exceedingly beautiful and always nursed in\nluxury, of Karna of noble deeds, like an owner abandoning with great\nunwillingness his commodious mansion filled with great wealth. Cut off\nwith Arjuna's arrow, and deprived of life, the tall trunk of Karna endued\nwith great splendour, with blood issuing from every wound, fell down like\nthe thunder-riven summit of a mountain of red chalk with crimson streams\nrunning down its sides after a shower. Then from that body of the fallen\nKarna a light passing through the welkin penetrated the sun. This\nwonderful sight, O king, was beheld by the human warriors after the fall\nof Karna. Then the Pandavas, beholding Karna slain by Phalguna, loudly\nblew their conchs. Similarly, Krishna and Dhananjaya also, filled with\ndelight, and losing no time, blew their conchs. The Somakas beholding\nKarna slain and lying on the field, were filled with joy and uttered loud\nshouts with the other troops (of the Pandava army). In great delight they\nblew their trumpets and waved their arms and garments. All the warriors,\nO king, approaching Partha, began to applaud him joyfully. Others,\npossessed of might, danced, embracing each other, and uttering loud\nshouts, said, \"By good luck, Karna hath been stretched on the earth and\nmangled with arrows.\" Indeed, the severed head of Karna looked beautiful\nlike a mountain summit loosened by a tempest, or a quenched fire after\nthe sacrifice is over, or the image of the sun after it has reached the\nAsta hills. The Karna-sun, with arrows for its rays, after having\nscorched the hostile army, was at last caused to be set by the mighty\nArjuna-time. As the Sun, while proceeding towards the Asta hills, retires\ntaking away with him all his rays, even so that shaft (of Arjuna) passed\nout, taking with it Karna's life breaths. The death hour of the Suta's\nson, O sire, was the afternoon of that day. Cut off with the Anjalika\nweapon in that battle, the head of Karna fell down along with his body.\nIndeed, that arrow of Arjuna, in the very sight of the Kaurava troops,\nquickly took away the head and the body of Karna. Beholding the heroic\nKarna thrown down stretched on the earth, pierced with arrows and bathed\nin blood, the king of the Madras, went away on that car deprived of its\nstandard. After the fall of Karna, the Kauravas, deeply pierced with\nshafts in that battle, and afflicted with fear, fled away from the field,\nfrequently casting their eyes on that lofty standard of Arjuna that\nblazed with splendour. The beautiful head, graced with a face that\nresembled a lotus of a 1,000 petals, of Karna whose feats were like those\nof the thousand-eyed Indra, fell down on the earth like the\nthousand-rayed sun as he looks at the close of day.'\"\n\n\n\n92\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding the troops crushed with arrows in that\nencounter between Karna and Arjuna, Shalya proceeded, filled with wrath,\non that car divested of equipment. Beholding his army deprived of the\nSuta's son and its cars and steeds and elephants destroyed, Duryodhana,\nwith eyes bathed in tears, repeatedly sighed the very picture of woe.\nDesirous of beholding the heroic Karna, pierced with arrows and bathed in\nblood, and stretched on the earth like the sun dropped from the skies at\nwill, the warriors came there and stood surrounding the fallen hero.\nAmongst those belonging to the enemy and thy army that thus stood there,\nsome showed signs of joy, some of fear, some of sorrow, some of wonder,\nand some gave themselves up to great grief, according to their respective\nnatures. Others amongst the Kauravas, hearing that Karna of mighty energy\nhad been slain by Dhananjaya, his armour, ornaments, robes, and weapons\nhaving all been displaced, fled in fear like a herd of kine afflicted\nwith exceeding fear at losing its bull. Bhima then, uttering loud roars\nand causing the welkin to tremble with those awful and tremendous shouts,\nbegan to slap his armpits, jump, and dance, frightening the\nDhartarashtras by those movements. The Somakas and the Srinjayas also\nloudly blew their conchs. All the Kshatriyas embraced one another in joy,\nupon beholding the Suta's son slain at that juncture. Having fought a\ndreadful battle, Karna was slain by Arjuna like an elephant by a lion.\nThat bull among men, Arjuna, thus accomplished his vow. Indeed even thus,\nPartha reached the end of his hostility (towards Karna). The ruler of the\nMadras, with stupefied heart, quickly proceeding, O king, to the side of\nDuryodhana, on that car divested of standard said in sorrow these words,\n\"The elephants, the steeds, and the foremost of car-warriors of thy army\nhave been slain. In consequence of those mighty warriors, and steeds, and\nelephants huge as hills, having been slain after coming into contact with\none another, thy host looks like the domains of Yama. Never before, O\nBharata, has a battle been fought like that between Karna and Arjuna\ntoday. Karna had powerfully assailed the two Krishnas today and all\nothers who are thy foes. Destiny, however, has certainly flowed,\ncontrolled by Partha. It is for this that Destiny is protecting the\nPandavas and weakening us. Many are the heroes who, resolved to\naccomplish thy objects have been forcibly slain by the enemy. Brave\nkings, who in energy, courage, and might, were equal to Kuvera or Yama or\nVasava or the Lord of the waters, who were possessed of every merit, who\nwere almost unslayable, and who were desirous of achieving thy object,\nhave in battle been slain by the Pandavas. Do not, O Bharata, grieve for\nthis. This is Destiny. Comfort thyself. Success cannot be always\nattained.\" Hearing these words of the ruler of the Madras and reflecting\non his own evil doings, Duryodhana, with a cheerless heart, became almost\ndeprived of his senses and sighed repeatedly the very picture of woe.'\"\n\n\n\n93\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'What was the aspect of the Kuru and the Srinjaya\nhost on that awful day while it was crushed with arrows and scorched\n(with weapons) in that encounter between Karna and Arjuna and while it\nwas flying away from the field?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Hear, O king, with attention how that awful and great\ncarnage of human beings and elephants and steeds occurred in battle.\nWhen, after Karna's fall Partha uttered leonine shouts, a great fright\nentered the hearts of thy sons. Upon the fall of Karna no warrior of thy\narmy set his heart on rallying the troops or putting forth his prowess.\nTheir refuge having been destroyed by Arjuna, they were then like\nraftless merchants, whose vessels have wrecked on the fathomless ocean,\ndesirous of crossing the uncrossable main. After the slaughter of the\nSuta's son, O king, the Kauravas, terrified and mangled with shafts,\nmasterless and desirous of protection, became like a herd of elephants\nafflicted by lions. Vanquished by Savyasaci on that afternoon, they fled\naway like bulls with broken horns or snakes with broken fangs. Their\nforemost of heroes slain, their troops thrown into confusion, themselves\nmangled with keen arrows, thy sons, after the fall of Karna, O king, fled\naway in fear. Divested of weapons and armour, no longer able to ascertain\nwhich point of the compass was which, and deprived of their senses, they\ncrushed one another in course of their flight and looked at one another,\nafflicted with fear. \"It is me that Vibhatsu is pursuing with speed!\" \"It\nis me that Vrikodara is pursuing with speed!\"--thought every one among\nthe Kauravas who became pale with fear and fell down as they fled. Some\non horses, some on cars, some on elephants, and some on foot, mighty\ncar-warriors, endued with great speed, fled away in fear. Cars were\nbroken by elephants, horsemen were crushed by great car-warriors, and\nbands of foot-soldiers were trodden down by bodies of horsemen, as these\nfled in fear. After the fall of the Suta's son, thy warriors became like\npeople without protectors in a forest teeming with beasts of prey and\nrobbers. They were then like elephants without riders and men without\narms. Afflicted with fear, they looked upon the world as if it were full\nof Partha. Beholding them fly away afflicted with the fear of Bhimasena,\nindeed, and seeing his troops thus leave the field in thousands,\nDuryodhana, uttering cries of \"Oh!\" and \"Alas!\" addressed his driver,\nsaying, \"Partha will never be able to transgress me standing bow in hand.\nUrge my steeds slowly behind all the troops. Without doubt, if I fight\nstanding in the rear of the army, the son of Kunti will never be able to\ntransgress me even as the vast deep is unable to transgress its\ncontinents. Slaying Arjuna and Govinda and the proud Vrikodara and the\nrest of my foes, I will free myself from the debt I owe to Karna.\"\nHearing these words of the Kuru king that were so worthy of a hero and\nhonourable man, the charioteer slowly urged his steeds adorned with\ntrappings of gold. Then 25,000 warriors on foot, belonging to thy army,\nwithout cars and cavalry and elephants among them, prepared for battle.\nBhimasena, filled with wrath, and Dhrishtadyumna the son of Prishata,\nencompassed them with four kinds of forces and began to strike them with\ntheir shafts. In return, those warriors fought with Bhima and Prishata's\nson. Some amongst them challenged the two heroes by name. Then Bhimasena\nbecame filled with rage. Alighting from his car, mace in hand, he fought\nwith those warriors arrived for battle. Observant of the rules of fair\nfight, Vrikodara, the son of Kunti, came down from his car, and relying\nupon the might of his arms, began to fight on foot with those foes of his\nthat were on foot. Taking up his massive mace adorned with gold, he began\nto slaughter them all, like the Destroyer armed with his bludgeon. The\nKaurava warriors on foot, filled with rage and becoming reckless of their\nlives, rushed against Bhima in that battle like insects upon a blazing\nfire. Those infuriated combatants, difficult of being defeated in battle,\napproaching Bhimasena, perished in a trice like living creatures upon\nseeing the Destroyer. The mighty Bhima, armed with a mace, careered like\na hawk and destroyed all those 25,000 combatants. Having slain that\ndivision of heroic warriors, Bhima, of prowess incapable of being baffled\nand of great might, once more stood, with Dhrishtadyumna before him.\nPossessed of great energy, Dhananjaya proceeded against the (remnant of\nthe) car-force (of the Kauravas). The two sons of Madri, and Satyaki,\nfilled with joy, rushed with speed against Shakuni and slaughtered the\ntroops of Subala's son. Having slain with keen shafts his cavalry and\nelephants in that encounter, they rushed impetuously against Shakuni\nhimself, upon which a great battle took place. Meanwhile Dhananjaya, O\nlord, proceeding against thy car-force, twanged his bow Gandiva\ncelebrated over the three worlds. Beholding that car having white steeds\nyoked unto it and owning Krishna for its driver, and seeing that Arjuna\nwas the warrior standing on it, thy troops fled away in fear. 25,000\nsoldiers on foot, deprived of cars and mangled with shafts, had perished\n(at the hands of Bhima and Dhrishtadyumna). Having slain them, that tiger\namong men, that great car-warrior among the Pancalas, viz., the\nhigh-souled Dhrishtadyumna the son of the Pancala king, soon showed\nhimself, with Bhimasena before him. That slayer of foes and mighty bowman\nappeared exceedingly handsome. Beholding Dhrishtadyumna's car which had\nsteeds white as pigeons yoked unto it and whose lofty standard was made\nof the trunk of a Kovidara, the Kauravas fled away in great fear. The\ntwins (Nakula and Sahadeva) of great fame, and Satyaki, having pursued\nwith great speed the king of the Gandharas who was possessed of\nlightness of hands in the use of weapons, re-appeared (amid the Pandava\nranks). Chekitana and Shikhandi and the (five) sons of Draupadi, O sire,\nhaving slaughtered thy vast army, blew their conchs. All those heroes,\nalthough they saw thy troops flying away with faces turned from the\nfield, still pursued them, like bulls pursuing angry bulls after\nvanquishing them. Pandu's son Savyasaci of great might, O king, beholding\na remnant of thy army still standing for battle, became filled with\nwrath. Possessed of great energy, Dhananjaya, rushed against that\ncar-force, drawing his bow Gandiva celebrated over the three worlds.\nSuddenly he shrouded them with showers of arrows. The dust that was\nraised darkened the scene and nothing could any longer be distinguished.\nWhen the earth was thus shrouded with dust and when darkness covered\neverything, thy troops, O king, fled on all sides from fear. When the\nKuru army was thus broken, the Kuru king, O monarch, viz., thy son,\nrushed against all his foes advancing against him. Then Duryodhana\nchallenged all the Pandavas to battle, O chief of Bharata's race, like\nthe Asura Vali in days of yore challenging the gods. At this, all the\nPandava heroes, uniting together, rushed against the advancing\nDuryodhana, shooting and hurling at him diverse weapons and upbraiding\nhim repeatedly. Duryodhana, however, filled with rage, fearlessly\nslaughtered those enemies of his in hundreds and thousands, with keen\nshafts. The prowess that we then beheld of thy son was exceedingly\nwonderful, for alone and unsupported, he fought with all the Pandavas\nunited together. Duryodhana then beheld his own troops who, mangled with\narrows, had set their hearts on flight, gone not far from the field.\nRallying them then, O monarch, thy son who was resolved to maintain his\nhonour, gladdening those warriors of his, said these words unto them: \"I\ndo not see that spot in the earth or on the mountains, whither if ye fly,\nthe Pandavas will not slay you! What use then in flying away? Small is\nthe force that the Pandavas now have. The two Krishnas also are\nexceedingly mangled. If all of us stay for battle, victory will certainly\nbe ours. If we fly in disunion, the sinful Pandavas, pursuing us, will\ncertainly slay all of us. For this, it is better that we should die in\nbattle. Death in battle is fraught with happiness. Fight, observant of\nthe Kshatriya's duty. He that is dead knows no misery. On the other hand,\nsuch a one enjoys eternal bliss hereafter. Listen, ye Kshatriyas, ay, all\nof you, that are assembled here! When the destroyer Yama spareth neither\nthe hero nor the coward, who is there so foolish of understanding,\nalthough observant of a Kshatriya's vow like us, that would not fight.\nWould ye place yourselves under the power of the angry foe Bhimasena? It\nbehoveth you not to abandon the duty observed by your sires and\ngrandsires. There is no greater sin for a Kshatriya than flight from\nbattle. There is no more blessed path for heaven, ye Kauravas, than the\nduty of battle. Slain in battle, ye warriors, enjoy heaven without\ndelay.\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'While even these words were being uttered by thy\nson, the (Kaurava) warriors, exceedingly mangled, fled away on all sides,\nregardless of that speech.'\"\n\n\n\n94\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'The ruler of the Madras then, beholding thy son employed\nin rallying the troops, with fear depicted on his countenance and with\nheart stupefied with grief, said these words unto Duryodhana.\n\n\"'Shalya said, \"Behold this awful field of battle, O hero, covered with\nheaps of slain men and steeds and elephants. Some tracts are covered with\nfallen elephants huge as mountains, exceedingly mangled, their vital\nlimbs pierced with shafts, lying helplessly, deprived of life, their\narmour displaced and the weapons, the shields and the swords with which\nthey were equipped lying scattered about. These fallen animals resemble\nhuge mountains riven with thunder, with their rocks and lofty trees and\nherbs loosened from them and lying all around. The bells and iron hooks\nand lances and standards with which those huge creatures had been\nequipped are lying on the ground. Adorned with housings of gold, their\nbodies are now bathed in blood. Some tracts, again, are covered with\nfallen steeds, mangled with shafts, breathing hard in pain and vomitting\nblood. Some of them are sending forth soft wails of pain, some are biting\nthe earth with rolling eyes and some are uttering piteous neighs.\nPortions of the field are covered with horsemen and elephant-warriors\nfallen off from their animals, and with bands of car-warriors forcibly\nthrown down from their cars. Some of them are already dead and some are\nat the point of death. Covered also with the corpses of men and steeds\nand elephants as also with crushed cars and other huge elephants with\ntheir trunks and limbs cut off, the earth has become awful to look at\nlike the great Vaitarani (skirting the domains of Yama). Indeed, the\nearth looketh even such, being strewn with other elephants, stretched on\nthe ground with trembling bodies and broken tusks, vomiting blood,\nuttering soft cries in pain, deprived of the warriors on their backs,\ndivested of the armour that covered their limbs, and reft of the\nfoot-soldiers that protected their flank and rear, and with their quivers\nand banners and standards displaced, their bodies adorned with housings\nof gold struck deep with the weapons of the foe. The earth looked like\nthe cloud-covered welkin in consequence of being strewn with the fallen\nbodies of elephant-warriors and horse-men and car-warriors, all of great\nfame, and of foot-soldiers slain by foes fighting face to face, and\ndivested of armour and ornaments and attire and weapons. Covered with\nthousands of fallen combatants mangled with arrows, fully exposed to\nview, and deprived of consciousness, with some amongst them whose breaths\nwere returning slowly, the earth seemed as if covered with many\nextinguished fires. With those foremost of heroes among both the Kurus\nand the Srinjayas, pierced with arrows and deprived of life by Partha and\nKarna, the earth seemed as if strewn with blazing planets fallen from the\nfirmament, or like the nocturnal firmament itself bespangled with blazing\nplanets of serene light. The shafts sped from the arms of Karna and\nArjuna, piercing through the bodies of elephants and steeds and men and\nquickly stilling their lives, entered the earth like mighty snakes\nentering their holes with heads bent downwards. The earth has become\nimpassable with heaps of slain men and steeds and elephants, and with\ncars broken with the shafts of Dhananjaya and Adhiratha's son and with\nthe numberless shafts themselves shot by them. Strewn with well-equipped\ncars crushed by means of mighty shafts along with the warriors and the\nweapons and the standards upon them, cars, that is, with their traces\nbroken, their joints separated, their axles and yokes and Trivenus\nreduced to fragments, their wheels loosened, their Upaskaras destroyed,\ntheir Anukarsanas cut in pieces, the fastenings of their quivers cut off,\nand their niches (for the accommodation of drivers) broken, strewn with\nthose vehicles adorned with gems and gold, the earth looks like the\nfirmament overspread with autumnal clouds. In consequence of\nwell-equipped royal cars deprived of riders and dragged by fleet steeds,\nas also of men and elephants and cars and horses that fled very quickly,\nthe army has been broken in diverse ways. Spiked maces with golden bells,\nbattle-axes, sharp lances, heavy clubs, mallets, bright unsheathed\nswords, and maces covered with cloth of gold, have fallen on the field.\nBows decked with ornaments of gold, and shafts equipped with beautiful\nwings of pure gold, and bright unsheathed rapiers of excellent temper,\nand lances, and scimitars bright as gold, and umbrellas, and fans, and\nconchs, and arms decked with excellent flowers and gold, and caparisons\nof elephants, and standards, and car fences and diadems, and necklaces,\nand brilliant crowns, and yak-tails lying about, O king, and garlands\nluminous with corals and pearls, and chaplets for the head, and bracelets\nfor both the wrist and the upper arms, and collars for the neck with\nstrings of gold, and diverse kinds of costly diamonds and gems and\npearls, and bodies brought up in a great luxury, and heads beautiful as\nthe moon, are lying scattered about. Abandoning their bodies and\nenjoyments and robes and diverse kinds of agreeable pleasures, and\nacquiring great merit for the devotion they showed to the virtuous of\ntheir order, they have speedily gone in a blaze of flame to regions of\nbliss. Turn back, O Duryodhana! Let the troops retire! O king, O giver of\nhonours, proceed towards thy camp! There, the Sun is hanging low in the\nwelkin, O lord! Remember, O ruler of men, that thou art the cause of all\nthis!\"\n\n\"'Having said these words unto Duryodhana, Shalya, with heart filled with\ngrief, stopped. Duryodhana, however, at that time, deeply afflicted and\ndeprived of his senses, and with eyes bathed in tears, wept for the\nSuta's son, saying, \"Karna! Oh Karna!\" Then all the kings headed by\nDrona's son, repeatedly comforting Duryodhana, proceeded towards the\ncamp, frequently looking back at the lofty standard of Arjuna that seemed\nto be ablaze with his fame. At that terrible hour when everything around\nlooked so resplendent, the Kauravas, all of whom had resolved to repair\nto the other world, their features incapable of recognition owing to the\nblood that covered them, beholding the earth, that was drenched with the\nblood flowing from the bodies of men and steeds and elephants, looking\nlike a courtesan attired in crimson robes and floral garlands and\nornaments of gold, were unable, O king, to stand there! Filled with grief\nat the slaughter of Karna, they indulged in loud lamentations, saying,\n\"Alas, Karna! Alas Karna!\" Beholding the Sun assume a crimson hue, all of\nthem speedily proceeded towards their camp. As regards Karna, though\nslain and pierced with gold-winged shafts whetted on stone and equipped\nwith feathers and dyed in blood and sped from Gandiva, yet that hero,\nlying on the ground, looked resplendent like the Sun himself of bright\nrays. It seemed that illustrious Surya, ever kind to his worshippers,\nhaving touched with his rays the gore-drenched body of Karna, proceeded,\nwith aspect crimson in grief, to the other ocean from desire of a bath.\nThinking so, the throngs of celestials and Rishis (that had come there\nfor witnessing the battle) left the scene for proceeding to their\nrespective abodes. The large crowd of other beings also, entertaining the\nsame thought, went away, repairing as they chose to heaven or the earth.\nThe foremost of Kuru heroes also, having beheld that wonderful battle\nbetween Dhananjaya and Adhiratha's son, which had inspired all living\ncreatures with dread, proceeded (to their nightly quarters), filled with\nwonder and applauding (the encounter). Though his armour had been cut off\nwith arrows, and though he had been slain in course of that dreadful\nfight, still that beauty of features which the son of Radha possessed did\nnot abandon him when dead. Indeed, everyone beheld the body of the hero\nto resemble heated gold. It seemed to be endued with life and possessed\nof the effulgence of fire or the sun. All the warriors, O king, were\ninspired with fright at sight of the Suta's son lying dead on the field,\nlike other animals at sight of the lion. Indeed, though dead, that tiger\namong men seemed ready to utter his commands. Nothing, in that\nillustrious dead, seemed changed. Clad in beautiful attire, and possessed\nof a neck that was very beautiful, the Suta's son owned a face which\nresembled the full moon in splendour. Adorned with diverse ornaments and\ndecked with Angadas made of bright gold, Vaikartana, though slain, lay\nstretched like a gigantic tree adorned with branches and twigs. Indeed,\nthat tiger among men lay like a heap of pure gold, or like a blazing fire\nextinguished with the water of Partha's shafts. Even as a blazing\nconflagration is extinguished when it comes in contact with water, the\nKarna-conflagration was extinguished by the Partha-cloud in the battle.\nHaving shot showers of arrows and scorched the ten points of the compass,\nthat tiger among men, viz., Karna, along with his sons, was quieted by\nPartha's energy. He left the world, taking away with him that blazing\nglory of his own which he had earned on earth by fair fight. Having\nscorched the Pandavas and the Pancalas with the energy of his weapons,\nhaving poured showers of arrows and burnt the hostile divisions, having,\nindeed, heated the universe like the thousand-rayed Surya of great\nbeauty, Karna, otherwise called Vaikartana, left the world, with his sons\nand followers. Thus fell that hero who was a Kalpa tree unto those swarms\nof birds represented by suitors. Solicited by suitors he always said, \"I\ngive\" but never the words \"I have not!\" The righteous always regarded him\nas a righteous person. Even such was Vrisha who fell in single combat.\nAll the wealth of that high-souled person had been dedicated to the\nBrahmanas. There was nothing, not even his life, that he could not give\naway unto the Brahmanas. He was ever the favourite of ladies, exceedingly\nliberal, and a mighty car-warrior. Burnt by the weapons of Partha, he\nattained to the highest end. He, relying upon whom thy son had provoked\nhostilities, thus went to heaven, taking away with him the hope of\nvictory, the happiness, and the armour of the Kauravas. When Karna fell,\nthe rivers stood still. The Sun set with a pale hue. The planet Mercury,\nthe son of Soma, assuming the hue of fire or the Sun, appeared to course\nthrough the firmament in a slanting direction. The firmament seemed to be\nrent in twain; the earth uttered loud roars; violent and awful winds\nbegan to blow. All the points of the horizon, covered with smoke, seemed\nto be ablaze. The great oceans were agitated and uttered awful sounds.\nThe mountains with their forests began to tremble, and all creatures, O\nsire, felt pain. The planet Jupiter, afflicting the constellation Rohini\nassumed the hue of the moon or the sun. Upon the fall of Karna, the\nsubsidiary points also of the compass became ablaze. The sky became\nenveloped in darkness. The earth trembled. Meteors of blazing splendour\nfell. Rakshasas and other wanderers of the night became filled with joy.\nWhen Arjuna, with that razor-faced shaft, struck off Karna's head adorned\nwith a face beautiful as the moon, then, O king, loud cries of \"Oh!\" and\n\"Alas!\" were heard of creatures in heaven, in the welkin, and on the\nearth. Having in battle slain his foe Karna who was worshipped by the\ngods, the Gandharvas, and human beings, Pritha's son Arjuna looked\nresplendent in his energy like the deity of a 1,000 eyes after the\nslaughter of Vritra. Then riding on that car of theirs whose rattle\nresembled the roar of the clouds and whose splendour was like that of the\nmeridian sun of the autumnal sky, which was adorned with banners and\nequipped with a standard incessantly producing an awful noise, whose\neffulgence resembled that of the snow or the Moon or the conch or the\ncrystal, and whose steeds were like those of Indra himself, those two\nforemost of men, viz., the son of Pandu and the crusher of Keshi, whose\nenergy resembled that of the great Indra, and who were adorned with gold\nand pearls and gems and diamonds and corals, and who were like fire or\nthe sun in splendour, fearlessly careered over the field of battle with\ngreat speed, like Vishnu and Vasava mounted on the same chariot. Forcibly\ndivesting the enemy of his splendour by means of the twang of Gandiva and\nthe slaps of their palms, and slaying the Kurus with showers of shafts,\nthe Ape-bannered Arjuna, the Garuda-bannered Krishna, both of whom were\npossessed of immeasurable prowess, those two foremost of men, filled with\njoy, took up with their hands their loud-sounding conchs adorned with\ngold and white as snow, and placing them against their lips, blew\nsimultaneously with those beautiful mouths of theirs, piercing the hearts\nof their foes with the sound. The blare of Pancajanya and that of\nDevadatta filled the earth, the sky, and heaven.\n\n\"'At the sound of the heroic Madhava's conch as also at that of Arjuna's,\nall the Kauravas, O best of kings, became filled with fright. Those\nforemost of men, causing the forests, the mountains, the rivers and the\npoints of the compass to resound with the blare of their conchs, and\nfilling the army of thy son with fright, gladdened Yudhishthira\ntherewith. As soon as the Kauravas heard the blare of those conchs that\nwere thus being blown, all of them left the field with great speed,\ndeserting the ruler of the Madras and the chief of the Bharatas, O\nBharata, viz., Duryodhana. Then diverse creatures, uniting together,\ncongratulated Dhananjaya, that hero shining resplendent on the field of\nbattle, as also Janardana, those two foremost of men who then looked like\na couple of risen suns. Pierced with Karna's arrows, those two chastisers\nof foes, Acyuta and Arjuna, looked resplendent like the bright and\nmany-rayed moon and the sun risen after dispelling a gloom. Casting off\nthose arrows, those two mighty warriors, both endued with unrivalled\nprowess, surrounded by well-wishers and friends, happily entered their\nown encampment, like the lords Vasava and Vishnu duly invoked by\nsacrificial priests. Upon the slaughter of Karna in that dreadful battle,\nthe gods, Gandharvas, human beings, caranas, great Rishis, Yakshas, and\ngreat Nagas, worshipped Krishna and Arjuna with great respect and wished\nthem victory (in all things). Having received all their friends then,\neach according to his age, and applauded by those friends in return for\ntheir incomparable feats, the two heroes rejoiced with their friends,\nlike the chief of the celestials and Vishnu after the overthrow of Vali.'\"\n\n\n\n95\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Upon the fall of Karna otherwise called Vaikartana, the\nKauravas, afflicted with fear, fled away on all sides, casting their eyes\non empty space. Indeed, hearing that the heroic Karna had been slain by\nthe foe, all thy troops, stupefied with fear, broke and fled in all\ndirections. Then, O king, the leaders, filled with anxiety, desirous of\nwithdrawing their troops, O Bharata, whose flight had been endeavoured to\nbe checked by thy son. Understanding their wishes, thy son, O bull of\nBharata's race, acting according to the advice of Shalya, withdrew the\narmy. Then Kritavarma, O Bharata, surrounded by thy unslaughtered remnant\nof thy Narayana troops of thy army, quickly proceeded towards the\nencampment. Surrounded by a 1,000 Gandharas, Shakuni, beholding the son\nof Adhiratha slain, proceeded quickly towards the encampment.\nSharadvata's son, Kripa, O king, surrounded by the large elephant force\nthat resembled a mass of clouds, proceeded quickly towards the\nencampment. The heroic Ashvatthama, repeatedly drawing deep breaths at\nthe sight of the victory of the Pandavas, proceeded quickly towards the\nencampment. Surrounded by the unslaughtered remnant of the samsaptakas\nwhich was still a large force, Susharma also, O king, proceeded, casting\nhis eyes on those terrified soldiers. King Duryodhana, deeply afflicted\nand deprived of everything, proceeded, his heart filled with grief, and a\nprey to many cheerless thoughts. Shalya, that foremost of car-warriors,\nproceeded towards the camp, on that car deprived of standard, casting his\neyes on all sides. The other mighty car-warriors of the Bharata army,\nstill numerous, fled quickly, afflicted with fear, filled with shame, and\nalmost deprived of their senses. Indeed seeing Karna overthrown, all the\nKauravas fled away quickly, afflicted and anxious with fear, trembling,\nand with voices choked with tears. The mighty car-warriors of thy army\nfled away in fear, O chief of Kuru's race, some applauding Arjuna, some\napplauding Karna. Amongst those thousands of warriors of thy army in that\ngreat battle, there was not a single person who had still any wish for\nfight. Upon the fall of Karna, O monarch, the Kauravas became hopeless of\nlife, kingdom, wives, and wealth. Guiding them with care, O lord, thy\nson, filled with grief and sorrow, set his heart upon resting them for\nthe night. Those great car-warriors also, O monarch, accepting his orders\nwith bent heads, retired from the field with cheerless hearts and pale\nfaces.'\"\n\n\n\n96\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'After Karna had thus been slain and the Kaurava troops\nhad fled away, he of Dasharha's race, embracing Partha from joy, said\nunto him these words: \"Vritra was slain by thee. Men will talk (in the\nsame breath) of the slaughter of Vritra and Karna in awful battle. Vritra\nwas slain in battle by the deity of great energy with his thunder. Karna\nhath been slain by thee with bow and sharp arrows. Go, O son of Kunti,\nand represent, O Bharata, unto king Yudhishthira the just, this prowess\nof thine that is capable of procuring thee great fame and that hath\nbecome well-known in the world. Having represented unto king Yudhishthira\nthe just, this slaughter of Karna in battle for compassing which thou\nhadst been endeavouring for a long course of years, thou wilt be freed\nfrom the debt thou owest to the king. During the progress of the battle\nbetween thyself and Karna, the son of Dharma once came for beholding the\nfield. Having, however, been deeply and exceedingly pierced (with\narrows), he could not stay in battle. The king, that bull among men, then\nwent back to his tent.\" Partha answered Keshava, that bull of Yadu's\nrace, saying, \"So be it!\" The latter then cheerfully caused the car of\nthat foremost of car-warriors to turn back. Having said these words unto\nArjuna, Krishna addressed the soldiers, saying, \"Blessed be ye, stand all\nof you carefully, facing the foe!\" Unto Dhrishtadyumna and Yudhamanyu and\nthe twin sons of Madri and Vrikodara and Yuyudhana, Govinda said, \"Ye\nkings, until we come back having informed the king of Karna's slaughter\nby Arjuna, stand ye here with care.\" Having received the permission of\nthese heroes, he then set out for the quarters of the king. With Partha\nin his company, Govinda beheld Yudhishthira, that tiger among kings,\nlying on an excellent bed of gold. Both of them then, with great joy,\ntouched the feet of the king. Beholding their joy and the extraordinary\nwounds on their bodies, Yudhishthira regarded the son of Radha to be dead\nand rose quickly from his bed. That chastiser of foes, the mighty-armed\nmonarch, having risen from his bed, repeatedly embraced Vasudeva and\nArjuna with affection. That descendant of Kuru's race then asked Vasudeva\n(the particulars of Karna's death). Then the sweet-speeched Vasudeva that\ndescendant of the Yadu race, spoke to him of Karna's death exactly as it\nhad happened. Smiling then, Krishna, otherwise called Acyuta, joined his\npalms and addressed king Yudhishthira whose foes had been killed saying,\n\"By good luck, the wielder of Gandiva, and Vrikodara, the son of Pandu,\nand thyself, and the two sons of Madri, are all safe, having been freed\nfrom this battle that has been so destructive of heroes and that made the\nvery hair of the body to stand on end. Do thou those acts, O son of\nPandu, which should next be done. The Suta's son Karna, possessed of\ngreat might and otherwise called Vaikartana, hath been slain. By good\nluck, victory hath become thine, O king of kings. By good luck, thou\ngrowest, O son of Pandu! The Earth drinketh today the blood of that\nSuta's son, that wretch among men, who had laughed at the dice-won\nKrishna. That foe of thine, O bull of Kuru's race, lieth today on the\nbare ground, pierced all over with arrows. Behold that tiger among men,\npierced and mangled with shafts. O thou of mighty arms, rule now, with\ncare, this earth that is divested of all thy foes, and enjoy with us, all\nkinds of enjoyable articles!\"'\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Having heard these words of the high-souled Keshava,\nYudhishthira, with great joy, worshipped in return that hero of\nDasharha's race. \"Good luck, Good luck!\" were the words, O monarch, that\nhe said. And he added, \"It is not wonderful, O mighty-armed one, in thee,\nO son of Devaki, that Partha, having obtained thee for his charioteer,\nshould achieve feats that are even super-human.\" Then that chief of\nKuru's race, that righteous son of Pritha, taking hold of Keshava's right\narm adorned with Angadas, and addressing both Keshava and Arjuna, said,\n\"Narada told me that ye two are the gods Nara and Narayana, those ancient\nand best of Rishis, that are ever employed in the preservation of\nrighteousness. Gifted with great intelligence, the master Krishna\nDvaipayana, the highly blessed Vyasa, also hath repeatedly told me this\ncelestial history. Through thy influence, O Krishna, this Dhananjaya the\nson of Pandu, facing his foes, hath vanquished them, without ever turning\nback from any of them. Victory, and not defeat, we are certain to have,\nsince thou hast accepted the drivership of Partha in battle.\" Having said\nthese words, king Yudhishthira the just, that tiger among men, mounting\nhis car, adorned with gold and having steeds of ivory white and black\ntails and fleet as thought harnessed unto it, and surrounded by many\nPandava troops, set out, conversing pleasantly with Krishna and Arjuna\nalong the way, for beholding the field of battle on which thousands of\nincidents had taken place. Conversing with those two heroes, viz.,\nMadhava and Phalguna, the king beheld Karna, that bull among men, lying\non the field of battle. Indeed, king Yudhishthira beheld Karna pierced\nall over with arrows like a Kadamva flower with straight filaments all\naround its body. Yudhishthira beheld Karna illuminated by thousands of\ngolden lamps filled with perfumed oil. Having beheld Karna with his son\nslain and mangled with shafts sped from Gandiva, king Yudhishthira\nrepeatedly looked at him before he could believe his eyes. He then\napplauded those tigers among men, Madhava and Phalguna, saying, \"O\nGovinda, today I have become king of the earth, with my brothers, in\nconsequence of thyself of great wisdom having become my protector and\nlord. Hearing of the slaughter of that tiger among men, the proud son of\nRadha, the wicked-souled son of Dhritarashtra will be filled with\ndespair, as regards both life and kingdom. Through thy grace, O bull\namong men, we have acquired our objects. By good luck, victory hath been\nthine, O Govinda! By good luck, the enemy hath been slain. By good luck,\nthe wielder of Gandiva, the son of Pandu, hath been crowned with victory.\nThirteen years we have passed in wakefulness and great sorrow. O thou of\nmighty arms, through thy grace, we will sleep happily this night.\" In\nthis way, O ruler of men, king Yudhishthira the just, praised Janardana\ngreatly as also Arjuna, O monarch!'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Beholding Karna with his son slain with Partha's\nshafts, that perpetuator of Kuru's race, Yudhishthira, regarded himself\nas reborn. The kings (in the Pandava army), great car-warriors--all\nfilled with joy, approached Kunti's son Yudhishthira and gladdened him\ngreatly. Nakula, and Sahadeva, and Vrikodara the son of Pandu, and\nSatyaki, O king, that foremost of car-warriors among the Vrishnis, and\nDhrishtadyumna, and Shikhandi, and others among the Pandus, the Pancalas,\nand the Srinjayas, worshipped the son of Kunti at the slaughter of the\nSuta's son. Extolling king Yudhishthira, the son of Pandu, those\ndelighters in battle, those effectual smiters, those heroes possessed of\nsureness of aim and longing for victory, also praised those scorchers of\nfoes, viz., the two Krishnas, with speeches fraught with panegyrics. Then\nthose great car-warriors, filled with delight, proceeded towards their\nown camp. Thus occurred that great carnage, making the hair stand on end,\nin consequence, O king, of thy evil policy! Why dost thou grieve for it\nnow?'\"\n\nVaishampayana continued, \"Hearing those evil tidings, the Kuru king\nDhritarashtra suddenly fell down on the ground from his excellent seat.\nSimilarly, the royal lady Gandhari of great foresight fell down. She\nindulged in diverse lamentations, for the slaughter of Karna in battle.\nThen Vidura and Sanjaya both raised the fallen monarch and began to\nconsole him. Similarly the Kuru ladies raised Gandhari. Thinking destiny\nand necessity to be all powerful, that royal ascetic, under that great\ngrief, seemed to lose his senses. His heart filled with anxiety and\nsorrow, the king, however, did not again swoon away. Comforted by them,\nhe remained silent, indulging in melancholy musing. He that reads of this\ngreat battle, which is like unto a sacrifice, between the high-souled\nDhananjaya and Adhiratha's son, so also he that hears the account of this\nbattle read, both obtain, O Bharata, the fruit of a great sacrifice duly\nperformed. The learned say that the holy and the eternal Vishnu is\nSacrifice, and each of those other gods, viz., Agni, Wind, Soma, and\nSurya, is so. Therefore, he that will, without malice, hear or recite\nthis Parvan, will be happy and capable of attaining to every region of\nbliss. Filled with devotion, men always read this sacred and first of\nSamhitas. They that do, rejoice, obtaining wealth, and grain, and fame. A\nman must, therefore, ever hear it without malice. He that does so will\nobtain all kinds of happiness. With that foremost of persons, Vishnu, and\nthe illustrious Self-born, and Bhava also, become pleased. A Brahmana, by\nreading it, would obtain the fruit of having studied the Vedas; a\nKshatriya obtains strength and victory in battle; Vaishyas would obtain\nimmense wealth, and Shudras would obtain health and freedom from disease.\nThen again the illustrious Vishnu is eternal. And since it is that god\nwho hath been glorified in this Parvan, it is for this that the man\nreading or hearing it becometh happy and acquireth all the objects of his\nheart. These words of the great Rishi (Vyasa) can never be untrue! The\nmerit that may be attained by listening to the recitation of the Karna\nParvan is equal to his who giveth away unceasingly for a whole year good\ncows with calves.\"\n\nThe end of Karna Parva.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Mahabharata\n\nof\n\nKrishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa\n\nBOOK 9\n\nShalya-parva\n\n\n\nTranslated into English Prose from the Original Sanskrit Text\n\nby\n\nKisari Mohan Ganguli\n\n[1883-1896]\n\nScanned and Proofed by Mantra Caitanya. Additional proofing and\nformatting at sacred-texts.com, by J. B. Hare, October 2003.\n\n\n\n1\n\nOm! Having bowed down unto Narayana and Nara, the most exalted of male\nbeings, and the goddess Sarasvati, must the word Jaya be uttered.\n\nJanamejaya said, \"After Karna had thus been slain in battle by Savyasaci,\nwhat did the small (unslaughtered) remnant of the Kauravas do, O\nregenerate one? Beholding the army of the Pandavas swelling with might\nand energy, what behaviour did the Kuru prince Suyodhana adopt towards\nthe Pandavas, thinking it suitable to the hour? I desire to hear all\nthis. Tell me, O foremost of regenerate ones, I am never satiated with\nlistening to the grand feats of my ancestors.\"\n\nVaishampayana said, \"After the fall of Karna, O king, Dhritarashtra's son\nSuyodhana was plunged deep into an ocean of grief and saw despair on\nevery side. Indulging in incessant lamentations, saying, 'Alas, oh Karna!\nAlas, oh Karna!' he proceeded with great difficulty to his camp,\naccompanied by the unslaughtered remnant of the kings on his side.\nThinking of the slaughter of the Suta's son, he could not obtain peace of\nmind, though comforted by those kings with excellent reasons inculcated\nby the scriptures. Regarding destiny and necessity to be all-powerful,\nthe Kuru king firmly resolved on battle. Having duly made Shalya the\ngeneralissimo of his forces, that bull among kings, O monarch, proceeded\nfor battle, accompanied by that unslaughtered remnant of his forces.\nThen, O chief of Bharata's race, a terrible battle took place between the\ntroops of the Kurus and those of the Pandavas, resembling that between\nthe gods and the Asuras. Then Shalya, O monarch, having made a great\ncarnage in battle at last lost a large number of his troops and was slain\nby Yudhishthira at midday. Then king Duryodhana, having lost all his\nfriends and kinsmen, fled away from the field of battle and penetrated\ninto the depths of a terrible lake from fear of his enemies. On the\nafternoon of that day, Bhimasena, causing the lake to be encompassed by\nmany mighty car-warriors, summoned Duryodhana and having obliged him to\ncome out, slew him speedily, putting forth his strength. After\nDuryodhana's slaughter, the three car-warriors (of the Kuru side) that\nwere still unslain (Ashvatthama and Kripa and Kritavarma), filled with\nrage, O monarch, slaughtered the Pancala troops in the night. On the next\nmorning Sanjaya, having set out from the camp, entered the city (the Kuru\ncapital), cheerless and filled with grief and sorrow. Having entered the\ncity, the Suta Sanjaya, raising his arms in grief, and with limbs\ntrembling, entered the palace of the king. Filled with grief, O tiger\namong men, he wept aloud, saying, 'Alas, O king! Alas, all of us are\nruined by the slaughter of that high-souled monarch. Alas, Time is\nall-powerful, and crooked in his course, since all our allies, endued\nwith might equal to that of Shakra himself, have been slain by the\nPandavas.' Seeing Sanjaya come back to the city, O king, in that\ndistressful plight, all the people, O best of kings, filled with great\nanxiety, wept loudly, saying, 'Alas, O king! The whole city, O tiger\namong men, including the very children, hearing of Duryodhana's death,\nsent forth notes of lamentation from every side. We then beheld all the\nmen and women running about, deeply afflicted with grief, their senses\ngone, and resembling people that are demented.' The Suta Sanjaya then,\ndeeply agitated, entered the abode of the king and beheld that foremost\nof monarchs, that lord of men, having wisdom for his eyes. Beholding the\nsinless monarch, that chief of Bharata's race, seated, surrounded by his\ndaughters-in-law and Gandhari and Vidura and by other friends and kinsmen\nthat were always his well-wishers, and engaged in thinking on that very\nsubject--the death of Karna--the Suta Sanjaya, with heart filled with\ngrief, O Janamejaya, weepingly and in a voice choked with tears, said\nunto him, 'I am Sanjaya, O tiger among men. I bow to thee, O bull of\nBharata's race. The ruler of the Madras, Shalya, hath been slain.\nSimilarly, Subala's son Shakuni, and Uluka, O tiger among men, that\nvaliant son of the gamester (Shakuni), have been slain. All the\nSamsaptakas, the Kambojas together with the Sakas, the Mlecchas, the\nMountaineers, and the Yavanas, have also been slain. The Easterners have\nbeen slain, O monarch, and all the Southerners. The Northerners have all\nbeen slain, as also the Westerners, O ruler of men. All the kings and all\nthe princes have been slain, O monarch. King Duryodhana also has been\nslain by the son of Pandu after the manner he had vowed. With his thighs\nbroken, O monarch, he lieth now on the dust, covered with blood.\nDhrishtadyumna also hath been slain, O king, as also the vanquished\nShikhandi. Uttamauja and Yudhamanyu, O king, and the Prabhadrakas, and\nthose tigers among men, the Pancalas, and the Cedis, have been destroyed.\nThy sons have all been slain as also the (five) sons of Draupadi, O\nBharata. The heroic and mighty son of Karna, Vrishasena, hath been slain.\nAll the men that had been assembled have been slain. All the elephants\nhave been destroyed. All the car-warriors, O tiger among men, and all the\nsteeds, have fallen in battle. Very few are alive on thy side, O lord. In\nconsequence of the Pandavas and the Kauravas having encountered each\nother, the world, stupefied by Time, now consists of only women. On the\nside of the Pandavas seven are alive, they are the five Pandava brothers,\nand Vasudeva, and Satyaki and amongst the Dhartarashtras three are so,\nKripa, Kritavarma, and Drona's son, that foremost of victors. These three\ncar-warriors, O monarch, are all that survive, O best of kings, of all\nthe Akshauhinis mustered on thy side, O ruler of men. These are the\nsurvivors, O monarch, the rest have perished. Making Duryodhana and his\nhostility (towards the Pandavas) the cause, the world, it seems, hath\nbeen destroyed, O bull of Bharata's race, by Time.'\"\n\nVaishampayana continued, \"Hearing these cruel words, Dhritarashtra, that\nruler of men, fell down, O monarch, on the earth, deprived of his senses.\nAs soon as the king fell down, Vidura also, of great fame, O monarch,\nafflicted with sorrow on account of the king's distress, fell down on the\nearth. Gandhari also, O best of kings, and all the Kuru ladies, suddenly\nfell down on the ground, hearing those cruel words. That entire conclave\nof royal persons remained lying on the ground, deprived of their senses\nand raving deliriously, like figures painted on a large piece of canvas.\nThen king Dhritarashtra, that lord of earth, afflicted with the calamity\nrepresented by the death of his sons, slowly and with difficulty regained\nhis life-breaths. Having recovered his senses, the king, with trembling\nlimbs and sorrowful heart, turned his face on every side, and said these\nwords unto Kshattri (Vidura). 'O learned Kshattri, O thou of great\nwisdom, thou, O bull of Bharata's race, art now my refuge. I am lordless\nand destitute of all my sons.' Having said this, he once more fell down,\ndeprived of his senses. Beholding him fallen, all his kinsmen that were\npresent there sprinkled cold water over him and fanned him with fans.\nComforted after a long while, that lord of earth, afflicted with sorrow\non account of the death of his sons, remained silent, sighing heavily, O\nmonarch, like a snake put into a jar. Sanjaya also wept aloud, beholding\nthe king so afflicted. All the ladies too, with Gandhari of great\ncelebrity, did the same. After a long while, O best of men,\nDhritarashtra, having repeatedly swooned, addressed Vidura, saying, 'Let\nall the ladies retire, as also Gandhari of great fame, and all these\nfriends. My mind hath become greatly unsettled.' Thus addressed, Vidura,\nrepeatedly trembling, slowly dismissed the ladies, O bull of Bharata's\nrace. All those ladies retired, O chief of the Bharatas, as also all\nthose friends, beholding the king deeply afflicted. Then Sanjaya\ncheerlessly looked at the king, O scorcher of foes, who, having recovered\nhis senses, was weeping in great affliction. With joined hands, Vidura\nthen, in sweet words, comforted that ruler of men who was sighing\nincessantly.'\"\n\n\n\n2\n\nVaishampayana said, \"After the ladies had been dismissed, Dhritarashtra,\nthe son of Ambika, plunged into grief greater than that which had\nafflicted him before, began, O monarch, to indulge in lamentations,\nexhaling breaths that resembled smoke, and repeatedly waving his arms,\nand reflecting a little, O monarch, he said these words.\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Alas, O Suta, the intelligence is fraught with\ngreat grief that I hear from thee, that the Pandavas are all safe and\nhave suffered no loss in battle. Without doubt, my hard heart is made of\nthe essence of thunder, since it breaketh not upon hearing of the fall of\nmy sons. Thinking of their ages, O Sanjaya, and of their sports in\nchildhood, and learning today that all of them have perished, my heart\nseems to break into pieces. Although in consequence of my blindness I\nnever saw their forms, still I cherished a great love for them in\nconsequence of the affection one feels for his children. Hearing that\nthey had passed out of childhood and entered the period of youth and then\nof early manhood, I became exceedingly glad, O sinless one. Hearing today\nthat have been slain and divested of prosperity and energy, I fail to\nobtain peace of mind, being overwhelmed with grief on account of the\ndistress that has overtaken them. Come, come, O king of kings\n(Duryodhana) to me that am without a protector now! Deprived of thee, O\nmighty-armed one, what will be my plight? Why, O sire, abandoning all the\nassembled kings dost thou lie on the bare ground, deprived of life, like\nan ordinary and wretched king? Having been, O monarch, the refuge of\nkinsmen and friends, where dost thou go now, O hero, abandoning me that\nam blind and old? Where now, O king, is that compassion of thine, that\nlove, and that respectfulness? Invincible as thou wert in battle, how,\nalas, hast thou been slain by the Parthas? Who will now, after I will\nhave waked from sleep at the proper hour, repeatedly address me in such\nendearing and respectful words as, \"O father, O father,\" \"O great king,\"\n\"O Lord of the world\" and affectionately clasping my neck with moistened\neyes, will seek my orders, saying, \"Command me, O thou of Kuru's race.\"\nAddress me, O son, in that sweet language once more. O dear child, I\nheard even these words from thy lips, \"This wide earth is as much ours as\nit is of Pritha's son. Bhagadatta and Kripa and Shalya and the two\nprinces of Avanti and Jayadratha and Bhurishrava and Sala and Somadatta\nand Bahlika and Ashvatthama and the chief of the Bhojas and the mighty\nprince of Magadha and Vrihadvala and the ruler of the Kasi and Shakuni\nthe son of Subala and many thousands of Mlecchas and Sakas and Yavanas,\nand Sudakshina the ruler of the Kambojas and the king of the Trigartas\nand the grandsire Bhishma and Bharadwaja's son and Gotama's son (Kripa)\nand Srutayush and Ayutayush and Satayush of great energy, and Jalasandha\nand Rishyasringa's son and the Rakshasa Alayudha, and the mighty-armed\nAlambusa and the great car-warrior Subala--these and numerous other\nkings, O best of monarchs, have taken up arms for my sake, prepared to\ncast away their very lives in great battle, stationed on the field amidst\nthese, and surrounded by my brothers, I will fight against all the\nParthas and the Pancalas and the Cedis, O tiger among kings, and the sons\nof Draupadi and Satyaki and Kunti-Bhoja and the Rakshasa Ghatotkaca. Even\none amongst these, O king, excited with rage, is able to resist in battle\nthe Pandavas rushing towards him. What need I say then of all these\nheroes, every one of whom has wrong to avenge on the Pandavas, when\nunited together? All these, O monarch, will fight with the followers of\nthe Pandavas and will slay them in battle. Karna alone, with myself, will\nslay the Pandavas. All the heroic kings will then live under my sway. He,\nwho is their leader, the mighty Vasudeva, will not, he has told me, put\non mail for them, O king.\" Even in this way, O Suta, did Duryodhana often\nuse to speak to me. Hearing what he said, I believed that the Pandavas\nwould be slain in battle. When, however, my sons stationed in the midst\nof those heroes and exerting themselves vigorously in battle have all\nbeen slain, what can it be but destiny? When that lord of the world, the\nvaliant Bhishma, having encountered Shikhandi, met with his death like a\nlion meeting with his at the hands of a jackal, what can it be but\ndestiny? When the Brahmana Drona, that master of all weapons offensive\nand defensive, has been slain by the Pandavas in battle, what can it be\nbut destiny? When Bhurishrava has been slain in battle, as also Somadatta\nand king Bahlika, what can it be but destiny? When Bhagadatta, skilled in\nfight from the backs of elephants, has been slain, and when Jayadratha\nhath been slain, what can it be but destiny? When Sudakshina has been\nslain, and Jalasandha of Puru's race, as also Srutayush, and Ayutayush,\nwhat can it be but destiny? When the mighty Pandya, that foremost of all\nwielders of weapons, has been slain in battle by the Pandavas, what can\nit be but destiny? When Vrihadvala has been slain and the mighty king of\nthe Magadhas, and the valiant Ugrayudha, that type of all bowmen; when\nthe two princes of Avanti (Vinda and Anuvinda) have been slain, and the\nruler also of the Trigartas, as also numerous Samsaptakas, what can it be\nbut destiny? When king Alambusa, and the Rakshasas Alayudha, and\nRishyasringa's son, have been slain, what can it be but destiny? When the\nNarayanas have been slain, as also the Gopalas, those troops that were\ninvincible in battle, and many thousands of Mlecchas, what can it be but\ndestiny? When Shakuni, the son of Subala, and the mighty Uluka, called\nthe gamester's son, that hero at the head of his forces, have been slain,\nwhat can it be but destiny? When innumerable high-souled heroes,\naccomplished in all kinds of weapons offensive and defensive and endued\nwith prowess equal to that of Shakra himself, have been slain, O Suta,\nwhen Kshatriyas hailing from diverse realms, O Sanjaya, have all been\nslain in battle, what can it be but destiny? Endued with great might, my\nsons and grandsons have been slain, as also my friends and brethren, what\ncan it be but destiny? Without doubt, man takes his birth, subject to\ndestiny. That man who is possessed of good fortune meets with good. I am\nbereft of good fortune, and, therefore, am deprived of my children, O\nSanjaya. Old as I am, how shall I now submit to the sway of enemies? I do\nnot think anything other than exile into the woods to be good for me, O\nlord. Deprived of relatives and kinsmen as I am, I will go into the\nwoods. Nothing other than an exile into the woods can be better for me\nwho am fallen into this plight and who am shorn of my wings, O Sanjaya.\nWhen Duryodhana had been slain, when Shalya has been slain, when\nDuhshasana and Vivingsati and the mighty Vikarna have been slain, how\nshall I be able to bear the roars of that Bhimasena who hath alone slain\na hundred sons of mine in battle? He will frequently speak of the\nslaughter of Duryodhana in my hearing. Burning with grief and sorrow, I\nshall not be able to bear his cruel words.'\"\n\nVaishampayana continued, \"Even thus that king, burning with grief and\ndeprived of relatives and kinsmen, repeatedly swooned, overwhelmed with\nsorrow on account of the death of his sons. Having wept for a long while,\nDhritarashtra, the son of Ambika, breathed heavy and hot sighs at the\nthought of his defeat. Overwhelmed with sorrow, and burning with grief,\nthat bull of Bharata's race once more enquired of his charioteer Sanjaya,\nthe son of Gavalgana, the details of what had happened.\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'After Bhishma and Drona had been slain, and the\nSuta's son also overthrown, whom did my warriors make their\ngeneralissimo? The Pandavas are slaying without any delay everyone whom\nmy warriors are making their generalissimo in battle. Bhishma was slain\nat the van of battle by the diadem-decked Arjuna in the very sight of all\nof you. Even thus was Drona slain in the sight of all of you. Even thus\nwas the Suta's son, that valiant Karna, slain by Arjuna in the sight of\nall the kings. Long before, the high-souled Vidura had told me that\nthrough the fault of Duryodhana the population of the Earth would be\nexterminated. There are some fools that do not see things even though\nthey cast their eyes on them. Those words of Vidura have been even so\nunto my foolish self. What Vidura of righteous soul, conversant with\nattributes of everything, then said, hath turned out exactly, for the\nwords he uttered were nothing but the truth. Afflicted by fate, I did not\nthen act according to those words. The fruits of that evil course have\nnow manifested themselves. Describe them to me, O son of Gavalgana, once\nmore! Who became the head of our army after Karna's fall? Who was that\ncar-warrior who proceeded against Arjuna and Vasudeva? Who were they that\nprotected the right wheel of the ruler of the Madras in battle? Who\nprotected the left wheel of that hero when he went to battle? Who also\nguarded his rear? How, when all of you were together, could the mighty\nking of the Madras, as also my son, be slain, O Sanjaya, by the Pandavas?\nTell me the details of the great destruction of the Bharatas. Tell me how\nmy son Duryodhana fell in battle. Tell me how all the Pancalas with their\nfollowers, and Dhrishtadyumna and Shikhandi and the five sons of\nDraupadi, fell. Tell me how the (five) Pandavas and the two Satwatas\n(Krishna and Satyaki), and Kripa and Kritavarma and Drona's son, have\nescaped with life. I desire to hear everything about the manner in which\nthe battle occurred and the kind of battle it was. Thou art skilled, O\nSanjaya, in narration. Tell me everything.'\"\n\n\n\n3\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Hear, O king, with attention, how that great carnage of\nthe Kurus and the Pandavas occurred when they encountered each other.\nAfter the Suta's son had been slain by the illustrious son of Pandu, and\nafter thy troops had been repeatedly rallied and had repeatedly fled\naway, and after a terrible carnage had taken place, O foremost of men, of\nhuman beings in battle subsequent to Karna's death, Partha began to utter\nleonine roars. At that time a great fear entered the hearts of thy sons.\nIndeed, after Karna's death, there was no warrior in thy army who could\nset his heart upon rallying the troops or displaying his prowess. They\nthen looked like ship-wrecked merchants on the fathomless ocean without a\nraft to save themselves. When their protector was slain by the\ndiadem-decked Arjuna, they were like persons on the wide sea desirous of\nreaching some shore of safety. Indeed, O king, after the slaughter of the\nSuta's son, thy troops, struck with panic and mangled with arrows, were\nlike unprotected men desirous of a protector or like a herd of deer\nafflicted by a lion. Vanquished by Savyasaci, they retired in the evening\nlike bulls with broken horns or snakes shorn of their fangs. Their\nforemost of heroes slain, themselves thrown into confusion and mangled\nwith keen arrows, thy sons, O king, upon the slaughter of the Suta's son,\nfled away in fear. Deprived of weapons and coats of mail, all of them\nlost their senses and knew not in which direction to fly. Casting their\neyes on all sides in fear, many of them began to slaughter one another.\nMany fell down or became pale, thinking, \"It is me whom Vibhatsu is\npursuing!\" \"It is me whom Vrikodara is pursuing!\" Some riding on fleet\nsteeds, some on fleet cars, and some on fleet elephants, many great\ncar-warriors fled away from fear, abandoning the foot-soldiers. Cars were\nbroken by elephants, horsemen were crushed by great car-warriors, and\nbands of foot-soldiers were smashed and slain by bodies of horses as\nthese fled away from the field. After the fall of the Suta's son, thy\ntroops became like stragglers from a caravan in a forest abounding with\nrobbers and beasts of prey. Some elephants whose riders had been slain,\nand others whose trunks had been cut off, afflicted with fear, beheld the\nwhole world to be full of Partha. Beholding his troops flying away\nafflicted with the fear of Bhimasena Duryodhana then, with cries of \"Oh!\"\nand \"Alas!\" addressed his driver, saying, \"If I take up my post at the\nrear of the army, armed with my bow, Partha then will never be able to\ntransgress me. Urge the steeds, therefore, with speed. When I will put\nforth my valour in battle, Dhananjaya the son of Kunti will not venture\nto transgress me like the ocean never venturing to transgress its\ncontinents. Today, slaying Arjuna with Govinda, and the proud Vrikodara,\nand the rest of my foes, I will free myself from the debt I owe to\nKarna.\" Hearing these words of the Kuru king, so becoming a hero and an\nhonourable man, his driver slowly urged those steeds adorned with\ntrappings of gold. At that time many brave warriors deprived of elephants\nand steeds and cars, and 25,000 foot-soldiers, O sire, proceeded slowly\n(for battle). Then Bhimasena, filled with wrath, and Dhrishtadyumna the\nson of Prishata, encompassing those troops with the assistance of four\nkinds of forces, destroyed them with shafts. All of them fought\nvigorously with Bhima and Prishata's son. Many amongst them challenged\nthe two Pandava heroes, mentioning their names. Surrounded by them in\nbattle, Bhima became enraged with them. Quickly descending from his car,\nhe began to fight, armed with his mace. Relying on the might of his own\narms, Vrikodara the son of Kunti, who was on his car, observant of the\nrules of fair fight, did not fight with those foes who were on the\nground. Armed then with that heavy mace of his that was made entirely of\niron and adorned with gold and equipped with a sling, and that resembled\nthe Destroyer himself as he becomes at the end of Yuga, Bhima slew them\nall like Yama slaughtering creatures with his club. Those foot-soldiers,\nexcited with great rage, having lost their friends and kinsmen, were\nprepared to throw away their lives, and rushed in that battle towards\nBhima like insects towards a blazing fire. Indeed, those warriors, filled\nwith rage and invincible in battle, approaching Bhimasena, suddenly\nperished like living creatures at the glance of the Destroyer. Armed with\nsword and mace, Bhima careered like a hawk and slaughtered those 25,000\nwarriors of thine. Having slain that brave division, the mighty Bhima, of\nprowess incapable of being baffled, once more stood, with Dhrishtadyumna\nbefore him. Meanwhile, Dhananjaya of great energy proceeded towards the\ncar-division (of the Kurus). The twin sons of Madri and the mighty\ncar-warrior Satyaki, all endued with great strength, cheerfully rushed\nagainst Shakuni with great speed from desire of slaying him. Having slain\nwith keen shafts the numerous cavalry of Shakuni, those Pandava heroes\nquickly rushed against Shakuni himself, whereupon a fierce battle was\nfought there. Then Dhananjaya, O king, penetrated into the midst of the\ncar-division of the Kauravas, stretching his bow Gandiva celebrated over\nthe three worlds. Beholding that car having white steeds yoked unto it\nand owning Krishna for its driver coming towards them, with Arjuna as the\nwarrior on it, thy troops fled away in fear. Deprived of cars and steeds\nand pierced with shafts from every side, 25,000 foot-soldiers proceeded\ntowards Partha and surrounded him. Then that mighty car-warrior amongst\nthe Pancalas (Dhrishtadyumna) with Bhimasena at his head, speedily slew\nthat brave division and stood triumphant. The son of the Pancala king,\nthe celebrated Dhrishtadyumna, was a mighty bowman possessed of great\nbeauty and a crusher of large bands of foes. At sight of Dhrishtadyumna\nunto whose car were yoked steeds white as pigeons and whose standard was\nmade of a lofty Kovidara, the troops fled away in fear. The celebrated\nsons of Madri, with Satyaki among them, engaged in the pursuit of the\nGandhara king who was quick in the use of weapons, speedily appeared to\nour view. Chekitana and the (five) sons of Draupadi, O sire, having slain\na large number of thy troops, blew their conchs. Beholding all the troops\nflying away with their faces from the field, those (Pandava) heroes\npursued and smote them like bulls pursuing vanquished bulls. Then the\nmighty Savyasaci, the son of Pandu, beholding a remnant of thy army still\nkeeping their ground, became filled with rage, O king. Suddenly, O\nmonarch, he shrouded that remnant of thy forces with arrows. The dust,\nhowever, that was then raised enveloped the scene, in consequence of\nwhich we could not see anything. Darkness also spread over the scene, and\nthe field of battle was covered with arrows. Thy troops, O monarch, then\nfled away in fear on all sides. When his army was thus broken, the Kuru\nking, O monarch, rushed against both friends and foes. Then Duryodhana\nchallenged all the Pandavas to battle, O chief of Bharata's race, like\nthe Asura Vali in days of yore challenging all the celestials. The\nPandavas then, uniting together and filled with rage, upbraiding him\nrepeatedly and shooting diverse weapons, rushed against the roaring\nDuryodhana. The latter, however, fearlessly smote his foes with shafts.\nThe prowess that we then saw of thy son was exceedingly wonderful, since\nall the Pandavas together were unable to transgress him. At this time\nDuryodhana beheld, staying at a little distance from him, his troops,\nexceedingly mangled with shafts, and prepared to fly away. Rallying them\nthen, O monarch, thy son, resolved on battle and desirous of gladdening\nthem, addressed those warriors, saying, \"I do not see that spot on plain\nor mountain whither, if you fly, the Pandavas will not slay you. What is\nthe use then in flight? The Pandava army hath now been reduced to a small\nremnant. The two Krishnas have been exceedingly mangled. If all of us\nmake a stand here, we are certain to have victory. If, however, you fly\naway, breaking your array, the Pandavas, pursuing your sinful selves,\nwill slay all of you. Death in battle, therefore, is for our good. Death\nin the field of battle while engaged in fight according to Kshatriya\npractices is pleasant. Such death produces no kind of grief. By\nencountering such a death, a person enjoys eternal happiness in the other\nworld. Let all the Kshatriyas assembled here listen to me. It were better\nthat they should even submit to the power of the angry Bhimasena than\nthat they should abandon the duties practised by them from the days of\ntheir ancestors. There is no act more sinful for a Kshatriya than flight\nfrom battle. You Kauravas, there is not a better path to heaven than the\nduty of battle. The warrior acquires in a day regions of bliss (in the\nother world) that take many long years for others to acquire.\" Fulfilling\nthose words of the king, the great Kshatriya car-warriors once more\nrushed against the Pandavas, unable to endure their defeat and firmly\nresolved to put forth their prowess. Then commenced a battle once more,\nthat was exceedingly fierce, between thy troops and the enemy, and that\nresembled the one between the gods and the Asuras. Thy son Duryodhana\nthen, O monarch, with all his troops, rushed against the Pandavas headed\nby Yudhishthira.'\"\n\n\n\n4\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding the fallen boxes of cars, as also the cars of\nhigh-souled warriors, and the elephants and foot-soldiers, O sire, slain\nin battle, seeing the field of battle assume an aspect as awful as that\nof the sporting ground of Rudra, observing the inglorious end obtained by\nhundreds and thousands of kings, witnessing also the prowess of Partha\nafter the retreat of thy son with grief-stricken heart and when thy\ntroops, filled with anxiety and fallen into great distress, O Bharata,\nwere deliberating as to what they should next do, hearing also the loud\nwails of the Kaurava warriors that were being crushed, and marking the\ndisplayed and disordered tokens of great kings, the Kuru leader Kripa of\ngreat energy, possessed of years and good conduct and filled with\ncompassion, and endued with eloquence, approached king Duryodhana, and\nangrily said these words unto him, \"O Duryodhana, listen, O Bharata, to\nthese words that I will say unto thee. Having heard them, O monarch, do\nthou act according to them, O sinless one, if it pleases thee. There is\nno path, O monarch, that is better than the duty of battle. Having\nrecourse to that path, Kshatriyas, O bull of the Kshatriya order, engage\nin battle. He who lives in the observance of Kshatriya practices fights\nwith son, sire, brother, sister's son, and maternal uncle, and relatives,\nand kinsmen. If he is slaughtered in battle, there is great merit in it.\nSimilarly, there is great sin in it if he flies from the field. It is for\nthis that the life of a person desirous of living by the adoption of\nKshatriya duties is exceedingly terrible. Unto thee, as regards this, I\nwill say a few beneficial words. After the fall of Bhishma and Drona and\nthe mighty car-warrior Karna, after the slaughter of Jayadratha and thy\nbrothers, O sinless one, and thy son Lakshmana, what is there now for us\nto do? They upon whom we had rested all burdens of sovereignty we had\nbeen enjoying, have all gone to regions of blessedness attainable by\npersons conversant with Brahma, casting off their bodies. As regards\nourselves, deprived of those great car-warriors possessed of numerous\naccomplishments, we shall have to pass our time in grief, having caused\nnumerous kings to perish. When all those heroes were alive, even then\nVibhatsu could not be vanquished. Having Krishna, for his eyes, that\nmighty-armed hero is incapable of being defeated by the very gods. The\nvast (Kaurava) host, approaching his Ape-bearing standard that is lofty\nas an Indra's pole (set up in the season of spring) and that is effulgent\nas Indra's bow, hath always trembled in fear. At the leonine roars of\nBhimasena and the blare of Panchajanya and the twang of Gandiva, our\nheart will die away within us. Moving like flashes of lightning, and\nblinding our eyes, Arjuna's Gandiva is seen to resemble a circle of fire.\nDecked with pure gold, that formidable bow as it is shaken, looks like\nlightning's flash moving about on every side. Steeds white in hue and\npossessed of great speed and endued with the splendour of the Moon or the\nKusa grass, and that run devouring the skies, are yoked unto his car.\nUrged on by Krishna, like the masses of clouds driven by the wind, and\ntheir limbs decked with gold, they bear Arjuna to battle. That foremost\nof all persons conversant with arms, Arjuna, burned that great force of\nthine like a swelling conflagration consuming dry grass in the forest in\nthe season of winter. Possessed of the splendour of Indra himself, while\npenetrating into our ranks, we have seen Dhananjaya to look like an\nelephant with four tusks. While agitating thy army and inspiring the\nkings with fear, we have seen Dhananjaya to resemble an elephant\nagitating a lake overgrown with lotuses. While terrifying all the\nwarriors with the twang of his bow, we have again seen the son of Pandu\nto resemble a lion inspiring smaller animals with dread. Those two\nforemost of bowmen in all the worlds, those two bulls among all persons\narmed with the bow, the two Krishnas, clad in mail, are looking\nexceedingly beautiful. Today is the seventeenth day of this awful battle,\nO Bharata, of those that are being slaughtered in the midst of this\nfight. The diverse divisions of thy army are broken and dispersed like\nautumnal clouds dispersed by the wind. Savyasaci, O monarch, caused thy\narmy to tremble and reel like a tempest-tossed boat exposed on the bosom\nof the ocean. Where was the Suta's son, where was Drona with all his\nfollowers, where was I, where wert thou, where was Hridika's son, where\nthy brother Duhshasana accompanied by his brothers (when Jayadratha was\nslain)? Upon beholding Jayadratha and finding him within the range of his\narrows, Arjuna, putting forth his process upon all thy kinsmen and\nbrothers and allies and maternal uncles, and placing his feet upon their\nheads, slew king Jayadratha in the very sight of all. What then is there\nfor us to do now? Who is there among thy troops now that would vanquish\nthe son of Pandu? That high-souled warrior possesses diverse kinds of\ncelestial weapons. The twang, again, of Gandiva robbeth us of our\nenergies. This army of thine that is now without a leader is like a night\nwithout the Moon, or like a river that is dried up with all the trees on\nits banks broken by elephants. The mighty-armed Arjuna of white steeds\nwill, at his pleasure, career amid this thy masterless host, like a\nblazing conflagration amid a heap of grass. The impetuosity of those two,\nSatyaki and Bhimasena, would split all the mountains or dry up all the\noceans. The words that Bhima spoke in the midst of the assembly have all\nbeen nearly accomplished by him, O monarch. That which remains\nunaccomplished will again be accomplished by him. While Karna was\nbattling before it, the army of the Pandavas, difficult to be defeated,\nwas vigorously protected by the wielder of Gandiva. You have done many\nfoul wrongs, without any cause, unto the righteous Pandavas. The fruits\nof those acts have now come. For the sake of thy own objects thou hadst,\nwith great care, mustered together a large force. That vast force, as\nalso thyself, O bull of Bharata's race, have fallen into great danger.\nPreserve thy own self now, for self is the refuge of everything. If the\nrefuge is broken, O sire, everything inhering thereto is scattered on\nevery side. He that is being weakened should seek peace by conciliation.\nHe that is growing should make war. This is the policy taught by\nBrihaspati. We are now inferior to the sons of Pandu as regards the\nstrength of our army. Therefore, O lord, I think, peace with the Pandavas\nis for our good. He that does not know what is for his good, or (knowing)\ndisregards what is for his good, is soon divested of his kingdom and\nnever obtains any good. If, by bowing unto king Yudhishthira sovereignty\nmay still remain to us, even that would be for our good, and not, O king,\nto sustain through folly defeat (at the hands of the Pandavas).\nYudhishthira is compassionate. At the request of Vichitravirya's son and\nof Govinda, he will allow you to continue as king. Whatever Hrishikesa\nwill say unto the victorious king Yudhishthira and Arjuna and Bhimasena,\nall of them will, without doubt, obey. Krishna will not, I think, be able\nto transgress the words of Dhritarashtra of Kuru's race, nor will the son\nof Pandu be able to transgress those of Krishna. A cessation of\nhostilities with the sons of Pritha is what I consider to be for thy\ngood. I do not say this unto thee from any mean motives nor for\nprotecting my life. I say, O king, that which I regard to be beneficial.\nThou wilt recollect these words when thou wilt be on the point of death\n(if thou neglectest them now).\" Advanced in years, Kripa the son of\nSaradwat said these words weepingly. Breathing long and hot breaths, he\nthen gave way to sorrow and almost lost his senses.'\"\n\n\n\n5\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Thus addressed by the celebrated grandson of Gotama, the\nking (Duryodhana), breathing long and hot breaths, remained silent, O\nmonarch. Having reflected for a little while, the high-souled son of\nDhritarashtra, that scorcher of foes, then said these words unto\nSaradwat's son Kripa, \"Whatever a friend should say, thou hast said unto\nme. Thou hast also, whilst battling, done everything for me, without\ncaring for thy very life. The world has seen thee penetrate into the\nmidst of the Pandava divisions and fight with the mighty car-warriors of\nthe Pandavas endued with great energy. That which should be said by a\nfriend hast been said by thee. Thy words, however, do not please me, like\nmedicine that ill pleases the person that is on the point of death. These\nbeneficial and excellent words, fraught with reason, that thou, O\nmighty-armed one, hast said do not seem acceptable to me, O foremost of\nBrahmanas. Deprived by us of his kingdom (on a former occasion), why will\nthe son of Pandu repose his trust on us? That mighty king was once\ndefeated by us at dice. Why will he again believe my words? So also,\nKrishna, ever engaged in the good of the Parthas, when he came to us as\nan envoy, was deceived by us. That act of ours was exceedingly\nill-judged. Why then, O regenerate one, will Hrishikesa trust my words?\nThe princess Krishna, while standing in the midst of the assembly, wept\npiteously. Krishna will never forget that act of ours, nor that act, the\ndeprivation of Yudhishthira by us of his kingdom. Formerly, it was heard\nby us that the two Krishnas have the same heart between them and are\nfirmly united with each other. Today, O lord, we have seen it with our\neyes. Having heard of the slaughter of his sister's son, Keshava passeth\nhis nights in sorrow. We have offended him highly. Why will he forgive us\nthen? Arjuna also, in consequence of Abhimanyu's death, hath become very\nmiserable. Even if solicited, why will he strike for my good? The second\nson of Pandu, the mighty Bhimasena, is exceedingly fierce. He has made a\nterrible vow. He will break but not bend. The heroic twins, breathing\nanimosity against us, when clad in mail and armed with their swords,\nresemble a pair of Yamas. Dhrishtadyumna and Shikhandi have drawn their\nswords against me. Why will those two, O best of Brahmanas, strive for my\ngood? While clad in a single raiment and in her season, the princess\nKrishna was treated cruelly by Duhshasana in the midst of the assembly\nand before the eyes of all. Those scorchers of foes, the Pandavas, who\nstill remember the naked Draupadi plunged into distress, can never be\ndissuaded from battle.\n\n\"'\"Then again, Krishna, the daughter of Drupada, is in sorrow, undergoing\nthe austerest of penances for my destruction and the success of the\nobjects cherished by her husbands, and sleepeth every day on the bare\nground, intending to do so till the end of the hostilities is attained.\nAbandoning honour and pride, the uterine sister of Vasudeva (Subhadra) is\nalways serving Draupadi as veritable waiting woman. Everything,\ntherefore, hath flamed up. That fire can never be quenched. Peace with\nthem hath become impossible in consequence of the slaughter of Abhimanyu.\nHaving also enjoyed the sovereignty of this earth bounded by the ocean,\nhow shall I be able to enjoy, under favour of the Pandavas, a kingdom in\npeace? Having shone like the Sun upon the heads of all the kings, how\nshall I walk behind Yudhishthira like a slave? Having enjoyed all\nenjoyable articles and shown great compassion, how shall I lead a\nmiserable life now, with miserable men as my companions? I do not hate\nthose mild and beneficial words that thou hast spoken. I, however, do not\nthink that this is the time for peace. To fight righteously is, O\nscorcher of foes, what I regard to be good policy. This is not the time\nfor acting like a eunuch. On the other hand, that is time for the battle.\nI have performed many sacrifices. I have given away Dakshinas to\nBrahmanas, I have obtained the attainment of all my wishes. I have\nlistened to Vedic recitations. I have walked upon the heads of my foes.\nMy servants have all been well cherished by me. I have relieved people in\ndistress. I dare not, O foremost of regenerate ones, address such humble\nwords to the Pandavas. I have conquered foreign kingdoms. I have properly\ngoverned my own kingdom. I have enjoyed diverse kinds of enjoyable\narticles. Religion and profit and pleasure I have pursued. I have paid\noff my debt to the Pitris and to Kshatriya duty. Certainly, there is no\nhappiness here. What becomes of kingdom, and what of good name? Fame is\nall that one should acquire here. That fame can be obtained by battle,\nand by no other means. The death that a Kshatriya meets with at home is\ncensurable. Death on one's bed at home is highly sinful. The man who\ncasts away his body in the woods or in battle after having performed\nsacrifices, obtains great glory. He is no man who dies miserably weeping\nin pain, afflicted by disease and decay, in the midst of crying kinsmen.\nAbandoning diverse objects of enjoyment, I shall now, by righteous\nbattle, proceed to the regions of Shakra, obtaining the companionship of\nthose that have attained to the highest end. Without doubt, the\nhabitation of heroes of righteous behaviour, who never retreat from\nbattle, who are gifted with intelligence and devoted to truth, who are\nperformers of sacrifices, and who have been sanctified in the sacrifice\nof weapons, is in heaven. The diverse tribes of Apsaras, without doubt,\njoyfully gaze at such heroes when engaged in battle. Without doubt, the\nPitris behold them worshipped in the assembly of the gods and rejoicing\nin heaven, in the company of Apsaras. We will now ascend the path that is\ntrod by the celestials and by heroes unreturning from battle, that path\nwhich has been taken by our venerable grandsire, by the preceptor endued\nwith great intelligence, by Jayadratha, by Karna, and by Duhshasana. Many\nbrave kings, who had exerted themselves vigorously for my sake in this\nbattle, have been slain. Mangled with arrows and their limbs bathed in\nblood, they lie now on the bare Earth. Possessed of great courage and\nconversant with excellent weapons, those kings, who had, again, performed\nsacrifices as ordained in the scriptures, having cast off their life\nbreaths in the discharge of their duties, have now become the denizens of\nIndra's abode. They have paved the way (to that blessed region). That\nroad will once more be difficult in consequence of the crowds of heroes\nthat will hurry along it for reaching that blessed goal. Remembering with\ngratitude the feats of those heroes that have died for me, I desire to\npay off the debt I owe them, instead of fixing my heart upon kingdom. If,\nhaving caused my friends and brothers and grandsires to be slain, I save\nmy own life, the world will without doubt, censure me. What kind of\nsovereignty will that be which I will enjoy, destitute of kinsmen and\nfriends and well-wishers, and bowing down unto the son of Pandu? I, who\nhave lorded it over the universe in that way, will now acquire heaven by\nfair fight. It will not be otherwise.\" Thus addressed by Duryodhana, all\nthe Kshatriyas there applauded that speech and cheered the king, saying,\n\"Excellent, Excellent.\" Without at all grieving for their defeat, and\nfirmly resolved upon displaying their prowess, all of them, being\ndetermined to fight, became filled with enthusiasm. Having groomed their\nanimals, the Kauravas, delighting at the prospect of battle, took up\ntheir quarters (for the night) at a spot a little less than two Yojanas\ndistant from the field. Having reached the Sarasvati of red waters on the\nsacred and beautiful table-land at the foot of Himavat, they bathed in\nthat water and quenched their thirst with it. Their spirits raised by thy\nson, they continued to wait (on their resting ground). Once more rallying\ntheir own selves as well as one another, all those Kshatriyas, O king,\nurged by fate, waited (in their encampment).'\"\n\n\n\n6\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'On that table land at the foot of Himavat, those\nwarriors, O monarch, delighting at the prospect of battle and assembled\ntogether, passed the night. Indeed, Shalya and Chitrasena and the mighty\ncar-warrior Shakuni and Ashvatthama and Kripa and Kritavarma of the\nSatwata race, and Sushena and Arishtasena and Dhritasena of great energy\nand Jayatsena and all these kings passed the night there. After the\nheroic Karna had been slain in battle, thy sons, inspired with fright by\nthe Pandavas desirous of victory, failed to obtain peace anywhere else\nthan on the mountains of Himavat. All of them then, O king, who were\nresolved on battle, duly worshipped the king and said unto him, in the\npresence of Shalya, these words, \"It behoveth thee to fight with the\nenemy, after having made some one the generalissimo of thy army,\nprotected by whom in battle we will vanquish our foes.\" Then Duryodhana,\nwithout alighting from his car (proceeded towards) that foremost of\ncar-warriors, that hero conversant with all the rules of battle\n(Ashvatthama), who resembled the Destroyer himself in battle. Possessed\nof beautiful limbs, of head well covered, of a neck adorned with three\nlines like those in a conch shell, of sweet speech, of eyes resembling\nthe petals of a full blown lotus, and of a face like that of the dignity\nof Meru, resembling the bull of Mahadeva as regards neck, eyes, tread,\nand voice, endued with arms that were large, massive, and well-joined,\nhaving a chest that was broad and well-formed, equal unto Garuda or the\nwind in speed and might, gifted with a splendour like that of the rays of\nthe Sun, rivalling Usanas himself in intelligence and the Moon in beauty\nand form and charms of face, with a body that seemed to be made of a\nnumber of golden lotuses, with well-made joints, of well-formed thighs\nand waist and hips, of beautiful fingers, and beautiful nails, he seemed\nto have been made by the Creator with care after collecting one after\nanother all the beautiful and good attributes of creation. Possessed of\nevery auspicious mark, and clever in every act, he was an ocean of\nlearning. Ever vanquishing his foes with great speed, he was incapable of\nbeing forcibly vanquished by foes. He knew, in all its details, the\nscience of weapons consisting of four padas and ten angas. He knew also\nthe four Vedas with all their branches, and the Akhyanas as the fifth.\nPossessed of great ascetic merit, Drona, himself not born of woman,\nhaving worshipped the Three-eyed deity with great attention and austere\nvows, begat him upon a wife not born of woman. Approaching that personage\nof unrivalled feats, that one who is unrivalled in beauty on Earth, that\none who has mastered all branches of learning, that ocean of\naccomplishments, that faultless Ashvatthama, thy son told him these\nwords, \"Thou, O preceptor's son, art today our highest refuge. Tell us,\ntherefore, who is to be the generalissimo of my forces now, placing whom\nat our head, all of us, united together, may vanquish the Pandavas?\"\n\n\"'(Thus addressed), the son of Drona answered, \"Let Shalya become the\nleader of our army. In descent, in prowess, in energy, in fame, in beauty\nof person, and in every other accomplishment, he is superior. Mindful of\nthe services rendered to him, he has taken up our side, having abandoned\nthe sons of his own sister. Owning a large force of his own, that\nmighty-armed one is like a second (Kartikeya, the) celestial\ngeneralissimo. Making that king the commander of our forces, O best of\nmonarchs, we will be able to gain victory, like the gods, after making\nthe unvanquished Skanda their commander.\" After Drona's son had said\nthese words, all the kings stood, surrounding Shalya, and cried victory\nto him. Having made up their minds for battle, they felt great joy. Then\nDuryodhana, alighting from his car, joined his hands and addressing\nShalya, that rival of Drona and Bhishma in battle, who was on his car,\nsaid these words, \"O thou that art devoted to friends, that time has now\ncome for thy friends when intelligent men examine persons in the guise of\nfriends as to whether they are true friends or otherwise. Brave as thou\nart, be thou our generalissimo at the van of our army. When thou wilt\nproceed to battle, the Pandavas, with their friends, will become\ncheerless, and the Pancalas will be depressed.\"\n\n\"'Shalya answered, \"I will, O king of the Kurus, accomplish that which\nthou askest me to accomplish. Everything I have--my life breath, my\nkingdom, my wealth--is at thy service.\"\n\n\"'Duryodhana said, \"I solicit thee with offer of the leadership of my\narmy, O maternal uncle. O foremost of warriors, protect us incomparably,\neven as Skanda protected the gods in battle. O foremost of kings, thyself\ncause thy own self to be installed in the command as Pavaka's son\nKartikeya in the command of (the forces of) the celestials. O hero, slay\nour foes in battle like Indra slaying the Danavas.\"'\"\n\n\n\n7\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Hearing these words of the (Kuru) king, the valiant\nmonarch (Shalya), O king, said these words unto Duryodhana in reply, \"O\nmighty-armed Duryodhana, listen to me, O foremost of eloquent men. Thou\nregardest the two Krishnas, when on their car, to be the foremost of\ncar-warriors. They are not, however, together equal to me in might of\narms. What need I say of the Pandavas? When angry, I can fight, at the\nvan of battle, with the whole world consisting of gods, Asuras, and men,\nrisen up in arms. I will vanquish the assembled Parthas and the Somakas\nin battle. Without doubt, I will become the leader of thy troops. I will\nform such an array that our enemies will not be able to overmaster it. I\nsay this to thee, O Duryodhana. There is no doubt in this.\" Thus\naddressed (by Shalya), king Duryodhana cheerfully poured sanctified\nwater, without losing any time, O best of the Bharatas, on the ruler of\nthe Madras, in the midst of his troops, according to the rites ordained\nin the scriptures, O monarch. After Shalya had been invested with the\ncommand, loud leonine roars arose among thy troops and diverse musical\ninstruments also, O Bharata, were beat and blown. The Kaurava warriors\nbecame very cheerful, as also the mighty car-warriors among the Madrakas.\nAnd all of them praised the royal Shalya, that ornament of battle,\nsaying, \"Victory to thee, O king. Long life to thee! Slay all the\nassembled foes! Having obtained the might of thy arms, let the\nDhartarashtras endued with great strength, rule the wide Earth without a\nfoe. Thou art capable of vanquishing in battle the three worlds\nconsisting of the gods, the Asuras, what need be said of the Somakas and\nthe Srinjayas that are mortal?\" Thus praised, the mighty king of the\nMadrakas obtained great joy that is unattainable by persons of unrefined\nsouls.\n\n\"'Shalya said, \"Today, O king, I will either slay all the Pancalas with\nthe Pandavas in battle, or, slain by them, proceed to heaven. Let the\nworld behold me today careering (on the field of battle) fearlessly.\nToday let all the sons of Pandu, and Vasudeva, and Satyaki, and the sons\nof Draupadi, and Dhrishtadyumna, and Shikhandi, and all the Prabhadrakas,\nbehold my prowess and the great might of my bow, and my quickness, and\nthe energy of my weapons, and the strength of my arms, in battle. Let the\nParthas, and all the Siddhas, with the Charanas behold today the strength\nthat is in my arms and the wealth of weapons I possess. Beholding my\nprowess today, let the mighty car-warriors of the Pandavas, desirous of\ncounteracting it, adopt diverse courses of action. Today I will rout the\ntroops of the Pandavas on all sides. Surpassing Drona and Bhishma and the\nSuta's son, O lord, in battle, I will career on the field, O Kauravas,\nfor doing what is agreeable to thee.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'After Shalya had been invested with the command, O\ngiver of honours, no one among thy troops, O bull of Bharata's race, any\nlonger felt any grief on account of Karna. Indeed, the troops became\ncheerful and glad. They regarded the Parthas as already slain and brought\nunder the power of the ruler of the Madras. Having obtained great joy,\nthy troops, O bull of Bharata's race, slept that night happily and became\nvery cheerful. Hearing those shouts of thy army, king Yudhishthira,\naddressing him of Vrishni's race, said these words, in the hearing of all\nthe Kshatriyas, \"The ruler of the Madras, Shalya, that great bowman who\nis highly regarded by all the warriors hath, O Madhava, been made the\nleader of his forces by Dhritarashtra's son. Knowing this that has\nhappened, do, O Madhava, that which is beneficial. Thou art our leader\nand protector. Do that which should next be done.\" Then Vasudeva, O\nmonarch, said unto that king, \"I know Artayani, O Bharata, truly. Endued\nwith prowess and great energy, he is highly illustrious. He is\naccomplished, conversant with all the modes of warfare, and possessed of\ngreat lightness of hand. I think that the ruler of the Madras is in\nbattle equal to Bhishma or Drona or Karna, or perhaps, superior to them.\nI do not, O ruler of men, even upon reflection, find the warrior who may\nbe a match for Shalya while engaged in fight. In battle, he is superior\nin might to Shikhandi and Arjuna and Bhima and Satyaki and\nDhrishtadyumna, O Bharata. The king of the Madras, O monarch, endued with\nthe prowess of a lion or an elephant, will career fearlessly in battle\nlike the Destroyer himself in wrath amongst creatures at the time of the\nuniversal destruction. I do not behold a match for him in battle save\nthee, O tiger among men, that art possessed of prowess equal to that of a\ntiger. Save thee there is no other person in either heaven or the whole\nof this world, who, O son of Kuru's race, would be able to slay the ruler\nof the Madras while excited with wrath in battle. Day after day engaged\nin fight, he agitates thy troops. For this, slay Shalya in battle, like\nMaghavat slaying Samvara. Treated with honour by Dhritarashtra's son,\nthat hero is invincible in battle. Upon the fall of the ruler of the\nMadras in battle, thou art certain to have victory. Upon his slaughter,\nthe vast Dhartarashtra host will be slain. Hearing, O monarch, these\nwords of mine now, proceed, O Partha, against that mighty car-warrior,\nthe ruler of the Madras. Slay that warrior, O thou of mighty arms, like\nVasava slaying the Asura Namuchi. There is no need of showing any\ncompassion here, thinking that this one is thy maternal uncle. Keeping\nthe duties of a Kshatriya before thee, slay the ruler of the Madras.\nHaving crossed the fathomless oceans represented by Bhishma and Drona and\nKarna, do not sink, with thy followers, in the print of a cow's hoof\nrepresented by Shalya. Display in battle the whole of thy ascetic power\nand thy Kshatriya energy. Slay that car-warrior.\" Having said these\nwords, Keshava, that slayer of hostile heroes, proceeded to his tent in\nthe evening, worshipped by the Pandavas. After Keshava had gone, king\nYudhishthira the just, dismissing all his brothers and the Somakas,\nhappily slept that night, like an elephant from whose body the darts have\nbeen plucked out. All those great bowmen of the Pancalas and Pandavas,\ndelighted in consequence of the fall of Karna, slept that night happily.\nIts fever dispelled, the army of the Pandavas, abounding with great\nbowmen and mighty car-warriors having reached the shore as it were,\nbecame very happy that night, in consequence of the victory, O sire, it\nhad won by the slaughter of Karna.'\"\n\n\n\n8\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'After that night had passed away, king Duryodhana then,\naddressing all thy soldiers, said, \"Arm, you mighty car-warriors!\"\nHearing the command of the king, the warriors began to put on their\narmour. Some began to yoke their steeds to their cars quickly, others ran\nhither and thither. The elephants began to be equipped. The foot-soldiers\nbegan to arm. Others, numbering thousands, began to spread carpets on the\nterraces of cars. The noise of musical instruments, O monarch, arose\nthere, for enhancing the martial enthusiasm of the soldiers. Then all the\ntroops, placed in their proper posts, were seen, O Bharata, to stand,\nclad in mail and resolved to make death their goal. Having made the ruler\nof the Madras their leader, the great car-warriors of the Kauravas,\ndistributing their troops, stood in divisions. Then all thy warriors,\nwith Kripa and Kritavarma and Drona's son and Shalya and Subala's son and\nthe other kings that were yet alive, met thy son, and arrived at this\nunderstanding, that none of them would individually and alone fight with\nthe Pandavas. And they said, \"He amongst us that will fight, alone and\nunsupported, with the Pandavas, or he that will abandon a comrade engaged\nin fight, will be stained with the five grave sins and all the minor\nsins.\" And they said, \"All of us, united together, will fight with the\nfoe.\" Those great car-warriors, having made such an understanding with\none another placed the ruler of the Madras at their head and quickly\nproceeded against their foes. Similarly, all the Pandavas, having arrayed\ntheir troops in great battle, proceeded against the Kauravas, O king, for\nfighting with them on every side. Soon, O chief of the Bharatas, that\nhost, whose noise resembled that of the agitated ocean, and which seemed\nto be wonderful in consequence of its cars and elephants, presented the\naspect of the vast deep swelling with its surges.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'I have heard of the fall of Drona, of Bhishma and\nof the son of Radha. Tell me now of the fall of Shalya and of my son.\nHow, indeed, O Sanjaya, was Shalya slain by king Yudhishthira the just?\nAnd how was my son Duryodhana slain by Bhimasena of great might?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Hear, O king, with patience, of the destruction of human\nbodies and the loss of elephants and steeds, as I describe (to thee) the\nbattle. The hope became strong, O king, in the breasts of thy sons that,\nafter Drona and Bhishma and the Suta's son had been overthrown, Shalya, O\nsire, would slay all the Parthas in battle. Cherishing that hope in his\nheart, and drawing comfort from it, O Bharata, thy son Duryodhana,\nrelying in battle upon that mighty car-warrior, the ruler of the Madras,\nregarded himself as possessed of a protector. When after Karna's fall the\nParthas had uttered leonine roars, a great fear, O king, had possessed\nthe hearts of the Dhartarashtras. Assuring him duly, the valiant king of\nthe Madras, having formed, O monarch, a grand array whose arrangements\nwere auspicious in every respect, proceeded against the Parthas in\nbattle. And the valiant king of the Madras proceeded, shaking his\nbeautiful and exceedingly strong bow capable of imparting a great\nvelocity to the shafts sped from it. And that mighty car-warrior was\nmounted upon the foremost of vehicles, having horses of the Sindhu breed\nyoked unto it. Riding upon his car, his driver made the vehicle look\nresplendent. Protected by that car, that hero, that brave crusher of foes\n(Shalya), stood, O monarch, dispelling the fears of thy sons. The king of\nthe Madras, clad in mail, proceeded at the head of the array, accompanied\nby the brave Madrakas and the invincible sons of Karna. On the left was\nKritavarma, surrounded by the Trigartas. On the right was Gautama (Kripa)\nwith the Sakas and the Yavanas. In the rear was Ashvatthama surrounded by\nthe Kambojas. In the centre was Duryodhana, protected by the foremost of\nthe Kuru warriors. Surrounded by a large force of cavalry and other\ntroops, Subala's son Shakuni, as also the mighty car-warrior Uluka,\nproceeded with the others. The mighty bowmen amongst the Pandavas, those\nchastisers of foes, dividing themselves, O monarch, into three bodies,\nrushed against thy troops. Dhrishtadyumna and Shikhandi and the mighty\ncar-warrior Satyaki proceeded with great speed against the army of\nShalya. Then king Yudhishthira, accompanied by his troops, rushed against\nShalya alone, from desire of slaughtering him, O bull of Bharata's race.\nArjuna, that slayer of large bands of foes, rushed with great speed\nagainst that great bowman Kritavarma and the Samsaptakas. Bhimasena and\nthe great car-warriors among the Somakas rushed, O monarch, against\nKripa, desirous of slaughtering their foes in battle. The two sons of\nMadri, accompanied by their troops, proceeded against Shakuni and the\ngreat car-warrior Uluka at the head of their forces. Similarly, thousands\nupon thousands of warriors of thy army, armed with diverse weapons and\nfilled with rage, proceeded against the Pandavas in that battle.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'After the fall of the mighty bowmen Bhishma and\nDrona and the great car-warrior Karna, and after both the Kurus and the\nPandavas had been reduced in numbers, and when, indeed, the Parthas,\npossessed of great prowess, became once more angry in battle, what, O\nSanjaya, was the strength of each of the armies?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Hear, O king, how we and the enemy both stood for battle\non that occasion and what was then the strength of the two armies. 11,000\ncars, O bull of Bharata's race, 10,700 elephants, and full 200,000\nhorses, and three millions of foot, composed the strength of thy army.\n6,000 cars, 6,000 elephants, 10,000 horses, and one million of foot, O\nBharata, were all that composed the remnant of the Pandava force in the\nbattle. These, O bull of Bharata's race, encountered each other for\nbattle. Having distributed their forces in this way, O monarch,\nourselves, excited with wrath and inspired with desire of victory,\nproceeded against the Pandavas, having placed ourselves under the command\nof the ruler of the Madras. Similarly, the brave Pandavas, those tigers\namong men, desirous of victory, and the Pancalas possessed of great fame,\ncame to battle. Even thus, O monarch, all those tigers among men,\ndesirous of slaughtering their foes, encountered one another at dawn of\nday, O lord. Then commenced a fierce and terrible battle between thy\ntroops and the enemy, the combatants being all engaged in striking and\nslaughtering one another.'\"\n\n\n\n9\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Then commenced the battle between the Kurus and the\nSrinjayas, O monarch, that was as fierce and awful as the battle between\nthe gods and the Asuras. Men and crowds of cars and elephants, and\nelephant-warriors and horsemen by thousands, and steeds, all possessed of\ngreat prowess, encountered one another. The loud noise of rushing\nelephants of fearful forms was then heard there resembling the roars of\nthe clouds in the welkin, in the season of rains. Some car-warriors,\nstruck by elephants, were deprived of their cars. Routed by those\ninfuriate animals other brave combatants ran on the field. Well-trained\ncar-warriors, O Bharata, with their shafts, despatched large bodies of\ncavalry and the footmen that urged and protected the elephants, to the\nother world. Well-trained horsemen, O king, surrounding great\ncar-warriors, careered on the field, striking and slaying the latter with\nspears and darts and swords. Some combatants armed with bows,\nencompassing great car-warriors, despatched them to Yama's abode, the\nmany unitedly battling against individual ones. Other great car-warriors,\nencompassing elephants and foremost warriors of their own class, slew\nsome mighty one amongst that fought on the field, careering all around.\nSimilarly, O king, elephants, encompassing individual car-warriors\nexcited with wrath and scattering showers of shafts, despatched them to\nthe other world. Elephant-warrior rushing against elephant-warrior and\ncar-warrior against car-warrior in that battle slew each other with darts\nand lances and cloth-yard shafts, O Bharata. Cars and elephants and\nhorses, crushing foot-soldiers in the midst of battle, were seen to make\nconfusion worse confounded. Adorned with yak-tails, steeds rushed on all\nsides, looking like the swans found on the plains at the foot of Himavat.\nThey rushed with such speed that they seemed ready to devour the very\nEarth. The field, O monarch, indented with the hoofs of those steeds,\nlooked beautiful like a beautiful woman bearing the marks of (her\nlover's) nails on her person. With the noise made by the tread of heroes,\nthe wheels of cars, the shouts of foot-soldiers, the grunts of elephants,\nthe peal of drums and other musical instruments, and the blare of conchs,\nthe Earth began to resound as if with deafening peals of thunder. In\nconsequence of twanging bows and flashing sabres and the glaring armour\nof the combatants, all became so confused there, that nothing could be\ndistinctly marked. Invulnerable arms, lopped off from human bodies, and\nlooking like the tusks of elephants, jumped up and writhed and moved\nfuriously about. The sound made, O monarch, by heads falling on the field\nof battle, resembled that made by the falling fruits of palmyra trees.\nStrewn with those fallen heads that were crimson with blood, the Earth\nlooked resplendent as if adorned with gold-coloured lotuses in their\nseason. Indeed, with those lifeless heads with upturned eyes, that were\nexceedingly mangled (with shafts and other weapons), the field of battle,\nO king, looked resplendent as if strewn with full blown lotuses. With the\nfallen arms of the combatants, smeared with sandal and adorned with\ncostly Keyuras, the earth looked bright as if strewn with the gorgeous\npoles set up in Indra's honour. The field of battle became covered with\nthe thighs of kings, cut off in that battle and looking like the tapering\ntrunks of elephants. Teeming with hundreds of headless trunks and strewn\nwith umbrellas and yak-tails, that vast army looked beautiful like a\nflowering forest. Then, on the field of battle, O monarch, warriors\ncareered fearlessly, their limbs bathed in blood and therefore looking\nlike flowering Kinsukas. Elephants also, afflicted with arrows and\nlances, fell down here and there like broken clouds dropped from the\nskies. Elephant divisions, O monarch, slaughtered by high-souled\nwarriors, dispersed in all directions like wind-tossed clouds. Those\nelephants, looking like clouds, fell down on the Earth, like mountains\nriven with thunder, O lord, on the occasion of the dissolution of the\nworld at the end of the Yuga. Heaps upon heaps, looking like mountains,\nwere seen, lying on the ground, of fallen steeds with their riders. A\nriver appeared on the field of battle, flowing towards the other world.\nBlood formed its waters and cars its eddies. Standards formed its trees,\nand bones its pebbles. The arms (of combatants) were its alligators, bows\nits current, elephants its large rocks, and steeds its smaller ones. Fat\nand marrow formed its mire, umbrellas its swans, and maces its rafts.\nAbounding with armour and head-gears, banners constituted its beautiful\ntrees. Teeming with wheels that formed its swarms of Chakravakas, it was\ncovered with Trivenus and Dandas. Inspiring the brave with delight and\nenhancing the fears of the timid, that fierce river set in, whose shores\nabounded with Kurus and Srinjayas. Those brave warriors, with arms\nresembling spiked bludgeons, by the aid of their vehicles and animals\nserving the purposes of rafts and boats, crossed that awful river which\nran towards the region of the dead. During the progress of that battle, O\nmonarch, in which no consideration was shown by anybody for anyone, and\nwhich, fraught with awful destruction of the four kinds of forces,\ntherefore, resembled the battle between the gods and the Asuras in days\nof old, some among the combatants, O scorcher of foes, loudly called upon\ntheir kinsmen and friends. Some, called upon by crying kinsmen, returned,\nafflicted with fear. During the progress of that fierce and awful battle,\nArjuna and Bhimasena stupefied their foes. That vast host of thine, O\nruler of men, thus slaughtered, swooned away on the field, like a woman\nunder the influence of liquor. Having stupefied that army, Bhimasena and\nDhananjaya blew their conchs and uttered leonine roars. As soon as they\nheard that loud peal, Dhrishtadyumna and Shikhandi, placing king\nYudhishthira at their head, rushed against the ruler of the Madras.\nExceedingly wonderful and terrible, O monarch, was the manner in which\nthose heroes, unitedly and as separate bodies, then fought with Shalya.\nThe two sons of Madri, endued with great activity, accomplished in\nweapons, and invincible in battle, proceeded with great speed against thy\nhost, inspired with desire of victory. Then thy army, O bull of Bharata's\nrace, mangled in diverse ways with shafts by the Pandavas eager for\nvictory, began to fly away from the field. That host, thus struck and\nbroken by firm bowmen, O monarch, fled away on all sides in the very\nsight of thy sons. Loud cries of \"Oh!\" and \"Alas!\" O Bharata, arose from\namong thy warriors, while some illustrious Kshatriyas among the routed\ncombatants, desirous of victory, cried out saying, \"Stop, stop!\" For all\nthat, those troops of thine, broken by the Pandavas, fled away, deserting\non the field their dear sons and brothers and maternal, uncles and\nsister's sons and relatives by marriage and other kinsmen. Urging their\nsteeds and elephants to greater speed, thousands of warriors fled away, O\nbull of Bharata's race, bent only upon their own safety.'\"\n\n\n\n10\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding the army broken, the valiant king of the\nMadras, addressed his driver, saying, \"Quickly urge these steeds endued\nwith the fleetness of thought. Yonder stays king Yudhishthira, the son of\nPandu, looking resplendent with the umbrella held over his head. Take me\nthither with speed, O driver, and witness my might. The Parthas are\nunable to stand before me in battle.\" Thus addressed, the driver of the\nMadra king proceeded to that spot where stood king Yudhishthira the just\nof true aim. Shalya fell suddenly upon the mighty host of the Pandavas.\nAlone, he checked it like the continent checking the surging sea. Indeed,\nthe large force of the Pandavas, coming against Shalya, O sire, stood\nstill in that battle, like the rushing sea upon encountering a mountain.\nBeholding the ruler of the Madras standing for battle on the field, the\nKauravas returned, making death their goal. After they had returned, O\nking, and separately taken up their positions in well-formed array, an\nawful battle set in, in which blood flowed freely like water.\n\n\"'The invincible Nakula encountered Chitrasena. These two heroes, both of\nwhom were excellent bowmen, approaching, drenched each other with showers\nof arrows in that battle, like two pouring clouds risen in the welkin on\nthe south and the north. I could not mark any difference between the son\nof Pandu and his antagonist. Both of them were accomplished in weapons,\nboth endued with might, and both conversant with the practices of\ncar-warriors. Each bent upon slaying the other, they carefully looked for\neach other's lapses. Then Chitrasena, O monarch, with a broad-headed\nshaft, well-tempered and sharp, cut off Nakula's bow at the handle.\nFearlessly then the son of Karna struck the bowless Nakula at the\nforehead with three shafts equipped with wings of gold and whetted on\nstone. With a few other keen arrows he then despatched Nakula's steeds to\nYama's abode. Next, he felled both the standard and the driver of his\nantagonist, each with three arrows. With those three arrows sped from the\narms of his foe sticking to his fore-head, Nakula, O king, looked\nbeautiful like a mountain with three crests. Deprived of his bow and his\ncars, the brave Nakula, taking up a sword, jumped down from his vehicle\nlike a lion from a mountain-summit. As, however, he rushed on foot, his\nantagonist poured a shower of arrows upon him. Possessed of active\nprowess, Nakula received that arrowy shower on his shield. Getting at the\ncar then of Chitrasena, the mighty-armed hero, the son of Pandu,\nconversant with all modes of warfare and incapable of being tired with\nexertion, ascended it in the very sight of all the troops. The son of\nPandu then cut off from Chitrasena's trunk his diadem-decked head adorned\nwith ear-rings, and graced with a beautiful nose and a pair of large\neyes. At this, Chitrasena, endued with the splendour of the sun, fell\ndown on the terrace of his car. Beholding Chitrasena slain, all the great\ncar-warriors there uttered loud cries of praise and many leonine roars.\nMeanwhile, the two sons of Karna, Sushena and Satyasena, both of whom\nwere great car-warriors, beholding their brother slain, shot showers of\nkeen shafts. Those foremost of car-warriors rushed with speed against the\nson of Pandu like a couple of tigers, O king, in the deep forest rushing\nagainst an elephant from desire of slaying him. Both of them poured their\nkeen shafts upon the mighty car-warrior Nakula. Indeed, as they poured\nthose shafts, they resembled two masses of clouds pouring rain in\ntorrents. Though pierced with arrows all over, the valiant and heroic son\nof Pandu cheerfully took up another bow after ascending on another car,\nand stood in battle like the Destroyer himself in rage. Then those two\nbrothers, O monarch, with their straight shafts, cut off Nakula's car\ninto fragments. Then Nakula, laughing, smote the four steeds of Satyasena\nwith four whetted and keen shafts in that encounter. Aiming a long shaft\nequipped with wings of gold, the son of Pandu then cut off, O monarch,\nthe bow of Satyasena. At this, the latter, mounting on another car and\ntaking up another bow, as also his brother Sushena, rushed against the\nson of Pandu. The valiant son of Madri fearlessly pierced each of them, O\nmonarch, with couple of shafts at the van of battle. Then the mighty\ncar-warrior Sushena, filled with wrath, cut off in that battle, laughing\nthe while, the formidable bow of Pandu's son with a razor-headed arrow.\nThen Nakula, insensate with rage, took up another bow and pierced Sushena\nwith five arrows and struck his standard with one. Without losing a\nmoment, he then cut off the bow and the leathern fence of Satyasena also,\nO sire, at which all the troops there uttered a loud shout. Satyasena,\ntaking up another foe-slaying bow that was capable of bearing a great\nstrain, shrouded the son of Pandu with arrows from every side. Baffling\nthose arrows, Nakula, that slayer of hostile heroes, pierced each of his\nantagonists with a couple of shafts. Each of the latter separately\npierced the son of Pandu in return with many straight-coursing shafts.\nNext they pierced Nakula's driver also with many keen shafts. The valiant\nSatyasena then, endued with great lightness of hand, cut off without his\nbrother's help the shafts of Nakula's car and his bow with a couple of\narrows. The Atiratha Nakula, however, staying on his car, took up a dart\nequipped with a golden handle and a very keen point, and steeped in oil\nand exceedingly bright. It resembled, O lord, a she-snake of virulent\npoison, frequently darting out her tongue. Raising that weapon he hurled\nit at Satyasena in that encounter. That dart, O king, pierced the heart\nof Satyasena in that battle and reduced it into a hundred fragments.\nDeprived of his senses and life, he fell down upon the Earth from his\ncar. Beholding his brother slain, Sushena, insensate with rage, suddenly\nmade Nakula carless in that battle. Without losing a moment, he poured\nhis arrows over the son of Pandu fighting on foot. Seeing Nakula carless,\nthe mighty car-warrior Sutasoma, the son of Draupadi, rushed to that spot\nfor rescuing his sire in battle. Mounting then upon the car of Sutasoma,\nNakula, that hero of Bharata's race, looked beautiful like a lion upon a\nmountain. Then taking up another bow, he fought with Sushena. Those two\ngreat car-warriors, approaching each other, and shooting showers of\narrows, endeavoured to encompass each other's destruction. Then Sushena,\nfilled with rage, struck the son of Pandu with three shafts and Sutasoma\nwith twenty in the arms and the chest. At this, the impetuous Nakula, O\nmonarch, that slayer of hostile heroes, covered all the points of the\ncompass with arrows. Then taking up a sharp shaft endued with great\nenergy and equipped with a semi-circular head, Nakula sped it with great\nforce at Karna's son in that battle. With that arrow, O best of kings,\nthe son of Pandu cut off from Sushena's trunk the latter's head in the\nvery sight of all the troops. That feat seemed exceedingly wonderful.\nThus slain by the illustrious Nakula, Karna's son fell down like a lofty\ntree on the bank of a river thrown down by the current of the stream.\nBeholding the slaughter of Karna's sons and the prowess of Nakula, thy\narmy, O bull of Bharata's race, fled away in fear. Their commander,\nhowever, the brave and valiant ruler of the Madras, that chastiser of\nfoes, then protected, O monarch, those troops in that battle. Rallying\nhis host, O king, Shalya stood fearlessly in battle, uttering loud\nleonine roars and causing his bow to twang fiercely. Then thy troops, O\nking, protected in battle by that firm bowman, cheerfully proceeded\nagainst the foe once more from every side. Those high-souled warriors,\nsurrounding that great bowman, the ruler of the Madras, stood, O king,\ndesirous of battling on every side. Then Satyaki, and Bhimasena, and\nthose two Pandavas, the twin sons of Madri, placing that chastiser of\nfoes and abode of modesty, Yudhishthira, at their head, and surrounding\nhim on all sides in that battle, uttered leonine roars. And those heroes\nalso caused a loud whizz with the arrows they shot and frequently\nindulged in diverse kinds of shouts. Smilingly, all thy warriors, filled\nwith rage, speedily encompassed the ruler of the Madras and stood from\ndesire of battle. Then commenced a battle, inspiring the timid with fear,\nbetween thy soldiers and the enemy, both of whom made death their goal.\nThat battle between fearless combatants, enhancing the population of\nYama's kingdom, resembled, O monarch, that between the gods and the\nAsuras in days of yore. Then the ape-bannered son of Pandu, O king,\nhaving slaughtered the Samsaptakas in battle, rushed against that portion\nof the Kaurava army. Smiling, all the Pandavas, headed by Dhrishtadyumna,\nrushed against the same division, shooting showers of keen arrows.\nOverwhelmed by the Pandavas, the Kaurava host became stupefied. Indeed,\nthose divisions then could not discern the cardinal point from the\nsubsidiary points of the compass. Covered with keen arrows sped by the\nPandavas, the Kaurava army, deprived of its foremost warriors, wavered\nand broke on all sides. Indeed, O Kaurava, that host of thine began to be\nslaughtered by the mighty car-warriors of the Pandavas. Similarly, the\nPandava host, O king, began to be slaughtered in hundreds and thousands\nin that battle by thy sons on every side with their arrows. While the two\narmies, exceedingly excited, were thus slaughtering each other, they\nbecame much agitated like two streams in the season of rains. During the\nprogress of that dreadful battle, O monarch, a great fear entered the\nhearts of thy warriors as also those of the Pandavas.'\"\n\n\n\n11\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'When the troops, slaughtered by one another, were thus\nagitated, when many of the warriors fled away and the elephants began to\nutter loud cries, when the foot-soldiers in that dreadful battle began to\nshout and wail aloud, when the steeds, O king, ran in diverse directions,\nwhen the carnage became awful, when a terrible destruction set in of all\nembodied creatures, when weapons of various kinds fell or clashed with\none another, when cars and elephants began to be mangled together, when\nheroes felt great delight and cowards felt their fears enhanced, when\ncombatants encountered one another from desire of slaughter, on that\nawful occasion of the destruction of life, during the progress of that\ndreadful sport, that is, of that awful battle that enhanced the\npopulation of Yama's kingdom, the Pandavas slaughtered thy troops with\nkeen shafts, and, after the same manner, thy troops slew those of the\nPandavas.\n\n\"'During that battle inspiring the timid with terror, indeed, during the\nprogress of the battle as it was fought on that morning about the hour of\nsunrise, the Pandava heroes of good aim, protected by the high-souled\nYudhishthira, fought with thy forces, making death itself their goal. The\nKuru army, O thou of the race of Kuru, encountering the proud Pandavas\nendued with great strength, skilled in smiting, and possessed of sureness\nof aim, became weakened and agitated like a herd of she-deer frightened\nat a forest conflagration.\n\n\"'Beholding that army weakened and helpless like a cow sunk in mire,\nShalya, desirous of rescuing it, proceeded against the Pandava army.\nFilled with rage, the ruler of the Madras, taking up an excellent bow,\nrushed for battle against the Pandava foes. The Pandavas also, O monarch,\nin that encounter, inspired with desire of victory, proceeded against the\nruler of the Madras and pierced him with keen shafts. Then the ruler of\nthe Madras, possessed of great strength, afflicted that host with showers\nof keen arrows in the very sight of king Yudhishthira the just.\n\n\"'At that time diverse portents appeared to the view. The Earth herself,\nwith her mountains, trembled, making a loud noise. Meteors, with keen\npoints bright as those of lances equipped with handles, piercing the air,\nfell upon the Earth from the firmament. Deer and buffaloes and birds, O\nmonarch, in large numbers, placed thy army to their right, O king. The\nplanets Venus and Mars, in conjunction with Mercury, appeared at the rear\nof the Pandavas and to the front of all the (Kaurava) lords of Earth.\nBlazing flames seemed to issue from the points of weapons, dazzling the\neyes (of the warriors). Crows and owls in large numbers perched upon the\nheads of the combatants and on the tops of their standards. Then a fierce\nbattle took place between the Kaurava and the Pandava combatants,\nassembled together in large bodies. Then, O king, the Kauravas, mustering\nall their divisions, rushed against the Pandava army. Of soul incapable\nof being depressed, Shalya then poured dense showers of arrows on\nYudhishthira, the son of Kunti like the thousand-eyed Indra pouring rain\nin torrents. Possessed of great strength, he pierced Bhimasena, and the\nfive sons of Draupadi and Dhristadyumna, the two sons of Madri by Pandu,\nand the grandson of Sini, and Shikhandi also, each with ten arrows\nequipped with wings of gold and whetted on stone. Indeed, he began to\npour his arrows like Maghavat (Indra) pouring rain at the close of the\nsummer season. Then the Prabhadrakas, O king, and the Somakas, were seen\nfelled or falling by thousands, in consequence of Shalya's arrows.\nMultitudinous as swarms of bees or flights of locusts, the shafts of\nShalya were seen to fall like thunderbolts from the clouds. Elephants and\nsteeds and foot-soldiers and car-warriors, afflicted with Shalya's\narrows, fell down or wandered or uttered loud wails. Infuriate with rage\nand prowess, the ruler of the Madras shrouded his foes in that battle\nlike Destroyer at the end of the Yuga. The mighty ruler of the Madras\nbegan to roar aloud like the clouds. The Pandava army, thus slaughtered\nby Shalya, ran towards Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti (for protection).\nPossessed of great lightness of hand, Shalya, having in that battle\ncrushed them with whetted arrows, began to afflict Yudhishthira with a\ndense shower of shafts. Beholding Shalya impetuously rushing towards him\nwith horsemen and foot-soldiers, king Yudhishthira, filled with wrath,\nchecked him with keen shafts, even as an infuriate elephant is checked\nwith iron-hooks. Then Shalya sped a terrible arrow at Yudhishthira that\nresembled a snake of virulent poison. Piercing through the high-souled\nson of Kunti, that arrow quickly fell down upon the Earth. Then\nVrikodara, filled with wrath, pierced Shalya with seven arrows, and\nSahadeva pierced him with five, and Nakula with ten. The (five) sons of\nDraupadi poured upon that foe-slaying hero, the impetuous Artayani\n(Shalya), showers of arrows like a mass of clouds pouring rain upon a\nmountain. Beholding Shalya struck by the Parthas on every side, both\nKritavarma and Kripa rushed in wrath towards that spot. Uluka also of\nmighty energy, and Shakuni the son of Subala, and the mighty car-warrior\nAshvatthama with smiles on his lips, and all thy sons protected Shalya by\nevery means in that battle. Piercing Bhimasena with three arrows,\nKritavarma, shooting a dense shower of shafts, checked that warrior who\nthen seemed to be the embodiment of wrath. Excited with rage, Kripa\nstruck Dhrishtadyumna with many arrows. Shakuni proceeded against the\nsons of Draupadi, and Ashvatthama against the twins. That foremost of\nwarriors, Duryodhana, possessed of fierce energy, proceeded, in that\nbattle, against Keshava and Arjuna, and endued with might, he struck them\nboth with many arrows. Thus hundreds of combats, O monarch, that were\nfierce and beautiful, took place between thy men and the enemy, on\ndiverse parts of the field. The chief of the Bhojas then slew the brown\nsteeds of Bhimasena's car in that encounter. The steedless son of Pandu,\nalighting from his car, began to fight with his mace, like the Destroyer\nhimself with his uplifted bludgeon. The ruler of the Madras then slew the\nsteeds of Sahadeva before his eyes. Then Sahadeva slew Shalya's son with\nhis sword. The preceptor Gautama (Kripa) once more fearlessly fought with\nDhrishtadyumna, both exerting themselves with great care. The preceptor's\nson Ashvatthama, without much wrath and as if smiling in that battle,\npierced each of the five heroic sons of Draupadi with ten arrows. Once\nmore the steeds of Bhimasena were slain in that battle. The steedless son\nof Pandu, quickly alighting from his car, took up his mace like the\nDestroyer taking his bludgeon. Excited with wrath, that mighty hero\ncrushed the steeds and the car of Kritavarma. Jumping down from his\nvehicle, Kritavarma then fled away. Shalya also, excited with rage, O\nking, slaughtered many Somakas and Pandavas, and once more afflicted\nYudhishthira with many keen shafts. Then the valiant Bhima, biting his\nnether lip, and infuriate with rage, took up his mace in that battle, and\naimed it at Shalya for the latter's destruction. Resembling the very\nbludgeon of Yama, impending (upon the head of the foe) like kala-ratri\n(Death Night), exceedingly destructive of the lives of elephants and\nsteeds and human beings, twined round with cloth of gold, looking like a\nblazing meteor, equipped with a sling, fierce as a she-snake, hard as\nthunder, and made wholly of iron, smeared with sandal-paste and other\nunguents like a desirable lady, smutted with marrow and fat and blood,\nresembling the very tongue of Yama, producing shrill sounds in\nconsequence of the bells attached to it, like unto the thunder of Indra,\nresembling in shape a snake of virulent poison just freed from its\nslough, drenched with the juicy secretions of elephants, inspiring\nhostile troops with terror and friendly troops with joy, celebrated in\nthe world of men, and capable of riving mountain summits, that mace, with\nwhich the mighty son of Kunti had in Kailasa challenged the enraged Lord\nof Alaka, the friend of Maheshvara, that weapon with which Bhima, though\nresisted by many, had in wrath slain a large number of proud Guhyakas\nendued with powers of illusion on the breasts of Gandhamadana for the\nsake of procuring Mandara flowers for doing what was agreeable to\nDraupadi, uplifting that mace which was rich with diamonds and jewels and\ngems and possessed of eight sides and celebrated as Indra's thunder, the\nmighty-armed son of Pandu now rushed against Shalya. With that mace of\nawful sound, Bhima, skilled in battle, crushed the four steeds of Shalya\nthat were possessed of great fleetness. Then the heroic Shalya, excited\nwith wrath in that battle, hurled a lance at the broad chest of Bhima and\nuttered a loud shout. That lance, piercing through the armour of Pandu's\nson, presented into his body. Vrikodara, however, fearlessly plucking out\nthe weapon, pierced therewith the driver of Shalya in the chest. His\nvitals pierced, the driver, vomiting blood, fell down with agitated\nheart. At this, the ruler of the Madras came down from his car and\ncheerlessly gazed at Bhima. Beholding his own feat thus counteracted,\nShalya became filled with wonder. Of tranquil soul, the ruler of the\nMadras took up his mace and began to cast his glances upon his foe.\nBeholding that terrible feat of his in battle, the Parthas, with cheerful\nhearts, worshipped Bhima who was incapable of being tired with exertion.'\"\n\n\n\n12\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Seeing his driver fallen, Shalya, O king, quickly took up\nhis mace made wholly of iron and stood immovable as a bull. Bhima,\nhowever, armed with his mighty mace, rushed impetuously towards Shalya\nwho then looked like the blazing Yuga-fire, or the Destroyer armed with\nthe noose, or the Kailasa mountain with its formidable crest, or Vasava\nwith his thunder, or Mahadeva with his trident, or an infuriate elephant\nin the forest. At that time the blare of thousands of conchs and trumpets\nand loud leonine roars arose there, enhancing the delight of heroes. The\ncombatants of both armies, looking at those two foremost of warriors from\nevery side, applauded them both, saying, \"Excellent, Excellent! Save the\nruler of the Madras, or Rama, that delighter of the Yadus, there is none\nelse that can venture to endure the impetuosity of Bhima in battle.\nSimilarly, save Bhima, there is no other warrior that can venture to\nendure the force of the mace of the illustrious king of the Madras in\nbattle.\" Those two combatants then, Vrikodara and the ruler of the\nMadras, roaring like bulls, careered in circles, frequently jumping up in\nthe air. In that encounter between those two lions among men, no\ndifference could be noticed between them either in respect of their\ncareering in circles or of their wielding the mace. The mace of Shalya,\nwrapped round with a resplendent cloth of gold that looked like a sheet\nof fire, inspired the spectators with dread. Similarly, the mace of the\nhigh-souled Bhima, as the latter careered in circles, looked like\nlightning in the midst of the clouds. Struck by the ruler of the Madras\nwith his mace, the mace of Bhima, O king, produced sparks of fire in the\nwelkin which thereupon seemed to be ablaze. Similarly, struck by Bhima\nwith his mace, the mace of Shalya produced a shower of blazing coals\nwhich seemed exceedingly wonderful. Like two gigantic elephants striking\neach other with their tusks, or two huge bulls striking each other with\ntheir horns, those two heroes began to strike each other with their\nforemost of maces, like a couple of combatants striking each other with\niron bound clubs. Their limbs being struck with each other's mace, they\nsoon became bathed in blood and looked handsomer in consequence like two\nflowering Kinsukas. Struck by the ruler of the Madras on both his left\nand right, the mighty-armed Bhimasena stood immovable like a mountain.\nSimilarly, though struck repeatedly with the force of Bhima's mace,\nShalya, O king, moved not, like a mountain assailed by an elephant with\nhis tusks. The noise made by the blows of the maces of those two lions\namong men was heard on all sides like successive peals of thunder. Having\nceased for a moment, those two warriors of great energy once more began,\nwith uplifted maces, to career in closer circles. Once more the clash\ntook place between those two warriors of superhuman feats, each having\nadvanced towards the other by eight steps, and each assailing the other\nwith his uplifted iron club. Then, wishing to get at each other, they\nonce more careered in circles. Both accomplished (in the use of the mace)\nthey began to display their superiority of skill. Uplifting their\nterrible weapons, they then again struck each other like mountains\nstriking each other with their crests at the time of an earthquake.\nExceedingly crushed with each other's mace in consequence of each other's\nstrength, both those heroes fell down at the same time like a couple of\npoles set up for Indra's worship. The brave combatants then of both\narmies, at that sight, uttered cries of \"Oh!\" and \"Alas!\" Struck with\ngreat force in their vital limbs, both of them had become exceedingly\nagitated. Then the mighty Kripa, taking up Shalya, that bull among the\nMadras, on his own car, quickly bore him away from the field of battle.\nWithin, however, the twinkling of an eye, Bhimasena, rising up, and still\nreeling as if drunk, challenged, with uplifted mace, the ruler of the\nMadras. Then the heroic warriors of thy army, armed with diverse weapons,\nfought with the Pandavas, causing diverse musical instruments to be blown\nand beat. With uplifted arms and weapons and making a loud noise, O\nmonarch, thy warriors headed by Duryodhana rushed against the Pandavas.\nBeholding the Kaurava host, the sons of Pandu, with leonine roars, rushed\nagainst those warriors headed by Duryodhana. Then thy son, O bull of\nBharata's race, singling out Chekitana amongst those rushing heroes,\npierced him deeply with a lance in the chest. Thus assailed by thy son,\nChekitana fell down on the terrace of his car, covered with blood, and\novercome with a deep swoon. Beholding Chekitana slain, the great\ncar-warriors among the Pandavas incessantly poured their arrowy showers\n(upon the Kauravas). Indeed, the Pandavas, inspired with desire of\nvictory, O monarch, careered beautifully on all sides amongst thy\ndivisions. Kripa, and Kritavarma, and the mighty son of Subala, placing\nthe ruler of the Madras before them, fought with king Yudhishthira the\njust. Duryodhana, O monarch, fought with Dhrishtadyumna, the slayer of\nBharadwaja's son, that hero endued with abundant energy and prowess.\n3,000 cars, O king, despatched by thy son and headed by Drona's son,\nbattled with Vijaya (Arjuna). All those combatants, O king, had firmly\nresolved to win victory and had cast off fear with life itself. Indeed, O\nking, thy warriors penetrated into the midst of the Pandava army like\nswans into a large lake. A fierce battle then took place between the\nKurus and the Pandavas, the combatants being actuated with the desire of\nslaughtering one another and deriving great pleasure from giving and\nreceiving blows. During the progress, O king, of that battle which was\ndestructive of great heroes, an earthly dust, terrible to behold, was\nraised by the wind. From only the names we heard (of the Pandava\nwarriors) that were uttered in course of that battle and from those (of\nthe Kuru warriors) that were uttered by the Pandavas, we knew the\ncombatants that fought with one another fearlessly. That dust, however, O\ntiger among men, was soon dispelled by the blood that was shed, and all\nthe points of the compass became once more clear when that dusty darkness\nwas driven away. Indeed, during the progress of that terrible and awful\nbattle, no one among either thy warriors or those of the foe, turned his\nback. Desirous of attaining to the regions of Brahman and longing for\nvictory by fair fight, the combatants displayed their prowess, inspired\nwith the hope of heaven. For paying off the debt they owed to their\nmasters on account of the sustenance granted by the latter, or firmly\nresolved to accomplish the objects of their friends and allies, the\nwarriors, with hearts fixed on heaven, fought with one another on that\noccasion. Shooting and hurling weapons of diverse kinds, great\ncar-warriors roared at or smote one another. \"Slay, pierce, seize,\nstrike, cut off!\" These were the words that were heard in that battle,\nuttered by the warriors and those of the foe. Then Shalya, O monarch,\ndesirous of slaying him, pierced king Yudhishthira the just, that mighty\ncar-warrior with many sharp arrows. Conversant with what are the vital\nlimbs of the body, the son of Pritha, however, O monarch, with the\ngreatest ease, struck the ruler of the Madras with four and ten\ncloth-yard shafts, aiming at the latter's vital limbs. Resisting the son\nof Pandu with his shafts, Shalya of great fame, filled with rage and\ndesirous of slaying his adversary, pierced him in that battle with\ninnumerable arrows equipped with Kanka feathers. Once more, O monarch, he\nstruck Yudhishthira with a straight shaft in the very sight of all the\ntroops. King Yudhishthira the just, possessed of great fame and filled\nwith rage, pierced the ruler of the Madras with many keen arrows equipped\nwith feathers of Kankas and peacocks. The mighty car-warrior then pierced\nCandrasena with seventy arrows and Shalya's driver with nine, and\nDrumasena with four and sixty. When the two protectors of his car-wheels\nwere (thus) slain by the high-souled son of Pandu, Shalya, O king, slew\nfive and twenty warriors among the Cedis. And he pierced Satyaki with\nfive and twenty keen arrows, and Bhimasena with seven, and the two sons\nof Madri with a hundred, in that battle. While Shalya was thus careering\nin that battle, that best of kings, the son of Pritha, sped at him many\nshafts that resembled snakes of virulent poison. With a broad-headed\narrow, Yudhishthira the son of Kunti then cut off from his car the\nstandard top of his adversary as the latter stood in his front. We saw\nthe standard of Shalya, which was thus cut off by the son of Pandu in\nthat great battle, fall down like a riven mountain summit. Seeing his\nstandard fallen and observing the son of Pandu standing before him, the\nruler of the Madras became filled with rage and shot showers of shafts.\nThat bull amongst Kshatriyas, Shalya of immeasurable soul, poured over\nthe Kshatriyas in that battle dense showers of arrows like the deity of\nthe clouds pouring torrents of rain. Piercing Satyaki and Bhimasena and\nthe twin sons of Madri by Pandu, each with five arrows, he afflicted\nYudhishthira greatly. We then, O monarch, beheld a net of arrows spread\nbefore the chest of Pandu's son like a mass of risen clouds. The mighty\ncar-warrior Shalya, in that battle, filled with rage, shrouded\nYudhishthira with straight shafts. At this, king Yudhishthira afflicted\nwith those showers of shafts, felt himself deprived of his prowess, even\nas the Asura Jambha had become before the slayer of Vritra.'\"\n\n\n\n13\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'When king Yudhishthira the just was thus afflicted by the\nruler of Madras, Satyaki and Bhimasena and the two sons of Madri by\nPandu, encompassing Shalya with their cars, began to afflict him in that\nbattle. Beholding the unsupported Shalya thus afflicted by those great\ncar-warriors (and seeing him successfully repel those attacks), loud\nsounds of applause were heard, and the Siddhas (who witnessed the\nencounter) became filled with delight. The ascetics, assembled together\n(for witnessing the battle), declared it to be wonderful. Then Bhimasena\nin that encounter, having pierced Shalya who had become (as his name\nimplied) an irresistible dart in prowess, with one arrow, next pierced\nhim with seven. Satyaki, desirous of rescuing the son of Dharma, pierced\nShalya with a hundred arrows and uttered a loud leonine roar. Nakula\npierced him with five arrows, and Sahadeva with seven; the latter then\nonce more pierced him with as many. The heroic ruler of the Madras,\nstruggling carefully in that battle, thus afflicted by those mighty\ncar-warriors, drew a formidable bow capable of bearing a great strain and\nof imparting great force to the shafts sped from it, and pierced Satyaki,\nO sire, with five and twenty shafts and Bhima with three and seventy and\nNakula with seven. Then cutting off with a broad-headed arrow the bow,\nwith shaft fixed on the string of Sahadeva, he pierced Sahadeva himself,\nin that battle, with three and seventy shafts. Sahadeva then, stringing\nanother bow, pierced his maternal uncle of great splendour with five\nshafts that resembled snakes of virulent poison or blazing fire. Filled\nwith great rage, he then struck his adversary's driver with a straight\nshaft in that battle and then Shalya himself once more with three. Then\nBhimasena pierced the ruler of the Madras with seventy arrows, and\nSatyaki pierced him with nine, and king Yudhishthira with sixty. Thus\npierced, O monarch, by those mighty car-warriors, blood began to flow\nfrom Shalya's body, like crimson streams, running down the breast of a\nmountain of red chalk. Shalya, however, quickly pierced in return each of\nthose great bowmen with five arrows, O king, which feat seemed\nexceedingly wonderful. With another broad-headed arrow, that mighty\ncar-warrior then, O sire, cut off the stringed bow of Dharma's son in\nthat encounter. Taking up another bow, that great car-warrior, the son of\nDharma, covered Shalya, his steeds, and driver, and standard, and car,\nwith many arrows. Thus shrouded in that battle by the son of Dharma with\nhis shafts, Shalya struck the former with ten keen arrows. Then Satyaki,\nfilled with rage upon beholding the son of Dharma thus afflicted with\nshafts, checked the heroic ruler of the Madras with clouds of arrows. At\nthis, Shalya cut off with a razor-faced arrow the formidable bow of\nSatyaki, and pierced each of the other Pandava warriors with three\narrows. Filled with rage, O monarch, Satyaki of unbaffled prowess then\nhurled at Shalya a lance equipped with a golden staff and decked with\nmany jewels and gems. Bhimasena sped at him a cloth-yard shaft that\nlooked like a blazing snake; Nakula hurled at him a dart, Sahadeva an\nexcellent mace, and the son of Dharma a Sataghni impelled by the desire\nof despatching him. The ruler of the Madras, however, quickly baffled in\nthat battle all those weapons, hurled from the arms of those five\nwarriors at him, as these coursed towards his car. With a number of\nbroad-headed arrows Shalya cut off the lance hurled by Satyaki. Possessed\nof valour and great lightness of hand, he cut off into two fragments the\ngold-decked shaft sped at him by Bhima. He then resisted with clouds of\nshafts the terrible dart, equipped with a golden handle, that Nakula had\nsped at him and the mace also that Sahadeva had thrown. With a couple of\nother arrows, O Bharata, he cut off the Sataghni sped at him by the king,\nin the very sight of the sons of Pandu, and uttered a loud leonine roar.\nThe grandson of Sini, however, could not endure the defeat of his weapon\nin that battle. Insensate with rage, Satyaki took up another bow and\npierced the ruler of the Madras with two shafts and his driver with\nthree. At this, Shalya, O monarch, excited with rage, deeply pierced all\nof them with ten arrows, like persons piercing mighty elephants with\nsharp-pointed lances. Thus checked in that battle by the ruler of the\nMadras, O Bharata, those slayers of foes became unable to stay in front\nof Shalya. King Duryodhana, beholding the prowess of Shalya, regarded the\nPandavas, the Pancalas, and the Srinjayas as already slain. Then, O king,\nthe mighty-armed Bhimasena, possessed of great prowess and mentally\nresolved to cast off his life-breaths, encountered the ruler of the\nMadras. Nakula and Sahadeva and Satyaki of great might, encompassing\nShalya, shot their arrows at him from every side. Though encompassed by\nthose four great bowmen and mighty car-warriors among the Pandavas, the\nvaliant ruler of the Madras still fought with them. Then, O king, the\nroyal son of Dharma, in that dreadful battle, quickly cut off with a\nrazor-headed arrow one of the protectors of Shalya's car-wheels. When\nthat brave and mighty car-warrior, that protector of Shalya's car-wheel,\nwas thus slain, Shalya of great strength covered the Pandava troops with\nshowers of arrows. Beholding his troops shrouded with arrows, O monarch,\nin that battle, king Yudhishthira the just began to reflect in this\nstrain, \"Verily, how shall those grave words of Madhava become true? I\nhope, the rider of the Madras, excited with rage, will not annihilate my\narmy in battle.\" Then the Pandavas, O elder brother of Pandu\n(Dhritarashtra), with cars and elephants and steeds, approached the ruler\nof the Madras and began to afflict him from every side. Like the wind\ndispersing mighty masses of clouds, the king of the Madras, in that\nbattle, dispersed that risen shower of arrows and diverse other kinds of\nweapons in profusion. We then beheld the downpour of gold-winged arrows\nshot by Shalya coursing through the welkin like a flight of locusts.\nIndeed, those arrows shot by the ruler of the Madras from the van of\nbattle were seen to fall like swarms of birds. With the gold-decked\nshafts that issued from the bow of the Madra king, the welkin, O monarch,\nbecame so filled that there was not an inch of empty space. When a thick\ngloom appeared, caused by the arrows shot by the mighty ruler of the\nMadras owing to his extreme lightness of hands in that dreadful battle,\nand when they beheld the vast host of the Pandavas thus agitated by that\nhero, the gods and the Gandharvas became filled with great wonder.\nAfflicting with vigour all the Pandava warriors with his shafts from\nevery side, O sire, Shalya shrouded king Yudhishthira the just and roared\nrepeatedly like a lion. The mighty car-warriors of the Pandavas, thus\nshrouded by Shalya in that battle, became unable to proceed against that\ngreat hero for fighting with him. Those, however, amongst the Pandavas,\nthat had Bhimasena at their head and that were led by king Yudhishthira\nthe just, did not fly away from that ornament of battle, the brave\nShalya.'\"\n\n\n\n14\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Meanwhile Arjuna, in that battle, pierced with many\narrows by the son of Drona as also by the latter's followers, the heroic\nand mighty car-warriors among the Trigartas, pierced Drona's son in\nreturn with three shafts, and each of the other warriors with two. Once\nagain, the mighty-armed Dhananjaya covered his enemies with showers of\nshafts. Though struck with keen arrows and though they looked like\nporcupines in consequence of those arrows sticking to their limbs, still\nthy troops, O bull of Bharata's race, fled not from Partha in that\nbattle. With Drona's son at their head, they encompassed that mighty\ncar-warrior and fought with him, shooting showers of shafts. The\ngold-decked arrows, O king, shot by them, speedily filled the terrace of\nArjuna's car. Beholding those two great bowmen, those two foremost of all\nwarriors, the two Krishnas, covered with arrows, those invincible\n(Kaurava) combatants became filled with delight. Indeed, at that time,\nthe Kuvara, the wheels, the shaft, the traces, the yoke, and the\nAnukarsha, O lord, of Arjuna's car, became entirely enveloped with\narrows. The like of what thy warriors then did unto Partha had never\nbefore, O king, been either seen or heard. That car looked resplendent\nwith those keen arrows of beautiful wings like a celestial vehicle\nblazing with hundreds of torches dropped on the Earth. Then Arjuna, O\nmonarch, covered that hostile division with showers of straight shafts\nlike a cloud pouring torrents of rain on a mountain. Struck in that\nbattle with arrows inscribed with Partha's name, those warriors,\nbeholding that state of things, regarded the field of battle to be full\nof Parthas. Then the Partha-fire, having for its wonderful flames and the\nloud twang of Gandiva for the wind that fanned it, began to consume the\nfuel constituted by thy troops. Then, O Bharata, heaps of fallen wheels\nand yokes, of quivers, of banners and standards, with the vehicles\nthemselves that bore them, of shafts and Anukarshas and Trivenus, of\naxles and traces and goads, of heads of warriors decked with earrings and\nheadgears, of arms, O monarch, and thighs in thousands, of umbrellas along\nwith fans, and of diadems and crowns, were seen along the tracks of\nPartha's car. Indeed, along the track of the angry Partha's car, O\nmonarch, the ground, miry with blood, became impassable, O chief of the\nBharatas, like the sporting ground of Rudra. The scene inspired the timid\nwith fear and the brave with delight. Having destroyed 2,000 cars with\ntheir fences, that scorcher of foes, Partha, looked like a smokeless fire\nwith blazing flames. Indeed, even as the illustrious Agni when he blazes\nforth (at the end of the Yuga) for destroying the mobile and the immobile\nuniverse, even so looked, O king, the mighty car-warrior Partha.\nBeholding the prowess of Pandu's son in that battle, the son of Drona, on\nhis car equipped with many banners, endeavoured to check him. Those two\ntigers among men, both having white steeds yoked unto their vehicles and\nboth regarded as the foremost of car-warriors, quickly encountered each\nother, each desirous of slaying the other. The arrowy showers shot by\nboth became exceedingly terrible and were as dense, O bull of Bharata's\nrace, as the torrents of rain poured by two masses of clouds at the close\nof summer. Each challenging the other, those two warriors mangled each\nother with straight shafts in that battle, like a couple of bulls tearing\neach other with their horns. The battle between them, O king, was fought\nequally for a long while. The clash of weapons became terrific. The son\nof Drona then, O Bharata, pierced Arjuna with a dozen gold-winged arrows\nof great energy and Vasudeva with ten. Having shown for a short while\nsome regard for the preceptor's son in that great battle, Vibhatsu then,\nsmiling the while, stretched his bow Gandiva with force. Soon, however,\nthe mighty car-warrior Savyasaci (Arjuna) made his adversary steedless\nand driverless and carless, and without putting forth much strength\npierced him with three arrows. Staying on that steedless car, Drona's\nson, smiling the while, hurled at the son of Pandu a heavy mallet that\nlooked like a dreadful mace with iron spikes. Beholding that weapon,\nwhich was decked with cloth of gold, coursing towards him, the heroic\nPartha, that slayer of foes, cut it off into seven fragments. Seeing his\nmallet cut off, Drona's son of great wrath took up a terrible mace\nequipped with iron spikes and looking like a mountain summit.\nAccomplished in battle, the son of Drona hurled it then at Partha.\nBeholding that spiked mace coursing towards him like the Destroyer\nhimself in rage, Pandu's son Arjuna quickly cut it off with five\nexcellent shafts. Cut off with Partha's shafts in that great battle, that\nweapon fell down on the Earth, riving the hearts, as it were, O Bharata,\nof the (hostile) kings. The son of Pandu then pierced Drona's son with\nthree other shafts. Though deeply pierced by the mighty Partha, Drona's\nson, however, of great might, relying upon his own manliness, showed no\nsign of fear or agitation. That great car-warrior, the son of Drona,\nthen, O king, shrouded Suratha (the Pancala) with showers of shafts\nbefore the eyes of all the Kshatriyas. At this, Suratha, that great\ncar-warrior among the Pancalas, in that battle, riding upon his car whose\nrattle was as deep as the roar of the clouds rushed against the son of\nDrona. Drawing his foremost of bows, firm and capable of bearing a great\nstrain, the Pancala hero covered Ashvatthama with arrows that resembled\nflames of fire or snakes of virulent poison. Seeing the great car-warrior\nSuratha rushing towards him in wrath, the son of Drona became filled with\nrage like a snake struck with a stick. Furrowing his brow into three\nlines, and licking the corners of his mouth with his tongue, he looked at\nSuratha in rage and then rubbed his bow-string and sped a keen cloth-yard\nshaft that resembled the fatal rod of Death. Endued with great speed,\nthat shaft pierced the heart of Suratha and passing out entered the\nEarth, riving her through, like the thunderbolt of Shakra hurled from the\nsky. Struck with that shaft, Suratha fell down on the Earth like a\nmountain summit riven with thunder. After the fall of that hero, the\nvaliant son of Drona, that foremost of car-warriors speedily mounted upon\nthe vehicle of his slain foe. Then, O monarch, that warrior, invincible\nin battle, the son of Drona, well-equipped with armour and weapons, and\nsupported by the Samsaptakas, fought with Arjuna. That battle, at the\nhour of noon, between one and the many, enhancing the population of\nYama's domains, became exceedingly fierce. Wonderful was the sight that\nwe then beheld, for, noticing the prowess of all those combatants,\nArjuna, alone and unsupported, fought with his foes at the same time. The\nencounter was exceedingly fierce that thus took place between Arjuna and\nhis enemies, resembling that between Indra, in days of yore, and the vast\nhost of the Asuras.'\"\n\n\n\n15\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Duryodhana, O king, and Dhrishtadyumna, the son of\nPrishata, fought a fierce battle, using arrows and darts in profusion.\nBoth of them, O monarch, shot showers of arrows like showers of rain\npoured by the clouds in the rainy season. The (Kuru) king, having pierced\nwith five arrows the slayer of Drona, Prishata's son of fierce shafts,\nonce more pierced him with seven arrows. Endued with great might and\nsteady prowess, Dhrishtadyumna, in that battle, afflicted Duryodhana with\nseventy arrows. Beholding the king thus afflicted, O bull of Bharata's\nrace, his uterine brothers, accompanied by a large force, encompassed the\nson of Prishata. Surrounded by those Atirathas on every side, the Pancala\nhero, O king, careered in that battle, displaying his quickness in the\nuse of weapons. Shikhandi, supported by the Prabhadrakas, fought with two\nKuru bowmen, Kritavarma and the great car-warrior Kripa. Then also, O\nmonarch, that battle became fierce and awful since the warriors were all\nresolved to lay down their lives and since all of them fought, making\nlife the stake. Shalya, shooting showers of shafts on all sides,\nafflicted the Pandavas with Satyaki and Vrikodara amongst them. With\npatience and great strength, O monarch, the king of the Madras at the\nsame time fought with the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva), each of whom\nresembled the Destroyer himself in prowess. The great car-warriors among\nthe Pandavas who were mangled in that great battle with the shafts of\nShalya, failed to find a protector. Then the heroic Nakula, the son of\nMadri, seeing king Yudhishthira the just greatly afflicted, rushed with\nspeed against his maternal uncle. Shrouding Shalya in that battle (with\nmany arrows), Nakula, that slayer of hostile heroes, smiling the while,\npierced him in the centre of the chest with ten arrows, made entirely of\niron, polished by the hands of the smith, equipped with wings of gold,\nwhetted on stone, and propelled from his bow with great force. Afflicted\nby his illustrious nephew, Shalya afflicted his nephew in return with\nmany straight arrows. Then king Yudhishthira, and Bhimasena, and Satyaki,\nand Sahadeva, the son of Madri, all rushed against the ruler of the\nMadras. The vanquisher of foes, the generalissimo of the Kuru army,\nreceived in that battle all those heroes that rushed towards him quickly,\nfilling the cardinal and the subsidiary points of the compass with the\nrattle of their cars and causing the Earth to tremble therewith. Piercing\nYudhishthira with three arrows and Bhima with seven, Shalya pierced\nSatyaki with a hundred arrows in that battle and Sahadeva with three.\nThen the ruler of the Madras, O sire, cut off, with a razor-headed arrow,\nthe bow with arrow fixed on it of the high-souled Nakula. Struck with\nShalya's shafts, that bow broke into pieces. Taking up another bow,\nMadri's son, that great car-warrior quickly covered the ruler of the\nMadras with winged arrows. Then Yudhishthira and Sahadeva, O sire, each\npierced the ruler of the Madras with ten arrows in the chest. Bhimasena\nand Satyaki, rushing at the ruler of the Madras, both struck him with\narrows winged with Kanka feathers, the former with sixty, and the latter\nwith nine. Filled with rage at this, the ruler of the Madras pierced\nSatyaki with nine arrows and once again with seventy straight shafts.\nThen, O sire, he cut off at the handle the bow, with arrow fixed on it,\nof Satyaki and then despatched the four steeds of the latter to Yama's\nabode. Having made Satyaki carless, that mighty car-warrior, the ruler of\nthe Madras, struck him with a hundred arrows from every side. He next\npierced two angry sons of Madri, and Bhimasena the son of Pandu, and\nYudhishthira, O thou of Kuru's race, with ten arrows each. The prowess\nthat we then beheld of the ruler of the Madras was exceedingly wonderful,\nsince the Parthas, even unitedly, could not approach him in that battle.\nRiding then upon another car, the mighty Satyaki, of prowess incapable of\nbeing baffled, beholding the Pandavas afflicted and succumbing to the\nruler of the Madras, rushed with speed against him. That ornament of\nassemblies, Shalya, on his car, rushed against the car of Satyaki, like\none infuriate elephant against another. The collision that then took\nplace between Satyaki and the heroic ruler of the Madras, became fierce\nand wonderful to behold, even like that which had taken place in days of\nyore between the Asura Samvara and the chief of the celestials. Beholding\nthe ruler of the Madras staying before him in that battle, Satyaki\npierced him with ten arrows and said, \"Wait, Wait!\" Deeply pierced by\nthat high-souled warrior, the ruler of the Madras pierced Satyaki in\nreturn with sharp shafts equipped with beautiful feathers. Those great\nbowmen then, the Parthas, beholding the king of the Madras assailed by\nSatyaki, quickly rushed towards him from desire of slaying that maternal\nuncle of theirs. The encounter then that took place between those\nstruggling heroes, marked by a great flow of blood, became exceedingly\nawful, like that which takes place between a number of roaring lions. The\nstruggle, O monarch, that took between them resembled that which takes\nplace between a number of roaring lions fighting with each other for\nmeat. With the dense showers of shafts shot by them, the Earth became\nentirely enveloped, and the welkin also suddenly became one mass of\narrows. All around the field a darkness was caused by those arrows.\nIndeed, with the shafts shot by those illustrious warriors, a shadow as\nthat of the clouds was caused there. Then, O king, with those blazing\nshafts sped by the warriors, that were equipped with wings of gold and\nthat looked like snakes just freed from their sloughs, the points of the\ncompass seemed to be ablaze. That slayer of foes, Shalya, then achieved\nthe most wonderful feat, since that hero alone, and unsupported,\ncontended with many heroes in that battle. The Earth became shrouded with\nthe fierce shafts, equipped with feathers of Kankas and peacocks, that\nfell, sped from the arms of the ruler of the Madras. Then, O king, we\nbeheld the car of Shalya careering in that dreadful battle like the car\nof Shakra in days of yore on the occasion of the destruction of the\nAsuras.'\"\n\n\n\n16\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Then, O lord, thy troops, with Shalya at their head, once\nmore rushed against the Parthas in that battle with great impetuosity.\nAlthough afflicted, still these troops of thine, who were fierce in\nbattle, rushing against the Parthas, very soon agitated them in\nconsequence of their superior numbers. Struck by the Kurus, the Pandava\ntroops, in the very sight of the two Krishnas, stayed not on the field,\nthough sought to be checked by Bhimasena. Filled with rage at this,\nDhananjaya covered Kripa and his followers, as also Kritavarma, with\nshowers of shafts. Sahadeva checked Shakuni with all his forces. Nakula\ncast his glances on the ruler of the Madras from one of his flanks. The\n(five) sons of Draupadi checked numerous kings (of the Kuru army). The\nPancala prince Shikhandi resisted the son of Drona. Armed with his mace,\nBhimasena held the king in check, and Kunti's son Yudhishthira resisted\nShalya at the head of his forces. The battle then commenced once more\nbetween those pairs as they stood, among thy warriors and those of the\nenemy, none of whom had ever retreated from fight. We then beheld the\nhighly wonderful feat that Shalya achieved, since, alone, he fought with\nthe whole Pandava army. Shalya then, as he stayed in the vicinity of\nYudhishthira in that battle, looked like the planet Saturn in the\nvicinity of the Moon. Afflicting the king with shafts that resembled\nsnakes of virulent poison, Shalya rushed against Bhima, covering him with\nshowers of arrows. Beholding that lightness of hand and that mastery over\nweapons displayed by Shalya the troops of both the armies applauded him\nhighly. Afflicted by Shalya the Pandavas, exceedingly mangled, fled away,\nleaving the battle, and disregarding the cries of Yudhishthira commanding\nthem to stop. While his troops were thus being slaughtered by the ruler\nof the Madras, Pandu's son, king Yudhishthira the just, became filled\nwith rage. Relying upon his prowess, that mighty car-warrior began to\nafflict the ruler of the Madras, resolved to either win the battle or\nmeet with death. Summoning all his brothers and also Krishna of Madhu's\nrace, he said unto them, \"Bhishma, and Drona, and Karna, and the other\nkings, that put forth their prowess for the sake of the Kauravas, have\nall perished in battle. You all have exerted your valour according to\nyour courage and in respect of the shares allotted to you. Only one\nshare--mine--that is constituted by the mighty car-warrior Shalya,\nremains. I desire to vanquish that ruler of the Madras today in battle.\nWhatever wishes I have regarding the accomplishment of that task I will\nnow tell you. These two heroes, the two sons of Madravati, will become\nthe protectors of my wheels. They are counted as heroes incapable of\nbeing vanquished by Vasava himself. Keeping the duties of a Kshatriya\nbefore them, these two that are deserving of every honour and are firm in\ntheir vows, will fight with their maternal uncle. Either Shalya will slay\nme in battle or I will slay him. Blessed be ye. Listen to these true\nwords, you foremost of heroes in the world. Observant of Kshatriya\nduties, I will fight with my maternal uncle, you lords of Earth, firmly\nresolved to either obtain victory or be slain. Let them that furnish cars\nquickly supply my vehicle, according to the rules of science, with\nweapons and all kinds of implements in a larger measure than Shalya's.\nThe grandson of Sini will protect my right wheel, and Dhrishtadyumna my\nleft. Let Pritha's son Dhananjaya guard my rear today. And let Bhima,\nthat foremost of all wielders of weapons, fight in my front. I shall thus\nbe superior to Shalya in the great battle that will occur.\" Thus\naddressed by the king, all his well-wishers did as they were requested.\nThen the Pandava troops once more became filled with joy, especially the\nPancalas, the Somakas and the Matsyas. Having made that vow, the king\nproceeded against the ruler of the Madras. The Pancalas then blew and\nbeat innumerable conchs and drums and uttered leonine roars. Endued with\ngreat activity and filled with rage, they rushed, with loud shouts of\njoy, against the ruler of the Madras, that bull among the Kurus. And they\ncaused the Earth to resound with the noise of the elephants' bells, and\nthe loud blare of conchs and trumpets. Then thy son and the valiant ruler\nof the Madras, like the Udaya and the Asta hills, received those\nassailants. Boasting of his prowess in battle, Shalya poured a shower of\narrows on that chastiser of foes, king Yudhishthira the just, like\nMaghavat pouring rain. The high-souled king of the Kurus also having\ntaken up his beautiful bow displayed those diverse kinds of lessons that\nDrona had taught him. And he poured successive showers of arrows\nbeautifully, quickly, and with great skill. As he careered in battle,\nnone could mark any lapses in him. Shalya and Yudhishthira, both endued\nwith great prowess in battle, mangled each other, like a couple of tigers\nfighting for a piece of meat. Bhima was engaged with thy son, that\ndelighter in battle. The Pancala prince (Dhrishtadyumna), Satyaki, and\nthe two sons of Madri by Pandu, received Shakuni and the other Kuru\nheroes around. In consequence of thy evil policy, O king, there again\noccurred in that spot an awful battle between thy warriors and those of\nthe foe, all of whom were inspired with the desire of victory. Duryodhana\nthen, with a straight shaft, aiming at the gold-decked standard of Bhima,\ncut off in that battle. The beautiful standard of Bhimasena, adorned with\nmany bells, fell down, O giver of honours. Once more the king, with a\nsharp razor-faced arrow, cut off the beautiful bow of Bhima that looked\nlike the trunk of an elephant. Endued with great energy, the bowless\nBhima then, putting forth his prowess pierced the chest of thy son with a\ndart. At this, thy son sat down on the terrace of his car. When\nDuryodhana swooned away, Vrikodara once more, with razor-faced shaft, cut\noff the head of his driver from his trunk. The steeds of Duryodhana's\ncar, deprived of their driver, ran wildly on all sides, O Bharata,\ndragging the car after them, at which loud wails arose (in the Kuru\narmy). Then the mighty car-warrior Ashvatthama, and Kripa and Kritavarma,\nfollowed that car, desirous of rescuing thy son. The (Kaurava) troops (at\nsight of this) became exceedingly agitated. The followers of Duryodhana\nbecame terrified. At that time, the wielder of Gandiva, drawing his bow,\nbegan to slay them with his arrows. Then Yudhishthira, excited with rage,\nrushed against the ruler of the Madras, himself urging his steeds white\nas ivory and fleet as thought. We then saw something that was wonderful\nin Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, for though very mild and soft, he then\nbecame exceedingly fierce. With eyes opened wide and body trembling in\nrage, the son of Kunti cut off hostile warriors in hundreds and thousands\nby means of his sharp shafts. Those amongst the soldiers against whom the\neldest Pandava proceeded, were overthrown by him, O king, like mountain\nsummits riven with thunder. Felling cars with steeds and drivers and\nstandards and throwing down car-warriors in large numbers, Yudhishthira,\nwithout any assistance, began to sport there like a mighty wind\ndestroying masses of clouds. Filled with rage, he destroyed steeds with\nriders and steeds without riders and foot-soldiers by thousands in that\nbattle, like Rudra destroying living creatures (at the time of the\nuniversal dissolution). Having made the field empty by shooting his\nshafts on all sides, Yudhishthira rushed against the ruler of the Madras\nand said, \"Wait, Wait!\" Beholding the feats then of that hero of terrible\ndeeds, all thy warriors became inspired with fear. Shalya, however,\nproceeded against him. Both of them filled with rage, blew their conchs.\nReturning and challenging each other, each then encountered the other.\nThen Shalya covered Yudhishthira with showers of arrows. Similarly, the\nson of Kunti covered the ruler of the Madras with showers of arrows. Then\nthose two heroes, the ruler of the Madras and Yudhishthira, mangled in\nthat battle with each other's arrows and bathed in blood, looked like a\nSalmali and a Kinsuka tree decked with flowers. Both possessed of\nsplendour and both invincible in battle, those two illustrious warriors\nuttered loud roars. Beholding them both, the soldiers could not conclude\nwhich of them would be victorious. Whether the son of Pritha would enjoy\nthe Earth, having slain Shalya, or whether Shalya having slain the son of\nPandu would bestow the Earth on Duryodhana, could not be ascertained, O\nBharata, by the warriors present there. King Yudhishthira, in course of\nthat battle, placed his foes to his right. Then Shalya shot a hundred\nforemost of arrows at Yudhishthira. With another arrow of great\nsharpness, he cut off the latter's bow. Taking up another bow,\nYudhishthira pierced Shalya with three hundred shafts and cut off the\nlatter's bow with a razor-faced arrow. The son of Pandu then slew the\nfour steeds of his antagonist with some straight arrows. With two other\nvery sharp shafts, he then cut off the two Parshni drivers of Shalya.\nThen with another blazing, well-tempered and sharp shaft, he cut off the\nstandard of Shalya staying in his front. Then, O chastiser of foes, the\narmy of Duryodhana broke. The son of Drona, at this time, speedily\nproceeded towards the ruler of the Madras who had been reduced to that\nplight, and quickly taking him up on his own car, fled away quickly.\nAfter the two had proceeded for a moment, they heard Yudhishthira roar\naloud. Stopping, the ruler of the Madras then ascended another car that\nhad been equipped duly. That best of cars had a rattle deep as the roar\nof the clouds. Well furnished with weapons and instruments and all kinds\nof utensils, that vehicle made the hair of foes stand on end.'\"\n\n\n\n17\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Taking up another bow that was very strong and much\ntougher, the ruler of the Madras pierced Yudhishthira and roared like a\nlion. Then that bull amongst Kshatriyas, of immeasurable soul, poured\nupon all the Kshatriyas showers of arrows, even like the deity of the\nclouds pouring rain in torrents. Piercing Satyaki with ten arrows and\nBhima with three and Sahadeva with as many, he afflicted Yudhishthira\ngreatly. And he afflicted all the other great bowmen with their steeds\nand cars and elephants with many shafts like hunters afflicting elephants\nwith blazing brands. Indeed, that foremost of car-warriors destroyed\nelephants and elephant-riders, horses and horsemen and cars and\ncar-warriors. And he cut off the arms of combatants with weapons in grasp\nand the standards of vehicles, and caused the Earth to be strewn with\n(slain) warriors like the sacrificial altar with blades of Kusa grass.\nThen the Pandus, the Pancalas, and the Somakas, filled with rage,\nencompassed that hero who was thus slaughtering their troops like\nall-destroying Death. Bhimasena, and the grandson of Sini, and those two\nforemost of men, the two sons of Madri, encompassed that warrior while he\nwas fighting with the (Pandava) king of terrible might. And all of them\nchallenged him to battle. Then those heroes, O king, having obtained the\nruler of the Madras, that foremost of warriors, in battle, checked that\nfirst of men in that encounter and began to strike him with winged arrows\nof fierce energy. Protected by Bhimasena, and by the two sons of Madri,\nand by him of Madhu's race, the royal son of Dharma struck the ruler of\nthe Madras in the centre of the chest with winged arrows of fierce\nenergy. Then the car-warriors and other combatants of thy army, clad in\nmail and equipped with weapons, beholding the ruler of the Madras\nexceedingly afflicted with arrows in that battle, surrounded him on all\nsides, at the command of Duryodhana. The ruler of the Madras at this time\nquickly pierced Yudhishthira with seven arrows in that battle. The\nhigh-souled son of Pritha, O king, in return, pierced his foe with nine\narrows in that dreadful encounter. Those two great car-warriors, the\nruler of the Madras and Yudhishthira, began to cover each other with\narrows, washed in oil and shot from their bowstrings stretched to their\nears. Those two best of kings, both endued with great strength, both\nincapable of being defeated by foes, and both foremost of car-warriors,\nwatchful of each other's lapses, quickly and deeply pierced each other\nwith each other's shafts. The loud noise of their bows, bowstrings, and\npalms resembled that of Indra's thunder as those high-souled warriors,\nthe brave ruler of the Madras and the heroic Pandava, showered upon each\nother their numberless arrows. They careered on the field of battle like\ntwo young tigers in the deep forest fighting for a piece of meat.\nSwelling with pride of prowess, they mangled each other like a couple of\ninfuriate elephants equipped with powerful tusks. Then the illustrious\nruler of the Madras, endued with fierce impetuosity, putting forth his\nvigour, pierced the heroic Yudhishthira of terrible might in the chest\nwith shaft possessed of the splendour of fire or the sun. Deeply pierced,\nO king, that bull of Kuru's race, the illustrious Yudhishthira, then\nstruck the ruler of the Madras with a well-shot shaft and became filled\nwith joy. Recovering his senses within a trice, that foremost of kings\n(Shalya), possessed of prowess equal to that of him of a 1,000 eyes, with\neyes red in wrath, quickly struck the son of Pritha with a hundred\narrows. At this, the illustrious son of Dharma filled with rage, quickly\npierced Shalya's chest and then, without losing a moment, struck his\ngolden mail with six shafts. Filled with joy, the ruler of the Madras\nthen, drawing his bow and having shot many arrows, at last cut off, with\na pair of razor-faced shafts, the bow of his royal foe, that bull of\nKuru's race. The illustrious Yudhishthira then, taking a new and more\nformidable bow in that battle, pierced Shalya with many arrows of keen\npoints from every side like Indra piercing the Asura Namuchi. The\nillustrious Shalya then, cutting off the golden coats of mail of both\nBhima and king Yudhishthira with nine arrows, pierced the arms of both of\nthem. With another razor-faced arrow endued with the splendour of fire or\nthe sun, he then cut off the bow of Yudhishthira. At this time Kripa,\nwith six arrows, slew the king's driver who thereupon fell down in front\nof the car. The ruler of the Madras then slew with four shafts the four\nsteeds of Yudhishthira. Having slain the steeds of the king, the\nhigh-souled Shalya then began to slay the troops of the royal son of\nDharma. When the (Pandava) king had been brought to that plight, the\nillustrious Bhimasena, quickly cutting off the bow of the Madra king with\nan arrow of great impetuosity, deeply pierced the king himself with a\ncouple of arrows. With another arrow he severed the head of Shalya's\ndriver from his trunk, the middle of which was encased in mail.\nExceedingly excited with rage, Bhimasena next slew, without a moment's\ndelay, the four steeds also of his foe. That foremost of all bowmen,\nBhima, then covered with a hundred arrows that hero (Shalya), who, endued\nwith great impetuosity, was careering alone in that battle. Sahadeva, the\nson of Madri, also did the same. Beholding Shalya stupefied with those\narrows, Bhima cut off his armour with other shafts. His armour having\nbeen cut off by Bhimasena, the high-souled ruler of the Madras, taking up\na sword and a shield decked with a 1,000 stars, jumped down from his car\nand rushed towards the son of Kunti. Cutting off the shaft of Nakula's\ncar, Shalya of terrible strength rushed towards Yudhishthira. Beholding\nShalya rushing impetuously towards the king, even like the Destroyer\nhimself rushing in rage, Dhristadyumna and Shikhandi and the (five) sons\nof Draupadi and the grandson of Sini suddenly advanced towards him. Then\nthe illustrious Bhima cut off with ten arrows the unrivalled shield of\nthe advancing hero. With another broad-headed arrow he cut off the sword\nalso of that warrior at the hilt. Filled with joy at this, he roared\naloud in the midst of the troops. Beholding that feat of Bhima, all the\nforemost car-warriors among the Pandavas became filled with joy. Laughing\naloud, they uttered fierce roars and blew their conchs white as the moon.\nAt that terrible noise the army protected by thy heroes became cheerless,\ncovered with sweat, bathed in blood, exceedingly melancholy and almost\nlifeless. The ruler of the Madras assailed by those foremost of Pandava\nwarriors headed by Bhimasena, proceeded (regardless of them) towards\nYudhishthira, like a lion proceeding for seizing a deer. King\nYudhishthira the just, steedless and driverless, looked like a blazing\nfire in consequence of the wrath with which he was then excited.\nBeholding the ruler of the Madras before him, he rushed towards that foe\nwith great impetuosity. Recollecting the words of Govinda, he quickly set\nhis heart on the destruction of Shalya. Indeed, king Yudhishthira the\njust, staying on his steedless and driverless car, desired to take up a\ndart. Beholding that feat of Shalya and reflecting upon the fact that the\nhero who had been allotted to him as his share still remained unslain,\nthe son of Pandu firmly set his heart upon accomplishing that which\nIndra's younger brother had counselled him to achieve. King Yudhishthira\nthe just, took up a dart whose handle was adorned with gold and gems and\nwhose effulgence was as bright as that of gold. Rolling his eyes that\nwere wide open, he cast his glances on the ruler of the Madras, his heart\nfilled with rage. Thus looked at, O god among men, by that king of\ncleansed soul and sins all washed away, the ruler of the Madras was not\nreduced to ashes. This appeared to us to be exceedingly wonderful, O\nmonarch. The illustrious chief of the Kurus then hurled with great force\nat the king of the Madras that blazing dart of beautiful and fierce\nhandle and effulgent with gems and corals. All the Kauravas beheld that\nblazing dart emitting sparks of fire as it coursed through the welkin\nafter having been hurled with great force, even like a large meteor\nfalling from the skies at the end of the Yuga. King Yudhishthira the\njust, in that battle, carefully hurled that dart which resembled\nkala-ratri (the Death Night) armed with the fatal noose or the\nfoster-mother of fearful aspect of Yama himself, and which like the\nBrahmana's curse, was incapable of being baffled. Carefully the sons of\nPandu had always worshipped that weapon with perfumes and garlands and\nforemost of seats and the best kinds of viands and drinks. That weapon\nseemed to blaze like Samvartaka-fire and was as fierce as a rite\nperformed according to the Atharvan of Agnirasa. Created by Tvashtri (the\ncelestial artificer) for the use of Ishana, it was a consumer of the\nlife-breaths and the bodies of all foes. It was capable of destroying by\nits force the Earth and the welkin and all the receptacles of water and\ncreatures of every kind. Adorned with bells and banners and gems and\ndiamonds and decked with stones of lapis lazuli and equipped with a\ngolden handle, Tvashtri himself had forged it with great care after\nhaving observed many vows. Unerringly fatal, it was destructive of all\nhaters of Brahma. Having carefully inspired it with many fierce mantras,\nand endued it with terrible velocity by the exercise of great might and\ngreat care, king Yudhishthira hurled it along the best of tracks for the\ndestruction of the ruler of the Madras. Saying in a loud voice the words,\n\"Thou art slain, O wretch!\" the king hurled it, even as Rudra had, in\ndays of yore, shot his shaft for the destruction of the asura Andhaka,\nstretching forth his strong (right) arm graced with a beautiful hand, and\napparently dancing in wrath.\n\n\"'Shalya, however, roared aloud and endeavoured to catch that excellent\ndart of irresistible energy hurled by Yudhishthira with all his might,\neven as a fire leaps forth for catching a jet of clarified butter poured\nover it. Piercing through his very vitals and his fair and broad chest,\nthat dart entered the Earth as easily as it would enter any water without\nthe slightest resistance and bearing away (with it) the world-wide fame\nof the king (of the Madras). Covered with the blood that issued from his\nnostrils and eyes and ears and mouth, and that which flowed from his\nwound, he then looked like the Krauncha mountain of gigantic size when it\nwas pierced by Skanda. His armour having been cut off by that descendant\nof Kuru's race, the illustrious Shalya, strong as Indra's elephant,\nstretching his arms, fell down on the Earth, like a mountain summit riven\nby thunder. Stretching his arms, the ruler of the Madras fell down on the\nEarth, with face directed towards king Yudhishthira the just, like a tall\nbanner erected to the honour of Indra falling down on the ground. Like a\ndear wife advancing to receive her dear lord about to fall on her breast,\nthe Earth then seemed, from affection, to rise a little for receiving\nthat bull among men as he fell down with mangled limbs bathed in blood.\nThe puissant Shalya, having long enjoyed the Earth like a dear wife, now\nseemed to sleep on the Earth's breast, embracing her with all his limbs.\nSlain by Dharma's son of righteous soul in fair fight, Shalya seemed to\nassume the aspect of a goodly fire lying extinguished on the sacrificial\nplatform. Though deprived of weapons and standard, and though his heart\nhad been pierced, beauty did not yet seem to abandon the lifeless ruler\nof the Madras. Then Yudhishthira, taking up his bow whose splendour\nresembled that of Indra's bow, began to destroy his foes in that battle\nlike the prince of birds destroying snakes. With the greatest speed he\nbegan to cut off the bodies of his enemies with his keen shafts. With the\nshowers of shafts that the son of Pritha then shot, thy troops became\nentirely shrouded. Overcome with fear and with eyes shut, they began to\nstrike one another (so stupefied were they then). With blood issuing from\ntheir bodies, they became deprived of their weapons of attack and defence\nand divested of their life-breaths. Upon the fall of Shalya, the youthful\nyounger brother of the king of the Madras, who was equal to his\n(deceased) brother in every accomplishment, and who was regarded as a\nmighty car-warrior, proceeded against Yudhishthira. Invincible in battle\ndesirous of paying the last dues of his brother, that foremost of men\nquickly pierced the Pandava with very many shafts. With great speed king\nYudhishthira the just pierced him with six arrows. With a couple of\nrazor-faced arrows, he then cut off the bow and the standard of his\nantagonist. Then with a blazing and keen arrow of great force and broad\nhead, he struck off the head of his foe staying before him. I saw that\nhead adorned with earrings fall down from the car like a denizen of\nheaven falling down on the exhaustion of his merits. Beholding his\nheadless trunk, bathed all over with blood, fallen down from the car, the\nKaurava troops broke. Indeed, upon the slaughter of the younger brother\nof the Madras clad in beautiful armour, the Kurus, uttering cries of\n\"Oh!\" and \"Alas!\" fled away with speed. Beholding Shalya's younger\nbrother slain, thy troops, hopeless of their lives, were inspired with\nthe fear of the Pandavas and fled, covered with dust. The grandson of\nSini then, Satyaki, O bull of Bharata's race, shooting his shafts,\nproceeded against the frightened Kauravas while the latter were flying\naway. Then Hridika's son, O king, quickly and fearlessly received that\ninvincible warrior, that irresistible and mighty bowman, as he advanced\n(against the beaten army). Those two illustrious and invincible heroes of\nVrishni's race, Hridika's son and Satyaki, encountered each other like\ntwo furious lions. Both resembling the sun in effulgence, they covered\neach other with arrows of blazing splendour that resembled the rays of\nthe sun. The arrows of those two lions of Vrishni's race, shot forcibly\nfrom their bows, we saw, looked like swiftly coursing insects in the\nwelkin. Piercing Satyaki with ten arrows and his steeds with three, the\nson of Hridika cut off his bow with a straight shaft. Laying aside his\nbest of bows which was thus cut off, that bull of Sini's race, quickly\ntook up another that was tougher than the first. Having taken up that\nforemost of bows, that first of bowmen pierced the son of Hridika with\nten arrows in the centre of the chest. Then cutting off his car and the\nshaft also of that car with many well-shot arrows, Satyaki quickly slew\nthe steeds of his antagonist as also his two Parshni drivers. The valiant\nKripa then, the son of Saradwat, O lord, beholding Hridika's son made\ncarless, quickly bore him away, taking him up on his car. Upon the\nslaughter of the king of the Madras and upon Kritavarma having been made\ncarless, the entire army of Duryodhana once more turned its face from the\nbattle. At this time the army was shrouded with a dusty cloud. We could\nnot see anything. The greater portion, however, of thy army fell. They\nwho remained alive had turned away their faces from battle. Soon it was\nseen that that cloud of earthy dust which had arisen became allayed, O\nbull among men, in consequence of the diverse streams of blood that\ndrenched it on every side. Then Duryodhana, seeing from a near point his\narmy broken, alone resisted all the Parthas advancing furiously.\nBeholding the Pandavas on their cars as also Dhrishtadyumna the son of\nPrishata and the invincible chief of the Anartas (Satyaki), the Kuru king\ncovered all of them with sharp arrows. The enemy (at that time)\napproached him not, like mortal creatures fearing to approach the\nDestroyer standing before them. Meanwhile the son of Hridika, riding upon\nanother car, advanced to that spot. The mighty car-warrior Yudhishthira\nthen quickly slew the four steeds of Kritavarma with four shafts, and\npierced the son of Gotama with six broad-headed arrows of great force.\nThen Ashvatthama, taking up on his car the son of Hridika who had been\nmade steedless and carless by the (Pandava) king, bore him away from\nYudhishthira's presence. The son of Saradwat pierced Yudhishthira in\nreturn with eight arrows and his steeds also with eight keen shafts.\nThus, O monarch, the embers of that battle began to glow here and there,\nin consequence, O king, of the evil policy of thyself and thy son, O\nBharata. After the slaughter of that foremost of bowmen on the field of\nbattle by that bull of Kuru's race, the Parthas, beholding Shalya slain,\nunited together, and filled with great joy, blew their conchs. And all of\nthem applauded Yudhishthira in that battle, even as the celestials in\ndays of yore, had applauded Indra after the slaughter of Vritra. And they\nbeat and blew diverse kinds of musical instruments, making the Earth\nresound on every side with that noise.'\"\n\n\n\n18\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'After the slaughter of Shalya, O king, the followers of\nthe Madra king, numbering seventeen hundred heroic car-warriors,\nproceeded for battle with great energy. Duryodhana riding upon an\nelephant gigantic as a hill, with an umbrella held over his head, and\nfanned the while with yak-tails, forbade the Madraka warriors, saying,\n\"Do not proceed, Do not proceed!\" Though repeatedly forbidden by\nDuryodhana, those heroes, desirous of slaying Yudhishthira, penetrated\ninto the Pandava host. Those brave combatants, O monarch, loyal to\nDuryodhana, twanging their bows loudly, fought with the Pandavas.\nMeanwhile, hearing that Shalya had been slain and that Yudhishthira was\nafflicted by the mighty car-warriors of the Madrakas devoted to the\nwelfare of the Madraka king, the great car-warrior Partha came there,\nstretching his bow Gandiva, and filling the Earth with the rattle of his\ncar. Then Arjuna, and Bhima, and the two sons of Madri by Pandu, and that\ntiger among men, Satyaki, and the (five) sons of Draupadi, and\nDhrishtadyumna, and Shikhandi, and the Pancalas and the Somakas, desirous\nof rescuing Yudhishthira, surrounded him on all sides. Having taken their\nplaces around the king, the Pandavas, those bulls among men, began to\nagitate the hostile force like Makaras agitating the ocean. Indeed, they\ncaused thy army to tremble like a mighty tempest shaking the trees. Like\nthe great river Ganges agitated by a hostile wind, the Pandava host, O\nking, once more became exceedingly agitated. Causing that mighty host to\ntremble, the illustrious and mighty car-warriors (the Madrakas), all\nshouted loudly, saying, \"Where is that king Yudhishthira? Why are not his\nbrave brothers, the Pandavas, to be seen here? What has become of the\nPancalas of great energy as also of the mighty car-warrior Shikhandi?\nWhere are Dhrishtadyumna and the grandson of Sini and those great\ncar-warriors, the (five) sons of Draupadi?\" At this, those mighty\nwarriors, the sons of Draupadi, began to slaughter the followers of the\nMadra king who were uttering those words and battling vigorously. In that\nbattle, some amongst thy troops were seen slain by means of their lofty\nstandards. Beholding, however, the heroic Pandavas, the brave warriors of\nthy army, O Bharata, though forbidden by thy son, still rushed against\nthem. Duryodhana, speaking softly, sought to prevent those warriors from\nfighting with the foe. No great car-warrior, however, amongst them obeyed\nhis behest. Then Shakuni, the son of the Gandhara king, possessed of\neloquence, O monarch, said unto Duryodhana these words, \"How is this that\nwe are standing here, while the Madraka host is being slaughtered before\nour eyes? When thou, O Bharata, art here, this does not look well! The\nunderstanding made was that all of us should fight unitedly! Why then, O\nking, dost thou tolerate our foes when they are thus slaying our troops?\"\n\n\"'Duryodhana said, \"Though forbidden by me before, they did not obey my\nbehest. Unitedly have these men penetrated in the Pandava host!\"\n\n\"'Shakuni said, \"Brave warriors, when excited with rage in battle, do not\nobey the command of their leaders. It does not behove thee to be angry\nwith those men. This is not the time to stand indifferently. We shall,\ntherefore, all of us, united together with our cars and horses and\nelephants, proceed, for rescuing those great bowmen, the followers of the\nMadra king! With great care, O king, we shall protect one another.\"\nThinking after the manner of Shakuni, all the Kauravas then proceeded to\nthat place where the Madras were. Duryodhana also, thus addressed (by his\nmaternal uncle) proceeded, encompassed by a large force, against the foe,\nuttering leonine shouts and causing the Earth to resound with that noise.\n\"Slay, pierce, seize, strike, cut off!\" These were the loud sounds that\nwere heard then, O Bharata, among those troops. Meanwhile the Pandavas,\nbeholding in that battle the followers of the Madra king assailing them\nunitedly, proceeded against them, arraying themselves in the form called\nMadhyama. Fighting hand to hand, O monarch, for a short while those\nheroic warriors, the followers of the Madra king, were seen to perish.\nThen, whilst we were proceeding, the Pandavas, united together and endued\nwith great activity, completed the slaughter of the Madrakas, and, filled\nwith delight, uttered joyous shouts. Then headless forms were seen to\narise all around. Large meteors seemed to fall down from the sun's disc.\nThe Earth became covered with cars and broken yokes and axles and slain\ncar-warriors and lifeless steeds. Steeds fleet as the wind, still\nattached to yokes of cars (but without drivers to guide them) were seen\nto drag car-warriors, O monarch, hither and thither on the field of\nbattle. Some horses were seen to drag cars with broken wheels, while some\nran on all sides, bearing after them portions of broken cars. Here and\nthere also were seen steeds that were hampered in their motions by their\ntraces. Car-warriors, while falling down from their cars, were seen to\ndrop down like denizens of heaven on the exhaustion of their merits. When\nthe brave followers of the Madra king were slain, the mighty car-warriors\nof the Parthas, those great smiters, beholding a body of horse advancing\ntowards them, rushed towards it with speed from desire of victory.\nCausing their arrows to whiz loudly and making diverse other kinds of\nnoise mingled with the blare of their conchs, those effectual smiters\npossessed of sureness of aim, shaking their bows, uttered leonine roars.\nBeholding then that large force of the Madra king exterminated and seeing\nalso their heroic king slain in battle, the entire army of Duryodhana\nonce more turned away from the field. Struck, O monarch, by those firm\nbowmen, the Pandavas, the Kuru army fled away on all sides, inspired with\nfear.'\"\n\n\n\n19\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Upon the fall of that great king and mighty car-warrior,\nthat invincible hero (Shalya) in battle, thy troops as also thy sons\nalmost all turned away from the fight. Indeed, upon the slaughter of that\nhero by the illustrious Yudhishthira, thy troops were like ship-wrecked\nmerchants on the vast deep without a raft to cross it. After the fall of\nthe Madra king, O monarch, thy troops, struck with fear and mangled with\narrows, were like masterless men desirous of a protector or a herd of\ndeer afflicted by a lion. Like bulls deprived of their horns or elephants\nwhose tusks have been broken, thy troops, defeated by Ajatasatru, fled\naway at midday. After the fall of Shalya, O king, none amongst thy troops\nset his heart on either rallying the army or displaying his prowess. That\nfear, O king, and that grief, which had been ours upon the fall of\nBhishma, of Drona, and of the Suta's son, O Bharata, now became ours once\nmore, O monarch. Despairing of success upon the fall of the mighty\ncar-warrior Shalya, the Kuru army, with its heroes slain and exceedingly\nconfused, began to be cut down with keen shafts. Upon the slaughter of\nthe Madra king, O monarch, thy warriors all fled away in fear. Some on\nhorse-back, some on elephants, some on cars, great car-warriors with\ngreat speed, and foot-soldiers also fled away in fear. 2,000 elephants,\nlooking like hills, and accomplished in smiting fled away, after Shalya's\nfall, urged on with hooks and toes. Indeed, O chief of the Bharatas, thy\nsoldiers fled on all sides. Afflicted with arrows, they were seen to run,\nbreathing hard. Beholding them defeated and broken and flying away in\ndejection, the Pancalas and the Pandavas, inspired with desire of\nvictory, pursued then hotly. The whiz of arrows and other noises, the\nloud leonine roars, and the blare of conchs of heroic warriors, became\ntremendous. Beholding the Kaurava host agitated with fear and flying\naway, the Pancalas and the Pandavas addressed one another, saying, \"Today\nking Yudhishthira, firm in truth, hath vanquished his enemies. Today\nDuryodhana hath been divested of his splendour and kingly prosperity.\nToday, hearing of his sons' death, let Dhritarashtra, that king of men,\nstupefied and prostrate on the Earth, feel the most poignant anguish. Let\nhim know today that the son of Kunti is possessed of great might among\nall bowmen. Today that sinful and wicked-hearted king will censure his\nown self. Let him recollect today the time and beneficial words of\nVidura. Let him from this day wait upon the Parthas as their slave. Let\nthat king today experience the grief that had been felt by the sons of\nPandu. Let that king know today the greatness of Krishna. Let him hear\ntoday the terrible twang of Arjuna's bow in battle, as also the strength\nof all his weapons, and the might of his arms in fight. Today he will\nknow the awful might of the high-souled Bhima when Duryodhana will be\nslain in battle even as the Asura Vali was slain by Indra. Save Bhima of\nmighty strength, there is none else in this world that can achieve that\nwhich was achieved by Bhima himself at the slaughter of Duhshasana.\nHearing of the slaughter of the ruler of the Madras who was incapable of\ndefeat by the very gods, that king will know the prowess of the eldest\nson of Pandu. After the slaughter of the heroic son of Subala and all the\nGandharas he will know the strength, in battle, of the two sons of Madri\nby Pandu. Why will not victory be theirs that have Dhananjaya for their\nwarrior, as also Satyaki, and Bhimasena, and Dhrishtadyumna the son of\nPrishata, and the five sons of Draupadi, and the two sons of Madri, and\nthe mighty bowman Shikhandi, and king Yudhishthira? Why will not victory\nbe theirs that have for their protector Krishna, otherwise called\nJanardana, that protector of the universe? Why will not victory be theirs\nthat have righteousness for their refuge? Who else than Yudhishthira the\nson of Pritha, who hath Hrishikesa, the refuge of righteousness and fame,\nfor his protector, is competent to vanquish in battle Bhishma and Drona\nand Karna and the ruler of the Madras and the other kings by hundreds and\nthousands?\" Saying these words and filled with joy, the Srinjayas pursued\nthy troops in that battle who had been exceedingly mangled with shafts.\nThen Dhananjaya of great valour proceeded against the car-division of the\nfoe. The two sons of Madri and the mighty car-warrior Satyaki proceeded\nagainst Shakuni. Beholding them all flying with speed in fear of\nBhimasena, Duryodhana as if smiling the while, addressed his driver,\nsaying, \"Partha, stationed there with his bow, is transgressing me. Take\nmy steeds to the rear of the whole army. Like the ocean that cannot\ntransgress its continents, Kunti's son Dhananjaya will never venture to\ntransgress me, if I take up my stand in the rear. Behold, O driver, this\nvast host that is pursued by the Pandavas. Behold this cloud of dust that\nhas arisen on all sides in consequence of the motion of the troops. Hear\nthose diverse leonine roars that are so awful and loud! Therefore, O\ndriver, proceed slowly and take up thy position in the rear. If I stay in\nbattle and fight the Pandavas, my army, O driver, will rally and come\nback with vigour to battle.\" Hearing these words of thy son that were\njust those of a hero and man of honour, the driver slowly urged those\nsteeds in trappings of gold. 21,000 foot-soldiers, deprived of elephants\nand steeds and car-warriors, and who were ready to lay down their lives,\nstill stood for battle. Born in diverse countries and hailing from\ndiverse towns, those warriors maintained their ground, desirous of\nwinning great fame. The clash of those rushing warriors filled with joy\nbecame loud and exceedingly terrible. Then Bhimasena, O king, and\nDhrishtadyumna the son of Prishata resisted them with four kinds of\nforces. Other foot-soldiers proceeded against Bhima, uttering loud shouts\nand slapping their armpits, all actuated by the desire of going to\nheaven. Those Dhartarashtra combatants, filled with rage and invincible\nin battle, having approached Bhimasena, uttered furious shouts. They then\nspoke not to one another. Encompassing Bhima in that battle, they began\nto strike him from all sides. Surrounded by that large body of warriors\non foot and struck by them in that battle, Bhima did not stir from where\nhe stood fixed like Mainaka mountain. His assailants, meanwhile, filled\nwith rage, O monarch, endeavoured to afflict that mighty car-warrior of\nthe Pandavas and checked other combatants (that tried to rescue him).\nEncountered by those warriors, Bhima became filled with fury. Quickly\nalighting from his car, he proceeded on foot against them. Taking up his\nmassive mace adorned with gold, he began to slay thy troops like the\nDestroyer himself armed with his club. The mighty Bhima, with his mace,\ncrushed those 21,000 foot-soldiers who were without cars and steeds and\nelephants. Having slain that strong division, Bhima, of prowess incapable\nof being baffled, showed himself with Dhrishtadyumna in his front. The\nDhartarashtra foot-soldiers, thus slain, lay down on the ground, bathed\nin blood, like Karnikaras with their flowery burthens laid low by a\ntempest. Adorned with garlands made of diverse kinds of flowers, and\ndecked with diverse kinds of earrings, those combatants of diverse races,\nwho had hailed from diverse realms, lay down on the field, deprived of\nlife. Covered with banners and standards, that large host of\nfoot-soldiers, thus cut down, looked fierce and terrible and awful as\nthey lay down on the field. The mighty car-warriors, with their\nfollowers, that fought under Yudhishthira's lead, all pursued thy\nillustrious son Duryodhana. Those great bowmen, beholding thy troops turn\naway from the battle, proceeded against Duryodhana, but they could not\ntransgress him even as the ocean cannot transgress its continents. The\nprowess that we then beheld of thy son was exceedingly wonderful, since\nall the Parthas, united together, could not transgress his single self.\nThen Duryodhana, addressing his own army which had not fled far but\nwhich, mangled with arrows, had set its heart on flight, said these\nwords, \"I do not see the spot on plain or mountain, whither, if ye fly,\nthe Pandavas will not pursue and slay ye! What is the use then of flight?\nThe army of the Pandavas hath been reduced in numbers. The two Krishnas\nare exceedingly mangled. If all of us make a stand, victory will be\ncertainly ours! If you fly away, losing all order, the sinful Pandavas,\npursuing you will slay you all! If, on the other hand, we make a stand,\ngood will result to us! Listen, all you Kshatriyas that are assailed\nhere! When the Destroyer always slays heroes and cowards, what man is\nthere so stupid that, calling himself a Kshatriya, will not fight? Good\nwill result to us if we stay in the front of the angry Bhimasena! Death\nin battle, while struggling according to Kshatriya practices, is fraught\nwith happiness! Winning victory, one obtains happiness here. If slain,\none obtains great fruits in the other world! You Kauravas, there is no\nbetter path to heaven than that offered by battle! Slain in battle, you\nmay, without delay, obtain all those regions of blessedness.\" Hearing\nthese words of his, and applauding them highly, the (Kuru) kings once\nmore rushed against the Pandavas for battling with them. Seeing them\nadvancing with speed, the Parthas, arrayed in order of battle, skilled in\nsmiting, excited with rage, and inspired with desire of victory, rushed\nagainst them. The valiant Dhananjaya, stretching his bow Gandiva\ncelebrated over the three worlds, proceeded on his car against the foe.\nThe two sons of Madri, and Satyaki, rushed against Shakuni, and the other\n(Pandava) heroes, smiling, rushed impetuously against thy forces.'\"\n\n\n\n20\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'After the (Kuru) army had been rallied, Shalva, the ruler\nof the Mlecchas, filled with rage, rushed against the large force of the\nPandavas, riding on a gigantic elephant, with secretions issuing from the\nusual limbs, looking like a hill, swelling with pride, resembling\nAiravata himself, and capable of crushing large bands of foes. Shalva's\nanimal sprung from a high and noble breed. It was always worshipped by\nDhritarashtra's son. It was properly equipped and properly trained for\nbattle, O king, by persons well-conversant with elephant-lore. Riding on\nthat elephant, that foremost of kings looked like the morning sun at the\nclose of summer. Mounting on that foremost of elephants, O monarch, he\nproceeded against the Pandavas and began to pierce them on all sides with\nkeen and terrible shafts that resembled Indra's thunder in force. While\nhe shot his arrows in that battle and despatched hostile warriors to\nYama's abode, neither the Kauravas nor the Pandavas could notice any\nlapses in him, even as the Daityas, O king, could not notice any in\nVasava, the wielder of the thunder, in days of yore, while the latter was\nemployed in crushing their divisions. The Pandavas, the Somakas, and the\nSrinjayas, beheld that elephant looking like a 1,000 elephants careering\naround them, even as the foes of the gods had in days of yore beheld the\nelephant of Indra in battle. Agitated (by that animal), the hostile army\nlooked on every side as if deprived of life. Unable to stand in battle,\nthey then fled away in great fear, crushing one another as they ran. Then\nthe vast host of the Pandavas, broken by king Shalya, suddenly fled on all\nsides, unable to endure the impetuosity of that elephant. Beholding the\nPandava host broken and flying away in speed, all the foremost of\nwarriors of thy army worshipped king Salwa and blew their conchs white as\nthe moon. Hearing the shouts of the Kauravas uttered in joy and the blare\nof their conchs, the commander of the Pandava and the Srinjaya forces,\nthe Pancala prince (Dhrishtadyumna) could not, from wrath, endure it. The\nillustrious Dhrishtadyumna then, with great speed, proceeded for\nvanquishing the elephant, even as the Asura Jambha had proceeded against\nAiravata, the prince of elephants that Indra rode in the course of his\nencounter with Indra. Beholding the ruler of the Pandavas impetuously\nrushing against him, Salwa, that lion among kings, quickly urged his\nelephants, O king, for the destruction of Drupada's son. The latter,\nseeing the animal approaching with precipitancy, pierced it with three\nforemost of shafts, polished by the hands of the smith, keen, blazing,\nendued with fierce energy, and resembling fire itself in splendour and\nforce. Then that illustrious hero struck the animal at the frontal globes\nwith five other whetted and foremost of shafts. Pierced therewith, that\nprince of elephants, turning away from the battle, ran with great speed.\nSalwa, however, suddenly checking that foremost of elephants which had\nbeen exceedingly mangled and forced to retreat, caused it to turn back,\nand with hooks and keen lances urged it forward against the car of the\nPancala king, pointing it out to the infuriate animal. Beholding the\nanimal rushing impetuously at him, the heroic Dhrishtadyumna, taking up a\nmace, quickly jumped down on the Earth from his car, his limbs stupefied\nwith fear. That gigantic elephant, meanwhile, suddenly crushing that\ngold-decked car with its steeds and driver, raised it up in the air with\nhis trunk and then dashed it down on the Earth. Beholding the driver of\nthe Pancala king thus crushed by that foremost of elephants, Bhima and\nShikhandi and the grandson of Sini rushed with great speed against that\nanimal. With their shafts they speedily checked the impetuosity of the\nadvancing beast. Thus received by those car-warriors and checked by them\nin battle, the elephant began to waver. Meanwhile, king Salwa began to\nshoot his shafts like the sun shedding his rays on all sides. Struck with\nthose shafts, the (Pandava) car-warriors began to fly away. Beholding\nthat feat of Salwa, the Pancalas, the Srinjayas, and the Matsyas, O king,\nuttered loud cries of \"Oh!\" and \"Alas!\" in that battle, all those\nforemost of men, however, encompassed the animal on all sides. The brave\nPancala king then, taking up his mace which resembled the lofty crest of\na mountain, appeared there. Fearlessly, O king, that hero, that smiter of\nfoes, rushed with speed against the elephant. Endued with great activity,\nthe prince of the Pancalas approached and began to strike with his mace\nthat animal which was huge as a hill and which shed its secretions like a\nmighty mass of pouring clouds. Its frontal globes suddenly split open,\nand it uttered a loud cry; and vomiting a profuse quantity of blood, the\nanimal, huge as a hill, suddenly fell down, even as a mountain falling\ndown during an earthquake. While that prince of elephants was falling\ndown, and while the troops of thy son were uttering wails of woe at the\nsight, that foremost of warriors among the Sinis cut off the head of king\nSalwa with a sharp and broad-headed arrow. His head having been cut off\nby the Satwata hero, Salwa fell down on the Earth along with his prince\nof elephants, even like a mountain summit suddenly riven by the\nthunderbolt hurled by the chief of the celestials.'\"\n\n\n\n21\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'After the heroic Salwa, that ornament of assemblies, had\nbeen slain, thy army speedily broke like a mighty tree broken by the\nforce of the tempest. Beholding the army broken, the mighty car-warrior\nKritavarma, possessed by heroism and great strength, resisted the hostile\nforce in that battle. Seeing the Satwata hero, O king, standing in battle\nlike a hill pierced with arrows (by the foes), the Kuru heroes, who had\nfled away, rallied and came back. Then, O monarch, a battle took place\nbetween the Pandavas and the returned Kurus who made death itself their\ngoal. Wonderful was that fierce encounter which occurred between the\nSatwata hero and his foes, since he resisted the invincible army of the\nPandavas. When friends were seen to accomplish the most difficult feats,\nfriends, filled with delight, uttered leonine shouts that seemed to reach\nthe very heavens. At those sounds the Pancalas, O bull of Bharata's race,\nbecame inspired with fear. Then Satyaki, the grandson of Sini, approached\nthat spot. Approaching king Kshemakirti of great strength, Satyaki\ndespatched him to Yama's abode, with seven keen shafts. Then the son of\nHridika, of great intelligence, rushed with speed against that bull of\nSini's race, that mighty armed warrior, as the latter came, shooting his\nwhetted shafts. Those two bowmen, those two foremost of car-warriors,\nroared like lions and encountered each other with great force, both being\narmed with foremost of weapons. The Pandavas, the Pancalas, and the other\nwarriors, became spectators of that terrible encounter between the two\nheroes. Those two heroes of the Vrishni-Andhaka race, like two elephants\nfilled with delight, struck each other with long arrows and shafts\nequipped with calf-toothed heads. Careering in diverse kinds of tracks,\nthe son of Hridika and that bull of Sini's race soon afflicted each other\nwith showers of arrows. The shafts sped with great force from the bows of\nthe two Vrishni lions were seen by us in the welkin to resemble flights\nof swiftly coursing insects. Then the son of Hridika, approaching Satyaki\nof true prowess, pierced the four steeds of the latter with four keen\nshafts. The long-armed Satyaki, enraged at this, like an elephant struck\nwith a lance, pierced Kritavarma with eight foremost of arrows. Then\nKritavarma pierced Satyaki with three arrows whetted on stone and sped\nfrom his bow drawn to its fullest and then cut off his bow with another\narrow. Laying aside his broken bow, that bull of Sini's race quickly took\nup another with arrow fixed on it. Having taken up that foremost of bows\nand stringed it, that foremost of all bowmen, that Atiratha of mighty\nenergy and great intelligence and great strength, unable to endure the\ncutting of his bow by Kritavarma, and filled with fury, quickly rushed\nagainst the latter. With ten keen shafts that bull of Sini's race then\nstruck the driver, the steeds, and the standard of Kritavarma. At this, O\nking, the great bowman and mighty car-warrior Kritavarma, beholding his\ngold-decked car made driverless and steedless, became filled with rage.\nUplifting a pointed lance, O sire, he hurled it with all the force of his\narm at that bull of Sini's race, desirous of slaying him. Satyaki,\nhowever, of the Satwata race, striking that lance with many keen arrows,\ncut it off into fragments and caused it to fall down, stupefying\nKritavarma of Madhu's race (with his activity and prowess). With another\nbroad-headed arrow he then struck Kritavarma in the chest. Made steedless\nand driverless in that battle by Yuyudhana, skilled in weapons,\nKritavarma came down on the Earth. The heroic Kritavarma having been\ndeprived of his car by Satyaki in that single combat, all the (Kaurava)\ntroops became filled with great fear. A great sorrow afflicted the heart\nof thy sons, when Kritavarma was thus made steedless and driverless and\ncarless. Beholding that chastiser of foes made steedless and driverless,\nKripa, O king, rushed at that bull of Sini's race, desirous of\ndespatching him to Yama's abode. Taking Kritavarma upon his car in the\nvery sight of all the bowmen, the mighty-armed Kripa bore him away from\nthe press of battle. After Kritavarma had been made carless and the\ngrandson of Sini had become powerful on the field, the whole army of\nDuryodhana once more turned away from the fight. The enemy, however, did\nnot see it, for the (Kuru) army was then shrouded with a dusty cloud. All\nthy warriors fled, O monarch, except king Duryodhana. The latter,\nbeholding from a near point that his own army was routed, quickly\nrushing, assailed the victorious enemy, alone resisting them all.\nFearlessly that invincible warrior, filled with rage, assailed with keen\narrows all the Pandus, and Dhrishtadyumna the son of Prishta, and\nShikhandi, and the sons of Draupadi, and the large bands of the Pancalas,\nand the Kaikeyas, O sire, and the Somakas! With firm determination thy\nmighty son stood in battle, even as a blazing and mighty fire on the\nsacrificial platform, sanctified with mantras. Even thus, king Duryodhana\ncareered all over the field, in that battle. His foes could not approach\nhim then, like living creatures unable to approach the Destroyer. Then\nthe son of Hridika came there, riding on another car.'\"\n\n\n\n22\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'That foremost of car-warriors, O monarch, thy son, riding\non his car and filled with the courage of despair, looked resplendent in\nthat battle like Rudra himself of great valour. With the thousands of\nshafts shot by him, the Earth became completely covered. Indeed, he\ndrenched his enemies with showers of arrows like the clouds pouring rain\non mountain breasts. There was then not a man amongst the Pandavas in\nthat great battle, or a steed, or an elephant, or a car, that was not\nstruck with Duryodhana's arrows. Upon whomsoever amongst the warriors I\nthen cast my eyes, O monarch, I beheld that every one, O Bharata, was\nstruck by thy son with his arrows. The Pandava army was then covered with\nthe shafts of that illustrious warrior, even as a host is covered with\nthe dust it raises while marching or rushing to battle. The Earth then, O\nlord of Earth, seemed to me to be made one entire expanse of arrows by\nthy son Duryodhana, that bowman possessed of great lightness of hands.\nAmongst those thousands upon thousands of warriors on the field,\nbelonging to thy side or that of the enemy, it seemed to me that\nDuryodhana was then the only man. The prowess that we then beheld of thy\nson seemed to be exceedingly wonderful, since the Parthas, even uniting\ntogether, could not approach his single self. He pierced Yudhishthira, O\nbull of Bharata's race, with a hundred arrows, and Bhimasena with\nseventy, and Sahadeva with seven. And he pierced Nakula with four and\nsixty, and Dhrishtadyumna with five, and the sons of Draupadi with seven,\nand Satyaki with three arrows. With a broad-headed arrow, he then, O\nsire, cut off the bow of Sahadeva. Laying aside that broken bow, the\nvaliant son of Madri, took up another formidable bow, and rushing against\nking Duryodhana, pierced him with ten shafts in that battle. The great\nbowman Nakula, possessed of courage, then pierced the king with nine\nterrible arrows and uttered a loud roar. Satyaki struck the king with a\nsingle straight shaft; the sons of Draupadi struck him with three and\nseventy and king Yudhishthira struck him with five. And Bhimasena\nafflicted the king with eighty shafts. Though pierced thus from every\nside with numerous arrows by these illustrious warriors, Duryodhana\nstill, O monarch, did not waver, in the presence of all the troops who\nstood there as spectators. The quickness, the skill, and the prowess of\nthat illustrious warrior were seen by all the men there to exceed those\nof every creature. Meanwhile the Dhartarashtras, O monarch, who had not\nfled far from that spot, beholding the king, rallied and returned there,\nclad in mail. The noise made by them when they came back became\nexceedingly awful, like the roar of the surging ocean in the season of\nrains. Approaching their unvanquished king in that battle, those great\nbowmen proceeded against the Pandavas for fight. The son of Drona\nresisted in that battle the angry Bhimasena. With the arrows, O monarch,\nthat were shot in that battle, all the points of the compass became\ncompletely shrouded, so that the brave combatants could not distinguish\nthe cardinal from the subsidiary points of the compass. As regards\nAshvatthama and Bhimasena, O Bharata, both of them were achievers of\ncruel feats. Both of them were irresistible in battle. The arms of both\ncontained many cicatrices in consequence of both having repeatedly drawn\nthe bow-string. Counteracting each other's feats, they continued to fight\nwith each other, frightening the whole Universe. The heroic Shakuni\nassailed Yudhishthira in that battle. The mighty son of Subala, having\nslain the four steeds of the king, uttered a loud roar, causing all the\ntroops to tremble with fear. Meanwhile, the valiant Sahadeva bore away\nthe heroic and vanquished king on his car from that battle. Then king\nYudhishthira the just, riding upon another car (came back to battle), and\nhaving pierced Shakuni at first with nine arrows, once more pierced him\nwith five. And that foremost of all bowmen then uttered a loud roar. That\nbattle, O sire, awful as it was, became wonderful to behold. It filled\nthe spectators with delight and was applauded by the Siddhas and the\nCharanas. Uluka of immeasurable soul rushed against the mighty bowman\nNakula, in that battle, shooting showers of arrows from every side. The\nheroic Nakula, however, in that battle, resisted the son of Shakuni with\na thick shower of arrows from every side. Both those heroes were\nwell-born and both were mighty car-warriors. They were seen to fight with\neach other, each highly enraged with the other. Similarly Kritavarma, O\nking, fighting with the grandson of Sini, that scorcher of foes, looked\nresplendent, like Shakra battling with the Asura Vala. Duryodhana, having\ncut off Dhrishtadyumna's bow in that battle, pierced his bowless\nantagonist with keen shafts. Dhrishtadyumna then, in that encounter,\nhaving taken up a formidable bow, fought with the king in the sight of\nall the bowmen. The battle between those two heroes became exceedingly\nfierce, O bull of Bharata's race, like the encounter between two wild and\ninfuriate elephants with juicy secretions trickling down their limbs. The\nheroic Gautama, excited with rage in that battle, pierced the mighty sons\nof Draupadi with many straight shafts. The battle that took place between\nhim and those five, resembled that which takes place between an embodied\nbeing and his (five) senses. It was awful and exceedingly fierce, and\nneither side showed any consideration for the other. The (five) sons of\nDraupadi afflicted Kripa like the (five) senses afflicting a foolish man.\nHe, on the other hand, fighting with them, controlled them with vigour.\nEven such and so wonderful, O Bharata, was that battle between him and\nthem. It resembled the repeated combats, O lord, between embodied\ncreatures and their senses. Men fought with men, elephants with\nelephants, steeds with steeds and car-warriors with car-warriors. Once\nmore, O monarch, that battle became general and awful. Here an encounter\nwas beautiful, there another was awful, and there another was exceedingly\nfierce, O lord! Many and awful, O monarch, were the encounters that took\nplace in course of that battle. Those chastisers of foes (belonging to\nboth armies), encountering one another, pierced and slew one another in\nthat dreadful engagement. A dense cloud of dust was then seen there,\nraised by the vehicles and the animals of the warriors. Thick also, O\nking, was the dust raised by the running steeds, a dust that was carried\nfrom one place to another by the wind. Raised by the wheels of cars and\nthe breaths of the elephants, the dust, thick as an evening cloud, rose\ninto the welkin. That dust having been raised and the sun himself having\nbeen dimmed therewith, the Earth became shrouded, and the heroic and\nmighty car-warriors could not be seen. Anon that disappeared and\neverything became clear when the Earth, O best of the Bharatas, became\ndrenched with the blood of heroes. Indeed, that dense and awful cloud of\ndust was allayed. Then, O Bharata, I could once more see the diverse\nsingle combats that the combatants fought at noon of day, each according\nto his strength and his rank, all of which were exceedingly fierce. The\nblazing splendour of those feats, O monarch, appeared full in view. Loud\nbecame the noise of falling shafts in that battle, resembling that made\nby a vast forest of bamboo while burning on every side.'\"\n\n\n\n23\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'During the progress of that terrible and awful battle,\nthe army of thy son was broken by the Pandavas. Rallying their great\ncar-warriors, however, with vigorous efforts, thy sons continued to fight\nwith the Pandava army. The (Kuru) warriors, desirous of thy son's\nwelfare, suddenly returned. Upon their return, the battle once more\nbecame exceedingly fierce between thy warriors and those of the foe,\nresembling that between the gods and the Asuras in days of old. Neither\namongst the enemies nor amongst thine was there a single combatant that\nturned away from that battle. The warriors fought, aided by guess and by\nthe names they uttered. Great was the destruction that occurred as they\nthus fought with one another. Then king Yudhishthira, filled with great\nwrath and becoming desirous of vanquishing the Dhartarashtras and their\nking in that battle, pierced the son of Saradwat with three arrows winged\nwith gold and whetted on stone, and next slew with four others the four\nsteeds of Kritavarma. Then Ashvatthama bore away the celebrated son of\nHridika. Saradwat's son pierced Yudhishthira in return with eight arrows.\nThen king Duryodhana despatched seven hundred cars to the spot where king\nYudhishthira was battling. Those cars ridden by excellent warriors and\nendued with speed of the wind or thought, rushed in that battle against\nthe car of Kunti's son. Encompassing Yudhishthira on every side, they\nmade him invisible with their shafts like clouds hiding the sun from the\nview. Then the Pandava heroes headed by Shikhandi, beholding king\nYudhishthira the just assailed in that way by the Kauravas, became filled\nwith rage and were unable to put up with it. Desirous of rescuing\nYudhishthira, the son of Kunti, they came to that spot upon their cars\npossessed of great speed and adorned with rows of bells. Then commenced\nan awful battle, in which blood flowed as water, between the Pandavas and\nthe Kurus, that increased the population of Yama's domains. Slaying those\nseven hundred hostile car-warriors of the Kuru army, the Pandavas and the\nPancalas once more resisted (the whole Kuru army). There a fierce battle\nwas fought between thy son and the Pandavas. We had never before seen or\nheard of its like. During the progress of that battle in which no\nconsideration was showed by anybody for anybody, and while the warriors\nof thy army and those of the foe were falling fast, and the combatants\nwere all shouting and blowing their conchs, and the bowmen were roaring\nand uttering loud noises of diverse kinds, while, indeed, the battle was\nraging fiercely and the very vitals of the combatants were being struck,\nand the troops, O sire, desirous of victory, were rushing with speed,\nwhile, verily, everything on Earth seemed to be undergoing a woeful\ndestruction, during that time when innumerable ladies of birth and beauty\nwere being made widows, during, indeed, the progress of that fierce\nengagement in which the warriors behaved without any consideration for\nfriends and foes, awful portents appeared, presaging the destruction of\neverything. The Earth, with her mountains and forests, trembled, making a\nloud noise. Meteors like blazing brands equipped with handles dropped\nfrom the sky, O king, on every side on the Earth as if from the solar\ndisc. A hurricane arose, blowing on all sides, and bearing away hard\npebbles along its lower course. The elephants shed copious tears and\ntrembled exceedingly. Disregarding all these fierce and awful portents,\nthe Kshatriyas, taking counsel with one another, cheerfully stood on the\nfield for battle again, on the beautiful and sacred field called after\nKuru, desirous of obtaining heaven. Then Shakuni, the son of the Gandhara\nking, said, \"Fight all of ye in front! I, however, will slay the Pandavas\nfrom behind.\" Then the Madraka warriors, endued with great activity,\namongst those on our side that were advancing, became filled with joy and\nuttered diverse sounds of delight. Others too did the same. The\ninvincible Pandavas, however, possessed of sureness of aim, once more\ncoming against us, shook their bows and covered us with showers of\narrows. The forces of the Madrakas then were slain by the foe. Beholding\nthis, the troops of Duryodhana once more turned away from the battle. The\nmighty king of the Gandharas, however, once more said these words,\n\"Stop, ye sinful ones! Fight (with the foe)! What use is there of\nflight?\" At that time, O bull of Bharata's race, the king of the\nGandharas had full 10,000 horse-men capable of fighting with bright\nlances. During the progress of that great carnage, Shakuni, aided by that\nforce, put forth his valour and assailed the Pandava army at the rear,\nslaughtering it with his keen shafts. The vast force of the Pandus then,\nO monarch, broke even as a mass of clouds is dispersed on all sides by a\nmighty wind. Then Yudhishthira, beholding from a near point his own army\nrouted, coolly urged the mighty Sahadeva, saying, \"Yonder the son of\nSubala, afflicting our rear, stayeth, clad in mail! He slaughtereth our\nforces! Behold that wicked wight, O son of Pandu! Aided by the son of\nDraupadi, proceed towards him and slay Shakuni, the son of Subala!\nSupported by the Pancalas, O sinless one, I will meanwhile destroy the\ncar force of the enemy! Let all the elephants and all the horse and 3,000\nfoot, proceed with thee! Supported by these, slay Shakuni!\" At this, 700\nelephants ridden by combatants armed with the bow, and 5,000 horses, and\nthe valiant Sahadeva, and 3,000 foot-soldiers, and the sons of Draupadi\nall rushed against Shakuni difficult of defeat in battle. Subala's son,\nhowever, of great valour, O king, prevailing over the Pandavas and\nlonging for victory, began to slay their forces from the rear. The\nhorsemen, infuriate with rage, belonging to the Pandavas endued with\ngreat activity, penetrated the division of Subala's son, prevailing over\nthe latter's car-warriors. Those heroic horsemen, staying in the midst of\ntheir own elephants, covered the large host of Subala's son with showers\nof shafts. In consequence of thy evil counsels, O king, dreadful was the\nbattle that then ensued in which maces and lances were used and in which\nheroes only took part. The twang of bow-string was no longer heard there,\nfor all the car-warriors stood as spectators of that fight. At that time\nno difference could be seen between the contending parties. Both the\nKurus and the Pandavas, O bull of Bharata's race, beheld the darts hurled\nfrom heroic arms course like meteors through the welkin. The entire\nwelkin, O monarch, shrouded with falling swords of great brightness,\nseemed to become exceedingly beautiful. The aspect presented, O chief of\nthe Bharatas, by the lances hurled all around, became like that of swarms\nof locusts in the welkin. Steeds, with limbs bathed in blood in\nconsequence of wounds inflicted by horsemen themselves wounded with\narrows, dropped down on all sides in hundreds and thousands. Encountering\none another and huddled together, many of them were seen to be mangled\nand many to vomit blood from their mouths. A thick darkness came there\nwhen the troops were covered with a dusty cloud. When that darkness\nshrouded everything, O king, we beheld those brave combatants, steeds and\nmen, move away from that spot. Others were seen to fall down on the\nEarth, vomiting blood in profusion. Many combatants, entangled with one\nanother by their locks, could not stir. Many, endued with great strength,\ndragged one another from the backs of their horses, and encountering one\nanother thus, slew one another like combatants in a wrestling match. Many\ndeprived of life, were borne away on the backs of the steeds. Many men,\nproud of their valour and inspired with desire of victory, were seen to\nfall down on the Earth. The Earth became strewn over with hundreds and\nthousands of combatants bathed in blood, deprived of limbs, and divested\nof hair. In consequence of the surface of the Earth being covered with\nelephant-riders and horsemen and slain steeds and combatants with\nblood-stained armour and others armed with weapons and others who had\nsought to slay one another with diverse kinds of terrible weapons, all\nlying closely huddled together in that battle fraught with fearful\ncarnage, no warrior could proceed far on his horse. Having fought for a\nlittle while, Shakuni, the son of Subala, O monarch, went away from that\nspot with the remnant of his cavalry numbering 6,000. Similarly, the\nPandava force, covered with blood, and its animals fatigued, moved away\nfrom that spot with its remnant consisting of 6,000 horses. The\nblood-stained horsemen of the Pandava army then, with hearts intent on\nbattle and prepared to lay down their lives, said, \"It is no longer\npossible to fight here on cars; how much more difficult then to fight\nhere on elephants! Let cars proceed against cars, and elephants against\nelephants! Having retreated, Shakuni is now within his own division. The\nroyal son of Subala will not again come to battle.\" Then the sons of\nDraupadi and those infuriate elephants proceeded to the place where the\nPancala prince Dhrishtadyumna, that great car-warrior, was. Sahadeva\nalso, when that dusty cloud arose, proceeded alone to where king\nYudhishthira was. After all those had gone away, Shakuni, the son of\nSubala, excited with wrath, once more fell upon Dhrishtadyumna's division\nand began to strike it. Once more a dreadful battle took place, in which\nthe combatants were all regardless of their lives, between thy soldiers\nand those of the foe, all of whom were desirous of slaying one another.\nIn that encounter of heroes, the combatants first eyed one another\nsteadfastly, and then rushed, O king, and fell upon one another in\nhundreds and thousands. In that destructive carnage, heads severed with\nswords fell down with a noise like that of falling palmyra fruits. Loud\nalso became the noise, making the very hair to stand on end, of bodies\nfalling down on the ground, divested of armour and mangled with weapons\nand of falling weapons also, O king, and of arms and thighs severed from\nthe trunk. Striking brothers and sons and even sires with keen weapons,\nthe combatants were seen to fight like birds, for pieces of meat. Excited\nwith rage, thousands of warriors, falling upon one another, impatiently\nstruck one another in that battle. Hundreds and thousands of combatants,\nkilled by the weight of slain horsemen while falling down from their\nsteeds, fell down on the field. Loud became the noise of neighing steeds\nof great fleetness, and of shouting men clad in mail, and of the falling\ndarts and swords, O king, of combatants desirous of piercing the vitals\nof one another in consequence, O monarch, of thy evil policy. At that\ntime, thy soldiers, overcome with toil, spent with rage, their animals\nfatigued, themselves parched with thirst mangled with keen weapons, began\nto turn away from the battle. Maddened with the scent of blood, many\nbecame so insensate that they slew friends and foes alike, in fact, every\none they got at. Large numbers of Kshatriyas, inspired with desire of\nvictory, were struck down with arrows, O king, and fell prostrate on the\nEarth. Wolves and vultures and jackals began to howl and scream in glee\nand make a loud noise. In the very sight of thy son, thy army suffered a\ngreat loss. The Earth, O monarch, became strewn with the bodies of men\nand steeds, and covered with streams of blood that inspired the timid\nwith terror. Struck and mangled repeatedly with swords and battle axes\nand lances, thy warriors, as also the Pandavas, O Bharata, ceased to\napproach one another. Striking one another according to the measure of\ntheir strength, and fighting to the last drop of their blood, the\ncombatants fell down vomiting blood from their wounds. Headless forms\nwere seen, seizing the hair of their heads (with one hand) and with\nuplifted swords dyed with blood (in the other). When many headless forms,\nO king, had thus risen up, when the scent of blood had made the\ncombatants nearly senseless, and when the loud noise had somewhat\nsubsided, Subala's son (once more) approached the large host of the\nPandavas, with the small remnant of his horse. At this, the Pandavas,\ninspired with desires of victory and endued with foot-soldiers and\nelephants and cavalry, all with uplifted weapons, desirous of reaching\nthe end of the hostilities, the Pandavas, forming a wall, encompassed\nShakuni on all sides, and began to strike him with diverse kinds of\nweapons. Beholding those troops of thine assailed from every side, the\nKauravas, with horsemen, foot-soldiers, elephants, and cars, rushed\ntowards the Pandavas. Some foot-soldiers of great courage, destitute of\nweapons, attacked their foes in that battle, with feet and fists, and\nbrought them down. Car-warriors fell down from cars, and elephant-men\nfrom elephants, like meritorious persons falling down from their\ncelestial vehicles upon the exhaustion of their merits. Thus the\ncombatants, engaged with one another in that great battle, slew sires and\nfriends and sons. Thus occurred that battle, O best of the Bharatas, in\nwhich no consideration was shown by anybody for anyone, and in which\nlances and swords and arrows fell fast, on every side and made the scene\nexceedingly terrible to behold.'\"\n\n\n\n24\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'When the loud noise of battle had somewhat subsided and\nthe Pandavas had slain large numbers of their foes, Subala's son (once\nmore) came for fight with the remnant of his horsemen numbering seven\nhundred. Quickly approaching his own soldiers and urging them to battle,\nhe repeatedly said, \"You chastisers of foes, fight cheerfully!\" And he\nasked the Kshatriyas present there, saying, \"Where is the king, that\ngreat car-warrior?\" Hearing these words of Shakuni, O bull of Bharata's\nrace, they answered saying, \"Yonder stayeth that great car-warrior, the\nKuru king, there where that large umbrella of splendour equal to that of\nthe full moon, is visible--there where those car-warriors, clad in mail,\nare staying--there where that loud noise, deep as the roar of clouds, is\nbeing heard! Proceed quickly thither, O king, and thou wilt then see the\nKuru monarch!\" Thus addressed by those brave warriors, Subala's son\nShakuni, O king, proceeded to that spot where thy son was staying,\nsurrounded on all sides by unretreating heroes. Beholding Duryodhana\nstationed in the midst of that car-force, Shakuni, gladdening all those\ncar-warriors of thine, O king cheerfully said these words unto\nDuryodhana. Indeed, he said the following words in a manner which showed\nthat he regarded all his purposes to have been already achieved. \"Slay, O\nking, the car-divisions (of the Pandavas)! All their horses have been\nvanquished by me! Yudhishthira is incapable of being conquered in battle\nunless one is prepared to lay down his life! When that car-force,\nprotected by the son of Pandu, will have been destroyed, we shall then\nslay all those elephants and foot-soldiers and others!\" Hearing these\nwords of his, thy warriors, inspired with desire of victory, cheerfully\nrushed towards the Pandava army. With quivers on their backs and bows in\ntheir hands, all of them shook their bows and uttered leonine roars. Once\nmore, O king, the fierce twang of bows and the slapping of palms and the\nwhiz of arrows shot with force was heard. Beholding those Kuru combatants\napproach the Pandava army with uplifted bows, Kunti's son Dhananjaya said\nunto the son of Devaki these words, \"Urge the steeds fearlessly and\npenetrate this sea of troops! With my keen shafts I shall today reach the\nend of these hostilities! Today is the eighteenth day, O Janardana, of\nthis great battle that is raging between the two sides! The army of those\nhigh-souled heroes, which was literally numberless, hath been nearly\ndestroyed! Behold the course of Destiny! The army of Dhritarashtra's son,\nO Madhava, which was vast as the ocean, hath, O Achyuta, become, after\nencountering ourselves, even like the indent caused by a cow's hoof! If\npeace had been made after Bhishma's fall, O Madhava, everything would\nhave been well! The foolish Duryodhana of weak understanding, however,\ndid not make peace! The words that were uttered by Bhishma, O Madhava,\nwere beneficial and worthy of adoption. Suyodhana, however, who had lost\nhis understanding, did not act according to them. After Bhishma had been\nstruck and thrown down on the Earth, I do not know the reason why the\nbattle proceeded! I regard the Dhartarashtras to be foolish and of weak\nunderstanding in every way, since they continued the battle even after\nthe fall of Santanu's son! After that when Drona, that foremost of all\nutterers of Brahma, fell, as also the son of Radha, and Vikarna, the\ncarnage did not still cease! Alas, when a small remnant only of the\n(Kaurava) army remained after the fall of that tiger among men, Karna,\nwith his sons, the carnage did not still cease! After the fall of even\nthe heroic Srutayush, of also Jalasandha of Puru's race, and of king\nSrutayudha, the carnage did not still cease! After the fall of\nBhurishrava, of Shalya, O Janardana, and of the Avanti heroes, the\ncarnage did not still cease! After the fall of Jayadratha, of the\nRakshasa Alayudha, of Bahlika, and of Somadatta, the carnage did not\nstill cease! After the fall of heroic Bhagadatta, of the Kamboja chief\nSadakshina, and of Duhshasana, the carnage did not still cease! Beholding\neven diverse heroic and mighty kings, each owning extensive territories,\nslain in battle, the carnage, O Krishna, did not still cease! Beholding\neven a full Akshauhini of troops slain by Bhimasena in battle, the\ncarnage did not still cease, in consequence of either the folly or the\ncovetousness of the Dhartarashtras! What king born in a noble race, a\nrace especially like that of Kuru, save of course the foolish Duryodhana,\nwould thus fruitlessly wage such fierce hostilities? Who is there,\npossessed of reason and wisdom and capable of discriminating good from\nevil, that would thus wage war, knowing his foes to be superior to him in\nmerit, strength, and courage? How could he listen to the counsels of\nanother, when, indeed, he could not make up his mind to make peace with\nthe Pandavas in obedience to the words uttered by thee? What medicine can\nbe acceptable to that person today who disregarded Bhishma the son of\nSantanu, and Drona, and Vidura, while they urged him to make peace? How\ncan he accept good counsels, who from folly, O Janardana, insolently\ndisregarded his own aged sire as also his own well-meaning mother while\nspeaking beneficial words unto him? It is evident, O Janardana, that\nDuryodhana took his birth for exterminating his race! His conduct and his\npolicy, it is seen, point to that line, O lord! He will not give us our\nkingdom yet! This is my opinion, O Achyuta! The high-souled Vidura, O\nsire, told me many a time that as long as life remained in\nDhritarashtra's son, he would never give us our share of the kingdom!\nVidura further told me, 'As long also as Dhritarashtra will live, O giver\nof honours, even that sinful wight will act sinfully towards you! Ye will\nnever succeed in vanquishing Duryodhana without battle!' Even thus, O\nMadhava, did Vidura of true foresight often speak to me! All the acts of\nthat wicked-souled wight, I now find to be exactly as the high-souled\nVidura had said! That person of wicked understanding who, having listened\nto the beneficial and proper words of Jamadagni's son, disregarded them,\nshould certainly be held as standing in the face of destruction. Many\npersons crowned with ascetic success said as soon as Duryodhana was born,\nthat the entire Kshatriya order would be exterminated in consequence of\nthat wretch. Those words of the sages, O Janardana, are now being\nrealised, since the Kshatriyas are undergoing almost entire extermination\nin consequence of Duryodhana's acts! I shall, O Madhava, slay all the\nwarriors today! After all the Kshatriyas will have been slain and the\n(Kaurava) camp made empty, Duryodhana will then desire battle with us for\nhis own destruction. That will end these hostilities! Exercising my\nreason, O Madhava, and reflected in my own mind, O thou of Vrishni's\nrace, thinking of Vidura's words, and taking into account the acts of the\nwicked-souled Duryodhana himself, I have come to this conclusion!\nPenetrate the Bharata army, O hero, for I shall slay the wicked-souled\nDuryodhana and his army today with my keen shafts! Slaying this weak army\nin the very sight of Dhritarashtra's son, I shall today do what is for\nYudhishthira's good!\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus addressed by Savyasaci, he of Dasarha's race,\nreins in hand, fearlessly penetrated that vast hostile force for battle.\nThat was a terrible forest of bows (which the two heroes entered). Darts\nconstituted its prickles. Maces and spiked bludgeons were its paths. Cars\nand elephants were its mighty trees. Cavalry and infantry were its\ncreepers. And the illustrious Keshava, as he entered that forest on that\ncar decked with many banners and pennons, looked exceedingly resplendent.\nThose white steeds, O king, bearing Arjuna in battle, were seen careering\neverywhere, urged by him of Dasarha's race! Then that scorcher of foes,\nSavyasaci, proceeded on his car, shooting hundreds of keen shafts like a\ncloud pouring showers of rain. Loud was the noise produced by those\nstraight arrows, as also by those combatants that were covered with them\nin that battle by Savyasaci. Showers of shafts, piercing through the\narmour of the combatants, fell down on the Earth. Impelled from Gandiva,\narrows, whose touch resembled that of Indra's thunder, striking men and\nelephants and horses, O king, fell in that battle with a noise like that\nof winged insects. Everything was shrouded with those shafts shot from\nGandiva. In that battle, the points of the compass, cardinal and\nsubsidiary, could not be distinguished. The whole world seemed to be\nfilled with gold-winged shafts, steeped in oil, polished by the hands of\nthe smith, and marked with Partha's name. Struck with those keen shafts,\nand burnt therewith by Partha even as a herd of elephants is burnt with\nburning brands, the Kauravas became languid and lost their strength.\nArmed with bow and arrows, Partha, resembling the blazing sun, burnt the\nhostile combatants in that battle like a blazing fire consuming a heap of\ndry grass. As a roaring fire of blazing flames and great energy (arising\nfrom embers) cast away on the confines of a forest by its denizens, fire\nconsumes those woods abounding with trees and heaps of dry creepers, even\nso that hero possessed of great activity and fierce energy and endued\nwith prowess of weapons, and having shafts for his flames, quickly burnt\nall the troops of thy son from wrath. His gold-winged arrows, endued with\nfatal force and shot with care, could not be baffled by any armour. He\nhad not to shoot a second arrow at man, steed, or elephant of gigantic\nsize. Like the thunder-wielding Indra striking down the Daityas, Arjuna,\nalone, entering that division of mighty car-warriors, destroyed it with\nshafts of diverse forms.'\"\n\n\n\n25\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Dhananjaya, with his Gandiva, frustrated the purpose of\nthose unreturning heroes struggling in battle and striking their foes.\nThe shafts shot by Arjuna, irresistible and endued with great force and\nwhose touch was like that of the thunder, were seen to resemble torrents\nof rain poured by a cloud. That army, O chief of the Bharatas, thus\nstruck by Kiritin, fled away in the very sight of thy son. Some deserted\ntheir sires and brothers, others deserted their comrades. Some\ncar-warriors were deprived of their animals. Others lost their drivers.\nSome had their poles or yokes or wheels broken, O king! The arrows of\nsome were exhausted. Some were seen afflicted with arrows. Some, though\nunwounded, fled in a body, afflicted with fear. Some endeavoured to\nrescue their sons, having lost all their kinsmen and animals. Some loudly\ncalled upon their sires, some upon their comrades and followers. Some\nfled, deserting their kinsmen, O tiger among men, and brothers and other\nrelatives, O monarch! Many mighty car-warriors, struck with Partha's\nshafts and deeply pierced therewith, were seen to breathe hard, deprived\nof their senses. Others, taking them upon their own cars, and soothing\nthem for a while, and resting them and dispelling their thirst by\noffering them drink, once more proceeded to battle. Some, incapable of\nbeing easily defeated in battle, deserting the wounded, once more\nadvanced to battle, desirous of obeying the behests of thy son. Some,\nhaving slaked their thirst or groomed their animals, and some, wearing\n(fresh) armour, O chief of the Bharatas, and some, having comforted their\nbrothers and sons and sires, and placed them in camp, once more came to\nbattle. Some, arraying their cars in the order, O king, of superiors and\ninferiors, advanced against the Pandavas once more for battle. Those\nheroes (on their cars) covered with rows of bells, looked resplendent\nlike Daityas and Danavas intent on the conquest of the three worlds.\nSome, advancing with precipitancy on their vehicles decked with gold,\nfought with Dhrishtadyumna amid the Pandava divisions. The Pancala prince\nDhrishtadyumna, and the great car-warrior Shikhandi, and Satanika, the\nson of Nakula, fought with the car-force of the enemy. The Pancala\nprince, then, filled with rage and supported by a large army, rushed\nagainst thy angry troops from desire of slaying them. Then thy son, O\nruler of men, sped many showers of arrows, O Bharata, at the Pancala\nprince thus rushing at him. Then, O king, Dhrishtadyumna was quickly\npierced with many arrows in his arms and chest by thy son fighting with\nhis bow. Deeply pierced therewith like an elephant with pointed lances,\nthat great bowman then despatched with his shafts the four steeds of\nDuryodhana to the regions of death. With another broad-headed arrow he\nnext cut off from his trunk the head of his enemy's driver. Then that\nchastiser of foes, king Duryodhana, having thus lost his car, rode on\nhorse-back and retreated to a spot not remote. Beholding his own army\ndestitute of prowess, thy son, the mighty Duryodhana, O king, proceeded\nto the place where Subala's son was. When the Kaurava cars were broken,\n3,000 gigantic elephants encompassed those car-warriors, the five\nPandavas. Encompassed by that elephant force, O Bharata, the five\nbrothers looked beautiful, O tiger among men, like the planets surrounded\nby the clouds. Then the mighty-armed and white-steeded Arjuna, O king, of\nsureness of aim and having Krishna for his charioteer, advanced on his\ncar. Surrounded by those elephants huge as hills, he began to destroy\nthose animals with his keen and polished arrows. Each slain with a single\narrow, we beheld those huge elephants fallen or falling down, mangled by\nSavyasaci. The mighty Bhimasena, himself like an infuriated elephant,\nbeholding those elephants, took up his formidable mace and rushed at\nthem, quickly jumping down from his car, like the Destroyer armed with\nhis club. Seeing that great car-warrior of the Pandavas with uplifted\nmace, thy soldiers became filled with fright and passed urine and\nexcreta. The whole army became agitated upon beholding Bhimasena armed\nwith mace. We then beheld those elephants, huge as hills, running hither\nand thither, with their frontal globes split open by Bhima with his mace\nand all their limbs bathed in blood. Struck with Bhima's mace, those\nelephants, running off from him, fell down with cries of pain, like\nwingless mountains. Beholding those elephants, many in number, with their\nfrontal globes split open, running hither and thither or falling down,\nthy soldiers were inspired with fear. Then Yudhishthira also, filled with\nwrath, and the two sons of Madri, began to slay those elephant-warriors\nwith arrows equipped with vulturine wings. Dhrishtadyumna, after the\ndefeat of the (Kuru) king in battle, and after the flight of the latter\nfrom that spot on horse-back, saw that the Pandavas had all been\nsurrounded by the (Kaurava) elephants. Beholding this, O monarch,\nDhrishtadyumna, the son of the Pancala king, proceeded towards those\nelephants, from desire of slaughtering them. Meanwhile, not seeing\nDuryodhana in the midst of the car-force. Ashvatthama and Kripa, and\nKritavarma of the Satwata race, asked all the Kshatriyas there, saying,\n\"Where has Duryodhana gone?\" Not seeing the king in that carnage, those\ngreat car-warriors all thought thy son to have been slain. Hence, with\nsorrowful faces, they enquired after him. Some persons told them that\nafter the fall of his driver, he had gone to Subala's son. Other\nKshatriyas, present there, who had been exceedingly mangled with wounds,\nsaid, \"What need is there with Duryodhana? See if he is yet alive! Do you\nall fight unitedly? What will the king do to you?\" Other Kshatriyas, who\nwere exceedingly mangled, who had lost many of their kinsmen, and who\nwere still being afflicted with the arrows of the enemy, said these words\nin indistinct tones, \"Let us slay these forces by whom we are\nencompassed! Behold, the Pandavas are coming hither, after having slain\nthe elephants!\" Hearing these words of theirs, the mighty Ashvatthama,\npiercing through that irresistible force of the Pancala king, proceeded\nwith Kripa and Kritavarma to the spot where Subala's son was. Indeed,\nthose heroes, those firm bowmen, leaving the car-force, repaired (in\nsearch of Duryodhana). After they had gone away, the Pandavas, headed by\nDhrishtadyumna, advanced, O king, and began to slay their enemies.\nBeholding those valiant and heroic and mighty car-warriors cheerfully\nrushing towards them, thy troops, amongst whom the faces of many had\nturned pale, became hopeless of their lives. Seeing those soldiers of\nours almost deprived of weapons and surrounded (by the foe), I myself, O\nking, having only two kinds of forces, and becoming reckless of life,\njoined the five leaders of our army, and fought with the forces of the\nPancala prince, posting our men on that spot where Saradwat's son was\nstationed. We had been afflicted with the shafts of Kiritin.\nNevertheless, a fierce battle took place between us and the division of\nDhrishtadyumna. At last, vanquished by the latter, all of us retreated\nfrom that encounter. I then beheld the mighty car-warrior Satyaki rushing\nagainst us. With four hundred cars that hero pursued me in battle. Having\nescaped with difficulty from Dhrishtadyumna whose steeds had been tired,\nI fell among the forces of Madhava even as a sinner falleth into hell.\nThere a fierce and terrible battle took place for a short while. The\nmighty-armed Satyaki, having cut off my armour, became desirous of taking\nme alive. He seized me while I lay down on the ground insensible. Then\nwithin a short while that elephant-force was destroyed by Bhimasena with\nhis mace and Arjuna with his arrows. In consequence of those mighty\nelephants, huge as hills, falling down on every side with crushed limbs,\nthe Pandava warriors found their way almost entirely blocked up. Then the\nmighty Bhimasena, O monarch, dragging away those huge elephants, made a\nway for the Pandavas to come out. Meanwhile, Ashvatthama and Kripa and\nKritavarma of the Satwata race, not seeing that chastiser of foes,\nDuryodhana, amid the car-division, sought for thy royal son. Abandoning\nthe prince of the Pancalas, they proceeded to the spot where Subala's son\nwas anxious to have a sight of the king during that terrible carnage.'\"\n\n\n\n26\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'After that elephant-division had been destroyed, O\nBharata, by the son of Pandu, and while thy army was being thus\nslaughtered by Bhimasena in battle, beholding the latter, that chastiser\nof foes, careering like the all-killing Destroyer himself in rage armed\nwith his club, the remnant of thy unslaughtered sons, those uterine\nbrothers, O king, united together at that time when he of Kuru's race,\nthy son Duryodhana, could not be seen, and rushed against Bhimasena. They\nwere Durmarshana and Srutanta and Jaitra and Bhurivala and Ravi, and\nJayatsena and Sujata and that slayer of foes, Durvishaha, and he called\nDurvimochana, and Dushpradharsha and the mighty-armed Srutarvan. All of\nthem were accomplished in battle. Those sons of thine, uniting together,\nrushed against Bhimasena and shut him up on all sides. Then Bhima, O\nmonarch, once more mounting on his own car, began to shoot keen shafts at\nthe vital limbs of thy sons. Those sons of thine, covered with arrows by\nBhimasena in that dreadful battle, began to drag that warrior like men\ndragging an elephant from off a cross-way. Excited with rage, Bhimasena,\nquickly cutting off the head of Durmarshana with a razor-headed arrow,\nfelled it on the Earth. With another broad-headed arrow capable of\npenetrating every armour, Bhima next slew that mighty car-warrior, thy\nson Srutanta. Then with the greatest ease, piercing Jayatsena with a\ncloth-yard shaft, that chastiser of foes, the son of Pandu, felled that\nscion of Kuru's race from his car. The prince, O king, fell down and\nimmediately expired. At this, thy son Srutarvan, excited with rage,\npierced Bhima with a hundred straight arrows winged with vulturine\nfeathers. Then Bhima, inflamed with rage, pierced Jaitra and Ravi and\nBhurivala, those three, with three shafts resembling poison or fire.\nThose mighty car-warriors, thus struck, fell down from their cars, like\nKinsukas variegated with flowers in the season of spring cut down (by the\naxe-man). Then that scorcher of foes, with another broad-headed arrow of\ngreat keenness, struck Durvimochana and despatched him to Yama's abode.\nThus struck, that foremost of car-warriors fell down on the ground from\nhis car, like a tree growing on the summit of a mountain when broken by\nthe wind. The son of Pandu next struck thy other two sons at the head of\ntheir forces, Dushpradharsha and Sujata, each with a couple of arrows in\nthat battle. Those two foremost of car-warriors, pierced with those\nshafts, fell down. Beholding next another son of thine, Durvishaha,\nrushing at him, Bhima pierced him with a broad-headed arrow in that\nbattle. That prince fell down from his car in the very sight of all the\nbowmen. Beholding so many of his brothers slain by the singlehanded Bhima\nin that battle, Srutarvan, under the influence of rage, rushed at Bhima,\nstretching his formidable bow decked with gold and shooting a large\nnumber of arrows that resembled poison or fire in energy. Cutting off the\nbow of Pandu's son in that dreadful battle, the Kuru prince pierced the\nbowless Bhima with twenty arrows. Then Bhimasena, that mighty\ncar-warrior, taking up another bow, shrouded thy son with arrows and\naddressing him, said, \"Wait, Wait!\" The battle that took place between\nthe two was beautiful and fierce, like that which had occurred in days of\nyore between Vasava and the Asura Jambha, O lord! With the keen shafts,\nresembling the fatal rods of Yama, sped by those two warriors, the Earth,\nthe sky, and all the points of the compass, became shrouded. Then\nSrutarvan, filled with rage, took up his bow and struck Bhimasena in that\nbattle, O king, with many arrows on his arms and chest. Deeply pierced, O\nmonarch, by thy son armed with the bow, Bhima became exceedingly agitated\nlike the ocean at the full or the new moon. Filled with wrath, Bhima\nthen, O sire, despatched with his arrows the driver and the four steeds\nof thy son to Yama's abode. Beholding him carless, Pandu's son of\nimmeasurable soul, displaying the lightness of his hands, covered him\nwith winged arrows. The carless Srutarvan then, O king, took up a sword\nand shield. As the prince, however, careered with his sword and bright\nshield decked with a hundred moons, the son of Pandu struck off his head\nfrom his trunk with a razor-headed arrow and felled it on the Earth. The\ntrunk of that illustrious warrior, rendered headless by means of that\nrazor-headed arrow, fell down from his car, filling the Earth with a loud\nnoise. Upon the fall of that hero, thy troops, though terrified, rushed\nin that battle against Bhimasena from desire of fighting with him. The\nvaliant Bhimasena, clad in mail, received those warriors rushing quickly\nat him from among the unslain remnant of that ocean of troops.\nApproaching him, those warriors encompassed that hero on all sides. Thus\nsurrounded by those warriors of thine, Bhima began to afflict them all\nwith keen shafts like him of a 1,000 eyes afflicting the Asuras. Having\ndestroyed five hundred great cars with their fences, he once more slew\nseven hundred elephants in that battle. Slaying next 10,000 foot-soldiers\nwith his mighty shafts, as also 800 steeds, the son of Pandu looked\nresplendent. Indeed, Bhimasena, the son of Kunti, having slain thy sons\nin battle, regarded his object achieved, O lord, and the purpose of his\nbirth accomplished. Thy troops, at that time, O Bharata, ventured to even\ngaze at that warrior who was battling in that fashion and slaying thy men\nin that way. Routing all the Kurus and slaying those followers of theirs,\nBhima then slapped his armpits, terrifying the huge elephants with the\nnoise he produced. Then thy army, O monarch, which had lost a very large\nnumber of men, and which then consisted of a very few soldiers, became\nexceedingly cheerless, O king!'\"\n\n\n\n27\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Duryodhana, O king, and thy son Sudarsa, the only two of\nthy children yet unslain, were at that time in the midst of the (Kaurava)\ncavalry. Beholding Duryodhana staying in the midst of the cavalry,\nDevaki's son (Krishna) said unto Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, \"A large\nnumber of our foes, kinsmen that had received our protection, have been\nslain. There, that bull of Sini's race is returning, having taken Sanjaya\ncaptive! Both Nakula and Sahadeva, O Bharata, are fatigued, having fought\nwith the wretched Dhartarashtras and their followers! Those three, Kripa\nand Kritavarma and the mighty car-warrior Ashvatthama, have left\nDuryodhana's side and taken up their position elsewhere! Having slain\nDuryodhana's troops, the Pancala prince stayeth yonder, endued with great\nbeauty, in the midst of the Prabhadrakas. There, O Partha, Duryodhana\nstayeth in the midst of his cavalry, with the umbrella held over his head\nand himself flinging his glances all around! Having rearrayed the\n(remnant of his) army, he stayeth in the midst of his forces. Slaying\nthis one with thy keen shafts, thou mayst achieve all thy objects! As\nlong as these troops do not fly away beholding thee, in their midst and\nwitnessing also the destruction of their elephant-force, do thou, O\nchastiser of foes, endeavour to slay Duryodhana! Let somebody go to the\nPancala prince and ask him to come hither. The (Kaurava) troops are all\ntired, O sire! The sinful Duryodhana will never succeed in escaping!\nHaving slain a large number of thy troops in battle, the son of\nDhritarashtra wears a proud aspect as if he believes that the Pandavas\nhave been vanquished! Beholding his own troops afflicted and slain by the\nPandavas, the Kuru king will certainly come to battle for his own\ndestruction!\" Thus addressed by Krishna, Phalguna replied unto him,\nsaying. \"Almost all the sons of Dhritarashtra, O giver of honours, have\nbeen slain by Bhima! Only these two are yet alive! They, however, O\nKrishna, shall also meet with destruction today! Bhishma hath been slain,\nDrona hath been slain, Karna, otherwise called Vaikartana, hath been\nslain! Shalya, the king of the Madras, hath been slain, and Jayadratha\nalso, O Krishna, hath been slain! Only five hundred horses from the\nremnant of the troops of Shakuni, the son of Subala, and of cars, only\ntwo hundred still remain, O Janardana! Of elephants there remain only a\nhundred that are formidable, and of foot only 3,000! There remain also\nAshvatthama and Kripa and the ruler of the Trigartas and Uluka and\nKritavarma of the Satwata race. These, O Madhava, form the remnant of\nDuryodhana's force! Truly, there is no escape from death for anybody on\nEarth! Although such a tremendous carnage hast taken place, behold,\nDuryodhana is still alive! Today king Yudhishthira, however, will be\nfreed from all his foes! None amongst the enemy will escape me, I ween!\nEven if they be more than men, O Krishna, I shall yet slay all those\nwarriors today, however furious in battle, if only they do not fly away\nfrom the field! Filled with wrath in today's battle, I shall, by slaying\nthe prince of Gandhara with my keen shafts, dispel that sleeplessness\nwhich the king has suffered from for a long time! I shall win back all\nthose valuable possessions which Subala's son, of wicked conduct, won\nfrom us at the gambling match in the assembly! Hearing of the slaughter\nof their husbands and sons at the hands of the Pandavas in battle, all\nthe ladies of the city called after the elephant will utter loud wails!\nToday, O Krishna, our task will be ended! Today Duryodhana shall abandon\nall his blazing prosperity, as also his life-breath. Thou mayest take the\nfoolish son of Dhritarashtra to be dead, O thou of Vrishni's race, if, O\nKrishna, he does not today fly away from the battle to be waged by me!\nThose steeds are incapable of enduring the twang of my bow and the slaps\nof my palms! Proceed thither, O Krishna, for I will slay them!\" Thus\naddressed by Pandu's son of great force of mind, he of Dasarha's race\nurged his steeds, O king, towards the division of Duryodhana. Beholding\nthat force (within which Duryodhana was), three mighty car-warriors\nprepared themselves for assailing it, for Bhimasena and Arjuna and\nSahadeva, O sire, together proceeded against it with loud leonine roars\nfrom desire of slaying Duryodhana. Beholding those three warriors rushing\nquickly together with uplifted bows, Subala's son proceeded towards that\nspot against those Pandava foes. Thy son Sudarsana rushed against\nBhimasena. Susarman and Shakuni encountered Kiritin. Thy son Duryodhana\non horse-back proceeded against Sahadeva. Then thy son, O ruler of men,\nwith great speed and care, forcibly struck Sahadeva's head with a lance.\nThus assailed by thy son, Sahadeva sat down on the terrace of his car,\nall his limbs bathed in blood and himself sighing like a snake. Regaining\nhis senses then, O king, Sahadeva, filled with rage, covered Duryodhana\nwith keen arrows. Kunti's son, Dhananjaya, otherwise called Partha,\nputting forth his prowess, cut off the heads of many brave combatants on\nhorse-back. Indeed, Partha, with many arrows, destroyed that (cavalry)\ndivision. Having felled all the steeds, he then proceeded against the\ncars of the Trigartas. At this, the great car-warriors of the Trigartas,\nuniting together, covered Arjuna and Vasudeva with showers of shafts.\nAssailing Satyakarman with a razor-headed arrow, the son of Pandu,\npossessed of great fame, cut off his adversary's car-shafts. With another\nrazor-headed arrow, O lord, whetted on stone, that celebrated hero,\nsmiling the while, cut off his antagonist's head adorned with bright\ngold. He next attacked Satyeshu in the sight of all the warriors, like a\nhungry lion, O king, in the forest, attacking a deer. Having slain him,\nPartha pierced Susarman with three arrows and then slew all those\ncar-warriors adorned with ornaments of gold. He then proceeded against\nSusarman the ruler of Prashthala with great speed, vomiting the virulent\npoison of his wrath cherished for many long years. Covering him first, O\nbull of Bharata's race, with a hundred arrows, Arjuna then slew all the\nsteeds of that bowman. Fixing then on his bowstring a mighty arrow that\nresembled the rod of Yama, Partha, smiling the while, quickly sped it at\nSusarman, aiming it at him. Sped by that bowman blazing with wrath, that\narrow, reaching Susarman, pierced through his heart in that battle.\nDeprived of life, O monarch, Susarman fell down on the Earth, gladdening\nall the Pandavas and paining all thy warriors. Having slain Susarman in\nthat battle, Partha then, with his shafts, despatched the five and thirty\nsons of that king, all of whom were great car-warriors, to Yama's abode.\nSlaying next all the followers of Susarman with his keen arrows, the\nmighty car-warrior, Arjuna, proceeded against the remnant of the Bharata\nhost. Bhima, in that battle, filled with rage, O ruler of men, made thy\nson Sudarsana invisible with his arrows, and smiling the while, cut off\nfrom his antagonist's trunk his head with a razor-headed arrow of great\nsharpness. Deprived of life, the prince fell down on the Earth. Upon the\nfall of that (Kuru) hero, his followers encompassed Bhima in that battle,\nshooting showers of whetted arrows at him. Vrikodara, however, with his\nkeen arrows, whose touch resembled that of Indra's thunder, covered that\nforce around him. Within a very short time, Bhima slew them all, O bull\nof Bharata's race! Whilst they were being thus exterminated, many Kaurava\nleaders of great might, O Bharata, approached Bhima and began to fight\nwith him. The son of Pandu, O king, covered all of them with his arrows.\nSimilarly, thy warriors, O monarch, covered the great car-warriors of the\nPandavas with dense showers of arrows from every side. All the warriors\nthen, of both sides, thus engaged in battle with one another, became\nexceedingly agitated. Struck by one another, the combatants of both\narmies, O king, began to fall down, wailing aloud for their (deceased)\nkinsmen.'\"\n\n\n\n28\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'During the progress of that battle which was so\ndestructive of men and steeds and elephants, Subala's son, Shakuni, O\nking, rushed against Sahadeva. The valiant Sahadeva, as Shakuni rushed\nquickly towards him, sped showers of swift arrows at that warrior as\nnumerous as a flight of insects. At that time, Uluka also encountered\nBhima and pierced him with ten arrows, Shakuni, meanwhile, O monarch,\nhaving pierced Bhima with three arrows, covered Sahadeva with ninety.\nIndeed, those heroes, O king, encountering one another in that battle,\npierced one another with many keen arrows equipped with Kanka and peacock\nfeathers, winged with gold, whetted on stone, and sped from bow-strings\ndrawn to their ears. Those showers of arrows sped from their bows and\narms, O monarch, shrouded all the points of the compass like a thick\nshower of rain poured from the clouds. Then Bhima, filled with rage, and\nSahadeva of great valour, both endued with great might, careered in that\nbattle, making an immense carnage. That army, O Bharata, was covered with\nhundreds of arrows by those two warriors. In consequence thereof, the\nwelkin on many parts of the field became shrouded with darkness. In\nconsequence, O monarch, of steeds, covered with arrows, dragging after\nthem, as they ran, a large number of slain combatants, the tracks on many\nparts of the field became entirely blocked up. Covered with steeds slain\nwith their riders, with broken shields and lances, O monarch, and with\nswords and darts and spears all around, the Earth looked variegated as if\nstrewn with flowers. The combatants, O king, encountering one another,\ncareered in battle, filled with wrath and taking one another's life. Soon\nthe field became strewn with heads, beautiful as the filaments of the\nlotus, adorned with earrings and graced with faces set with eyes upturned\nin wrath and lips bit in rage. Covered also, O monarch, with the severed\narms of warriors that resembled the trunks of huge elephants, that were\nadorned with Angadas and cased in leathern fences, and that still held\nswords and lances and battle-axes, and with headless bodies risen on\ntheir feet and bleeding and dancing on the field, and swarming with\ncarnivorous creatures of diverse kinds, the Earth, O lord, presented a\nfrightful aspect! After the Bharata army had been reduced to a small\nremnant, the Pandavas, filled with delight in that dreadful battle began\nto despatch the Kauravas to Yama's abode. Meanwhile, the heroic and\nvaliant son of Subala's son very forcibly struck Sahadeva on the head\nwith a lance. Exceedingly agitated, O monarch, in consequence of the\nblow, Sahadeva sat down on the terrace of his car. Beholding Sahadeva in\nthat plight, the valiant Bhima, filled with rage, O Bharata, held the\nwhole Kuru army in check. With his cloth-yard shaft he pierced hundreds\nand thousands of hostile warriors, and having pierced them so, that\nchastiser of foes uttered a leonine roar. Frightened at that roar, all the\nfollowers of Shakuni, with their steeds and elephants, precipitately fled\naway in fear. Beholding them broken, king Duryodhana said unto them,\n\"Stop, ye Kshatriyas, unacquainted with morality! Fight! What is the use\nof flight? That hero, who, without showing his back casteth away his life\nbreath in battle, achieveth fame here and enjoyeth regions of bliss\nhereafter!\" Thus exhorted by the king, the followers of Subala's son once\nmore advanced against the Pandavas, making death their goal. Awful, O\nmonarch, was the noise made by those rushing warriors, resembling that of\nthe agitated ocean. At this, the field of battle became agitated all\naround. Beholding those followers of Subala's son thus advancing in\nbattle, the victorious Pandavas, O monarch, proceeded against them.\nComforted a little, the invincible Sahadeva, O monarch, pierced Shakuni\nwith ten arrows and his steeds with three. With the greatest ease he then\ncut off the bow of Subala's son with a number of other arrows. Invincible\nin battle, Shakuni, however, took up another bow and pierced Nakula with\nsixty arrows and then Bhimasena with seven. Uluka also, O king, desirous\nof rescuing his sire in that engagement, pierced Bhima with seven arrows\nand Sahadeva with seventy. Bhimasena in that encounter pierced Uluka with\nmany keen arrows and Shakuni with four and sixty, and each of the other\nwarriors who fought around them, with three arrows. Struck by Bhimasena\nwith shafts steeped in oil, the Kauravas, filled with rage in that\nbattle, covered Sahadeva with showers of arrows like lightning-charged\nclouds pouring rain on a mountain-breast. The heroic and valiant Sahadeva\nthen, O monarch, cut off, with a broad-headed arrow, the head of Uluka as\nthe latter advanced against him. Slain by Sahadeva, Uluka, gladdening the\nPandavas in that battle, fell down on the earth from his car, all his\nlimbs bathed in blood. Beholding his son slain, Shakuni, O Bharata, with\nvoice choked with tears and drawing deep breaths, recollected the words\nof Vidura. Having reflected for a moment with tearful eyes, Shakuni,\nbreathing heavily, approached Sahadeva and pierced him with three arrows.\nBaffling those arrows sped by Subala's son with showers of shafts, the\nvaliant Sahadeva, O monarch, cut off his antagonist's bow in that battle.\nSeeing his bow cut off, O king, Shakuni, the son of Subala, took up a\nformidable scimitar and hurled it at Sahadeva. The latter, however, with\nthe greatest ease, O monarch, cut off in twain that terrible scimitar of\nSubala's son as it coursed towards him in that encounter. Beholding his\nsword cut in twain, Shakuni took up a formidable mace and hurled it at\nSahadeva. That mace also, unable to achieve its object, fell down on the\nEarth. After this, Subala's son, filled with rage, hurled at the son of\nPandu an awful dart that resembled an impending death night. With the\ngreatest ease Sahadeva, in that encounter, cut off, with his gold-decked\nshafts, into three fragments, that dart as it coursed swiftly towards\nhim. Cut off into fragments, that dart adorned with gold fell down on the\nearth like a blazing thunderbolt from the firmament, diverging into many\nflashes. Beholding that dart baffled and Subala's son afflicted with\nfear, all thy troops fled away in fright. Subala's son himself joined\nthem. The Pandavas then, eager for victory, uttered loud shouts. As\nregards the Dhartarashtras, almost all of them turned away from the\nfight. Seeing them so cheerless, the valiant son of Madri, with many\n1,000 shafts, checked them in that battle. Then Sahadeva came upon\nSubala's son as the latter, who was still expectant of victory, was\nflying away, protected by the excellent cavalry of the Gandharas.\nRecollecting, O king, that Shakuni, who had fallen to his share, was\nstill alive, Sahadeva, on his car adorned with gold, pursued that\nwarrior. Stringing his formidable bow and drawing it with great force,\nSahadeva, filled with rage, pursued the son of Subala and vigorously\nstruck him with many shafts equipped with vulturine feathers and whetted\non stone, even like a person striking a mighty elephant with pointed\nlances. Endued with great energy of mind, Sahadeva, having afflicted his\nfoe thus, addressed him, as if for calling back to mind (his past\nmisdeeds), in these words, \"Adhering to the duties of a Kshatriya, fight\n(with me) and be a man! Thou hadst, O fool, rejoiced greatly in the midst\nof the assembly, while gambling with dice! Receive now, O thou of wicked\nunderstanding, the fruit of that act! All those wicked-souled ones that\nhad ridiculed us then have perished! Only that wretch of his race,\nDuryodhana, is still alive, and thyself, his maternal uncle! Today I\nshall slay thee, striking off thy head with a razor-headed arrow like a\nperson plucking a fruit from a tree with a stick!\" Saying these words, O\nmonarch, Sahadeva of great strength, that tiger among men, filled with\nrage, rushed impetuously against Shakuni. Approaching his enemy, the\ninvincible Sahadeva, that foremost of warriors, forcibly drawing his bow\nand as if burning his foe with wrath, pierced Shakuni with ten arrows and\nhis steeds with four. Then cutting off his umbrella and standard and bow,\nhe roared like a lion. His standard and bow and umbrella thus cut off by\nSahadeva, Subala's son was pierced with many arrows in all his vital\nlimbs. Once again, O monarch, the valiant Sahadeva sped at Shakuni an\nirresistible shower of arrows. Filled with rage, the son of Subala then,\nsingle-handed, rushed with speed against Sahadeva in that encounter,\ndesirous of slaying the latter with a lance adorned with gold. The son of\nMadri, however, with three broad-headed arrows, simultaneously cut off,\nwithout losing a moment, that uplifted lance as also the two well-rounded\narms of his enemy at the van of battle, and then uttered a loud roar.\nEndued with great activity, the heroic Sahadeva then, with a broad-headed\narrow, made of hard iron, equipped with wings of gold, capable of\npenetrating every armour, and sped with great force and care, cut off\nfrom his trunk his enemy's head. Deprived of his head by the son of Pandu\nwith that gold-decked arrow of great sharpness and splendour like the\nsun's, Subala's son fell down on the earth in that battle. Indeed, the\nson of Pandu, filled with rage, struck off that head which was the root\nof the evil policy of the Kurus, with that impetuous shaft winged with\ngold and whetted on stone. Beholding Shakuni lying headless on the ground\nand all his limbs drenched with gore, thy warriors, rendered powerless\nwith fear, fled away on all sides with weapons in their hands. At that\ntime, thy sons, with cars, elephants, horse and foot entirely broken,\nheard the twang of Gandiva and fled away with colourless faces, afflicted\nwith fear and deprived of their senses. Having thrown down Shakuni from\nhis car, the Pandavas, O Bharata, became filled with delight. Rejoicing\nwith Keshava among them, they blew their conchs in that battle,\ngladdening their troops. All of them, with glad hearts, worshipped\nSahadeva, and said, \"By good luck, O hero, Shakuni of wicked soul, that\nman of evil course, hath, with his son, been slain by thee!\"'\"\n\n\n\n29\n\n(Hrada-pravesa Parva)\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'After this, the followers of Subala's son, O monarch,\nbecame filled with rage. Prepared to lay down their lives in that\ndreadful battle, they began to resist the Pandavas. Resolved to aid\nSahadeva in his victory, Arjuna, as also Bhimasena possessed of great\nenergy and resembling an angry snake of virulent poison in aspect,\nreceived those warriors. With his Gandiva, Dhananjaya baffled the purpose\nof those warriors, who, armed with darts and swords and lances, desired\nto slay Sahadeva. Vibhatsu, with his broad-headed arrows, cut off the\nsteeds, the heads, and the arms, with weapons in grasp of those rushing\ncombatants. The steeds of those foremost of heroes endued with activity,\nstruck by Savyasaci, fell down on the earth, deprived of their lives.\nKing Duryodhana, beholding that carnage of his own troops, O lord, became\nfilled with rage. Assembling together the remnant of his cars which still\nnumbered many hundreds, as also his elephants and horse and foot, O\nscorcher of foes, thy son said these words unto those warriors,\n\"Encountering all the Pandavas with their friends and allies, in this\nbattle, and the prince of Pancala also with his own troops, and slaying\nthem quickly, turn back from the fight!\" Respectfully accepting that\ncommand of his, those warriors, difficult of defeat in battle, proceeded\nonce more against the Parthas in that battle, at the behest of thy son.\nThe Pandavas, however, covered with their arrows resembling snakes of\nvirulent poison, all those warriors, forming the remnant of the Kaurava\narmy, that thus rushed quickly against them in that dreadful battle. That\narmy, O chief of the Bharatas, as it came to battle, was in a moment\nexterminated by those high-souled warriors, for it failed to obtain a\nprotector. In consequence of the (Kaurava) steeds running hither and\nthither that were all covered with the dust raised by the army, the\ncardinal and the subsidiary points of the compass could not be\ndistinguished. Many warriors, issuing out of the Pandava array, O\nBharata, slew thy troops in a moment in that battle. Eleven Akshauhinis,\nO Bharata, of troops had been assembled for thy son! All those, O lord,\nwere slain by the Pandus and the Srinjayas! Amongst those thousands upon\nthousands of high-souled kings on thy side, only Duryodhana now, O\nmonarch, exceedingly wounded, was seen to be alive, casting his eyes on\nall sides, and seeing the earth empty, himself destitute of all his\ntroops while the Pandavas, filled with joy in that battle, were roaring\naloud in consequence of the accomplishment of all their objects.\nDuryodhana, O monarch, unable to endure the whiz of the shafts shot by\nthose high-souled heroes, became stupefied! Destitute of troops and\nanimals, he set his heart on retreat from the field.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'When my troops were slain and our camp made\nentirely empty, what was the strength, O Suta, of the troops that still\nremained to the Pandavas? I desire to know this. Therefore, tell me, O\nSanjaya, for thou art skilled (in narration). Tell me also, O Sanjaya,\nthat which was done by my son, the wicked Duryodhana, that lord of the\nearth, the sole survivor of so many men, when he saw his army\nexterminated.'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, '2,000 cars, 700 elephants, 5,000 horse, and 10,000\nfoot, this was the remnant, O monarch, of the mighty host of the\nPandavas. Taking care of this force, Dhrishtadyumna waited in that\nbattle. Meanwhile, O chief of the Bharatas, king Duryodhana, that\nforemost of car-warriors, saw not in that battle a single warrior on his\nside. Beholding his enemies roaring aloud and witnessing the\nextermination of his own army, that lord of the earth, Duryodhana,\nwithout a companion, abandoned his slain steed, and fled from the field\nwith face turned eastwards. That lord of eleven Akshauhinis, thy son\nDuryodhana, of great energy, taking up his mace, fled on foot towards a\nlake. Before he had proceeded far on foot, the king recalled the words of\nthe intelligent and virtuous Vidura. Without doubt, this had been\nforeseen by Vidura of great wisdom, this great carnage of Kshatriyas and\nof ourselves in battle. Reflecting on this, the king, with heart burning\nin grief at having witnessed the extermination of his army, desired to\npenetrate into the depths of that lake. The Pandavas, O monarch, with\nDhrishtadyumna at their head, filled with rage, rushed against (the small\nremnant of) thy army. With his Gandiva, Dhananjaya baffled the purpose of\nthe (Kaurava) troops, who, armed with darts and swords and lances, were\nuttering loud roars. Having with his sharp shafts slain those troops with\ntheir allies and kinsmen, Arjuna, as he stood on his car having white\nsteeds yoked unto it, looked exceedingly beautiful. Upon the fall of\nSubala's son along with horse, cars and elephants, thy army looked like a\nlarge forest laid low (by the wind). In Duryodhana's army then, O\nmonarch, which had numbered many hundred thousands of warriors, not\nanother great car-warrior was seen to be alive, save the heroic son of\nDrona, and Kritavarma, and Kripa the son of Gotama, O monarch, and that\nlord of the earth, thy son! Dhrishtadyumna, seeing me, laughingly\naddressed Satyaki, saying, 'What is the use of seizing this one? Nothing\nwill be gained by keeping him alive.' Hearing these words of\nDhrishtadyumna, the grandson of Sini, that great car-warrior, uplifting\nhis sharp sword, prepared to slay me. Just at that juncture, the\nIsland-born Krishna of great wisdom (Vyasa), coming there, said, \"Let\nSanjaya be dismissed alive! By no means should he be slain!\" Hearing\nthese words of the Island-born, the grandson of Sini, joined his hands,\nand then, setting me free said unto me, \"Peace to thee, O Sanjaya, thou\nmayest go hence!\" Permitted by him, I myself then, putting off my armour\nand making over my weapons, set out on the evening on the road leading to\nthe city, my limbs bathed in blood. After I had come about two miles, O\nmonarch, I beheld Duryodhana, standing alone, mace in hand, and\nexceedingly mangled. His eyes were full of tears and therefore he could\nnot see me. I stood cheerlessly before him. He looked accordingly at me\nwithout recognising me. Beholding him standing alone on the field and\nindulging in grief, I also, overwhelmed with sorrow, succeeded not for a\nlittle while to speak a single word. Then I said unto him everything\nabout my own capture and my release through the grace of the Island-born.\nHaving reflected for a moment, and regained his senses, he enquired of me\nabout his brothers and his troops. I had seen everything with my eyes and\ntherefore told him everything, that his brothers had all been slain and\nthat all his troops had been exterminated. I told the king that we had at\nthat time only three car-warriors left alive, for the Island-born had\nsaid so unto me when I set out (from the place where the Pandavas were).\nDrawing deep breaths and looking repeatedly at me, thy son touched me\nwith his hand and said, \"Except thee, O Sanjaya, there is none else that\nliveth, amongst those engaged in this battle! I do not see another (on my\nside), while the Pandavas have their allies living! Say, O Sanjaya, unto\nthat lord, the blind king Dhritarashtra, that his son Duryodhana hath\nentered the depths of a lake! Destitute of friends such as those (I\nlately had), deprived of sons and brothers, and seeing his kingdom taken\nby the Pandavas, who is there like me that would desire to live? Say all\nthis unto the king and tell him further that I have escaped with life\nfrom that dreadful battle, and that, alive, though exceedingly wounded, I\nshall rest within the depths of this lake.\" Having said these words unto\nme, O monarch, the king entered that lake. That ruler of men, by his\npower of illusion, then charmed the waters of that lake, making a space\nfor him within them. After he had entered that lake, I myself, without\nanybody on my side, saw those three car-warriors (of our army) coming\ntogether to that spot with their tired animals. They were Kripa, the son\nof Saradwat, and the heroic Ashvatthama, that foremost of car-warriors,\nand Kritavarma of Bhoja's race. Mangled with shafts, all of them came\ntogether to that spot. Beholding me, they all urged their steeds to\ngreater speed and coming up to me, said, \"By good luck, O Sanjaya, thou\nlivest yet!\" All of them then enquired after thy son, that ruler of men,\nsaying, 'Is our king Duryodhana still alive, O Sanjaya?' I then told them\nthat the king was well in body. I also told them everything that\nDuryodhana had said unto me. I also pointed out to them the lake that the\nking had entered. Then Ashvatthama, O king, having heard those words from\nme, cast his eyes on that extensive lake and began to wail in grief,\nsaying, \"Alas, alas, the king knows not that we are still alive! With him\namongst us, we are still quite able to fight with our foes!\" Those mighty\ncar-warriors, having wept there for a long time, fled away at sight of\nthe sons of Pandu. Those three car-warriors that formed the remnant of\nour army took me up on the well-adorned car of Kripa, and then proceeded\nto the Kuru camp. The sun had set a little before. The troops forming the\noutposts of the camp, learning that all thy sons had been slain, wept\naloud. Then, O monarch, the old men that had been appointed to look after\nthe ladies of the royal household proceeded towards the city, taking the\nprincesses after them. Loud were the wails uttered by those weeping\nladies when they heard of the destruction of the whole army. The women, O\nking, crying ceaselessly, caused the earth to resound with their voices\nlike a flight of she-ospreys. They tore their bodies with nails and\nstruck their heads with their hands, and untied their braids, indulging\nall the while in loud cries. Filling the air with sounds such as \"Oh!\"\nand \"Alas!\" and beating their breasts, they cried aloud and wept and\nuttered loud shrieks, O monarch! Then the friends of Duryodhana, deeply\nafflicted and made voiceless by their tears, set out for the city, taking\nthe ladies of the royal household with them. The camp-guards quickly fled\ntowards the city, taking with them many white beds overlaid with costly\ncoverlets. Others, placing their wives on cars drawn by mules, proceeded\ntowards the city. Those ladies, O monarch, who, while in their houses\ncould not be seen by the very sun, were now, as they proceeded towards\nthe city, exposed to the gaze of the common people. Those women, O chief\nof the Bharata's race, who were very delicate, now proceeded with speed\ntowards the city, having lost their near ones and kinsmen. The very\ncow-herds and shepherds and common men, filled with panic and afflicted\nwith the fear of Bhimasena, fled towards the city. Even these were filled\nwith a great fear of the Parthas. Looking at one another, all of them\nfled towards the city. During the progress of that general flight\nattended with such circumstances of fear, Yuyutsu, deprived of his senses\nby grief, thought upon what he should do in view of the emergency that\nhad come. \"Duryodhana hath been vanquished in battle by the Pandavas of\nterrible prowess! He had eleven Akshauhinis of troops under him! All his\nbrothers have been slain! All the Kauravas, headed by Bhishma and Drona,\nhave perished! Through the influence of Destiny, only I have been saved!\nAll those that were in the Kuru camp have fled! Alas, they are flying on\nall sides, deprived of energy and destitute of protectors! Such a sight\nhad never been seen before! Afflicted with sorrow, with eyes anxious in\nfear, they are flying away on all sides like a herd of deer, looking at\none another! Those amongst the counsellors of Duryodhana that are yet\nalive have fled towards the city, taking with them the ladies of the\nroyal household! I think, O lord, that the time hath come when I also\nshould enter the city with them, after taking the permission of\nYudhishthira and Vasudeva!\" For this purpose that mighty-armed prince\npresented himself before both those heroes. King Yudhishthira, who is\nalways compassionate, became highly pleased with him. The mighty-armed\nPandava embraced that child of a Vaisya mother and dismissed him\naffectionately. Riding upon his own car, he urged his steeds to great\nspeed. He then supervised the removal of the ladies of the royal\nhousehold to the city. The sun was setting. With those ladies, Yuyutsu\nentered the city of Hastinapura, with tearful eyes and with voice choked\nin grief. He then saw Vidura of great wisdom, sitting with tearful eyes.\nHe had come away from Dhritarashtra, his heart having been afflicted with\ngreat sorrow. Bowing down unto Vidura, he stood before him. Devoted to\ntruth, Vidura addressed him, saying, \"By good luck, O son, thou livest\namid this general destruction of the Kurus! Why, however, hast thou come\nwithout king Duryodhana in thy company? Tell me in detail the cause of\nthis!\" Yuyutsu then said, \"After the fall of Shakuni, O sire, with all\nhis kinsmen and friends, king Duryodhana abandoning the steed he rode,\nfled away, in fear towards the east. After the king had fled away, all\nthe people in the (Kaurava) encampment, agitated with fear, fled towards\nthe city. Then the protectors of the ladies, placing the wives of the\nking, as also those of his brothers, on vehicles, fled away in fear.\nObtaining the permission of king Yudhishthira and Keshava, I set out for\nHastinapura, for protecting the people thus flying away!\" Hearing these\nwords spoken by the son of Dhritarashtra's Vaisya wife, Vidura of\nimmeasurable soul, conversant with every usage and feeling that was\nproper at that hour, applauded the eloquent Yuyutsu. And he said, \"Thou\nhast acted properly, having regard for what has come, in view of this\ndestruction of all the Bharatas of which thou art speaking! Thou hast\nalso, from compassion, maintained the honour of thy race! By good luck,\nwe behold thee come back with life from this terrible battle that is so\ndestructive of heroes, like creatures beholding the sun possessed of\nblazing glory! Thou, O son, are now in every way the sole staff of the\nblind monarch, bereft of foresight, afflicted with calamity, struck by\nDestiny, and who, though repeatedly dissuaded, could not abstain from\npursuing his evil policy. Take rest here for this day! Tomorrow thou\nmayst return to Yudhishthira!\" Having said these words, Vidura, with\ntearful eyes, took leave of Yuyutsu and entered the abode of the king,\nwhich resounded with cries of \"Oh!\" and \"Alas!\" uttered by citizens and\nvillagers afflicted with woe. The cheerless mansion seemed to have lost\nall its beauty; comfort and happiness seemed to have deserted it. It was\nall empty and pervaded by disorder. Already filled with sorrow, Vidura's\ngrief increased at that sight. Conversant with every duty, Vidura, with a\nsorrowful heart, entered the palace, drawing deep breaths. As regards\nYuyutsu, he passed that night in his own abode. Afflicted with woe, he\nfailed to obtain any joy at the panegyrics with which he was greeted. He\npassed the time, thinking of the terrible destruction of the Bharatas at\none another's hands.'\"\n\n\n\n30\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'After all the Kaurava troops had been slain by the\nsons of Pandu on the field of battle, what did those survivors of my\narmy, Kritavarma and Kripa and the valiant son of Drona do? What also did\nthe wicked-souled king Duryodhana then do?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'After the flight of the ladies of those high-souled\nKshatriyas, and after the (Kaurava) camp had become entirely empty, the\nthree car-warriors (thou hast mentioned) became filled with anxiety.\nHearing the shouts of the victorious sons of Pandu, and beholding the\ncamp deserted towards the evening, those three warriors of our side,\ndesirous of rescuing the king, and unable to stay on the field, proceeded\ntowards the lake. Yudhishthira, of virtuous soul, with his brothers in\nthat battle, felt great joy and wandered over the field from desire of\nslaying Duryodhana. Filled with wrath, the Pandavas, desirous of victory,\nsearched for thy son. Though, however, they looked very carefully for\nhim, they failed to discover the (Kuru) king. Mace in hand, he had fled\nwith great speed from the field of battle and penetrated into that lake,\nhaving by the aid of his powers of illusion, solidified its waters. When\nat last the animals of the Pandavas became very much tired, the latter\nproceeded to their camp and rested there with their soldiers. After the\nParthas had retired to their camp, Kripa and Drona's son and Kritavarma\nof the Satwata race, slowly proceeded towards that lake. Approaching the\nlake within which lay the king, they addressed that invincible ruler of\nmen asleep within the water, saying, \"Arise, O king, and fight with us\nagainst Yudhishthira! Either obtaining victory enjoy the earth, or,\nslain, proceed to heaven! The forces of the Pandavas also, O Duryodhana,\nhave all been slain by thee! Those amongst them that are yet alive have\nbeen exceedingly mangled! They will not be able, O monarch, to bear thy\nimpetuosity, especially when thou shalt be protected by us! Arise,\ntherefore, O Bharata!\"\n\n\"'Duryodhana said, \"By good luck, I see you, ye bulls among men, come\nback with life from this destructive battle between the Pandavas and the\nKauravas! After we have rested a while and dispelled our fatigue, we\nshall encounter the enemy and conquer him! Ye also are tired and I myself\nam exceedingly mangled! The army of the Pandavas is swelling with might!\nFor these reasons, I do not like to fight now! These exhortations on your\npart, ye heroes, are not at all wonderful, for your hearts are noble!\nYour devotion also to me is great! This, however, is not the time for\nprowess! Resting for this one night, I shall, on the morrow, join you and\nfight with the foe! In this there is no doubt!\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus addressed, the son of Drona replied unto the\nking, who was invincible in battle, saying, \"Arise, O king, blessed be\nthou, we shall yet vanquish the foe! I swear by all my religious acts, by\nall the gifts I have made, by truth itself, and my silent meditations, O\nking, that I shall today slay the Somakas! Let me not obtain the delight\nresulting from the performance of sacrifices, that delight which is felt\nby all pious men, if this night passes away without my slaying the\nPandavas in battle! Without slaying all the Pancalas, I will not, O lord,\nput off my armour! I tell thee this truly. Believe me, O ruler of men!\"\nWhile they were thus conversing, a number of hunters came there. Fatigued\nwith the weight of meat they carried, they came there, not of any set\npurpose, for slaking their thirst. Those huntsmen, O lord, used every\nday, to procure, with great regard, a basketful of meat for Bhimasena, O\nking! As they sat concealed on the banks of that lake, those men heard\nevery word of that conversation between Duryodhana and those warriors.\nFinding the Kuru king unwilling to fight, those great bowmen, themselves\ndesirous of battle, began to urge him greatly to adopt their counsels.\nSeeing those car-warriors of the Kaurava army, and understanding that the\nking, unwilling to fight, was staying within the waters, and hearing that\nconversation between those heroes and their master staying within the\ndepths of the lake, indeed, O monarch, the huntsmen, clearly perceiving\nthat it was Duryodhana who was staying within the lake, formed a\nresolution. A little while before, the son of Pandu, while searching for\nthe king, had met those men and asked them about the whereabouts of\nDuryodhana. Recollecting the words that the son of Pandu had said, those\nhunters, O king, whisperingly said unto one another, \"We will discover\nDuryodhana (unto the Pandavas). The son of Pandu will then give us\nwealth! It is evident to us that the celebrated king Duryodhana is here!\nLet us then, all of us, proceed to the spot where king Yudhishthira is,\nfor telling him that the vindictive Duryodhana is concealed within the\nwaters of this lake! Let us also, all of us, inform that great bowman,\nthe intelligent Bhimasena, that the son of Dhritarashtra is concealed\nhere within the waters of this lake! Gratified with us, he will give us\nmuch wealth! What need of fatiguing ourselves, day after day, with\nprocuring meat and weakening ourselves with such toil?\" Having said these\nwords, those huntsmen, filled with joy and longing for wealth, took up\ntheir baskets of meat and proceeded towards the (Pandava) camp. Possessed\nof sure aim and skilled in smiting, the Pandavas, O monarch, not seeing\nin battle Duryodhana, who was then concealed, (were resting in their\ncamp). Desirous of reaching the end of that sinful wight's evil policy,\nthey had despatched spies in all directions on the field of battle. All\nthe soldiers, however, that had been despatched on that mission returned\nto the camp together and informed king Yudhishthira the just that no\ntrace could be found of king Duryodhana. Hearing these words of the\nreturned messengers, O bull of Bharata's race, king Yudhishthira became\nfilled with great anxiety and began to breathe heavily. While the\nPandavas, O bull of Bharata's race, were staying in such cheerlessness,\nthose huntsmen, O lord, having come with great speed from the banks of\nthat lake, arrived at the camp, filled with joy at having discovered\nDuryodhana. Though forbidden, they still entered the camp, in the very\nsight of Bhimasena. Having approached that mighty son of Pandu,\nBhimasena, they represented everything unto him about what they had seen\nand heard. Then Vrikodara, that scorcher of foes, O king, giving them\nmuch wealth, represented everything unto king Yudhishthira the just,\nsaying, \"Duryodhana, O king, hath been discovered by the huntsmen that\nsupply me with meat! He, O king, for whom thou grievest now lies within a\nlake whose waters have been solidified by him!\" Hearing these agreeable\nwords of Bhimasena, O monarch, Kunti's son, Ajatasatru, became, with all\nhis brothers, filled with joy. Having learnt that the mighty bowman\nDuryodhana had penetrated into the waters of a lake, the king proceeded\nthither with great speed, with Janardana at his head. Then a tumultuous\nnoise arose, O monarch, from among the Pandavas and the Pancalas all of\nwhom were filled with joy. The warriors uttered leonine roars, O bull of\nBharata's race, and shouted loudly. All the Kshatriyas, O king, proceeded\nwith great speed towards that lake called Dvaipayana. The rejoicing\nSomakas all around loudly and repeatedly exclaimed, \"The sinful son of\nDhritarashtra has been found!\" The noise made by the cars of those\nimpetuous warriors who proceeded with great speed, became very loud, O\nmonarch, and touched the heavens. Although their animals were tired, all\nof them still proceeded with speed behind king Yudhishthira who was bent\nupon finding out Duryodhana. Arjuna, and Bhimasena, and the two sons of\nMadri by Pandu, and the Pancala prince Dhrishtadyumna, and the\nunvanquished Shikhandi, and Uttamaujas, and Yudhamanyu, and the mighty\ncar-warrior Satyaki, and the (five) sons of Draupadi, and those amongst\nthe Pancalas, O king, that were yet alive, and all the Pandavas, and all\ntheir elephants, and foot-soldiers by hundreds upon hundreds, all\nproceeded with Yudhishthira. Possessed of great valour, king Yudhishthira\nthe just, O monarch, arrived at the lake known by the name of Dvaipayana\nwithin which Duryodhana then was. Wide as the ocean itself, its aspect\nwas agreeable and its waters were cool and transparent. Solidifying the\nwaters by means of his power of illusion, by, indeed, a wonderful method,\nthy son Duryodhana, O Bharata, happened to be within that lake. Indeed,\nwithin those waters lay, O lord, that king, armed with his mace, who, O\nruler of men, could not be vanquished by any man! Staying within the\nwaters of that lake, king Duryodhana heard that tumultuous noise (of the\nPandava army) which resembled the very roar of the clouds. Yudhishthira\nthen, O king, with his brothers repaired to that lake from desire of\nslaying Duryodhana. Raising a thick dust, the son of Pandu caused the\nearth to tremble with the sound of his car-wheels and the loud blare of\nhis conch. Hearing the noise made by the army of Yudhishthira, those\ngreat car-warriors, Kritavarma and Kripa and the son of Drona, said these\nwords unto the Kuru king, \"Filled with joy and longing for victory, the\nPandavas are coming hither! We will, therefore, leave this place. Let it\nbe known to thee!\" Hearing those words of these heroes endued with great\nactivity, he answered them, saying, \"So be it,\" and remained (as before)\nwithin the waters, having, O lord, solidified them by his powers of\nillusion. Those car-warriors headed by Kripa, filled with grief, took\nleave of the king, O monarch, and went away to a place far removed from\nthat spot. Having proceeded far, they beheld a banyan, O sire, under\nwhose shade they stopped, greatly tired, and exceedingly anxious about\nthe king and indulging in such thoughts as these, \"The mighty son of\nDhritarashtra, having solidified the waters of the lake, lay stretched at\nthe bottom. The Pandavas have reached that spot, from desire of battle.\nHow will the battle take place? What will become of the king?\" Thinking\nof these things, O king, those heroes, Kripa and the others, liberated\ntheir horses from their cars and prepared to rest there for some time.'\"\n\n\n\n31\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'After those three car-warriors had left that spot, the\nPandavas arrived at that lake within which Duryodhana was resting\nhimself. Having reached the banks of the Dvaipayana lake, O chief of\nKuru's race, they beheld that receptacle of waters enchanted by thy son.\nThen Yudhishthira, addressing Vasudeva, said, \"Behold, the son of\nDhritarashtra hath applied his power of illusion to these waters! Having\nenchanted the waters, he lieth within them. He can have now no fear (of\ninjury) from man! Having invoked a celestial illusion, he is now within\nthe waters! By an act of deception, that wight conversant with every\ndeception hath sought this refuge! He shall not, however, escape me with\nlife! Even if the wielder of the thunderbolt himself aid him in battle,\npeople, O Madhava, shall yet behold him slain today!\"\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"With thy own powers of illusion, O Bharata, destroy\nthis illusion of Duryodhana who is an adept in it! One conversant with\nillusion should be slain with illusion! This is the truth, O\nYudhishthira! With acts and means and applying thy power of illusion to\nthese waters, slay, O chief of the Bharatas, this Suyodhana, who is the\nvery soul of illusion! With acts and means Indra himself slew the Daityas\nand the Danavas! Vali himself was bound by that high-souled one\n(Upendra), with the aid of many acts and means! The great Asura\nHiranyaksha, as also that other one, Hiranyakasipu, was slain by the aid\nof many acts and means. Without doubt, O king, Vritra also was slain by\nthe aid of acts! Similarly was the Rakshasa Ravana of Pulastya's race,\nwith his relatives and followers, slain by Rama! Relying upon acts and\ncontrivances, do thou also display thy powers! Those two ancient Daityas,\nTaraka and Viprachitti of great energy, were in ancient times, O king,\nslain by the aid of acts and means! Similarly, Vatapi and Ilwala, and\nTrisiras, O lord, and the Asuras Sunda and Upasunda, were all slain by\nthe aid of means! Indra himself enjoys heaven by the aid of acts and\nmeans! Acts are very efficacious, O king, and nothing else so, O\nYudhishthira! Daityas and Danavas and Rakshasas and kings had been slain\nby the aid of acts and means. Do thou take therefore, the help of act!\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus addressed by Vasudeva, Pandu's son of rigid\nvows, smiling the while, addressed, O monarch, thy son of great might,\nwho, O Bharata, was then within the waters of that lake, saying, \"Why, O\nSuyodhana, hast thou entered these waters, after having caused all the\nKshatriyas to perish and after having, O king, caused thy own race to be\nannihilated? Why hast thou entered into this lake today, wishing to save\nthy own life? Arise, O king, and fight us, O Suyodhana! Where, O foremost\nof men, hath that pride and that sense of honour which thou hadst now\ngone, since, O king, thou hast enchanted these waters and art now lying\nwithin them? All men speak of thee in assemblies as a hero. All that,\nhowever, is entirely untrue, I think, since thou art now concealed within\nthese waters! Arise, O king, and fight, for thou art a Kshatriya born of\na noble race! Thou art Kauraveya in particular! Remember thy birth! How\ncanst thou boast of thy birth in Kuru's race when thou concealest thyself\nwithin the depths of this lake, having fled away from battle in fear?\nThis is not the eternal duty of a Kshatriya, staying away from battle!\nFlight from battle, O king, is not the practice of those that are\nhonourable, nor does it lead to heaven! How is it that without having\nattained to the end of this war, inspired though thou wert with the\ndesire of victory, thou stayest now within this lake, after having caused\nand witnessed the slaughter of thy sons and brothers and sires and\nrelatives and friends and maternal uncles and kinsmen? Ever boastful of\nthy courage, thou art, however, not a hero! Falsely dost thou describe\nthyself, O Bharata, when thou sayst in the hearing of all men that thou\nart a hero, O thou of wicked understanding! They that are heroes never\nfly away at sight of foes! Or, tell us, O hero, about (the nature of)\nthat courage in consequence of which thou hast fled from battle! Arise, O\nprince, and fight, casting off thy fears! Having caused all thy troops\nand thy brothers to be slain, O Suyodhana, thou shouldst not, if thou art\ninspired with righteous motives, think now of saving thy life! One like\nthee, O Suyodhana, that has adopted Kshatriya duties, should not act in\nthis way! Relying upon Karna, as also upon Shakuni the son of Subala,\nthou hadst regarded thyself immortal and hadst, from folly, failed to\nunderstand thy own self! Having perpetrated such grievous sin, fight now,\nO Bharata! How dost that flight from battle recommend itself to one like\nthee? Surely, thou forgettest thyself! Where is that manliness of thine,\nO sire, and where, O Suyodhana, is that pride cherished by thee! Where\nhath that prowess of thine now gone, and where also that swelling and\ngreat energy which thou hadst? Where is that accomplishment of thine in\nweapons? Why dost thou lie within this lake now? Arise, O Bharata, and\nfight, observing the duties of a Kshatriya! Either rule the wide earth\nafter vanquishing us, or sleep, O Bharata, on the bare ground, slain by\nus! Even this is thy highest duty, as laid down by the illustrious\nCreator himself! Act as it has been laid down truly in the scriptures,\nand be a king, O great car-warrior!\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus addressed, O monarch, by the intelligent son of\nDharma, thy son answered him from within the waters in these words.\n\n\"'Duryodhana said, \"It is not at all a matter of surprise, O king, that\nfear should enter the hearts of living creatures. As regards myself,\nhowever, O Bharata, I have not fled from the field of battle actuated by\nthe fear of life! My car was destroyed, my quivers were gone, and my\nParshni drivers were killed! I was alone, without a single follower to\nstand by me in battle! It was for this that I desired a little rest! It\nwas not for the sake of saving my life, it was not from fear, it was not\nfrom grief, O king, that I entered these waters! It was only in\nconsequence of fatigue that I did so! Do thou, O son of Kunti, rest a\nwhile with those that follow thee! Rising from this lake I will certainly\nfight all of you in battle!\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, 'All of us have rested sufficiently. For a long\nwhile we were engaged in a search after thee! Rise then, even now, O\nSuyodhana, and give us battle! Either slaying the Parthas in battle make\nthis kingdom that swelleth with prosperity thy own, or slain by us in\nbattle, proceed to those regions that are reserved for heroes!\"\n\n\"'Duryodhana said, \"They amongst the Kurus, O son of Kurus' race, for\nwhose sake I desired sovereignty, that is, those brothers of mine, O\nking, all lie dead on the field! I do not, again, like to enjoy any\nlonger the earth that is now shorn of wealth and reft of superior\nKshatriyas, and that hath, therefore, become like a widowed lady! I,\nhowever, still hope to vanquish thee, O Yudhishthira, after curbing the\npride, O bull of Bharata's race, of the Pancalas and the Pandus! There\nis, however, no longer any need for battle when Drona and Karna have been\nquieted and when our grandsire Bhishma hath been slain! This shorn earth,\nO king, now exists for thee! What king is there that would like to rule a\nkingdom divested of friends and allies? Having caused friends such as I\nhad to be slain and even sons and brothers and sires, and seeing my\nkingdom wrested by you, who is there like myself that would like to live?\nClad in deer-skins I would retire into the woods! I have no desire for\nkingdom, deprived as I am of friends and allies, O Bharata! Reft almost\nentirely of friends and allies, of heroes and elephants, this earth\nexists for thee, O king! Do thou enjoy her now cheerfully! As for myself,\nclad in deerskins, I shall go to the woods! Friendless as I am, I have no\ndesire, O lord, for even life! Go, O monarch, and rule the earth\ndestitute of lords, without warriors, reft of wealth, and without\ncitadels, as thou choosest!\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Hearing these words of poignant grief the\nillustrious Yudhishthira addressed thy son Duryodhana who was still\nwithin those waters, saying, \"Do not utter such ravings of sorrow, O\nsire, from within the waters! I do not, like Shakuni, feel any compassion\nfor thee, O king, for such words as these! Thou mayest now, O Suyodhana,\nbe willing to make a gift of the earth to me. I, however, do not wish to\nrule the earth thus given by thee! I cannot sinfully accept this earth\nfrom thee! Acceptance of a gift, O king, is not the duty laid down for a\nKshatriya! I do not, therefore, wish to have the wide earth thus given\naway by thee! I shall, on the other hand, enjoy the earth after\nvanquishing thee in battle! Thou art now the lord of the earth! Why then\ndost thou desire to make a gift of that over which thou hast no dominion?\nWhy, O king, didst thou not then give us the earth when we, observant of\nthe rules of righteousness and desirous of the welfare of our race, had\nbegged thee for our portion? Having first refused the request of the\nmighty Krishna, why dost thou now desire to give away the earth? What is\nthis folly of thine? What king is there, who, assailed by foes, would\nwish to give away his kingdom? O son of Kuru's race, today thou art not\ncompetent to give away the earth! Why then dost thou wish to make a gift\nof that over which thou hast no power? Vanquishing me in battle, rule\nthou this earth! Thou didst not formerly agree to give me even that much\nof the earth which would be covered by the point of a needle! How then, O\nmonarch, dost thou make me a gift of the whole earth? How is it that\nthou, who couldst not formerly abandon even that much of land which the\npoint of a needle would cover, now wishest to abandon the whole earth?\nWhat fool is there that would, after having obtained such prosperity and\nruled the entire earth, think of making a gift of that earth to his\nenemies? Stupefied by folly, thou seest not the impropriety of this!\nAlthough thou desirest to give away the earth, thou shalt not yet escape\nme with life! Either rule the earth after having vanquished us, or go to\nregions of blessedness after being slain by us! If both of us, that is,\nthyself and myself, be alive, then all creatures will remain in doubt\nabout to whom the victory belongs. Thy life, O thou of limited foresight,\nnow depends upon me! If I like, I can suffer thee to live, but thou art\nnot capable of protecting thy own life! Thou hadst at one time especially\nendeavoured to burn us to death and to take our lives by means of snakes\nand other kinds of poison and by drowning us! We were also wronged by\nthee, O king, by the deprivation of our kingdom, by the cruel words\nspoken by thee, and by thy maltreatment of Draupadi! For these reasons, O\nwretch, thy life must be taken! Rise, rise, and fight us! That will\nbenefit thee!\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'In this strain, O king, those heroes, the Pandavas,\nflushed with victory, repeatedly spoke there (rebuking and mocking\nDuryodhana).'\"\n\n\n\n32\n\n(Gada-yuddha Parva)\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Thus admonished (by his foes), how, indeed, did\nthat scorcher of enemies, my heroic and royal son, who was wrathful by\nnature, then behave? He had never before listened to admonitions such as\nthese! He had, again, been treated by all with the respect due to a king!\nHe, who had formerly grieved to stand in the shade of an umbrella,\nthinking he had taken another's shelter, he, who could not endure the\nvery effulgence of the sun in consequence of his sensitive pride, how\ncould he endure these words of his foes? Thou hast, with thy own eyes, O\nSanjaya, seen the whole earth, with even her Mlecchas and nomad tribes,\ndepend upon his grace! Rebuked thus at that spot by the sons of Pandu in\nparticular, while lying concealed in such a solitary place after having\nbeen deprived of his followers and attendants, alas, what answer did he\nmake unto the Pandavas upon hearing such bitter and repeated taunts from\nhis victorious enemies? Tell me everything, O Sanjaya, about it!'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus rebuked, O monarch, by Yudhishthira and his\nbrothers, thy royal son, lying within those waters, O king of kings,\nheard those bitter words and became very miserable. Breathing hot and\nlong sighs repeatedly, the king waved his arms again and again, and\nsetting his heart on battle, thus answered, from within the waters, the\nroyal son of Pandu.\n\n\"'Duryodhana said, \"Ye Parthas, all of you are possessed of friends, of\ncars, and of animals! I, however, am alone, cheerless, without a car, and\nwithout an animal! Being alone and destitute of weapons, how can I\nventure to fight on foot, against numerous foes all well-armed and\npossessed of cars? Do you, however, O Yudhishthira, fight me one at a\ntime! It is not proper that one should in battle fight many endued with\ncourage, especially when that one is without armour, fatigued, afflicted\nwith calamity, exceedingly mangled in his limbs, and destitute of both\nanimals and troops! I do not entertain the least fear, O monarch, of\neither thee, or Vrikodara, the son of Pritha, or Phalguna, or Vasudeva,\nor all the Pancalas, or the twins, or Yuyudhana, or all the other troops\nthou hast! Standing in battle, alone as I am, I shall resist all of you!\nThe fame, O king, of all righteous men hath righteousness for its basis!\nI say all this to you, observant of both righteousness and fame! Rising\n(from this lake), I shall fight all of you in battle! Like the year that\ngradually meets all the seasons, I shall meet all of you in fight! Wait,\nye Pandavas! Like the sun destroying by his energy the light of all stars\nat dawn, I shall today, though weaponless and carless, destroy all of you\npossessed of cars and steeds! Today I shall free myself from the debt I\nowe to the many illustrious Kshatriyas (that have fallen for me), to\nBahlika and Drona and Bhishma and the high-souled Karna, to the heroic\nJayadratha and Bhagadatta, to Shalya the ruler of the Madras and\nBhurishrava, to my sons, O chief of Bharata's race, and Shakuni the son\nof Subala, to all my friends and well-wishers and kinsmen! Today I shall\nfree myself from that debt by slaying thee with thy brothers!\" With these\nwords, the (Kuru) king ceased speaking.\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"By good luck, O Suyodhana, thou knowest the duties\nof a Kshatriya! By good luck, O thou of mighty arms, thy heart inclineth\nto battle! By good luck, thou art a hero, O thou of Kuru's race, and, by\ngood luck, thou art conversant with battle, since, single-handed, thou\nwishest to meet all of us in battle! Fight any one of us, taking whatever\nweapon thou likest! All of us will stand as spectators here! I grant thee\nalso, O hero, this (other) wish of thy heart, that if thou slayest any of\nus, thou shalt then become king! Otherwise, slain by us, go to heaven!\"\n\n\"'Duryodhana said, \"A brave man as thou art, if thou grantest me the\noption of fighting only one of you, this mace that I hold in my hand is\nthe weapon that I select! Let any one amongst you who thinks that he will\nbe my match come forward and fight with me on foot, armed with mace! Many\nwonderful single combats have occurred on cars! Let this one great and\nwonderful combat with the mace happen today! Men (while fighting) desire\nto change weapons. Let the manner of the fight be changed today, with thy\npermission! O thou of mighty arms, I shall, with my mace, vanquish thee\ntoday with all thy younger brothers, as also all the Pancalas and the\nSrinjayas and all the other troops thou still hast! I do not cherish the\nleast fear, O Yudhishthira, of even Shakra himself!\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Rise, rise, O son of Gandhari, and fight me,\nSuyodhana! Alone as thou art, fight us, encountering one at a time, thou\nof great might, armed with thy mace! Be a man, O son of Gandhari, and\nfight with good care! Today thou shalt have to lay down thy life even if\nIndra becomes thy ally!\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'That tiger among men, thy son, could not bear these\nwords of Yudhishthira. He breathed long and heavy sighs from within the\nwater like a mighty snake from within its hole. Struck repeatedly with\nsuch wordy goads, he could not endure it at all, like a horse of high\nbreed that cannot endure the whip. Agitating the waters with great force,\nthat valiant warrior rose like a prince of elephants from within the\nlake, breathing heavily in rage, and armed with his heavy mace that was\nendued with the strength of adamant and decked with gold. Piercing the\nsolidified waters, thy son rose, shouldering his mace of iron, like the\nsun himself scorching everything with his rays. Endued with great\nstrength, thy son, possessed of great intelligence, began to handle his\nheavy mace made of iron and equipped with a sling. Beholding him armed\nwith mace and resembling a crested mountain or the trident-wielding Rudra\nhimself casting angry glances on living creatures, they observed that\nBharata chief shedding an effulgence around like the scorching sun\nhimself in the sky. Indeed, all creatures then regarded that mighty-armed\nchastiser of foes, as he stood shouldering his mace after rising from the\nwaters, looking like the Destroyer himself armed with his bludgeon.\nIndeed, all the Pancalas then saw thy royal son to look like the\nthunder-wielding Shakra or the trident-bearing Hara. Seeing him, however,\nrise from within the waters, all the Pancalas and the Pandavas began to\nrejoice and seize each other's hands. Thy son Duryodhana regarded that\naction of the spectators to be an insult directed towards him. Rolling\nhis eyes in wrath, and as if burning the Pandavas with his glances, and\ncontracting his brow into three furrows, and repeatedly biting his nether\nlip, he addressed the Pandavas with Keshava in their midst, saying, \"You\nPandavas, you shall have to bear the fruit of these taunts! Slain by me\ntoday, you shall, with the Pancalas, have to repair to the abode of\nYama!\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Rising from the water, thy son Duryodhana stood\nthere, armed with mace, and with limbs bathed in blood. Covered with\nblood and drenched with water, his body then looked like a mountain\nshedding water from within. As he stood armed with mace, the Pandavas\nregarded him to be the angry son of Surya himself armed with the bludgeon\ncalled Kinkara. With voice deep as that of the clouds or of a bull\nroaring in joy, Duryodhana then, of great prowess, armed with his mace,\nsummoned the Parthas to battle.'\n\n\"'Duryodhana said, \"You will have, O Yudhishthira, to encounter me one at\na time! It is not proper, that one hero should fight with many at the\nsame time, especially when that single warrior is divested of armour,\nfatigued with exertion, covered with water, exceedingly mangled in limbs,\nand without cars, animals and troops! Let the gods in heaven behold me\nfight single-handed destitute of all equipment and deprived of even\narmour and weapons! I shall certainly fight all of you! Thou shalt be\njudge, as thou hast the necessary qualifications, of the propriety and\nimpropriety of everything!\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"How is it, O Duryodhana, that thou hadst not this\nknowledge when many great car-warriors, uniting together, slew Abhimanyu\nin battle? Kshatriya duties are exceedingly cruel, unmindful of all\nconsiderations, and without the least compassion! Otherwise, how could\nyou slay Abhimanyu under those circumstances? All of you were acquainted\nwith righteousness! All of you were heroes! All of you were prepared to\nlay down your lives in battle! The high end declared for those that fight\nrighteously is the attainment of the regions of Shakra! If this be your\nduty, that one should never be slain by many, why is it then that\nAbhimanyu was slain by many, acting in accord with thy counsels? All\ncreatures, when in difficulty forget considerations of virtue. They then\nview the gates of the other world to be closed. Put on armour, O hero,\nand bind thy locks! Take everything else, O Bharata, of which thou\nstandest in need! This another wish of thine, O hero, I grant thee in\naddition, that if thou canst slay him amongst the five Pandavas with whom\nthou wishest an encounter, thou shalt then be king! Otherwise, slain (by\nhim), thou shalt proceed to heaven! Except thy life, O hero, tell us what\nboon we may grant thee.\"\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Then thy son, O king, cased his body with armour\nmade of gold, and put on a beautiful head-gear adorned with pure gold.\nClad in bright armour of gold, he put on that head-gear. Indeed, O king,\nthy son then looked resplendent like a golden cliff. Clad in mail, armed\nwith mace, and accoutred with other equipments, thy son Duryodhana then,\nO king, standing on the field of battle, addressed all the Pandavas,\nsaying, \"Amongst you (five) brothers, let any one fight me, armed with\nmace! As regards myself, I am willing to fight either Sahadeva, or Bhima,\nor Nakula, or Phalguna, or thee today, O bull of Bharata's race! Accorded\nan encounter, I will fight any one amongst you and will certainly gain\nthe victory on the field! Today I will reach the end of these hostilities\nthat is difficult to reach, with the aid, O tiger among men, of my mace\nwrapped with cloth of gold. I think, there is none to be my match in an\nencounter with the mace! With my mace I shall slay all of you one after\nanother! Amongst all of you there is no one who is competent to fight\nfairly with me! It is not proper for me to speak such words of pride with\nrespect to my own self! I shall, however, make these words of mine true\nin your presence! Within this very hour, these words will become either\ntrue or false! Let him amongst you take up the mace that will fight with\nme!\"'\"\n\n\n\n33\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Whilst Duryodhana, O king, was repeatedly roaring in this\nstrain, Vasudeva, filled with wrath, said these words unto Yudhishthira,\n\"What rash words hast thou spoken, O king, to the effect, 'Slaying one\namongst us be thou king among the Kurus.' If, indeed, O Yudhishthira,\nDuryodhana select thee for battle, or Arjuna, or Nakula, or Sahadeva\n(what will be the consequence)? From desire of slaying Bhimasena, O king,\nfor these thirteen years hath Duryodhana practised with the mace upon a\nstatue of iron! How then, O bull of Bharata's race, will our purpose be\nachieved? From compassion, O best of kings, thou hast acted with great\nrashness! I do not at this moment behold a match (for Duryodhana) except\nPritha's son Vrikodara! His practice, again, with the mace, is not so\ngreat! Thou hast, therefore, once more allowed a wretched game of chance\nto commence as that one in former days between thyself and Shakuni, O\nmonarch! Bhima is possessed of might and prowess. King Suyodhana,\nhowever, is possessed of skill! In a contest between might and skill, he\nthat is possessed of skill, O king, always prevails! Such a foe, O king,\nthou hast, by thy words, placed in a position of ease and comfort! Thou\nhast placed thine own self, however, in a position of difficulty. We\nhave, in consequence of this, been placed in great danger! Who is there\nthat would abandon sovereignty within grasp, after having vanquished all\nhis foes and when he hath only one foe to dispose of and that one plunged\nin difficulties? I do not see that man in the world today, be he a god,\nwho is competent to vanquish the mace-armed Duryodhana in battle! Neither\nthou nor Bhima, nor Nakula nor Sahadeva, nor Phalguna, is capable of\nvanquishing Duryodhana in fair fight! King Duryodhana is possessed of\ngreat skill! How then, O Bharata, canst thou say unto such a foe words\nsuch as these, 'Fight, selecting the mace as thy weapon, and if thou\ncanst slay one amongst us, thou shalt then be king?' If Duryodhana\nencounters Vrikodara amongst us wishing to fight fairly with him, even\nthen our victory would be doubtful. Duryodhana is possessed of great\nmight and great skill. How couldst thou say unto him, 'Slaying only one\namongst us be thou king'? Without a doubt, the offspring of Pandu and\nKunti are not destined to enjoy sovereignty! They were born for passing\ntheir lives in continued exile in the woods or in mendicancy!\"\n\n\"'Bhimasena said, \"O slayer of Madhu, do not, O delighter of the Yadus,\ngive way to sorrow! However, difficult to reach it, I shall today reach\nthe end of these hostilities! Without doubt, I shall slay Suyodhana in\nbattle! It appears, O Krishna, that the victory of Yudhishthira the just\nis certain! This mace of mine is heavier than Duryodhana's by one and a\nhalf times! Do not, O Madhava, give way to grief! I dare fight him,\nselecting the mace as the weapon! Let all of you, O Janardana, stand as\nspectators of the encounter! What do you say of Suyodhana, I would fight\nwith the three worlds including the very gods, even if they be armed with\nevery kind of weapon!\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'After Vrikodara had said these words, Vasudeva,\nfilled with joy, applauded him highly and said unto him, \"Relying on\nthee, O thou of mighty arms, king Yudhishthira the just will, without\ndoubt, get back his own blazing prosperity after the slaughter of all his\nfoes! Thou hast slain all the sons of Dhritarashtra in battle! At thy\nhands many kings and princes and elephants have met with their fate! The\nKalingas, the Magadhas, the Kauravas, the Westerners, the Gandharas have\nall been slain in dreadful battle, O son of Pandu! Slaying Duryodhana\nthen, O son of Kunti, bestow the earth with her oceans upon Yudhishthira\nthe just, like Vishnu (conferring the sovereignty of three worlds) upon\nthe Lord of Sachi! The wretched son of Dhritarashtra, obtaining thee for\na foe in battle, will, without doubt, meet with his fate! Thou wilt\ncertainly accomplish thy vow by breaking his bones! Thou shouldst,\nhowever, O son of Pritha, always fight with care with the son of\nDhritarashtra! He is possessed of both skill and strength and always\ntakes delight in battle!\" Then Satyaki, O king, applauded the son of\nPandu. The Pancalas and the Pandavas, also, headed by king Yudhishthira\nthe just, all applauded those words of Bhimasena. Then Bhima of terrible\nmight addressed Yudhishthira, who was staying amid the Srinjayas like the\nblazing sun himself, saying, \"Encountering this one in battle, I venture\nto fight with him! This wretch among men is not competent to vanquish me\nin fight! Today I shall vomit that wrath which hath been nursed in my\nbosom upon Suyodhana, the son of Dhritarashtra, like Arjuna throwing fire\non the forest of Khandava! I shall today pluck out the dart, O son of\nPandu, that lay so long sticking to thy heart! Be happy, O king, after I\nshall have laid low this wretch with my mace! Today I shall recover, O\nsinless one, thy wreath of glory! Today Suyodhana shall abandon his life\nbreath, his prosperity, and his kingdom! Today king Dhritarashtra also,\nhearing of his son's slaughter, will remember all those wrongs (that he\ndid unto us) arising from the suggestions of Shakuni!\" Having said these\nwords that prince of Bharata's race, possessed of great energy, stood up\nfor battle, like Shakra summoning Vritra (to an encounter). Unable to\nendure that summons, thy son, of great energy, proceeded to the\nencounter, like one infuriated elephant proceeding to assail another. The\nPandavas beheld thy son, as he came armed with mace, look like the\ncrested mountain of Kailasa. Indeed, seeing that mighty son of thine\nstanding alone like a prince of elephants separated from the herd, the\nPandavas became filled with delight. Standing in battle like a very lion,\nDuryodhana had no fear, no alarm, no pain, no anxiety. Beholding him\nstand there with uplifted mace like the crested mountain of Kailasa,\nBhimasena, O monarch, addressed him, saying, \"Call to thy mind all those\nwrongs that king Dhritarashtra and thyself have done unto us! Recollect\nwhat happened at Varanavata! Recollect how Draupadi, while in her season,\nwas maltreated in the midst of the assembly and how king Yudhishthira was\ndefeated at dice through Shakuni's suggestion! See now, O thou of wicked\nsoul, the terrible consequence of those acts as also of the other wrongs\nthat thou didst unto the innocent Parthas! It is for thee that that\nillustrious chief of the Bharatas, the son of Ganga, the grandsire of us\nall, lieth now on a bed of arrows, struck down (by us)! Drona also hath\nbeen slain! Karna hath been slain! Shalya of great valour hath been\nslain! Yonder Shakuni also, the root of these hostilities, hath been\nslain in battle! Thy heroic brothers, as also thy sons, with all thy\ntroops, have been slain! Other kings also, possessed of heroism, and\nnever retreating from battle, have been slain. These and many other bulls\namong Kshatriyas, as also the Pratikamin, that wretch who had seized the\ntresses of Draupadi, have been slain! Thou alone art still alive, thou\nexterminator of thy race, thou wretch among men! Thee also I shall today\nslay with my mace! Of this there is no doubt! Today, O king, I shall, in\nbattle, quell all thy pride! I shall destroy also thy hope of\nsovereignty, O king, and pay off all thy misdeeds unto the sons of Pandu!\"\n\n\"'Duryodhana said, \"What use is there of many words? Fight now with me!\nToday, O Vrikodara, I shall beat out of thee thy desire for battle! Why\ndost thou not behold me, O wretch, standing here for an encounter with\nthe mace? Am I not armed with a formidable mace that looks like a cliff\nof Himavat? What foe is there, O wretch, that would venture to vanquish\nme armed with this weapon? If it be a fair fight, Purandara himself,\namongst the gods, is not competent for that end! For all those wicked\ndeeds of mine to which thou hast referred, thou couldst not (hitherto) do\nme the slightest injury! By exercising my might, I caused ye to dwell in\nthe woods, to serve in another's dwelling, to conceal yourselves in\ndisguises! Your friends and allies also have been slain. Our loss has\nbeen equal! If, then my fall takes place in this battle, that would be\nhighly praiseworthy. Or, perhaps, Time will be the cause! Up to this day\nI have never been vanquished in fair fight on the field of battle! If you\nvanquish me by deceit, your infamy will certainly last for ever! That act\nof yours will, without doubt, be unrighteous and infamous! Do not, O son\nof Kunti, roar fruitlessly in this way like autumnal clouds uncharged\nwith water! Show all the strength thou hast in battle now!\" Hearing these\nwords of his, the Pandavas with the Srinjayas, all inspired with desire\nof victory, applauded them highly. Like men exciting an infuriated\nelephant with clapping of hands, all of them then gladdened king\nDuryodhana (with those praises and cheers). The elephants that were there\nbegan to grunt and the steeds to neigh repeatedly. The weapons of the\nPandavas, who were inspired with desire of victory blazed forth of their\nown accord.'\"\n\n\n\n34\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'When that fierce battle, O monarch, was about to\ncommence, and when all the high-souled Pandavas had taken their seats,\nindeed, having heard that battle between those two heroes, both of whom\nwere his disciples, was about to begin, Rama, whose banner bore the\ndevice of the palmyra palm, and who owns the plough for his weapon, came\nto that spot. Beholding him, the Pandavas, with Keshava, filled with joy\nadvanced towards him, and receiving him, worshipped him with due rites.\nTheir worship over, they then, O king, said unto him these words,\n\"Witness, O Rama, the skill, in battle, of thy two disciples!\" Rama then\ncasting his eyes on Krishna and the Pandavas, and looking at Duryodhana\nalso of Kuru's race who was standing there armed with mace, said, \"Two\nand forty days have passed since I left home. I had set out under the\nconstellation Pushya and have come back under Sravana. I am desirous, O\nMadhava, of beholding this encounter with the mace between these two\ndisciples of mine!\" At that time the two heroes, Duryodhana and\nVrikodara, looked resplendent as they stood on the field, both armed with\nmaces. King Yudhishthira, embracing him owning the plough for his weapon,\nduly enquired about his welfare and bade him welcome. Those two great\nbowmen, the two illustrious Krishnas, filled with joy, cheerfully saluted\nthe hero having the plough for his weapon and embraced him. Similarly,\nthe two sons of Madri and the five sons of Draupadi saluted Rohini's son\nof great strength and stood (at a respectful distance). Bhimasena of\ngreat strength and thy son, O monarch, both with uplifted maces (in their\narms), worshipped Valadeva. The other kings honoured him by bidding him\nwelcome, and then all of them said unto Rama, \"Witness this encounter, O\nthou of mighty arms!\" Even thus those mighty car-warriors said unto the\nhigh-souled son of Rohini. Endued with immeasurable energy, Rama, having\nembraced the Pandavas and the Srinjayas, enquired after the welfare of\nall the (other) kings. Similarly, all of them, approaching, enquired\nafter his welfare. The hero of the plough, having in return saluted all\nthe high-souled Kshatriyas, and having made courteous enquiries about\neach according to their years, affectionately embraced Janardana and\nSatyaki. Smelling their heads, he enquired after their welfare. Those\ntwo, in return, O king, duly worshipped him, their superior, joyfully,\nlike Indra and Upendra worshipping Brahman, the lord of the celestials.\nThen Dharma's son, O Bharata, said these words unto that chastiser of\nfoes, the son of Rohini, \"Behold, O Rama, this formidable encounter\nbetween the two brothers!\" Thus worshipped by those great car-warriors,\nthe elder brother of Keshava, of mighty arms and great beauty, took his\nseat amongst them. Clad in blue robes and possessed of a fair complexion,\nRama, as he sat amidst those kings, looked resplendent like the moon in\nthe firmament, encompassed by multitudes of stars. Then that dreadful\nencounter, making the very hair stand on end, took place between those\ntwo sons of thine, O king, for terminating the quarrel (that had raged\nfor many years).'\"\n\n\n\n35\n\nJanamejaya said, \"On the eve of the great battle (between the Kurus and\nthe Pandus), the lord Rama, with Keshava's leave, had gone away (from\nDwaraka) accompanied by many of the Vrishnis. He had said unto Keshava,\n'I will render aid neither unto the son of Dhritarashtra nor unto the\nsons of Pandu, but will go whithersoever I like!' Having said these\nwords, Rama, that resister of foes, had gone away. It behoveth thee, O\nBrahmana, to tell me everything about his return! Tell me in detail how\nRama came to that spot, how he witnessed the battle. In my opinion thou\nart well-skilled in narration!\"\n\nVaishampayana said, \"After the high-souled Pandavas had taken up their\npost at Upaplavya, they despatched the slayer of Madhu to Dhritarashtra's\npresence, for the object of peace, O mighty-armed one, and for the good\nof all creatures. Having gone to Hastinapura and met Dhritarashtra,\nKeshava spoke words of true and especially beneficial import. The king,\nhowever, as I have told thee before, listened not to those counsels.\nUnable to obtain peace, the mighty-armed Krishna, that foremost of men,\ncame back, O monarch, to Upaplavya. Dismissed by Dhritarashtra's son,\nKrishna returned (to the Pandava camp), and upon the failure of his\nmission, O tiger among kings, said these words unto the Pandavas, 'Urged\nby Fate, the Kauravas are for disregarding my words! Come, ye sons of\nPandu, with me (to the field of battle), setting out under the\nconstellation Pushya!' After this, while the troops (of both sides) were\nbeing mustered and arrayed, the high-souled son of Rohini, that foremost\nof all persons endued with might, addressed his brother Krishna, saying,\n'O mighty-armed one, O slayer of Madhu, let us render assistance to the\nKurus!' Krishna, however, did not listen to those words of his. With\nheart filled with rage (at this), that illustrious son of Yadu's race,\nthe wielder of the plough then set out on a pilgrimage to the Sarasvati.\nAccompanied by all the Yadavas, he set out under the conjunction of the\nasterism called Maitra. The Bhoja chief (Kritavarma), however, adopted\nthe side of Duryodhana. Accompanied by Yuyudhana, Vasudeva adopted that\nof the Pandavas. After the heroic son of Rohini had set out under the\nconstellation Pushya, the slayer of Madhu, placing the Pandavas in his\nvan, proceeded against the Kurus. While proceeding, Rama ordered his\nservants on the way, saying, 'Bring all things that are necessary for a\npilgrimage, that is, every article of use! Bring the (sacred) fire that\nis at Dwaraka, and our priests. Bring gold, silver, kine, robes, steeds,\nelephants, cars, mules, camels, and other draft cattle! Bring all these\nnecessaries for a trip to the sacred waters, and proceed with great speed\ntowards the Sarasvati! Bring also some priests to be especially employed,\nand hundreds of foremost of Brahmanas!' Having given these orders to the\nservants, the mighty Valadeva set out on a pilgrimage at that time of\ngreat calamity to the Kurus. Setting out towards the Sarasvati, he\nvisited all the sacred places along her course, accompanied by priests,\nfriends, and many foremost of Brahmanas, as also with cars and elephants\nand steeds and servants, O bull of Bharata's race, and with many vehicles\ndrawn by kine and mules and camels. Diverse kinds of necessaries of life\nwere given away in large measure and in diverse countries unto the weary\nand worn, children and the old, in response, O king, to solicitations.\nEverywhere, O king, Brahmanas were promptly gratified with whatever\nviands they desired. At the command of Rohini's son, men at different\nstages of the journey stored food and drink in large quantities. Costly\ngarments and bedsteads and coverlets were given for the gratification of\nBrahmanas, desirous of ease and comfort. Whatever Brahmana or Kshatriya\nsolicited whatever thing, that O Bharata, it was seen to be ungrudgingly\ngiven to him. All who formed the party proceeded with great happiness and\nlived happily. The people (of Valarama's train) gave away vehicles to\npersons desirous of making journeys, drinks to them that were thirsty,\nand savoury viands to them that were hungry, as also robes and ornaments,\nO bull of Bharata's race, to many! The road, O king, along which the\nparty proceeded, looked resplendent, O hero, and was highly comfortable\nfor all, and resembled heaven itself. There were rejoicings everywhere\nupon it, and savoury viands were procurable everywhere. There were shops\nand stalls and diverse objects exposed for sale. The whole way was,\nbesides, crowded with human beings. And it was adorned with various kinds\nof trees and creatures, and various kinds of gems. The high-souled\nValadeva, observant of rigid vows, gave away unto the Brahmanas much\nwealth and plentiful sacrificial presents, O king, in diverse sacred\nspots. That chief of Yadu's race also gave away thousands of milch kine\ncovered with excellent cloths and having their horns cased in gold, many\nsteeds belonging to different countries, many vehicles, and many\nbeautiful slaves. Even thus did the high-souled Rama give away wealth in\ndiverse excellent tirthas on the Sarasvati. In course of his wanderings,\nthat hero of unrivalled power and magnanimous conduct at last came to\nKurukshetra.\"\n\nJanamejaya said, \"Tell me, O foremost of men, the features, the origin,\nand the merits of the several tirthas on the Sarasvati and the ordinances\nto be observed while sojourning there! Tell me these, in their order, O\nillustrious one! My curiosity is irrepressible, O foremost of all persons\nacquainted with Brahma!\"\n\nVaishampayana said, \"The subject of the features and origin of all these\ntirthas, O king, is very large. I shall, however, describe them to thee.\nListen to that sacred account in its entirety, O king! Accompanied by his\npriests and friends, Valadeva first proceeded to the tirtha called\nPrabhasa. There, the Lord of the constellations (Soma), who had been\naffected with phthisis, became freed from his curse. Regaining energy\nthere, O king, he now illuminates the universe. And because that foremost\nof tirthas on earth had formerly contributed to invest Soma with\nsplendour (after he had lost it), it is, therefore, called Prabhasa.\"\n\nJanamejaya said, \"For what reason was the adorable Soma afflicted with\nphthisis? How also did he bathe in that tirtha? How did he, having bathed\nin that sacred water, regain his energy? Tell me all this in detail, O\ngreat Muni!\"\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Daksha had seven and twenty daughters, O king! These\nhe bestowed (in marriage) upon Soma. Connected with the several\nconstellations, those wives, O king, of Soma of auspicious deeds, served\nto help men in calculating time. Possessed of large eyes, all of them\nwere unrivalled in beauty in the world. In wealth of beauty, however,\nRohini was the foremost of them all. The adorable Soma took great delight\nin her. She became very agreeable to him, and therefore, he enjoyed the\npleasures of her company (exclusively). In those days of yore, O monarch,\nSoma lived long with Rohini (exclusively). For this, those other wives of\nhis, they that were called the constellations, became displeased with\nthat high-souled one. Repairing speedily to their sire (Daksha), that\nLord of creation, they said unto him, 'Soma doth not live with us! He\nalways payeth court to Rohini only! All of us, therefore, O Lord of\ncreatures, shall dwell by thy side, on regulated diet and observant of\naustere penances!' Hearing these words of theirs, Daksha (saw Soma and)\nsaid unto him, 'Behave equally towards all thy wives! Let not a great sin\nstain thee!' And Daksha then said unto those daughters of his, 'Go, all\nof you, to the presence of Sasin. At my command, he, (otherwise called)\nCandramas, will behave equally towards all of you!' Dismissed by him,\nthey then proceeded to the abode of him having cool rays. Still the\nadorable Soma, O lord of earth, continued to act as before, for pleased\nwith Rohini alone, he continued to live with her exclusively. His other\nwives then once more came together to their sire and said unto him,\n'Employed in serving thee, we will dwell in thy asylum! Soma does not\nlive with us and is unmindful of thy commands!' Hearing these words of\ntheirs, Daksha once more said unto Soma, 'Behave equally towards all thy\nwives! Let me not, O Virochana, curse thee!' Disregarding, however, these\nwords of Daksha, the adorable Soma continued to live with Rohini alone.\nAt this, his other wives became once more angry. Repairing to their sire,\nthey bowed unto him by lowering their heads, and said, 'Soma doth not\nlive with us! Give us thy protection! The adorable Candramas always lives\nwith Rohini exclusively! He sets no importance to thy words, and does not\nwish to show us any affection! Therefore, save us so that Soma may accept\nus all!' Hearing these words, the adorable Daksha, O king, became angry\nand in consequence thereof hurled the curse of phthisis upon Soma. Thus\ndid that disease overtake the Lord of the stars. Afflicted with phthisis,\nSasin began to waste away day by day. He made many endeavours for freeing\nhimself from that disease by performing diverse sacrifices, O monarch!\nThe maker of night, however, could not free himself from that curse. On\nthe other hand, he continued to endure waste and emaciation. In\nconsequence, however, of the wasting of Soma, the deciduous herbs failed\nto grow. Their juices dried up and they became tasteless, and all of them\nbecame deprived of their virtues. And, in consequence of this decadence\nof the deciduous herbs, living creatures also began to decay. Indeed,\nowing to the wasting of Soma, all creatures began to be emaciated. Then\nall the celestials, coming to Soma, O king, asked him, saying, 'Why is it\nthat thy form is not so beautiful and resplendent (as before)? Tell us\nthe reason whence hath proceeded this great calamity! Hearing thy answer,\nwe shall do what is needed for dispelling thy fear!' Thus addressed, the\ngod having the hare for his mark, replied unto them and informed them of\nthe cause of the curse and the phthisis with which he was afflicted. The\ngods then, having heard those words, repaired to Daksha and said, 'Be\ngratified, O adorable one, with Soma! Let this curse of thine be\nwithdrawn! Candramas is very emaciated! Only a small portion of him may\nbe seen! In consequence of his wasting, O Lord of the celestials, all\ncreatures also are wasting! Creepers and herbs of diverse kinds are also\nwasting! In their waste we ourselves also are suffering emaciation!\nWithout us, what will this universe be? Knowing this, O master of the\nuniverse, it behoveth thee to be gratified (with Soma)!' Thus addressed\n(Daksha), that Lord of creatures, said these words unto the celestials,\n'It is impossible to make my words become otherwise! By some contrivance,\nhowever, ye blessed ones, my words may be withdrawn! Let Sasin always\nbehave equally towards all his wives! Having bathed also in that foremost\nof tirthas on the Sarasvati, the god having the hare for his mark shall,\nye gods, grow once more! These words of mine are true! For half the month\nSoma shall wane every day, and for half the month (following) he will wax\nevery day! These words of mine are true! Proceeding to the western Ocean\nat the spot where the Sarasvati mingles with the Ocean, that vast\nreceptacle of waters, let him adore that God of gods (Mahadeva) there! He\nwill then regain his form and beauty!' At this command of the (celestial)\nRishi (Daksha), Soma then proceeded to the Sarasvati. He arrived at that\nforemost of tirthas called Prabhasa belonging to the Sarasvati. Bathing\nthere on the day of the new moon, that god of great energy and great\neffulgence got back his cool rays and continued once more to illumine the\nworlds. All the creatures also, O monarch, having repaired to Prabhasa,\nreturned with Soma amongst them to the place where Daksha was. (Receiving\nthem duly) that Lord of creatures then dismissed them. Pleased with Soma,\nthe adorable Daksha once more addressed him, saying, 'Do not, O son,\ndisregard women, and never disregard Brahmanas! Go and attentively obey\nmy commands!' Dismissed by him, Soma came back to his own abode. All\ncreatures, filled with joy, continued to live as before. I have thus told\nthee everything about how the maker of the night had been cursed, and,\nhow also Prabhasa became the foremost of all tirthas. On every recurring\nday of the new moon, O monarch, the god having the hare for his mark\nbathes in the excellent tirtha of Prabhasa and regains his form and\nbeauty. It is for this reason, O lord of earth, that that tirtha is known\nby the name of Prabhasa, since bathing there, Candramas regained his\ngreat (Prabha) effulgence. After this, the mighty Baladeva of undecaying\nglory proceeded to Chamasodbheda, that is, to that tirtha which is called\nby that name. Giving away many costly gifts at that place, the hero\nhaving the plough for his weapon passed one night there and performed his\nablutions duly. The elder brother of Keshava then proceeded quickly to\nUdapana. Although the Sarasvati seems to be lost there, yet persons\ncrowned with ascetic success, in consequence of their obtaining great\nmerits and great blessedness at that spot, and owing also to the coolness\nof the herbs and of the land there, know that the river has an invisible\ncurrent, O monarch, through the bowels of the earth there.\"\n\n\n\n36\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Baladeva (as already said), proceeded next to the\ntirtha called Udapana in the Sarasvati, that had formerly been the\nresidence, O king, of the illustrious (ascetic) Trita. Having given away\nmuch wealth and worshipped the Brahmanas, the hero having the plough for\nhis weapon bathed there and became filled with joy. Devoted to\nrighteousness, the great ascetic Trita had lived there. While in a hole,\nthat high-souled one had drunk the Soma juice. His two brothers, dashing\nhim down into that pit, had returned to their home. That foremost of\nBrahmanas, Trita, had thereupon cursed them both.\"\n\nJanamejaya said, \"What is the origin of Udapana? How did the great\nascetic (Trita) fall into a pit, there? Why was that foremost of\nBrahmanas thrown into that pit by his brothers? How did his brothers,\nafter throwing him into that hole, return home? How did Trita perform his\nsacrifice and how did he drink Soma? Tell me all this, O Brahmana, if\nthou thinkest that I may listen to it without impropriety!\"\n\nVaishampayana continued, \"In a former Yuga, O king, there were three\nbrothers that were ascetics. They were called Ekata, Dwita, and Trita,\nand all three were endued with effulgence like that of the sun. They were\nlike Lords of the creation and were blessed with children. Utterers of\nBrahma, they had by their penances, acquired the privilege of attaining\nto the regions of Brahman (after death). With their penances, vows, and\nself-restraint, their sire Gautama, who was ever devoted to virtue,\nbecame highly and always pleased with them. Having obtained great joy in\nconsequence of his sons, the adorable Gautama, after passing a long life\nhere, went at last to the region (in the other world) that was fit for\nhim. Those kings, however, O monarch, that had been the Yajamanas of\nGautama, continued to worship Gautama's sons after the sire had proceeded\nto heaven. Amongst them, however, Trita, by his acts and study (of the\nVedas), O king, became the foremost, even like his sire Gautama. Then all\nthe highly blessed ascetics, characterised by righteousness, began to\nworship Trita as they had worshipped his sire Gautama before him. Once\nupon a time, the two brothers Ekata and Dwita thought of performing a\nsacrifice and became anxious for wealth. The plan they formed, O scorcher\nof foes, was to take Trita with them, and calling upon all their\nYajamanas and collecting the needful number of animals, they would\njoyfully drink the Soma juice and acquire the great merits of sacrifice.\nThe three brothers then, O monarch, did as settled. Calling upon all\ntheir Yajamanas for (obtaining) animals, and assisting them in their\nsacrifices and receiving a large number of animals from them, and having\nduly accepted them in gift in consequence of those priestly services\nwhich they rendered, those high-souled and great Rishis came towards the\neast. Trita, O king, with a cheerful heart was walking before them. Ekata\nand Dwita were in his rear, bringing up the animals. Beholding that large\nherd of animals, they began to reflect as to how they two could\nappropriate that property without giving a share unto Trita. Hear, O\nking, what those two sinful wretches, Ekata and Dwita, said while\nconversing with each other! They said, 'Trita is skilled in assisting at\nsacrifices. Trita is devoted to the Vedas. Trita is capable of earning\nmany other kine. Let us two, therefore, go away, taking the kine with us!\nLet Trita go whithersoever he chooses, without being in our company!' As\nthey proceeded, night came upon them on the way. They then saw a wolf\nbefore them. Not far from that spot was a deep hole on the bank of the\nSarasvati. Trita, who was in advance of his brothers, seeing the wolf,\nran in fright and fell into that hole. That hole was fathomless and\nterrible and capable of inspiring all creatures with fear. Then Trita, O\nking, that best of ascetics, from within that hole, began to utter wails\nof woe. His two brothers heard his cries. Understanding that he had\nfallen into a pit, his brothers Ekata and Dwita, moved by fear of the\nwolf as also by temptation, went on, deserting their brother. Thus\ndeserted by his two brothers, who were moved by the temptation of\nappropriating those animals, the great ascetic Trita, O king, while\nwithin that lonely well covered with dust and herbs and creepers, thought\nhimself plunged, O chief of the Bharatas, into hell itself like a sinful\nwretch. He feared to die inasmuch as he had not earned the merit of\ndrinking Soma juice. Possessed of great wisdom, he began to reflect with\nthe aid of his intelligence as to how he could succeed in drinking Soma\neven there. While thinking on that subject, the great ascetic, standing\nin that pit, beheld a creeper hanging down into it in course of its\ngrowth. Although the pit was dry, the sage imagined the existence of\nwater and of sacrificial fires there. Constituting himself the Hotri (in\nimagination), the great ascetic imagined the creeper he saw to be the\nSoma plant. He then mentally uttered the Richs, the Yayushes and the\nSamans (that were necessary for the performance of a sacrifice). The\npebbles (lying at the bottom of the well) Trita converted into grains of\nsugar (in imagination). He then, O king, (mentally) performed his\nablutions. He conceived the water (he had imagined) to be clarified\nbutter. He allotted to the celestials their respective shares (of those\nsacrificial offerings). Having next (mentally) drunk Soma, he began to\nutter a loud noise. Those sounds, O king, first uttered by the\nsacrificing Rishi, penetrated into heaven, and Trita completed that\nsacrifice after the manner laid down by utterers of Brahma. During the\nprogress of that sacrifice of the high-souled Trita, the whole region of\nthe celestials became agitated. None knew, however, the cause. Brihaspati\n(the preceptor of the gods) heard that loud noise (made by Trita). The\npriests of the celestials said unto the latter, 'Trita is performing a\nsacrifice. We must go there, ye gods! Endued with great ascetic merit, if\nangry, he is competent to create other gods!' Hearing these words of\nBrihaspati, all the gods, united together, repaired to that spot where\nthe sacrifice of Trita was going on. Having proceeded to that spot, the\ngods beheld the high-souled Trita installed in the performance of his\nsacrifice. Beholding that high-souled one resplendent with beauty, the\ngods addressed him, saying, 'We have come hither for our shares (in thy\nofferings)!' The Rishi said unto them, 'Behold me, ye denizens of heaven,\nfallen into this terrible well, almost deprived of my senses!' Then,\nTrita, O monarch, duly gave unto them their shares with proper mantras.\nThe gods took them and became very glad. Having duly obtained their\nallotted shares, the denizens of heaven, gratified with him, gave him\nsuch boons as he desired. The boon, however, that he solicited was that\nthe gods should relieve him from his distressful situation (in the well).\nHe also said, 'Let him that bathes in this well, have the end that is\nattained by persons that have drunk Soma!' At these words, O king, the\nSarasvati with her waves appeared within that well. Raised aloft by her,\nTrita came up and worshipped the denizens of heaven. The gods then said\nunto him 'Be it as thou wishest!' All of them, then, O king, went to the\nplace whence they had come, and Trita, filled with joy, proceeded to his\nown abode. Meeting with those two Rishis, his brothers, he became enraged\nwith them. Possessed of great ascetic merit, he said certain harsh words\nunto them and cursed them, saying, 'Since, moved by covetousness, you ran\naway, deserting me, therefore, you shall become fierce wolves with sharp\nteeth and range the forest, cursed by me in consequence of that sinful\nact of yours! The offspring also that you shall have will consist of\nleopards, and bears and apes!' After Trita had said these words, O\nmonarch, his two brothers were seen to be very soon transformed into\nthese shapes in consequence of the words of that truthful sage. Of\nimmeasurable prowess, Valadeva touched the waters of Udapana. And he gave\naway diverse kinds of wealth there and worshipped many Brahmanas.\nBeholding Udapana and applauding it repeatedly, Valadeva next proceeded\nto Vinasana which also was on the Sarasvati.\"\n\n\n\n37\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Then Valadeva, O king, proceeded to Vinasana where\nthe Sarasvati hath become invisible in consequence of her contempt for\nSudras and Abhiras. And since the Sarasvati, in consequence of such\ncontempt, is lost at that spot, the Rishis, for that reason, O chief of\nthe Bharatas, always name the place as Vinasana. Having bathed in that\ntirtha of the Sarasvati, the mighty Baladeva then proceeded to Subhumika,\nsituated on the excellent bank of the same river. There many\nfair-complexioned Apsaras, of beautiful faces, are always engaged in\nsports of a pure character without any intermission. The gods and the\nGandharvas, every month, O ruler of men, repair to that sacred tirtha\nwhich is the resort of Brahman himself. The Gandharvas and diverse tribes\nof Apsaras are to be seen there, O king, assembled together and passing\nthe time as happily as they like. There the gods and the Pitris sport in\njoy, with sacred and auspicious flowers repeatedly rained over them, and\nall the creepers also were adorned with flowery loads. And because, O\nking, that spot is the beautiful sporting ground of those Apsaras,\ntherefore is that tirtha on the excellent bank of the Sarasvati called\nSubhumika. Baladeva of Madhu's race, having bathed in that tirtha and\ngiven away much wealth unto the Brahmanas, heard the sound of those\ncelestial songs and musical instruments. He also saw there many shadows\nof gods, Gandharvas, and Rakshasas. The son of Rohini then proceeded to\nthe tirtha of the Gandharvas. There many Gandharvas headed by Viswavasu\nand possessed of ascetic merit, pass their time in dance and song of the\nmost charming kind. Giving away diverse kinds of wealth unto the\nBrahmanas, as also goats and sheep and kine and mules and camels and gold\nand silver, and feeding many Brahmanas and gratifying them with many\ncostly gifts that were desired by them, Baladeva of Madhu's race\nproceeded thence, accompanied by many Brahmanas and eulogised by them.\nLeaving that tirtha resorted to by Gandharvas, that mighty-armed\nchastiser of foes, having but one earring, then proceeded to the famous\ntirtha called Gargasrota. There, in that sacred tirtha of the Sarasvati,\nthe illustrious Garga of venerable years and soul cleansed by ascetic\npenances, O Janamejaya, had acquired a knowledge of Time and its course,\nof the deviations of luminous bodies (in the firmament), and of all\nauspicious and inauspicious portents. That tirtha, for this reason, came\nto be called after his name as Gargasrota. There, O king, highly blessed\nRishis of excellent vows always waited upon Garga, O lord, for obtaining\na knowledge of Time. Smeared with white sandal-paste, O king, Baladeva,\nrepairing to that tirtha, duly gave away wealth unto many ascetics of\ncleansed souls. Having given also many kinds of costly viands unto the\nBrahmanas, that illustrious one attired in blue robes then proceeded to\nthe tirtha called Sankha. There, on the bank of the Sarasvati, that\nmighty hero having the palmyra on his banner beheld a gigantic tree,\ncalled Mohasankha, tall as Meru, looking like the White-mountain, and\nresorted to by Rishis. There dwell Yakshas, and Vidyadharas, and\nRakshasas of immeasurable energy and Pisachas of immeasurable might, and\nSiddhas, numbering thousands. All of them, abandoning other kinds of\nfood, observe vows and regulations, and take at due seasons the fruits of\nthat lord of the forest for their sustenance and wander in separate\nbands, unseen by men, O foremost of human beings! That monarch of the\nforest, O king, is known for this throughout the world! That tree is the\ncause of this celebrated and sacred tirtha on the Sarasvati. Having given\naway in that tirtha many milch cows, and vessels of copper and iron, and\ndiverse kinds of other vessels, that tiger of Yadu's race, Baladeva,\nhaving the plough for his weapon, worshipped the Brahmanas and was\nworshipped by them in return. He then, O king, proceeded to the Dwaita\nlake. Arrived there, Vala saw diverse kinds of ascetics in diverse kinds\nof attire. Bathing in its waters, he worshipped the Brahmanas. Having\ngiven away unto the Brahmanas diverse articles of enjoyment in profusion,\nBaladeva then, O king, proceeded along the southern bank of the\nSarasvati. The mighty-armed and illustrious Rama of virtuous soul and\nunfading glory then proceeded to the tirtha called Nagadhanwana. Swarming\nwith numerous snakes, O monarch, it was the abode of Vasuki of great\nsplendour, the king of the snakes. There 14,000 Rishis also had their\npermanent home. The celestials, having come there (in days of yore), had\naccording to due rites, installed the excellent snake Vasuki as king of\nall the snakes. There is no fear of snakes in that place, O thou of\nKuru's race! Duly giving away many valuables there unto the Brahmanas,\nBaladeva then set out with face towards the east and reached, one after\nanother, hundreds and thousands of famous tirthas that occurred at every\nstep. Bathing in all those tirthas, and observing fasts and other vows as\ndirected by the Rishis, and giving away wealth in profusion, and saluting\nall the ascetics who had taken up their residence there, Baladeva once\nmore set out, along the way that those ascetics pointed out to him, for\nreaching that spot where the Sarasvati turns in an eastward direction,\nlike torrents of rain bent by the action of the wind. The river took that\ncourse for beholding the high-souled Rishis dwelling in the forest of\nNaimisha. Always smeared with white sandal-paste, Vala, having the plough\nfor his weapon, beholding that foremost of rivers change her course,\nbecame, O king, filled with wonder.\"\n\nJanamejaya said, \"Why, O Brahmana, did the Sarasvati bend her course\nthere in an easternly direction? O best of Adharyus, it behoveth thee to\ntell me everything relating to this! For what reason was that daughter of\nthe Yadus filled with wonder? Why, indeed, did that foremost of rivers\nthus alter her course?\"\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Formerly, in the Krita age, O king, the ascetics\ndwelling in Naimisha were engaged in a grand sacrifice extending for\ntwelve years. Many were the Rishis, O king, that came to that sacrifice.\nPassing their days, according to due rites, in the performance of that\nsacrifice, those highly blessed ones, after the completion of that twelve\nyears' sacrifice at Naimisha, set out in large number for visiting the\ntirthas. In consequence of the number of the Rishis, O king, the tirthas\non the southern banks of the Sarasvati all looked like towns and cities.\nThose foremost of Brahmanas, O tiger among men, in consequence of their\neagerness for enjoying the merits of tirthas, took up their abodes on the\nbank of the river up to the site of Samantapanchaka. The whole region\nseemed to resound with the loud Vedic recitations of those Rishis of\ncleansed souls, all employed in pouring libations on sacrificial fires.\nThat foremost of rivers looked exceedingly beautiful with those blazing\nhoma fires all around, over which those high-souled ascetics poured\nlibations of clarified butter. Valkhilyas and Asmakuttas,\nDantolakhalinas, Samprakshanas and other ascetics, as also those that\nsubsisted on air, and those that lived on water, and those that lived on\ndry leaves of trees, and diverse others that were observant of diverse\nkinds of vows, and those that forswore beds for the bare and hard earth,\nall came to that spot in the vicinity of the Sarasvati. And they made\nthat foremost of rivers exceedingly beautiful, like the celestials\nbeautifying (with their presence) the heavenly stream called Mandakini.\nHundreds upon hundreds of Rishis, all given to the observance of\nsacrifices, came thither. Those practisers of high vows, however, failed\nto find sufficient room on the banks of the Sarasvati. Measuring small\nplots of land with their sacred threads, they performed their Agnihotras\nand diverse other rites. The river Sarasvati beheld, O monarch, that\nlarge body of Rishis penetrated with despair and plunged into anxiety for\nwant of a broad tirtha wherein to perform their rites. For their sake,\nthat foremost of streams came there, having made many abodes for herself\nin that spot, through kindness for those Rishis of sacred penances, O\nJanamejaya! Having thus, O monarch, turned her course for their sake, the\nSarasvati, that foremost of rivers, once more flowed in a westerly\ndirection, as if she said, 'I must go hence, having prevented the arrival\nof these Rishis from becoming futile!' This wonderful feat, O king, was\naccomplished there by that great river. Even thus those receptacles of\nwater, O king, were formed in Naimisha. There, at Kurukshetra, O foremost\nof Kuru's care, do thou perform grand sacrifices and rites! As he beheld\nthose many receptacles of water and seeing that foremost of rivers turn\nher course, wonder filled the heart of the high-souled Rama. Bathing in\nthose tirthas duly and giving away wealth and diverse articles of\nenjoyment unto the Brahmanas, that delighter of Yadu's race also gave\naway diverse kinds of food and diverse desirable articles unto them.\nWorshipped by those regenerate ones, Vala, O king, then set out from that\nforemost of all tirthas on the Sarasvati (Sapta-Saraswat). Numerous\nfeathery creatures have their home there. And it abounded with Vadari,\nInguda, Ksamarya, Plaksha, Aswattha, Vibhitaka, Kakkola, Palasa, Karira,\nPilu, and diverse other kinds of trees that grow on the banks of the\nSarasvati. And it was adorned with forest of Karushakas, Vilwas, and\nAmratakas, and Atimuktas and Kashandas and Parijatas. Agreeable to the\nsight and most charming, it abounded with forests of plantains. And it\nwas resorted to by diverse tribes of ascetics, some living on air, some\non water, some on fruit, some on leaves, some on raw grain which they\nhusked with the aid only of stones, and some that were called Vaneyas.\nAnd it resounded with the chanting of the Vedas, and teemed with diverse\nkinds of animals. And it was the favourite abode of men without malice\nand devoted to righteousness. Valadeva, having the plough for his weapon,\narrived at that tirtha called Sapta-Saraswat, where the great ascetic\nMankanaka had performed his penances and became crowned with success.\"\n\n\n\n38\n\nJanamejaya said, \"Why was that tirtha called Sapta-Saraswat? Who was the\nascetic Mankanaka? How did that adorable one become crowned with success?\nWhat were his vows and observances? In whose race was he born? What books\ndid that best of regenerate ones study? I desire to hear all this, O\nforemost of regenerate ones!\"\n\nVaishampayana said, \"O king, the seven Sarasvatis cover this universe!\nWhithersoever the Sarasvati was summoned by persons of great energy,\nthither she made her appearance. These are the seven forms of the\nSarasvati: Suprava, Kanchanakshi, Visala, Manorama, Oghavati, Surenu, and\nVimalodaka. The Supreme Grandsire had at one time performed a great\nsacrifice. While that sacrifice was in course of performance on the\nground selected, many regenerate ones crowned with ascetic success came\nthere. The spot resounded with the recitation of sacred hymns and the\nchanting of the Vedas. In the matter of those sacrificial rites, the very\ngods lost their coolness (so grand were the preparations). There, O\nmonarch, while the Grandsire was installed in the sacrifice and was\nperforming the grand ceremony capable of bestowing prosperity and every\nwish, many notable ones conversant with righteousness and profit were\npresent. As soon as they thought of the articles of which they stood in\nneed, these, O monarch, immediately appeared before the regenerate ones\n(among the guests) that came there. The Gandharvas sang and the diverse\ntribes of Apsaras danced. And they played upon many celestial instruments\nall the time. The wealth of provisions procured in that sacrifice\nsatisfied the very gods. What shall I say then of human beings? The very\ncelestials became filled with wonder! During the continuance of that\nsacrifice at Pushkara and in the presence of the Grandsire, the Rishis, O\nking, said, 'This sacrifice cannot be said to possess high attributes,\nsince that foremost of rivers, Sarasvati, is not to be seen here!'\nHearing these words, the divine Brahman cheerfully thought of Sarasvati.\nSummoned at Pushkara by the Grandsire engaged in the performance of a\nsacrifice, Sarasvati, O king, appeared there, under the name of Suprava.\nBeholding Sarasvati quickly pay that regard to the Grandsire, the Munis\nesteemed that sacrifice highly. Even thus that foremost of rivers, the\nSarasvati, made her appearance at Pushkara for the sake of the Grandsire\nand for gratifying the Munis. (At another time), O king, many Munis,\nmustering together at Naimisha, took up their residence there. Delightful\ndisquisition occurred among them, O king, about the Vedas. There where\nthose Munis, conversant with diverse scriptures, took up their abode,\nthere they thought of the Sarasvati. Thus thought of, O monarch, by those\nRishis performing a sacrifice, the highly blessed and sacred Sarasvati,\nfor rendering assistance, O king, to those high-souled Munis assembled\ntogether, made her appearance at Naimisha and came to be called\nKanchanakshi. That foremost of rivers, worshipped by all, thus came\nthere, O Bharata! While (king) Gaya was engaged in the performance of a\ngreat sacrifice at Gaya, the foremost of rivers, Sarasvati, summoned at\nGaya's sacrifice (made her appearance there). The Rishis of rigid vows\nthat were there, named this form of hers at Gaya as Visala. That river of\nswift current flows from the sides of the Himavat. Auddalaka had also, O\nBharata, performed a sacrifice. A large concourse of Munis had been\ngathered there. It was on that sacred region, the northern part of\nKosala, O king, that the sacrifice of high-souled Auddalaka was\nperformed. Before Auddalaka began his sacrifice, he had thought of the\nSarasvati. That foremost of rivers came to that region for the sake of\nthose Rishis. Worshipped by all those Munis clad in barks and deer-skins\nshe became known by the name of Manorama, as those Rishis mentally called\nher. While, again, the high-souled Kuru was engaged in a sacrifice at\nKurukshetra, that foremost of rivers, the highly blessed Sarasvati, made\nher appearance there. Summoned, O monarch, by the high-souled Vasishtha\n(who assisted Kuru in his sacrifice), the Sarasvati, full of celestial\nwater appeared at Kurukshetra under the name of Oghavati. Daksha at one\ntime performed a sacrifice at the source of Ganga. The Sarasvati appeared\nthere under the name of the fast-flowing Surenu. Once again, while\nBrahman was engaged in a sacrifice on the sacred forest of the Himavat\nmountains, the adorable Sarasvati, summoned (by him), appeared there. All\nthese seven forms then came and joined together in that tirtha where\nBaladeva came. And because the seven mingled together at that spot,\ntherefore is that tirtha known on Earth by the name of Sapta Sarasvati.\nThus have I told thee of the seven Sarasvatis, according to their names.\nI have also told thee of the sacred tirtha called Sapta Saraswat. Listen\nnow to a great feat of Mankanaka, who had from his youth led the life of\na brahmacari. While employed in performing his ablutions in the river, he\nbeheld (one day), O Bharata, a woman of faultless limbs and fair brows,\nbathing in the river at will, her person uncovered. At this sight, O\nmonarch, the vital seed of the Rishi fell unto the Sarasvati. The great\nascetic took it up and placed it within his earthen pot. Kept within that\nvessel, the fluid became divided into seven parts. From those seven\nportions were born seven Rishis from whom sprang the (nine and forty)\nMaruts. The seven Rishis were named Vayuvega, Vayuhan, Vayumandala,\nVayujata, Vayuretas, and Vayuchakra of great energy. Thus were born these\nprogenitors of the diverse Maruts. Hear now a more wonderful thing, O\nking, a fact exceedingly marvellous on Earth, about the conduct of the\ngreat Rishi, which is well known in the three worlds. In days of yore,\nafter Mankanaka had become crowned with success, O king, his hand, on one\noccasion, became pierced with a Kusa blade. Thereupon, a vegetable juice\ncame out of the wound (and not red blood). Seeing that vegetable juice,\nthe Rishi became filled with joy and danced about on the spot. Seeing him\ndance, all mobile and immobile creatures, O hero, stupefied by his\nenergy, began to dance. Then the gods with Brahman at their head, and the\nRishis possessed of wealth of asceticism, O king, all went to Mahadeva\nand informed him of the act of the Rishi (Mankanaka). And they said unto\nhim, 'It behoveth thee, O god, to do that which may prevent the Rishi\nfrom dancing!' Then Mahadeva, seeing the Rishi filled with great joy, and\nmoved by the desire of doing good unto the gods, addressed him, saying,\n'Why, O Brahmana, dost thou dance in this way, acquainted as thou art\nwith thy duties? What grave cause is there for such joy of thine, O sage,\nthat, an ascetic as thou art, O best of Brahmanas, and walking as thou\ndost along the path of virtue, thou shouldst act in this way?'\n\n\"The Rishi said, 'Why, seest thou not, O Brahmana, that a vegetable juice\nis flowing from this wound of mine? Seeing this, O lord, I am dancing in\ngreat joy!' Laughing at the Rishi who was stupefied by passion, the god\nsaid, 'I do not, O Brahmana, at all wonder at this! Behold me!' Having\nsaid this unto that foremost of Rishis, Mahadeva of great intelligence\nstruck his thumb with the end of one of his fingers. Thereupon, O king,\nashes, white as snow, came out of that wound. Seeing this, the Rishi\nbecame ashamed, O monarch, and fell at the feet of the god. He understood\nthe god to be none else than Mahadeva. Filled with wonder, he said, 'I do\nnot think that thou art any one else than Rudra, that great and Supreme\nbeing! O wielder of the trident, thou art the refuge of this universe\nconsisting of gods and Asuras! The wise say that this universe hath been\ncreated by thee! At the universal destruction, everything once more\nenters thee! Thou art incapable of being known by the gods, how then\ncanst thou be known by me? All forms of being that are in the universe\nare seen in thee! The gods with Brahman at their head worship thy boon\ngiving self, O sinless one! Thou art everything! Thou art the creator of\nthe gods and it was thou who hadst caused them to be created! Through thy\ngrace, the gods pass their time in joy and perfect fearlessness!' Having\npraised Mahadeva in this manner, the Rishi bowed to him, 'Let not this\nabsence of gravity, ridiculous in the extreme, that I displayed, O god,\ndestroy my ascetic merit! I pray to thee for this!' The god, with a\ncheerful heart, once more said unto him 'Let thy asceticism increase a\nthousandfold, O Brahmana, through my grace! I shall also always dwell\nwith thee in this asylum! For the man that will worship me in the tirtha\nSapta-Saraswat there will be nothing unattainable here or hereafter.\nWithout doubt, such a one shall go to the region called Saraswat (in\nheaven) after death!' Even this is the history of Mankanaka of abundant\nenergy. He was a son begotten by the god of wind upon (the lady) Sukanya.\"\n\n\n\n39\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Having passed one night more, Rama, having the\nplough for his weapon, worshipped the dwellers of that tirtha and showed\nhis regard for Mankanaka. Having given wealth unto the Brahmanas, and\npassed the night there, the hero having the plough for his weapon was\nworshipped by the Munis. Rising up in the morning, he took leave of all\nthe ascetics, and having touched the sacred water, O Bharata, set out\nquickly for other tirthas. Baladeva then went to the tirtha known by the\nname of Usanas. It is also called Kapalamochana. Formerly, Rama (the son\nof Dasaratha) slew a Rakshasa and hurled his head to a great distance.\nThat head, O king, fell upon the thigh of a great sage named Mahodara and\nstuck to it. Bathing in this tirtha, the great Rishi became freed from\nthe burthen. The high-souled Kavi (Sukra) had performed his ascetic\npenances there. It was there that the whole science of politics and\nmorals (that goes by Sukra's name) appeared to him by inward light. While\nresiding there, Sukra meditated upon the war of the Daityas and the\nDanavas (with the gods). Arrived at that foremost of tirthas, Baladeva, O\nking, duly made presents unto the high-souled Brahmanas.\"\n\nJanamejaya said, \"Why is it called Kapalamochana, where the great Muni\nbecame freed (from the Rakshasa's head)? For what reason and how did that\nhead stick unto him?\"\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Formerly, O tiger among kings, the high-souled Rama\n(the son of Dasaratha) lived (for some time) in the forest of Dandaka,\nfrom desire of slaying the Rakshasas. At Janasthana he cut off the head\nof a wicked-souled Rakshasa with a razor-headed shaft of great sharpness.\nThat head fell in the deep forest. That head, coursing at will (through\nthe welkin) fell upon the thigh of Mahodara while the latter was\nwandering through the woods. Piercing his thigh, O king, it stuck to it\nand remained there. In consequence of that head thus sticking to his\nthigh, the Brahmana (Mahodara) of great wisdom could not (with ease)\nproceed to tirthas and other sacred spots. Afflicted with great pain and\nwith putrid matter flowing from his thigh, he went to all the tirthas of\nthe Earth (one after another), as heard by us. He went to all the rivers\nand to the ocean also. (Not finding any relief) the great ascetic spoke\nof his sufferings to many Rishis of cleansed souls about his having\nbathed in all the tirthas without having found the relief he sought. That\nforemost of Brahmanas then heard from those sages words of high import\nabout this foremost of tirthas situate on the Sarasvati, and known by the\nname of Usanasa, which was represented as competent to cleanse from every\nsin and as an excellent spot for attaining to (ascetic) success. That\nBrahmana, then, repairing to that Usanasa tirtha, bathed in its waters.\nUpon this, the Rakshasa's head, leaving the thigh, fell into the water.\nFreed from that (dead) head, the Rishi felt great happiness. As regards\nthe head itself, it was lost in the waters. Mahodara then, O king, freed\nfrom the Rakshasa's head, cheerfully returned, with cleansed soul and all\nhis sins washed away, to his asylum after achieving success. The great\nascetic thus freed, after returning to his sacred asylum, spoke of what\nhad happened to those Rishis of cleansed souls. The assembled Rishis,\nhaving heard his words, bestowed the name of Kapalamochana on the tirtha.\nThe great Rishi Mahodara, repairing once more to that foremost of\ntirthas, drank its water and attained to great ascetic success. He of\nMadhu's race, having given away much wealth unto the Brahmanas and\nworshipped them, then proceeded to the asylum of Rushangu. There, O\nBharata, Arshtishena had in former days undergone the austerest of\npenances. There the great Muni Vishvamitra (who had before been a\nKshatriya) became a Brahmana. That great asylum is capable of granting\nthe fruition of every wish. It is always, O lord, the abode of Munis and\nBrahmanas. Baladeva of great beauty, surrounded by Brahmanas, then went\nto that spot, O monarch, where Rushangu had, in former days, cast off his\nbody. Rushangu, O Bharata, was an old Brahmana, who was always devoted to\nascetic penances. Resolved to cast off his body, he reflected for a long\nwhile. Endued with great ascetic merit, he then summoned all his sons and\ntold them to take him to a spot where water was abundant. Those ascetics,\nknowing their sire had become very old, took that ascetic to a tirtha on\nthe Sarasvati. Brought by his sons to the sacred Sarasvati containing\nhundreds of tirthas and on whose banks dwelt Rishis unconnected with the\nworld, that intelligent ascetic of austere penance bathed in that tirtha\naccording to due rites, and that foremost of Rishis conversant with the\nmerits of tirthas, then cheerfully said, O tiger among men, unto all his\nsons, who were dutifully waiting upon him, these words, 'He that would\ncast off his body on the northern bank of the Sarasvati containing much\nwater, while employed in mentally reciting sacred mantras, would never\nagain be afflicted with death!' The righteous-souled Baladeva, touching\nthe water of that tirtha and bathing in it, gave considerable wealth unto\nthe Brahmanas, being devoted to them. Possessed of great might and great\nprowess Baladeva then proceeded to that tirtha where the adorable\nGrandsire had created the mountains called Lokaloka, where that foremost\nof Rishis, Arshtishena of rigid vows, O thou of Kuru's race, had by\naustere penances acquired the status of Brahmanhood, where the royal sage\nSindhudwipa, and the great ascetic Devapi, and the adorable and\nillustrious Muni Vishvamitra of austere penances and fierce energy, had\nall acquired a similar status.\"\n\n\n\n40\n\nJanamejaya said, \"Why did the adorable Arshtishena undergo the austerest\nof penances? How also did Sindhudwipa acquire the status of a Brahmana?\nHow also did Devapi, O Brahmana, and how Vishvamitra, O best of men,\nacquire the same status? Tell me all this, O adorable one! Great is my\ncuriosity to listen to all these.\"\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Formerly, in the Krita age, O king, there was a\nforemost of regenerate persons called Arshtishena. Residing in his\npreceptor's house, he attended to his lessons every day. Although, O\nking, he resided long in the abode of his preceptor, he could not still\nacquire the mastery of any branch of knowledge or of the Vedas, O\nmonarch! In great disappointment, O king, the great ascetic performed\nvery austere penances. By his penances he then acquired the mastery of\nthe Vedas, to which there is nothing superior. Acquiring great learning\nand a mastery of the Vedas, that foremost of Rishis became crowned with\nsuccess in that tirtha. He then bestowed three boons on that place. (He\nsaid), 'From this day, a person, by bathing in this tirtha of the great\nriver (Sarasvati), shall obtain the great fruit of a horse sacrifice!\nFrom this day there will be no fear in this tirtha from snakes and wild\nbeasts! By small exertions, again, one shall attain to great result\nhere!' Having said these words, that Muni of great energy proceeded to\nheaven. Even thus the adorable Arshtishena of great energy became crowned\nwith success. In that very tirtha in the Krita age, Sindhudwipa of great\nenergy, and Devapi also, O monarch, had acquired the high status of\nBrahmanhood. Similarly Kusika's son, devoted to ascetic penances and with\nhis senses under control, acquired the status of Brahmanhood by\npractising well-directed austerities. There was a great Kshatriya,\ncelebrated over the world, known by the name of Gadhi. He had a son born\nto him, of the name of Vishvamitra of great prowess. King Kausika became\na great ascetic. Possessed of great ascetic merit, he wished to install\nhis son Vishvamitra on his throne, himself having resolved to cast off\nhis body. His subjects, bowing unto him, said, 'Thou shouldst not go\naway, O thou of great wisdom, but do thou protect us from a great fear!'\nThus addressed, Gadhi replied unto his subjects, saying, 'My son will\nbecome the protector of the wide universe!' Having said these words, and\nplaced Vishvamitra (on the throne), Gadhi, O king, went to heaven, and\nVishvamitra became king. He could not, however, protect the earth with\neven his best exertions. The king then heard of the existence of a great\nfear of Rakshasas (in his kingdom). With his four kinds of forces, he\nwent out of his capital. Having proceeded far on his way, he reached the\nasylum of Vasishtha. His troops, O king, caused much mischief there. The\nadorable Brahmana Vasishtha, when he came to his asylum, saw the\nextensive woods in course of destruction. That best of Rishis, Vasishtha,\nO king, became angry, O monarch, with Vishvamitra. He commanded his own\n(homa) cow, saying, 'Create a number of terrible Savaras!' Thus\naddressed, the cow created a swarm of men of frightful visages. These\nencountered the army of Vishvamitra and began to cause a great carnage\neverywhere. Seeing this, his troops fled away. Vishvamitra, the son of\nGadhi, however, regarding ascetic austerities highly efficacious, set his\nheart upon them. In this foremost of tirthas of the Sarasvati, O king, he\nbegan to emaciate his own body by means of vows and fasts with fixed\nresolve. He made water and air and (the fallen) leaves of trees his food.\nHe slept on the bare ground, and observed other vows (enjoined for\nascetics). The gods made repeated attempts for impeding him in the\nobservance of his vows. His heart, however, never swerved from the vows\n(he had proposed to himself). Then, having practised diverse kinds of\nausterities with great devotion, the son of Gadhi became like the Sun\nhimself in effulgence. The boon-giving Grandsire, of great energy,\nresolved to grant Vishvamitra, when he had become endued with ascetic\nmerit, the boon the latter desired. The boon that Vishvamitra solicited\nwas that he should be permitted to become a Brahmana. Brahma the\nGrandsire of all the worlds, said unto him, 'So be it.' Having by his\naustere penances acquired the status of Brahmanhood, the illustrious\nVishvamitra, after the attainment of his wish, wandered over the whole\nEarth like a celestial. Giving away diverse kinds of wealth in that\nforemost of tirthas, Rama also cheerfully gave away milch cows and\nvehicles and beds, ornaments, and food and drink of the best kinds, O\nking, unto many foremost of Brahmanas, after having worshipped them duly.\nThen, O king, Rama proceeded to the asylum of Vaka which was not very\ndistant from where he was, that asylum in which, as heard by us, Dalvya\nVaka had practised the austerest of penances.\"\n\n\n\n41\n\nVaishampayana said, \"The delighter of the Yadus then proceeded to the\nasylum (of Vaka) which resounded with the chanting of the Vedas. There\nthe great ascetic, O king, named Dalvyavaka poured the kingdom of\nDhritarashtra, the son of Vichitravirya, as a libation (on the\nsacrificial fire). By practising very austere penances he emaciated his\nown body. Endued with great energy, the virtuous Rishi, filled with great\nwrath, (did that act). In former times, the Rishis residing in the\nNaimisha forest had performed a sacrifice extending for twelve years. In\ncourse of that sacrifice, after a particular one called Viswajit had been\ncompleted, the Rishis set out for the country of the Pancalas. Arrived\nthere, they solicited the king for giving them one and twenty strong and\nhealthy calves to be given away as Dakshina (in the sacrifice they have\ncompleted). Dalvya Vaka, however, (calling those Rishis), said unto them,\n'Do you divide those animals (of mine) among you! Giving away these (unto\nyou), I shall solicit a great king (for some).' Having said so unto all\nthose Rishis, Vaka of great energy, that best of Brahmanas, then\nproceeded to the abode of Dhritarashtra. Arrived at the presence of king\nDhritarashtra, Dalvya begged some animals of him. That best of kings,\nhowever, seeing that some of his kine died without any cause, angrily\nsaid unto him. 'Wretch of a Brahmana, take, if thou likest, these animals\nthat (are dead)!' Hearing these words, the Rishi, conversant with duties,\nthought, 'Alas, cruel are the words that have been addressed to me in the\nassembly!' Having reflected in this strain, that best of Brahmanas,\nfilled with wrath, set his heart upon the destruction of king\nDhritarashtra. Cutting the flesh from off the dead animals, that best of\nsages, having ignited a (sacrificial) fire on the tirtha of the\nSarasvati, poured those pieces as libations for the destruction of king\nDhritarashtra's kingdom. Observant of rigid vows, the great Dalvya Vaka,\nO monarch, poured Dhritarashtra's kingdom as a libation on the fire, with\nthe aid of those pieces of meat. Upon the commencement of that fierce\nsacrifice according to due rites, the kingdom of Dhritarashtra, O\nmonarch, began to waste away. Indeed, O lord, the kingdom of that monarch\nbegan to waste away, even as a large forest begins to disappear when men\nproceed to cut it down with the axe. Overtaken by calamities, the kingdom\nbegan to lose its prosperity and life. Seeing his kingdom thus afflicted,\nthe puissant monarch, O king, became very cheerless and thoughtful.\nConsulting with the Brahmanas, he began to make great endeavours for\nfreeing his territories (from affliction). No good, however, came of his\nefforts, for the kingdom continued to waste away. The king became very\ncheerless. The Brahmanas also, O sinless one, became filled with grief.\nWhen at last the king failed to save his kingdom, he asked his\ncounsellors. O Janamejaya, (about the remedy). The counsellors reminded\nhim of the evil he had done in connection with the dead kine. And they\nsaid, 'The sage Vaka is pouring thy kingdom as a libation on the fire\nwith the aid of the flesh (of those animals). Thence is this great waste\nof thy kingdom! This is the consequence of ascetic rites. Thence is this\ngreat calamity! Go, O king, and gratify that Rishi by the side of a\nreceptacle of water on the bank of the Sarasvati!' Repairing to the bank\nof the Sarasvati, the king falling at his feet and touching them with his\nhead, joined his hands and said, O thou of Bharata's race, these words,\n'I gratify thee, O adorable one, forgive my offence. I am a senseless\nfool, a wretch inspired with avarice. Thou art my refuge, thou art my\nprotector, it behoveth thee to show me thy grace!' Beholding him thus\noverwhelmed with grief and indulging in lamentations like these, Vaka\nfelt compassion for him and freed his kingdom. The Rishi became gratified\nwith him, having dismissed his angry feelings. For freeing his kingdom,\nthe sage again poured libations on the fire. Having freed the kingdom\n(from calamities) and taken many animals in grief, he became pleased at\nheart and once more proceeded to the Naimisha woods. The liberal-minded\nking Dhritarashtra also, of righteous soul, with a cheerful heart,\nreturned to his own capital full of prosperity.\n\n\"In that tirtha, Brihaspati also, of great intelligence, for the\ndestruction of the Asuras and the prosperity of the denizens of heaven,\npoured libations on the sacrificial fire, with the aid of flesh. Upon\nthis, the Asuras began to waste away and were destroyed by the gods,\ninspired by desire of victory in battle. Having with due rites given unto\nthe Brahmanas steeds and elephants and vehicles with mules yoked unto\nthem and jewels of great value and much wealth, and much corn, the\nillustrious and mighty-armed Rama then proceeded, O king, to the tirtha\ncalled Yayata. There, O monarch, at the sacrifice of the high-souled\nYayati, the son of Nahusha, the Sarasvati produced milk and clarified\nbutter. That tiger among men, king Yayati, having performed a sacrifice\nthere, went cheerfully to heaven and obtained many regions of\nblessedness. Once again, O lord, king Yayati performed a sacrifice there.\nBeholding his great magnanimity of soul and his immutable devotion to\nherself, the river Sarasvati gave unto the Brahamanas (invited to that\nsacrifice) everything for which each of them cherished only a wish in his\nheart. That foremost of rivers gave unto each where he was, amongst those\nthat were invited to the sacrifice, houses and beds and food of the six\ndifferent kinds of taste, and diverse other kinds of things. The\nBrahmanas regarded those valuable gifts as made to them by the king.\nCheerfully they praised the monarch and bestowed their auspicious\nblessings upon him. The gods and the Gandharvas were all pleased with the\nprofusion of articles in that sacrifice. As regards human beings, they\nwere filled with wonder at sight of that profusion. The illustrious\nBaladeva, of soul subdued and restrained and cleansed, having the palmyra\non his banner, distinguished by great righteousness, and ever giving away\nthe most valuable things, then proceeded to that tirtha of fierce current\ncalled Vasishthapavaha.\"\n\n\n\n42\n\nJanamejaya said, \"Why is the current of (the tirtha known by the name of)\nVasishthapavaha so rapid? For what reason did the foremost of rivers bear\naway Vasishtha? What, O lord, was the cause of the dispute between\nVasishtha and Vishvamitra? Questioned by me, O thou of great wisdom, tell\nme all this! I am never satiated with hearing thee!\"\n\nVaishampayana said, \"A great enmity arose between Vishvamitra and\nVasishtha, O Bharata, due to their rivalry in respect of ascetic\nausterities. The high abode of Vasishtha was in the tirtha called Sthanu\non the eastern bank of the Sarasvati. On the opposite bank was the asylum\nof the intelligent Vishvamitra. There, in that tirtha, O monarch, Sthanu\n(Mahadeva) had practised the austerest penances. Sages still speak of\nthose fierce feats. Having performed a sacrifice there and worshipped the\nriver Sarasvati, Sthanu established that tirtha there. Hence it is known\nby the name Sthanu-tirtha, O lord. In that tirtha, the celestials had, in\ndays of yore, O king, installed Skanda, that slayer of the enemies of the\ngods, in the supreme command of their army. Unto that tirtha of the\nSarasvati, the great Rishi Vishvamitra, by the aid of his austere\npenances, brought Vasishtha. Listen to that history. The two ascetics\nVishvamitra and Vasishtha, O Bharata, every day challenged each other\nvery earnestly in respect of the superiority of their penances. The great\nMuni Vishvamitra, burning (with jealousy) at sight of the energy of\nVasishtha, began to reflect on the matter. Though devoted to the\nperformance of his duties, this, however, is the resolution, O Bharata,\nthat he formed: 'This Sarasvati shall quickly bring, by force of her\ncurrent, that foremost of ascetics, Vasishtha, to my presence. After he\nshall have been brought hither, I shall, without doubt, slay that\nforemost of regenerate ones.' Having settled this, the illustrious and\ngreat Rishi Vishvamitra with eyes red in wrath, thought of that foremost\nof rivers. Thus remembered by the ascetic, she became exceedingly\nagitated. The fair lady, however, repaired to that Rishi of great energy\nand great wrath. Pale and trembling, Sarasvati, with joined hands\nappeared before that foremost of sages. Indeed, the lady was much\nafflicted with grief, even like a woman who has lost her mighty lord. And\nshe said unto that best of sages, 'Tell me what is there that I shall do\nfor thee.' Filled with rage, the ascetic said unto her, 'Bring hither\nVasishtha without delay, so that I may slay him.' Hearing these words the\nriver became agitated. With joined hands the lotus-eyed lady began to\ntremble exceedingly in fear like a creeper shaken by the wind. Beholding\nthe great river in that plight, the ascetic said unto her, 'Without any\nscruple, bring Vasishtha unto my presence!' Hearing these words of his,\nand knowing the evil he intended to do, and acquainted also with the\nprowess of Vasishtha that was unrivalled on earth, she repaired to\nVasishtha and informed him of what the intelligent Vishvamitra had said\nunto her. Fearing the curse of both, she trembled repeatedly. Indeed, her\nheart was on the grievous curse (that either of them might pronounce on\nher). She stood in terror of both. Seeing her pale and plunged in\nanxiety, the righteous-souled Vasishtha, that foremost of men, O king,\nsaid these words unto her.\n\n\"Vasishtha said, 'O foremost of rivers, save thyself! O thou of rapid\ncurrent, bear me away, otherwise Vishvamitra will curse thee. Do not feel\nany scruple.' Hearing these words of that compassionate Rishi, the river\nbegan to think, O Kauravya, as to what course would be best for her to\nfollow. Even these were the thoughts that arose in her mind: 'Vasishtha\nshoweth great compassion for me. It is proper for me that I should serve\nhim.' Beholding then that best of Rishis, (Vasishtha) engaged in silent\nrecitation (of mantras) on her bank, and seeing Kusika's son\n(Vishvamitra) also engaged in homa, Sarasvati thought, 'Even this is my\nopportunity.' Then that foremost of rivers, by her current, washed away\none of her banks. In washing away that bank, she bore Vasishtha away.\nWhile being borne away, O king, Vasishtha praised the river in these\nwords: 'From the Grandsire's (manasa) lake thou hast taken thy rise, O\nSarasvati! This whole universe is filled with thy excellent waters!\nWending through the firmament, O goddess, thou impartest thy waters to\nthe clouds! All the waters are thee! Through thee we exercise our\nthinking faculties! Thou art Pushti and Dyuti, Kirti, and Siddhi and Uma!\nThou art Speech, and thou art Svaha! This whole universe is dependent on\nthee! It is thou that dwellest in all creatures, in four forms!' Thus\npraised by that great Rishi, Sarasvati, O king, speedily bore that\nBrahmana towards the asylum of Vishvamitra and repeatedly represented\nunto the latter the arrival of the former. Beholding Vasishtha thus\nbrought before him by Sarasvati, Vishvamitra, filled with rage, began to\nlook for a weapon wherewith to slay that Brahmana. Seeing him filled with\nwrath, the river from fear of (witnessing and aiding in) a Brahmana's\nslaughter, quickly bore Vasishtha away to her eastern bank once more. She\nthus obeyed the words of both, although she deceived the son of Gadhi by\nher act. Seeing that best of Rishis, Vasishtha, borne away, the\nvindictive Vishvamitra, filled with wrath, addressed Sarasvati, saying,\n'Since, O foremost of rivers, thou hast gone away, having deceived me,\nlet thy current be changed into blood that is acceptable to Rakshasas.'\nThen, cursed by the intelligent Vishvamitra, Sarasvati flowed for a whole\nyear, bearing blood mixed with water. The gods, the Gandharvas, and the\nApsaras, beholding the Sarasvati reduced to that plight, became filled\nwith great sorrow. For this reason, O king, the tirtha came to be called\nVasishthapravaha on earth. The foremost of rivers, however, once more got\nback her own proper condition.\"\n\n\n\n43\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Cursed by the intelligent Vishvamitra in anger,\nSarasvati, in that auspicious and best of tirthas, flowed, bearing blood\nin her current. Then, O king, many Rakshasas came, O Bharata, and lived\nhappily there, drinking the blood that flowed. Exceedingly gratified with\nthat blood, cheerfully and without anxiety of any kind, they danced and\nlaughed there like persons that have (by merit) attained to heaven. After\nsome time had passed away, some Rishis, possessed of wealth of\nasceticism, came to the Sarasvati, O king, on a sojourn to her tirthas.\nThose foremost of Munis, having bathed in all the tirthas and obtained\ngreat happiness, became desirous of acquiring more merit. Those learned\npersons at last came, O king, to that tirtha where the Sarasvati ran a\nbloody current. Those highly blessed ones, arriving at that frightful\ntirtha, saw the water of the Sarasvati mixed with blood and that\ninnumerable Rakshasas, O monarch, were drinking it. Beholding those\nRakshasas, O king, those ascetics of rigid vows made great endeavours for\nrescuing the Sarasvati from that plight. Those blessed ones of high vows,\narrived there, invoked that foremost of rivers and said these words unto\nher, 'Tell us the reason, O auspicious lady, why this lake in thee hath\nbeen afflicted with such distress. Hearing it, we shall endeavour (to\nrestore it to its proper condition).' Thus questioned, Sarasvati,\ntrembling as she spoke, informed them of everything that had occurred.\nSeeing her afflicted with woe, those ascetics said, 'We have heard the\nreason. We have heard of thy curse, O sinless lady! All of us shall exert\nourselves!' Having said these words unto that foremost of rivers, they\nthen consulted with one another thus, 'All of us shall emancipate\nSarasvati from her curse.' Then all those Brahmanas, O king, worshipping\nMahadeva, that lord of the universe and protector of all creatures, with\npenance and vows and fasts and diverse kinds of abstinences and painful\nobservances, emancipated that foremost of rivers, the divine Sarasvati.\nBeholding the water of Sarasvati purified by those Munis, the Rakshasas\n(that had taken up their abode there), afflicted with hunger, sought the\nprotection of those Munis themselves. Afflicted with hunger, the\nRakshasas, with joined hands, repeatedly said unto those ascetics filled\nwith compassion, these words, 'All of us are hungry! We have swerved from\neternal virtue! That we are sinful in behaviour is not of our free will!\nThrough the absence of your grace and through our own evil acts, as also\nthrough the sexual sins of our women, our demerits increase and we have\nbecome Brahma-Rakshasas! So amongst Vaisyas and Sudras, and Kshatriyas,\nthose that hate and injure Brahmanas became Rakshasas. Ye best of\nBrahmanas, make arrangements then for our relief! Ye are competent to\nrelieve all the worlds!' Hearing these words of theirs, those ascetics\npraised the great river. For the rescue of those Rakshasas, with rapt\nminds those ascetics said, 'The food over which one sneezed, that in\nwhich there are worms and insects, that which may be mixed with any\nleavings of dishes, that which is mixed with hair, that which is mixed\nwith tears, that which is trodden upon shall form the portion of these\nRakshasas! The learned man, knowing all this, shall carefully avoid these\nkinds of food. He that shall take such food shall be regarded as eating\nthe food of Rakshasas!' Having purified the tirtha in this way, those\nascetics thus solicited that river for the relief of those Rakshasas.\nUnderstanding the views of those great Rishis, that foremost of rivers\ncaused her body, O bull among men, to assume a new shape called Aruna.\nBathing in that new river (a branch of the Sarasvati) the Rakshasas cast\noff their bodies and went to heaven. Ascertaining all this, the chief of\nthe celestials, (Indra of a hundred sacrifices), bathed in that foremost\nof tirthas and became cleansed of a grievous sin.\"\n\nJanamejaya said, \"For what reason was Indra tainted with the sin of\nBrahmanicide? How also did he become cleansed by bathing in that tirtha?\"\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Listen to that history, O ruler of men! Hear of\nthose occurrences as they happened! Hear how Vasava, in days of yore,\nbroke his treaty with Namuchi! The Asura Namuchi, from fear of Vasava,\nhad entered a ray of the Sun. Indra then made friends with Namuchi and\nentered into a covenant with him, saying, 'O foremost of Asuras, I shall\nnot slay thee, O friend, with anything that is wet or with anything that\nis dry! I shall not slay thee in the night or in the day! I swear this to\nthee by truth.' Having made this covenant, the lord Indra one day beheld a\nfog. He then, O king, cut off Namuchi's head, using the foam of water (as\nhis weapon). The severed head of Namuchi thereupon pursued Indra from\nbehind, saying unto him from a near point these words, 'O slayer of a\nfriend, O wretch!' Urged on incessantly by that head, Indra repaired to\nthe Grandsire and informed him, in grief, of what had occurred. The\nSupreme Lord of the universe said unto him, 'Performing a sacrifice,\nbathe with due rites, O chief of the celestials, in Aruna, that tirtha\nwhich saveth from the fear of sin! The water of that river, O Shakra,\nhath been made sacred by the Munis! Formerly the presence of that river\nat its site was concealed. The divine Sarasvati repaired to the Aruna,\nand flooded it with her waters. This confluence of Sarasvati and Aruna is\nhighly sacred! Thither, O chief of the celestials, perform a sacrifice!\nGive away gifts in profusion! Performing thy ablutions there, thou shall\nbe freed from thy sin.' Thus addressed, Shakra, at these words of Brahma,\nO Janamejaya, performed in that abode of Sarasvati diverse sacrifices.\nGiving away many gifts and bathing in that tirtha, he of a hundred\nsacrifices, the piercer of Vala, duly performed certain sacrifices and\nthen plunged in the Aruna. He became freed from the sin arising out of\nthe slaughter of a Brahmana. The lord of heaven then returned to heaven\nwith a joyful heart. The head of Namuchi also fell into that stream, O\nBharata, and the Asura obtained many eternal regions, O best of kings,\nthat granted every wish.\"\n\nVaishampayana continued, \"The high-souled Baladeva having bathed in that\ntirtha and given away many kinds of gifts, obtained great merit. Of\nrighteous deeds, he then proceeded to the great tirtha of Soma. There, in\ndays of yore, Soma himself, O king of kings, had performed the Rajasuya\nsacrifice. The high-souled Atri, that foremost of Brahmanas, gifted with\ngreat intelligence became the Hotri in that grand sacrifice. Upon the\nconclusion of that sacrifice, a great battle took place between the gods\n(on the one side) and the Danavas, the Daityas, and the Rakshasas (on the\nother). That fierce battle is known after the name of (the Asura) Taraka.\nIn that battle Skanda slew Taraka. There, on that occasion, Mahasena\n(Skanda), that destroyer of Daityas, obtained the command of the\ncelestial forces. In that tirtha is a gigantic Aswattha tree. Under its\nshade, Kartikeya, otherwise called Kumara, always resides in person.\"\n\n\n\n44\n\nJanamejaya said, \"Thou hast described the merits of the Sarasvati, O best\nof Brahmanas! It behoveth thee, O regenerate one, to describe to me the\ninvestiture of Kumara (by the gods). Great is the curiosity I feel. Tell\nme everything, therefore, about the time when and the place where and the\nmanner in which the adorable and puissant lord Skanda was invested (with\nthe command of the celestial forces). Tell me also, O foremost of\nspeakers, who they were that invested him and who performed the actual\nrites, and how the celestial generalissimo made a great carnage of the\nDaityas!\"\n\nVaishampayana said, \"This curiosity that thou feelest is worthy of thy\nbirth in Kuru's race. The words that I shall speak, will, O Janamejaya,\nbe conducive to thy pleasure. I shall narrate to thee the story of the\ninvestiture of Kumara and the prowess of that high-souled one, since, O\nruler of men thou wishest to hear it! In days of yore the vital seed of\nMaheshvara coming out, fell into a blazing fire. The consumer of\neverything, the adorable Agni, could not burn that indestructible seed.\nOn the other hand, the bearer of sacrificial libations, in consequence of\nthat seed, became possessed of great energy and splendour. He could not\nbear within himself that seed of mighty energy. At the command of\nBrahman, the lord Agni, approaching (the river) Ganga, threw into her\nthat divine seed possessed of the effulgence of the Sun. Ganga also,\nunable to hold it, cast it on the beautiful breast of Himavat that is\nworshipped by the celestials. Thereupon Agni's son began to grow there,\noverwhelming all the worlds by his energy. Meanwhile (the six) Krittikas\nbeheld that child of fiery splendour. Seeing that puissant lord, that\nhigh-souled son of Agni, lying on a clump of heath, all the six\nKrittikas, who were desirous of a son, cried aloud, saying, 'This child\nis mine, this child is mine!' Understanding the state of mind of those\nsix mothers, the adorable lord Skanda sucked the breasts of all having\nassumed six mouths. Beholding that puissance of the child, the Krittikas,\nthose goddesses of beautiful forms, became filled with wonder. And since\nthe adorable child had been cast by the river Ganga upon the summit of\nHimavat, that mountain looked beautiful, having, O delighter of the\nKurus, been transformed into gold! With that growing child the whole\nEarth became beautiful, and it was for this reason that mountains (from\nthat time) came to be producers of gold. Possessed of great energy, the\nchild came to be called by the name of Kartikeya. At first he had been\ncalled by the name of Gangeya. He became possessed of high ascetic\npowers. Endued with self-restraint and asceticism and great energy, the\nchild grew up, O monarch, into a person of highly agreeable features like\nSoma himself. Possessed of great beauty, the child lay on that excellent\nand golden clump of heath, adored and praised by Gandharvas and ascetics.\nCelestial girls, by thousands, conversant with celestial music and dance,\nand of very beautiful features, praised him and danced before him. The\nforemost of all rivers, Ganga, waited upon that god. The Earth also,\nassuming great beauty, held the child (on her lap). The celestial priest\nBrihaspati performed the usual rites after birth, in respect of that\nchild. The Vedas assuming a four-fold form, approached the child with\njoined hands. The Science of arms, with its four divisions, and all the\nweapons as also all kinds of arrows, came to him. One day, the child, of\ngreat energy, saw that god of gods, the lord of Uma, seated with the\ndaughter of Himavat, amid a swarm of ghostly creatures. Those ghostly\ncreatures, of emaciated bodies, were of wonderful features. They were\nugly and of ugly features, and wore awkward ornaments and marks. Their\nfaces were like those of tigers and lions and bears and cats and makaras.\nOthers were of faces like those of scorpions; others of faces like those\nof elephants and camels and owls. And some had faces like those of\nvultures and jackals. And some there were that had faces like those of\ncranes and pigeons and Kurus. And many amongst them had bodies like those\nof dogs and porcupines and iguanas and goats and sheep and cows. And some\nresembled mountains and some oceans, and some stood with uplifted discs\nand maces for their weapons. And some looked like masses of antimony and\nsome like white mountains. The seven Matris also were present there, O\nmonarch, and the Sadhyas, the Viswedevas, the Maruts, the Vasus, the\nRudras, the Adityas, the Siddhas, the Danavas, the birds, the self-born\nand adorable Brahman with his sons, and Vishnu, and Shakra, all went\nthither for beholding that child of unfading glory. And many of the\nforemost of celestials and Gandharvas, headed by Narada and many\ncelestial Rishis and Siddhas headed by Brihaspati, and the fathers of the\nuniverse, those foremost ones, they that are regarded as gods of the\ngods, and the Yamas and the Dharmas, all went there. Endued with great\nstrength, the child possessed of great ascetic power, proceeded to the\npresence of that Lord of the gods, (Mahadeva), armed with trident and\nPinaka. Seeing the child coming, the thought entered the mind of Siva, as\nit did that of Himavat's daughter and that of Ganga and of Agni, as to\nwhom amongst the four the child would first approach for honouring him or\nher. Each of them thought, 'He will come to me!' Understanding that this\nwas the expectation cherished by each of those four, he had recourse to\nhis Yoga powers and assumed at the same time four different forms. Indeed\nthe adorable and puissant lord assumed those four forms in an instant.\nThe three forms that stood behind were Sakha and Visakha and Naigameya.\nThe adorable and puissant one, having divided his self into four forms,\n(proceeded towards the four that sat expecting him). The form called\nSkanda of wonderful appearance proceeded to the spot where Rudra was\nsitting. Visakha went to the spot where the divine daughter of Himavat\nwas. The adorable Sakha, which is Kartikeya's Vayu form proceeded towards\nAgni. Naigameya, that child of fiery splendour, proceeded to the presence\nof Ganga. All those forms, of similar appearance, were endued with great\neffulgence. The four forms proceeded calmly to the four gods and\ngoddesses (already mentioned). All this seemed exceedingly wonderful. The\ngods, the Danavas, and the Rakshasas, made a loud noise at sight of that\nexceedingly wonderful incident making the very hair to stand on end. Then\nRudra and the goddess Uma and Agni, and Ganga, all bowed unto the\nGrandsire, that Lord of the Universe. Having duly bowed unto him, O bull\namong kings, they said these words, O monarch, from desire of doing good\nunto Kartikeya. 'It behoveth thee, O Lord of the gods, to grant to this\nyouth, for the sake of our happiness, some kind of sovereignty that may\nbe suitable to him and that he may desire.' At this, the adorable\nGrandsire of all the worlds, possessed of great intelligence, began to\nthink within his mind as to what he should bestow upon that youth. He had\nformerly given away unto the formless ones (gods) all kinds of wealth\nover which the high-souled celestials, the Gandharvas, the Rakshasas,\nghosts, Yakshas, birds, and snakes have dominion. Brahma, therefore,\nregarded that youth to be fully entitled to that dominion (which had been\nbestowed upon the gods). Having reflected for a moment, the Grandsire,\never mindful of the welfare of the gods, bestowed upon him the status of\na generalissimo among all creatures, O Bharata! And the Grandsire further\nordered all those gods that were regarded as the chief of the celestials\nand other formless beings to wait upon him. Then the gods headed by\nBrahman, taking that youth with them, together came to Himavat. The spot\nthey selected was the bank of the sacred and divine Sarasvati, that\nforemost of rivers, taking her rise from Himavat, that Sarasvati which,\nat Samanta-panchaka, is celebrated over the three worlds. There, on the\nsacred bank, possessing every merit, of the Sarasvati, the gods and the\nGandharvas took their seats with hearts well-pleased in consequence of\nthe gratification of all their desires.\"\n\n\n\n45\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Collecting all articles as laid down in the\nscriptures for the ceremony of investiture, Brihaspati duly poured\nlibations on the blazing fire. Himavat gave a seat which was adorned with\nmany costly gems. Kartikeya was made to sit on that auspicious and best\nof seats decked with excellent gems. The gods brought thither all kinds\nof auspicious articles, with due rites and mantras, that were necessary\nfor a ceremony of the kind. The diverse gods--Indra and Vishnu, both of\ngreat energy, and Surya and Candramas, and Dhatri, and Vidhatri, and\nVayu, and Agni, and Pushan, and Bhaga, and Aryaman, and Ansa, and\nVivaswat, and Rudra of great intelligence, and Mitra, and the (eleven)\nRudras, the (eight) Vasus, the (twelve) Adityas, the (twin) Ashvinis, the\nViswedevas, the Maruts, the Saddhyas, the Pitris, the Gandharvas, the\nApsaras, the Yakshas, the Rakshasas, the Pannagas, innumerable celestial\nRishis, the Vaikhanasas, the Valakhilyas, those others (among Rishis)\nthat subsist only on air and those that subsist on the rays of the Sun,\nthe descendants of Bhrigu and Angiras, many high-souled Yatis, all the\nVidyadharas, all those that were crowned with ascetic success, the\nGrandsire, Pulastya, Pulaha of great ascetic merits, Angiras, Kasyapa,\nAtri, Marichi, Bhrigu, Kratu, Hara, Prachetas, Manu, Daksha, the Seasons,\nthe Planets, and all the luminaries; O monarch, all the rivers in their\nembodied forms, the eternal Vedas, the Seas, the diverse tirthas, the\nEarth, the Sky, the Cardinal and Subsidiary points of the compass, and\nall the Trees, O king, Aditi the mother of the gods, Hri, Sri, Swaha,\nSarasvati, Uma, Sachi, Sinivali, Anumati, Kuhu, the Day of the new moon,\nthe Day of the full Moon, the wives of the denizens of heaven, Himavat,\nVindhya, Meru of many summits, Airavat with all his followers, the\nDivisions of time called Kala, Kashtha, Fortnight, the Seasons, Night,\nand Day, O king, the prince of steeds, Ucchaisravas, Vasuki the king of\nthe Snakes, Aruna, Garuda, the Trees, the deciduous herbs, and the\nadorable god Dharma--all came there together. And there came also Kala,\nYama, Mrityu, and the followers of Yama. From fear of swelling the list I\ndo not mention the diverse other gods that came there. All of them came\nto that ceremony for investing Kartikeya with the status of\ngeneralissimo. All the denizens of heaven, O king, brought there\neverything necessary for the ceremony and every auspicious article.\nFilled with joy, the denizens of heaven made that high-souled youth, that\nterror of the Asuras, the generalissimo of the celestial forces, after\npouring upon his head the sacred and excellent water of the Sarasvati\nfrom golden jars that contained other sacred articles needed for the\npurpose. The Grandsire of the worlds, Brahman, and Kasyapa of great\nenergy, and the others (mentioned and) not mentioned, all poured water\nupon Skanda even as, O monarch, the gods had poured water on the head of\nVaruna, the lord of waters, for investing him with dominion. The lord\nBrahman then, with a gratified heart, gave unto Skanda four companions,\npossessed of great might, endued with speed like that of the wind,\ncrowned with ascetic success, and gifted with energy which they could\nincrease at will. They were named Nandisena and Lohitaksha and\nGhantakarna and Kumudamalin. The lord Sthanu, O monarch, gave unto Skanda\na companion possessed of great impetuosity, capable of producing a\nhundred illusions, and endued with might and energy that he could enhance\nat will. And he was the great destroyer of Asuras. In the great battle\nbetween the gods and the Asuras, this companion that Sthanu gave, filled\nwith wrath, slew, with his hands alone, fourteen millions of Daityas of\nfierce deeds. The gods then made over to Skanda the celestial host,\ninvincible, abounding with celestial troops, capable of destroying the\nenemies of the gods, and of forms like that of Vishnu. The gods then,\nwith Vasava at their head, and the Gandharvas, the Yakshas, the\nRakshasas, the Munis, and the Pitris, all shouted, 'Victory (to Skanda)!'\nThen Yama gave him two companions, both of whom resembled Death, Unmatha\nand Pramatha, possessed of great energy and great splendour. Endued with\ngreat prowess, Surya, with a gratified heart, gave unto Kartikeya two of\nhis followers named Subhraja and Bhaswara. Soma also gave him two\ncompanions, Mani and Sumani, both of whom looked like summits of the\nKailasa mountain and always used white garlands and white unguents. Agni\ngave unto him two heroic companions, grinders of hostile armies, who were\nnamed Jwalajihbha and Jyoti. Ansa gave unto Skanda of great intelligence\nfive companions, Parigha, and Vata, and Bhima of terrible strength, and\nDahati and Dahana, both of whom were exceedingly fierce and possessed of\ngreat energy. Vasava that slayer of hostile heroes, gave unto Agni's son\ntwo companions, Utkrosa and Panchaka, who were armed respectively with\nthunder-bolt and club. These had in battle slain innumerable enemies of\nShakra. The illustrious Vishnu gave unto Skanda three companions, Chakra\nand Vikrama and Sankrama of great might. The Ashvinis, O bull of\nBharata's race, with gratified hearts, gave unto Skanda two companions\nVardhana and Nandana, who had mastered all the sciences. The illustrious\nDhatri gave unto that high-souled one five companions, Kunda, Kusuma,\nKumuda, Damvara and Adamvara. Tvashtri gave unto Skanda two companions\nnamed Chakra and Anuchakra, both of whom were endued with great strength.\nThe lord Mitra gave unto the high-souled Kumara two illustrious\ncompanions named Suvrata and Satyasandha, both of whom were endued with\ngreat learning and ascetic merit, possessed of agreeable features,\ncapable of granting boons and celebrated over the three worlds. Vidhatri\ngave unto Kartikeya two companions of great celebrity, the high-souled\nSuprabha and Subhakarman. Pushan gave him, O Bharata, two companions,\nPanitraka and Kalika, both endued with great powers of illusion. Vayu\ngave him, O best of the Bharatas, two companions, Vala and Ativala,\nendued with great might and very large mouths. Varuna, firmly adhering to\ntruth, gave him Ghasa and Atighasa of great might and possessed of mouths\nlike those of whales. Himavat gave unto Agni's son two companions, O\nKing, Suvarchas and Ativarchas. Meru, O Bharata, gave him two companions\nnamed Kanchana and Meghamalin. Manu also gave unto Agni's son two others\nendued with great strength and prowess, Sthira and Atisthira. Vindhya\ngave unto Agni's son two companions named Uschrita and Agnisringa both of\nwhom fought with large stones. Ocean gave him two mighty companions named\nSangraha and Vigraha, both armed with maces. Parvati of beautiful\nfeatures gave unto Agni's son Unmada and Pushpadanta and Sankukarna.\nVasuki, the king of the snakes, O tiger among men, gave unto the son of\nAgni two snakes named Jaya and Mahajaya. Similarly the Saddhyas, the\nRudras, the Vasus, the Pitris, the Seas, the Rivers, and the Mountains,\nall endued with great might, gave commanders of forces, armed with lances\nand battle-axes and decked with diverse kinds of ornaments. Listen now to\nthe names of those other combatants armed with diverse weapons and clad\nin diverse kinds of robes and ornaments, that Skanda procured. They were\nSankukarna, Nilkumbha, Padmai, Kumud, Ananta, Dwadasabhuja, Krishna,\nUpakrishnaka, Ghranasravas, Kapiskandha, Kanchanaksha, Jalandhama,\nAkshasantarjana, Kunadika, Tamobhrakrit, Ekaksha, Dwadasaksha, Ekajata,\nSahasravahu, Vikata, Vyaghraksha, Kshitikampana, Punyanaman, Sunaman,\nSuvaktra, Priyadarsana, Parisruta, Kokonada, Priyamalyanulepana, Ajodara,\nGajasiras, Skandhaksha, Satalochana, Jwalajibha, Karala, Sitakesa, Jati,\nHari, Krishnakesa, Jatadhara, Chaturdanshtra, Ashtajihva, Meghananda,\nPrithusravas, Vidyutaksha, Dhanurvaktra, Jathara, Marutasana, Udaraksha,\nRathaksha, Vajranabha, Vasurprabha, Samudravega, Sailakampin, Vrisha,\nMeshapravaha, Nanda, Upadanka, Dhumra, Sweta, Kalinga, Siddhartha,\nVarada, Priyaka, Nanda, Gonanda, Ananda, Pramoda, Swastika, Dhruvaka,\nKshemavaha, Subala, Siddhapatra, Govraja, Kanakapida, Gayana, Hasana,\nVana, Khadga, Vaitali, Atitali, Kathaka, Vatika, Hansaja,\nPakshadigdhanga, Samudronmadana, Ranotkata, Prashasa, Swetasiddha,\nNandaka, Kalakantha, Prabhasa, Kumbhandaka, Kalakaksha, Sita,\nBhutalonmathana, Yajnavaha, Pravaha, Devajali, Somapa, Majjala, Kratha\nTuhara Chitradeva, Madhura, Suprasada, Kiritin, Vatsala, Madhuvarna,\nKalasodara, Dharmada, Manma, Thakara, Suchivaktra, Swetavaktra, Suvaktra,\nCharuvaktra, Pandura, Dandavahu, Suvahu, Rajas, Kokilaka, Achala,\nKanakaksha, Valakarakshaka, Sancharaka, Kokanada, Gridhrapatra, Jamvuka,\nLohajvaktra, Javana, Kumbhavaktra, Kumbhaka, Mundagriva, Krishnaujas,\nHansavaktra, Candrabha, Panikurchas, Samvuka, Panchavaktra, Sikshaka,\nChasavaktra, Jamvuka, Kharvaktra, and Kunchaka. Besides these, many other\nhigh-souled and mighty companions, devoted to ascetic austerities and\nregardful of Brahmanas, were given unto him by the Grandsire. Some of\nthem were in youth; some were old and some, O Janamejaya, were very young\nin years. Thousands upon thousands of such came to Kartikeya. They were\npossessed of diverse kinds of faces. Listen to me, O Janamejaya, as I\ndescribe them! Some had faces like those of tortoises, and some like\nthose of cocks. The faces of some were very long, O Bharata. Some, again,\nhad faces like those of dogs, and wolves, and hares, and owls, and asses,\nand camels, and hogs. Some had human faces and some had faces like those\nof sheep, and jackals. Some were terrible and had faces like those of\nmakaras and porpoises. Some had faces like those of cats and some like\nthose of biting flies; and the faces of some were very long. Some had\nfaces like those of the mongoose, the owl, and the crow. Some had faces\nlike those of mice and peacocks and fishes and goats and sheep and\nbuffaloes. The faces of some resembled those of bears and tigers and\nleopards and lions. Some had faces like those of elephants and\ncrocodiles. The faces of some resembled those of Garuda and the\nrhinoceros and the wolf. Some had faces like those of cows and mules and\ncamels and cats. Possessed of large stomachs and large legs and limbs,\nsome had eyes like stars. The faces of some resembled those of pigeons\nand bulls. Other had faces like those of kokilas and hawks and tittiras\nand lizards. Some were clad in white robes. Some had faces like those of\nsnakes. The faces of some resembled those of porcupines. Indeed, some had\nfrightful and some very agreeable faces; some had snakes for their\nclothes. The faces as also the noses of some resembled those of cows.\nSome had large limbs protruding stomachs but other limbs very lean; some\nhad large limbs but lean stomachs. The necks of some were very short and\nthe ears of some were very large. Some had diverse kinds of snakes for\ntheir ornaments. Some were clad in skins of large elephants, and some in\nblack deer-skins. The mouths of some were on their shoulders. Some had\nmouths on their stomachs, some on their backs, some on their cheeks, some\non their calves, and some on their flanks, and the mouths of many were\nplaced on other parts of their bodies. The faces of many amongst those\nleaders of troops were like those of insects and worms. The mouths of\nmany amongst them were like those of diverse beasts of prey. Some had\nmany arms and some many heads. The arms of some resembled trees, and the\nheads of some were on their loins. The faces of some were tapering like\nthe bodies of snakes. Many amongst them had their abodes on diverse kinds\nof plants and herbs. Some were clad in rags, some in diverse kinds of\nbones, some were diversely clad, and some were adorned in diverse kinds\nof garlands and diverse kinds of unguents. Dressed diversely, some had\nskins for their robes. Some had head-gears; the brows of some were\nfurrowed into lines; the necks of some bore marks like those on\nconchshells, some were possessed of great effulgence. Some had diadems,\nsome had five tufts of hair on their heads, and the hair of some was very\nhard. Some had two tufts, some three, and some seven. Some had feathers\non their heads, some had crowns, some had heads that were perfectly bald,\nand some had matted locks. Some were adorned with beautiful garlands, and\nthe faces of some were very hairy. Battle was the one thing in which they\ntook great delight, and all of them were invincible by even the foremost\nones amongst the gods. Many amongst them were clad in diverse kinds of\ncelestial robes. All were fond of battle. Some were of dark complexion,\nand the faces of some had no flesh on them. Some had very long backs, and\nsome had no stomachs. The backs of some were very large while those of\nsome were very short. Some had long stomachs and the limbs of some were\nlong. The arms of some were long while those of some were short. Some\nwere dwarfs of short limbs. Some were hunch-backed. Some had short hips.\nThe cars and heads of some were like those of elephants. Some had noses\nlike those of tortoises, some like those of wolves. Some had long lips,\nsome had long hips, and some were frightful, having their faces\ndownwards. Some had very large teeth, some had very short teeth, and some\nhad only four teeth. Thousands among them, O king, were exceedingly\nterrible, looking like infuriated elephants of gigantic size. Some were\nof symmetrical limbs, possessed of great splendour, and adorned with\nornaments. Some had yellow eyes, some had ears like arrows, some had\nnoses like gavials, O Bharata! Some had broad teeth, some had broad lips,\nand some had green hair. Possessed of diverse kinds of feet and lips and\nteeth, they had diverse kinds of arms and heads. Clad in diverse kinds of\nskins, they spoke diverse kinds of languages, O Bharata! Skilled in all\nprovincial dialects, those puissant ones conversed with one another.\nThose mighty companions, filled with joy, gambolled there, cutting capers\n(around Kartikeya). Some were long-necked, some longnailed, some\nlong-legged. Some amongst them were large-headed and some large-armed.\nThe eyes of some were yellow. The throats of some were blue, and the ears\nof some were long, O Bharata. The stomachs of some were like masses of\nantimony. The eyes of some were white, the necks of some were red, and\nsome had eyes of a tawny hue. Many were dark in colour and many, O king,\nwere of diverse colours, O Bharata. Many had ornaments on their persons\nthat looked like yak-tails. Some bore white streaks on their bodies, and\nsome bore red streaks. Some were of diversified colours and some had\ngolden complexions, and some were endued with splendours like those of\nthe peacock. I shall describe to thee the weapons that were taken by\nthose that came last to Kartikeya. Listen to me. Some had noses on their\nuplifted arms. Their faces were like those of tigers and asses. Their\neyes were on their backs, their throats were blue, and their arms\nresembled spiked clubs. Some were armed with Sataghnis and discs, and\nsome had heavy and short clubs. Some had swords and mallets and some were\narmed with bludgeons, O Bharata. Some, possessed of gigantic sizes and\ngreat strength, were armed with lances and scimitars. Some were armed\nwith maces and Bhusundis and some had spears on their hands. Possessed of\nhigh souls and great strength and endued with great speed and great\nimpetuosity, those mighty companions had diverse kinds of terrible\nweapons in their arms. Beholding the installation of Kartikeya, those\nbeings of mighty energy, delighting in battle and wearing on their\npersons rows of tinkling bells, danced around him in joy. These and many\nother mighty companions, O king, came to the high-souled and illustrious\nKartikeya. Some belonged to the celestial regions, some to the aerial,\nand some to the regions of the Earth. All of them were endued with speed\nlike that of the wind. Commanded by the gods, those brave and mighty ones\nbecame the companions of Kartikeya. Thousands upon thousands, millions\nupon millions, of such beings came there at the installation of the\nhigh-souled Kartikeya and stood surrounding him.\"\n\n\n\n46\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Listen now to the large bands of the mothers, those\nslayers of foes, O hero, that became the companions of Kumara, as I\nmention their names. Listen, O Bharata, to the names of those illustrious\nmothers. The mobile and immobile universe is pervaded by those auspicious\nones. They are Prabhavati, Vishalakshi, Palita, Gonasi, Shrimati, Bahula,\nBahuputrika, Apsujata, Gopali, Brihadambalika, Jayavati, Malatika,\nDhruvaratna, Bhayankari, Vasudama, Sudama, Vishoka, Nandini, Ekacuda,\nMahacuda, Cakranemi, Uttejani, Jayatsena, Kamalakshi, Shobhana,\nShatrunjaya, Shalabhi, Khari, Madhavi, Shubhavaktra, Tirthanemi,\nGitapriya, Kalyani, Kadrula, Amitashana, Meghasvana, Bhogavati, Subhru,\nKanakavati, Alatakshi, Viryavati, Vidyujjihva, Padmavati, Sunakshatra,\nKandara, Bahuyojana, Santanika, Kamala, Mahabala, Sudama, Bahudama,\nSuprabha, Yashasvini, Nrityapriya, Shatolukhalamekhala, Shataghanta,\nShatananda, Bhagananda, Bhamini, Vapushmati, Candrashita, Bhadrakali,\nSamkarika, Nishkutika, Bhrama, Catvaravasini, Sumangala, Svastimati,\nVriddhikama, Jayapriya, Dhanada, Suprasada, Bhavada, Jaleshvari, Edi,\nBhedi, Samedi, Vetalajanani, Kanduti, Kalika, Devamitra, Lambasi, Ketaki,\nCitrasena, Bala, Kukkutika, Shankhanika, Jarjarika, Kundarika, Kokalika,\nKandara, Shatodari, Utkrathini, Jarena, Mahavega, Kankana, Manojava,\nKantakini, Praghasa, Putana, Khashaya, Curvyuti, Vama, Kroshanatha,\nTaditprabha, Mandodari, Tunda, Kotara, Meghavasini, Subhaga, Lambini,\nLamba, Vasucuda, Vikatthani, Urdhvavenidhara, Pingakshi, Lohamekhala,\nPrithuvaktra, Madhurika, Madhukumbha, Pakshalika, Manthanika, Jarayu,\nJarjaranana, Khyata, Dahadaha, Dhamadhama, Khandakhanda, Pushana,\nManikundala, Amogha, Lambapayodhara, Venuvinadhara, Pingakshi,\nLohamekhala, Shasholukamukhi, Krishna, Kharajangha, Mahajava,\nShishumaramukhi, Shveta, Lohitakshi, Vibhishana, Jatalika, Kamacari,\nDirghajihva, Balotkata, Kaledika, Vamanika, Mukuta, Lohitakshi, Mahakaya,\nHaripindi, Ekakshara, Sukusuma, Krishnakarni, Kshurakarni, Catushkarni,\nKarnapravarana, Catushpathaniketa, Gokarni, Mahishanana, Kharakarni,\nMahakarni, Bherisvanamahasvana, Shankhakumbhasvana, Bhangada, Gana,\nSugana, Bhiti, Kamada, Catushpatharata, Bhutirtha, Anyagocara, Pashuda,\nVittada, Sukhada, Mahayasha, Payoda, Gomahishada, Suvishana, Pratishtha,\nSupratishtha, Rocamana, Surocana, Naukarni, Mukhakarni, Sasira, Stherika,\nEkacakra, Megharava, Meghamala, and Virocana.\n\n\"These and many other mothers, O bull of Bharata's race, numbering by\nthousands, of diverse forms, became the followers of Kartikeya. Their\nnails were long, their teeth were large and their lips also, O Bharata,\nwere protruding. Of straight forms and sweet features, all of them,\nendowed with youth, were decked with ornaments. Possessed of ascetic\nmerit, they were capable of assuming any form at will. Having not much\nflesh on their limbs, they were of fair complexions and endued with\nsplendour like that of gold. Some amongst them were dark and looked like\nclouds in hue and some were of the colour of smoke, O bull of Bharata's\nrace. And some were endued with the splendour of the morning sun and were\nhighly blessed. Possessed of long tresses, they were clad in robes of\nwhite. The braids of some were tied upwards, and the eyes of some were\ntawny, and some had girdles that were very long. Some had long stomachs,\nsome had long ears, and some had long breasts. Some had coppery eyes and\ncoppery complexion, and the eyes of some were green.\n\n\"Capable of granting boons and of travelling at will, they were always\ncheerful. Possessed of great strength, some amongst them partook of the\nnature of Yama, some of Rudra, some of Soma, some of Kuvera, some of\nVaruna, some of Indra, and some of Agni, O scorcher of foes. And some\npartook of the nature of Vayu, some of Kumara, some of Brahma, O bull of\nBharata's race, and some of Vishnu and some of Surya, and some of Varaha.\n\n\"Of charming and delightful features, they were beautiful like the Asuras.\nIn voice they resembled the kokila and in prosperity they resembled the\nLord of Treasures. In battle, their energy resembled that of Shakra. In\nsplendour they resembled fire. In battle they always inspired their foes\nwith terror. Capable of assuming any form at will, in fleetness they\nresembled the very wind. Of inconceivable might and energy, their prowess\nalso was inconceivable.\n\n\"They have their abodes on trees and open spots and crossings of four\nroads. They live also in caves and crematoriums, mountains and springs.\nAdorned with diverse kinds of ornaments, they wear diverse kinds of\nattire, and speak diverse languages. These and many other tribes (of the\nmothers), all capable of inspiring foes with dread, followed the\nhigh-souled Kartikeya at the command of the chief of the celestials.\n\n\"The adorable chastiser of Paka, O tiger among kings, gave unto Guha\n(Kartikeya) a dart for the destruction of the enemies of the gods. That\ndart produces a loud whiz and is adorned with many large bells. Possessed\nof great splendour, it seemed to blaze with light. And Indra also gave\nhim a banner effulgent as the morning sun. Shiva gave him a large army,\nexceedingly fierce and armed with diverse kinds of weapons, and endued\nwith great energy begotten of ascetic penances. Invincible and possessing\nall the qualities of a good army, that force was known by the name of\nDhananjaya. It was protected by 30,000 warriors each of whom was\npossessed of might equal to that of Rudra himself. That force knew not\nhow to fly from battle. Vishnu gave him a triumphal garland that enhances\nthe might of the wearer. Uma gave him two pieces of cloth of effulgence\nlike that of the Sun. With great pleasure Ganga gave unto Kumara a\ncelestial water-pot, begotten of amrita, and Brihaspati gave him a sacred\nstick. Garuda gave him his favourite son, a peacock of beautiful\nfeathers. Aruna gave him a cock of sharp talons. The royal Varuna gave\nhim a snake of great energy and might. The lord Brahma gave unto that god\ndevoted to Brahman a black deer-skin. And the Creator of all the worlds\nalso gave him victory in all battles.\n\n\"Having obtained the command of the celestial forces, Skanda looked\nresplendent like a blazing fire of bright flames. Accompanied by those\ncompanions and the mothers, he proceeded for the destruction of the\nDaityas, gladdening all the foremost of the gods. The terrible host of\ncelestials, furnished with standards adorned with bells, and equipped\nwith drums and conchs and cymbals, and armed with weapons, and decked\nwith many banners, looked beautiful like the autumnal firmament\nbespangled with planets and stars.\n\n\"Then that vast assemblage of celestials and diverse kinds of creatures\nbegan cheerfully to beat their drums and blow their conchs numbering\nthousands. And they also played on their patahas and jharjharas and\nkrikacas and cow-horns and adambaras and gomukhas and dindimas of loud\nsound. All the gods, with Vasava at their head, praised Kumara. The\ncelestials and the Gandharvas sang and the Apsaras danced.\n\n\"Well-pleased (with these attentions) Skanda granted a boon unto all the\ngods, saying, 'I shall slay all your foes, them, that is, that desire to\nslay you.' Having obtained this boon from that best of gods, the\nillustrious celestials regarded their foes to be already slain. After\nSkanda had granted that boon, a loud sound arose from all those creatures\ninspired with joy, filling the three worlds.\n\n\"Accompanied by that vast host, Skanda then set out for the destruction of\nthe Daityas and the protection of the denizens of heaven. Exertion, and\nVictory, and Righteousness, and Success, and Prosperity, and Courage, and\nthe Scriptures (in their embodied forms) proceeded in the van of\nKartikeya's army, O king! With that terrible force, which was armed with\nlances, mallets, blazing brands, maces, heavy clubs, arrows, darts and\nspears, and which was decked with beautiful ornaments and armour, and\nwhich uttered roars like those of a proud lion, the divine Guha set out.\n\n\"Beholding him, all the Daityas, Rakshasas and Danavas, anxious with fear,\nfled away on all sides. Armed with diverse weapons, the celestials\npursued them. Seeing (the foe flying away), Skanda, endued with energy\nand might, became inflamed with wrath. He repeatedly hurled his terrible\nweapon, the dart (he had received from Agni). The energy that he then\ndisplayed resembled a fire fed with libations of clarified butter. While\nthe dart was repeatedly hurled by Skanda of immeasurable energy, meteoric\nflashes, O king, fell upon the Earth. Thunderbolts also, with tremendous\nnoise, fell upon the earth. Everything became as frightful O king, as it\nbecomes on the day of universal destruction. When that terrible dart was\nonce hurled by the son of Agni, millions of darts issued from it, O bull\nof Bharata's race.\n\n\"The puissant and adorable Skanda, filled with joy, at last slew Taraka,\nthe chief of the Daityas, endued with great might and prowess, and\nsurrounded (in that battle) by a 100,000 heroic and mighty Daityas. He\nthen, in that battle, slew Mahisha who was surrounded by eight padmas of\nDaityas. He next slew Tripada who was surrounded by a 1,000 ajutas of\nDaityas. The puissant Skanda then slew Hradodara, who was surrounded by\nten nikharvas of Daityas, with all his followers armed with diverse\nweapons. Filling the ten points of the compass, the followers of Kumara,\nO king, made a loud noise while those Daityas were being slain, and\ndanced and jumped and laughed in joy.\n\n\"Thousands of Daityas, O king, were burnt with the flames that issued from\nSkanda's dart, while others breathed their last, terrified by the roars\nof Skanda. The three worlds were frightened at the yawns of Skanda's\nsoldiers. The foes were consumed with flames produced by Skanda. Many\nwere slain by his roars alone. Some amongst the foes of the gods, struck\nwith banners, were slain. Some, frightened by the sounds of bells, fell\ndown on the surface of the Earth. Some, mangled with weapons, fell down,\ndeprived of life. In this way the heroic and mighty Kartikeya slew\ninnumerable foes of the gods possessed of great strength that came to\nfight with him.\n\n\"Then Bali's son Vana of great might, getting upon the Kraunca mountain,\nbattled with the celestial host. Possessed of great intelligence, the\ngreat generalissimo Skanda rushed against that foe of the gods. From fear\nof Kartikeya, he took shelter within the Kraunca mountain. Inflamed with\nrage, the adorable Kartikeya then pierced that mountain with that dart\ngiven him by Agni. The mountain was called Kraunca (crane) because of the\nsound it always produced resembled the cry of a crane. That mountain was\nvariegated with shala trees. The apes and elephants on it were\naffrighted. The birds that had their abode on it rose up and wheeled\naround in the welkin. The snakes began to dart down its sides. It\nresounded also with the cries of leopards and bears in large numbers that\nran hither and thither in fear. Other forests on it rang with the cries\nof hundreds upon hundreds of animals. Sharabhas and lions suddenly ran\nout. In consequence of all this that mountain, though it was reduced to a\nvery pitiable plight, still assumed a very beautiful aspect. The\nvidyadharas dwelling on its summits soared into the air. The kinnaras\nalso became very anxious, distracted by the fear caused by the fall of\nSkanda's dart. The Daityas then, by hundreds and thousands, came out of\nthat blazing mountain, all clad in beautiful ornaments and garlands.\n\n\"The followers of Kumara, prevailing over them in battle, slew them all.\nThe adorable Skanda, inflamed with rage, quickly slew the son of daitya\nchief (Bali) along with his younger brother, even as Indra had slain\nVritra (in days before). The slayer of hostile heroes, Agni's son,\npierced with his dart the Kraunca mountain, dividing his own self\nsometimes into many and sometimes uniting all his portions into one.\nRepeatedly hurled from his hand, the dart repeatedly came back to him.\nEven such was the might and glory of the adorable son of Agni. With\nredoubled heroism, and energy and fame and success, the god pierced the\nmountain and slew hundreds of Daityas. The adorable god, having thus\nslain the enemies of the celestials, was worshipped and honoured by the\nlatter and obtained great joy.\n\n\"After the Kraunca mountain had been pierced and after the son of Canda\nhad been slain, drums were beaten, O king, and conchs were blown. The\ncelestial ladies rained floral showers in succession upon that divine\nlord of yogis. Auspicious breezes began to blow, bearing celestial\nperfumes. The Gandharvas hymned his praises, as also great Rishis always\nengaged in the performance of sacrifices. Some speak of him as the\npuissant son of the Grandsire, Sanat-kumara, the eldest of all the sons\nof Brahma. Some speak of him as the son of Maheshvara, and some as that\nof Agni. Some again describe him as the son of Uma or of the Krittikas or\nof Ganga. Hundreds and thousands of people speak of that Lord of yogis of\nblazing form and great might, as the son of one of those, or of either of\ntwo of those, or of any one of four of those.\n\n\"I have thus told thee, O king, everything about the installation of\nKartikeya. Listen now to the history of the sacredness of that foremost\nof tirthas on the Sarasvati. That foremost of tirthas, O monarch, after\nthe enemies of the gods had been slain, became a second heaven. The\npuissant son of Agni gave unto each of the foremost ones among the\ncelestials diverse kinds of dominion and affluence and at last the\nsovereignty of the three worlds. Even thus, O monarch, was that adorable\nexterminator of the Daityas installed by the gods as their generalissimo.\nThat other tirtha, O bull of Bharata's race, where in days of yore Varuna\nthe lord of waters had been installed by the celestials, is known by the\nname of Taijasa. Having bathed in that tirtha and adored Skanda, Rama\ngave unto the Brahmanas gold and clothes and ornaments and other things.\nPassing one night there, that slayer of hostile heroes, Madhava, praising\nthat foremost of tirthas and touching its water, became cheerful and\nhappy. I have now told thee everything about which thou hadst enquired,\nhow the divine Skanda was installed by the assembled gods!\"\n\n\n\n47\n\nJanamejaya said, \"This history, O regenerate one, that I have heard from\nthee is exceedingly wonderful, this narration, in detail, of the\ninstallation, according to due rites, of Skanda. O thou possessed of\nwealth of asceticism, I deem myself cleansed by having listened to this\naccount. My hair stands on end and my mind hath become cheerful. Having\nheard the history of the installation of Kumara and the destruction of\nthe Daityas, great hath been my joy. I feel a curiosity, however, in\nrespect of another matter. How was the Lord of the waters installed by\nthe celestials in that tirtha in days of yore? O best of men, tell me\nthat, for thou art possessed of great wisdom and art skilled in\nnarration!\"\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Listen, O king, to this wonderful history of what\ntranspired truly in a former Kalpa! In days of yore, in the Krita age, O\nking, all celestials, duly approaching Varuna, said unto him these words,\n'As Shakra, the Lord of the celestials, always protects us from every\nfear, similarly be thou the Lord of all the rivers! Thou always residest,\nO god, in the Ocean, that home of makaras! This Ocean, the lord of\nrivers, will then be under thy dominion! Thou shalt then wax and wane\nwith Soma!' (Thus addressed) Varuna answered them, saying, 'Let it be\nso!' All the celestials then, assembling together, made Varuna having his\nabode in the ocean the Lord of all the waters, according to the rites\nlaid down in the scriptures. Having installed Varuna as the Lord of all\naquatic creatures and worshipping him duly, the celestials returned to\ntheir respective abodes. Installed by the celestials, the illustrious\nVaruna began to duly protect seas and lakes and rivers and other\nreservoirs of water as Shakra protects the gods. Bathing in that tirtha\nalso and giving away diverse kinds of gifts, Baladeva, the slayer of\nPralamva, possessed of great wisdom, then proceeded to Agnitirtha, that\nspot where the eater of clarified butter, disappearing from the view,\nbecame concealed within the entrails of the Sami wood. When the light of\nall the worlds thus disappeared, O sinless one, the gods then repaired to\nthe Grandsire of the universe. And they said, 'The adorable Agni has\ndisappeared. We do not know the reason. Let not all creatures be\ndestroyed. Create fire, O puissant Lord!'\"\n\nJanamejaya said, \"For what reason did Agni, the Creator of all the\nworlds, disappear? How also was he discovered by the gods? Tell me all\nthis in detail.\"\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Agni of great energy became very much frightened at\nthe curse of Bhrigu. Concealing himself within the entrails of the Sami\nwood, that adorable god disappeared from the view. Upon the disappearance\nof Agni, all the gods, with Vasava at their head, in great affliction,\nsearched for the missing god. Finding Agni then, they saw that god lying\nwithin the entrails of the Sami wood. The celestials, O tiger among king,\nwith Brihaspati at their head, having succeeded in finding out the god,\nbecame very glad with Vasava amongst them. They then returned to the\nplaces they had come from. Agni also, from Bhrigu's curse, became an\neater of everything, as Bhrigu, that utterer of Brahma, had said. The\nintelligent Balarama, having bathed there, then proceeded to Brahmayoni\nwhere the adorable Grandsire of all the worlds had exercised his\nfunctions of creations. In days of yore, the Lord Brahman, along with all\nthe gods, bathed in that tirtha, according to due rites for the\ncelestials. Bathing there and giving away diverse kinds of gifts,\nValadeva then proceeded to the tirtha called Kauvera where the puissant\nAilavila, having practised severe austerities, obtained, O king, the\nLordship over all treasures. While he dwelt there (engaged in\nausterities), all kinds of wealth, and all the precious gems came to him\nof their own accord. Baladeva having repaired to that tirtha and bathed\nin its waters duly gave much wealth unto the Brahamanas. Rama beheld at\nthat spot the excellent woods of Kuvera. In days of yore, the high-souled\nKuvera, the chief of the Yakshas, having practised the severest\nausterities there, obtained many boons. There were the lordship of all\ntreasures, the friendship of Rudra possessed of immeasurable energy, the\nstatus of a god, the regency over a particular point of the compass (the\nnorth), and a son named Nakakuvera. These the chief of the Yakshas\nspeedily obtained there, O thou of mighty arms! The Maruts, coming there,\ninstalled him duly (in his sovereignty). He also obtained for a vehicle a\nwell-equipped and celestial car, fleet as thought, as also all the\naffluence of a god. Bathing in that tirtha and giving away much wealth,\nVala using white unguents thence proceeded quickly to another tirtha.\nPopulous with all kinds of creatures, that tirtha is known by the name\nVadarapachana. There the fruits of every season are always to be found\nand flowers and fruits of every kind are always abundant.\"\n\n\n\n48\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Rama (as already said) then proceeded to the tirtha\ncalled Vadarapachana where dwelt many ascetics and Siddhas. There the\ndaughter of Bharadwaja, unrivalled on earth for beauty, named Sruvavati,\npractised severe austerities. She was a maiden who led the life of a\nBrahmacharini. That beautiful damsel, observing diverse kinds of vows,\npractised the austerest of penances, moved by the desire of obtaining the\nLord of the celestials for her husband. Many years passed away, O\nperpetuator of Kuru's race, during which that damsel continually observed\nthose diverse vows exceedingly difficult of being practised by women. The\nadorable chastiser of Paka at last became gratified with her in\nconsequence of that conduct and those penances of hers and that high\nregard she showed for him. The puissant Lord of the celestials then came\nto that hermitage, having assumed the form of the high-souled and\nregenerate Rishi Vasishtha. Beholding that foremost of ascetics,\nVasishtha, of the austerest penances, she worshipped him, O Bharata\naccording to the rites observed by ascetics. Conversant with vows, the\nauspicious and sweet-speeched damsel addressed him, saying, 'O adorable\none, O tiger among ascetics, tell me thy commands, O lord! O thou of\nexcellent vows, I shall serve thee according to the measure of my might!\nI will not, however, give thee my hand, in consequence of my regard for\nShakra! I am seeking to please Shakra, the lord of the three worlds, with\nvows and rigid observances and ascetic penances!' Thus addressed by her,\nthe illustrious god, smiling as he cast his eyes on her, and knowing her\nobservances, addressed her sweetly, O Bharata, saying, 'Thou practisest\npenances of the austerest kind! This is known to me, O thou of excellent\nvows! That object also, cherished in thy heart, for the attainment of\nwhich thou strivest, O auspicious one, shall, O thou of beautiful face,\nbe accomplished for thee! Everything is attainable by penances.\nEverything rests on penances. All those regions of blessedness, O thou of\nbeautiful face, that belong to the gods can be obtained by penances.\nPenances are the root of great happiness. Those men that cast off their\nbodies after having practised austere penances, obtain the status of\ngods, O auspicious one! Bear in mind these words of mine! Do thou now, O\nblessed damsel, boil these five jujubes, O thou of excellent vows!'\nHaving said these words, the adorable slayer of Vala went away, taking\nleave, to mentally recite certain mantras at an excellent tirtha not far\nfrom that hermitage. That tirtha came to be known in the three worlds\nafter the name of Indra, O giver of honours! Indeed, it was for the\npurpose of testing the damsel's devotion that the Lord of the celestials\nacted in that way for obstructing the boiling of the jujubes. The damsel,\nO king, having cleansed herself, began her task; restraining speech and\nwith attention fixed on it, she sat to her task without feeling any\nfatigue. Even thus that damsel of high vows, O tiger among kings, began\nto boil those jujubes. As she sat employed in her task, O bull among men,\nday was about to wane, but yet those jujubes showed no signs of having\nbeen softened. The fuel she had there was all consumed. Seeing the fire\nabout to die away owing to want of fuel, she began to burn her own limbs.\nThe beautiful maiden first thrust her feet into the fire. The sinless\ndamsel sat still while her feet began to be consumed. The faultless girl\ndid not at all mind her burning feet. Difficult of accomplishment, she\ndid it from desire of doing good to the Rishi (that had been her guest).\nHer face did not at all change under that painful process, nor did she\nfeel any cheerlessness on that account. Having thrust her limbs into the\nfire, she felt as much joy as if she had dipped them into cool water. The\nwords of the Rishi, 'Cook these jujubes well' were borne in her mind, O\nBharata! The auspicious damsel, bearing those words of the great Rishi in\nher mind, began to cook those jujubes although the latter, O king, showed\nno signs of softening. The adorable Agni himself consumed her feet. For\nthis, however, the maiden did not feel the slightest pain. Beholding this\nact of hers, the Lord of the three worlds became highly satisfied. He\nthen showed himself in his own proper form to the damsel. The chief of\nthe celestials then addressed that maiden of very austere vows saying, 'I\nam pleased at thy devotion, thy penances, and thy vows! The wish,\ntherefore, O auspicious one, that thou cherishest shall be accomplished!\nCasting off thy body, O blessed one, thou shalt in heaven live with me!\nThis hermitage, again, shall become the foremost of tirthas in the world,\ncapable of cleansing from every sin, O thou of fair eye-brows, and shall\nbe known by the name of Vadarapachana. It shall be celebrated in the\nthree worlds and shall be praised by great Rishis. In this very tirtha, O\nauspicious, sinless, and highly blessed one, the seven Rishis had, on one\noccasion, left Arundhati, (the wife of one of them), when they went to\nHimavat. Those highly blessed ones of very rigid vows, had gone there for\ngathering fruits and roots for their sustenance. While they thus lived in\na forest of Himavat for procuring their sustenance, a drought occurred\nextending for twelve years. Those ascetics, having made an asylum for\nthemselves, continued to live there. Meanwhile Arundhati devoted herself\nto ascetic penances (at the spot where she had been left). Beholding\nArundhati devoted to the austerest of vows, the boon-giving and\nthree-eyed deity (Mahadeva) highly pleased, came there. The great\nMahadeva, assuming the form of a Brahmana, came to her and said, \"I\ndesire alms, O auspicious one!\" The beautiful Arundhati said unto him,\n\"Our store of food hath been exhausted, O Brahmana! Do thou eat jujubes!\"\nMahadeva replied, \"Cook these jujubes, O thou of excellent vows!\" After\nthese words, she began to cook those jujubes for doing what was agreeable\nto that Brahmana. Placing those jujubes on the fire, the celebrated\nArundhati listened to diverse excellent and charming and sacred\ndiscourses (from the lips of Mahadeva). That twelve years' drought then\npassed away (as if it were a single day). Without food, and employed in\ncooking and listening to those auspicious discourses, that terrible\nperiod passed away, as if it were a single day to her. Then the seven\nRishis, having procured fruits from the mountain, returned to that spot.\nThe adorable Mahadeva, highly pleased with Arundhati, said unto her,\n\"Approach, as formerly, these Rishis, O righteous one! I have been\ngratified with thy penances and vows!\" The adorable Hara then stood\nconfessed in his own form. Gratified, he spoke unto them about the noble\nconduct of Arundhati (in these words) \"The ascetic merit, ye regenerate\nones, that this lady hath earned, is, I think, much greater than what ye\nhave earned on the breast of Himavat! The penances practised by this lady\nhave been exceedingly austere, for she passed twelve years in cooking,\nherself fasting all the while!\" The divine Mahadeva then, addressing\nArundhati, said unto her, \"Solicit thou the boon, O auspicious dame,\nwhich is in thy heart!\" Then that lady of large eyes that were of a\nreddish hue addressed that god in the midst of the seven Rishis, saying,\n\"If, O divine one thou art gratified with me, then let this spot be an\nexcellent tirtha! Let it be known by the name of Vadarapachana and let it\nbe the favourite resort of Siddhas and celestial Rishis. So also, O god\nof gods, let him who observes a fast here and resides for three nights\nafter having cleansed himself, obtain the fruit of a twelve years' fast!\"\nThe god answered her, saying, \"Let it be so!\" Praised by the seven\nRishis, the god then repaired to heaven. Indeed the Rishis had been\nfilled with wonder at the sight of the god and upon beholding the chaste\nArundhati herself unspent and still possessed of the hue of health and so\ncapable of bearing hunger and thirst. Even thus the pure-souled\nArundhati, in days of old, obtained the highest success, like thee, O\nhighly blessed lady, for my sake, O damsel of rigid vows! Thou, however,\nO amiable maiden, hast practised severer penances! Gratified with thy\nvows, I shall also grant thee this special boon, O auspicious one, a boon\nthat is superior to what was granted to Arundhati. Through the power of\nthe high-souled god who had granted that boon to Arundhati and through\nthe energy of thyself, O amiable one, I shall duly grant thee another\nboon now, that the person who will reside in this tirtha for only one\nnight and bathe here with soul fixed (on meditation), will, after casting\noff his body obtain many regions of blessedness that are difficult of\nacquisition (by other means)!' Having said these words unto the cleansed\nSruvavati, the thousand-eyed Shakra of great energy then went back to\nheaven. After the wielder of the thunderbolt, O king, had departed, a\nshower of celestial flowers of sweet fragrance fell there, O chief of\nBharata's race! Celestial kettle-drums also, of loud sound, were beaten\nthere. Auspicious and perfumed breezes also blew there, O monarch! The\nauspicious Sruvavati then, casting off her body, became the spouse of\nIndra. Obtaining the status through austere penances, she began to pass\nher time, sporting with him for ever and ever.\"\n\nJanamejaya said, \"Who was the mother of Sruvavati, and how was that fair\ndamsel reared? I desire to hear this, O Brahmana, for the curiosity I\nfeel is great.\"\n\nVaishampayana said, \"The vital seed of the regenerate and high-souled\nRishi Bharadwaja fell, upon beholding the large-eyed Apsara Ghritachi as\nthe latter was passing at one time. That foremost of ascetics thereupon\nheld it in his hand. It was then kept in a cup made of the leaves of a\ntree. In that cup was born the girl Sruvavati. Having performed the usual\npost-genital rites, the great ascetic Bharadwaja, endued with wealth of\npenances, gave her a name. The name the righteous-souled Rishi gave her\nin the presence of the gods and Rishis was Sruvavati. Keeping the girl in\nhis hermitage, Bharadwaja repaired to the forests of Himavat. That\nforemost one among the Yadus, Baladeva of great dignity, having bathed in\nthat tirtha and given away much wealth unto many foremost of Brahmanas,\nthen proceeded, with soul well-fixed on meditation, to the tirtha of\nSakta.\"\n\n\n\n49\n\nVaishampayana said, \"The mighty chief of the Yadus, having proceeded to\nIndra's tirtha, bathed there according to due rites and gave away wealth\nand gems unto the Brahmanas. There the chief of the celestials had\nperformed a hundred horse sacrifices and given away enormous wealth unto\nBrihaspati. Indeed, through the assistance of Brahmanas conversant with\nthe Vedas, Shakra performed all those sacrifices there, according to\nrites ordained (in the scriptures). Those sacrifices were such that\neverything in them was unstinted. Steeds of all kinds were brought there.\nThe gifts to Brahmanas were profuse. Having duly completed those hundred\nsacrifices, O chief of the Bharatas, Shakra of great splendour came to be\ncalled by the name of Satakratu. That auspicious and sacred tirtha,\ncapable of cleansing from every sin, thereupon came to be called after\nhis name as Indra-tirtha. Having duly bathed there, Baladeva worshipped\nthe Brahmanas with presents of excellent food and robes. He then\nproceeded to that auspicious and foremost of tirthas called after the\nname of Rama. The highly blessed Rama of Bhrigu's race, endued with great\nascetic merit, repeatedly subjugated the Earth and slew all the foremost\nof Kshatriyas. (After achieving such feats) Rama performed in that tirtha\na Vajapeya sacrifice and a hundred horse sacrifices through the\nassistance of his preceptor Kasyapa, that best of Munis. There, as\nsacrificial fee, Rama gave unto his preceptor the whole earth with her\noceans. The great Rama, having duly bathed there, made presents unto the\nBrahmanas, O Janamejaya, and worshipped them thus. Having made diverse\npresent consisting of diverse kinds of gems as also kine and elephants\nand female slaves and sheep and goats, he then retired into the woods.\nHaving bathed in that sacred and foremost of tirthas that was the resort\nof gods and regenerate Rishis, Baladeva duly worshipped the ascetics\nthere, and then proceeded to the tirtha called Yamuna. Endued with great\neffulgence, Varuna, the highly blessed son of Aditi, had in days of yore\nperformed in that tirtha the Rajasuya sacrifice, O lord of Earth! Having\nin battle subjugated both men and celestials and Gandharvas and\nRakshasas, Varuna, O king, that slayer of hostile heroes, performed his\ngrand sacrifice in that tirtha. Upon the commencement of that foremost of\nsacrifices, a battle ensued between the gods and the Danavas inspiring\nthe three worlds with terror. After the completion of that foremost of\nsacrifices, the Rajasuya (of Varuna), a terrible battle, O Janamejaya,\nensued amongst the Kshatriyas. The ever-liberal and puissant Baladeva\nhaving worshipped the Rishis there, made many presents unto those that\ndesired them. Filled with joy and praised by the great Rishis, Baladeva,\nthat hero ever decked with garlands of wild flowers and possessed of eyes\nlike lotus leaves, then proceeded to the tirtha called Aditya. There, O\nbest of kings, the adorable Surya of great splendour, having performed a\nsacrifice, obtained the sovereignty of all luminous bodies (in the\nuniverse) and acquired also his great energy. There, in that tirtha\nsituated on the bank of that river, all the gods with Vasava at their\nhead, the Viswedevas, the Maruts, the Gandharvas, the Apsaras, the\nIsland-born (Vyasa), Suka, Krishna the slayer of Madhu, the Yakshas, the\nRakshasas, and the Pisachas, O king, and diverse others, numbering by\nthousands, all crowned with ascetic success, always reside. Indeed in\nthat auspicious and sacred tirtha of the Sarasvati, Vishnu himself,\nhaving in days of yore slain the Asuras, Madhu and Kaitabha, had, O chief\nof the Bharatas, performed his ablutions. The island-born (Vyasa) also,\nof virtuous soul, O Bharata, having bathed in that tirtha, obtained great\nYoga powers and attained to high success. Endued with great ascetic\nmerit, the Rishi Asita-Devala also, having bathed in that very tirtha\nwith soul rapt in high Yoga meditation, obtained great Yoga powers.\"\n\n\n\n50\n\nVaishampayana said, \"In that tirtha lived in days of yore a Rishi of\nvirtuous soul, named Asita-Devala, observant of the duties of\nDomesticity. Devoted to virtue, he led a life of purity and\nself-restraint. Possessed of great ascetic merit, he was compassionate\nunto all creatures and never injured anyone. In word, deed, and thought,\nhe maintained an equal behaviour towards all creatures. Without wrath, O\nmonarch, censure and praise were equal to him. Of equal attitude towards\nthe agreeable and the disagreeable, he was, like Yama himself, thoroughly\nimpartial. The great ascetic looked with an equal eye upon gold and a\nheap of pebbles. He daily worshipped the gods and guests, and Brahmanas\n(that came to him). Ever devoted to righteousness, he always practised\nthe vow of brahmacarya. Once upon a time, an intelligent ascetic, O\nmonarch, of the name of Jaigishavya, devoted to Yoga and rapt in\nmeditation and leading the life of a mendicant, came to Devala's asylum.\nPossessed of great splendour, that great ascetic, ever devoted to Yoga, O\nmonarch, while residing in Devala's asylum, became crowned with ascetic\nsuccess. Indeed, while the great Muni Jaigishavya resided there, Devala\nkept his eyes on him, never neglecting him at any time. Thus, O monarch,\na long time was passed by the two in days of yore. On one occasion,\nDevala lost sight of Jaigishavya, that foremost of ascetics. At the hour,\nhowever, of dinner, O Janamejaya, the intelligent and righteous ascetic,\nleading a life of mendicancy, approached Devala for soliciting alms.\nBeholding that great ascetic re-appear in the guise of a mendicant,\nDevala showed him great honour and expressed much gratification. And\nDevala worshipped his guest, O Bharata, according to the measure of his\nabilities, after the rites laid down by the Rishis and with great\nattention for many years. One day, however, O king, in the sight of that\ngreat Muni, a deep anxiety perturbed the heart of the highsouled Devala.\nThe latter thought within himself, 'Many years have I passed in\nworshipping this ascetic. This idle mendicant, however, hath not yet\nspoken to me a single word!' Having thought of this, the blessed Devala\nproceeded to the shores of the ocean, journeying through the welkin and\nbearing his earthen jug with him. Arrived at the coast of the Ocean, that\nlord of rivers, O Bharata, the righteous-souled Devala saw Jaigishavya\narrived there before him. The lord Asita, at this sight, became filled\nwith wonder and thought within himself, 'How could the mendicant come to\nthe ocean and perform his ablutions even before my arrival?' Thus thought\nthe great Rishi Asita. Duly performing his ablutions there and purifying\nhimself thereby, he then began to silently recite the sacred mantras.\nHaving finished his ablutions and silent prayers, the blessed Devala\nreturned to his asylum, O Janamejaya, bearing with him his earthen vessel\nfilled with water. As the ascetic, however, entered his own asylum, he\nsaw Jaigishavya seated there. The great ascetic Jaigishavya never spoke a\nword to Devala, but lived in the latter's asylum as if he were a piece of\nwood. Having beheld that ascetic, who was an ocean of austerities,\nplunged in the waters of the sea (before his own arrival there), Asita\nnow saw him returned to his hermitage before his own return. Witnessing\nthis power, derived through Yoga, of Jaigishavya's penances, Asita\nDevala, O king, endued with great intelligence, began to reflect upon the\nmatter. Indeed that best of ascetics, O monarch, wondered much, saying,\n'How could this one be seen in the ocean and again in my hermitage?'\nWhile absorbed in such thoughts, the ascetic Devala, conversant with\nmantras, then soared aloft, O monarch, from his hermitage into the sky,\nfor ascertaining who Jaigishavya, wedded to a life of mendicancy, really\nwas. Devala saw crowds of sky-ranging Siddhas rapt in meditation, and he\nsaw Jaigishavya reverentially worshipped by those Siddhas. Firm in the\nobservance of his vows and persevering (in his efforts), Devala became\nfilled with wrath at the sight. He then saw Jaigishavya set out for\nheaven. He next beheld him proceed to the region of the Pitris. Devala\nsaw him then proceed to the region of Yama. From Yama's region the great\nascetic Jaigishavya was then seen to soar aloft and proceed to the abode\nof Soma. He was then seen to proceed to the blessed regions (one after\nanother) of the performers of certain rigid sacrifices. Thence he\nproceeded to the regions of the Agnihotris and thence to the region of\nthose ascetics that perform the Darsa and the Paurnamasa sacrifices. The\nintelligent Devala then saw him proceed from those regions of persons\nperforming sacrifices by killing animals to that pure region which is\nworshipped by the very gods. Devala next saw the mendicant proceed to the\nplace of those ascetics that perform the sacrifice called Chaturmasya and\ndiverse others of the same kind. Thence he proceeded to the region\nbelonging to the performers of the Agnishtoma sacrifice. Devala then saw\nhis guest repair to the place of those ascetics that perform the\nsacrifice called Agnishutta. Indeed, Devala next saw him in the regions\nof those highly wise men that perform the foremost of sacrifices,\nVajapeya, and that other sacrifice in which a profusion of gold is\nnecessary. Then he saw Jaigishavya in the region of those that perform\nthe Rajasuya and the Pundarika. He then saw him in the regions of those\nforemost of men that perform the horse-sacrifice and the sacrifice in\nwhich human beings are slaughtered. Indeed, Devala saw Jaigishavya in the\nregions also of those that perform the sacrifice called Sautramani and\nthat other in which the flesh, so difficult to procure, of all living\nanimals, is required. Jaigishavya was then seen in the regions of those\nthat perform the sacrifice called Dadasaha and diverse others of similar\ncharacter. Asita next saw his guest sojourning in the region of\nMitravaruna and then in that of the Adityas. Asita then saw his guest\npass through the regions of the Rudras, the Vasus and Brihaspati. Having\nsoared next into the blessed region called Goloka, Jaigishavya was next\nseen to pass into these of the Brahmasatris. Having by his energy passed\nthrough three other regions, he was seen to proceed to those regions that\nare reserved for women that are chaste and devoted to their husbands.\nAsita, however, at this point, O chastiser of foes, lost sight of\nJaigishavya, that foremost of ascetics, who, rapt in yoga, vanished from\nhis sight. The highly blessed Devala then reflected upon the power of\nJaigishavya and the excellence of his vows as also upon the unrivalled\nsuccess of his yoga. Then the self-restrained Asita, with joined hands\nand in a reverential spirit, enquired of those foremost of Siddhas in the\nregions of the Brahmasatris, saying, 'I do not see Jaigishavya! Tell me\nwhere that ascetic of great energy is. I desire to hear this, for great\nis my curiosity.'\n\n\"The Siddhis said, 'Listen, O Devala of rigid vows, as we speak to thee\nthe truth. Jaigishavya hath gone to the eternal region of Brahman.'\"\n\nVaishampayana continued, \"Hearing these words of those Siddhas residing\nin the regions of the Brahmasatris, Asita endeavoured to soar aloft but\nhe soon fell down. The Siddhas then, once more addressing Devala, said\nunto him, 'Thou, O Devala, art not competent to proceed thither, to the\nabode of Brahman, whither Jaigishavya hath gone!'\"\n\nVaishampayana continued, \"Hearing those words of the Siddhas, Devala came\ndown, descending from one region to another in due order. Indeed, he\nrepaired to his own sacred asylum very quickly, like a winged insect. As\nsoon as he entered his abode he beheld Jaigishavya seated there. Then\nDevala, beholding the power derived through Yoga of Jaigishavya's\npenances, reflected upon it with his righteous understanding and\napproaching that great ascetic, O king, with humility, addressed the\nhigh-souled Jaigishavya, saying, 'I desire, O adorable one, to adopt the\nreligion of Moksha (Emancipation)!' Hearing these words of his,\nJaigishavya gave him lessons. And he also taught him the ordinances of\nYoga and the supreme and eternal duties and their reverse. The great\nascetic, seeing him firmly resolved, performed all the acts (for his\nadmission into that religion) according to the rites ordained for that\nend. Then all creatures, with the Pitris, beholding Devala resolved to\nadopt the religion of Moksha, began to weep, saying, 'Alas, who will\nhenceforth give us food!' Hearing these lamentations of all creatures\nthat resounded through the ten points, Devala set his heart upon\nrenouncing the religion of Moksha. Then all kinds of sacred fruits and\nroots, O Bharata, and flowers and deciduous herbs, in thousands, began to\nweep, saying, 'The wicked-hearted and mean Devala will, without doubt,\nonce more pluck and cut us! Alas, having once assured all creatures of\nhis perfect harmlessness, he sees not the wrong that he meditates to do!'\nAt this, that best of ascetics began to reflect with the aid of his\nunderstanding, saying, 'Which amongst these two, the religion of Moksha\nor that of Domesticity, will be the better for me?' Reflecting upon this,\nDevala, O best of kings, abandoned the religion of Domesticity and\nadopted that of Moksha. Having indulged in those reflections, Devala, in\nconsequence of that resolve obtained the highest success, O Bharata, and\nthe highest Yoga. The celestials then, headed by Brihaspati, applauded\nJaigishavya and the penances of that ascetic. Then that foremost of\nascetics, Narada, addressing the gods, said, 'There is no ascetic penance\nin Jaigishavya since he filled Asita with wonder!' The denizens of heaven\nthen, addressing Narada who said such frightful words, said, 'Do not say\nso about the great ascetic Jaigishavya! There is no one superior or even\nequal to this high-souled one in force of energy and penance and Yoga!'\nEven such was the power of Jaigishavya as also of Asita. This is the\nplace of those two, and this the tirtha of those two high-souled persons.\nBathing there and giving away wealth unto the Brahmanas, the high-souled\nwielder of the plough, of noble deeds, earned great merit and then\nproceeded to the tirtha of Soma.\"\n\n\n\n51\n\nVaishampayana said, \"There, in that tirtha, O Bharata, where the Lord of\nstars had in former days performed the rajasuya sacrifice, a great battle\nwas fought in which Taraka was the root of the evil. Bathing in that\ntirtha and making many presents, the virtuous Bala of cleansed soul\nproceeded to the tirtha of the muni named Sarasvata. There, during a\ndrought extending for twelve years, the sage Sarasvata, in former days,\ntaught the Vedas unto many foremost of Brahmanas.\"\n\nJanamejaya said, \"Why did the sage Sarasvata, O thou of ascetic merit,\nteach the Vedas unto the Rishis during a twelve years' drought?\"\n\nVaishampayana continued, \"In days of yore, O monarch, there was an\nintelligent sage of great ascetic merit. He was celebrated by the name of\nDadhica. Possessing a complete control over his senses, he led the life\nof a brahmacari. In consequence of his excessive ascetic austerities\nShakra was afflicted with a great fear. The sage could not be turned\n(away from his penance) by the offer of even diverse kinds of rewards. At\nlast the chastiser of Paka, for tempting the sage, despatched unto him\nthe exceedingly beautiful and celestial apsara, by name Alambusa. Thither\nwhere on the banks of the Sarasvati the high-souled sage was engaged in\nthe act of gratifying the gods, the celestial damsel named above, O\nmonarch, made her appearance. Beholding that damsel of beautiful limbs,\nthe vital seed of that ascetic of cleansed soul came out. It fell into\nthe Sarasvati, and the latter held it with care. Indeed, O bull among\nmen, the River, beholding that seed, held it in her womb. In time the\nseed developed into a foetus and the great river held it so that it might\nbe inspired with life as a child. When the time came, the foremost of\nrivers brought forth that child and then went, O lord, taking it with\nher, to that rishi.\n\n\"Beholding that best of Rishis in a conclave, Sarasvati, O monarch, while\nmaking over the child, said these words, 'O regenerate rishi, this is thy\nson whom I held through devotion for thee! That seed of thine which fell\nat sight of the apsara Alambusa, had been held by me in my womb, O\nregenerate rishi, through devotion for thee, well knowing that that\nenergy of thine would never suffer destruction! Given by me, accept this\nfaultless child of thy own!' Thus addressed by her, the rishi accepted\nthe child and felt great joy. Through affection, that foremost of\nBrahmanas then smelt the head of his son and held him in a close embrace,\nO foremost one of Bharata's race, for some time. Gratified with the\nRiver, the great ascetic Dadhica then gave a boon to her, saying, 'The\nVishvadevas, the Rishis, and all the tribes of the Gandharvas and the\nApsaras, will henceforth, O blessed one, derive great happiness when\noblations of thy water are presented unto them!'\n\n\"Having said so unto that great river, the sage, gratified and filled with\njoy, then praised her in these words. Listen to them duly, O king! 'Thou\nhast taken thy rise, O highly blessed one, from the lake of Brahman in\ndays of old. All ascetics of rigid vows know thee, O foremost of rivers!\nAlways of agreeable features, thou hast done me great good! This thy\ngreat child, O thou of the fairest complexion, will be known by the name\nof Sarasvata! This thy son, capable of creating new worlds, will become\nknown after thy name! Indeed, that great ascetic will be known by the\nname of Sarasvata! During a drought extending for twelve years, this\nSarasvata, O blessed one, will teach the Vedas unto many foremost of\nBrahmanas! O blessed Sarasvati, through my grace, thou shalt, O beautiful\none, always become the foremost of all sacred rivers!' Even thus was the\ngreat River praised by the sage after the latter had granted her boons.\nThe River then, in great joy, went away, O bull of Bharata's race, taking\nwith her that child.\n\n\"Meanwhile, on the occasion of a war between the gods and the Danavas,\nShakra wandered through the three worlds in search of weapons. The great\ngod, however, failed to find such weapons as were fit to slay the foes of\nthe celestials. Shakra then said unto the gods. 'The great Asuras are\nincapable of being dealt with by me! Indeed, without the bones of\nDadhica, our foes could not be slain! Ye best of celestials, repair,\ntherefore, to that foremost of Rishis and solicit him, saying, \"Grant us,\nO Dadhica, thy bones! With them we will slay our foes!\"'\n\n\"Besought by them for his bones, that foremost of Rishis, O chief of\nKuru's race, unhesitatingly gave up his life. Having done what was\nagreeable to the gods, the sage obtained many regions of inexhaustible\nmerit. With his bones, meanwhile, Shakra joyfully caused to be made many\nkinds of weapons, such as thunderbolts, discs, heavy maces, and many\nkinds of clubs and bludgeons. Equal unto the Creator himself, Dadhica,\nhad been begotten by the great rishi Bhrigu, the son of the Lord of all\ncreatures, with the aid of his austere penances. Of stout limbs and\npossessed of great energy, Dadhica had been made the strongest of\ncreatures in the world. The puissant Dadhica, celebrated for his glory,\nbecame tall like the king of mountains. The chastiser of Paka had always\nbeen anxious on account of his energy. With the thunderbolt born of\nbrahma energy, and inspired with mantras, O Bharata, Indra made a loud\nnoise when he hurled it, and slew nine and ninety heroes among the\nDaityas. After a long and dreadful time had elapsed since then, a\ndrought, O king, occurred that extended for twelve years. During that\ndrought extending for twelve years, the great Rishis, for the sake of\nsustenance, fled away, O monarch, on all sides.\n\n\"Beholding them scattered in all directions, the sage Sarasvata also set\nhis heart on flight. The river Sarasvati then said unto him, 'Thou needst\nnot, O son, depart hence, for I will always supply thee with food even\nhere by giving thee large fishes! Stay thou, therefore, even here!' Thus\naddressed (by the river), the sage continued to live there and offer\noblations of food unto the Rishis and the gods. He got also his daily\nfood and thus continued to support both himself and the gods.\n\n\"After that twelve year's drought had passed away, the great Rishis\nsolicited one another for lectures on the Vedas. While wandering with\nfamished stomachs, the Rishis had lost the knowledge of the Vedas. There\nwas, indeed, not one amongst them that could understand the scriptures.\nIt chanced that someone amongst them encountered Sarasvata, that foremost\nof Rishis, while the latter was reading the Vedas with concentrated\nattention. Coming back to the conclave of Rishis, he spoke to them of\nSarasvata of unrivalled splendour and god-like mien engaged in reading\nthe Vedas in a solitary forest. Then all the great Rishis came to that\nspot, and jointly spoke unto Sarasvata, that best of ascetics, these\nwords, 'Teach us, O sage!' Unto them the ascetic replied, saying, 'Become\nye my disciples duly!' The conclave of ascetics answered, 'O son, thou\nart too young in years!' Thereupon he answered the ascetics, 'I must act\nin such a way that my religious merit may not suffer a diminution! He\nthat teaches improperly, and he that learns improperly, are both lost in\nno time and come to hate each other! It is not upon years, or\ndecrepitude, or wealth, or the number of kinsmen, that Rishis found their\nclaim to merit! He amongst us is great who is capable of reading and\nunderstanding the Vedas!'\n\n\"Hearing these words of his, those munis duly became his disciples and\nobtaining from him their Vedas, once more began to praise their rites.\n60,000 munis became disciples of the regenerate rishi Sarasvata for the\nsake of acquiring their Vedas from him. Owning obedience to that\nagreeable rishi, though a boy, the munis each brought a handful of grass\nand offered it to him for his seat. The mighty son of Rohini, and elder\nbrother of Keshava, having given away wealth in that tirtha, then\njoyfully proceeded to another place where lived (in days of yore) an old\nlady without having passed through the ceremony of marriage.\"\n\n\n\n52\n\nJanamejaya said, \"Why, O regenerate one, did that maiden betake herself\nto ascetic penances, in days of old? For what reason did she practise\npenances, and what was her vow? Unrivalled and fraught with mystery is\nthe discourse that I have already heard from thee! Tell me (now) all the\nparticulars in detail regarding how that maid engaged herself in\npenances.\"\n\nVaishampayana said, \"There was a rishi of abundant energy and great fame,\nnamed Kuni-Garga. That foremost of ascetics, having practised the\nausterest of penances, O king, created a fair-browed daughter by a fiat\nof his will. Beholding her, the celebrated ascetic Kuni-Garga became\nfilled with joy. He abandoned his body, O king, and then went to heaven.\nThat faultless and amiable and fair-browed maiden, meanwhile, of eyes\nlike lotus petals continued to practise severe and very rigid penances.\nShe worshipped the pitris and the gods with fasts. In the practice of\nsuch severe penances a long period elapsed. Though her sire had been for\ngiving her away to a husband, she yet did not wish for marriage, for she\ndid not see a husband that could be worthy of her.\n\n\"Continuing to emaciate her body with austere penances, she devoted\nherself to the worship of the pitris and the gods in that solitary\nforest. Although engaged in such toil, O monarch, and although she\nemaciated herself by age and austerities, yet she regarded herself happy.\nAt last when she (became very old so that she) could no longer move even\na single step without being aided by somebody, she set her heart upon\ndeparting for the other world.\n\n\"Beholding her about to cast off her body, Narada said unto her, 'O\nsinless one, thou hast no regions of blessedness to obtain in consequence\nof thy not having cleansed thyself by rite of marriage! O thou of great\nvows, we have heard this in heaven! Great hath been thy ascetic\nausterities, but thou hast no claim to regions of blessedness!'\n\n\"Hearing these words of Narada, the old lady went to a concourse of Rishis\nand said, 'I shall give him half my penances who will accept my hand in\nmarriage!' After she had said those words, Galava's son, a rishi, known\nby the name of Sringavat, accepted her hand, having proposed this compact\nto her, 'With this compact, O beautiful lady, I shall accept thy hand,\nthat thou shalt live with me for only one night!' Having agreed to that\ncompact, she gave him her hand.\n\n\"Indeed, Galava's son, according to the ordinances laid down and having\nduly poured libations on the fire, accepted her hand and married her. On\nthat night, she became a young lady of the fairest complexion, robed in\ncelestial attire and decked in celestial ornaments and garlands and\nsmeared with celestial unguents and perfumes. Beholding her blazing with\nbeauty, Galava's son became very happy and passed one night in her\ncompany.\n\n\"At morn she said unto him, 'The compact, O Brahmana, I had made with\nthee, hath been fulfilled, O foremost of ascetics! Blessed be thou, I\nshall now leave thee!' After obtaining his permission, she once more\nsaid, 'He that will, with rapt attention, pass one night in this tirtha\nafter having gratified the denizens of heaven with oblations of water,\nshall obtain that merit which is his who observes the vow of brahmacarya\nfor eight and fifty years!' Having said these words, that chaste lady\ndeparted for heaven.\n\n\"The Rishi, her lord, became very cheerless, by dwelling upon the memory\nof her beauty. In consequence of the compact he had made, he accepted\nwith difficulty half her penances. Casting off his body he soon followed\nher, moved by sorrow, O chief of Bharata's race, and forced to it by her\nbeauty.\n\n\"Even this is the glorious history of the old maid that I have told thee!\nEven this is the account of her brahmacarya and her auspicious departure\nfor heaven. While there Baladeva heard of the slaughter of Shalya. Having\nmade presents unto the Brahmanas there, he gave way to grief, O scorcher\nof his foes, for Shalya who had been slain by the Pandavas in battle.\nThen he of Madhu's race, having come out of the environs of\nSamantapanchaka, enquired of the Rishis about the results of the battle\nat Kurukshetra. Asked by that lion of Yadu's race about the results of\nthe battle at Kurukshetra, those high-souled ones told him everything as\nit had happened.\"\n\n\n\n53\n\n\"The Rishis said, 'O Rama, this Samantapanchaka is said to be the eternal\nnorthern altar of Brahman, the Lord of all creatures. There the denizens\nof heaven, those givers of great boons, performed in days of yore a great\nsacrifice. That foremost of royal sages, the high-souled Kuru, of great\nintelligence and immeasurable energy, had cultivated this field for many\nyears. Hence it came to be Kurukshetra (the field of Kuru)!'\n\n\"Rama said, 'For what reason did the high-souled Kuru cultivate this\nfield? I desire to have this narrated by you, ye Rishis possessed of\nwealth of penances!'\n\n\"The Rishis said, 'In days of yore, O Rama, Kuru was engaged in\nperseveringly tilling the soil of this field. Shakra, coming down from\nheaven, asked him the reason, saying, \"Why O king, art thou employed (in\nthis task) with such perseverance? What is thy purpose, O royal sage, for\nthe accomplishment of which thou art tilling the soil?\" Kuru thereupon\nreplied, saying, \"O thou of a hundred sacrifices, they that will die upon\nthis plain shall proceed to regions of blessedness after being cleansed\nof their sins!\" The lord Shakra, ridiculing this, went back to heaven.\nThe royal sage Kuru, however, without being at all depressed, continued\nto till the soil. Shakra repeatedly came to him and repeatedly receiving\nthe same reply went away ridiculing him. Kuru, however, did not, on that\naccount, feel depressed. Seeing the king till the soil with unflagging\nperseverance, Shakra summoned the celestials and informed them of the\nmonarch's occupation. Hearing Indra's words, the celestials said unto\ntheir chief of a 1,000 eyes, \"Stop the royal sage, O Shakra by granting\nhim a boon, if thou canst! If men, by only dying there were to come to\nheaven, without having performed sacrifices to us, our very existence\nwill be endangered!\" Thus exhorted, Shakra then came back to that royal\nsage and said, \"Do not toil any more! Act according to my words! Those\nmen that will die here, having abstained from food with all their senses\nawake, and those that will perish here in battle, shall, O king, come to\nheaven! They, O thou of great soul, shall enjoy the blessings of heaven,\nO monarch!\" Thus addressed, king Kuru answered Shakra, saying, \"So be\nit!\" Taking Kuru's leave, the slayer of Vala, Shakra, then, with a joyful\nheart, quickly went back to heaven. Even thus, O foremost one of Yadu's\nrace, that royal sage had, in days of yore, tilled this plain and Shakra\nhad promised great merit unto those that would cast off their bodies\nhere. Indeed, it was sanctioned by all the foremost ones, headed by\nBrahman, among the gods, and by the sacred Rishis, that on earth there\nshould be no more sacred spot than this! Those men that perform austere\npenances here would all after casting off their bodies go to Brahman's\nabode. Those meritorious men, again, that would give away their wealth\nhere would soon have their wealth doubled. They, again, that will, in\nexpectation of good, reside constantly here, will never have to visit the\nregion of Yama. Those kings that will perform great sacrifices here will\nreside as long in heaven as Earth herself will last. The chief of the\ncelestials, Shakra, himself composed a verse here and sang it. Listen to\nit, O Baladeva! \"The very dust of Kurukshetra, borne away by the wind,\nshall cleanse persons of wicked acts and bear them to heaven!\" The\nforemost ones amongst the gods, as also those amongst the Brahmanas, and\nmany foremost ones among the kings of the Earth such as Nriga and others,\nhaving performed costly sacrifices here, after abandoning their bodies,\nproceeded to heaven. The space between the Tarantuka and the Arantuka and\nthe lakes of Rama and Shamachakra, is known as Kurukshetra.\nSamantapanchaka is called the northern (sacrificial) altar of Brahman,\nthe Lord of all creatures. Auspicious and highly sacred and much regarded\nby the denizens of heaven is this spot that possesses all attributes. It\nis for this that Kshatriyas slain in battle here obtain sacred regions of\neternal blessedness. Even this was said by Shakra himself about the high\nblessedness of Kurukshetra. All that Shakra said was again approved and\nsanctioned by Brahman, by Vishnu, and by Maheshvara.'\"\n\n\n\n54\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Having visited Kurukshetra and given away wealth\nthere, he of the Satwata race then proceeded, O Janamejaya, to a large\nand exceedingly beautiful hermitage. That hermitage was overgrown with\nMadhuka and mango trees, and abounded with Plakshas and Nyagrodhas. And\nit contained many Vilwas and many excellent jack and Arjuna trees.\nBeholding that goodly asylum with many marks of sacredness, Baladeva\nasked the Rishis as to whose it was. Those high-souled ones, O king, said\nunto Baladeva, 'Listen in detail, O Rama, as to whose asylum this was in\ndays of yore! Here the god Vishnu in days of yore performed austere\npenances. Here he performed duly all the eternal sacrifices. Here a\nBrahmani maiden, leading from youth the vow of Brahmacharya, became\ncrowned with ascetic success. Ultimately, in the possession of Yoga\npowers, that lady of ascetic penances proceeded to heaven. The\nhigh-souled Sandilya, O king, got a beautiful daughter who was chaste,\nwedded to severe vows, self-restrained, and observant of Brahmacharya.\nHaving performed the severest of penances such as are incapable of being\nperformed by women, the blessed lady at last went to heaven, worshipped\nby the gods and Brahmanas!' Having heard these words of the Rishis,\nBaladeva entered that asylum. Bidding farewell to the Rishis, Baladeva of\nunfading glory went through the performance of all the rites and\nceremonies of the evening twilight on the side of Himavat and then began\nhis ascent of the mountain. The mighty Balarama having the device of the\npalmyra on his banner had not proceeded far in his ascent when he beheld\na sacred and goodly tirtha and wondered at the sight. Beholding the glory\nof the Sarasvati, as also the tirtha called Plakshaprasravana, Vala next\nreached another excellent and foremost of tirthas called Karavapana. The\nhero of the plough, of great strength, having made many presents there,\nbathed in the cool, clear, sacred, and sin-cleansing water (of that\ntirtha). Passing one night there with the ascetics and the Brahmanas,\nRama then proceeded to the sacred asylum of the Mitra-Varunas. From\nKaravapana he proceeded to that spot on the Yamuna where in days of yore\nIndra and Agni and Aryaman had obtained great happiness. Bathing there,\nthat bull of Yadu's race, of righteous soul, obtained great happiness.\nThe hero then sat himself down with the Rishis and the Siddhas there for\nlistening to their excellent talk. There where Rama sat in the midst of\nthat conclave, the adorable Rishi Narada came (in course of his\nwandering). Covered with matted locks and attired in golden rays, he bore\nin his hands, O king, a staff made of gold and a waterpot made of the\nsame precious metal. Accomplished in song and dance and adored by gods\nand Brahmanas, he had with him a beautiful Vina of melodious notes, made\nof the tortoise-shell. A provoker of quarrels and ever fond of quarrels,\nthe celestial Rishi came to that spot where the handsome Rama was\nresting. Standing up and sufficiently honouring the celestial Rishi of\nregulated vows, Rama asked him about all that had happened to the Kurus.\nConversant with every duty and usage, Narada then, O king, told him\neverything, as it had happened, about the awful extermination of the\nKurus. The son of Rohini then, in sorrowful words, enquired of the Rishi,\nsaying, 'What is the state of the field? How are those kings now that had\nassembled there? I have heard everything before, O thou that art\npossessed of the wealth of penances, but my curiosity is great for\nhearing it in detail!'\n\n\"Narada said, 'Already Bhishma and Drona and the lord of the Sindhus have\nfallen! Vikartana's son Karna also hath fallen, with his sons, those\ngreat car-warriors! Bhurishrava too, O son of Rohini, and the valiant\nchief of the Madras have fallen! Those and many other mighty heroes that\nhad assembled there, ready to lay down their lives for the victory of\nDuryodhana, those kings and princes unreturning from battle, have all\nfallen! Listen now to me, O Madhava, about those that are yet alive! In\nthe army of Dhritarashtra's son, only three grinders of hosts are yet\nalive! They are Kripa and Kritavarma and the valiant son of Drona! These\nalso, O Rama, have from fear fled away to the ten points of the compass!\nAfter Shalya's fall and the flight of Kripa and the others, Duryodhana,\nin great grief, had entered the depths of the Dvaipayana lake. While\nlying stretched for rest at the bottom of the lake after stupefying its\nwaters, Duryodhana was approached by the Pandavas with Krishna and\npierced by them with their cruel words. Pierced with wordy darts, O Rama,\nfrom every side, the mighty and heroic Duryodhana hath risen from the\nlake armed with his heavy mace. He hath come forward for fighting Bhima\nfor the present. Their terrible encounter, O Rama, will take place today!\nIf thou feelest any curiosity, then hasten, O Madhava, without tarrying\nhere! Go, if thou wishest, and witness that terrible battle between thy\ntwo disciples!'\"\n\nVaishampayana continued, \"Hearing these words of Narada, Rama bade a\nrespectful farewell to those foremost of Brahmanas and dismissed all\nthose that had accompanied him (in his pilgrimage). Indeed, he ordered\nhis attendants, saying, 'Return ye to Dwaraka!' He then descended from\nthat prince of mountains and that fair hermitage called\nPlakshaprasravana. Having listened to the discourse of the sages about\nthe great merits of tirthas, Rama of unfading glory sang this verse in\nthe midst of the Brahmanas, 'Where else is such happiness as that in a\nresidence by the Sarasvati? Where also such merits as those in a\nresidence by the Sarasvati? Men have departed for heaven, having\napproached the Sarasvati! All should ever remember the Sarasvati!\nSarasvati is the most sacred of rivers! Sarasvati always bestows the\ngreatest happiness on men! Men, after approaching the Sarasvati, will not\nhave to grieve for their sins either here or hereafter!' Repeatedly\ncasting his eyes with joy on the Sarasvati, that scorcher of foes then\nascended an excellent car unto which were yoked goodly steeds. Journeying\nthen on that car of great fleetness, Baladeva, that bull of Yadu's race,\ndesirous of beholding the approaching encounter of his two disciples\narrived on the field.\"\n\n\n\n55\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Even thus, O Janamejaya, did that terrible battle\ntake place. King Dhritarashtra, in great sorrow, said these words with\nreference to it:\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Beholding Rama approach that spot when the\nmace-fight was about to happen, how, O Sanjaya, did my son fight Bhima?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding the presence of Rama, thy valiant son,\nDuryodhana of mighty arms, desirous of battle, became full of joy. Seeing\nthe hero of the plough, king Yudhishthira, O Bharata, stood up and duly\nhonoured him, feeling great joy the while. He gave him a seat and\nenquired about his welfare. Rama then answered Yudhishthira in these\nsweet and righteous words that were highly beneficial to heroes, \"I have\nheard it said by the Rishis, O best of kings, that Kurukshetra is a\nhighly sacred and sin-cleansing spot, equal to heaven itself, adored by\ngods and Rishis and high-souled Brahmanas! Those men that cast off their\nbodies while engaged in battle on this field, are sure to reside, O sire,\nin heaven with Shakra himself! I shall, for this, O king, speedily\nproceed to Samantapanchaka. In the world of gods that spot is known as\nthe northern (sacrificial) altar of Brahman, the Lord of all creatures!\nHe that dies in battle on that eternal and most sacred of spots in the\nthree worlds, is sure to obtain heaven!\" Saying, \"So be it,\" O monarch,\nKunti's brave son, the lord Yudhishthira, proceeded towards\nSamantapanchaka. King Duryodhana also, taking up his gigantic mace,\nwrathfully proceeded on foot with the Pandavas. While proceeding thus,\narmed with mace and clad in armour, the celestials in the welkin\napplauded him, saying, \"Excellent, Excellent!\" The Charanas fleet as air,\nseeing the Kuru king, became filled with delight. Surrounded by the\nPandavas, thy son, the Kuru king, proceeded, assuming the tread of an\ninfuriated elephant. All the points of the compass were filled with the\nblare of conchs and the loud peals of drums and the leonine roars of\nheroes. Proceeding with face westwards to the appointed spot, with thy\nson (in their midst), they scattered themselves on every side when they\nreached it. That was an excellent tirtha on the southern side of the\nSarasvati. The ground there was not sandy and was, therefore, selected\nfor the encounter. Clad in armour, and armed with his mace of gigantic\nthickness, Bhima, O monarch, assumed the form of the mighty Garuda. With\nhead-gear fastened on his head, and wearing an armour made of gold,\nlicking the corners of his mouth, O monarch, with eyes red in wrath, and\nbreathing hard, thy son, on that field, O king, looked resplendent like\nthe golden Sumeru. Taking up his mace, king Duryodhana of great energy,\ncasting his glances on Bhimasena, challenged him to the encounter like an\nelephant challenging a rival elephant. Similarly, the valiant Bhima,\ntaking up his adamantine mace, challenged the king like a lion\nchallenging a lion. Duryodhana and Bhima, with uplifted maces, looked in\nthat battle like two mountains with tall summits. Both of them were\nexceedingly angry; both were possessed of awful prowess; in encounters\nwith the mace both were disciples of Rohini's intelligent son, both\nresembled each other in their feats and looked like Maya and Vasava. Both\nwere endued with great strength, both resembled Varuna in achievements.\nEach resembling Vasudeva, or Rama, or Visravana's son (Ravana), they\nlooked, O monarch, like Madhu and Kaitabha. Each like the other in feats,\nthey looked like Sunda and Upasunda, or Rama and Ravana, or Vali and\nSugriva. Those two scorchers of foes looked like Kala and Mrityu. They\nthen ran towards each other like two infuriated elephants, swelling with\npride and mad with passion in the season of autumn and longing for the\ncompanionship of a she-elephant in her time. Each seemed to vomit upon\nthe other the poison of his wrath like two fiery snakes. Those two\nchastisers of foes cast the angriest of glances upon each other. Both\nwere tigers of Bharata's race, and each was possessed of great prowess.\nIn encounters with the mace, those two scorchers of foes were invincible\nlike lions. Indeed, O bull of Bharata's race, inspired with desire of\nvictory, they looked like two infuriated elephants. Those heroes were\nunbearable, like two tigers accoutred with teeth and claws. They were\nlike two uncrossable oceans lashed into fury and bent upon the\ndestruction of creatures, or like two angry Suns risen for consuming\neverything. Those two mighty car-warriors looked like an Eastern and a\nWestern cloud agitated by the wind, roaring awfully and pouring torrents\nof rain in the rainy season. Those two high-souled and mighty heroes,\nboth possessed of great splendour and effulgence, looked like two Suns\nrisen at the hour of the universal dissolution. Looking like two enraged\ntigers or like two roaring masses of clouds, they became as glad as two\nmaned lions. Like two angry elephants or two blazing fires, those two\nhigh-souled ones appeared like two mountains with tall summits. With lips\nswelling with rage and casting keen glances upon each other, those two\nhigh-souled and best of men, armed with maces, encountered each other.\nBoth were filled with joy, and each regarded the other as a worthy\nopponent, and Vrikodara then resembled two goodly steeds neighing at each\nother, or two elephants trumpeting at each other. Those two foremost of\nmen then looked resplendent like a couple of Daityas swelling with might.\nThen Duryodhana, O monarch, said these proud words unto Yudhishthira in\nthe midst of his brothers and of the high-souled Krishna and Rama of\nimmeasurable energy, 'Protected by the Kaikeyas and the Srinjayas and the\nhigh-souled Pancalas, behold ye with all those foremost of kings, seated\ntogether, this battle that is about to take place between me and Bhima!'\nHearing these words of Duryodhana, they did as requested. Then that large\nconcourse of kings sat down and was seen to look resplendent like a\nconclave of celestials in heaven. In the midst of that concourse the\nmighty-armed and handsome elder brother of Keshava, O monarch, as he sat\ndown, was worshipped by all around him. In the midst of those kings,\nValadeva clad in blue robes and possessed of a fair complexion, looked\nbeautiful like the moon at full surrounded in the night by thousands of\nstars. Meanwhile those two heroes, O monarch, both armed with maces and\nboth unbearable by foes, stood there, goading each other with fierce\nspeeches. Having addressed each other in disagreeable and bitter words,\nthose two foremost of heroes of Kuru's race stood, casting angry glances\nupon each other, like Shakra and Vritra in fight.\"\n\n\n\n56\n\nVaishampayana said, \"At the outset, O Janamejaya a fierce wordy encounter\ntook place between the two heroes. With respect to that, king\nDhritarashtra, filled with grief, said this, 'Oh, fie on man, who hath\nsuch an end! My son, O sinless one, had been the lord of eleven chamus of\ntroops. He had all the kings under his command and had enjoyed the\nsovereignty of the whole earth! Alas, he that had been so, now a warrior\nproceeding to battle, on foot, shouldering his mace! My poor son, who had\nbefore been the protector of the universe, was now himself without\nprotection! Alas, he had, on that occasion, to proceed on foot,\nshouldering his mace! What can it be but Destiny? Alas, O Sanjaya, great\nwas the grief that was felt by my son now!' Having uttered these words,\nthat ruler of men, afflicted with great woe, became silent.\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Deep-voiced like a cloud, Duryodhana then roared from joy\nlike a bull. Possessed of great energy, he challenged the son of Pritha\nto battle. When the high-souled king of the Kurus thus summoned Bhima to\nthe encounter, diverse portents of an awful kind became noticeable.\nFierce winds began to blow with loud noises at intervals, and a shower of\ndust fell. All the points of the compass became enveloped in a thick\ngloom. Thunderbolts of loud peal fell on all sides, causing a great\nconfusion and making the very hair to stand on end. Hundreds of meteors\nfell, bursting with a loud noise from the welkin. Rahu swallowed the Sun\nmost untimely, O monarch! The Earth with her forests and trees shook\ngreatly. Hot winds blew, bearing showers of hard pebbles along the\nground. The summits of mountains fell down on the earth's surface.\nAnimals of diverse forms were seen to run in all directions. Terrible and\nfierce jackals, with blazing mouths, howled everywhere. Loud and terrific\nreports were heard on every side, making the hair stand on end. The four\nquarters seemed to be ablaze and many were the animals of ill omen that\nbecame visible. The water in the wells on every side swelled up of their\nown accord. Loud sounds came from every side, without, O king, visible\ncreatures to utter them. Beholding these and other portents, Vrikodara\nsaid unto his eldest brother, king Yudhishthira the just, \"This Suyodhana\nof wicked soul is not competent to vanquish me in battle! I shall today\nvomit that wrath which I have been cherishing for a long while in the\nsecret recesses of my heart, upon this ruler of the Kurus like Arjuna\nthrowing fire upon the forest of Khandava! Today, O son of Pandu, I shall\nextract the dart that lies sticking to thy heart! Slaying with my mace\nthis sinful wretch of Kuru's race, I shall today place around thy neck\nthe garland of Fame! Slaying this wight of sinful deeds with my mace on\nthe field of battle, I shall today, with this very mace of mine, break\nhis body into a hundred fragments! He shall not have again to enter the\ncity called after the elephant. The setting of snakes at us while we were\nasleep, the giving of poison to us while we ate, the casting of our body\ninto the water at Pramanakoti, the attempt to burn us at the house of\nlac, the insult offered us at the assembly, the robbing us of all our\npossessions, the whole year of our living in concealment, our exile into\nthe woods, O sinless one, of all these woes, O best of Bharata's race, I\nshall today reach the end, O bull of Bharata's line! Slaying this wretch,\nI shall, in one single day, pay off all the debts I owe him! Today, the\nperiod of life of this wicked son of Dhritarashtra, of uncleansed soul,\nhath reached its close, O chief of the Bharatas! After this day he shall\nnot again look at his father and mother! Today, O monarch, the happiness\nof this wicked king of the Kurus hath come to an end! After this day, O\nmonarch, he shall not again cast his eyes on female beauty! Today this\ndisgrace of Santanu's line shall sleep on the bare Earth, abandoning his\nlife-breath, his prosperity, and his kingdom! Today king Dhritarashtra\nalso, hearing of the fall of his son, shall recollect all those evil acts\nthat were born of Shakuni's brain!\" With these words, O tiger among\nkings, Vrikodara of great energy, armed with mace, stood for fight, like\nShakra challenging the asura Vritra. Beholding Duryodhana also standing\nwith uplifted mace like mount Kailasa graced with its summit, Bhimasena,\nfilled with wrath, once more addressed him, saying, \"Recall to thy mind\nthat evil act of thyself and king Dhritarashtra that occurred at\nVaranavata! Remember Draupadi who was ill-treated, while in her season,\nin the midst of the assembly! Remember the deprivation of the king\nthrough dice by thyself and Subala's son! Remember that great woe\nsuffered by us, in consequence of thee, in the forest, as also in\nVirata's city as if we had once more entered the womb! I shall avenge\nmyself of them all today! By good luck, O thou of wicked soul, I see thee\ntoday! It is for thy sake that that foremost of car-warriors, the son of\nGanga, of great prowess, struck down by Yajnasena's son, sleepeth on a\nbed of arrows! Drona also hath been slain, and Karna, and Shalya of great\nprowess! Subala's son Shakuni, too, that root of these hostilities, hath\nbeen slain! The wretched Pratikamin, who had seized Draupadi's tresses,\nhath been slain! All thy brave brothers also, who fought with great\nvalour, have been slain! These and many other kings have been slain\nthrough thy fault! Thee too I shall slay today with my mace! There is not\nthe slightest doubt in this.\" While Vrikodara, O monarch, was uttering\nthese words in a loud voice, thy fearless son of true prowess answered\nhim, saying, \"What use of such elaborate bragging? Fight me, O Vrikodara!\nO wretch of thy race, today I shall destroy thy desire of battle! Mean\nvermin as thou art, know that Duryodhana is not capable, like an\nordinary person, of being terrified by a person like thee! For a long\ntime have I cherished this desire! For a long time hath this wish been in\nmy heart! By good luck the gods have at last brought it about, a mace\nencounter with thee! What use of long speeches and empty bragging, O\nwicked-souled one! Accomplish these words of thine in acts. Do not tarry\nat all!\" Hearing these words of his, the Somakas and the other kings that\nwere present there all applauded them highly. Applauded by all,\nDuryodhana's hair stood erect with joy and he firmly set his heart on\nbattle. The kings present once again cheered thy wrathful son with\nclapping, like persons exciting an infuriated elephant to an encounter.\nThe high-souled Vrikodara, the son of Pandu, then, uplifting his mace,\nrushed furiously at thy high-souled son. The elephants present there\ntrumpeted aloud and the steeds neighed repeatedly. The weapons of the\nPandavas who longed for victory blazed forth of their own accord.'\"\n\n\n\n57\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Duryodhana, with heart undepressed, beholding Bhimasena\nin that state, rushed furiously against him, uttering a loud roar. They\nencountered each other like two bulls encountering each other with their\nhorns. The strokes of their maces produced loud sounds like those of\nthunderbolts. Each longing for victory, the battle that took place\nbetween them was terrible, making the very hair stand on end, like that\nbetween Indra and Prahlada. All their limbs bathed in blood, the two\nhigh-souled warriors of great energy, both armed with maces, looked like\ntwo Kinsukas decked with flowers. During the progress of that great and\nawful encounter, the welkin looked beautiful as if it swarmed with\nfire-flies. After that fierce and terrible battle had lasted for some\ntime, both those chastisers of foes became fatigued. Having rested for a\nlittle while, those two scorchers of foes, taking up their handsome\nmaces, once again began to ward off each others' attacks. Indeed, when\nthose two warriors of great energy, those two foremost of men, both\npossessed of great might, encountered each other after having taken a\nlittle rest, they looked like two elephants infuriated with passion and\nattacking each other for obtaining the companionship of a cow elephant in\nseason. Beholding those two heroes, both armed with maces and each equal\nto the other in energy, the gods and Gandharvas and men became filled\nwith wonder. Beholding Duryodhana and Vrikodara both armed with maces,\nall creatures became doubtful as to who amongst them would be victorious.\nThose two cousins, those two foremost of mighty men, once again rushing\nat each other and desiring to take advantage of each other's lapses,\nwaited each watching the other. The spectators, O king, beheld each armed\nwith his uplifted mace, that was heavy, fierce, and murderous, and that\nresembled the bludgeon of Yama or the thunder-bolt of Indra. While\nBhimasena whirled his weapon, loud and awful was the sound that it\nproduced. Beholding his foe, the son of Pandu, thus whirling his mace\nendued with unrivalled impetuosity, Duryodhana became filled with\namazement. Indeed, the heroic Vrikodara, O Bharata, as he careered in\ndiverse courses, presented a highly beautiful spectacle. Both bent upon\ncarefully protecting themselves, as they approached, they repeatedly\nmangled each other like two cats fighting for a piece of meat. Bhimasena\nperformed diverse kinds of evolutions. He coursed in beautiful circles,\nadvanced, and receded. He dealt blows and warded off those of his\nadversary, with wonderful activity. He took up various kinds of position\n(for attack and defence). He delivered attacks and avoided those of his\nantagonist. He ran at his foe, now turning to the right and now to the\nleft. He advanced straight against the enemy. He made ruses for drawing\nhis foe. He stood immovable, prepared for attacking his foe as soon as\nthe latter would expose himself to attack. He circumambulated his foe,\nand prevented his foe from circumambulating him. He avoided the blows of\nhis foe by moving away in bent postures or jumping aloft. He struck,\ncoming up to his foe face to face, or dealt back-thrusts while moving\naway from him. Both accomplished in encounters with the mace, Bhima and\nDuryodhana thus careered and fought, and struck each other. Those two\nforemost ones of Kuru's race careered thus, each avoiding the other's\nblows. Indeed, those two mighty warriors thus coursed in circles and\nseemed to sport with each other. Displaying in that encounter their skill\nin battle, those two chastisers of foes sometimes suddenly attacked each\nother with their weapons, like two elephants approaching and attacking\neach other with their tusks. Covered with blood, they looked very\nbeautiful, O monarch, on the field. Even thus occurred that battle,\nawfully and before the gaze of a large multitude, towards the close of\nthe day, like the battle between Vritra and Vasava. Armed with maces,\nboth began to career in circles. Duryodhana, O monarch, adopted the right\nmandala, while Bhimasena adopted the left mandala. While Bhima was thus\ncareering in circles on the field of battle, Duryodhana, O monarch,\nsuddenly struck him a fierce blow on one of his flanks. Struck by thy\nson, O sire, Bhima began to whirl his heavy mace for returning that blow.\nThe spectators, O monarch, beheld that mace of Bhimasena look as terrible\nas Indra's thunder-bolt or Yama's uplifted bludgeon. Seeing Bhima whirl\nhis mace, thy son, uplifting his own terrible weapon, struck him again.\nLoud was the sound, O Bharata, produced by the descent of thy son's mace.\nSo quick was that descent that it generated a flame of fire in the\nwelkin. Coursing in diverse kinds of circles, adopting each motion at the\nproper time, Suyodhana, possessed of great energy, once more seemed to\nprevail over Bhima. The massive mace of Bhimasena meanwhile, whirled with\nhis whole force, produced a loud sound as also smoke and sparks and\nflames of fire. Beholding Bhimasena whirling his mace, Suyodhana also\nwhirled his heavy and adamantine weapon and presented a highly beautiful\naspect. Marking the violence of the wind produced by the whirl of\nDuryodhana's mace, a great fear entered the hearts of all the Pandus and\nthe Somakas. Meanwhile those two chastisers of foes, displaying on every\nside their skill in battle, continued to strike each other with their\nmaces, like two elephants approaching and striking each other with their\ntusks. Both of them, O monarch, covered with blood, looked highly\nbeautiful. Even thus progressed that awful combat before the gaze of\nthousands of spectators at the close of day, like the fierce battle that\ntook place between Vritra and Vasava. Beholding Bhima firmly stationed on\nthe field, thy mighty son, careering in more beautiful motions, rushed\ntowards that son of Kunti. Filled with wrath, Bhima struck the mace,\nendued with great impetuosity and adorned with gold, of the angry\nDuryodhana. A loud sound with sparks of fire was produced by that clash\nof the two maces which resembled the clash of two thunder-bolts from\nopposite directions. Hurled by Bhimasena, his impetuous mace, as it fell\ndown, caused the very earth to tremble. The Kuru prince could not brook\nto see his own mace thus baffled in that attack. Indeed, he became filled\nwith rage like an infuriated elephant at the sight of a rival elephant.\nAdopting the left mandala, O monarch, and whirling his mace, Suyodhana\nthen, firmly resolved, struck the son of Kunti on the head with his\nweapon of terrible force. Thus struck by thy son, Bhima, the son of\nPandu, trembled not, O monarch, at which all the spectators wondered\nexceedingly. That amazing patience, O king, of Bhimasena, who stirred not\nan inch though struck so violently, was applauded by all the warriors\npresent there. Then Bhima of terrible prowess hurled at Duryodhana his\nown heavy and blazing mace adorned with gold. That blow the mighty and\nfearless Duryodhana warded off by his agility. Beholding this, great was\nthe wonder that the spectators felt. That mace, hurled by Bhima, O king,\nas it fell baffled of effect, produced a loud sound like that of the\nthunderbolt and caused the very earth to tremble. Adopting the manoeuvre\ncalled Kausika, and repeatedly jumping up, Duryodhana, properly marking\nthe descent of Bhima's mace, baffled the latter. Baffling Bhimasena thus,\nthe Kuru king, endued with great strength, at last in rage struck the\nformer on the chest. Struck very forcibly by thy son in that dreadful\nbattle, Bhimasena became stupefied and for a time knew not what to do. At\nthat time, O king, the Somakas and the Pandavas became greatly\ndisappointed and very cheerless. Filled with rage at that blow, Bhima\nthen rushed at thy son like an elephant rushing against an elephant.\nIndeed, with uplifted mace, Bhima rushed furiously at Duryodhana like a\nlion rushing against a wild elephant. Approaching the Kuru king, the son\nof Pandu, O monarch, accomplished in the use of the mace, began to whirl\nhis weapon, taking aim at thy son. Bhimasena then struck Duryodhana on\none of his flanks. Stupefied at that blow, the latter fell down on the\nearth, supporting himself on his knees. When that foremost one of Kuru's\nrace fell upon his knees, a loud cry arose from among the Srinjayas, O\nruler of the world! Hearing that loud uproar of the Srinjayas, O bull\namong men, thy son became filled with rage. The mighty-armed hero, rising\nup, began to breathe like a mighty snake, and seemed to burn Bhimasena by\ncasting his glances upon him. That foremost one of Bharata's race then\nrushed at Bhimasena, as if he would that time crush the head of his\nantagonist in that battle. The high-souled Duryodhana of terrible prowess\nthen struck the high-souled Bhimasena on the forehead. The latter,\nhowever, moved not an inch but stood immovable like a mountain. Thus\nstruck in that battle, the son of Pritha, O monarch, looked beautiful, as\nhe bled profusely, like an elephant of rent temples with juicy secretions\ntrickling down. The elder brother of Dhananjaya, then, that crusher of\nfoes, taking up his hero-slaying mace made of iron and producing a sound\nloud as that of the thunder-bolt, struck his adversary with great force.\nStruck by Bhimasena, thy son fell down, his frame trembling all over,\nlike a gigantic Sala in the forest, decked with flowers, uprooted by the\nviolence of the tempest. Beholding thy son prostrated on the earth, the\nPandavas became exceedingly glad and uttered loud cries. Recovering his\nconsciousness, thy son then rose, like an elephant from a lake. That ever\nwrathful monarch and great car-warrior then careering with great skill,\nstruck Bhimasena who was standing before him. At this, the son of Pandu,\nwith weakened limbs, fell down on the earth.\n\n\"'Having by his energy prostrated Bhimasena on the ground, the Kuru prince\nuttered a leonine roar. By the descent of his mace, whose violence\nresembled that of the thunder, he had fractured Bhima's coat of mail. A\nloud uproar was then heard in the welkin, made by the denizens of heaven\nand the Apsaras. A floral shower, emitting great fragrance, fell, rained\nby the celestials. Beholding Bhima prostrated on the earth and weakened\nin strength, and seeing his coat of mail laid open, a great fear entered\nthe hearts of our foes. Recovering his senses in a moment, and wiping his\nface which had been dyed with blood, and mustering great patience,\nVrikodara stood up, with rolling eyes steadying himself with great\neffort.'\"\n\n\n\n58\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding that fight thus raging between those two\nforemost heroes of Kuru's race, Arjuna said unto Vasudeva, \"Between these\ntwo, who, in thy opinion, is superior? Who amongst them hath what merit?\nTell me this, O Janardana.\"\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"The instruction received by them hath been equal.\nBhima, however, is possessed of greater might, while the son of\nDhritarashtra is possessed of greater skill and hath laboured more. If he\nwere to fight fairly, Bhimasena will never succeed in winning the\nvictory. If, however, he fights unfairly he will be surely able to slay\nDuryodhana. The Asuras were vanquished by the gods with the aid of\ndeception. We have heard this. Virochana was vanquished by Shakra with\nthe aid of deception. The slayer of Vala deprived Vritra of his energy by\nan act of deception. Therefore, let Bhimasena put forth his prowess,\naided by deception! At the time of the gambling, O Dhananjaya, Bhima\nvowed to break the thighs of Suyodhana with his mace in battle. Let this\ncrusher of foes, therefore, accomplish that vow of his. Let him with\ndeception, slay the Kuru king who is full of deception. If Bhima,\ndepending upon his might alone, were to fight fairly, king Yudhishthira\nwill have to incur great danger. I tell thee again, O son of Pandu,\nlisten to me. It is through the fault of king Yudhishthira alone that\ndanger hath once more overtaken us! Having achieved great feats by the\nslaughter of Bhishma and the other Kurus, the king had won victory and\nfame and had almost attained the end of the hostilities. Having thus\nobtained the victory, he placed himself once more in a situation of doubt\nand peril. This has been an act of great folly on the part of\nYudhishthira, O Pandava, since he hath made the result of the battle\ndepend upon the victory or the defeat of only one warrior! Suyodhana is\naccomplished, he is a hero; he is again firmly resolved. This old verse\nuttered by Usanas hath been heard by us. Listen to me as I recite it to\nthee with its true sense and meaning! 'Those amongst the remnant of a\nhostile force broken flying away for life, that rally and come back to\nthe fight, should always be feared, for they are firmly resolved and have\nbut one purpose!' Shakra himself, O Dhananjaya, cannot stand before them\nthat rush in fury, having abandoned all hope of life. This Suyodhana had\nbroken and fled. All his troops had been killed. He had entered the\ndepths of a lake. He had been defeated and, therefore, he had desired to\nretire into the woods, having become hopeless of retaining his kingdom.\nWhat man is there, possessed of any wisdom, that would challenge such a\nperson to a single combat? I do not know whether Duryodhana may not\nsucceed in snatching the kingdom that had already become ours! For full\nthirteen years he practised with the mace with great resolution. Even\nnow, for slaying Bhimasena, he jumpeth up and leapeth transversely! If\nthe mighty-armed Bhima does not slay him unfairly, the son of\nDhritarashtra will surely remain king!\" Having heard those words of the\nhigh-souled Keshava, Dhananjaya struck his own left thigh before the eyes\nof Bhimasena. Understanding that sign, Bhima began to career with his\nuplifted mace, making many a beautiful circle and many a Yomaka and other\nkinds of manoeuvres. Sometimes adopting the right mandala, sometimes the\nleft mandala, and sometimes the motion called Gomutraka, the son of Pandu\nbegan to career, O king, stupefying his foe. Similarly, thy son, O\nmonarch, who was well conversant with encounters with the mace, careered\nbeautifully and with great activity, for slaying Bhimasena. Whirling\ntheir terrible maces which were smeared with sandal paste and other\nperfumed unguents, the two heroes, desirous of reaching the end of their\nhostilities, careered in that battle like two angry Yamas. Desirous of\nslaying each other, those two foremost of men, possessed of great\nheroism, fought like two Garudas desirous of catching the same snake.\nWhile the king and Bhima careered in beautiful circles, their maces\nclashed, and sparks of fire were generated by those repeated clashes.\nThose two heroic and mighty warriors struck each other equally in that\nbattle. They then resembled, O monarch, two oceans agitated by the\ntempest. Striking each other equally like two infuriated elephants, their\nclashing maces produced peals of thunder. During the progress of that\ndreadful and fierce battle at close quarters, both those chastisers of\nfoes, while battling, became fatigued. Having rested for a while, those\ntwo scorchers of foes, filled with rage and uplifting their maces, once\nmore began to battle with each other. When by the repeated descents of\ntheir maces, O monarch, they mangled each other, the battle they fought\nbecame exceedingly dreadful and perfectly unrestrained. Rushing at each\nother in that encounter, those two heroes, possessed of eyes like those\nof bulls and endued with great activity, struck each other fiercely like\ntwo buffaloes in the mire. All their limbs mangled and bruised, and\ncovered with blood from head to foot, they looked like a couple of\nKinsukas on the breast of Himavat. During the progress of the encounter,\nwhen Vrikodara (as a ruse) seemed to give Duryodhana an opportunity, the\nlatter, smiling a little, advanced forward. Well-skilled in battle, the\nmighty Vrikodara, beholding his adversary come up, suddenly hurled his\nmace at him. Seeing the mace hurled at him, thy son, O monarch, moved\naway from that spot at which the weapon fell down baffled on the earth.\nHaving warded off that blow, thy son, that foremost one of Kuru's race,\nquickly struck Bhimasena with his weapon. In consequence of the large\nquantity of blood drawn by that blow, as also owing to the violence\nitself of the blow, Bhimasena of immeasurable energy seemed to be\nstupefied. Duryodhana, however, knew not that the son of Pandu was so\nafflicted at that moment. Though deeply afflicted, Bhima sustained\nhimself, summoning all his patience. Duryodhana, therefore, regarded him\nto be unmoved and ready to return the blow. It was for this that thy son\ndid not then strike him again. Having rested for a little while, the\nvaliant Bhimasena rushed furiously, O king, at Duryodhana who was\nstanding near. Beholding Bhimasena of immeasurable energy filled with\nrage and rushing towards him, thy high-souled son, O bull of Bharata's\nrace, desiring to baffle his blow, set his heart on the manoeuvre called\nAvasthana. He, therefore, desired to jump upwards, O monarch, for\nbeguiling Vrikodara. Bhimasena fully understood the intentions of his\nadversary. Rushing, therefore, at him, with a loud leonine roar, he\nfiercely hurled his mace at the thighs of the Kuru king as the latter had\njumped up for baffling the first aim. That mace, endued with the force of\nthe thunder and hurled by Bhima of terrible feats, fractured the two\nhandsome thighs of Duryodhana. That tiger among men, thy son, after his\nthighs had been broken by Bhimasena, fell down, causing the earth to echo\nwith his fall. Fierce winds began to blow, with loud sounds at repeated\nintervals. Showers of dust fell. The earth, with her trees and plants and\nmountains, began to tremble. Upon the fall of that hero who was the head\nof all monarchs on earth, fierce and fiery winds blew with a loud noise\nand with thunder falling frequently. Indeed, when that lord of earth\nfell, large meteors were seen to flash down from the sky. Bloody showers,\nas also showers of dust, fell, O Bharata! These were poured by Maghavat,\nupon the fall of thy son! A loud noise was heard, O bull of Bharata's\nrace, in the welkin, made by the Yakshas, and the Rakshasas and the\nPisachas. At that terrible sound, animals and birds, numbering in\nthousands, began to utter more frightful noise on every side. Those\nsteeds and elephants and human beings that formed the (unslain) remnant\nof the (Pandava) host uttered loud cries when thy son fell. Loud also\nbecame the blare of conchs and the peal of drums and cymbals. A terrific\nnoise seemed to come from within the bowels of the earth. Upon the fall\nof thy son, O monarch, headless beings of frightful forms, possessed of\nmany legs and many arms, and inspiring all creatures with dread, began to\ndance and cover the earth on all sides. Warriors, O king, that stood with\nstandards or weapons in their arms, began to tremble, O king, when thy\nson fell. Lakes and wells, O best of kings, vomited forth blood. Rivers\nof rapid currents flowed in opposite directions. Women seemed to look\nlike men, and men to look like women at that hour, O king, when thy son\nDuryodhana fell! Beholding those wonderful portents, the Pancalas and the\nPandavas, O bull of Bharata's race, became filled with anxiety. The gods\nand the Gandharvas went away to the regions they desired, talking, as\nthey proceeded, of that wonderful battle between thy sons. Similarly the\nSiddhas, and the Charanas of the fleetest course, went to those places\nfrom which they had come, applauding those two lions among men.\"\n\n\n\n59\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding Duryodhana felled upon the earth like a\ngigantic Sala uprooted (by the tempest) the Pandavas became filled with\njoy. The Somakas also beheld, with hair standing on end, the Kuru king\nfelled upon the earth like an infuriated elephant felled by a lion.\nHaving struck Duryodhana down, the valiant Bhimasena, approaching the\nKuru chief, addressed him, saying, \"O wretch, formerly laughing at the\ndisrobed Draupadi in the midst of the assembly, thou hadst, O fool,\naddressed us as 'Cow, Cow!' Bear now the fruit of that insult!\" Having\nsaid these words, he touched the head of his fallen foe with his left\nfoot. Indeed, he struck the head of that lion among kings with his foot.\nWith eyes red in wrath, Bhimasena, that grinder of hostile armies, once\nmore said these words. Listen to them, O monarch! \"They that danced at us\ninsultingly, saying, 'Cow, Cow!' we shall now dance at them, uttering the\nsame words, 'Cow, Cow!' We have no guile, no fire, no match, at dice, no\ndeception! Depending upon the might of our own arms we resist and check\nour foes!\" Having attained to the other shores of those fierce\nhostilities, Vrikodara once more laughingly said these words slowly unto\nYudhishthira and Keshava and Srinjaya and Dhananjaya and the two sons of\nMadri, \"They that had dragged Draupadi, while ill, into the assembly and\nhad disrobed her there, behold those Dhartarashtras slain in battle by\nthe Pandavas through the ascetic penances of Yajnasena's daughter! Those\nwicked-hearted sons of king Dhritarashtra who had called us 'Sesame seeds\nwithout kernel,' have all been slain by us with their relatives and\nfollowers! It matters little whether (as a consequence of those deeds) we\ngo to heaven or fall into hell!\" Once more, uplifting the mace that lay\non his shoulders, he struck with his left foot the head of the monarch\nwho was prostrate on the earth, and addressing the deceitful Duryodhana,\nsaid these words. Many of the foremost warriors among the Somakas, who\nwere all of righteous souls, beholding the foot of the rejoicing\nBhimasena of narrow heart placed upon the head of that foremost one of\nKuru's race, did not at all approve of it. While Vrikodara, after having\nstruck down thy son, was thus bragging and dancing madly, king\nYudhishthira addressed him, saying, \"Thou hast paid off thy hostility\n(towards Duryodhana) and accomplished thy vow by a fair or an unfair act!\nCease now, O Bhima! Do not crush his head with thy foot! Do not act\nsinfully! Duryodhana is a king! He is, again, thy kinsman! He is fallen!\nThis conduct of thine, O sinless one, is not proper. Duryodhana was the\nlord of eleven Akshauhinis of troops. He was the king of the Kurus. Do\nnot, O Bhima, touch a king and a kinsman with thy foot. His kinsmen are\nslain. His friends and counsellors are gone. His troops have been\nexterminated. He has been struck down in battle. He is to be pitied in\nevery respect. He deserves not to be insulted, for remember that he is a\nking. He is ruined. His friends and kinsmen have been slain. His brothers\nhave been killed. His sons too have been slain. His funeral cake hath\nbeen taken away. He is our brother. This that thou doest unto him is not\nproper. 'Bhimasena is a man of righteous behaviour': people used to say\nthis before of thee! Why then, O Bhimasena, dost thou insult the king in\nthis way?\" Having said these words unto Bhimasena, Yudhishthira, with\nvoice choked in tears, and afflicted with grief, approached Duryodhana,\nthat chastiser of foes, and said unto him, \"O sire, thou shouldst not\ngive way to anger nor grieve for thyself. Without doubt thou bearest the\ndreadful consequences of thy own former acts. Without doubt this sad and\nwoeful result had been ordained by the Creator himself, that we should\ninjure thee and thou shouldst injure us, O foremost one of Kuru's race!\nThrough thy own fault this great calamity has come upon thee, due to\navarice and pride and folly, O Bharata! Having caused thy companions and\nbrothers and sires and sons and grandsons and others to be all slain,\nthou comest now by thy own death. In consequence of thy fault, thy\nbrothers, mighty car-warriors all, and thy kinsmen have been slain by us.\nI think all this to be the work of irresistible Destiny. Thou art not to\nbe pitied. On the other hand, thy death, O sinless one, is enviable. It\nis we that deserve to be pitied in every respect, O Kaurava! We shall\nhave to drag on a miserable existence, reft of all our dear friends and\nkinsmen. Alas, how shall I behold the widows, overwhelmed with grief and\ndeprived of their senses by sorrow, of my brothers and sons and\ngrandsons! Thou, O king, departest from this world! Thou art sure to have\nthy residence in heaven! We, on the other hand, shall be reckoned as\ncreatures of hell, and shall continue to suffer the most poignant grief!\nThe grief-afflicted wives of Dhritarashtra's sons and grandsons, those\nwidows crushed with sorrow, will without doubt, curse us all!\" Having\nsaid these words, Dharma's royal son, Yudhishthira, deeply afflicted with\ngrief, began to breathe hard and indulge in lamentations.'\"\n\n\n\n60\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Beholding the (Kuru) king struck down unfairly,\nwhat O Suta, did the mighty Baladeva, that foremost one of Yadu's race,\nsay? Tell me, O Sanjaya, what Rohini's son, well-skilled in encounters\nwith the mace and well acquainted with all its rules, did on that\noccasion!'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding thy son struck at the thighs, the mighty Rama,\nthat foremost of smiters, became exceedingly angry. Raising his arms\naloft the hero having the plough for his weapon, in a voice of deep\nsorrow, said in the midst of those kings, \"Oh, fie on Bhima, fie on\nBhima! Oh, fie, that in such a fair fight a blow hath been struck below\nthe navel! Never before hath such an act as Vrikodara hath done been\nwitnessed in an encounter with the mace! No limb below the navel should\nbe struck. This is the precept laid down in treatises! This Bhima,\nhowever, is an ignorant wretch, unacquainted with the truths of\ntreatises! He, therefore, acteth as he likes!\" While uttering these\nwords, Rama gave way to great wrath. The mighty Baladeva then, uplifting\nhis plough, rushed towards Bhimasena! The form of that high-souled\nwarrior of uplifted arms then became like that of the gigantic mountains\nof Kailasa variegated with diverse kinds of metals. The mighty Keshava,\nhowever, ever bending with humanity, seized the rushing Rama encircling\nhim with his massive and well-rounded arms. Those two foremost heroes of\nYadu's race, the one dark in complexion and the other fair, looked\nexceedingly beautiful at that moment, like the Sun and the Moon, O king,\non the evening sky! For pacifying the angry Rama, Keshava addressed him,\nsaying, \"There are six kinds of advancement that a person may have: one's\nown advancement, the advancement of one's friends, the advancement of\none's friends, the decay of one's enemy, the decay of one's enemy's\nfriends, and the decay of one's enemy's friends' friends. When reverses\nhappen to one's own self or to one's friends, one should then understand\nthat one's fall is at hand and, therefore, one should at such times look\nfor the means of applying a remedy. The Pandavas of unsullied prowess are\nour natural friends. They are the children of our own sire's sister! They\nhad been greatly afflicted by their foes! The accomplishment of one's vow\nis one's duty. Formerly Bhima had vowed in the midst of the assembly that\nhe would in great battle break with his mace the thighs of Duryodhana.\nThe great Rishi Maitreya also, O scorcher of foes, had formerly cursed\nDuryodhana, saying, 'Bhima will, with his mace, break thy thighs!' In\nconsequence of all this, I do not see any fault in Bhima! Do not give way\nto wrath, O slayer of Pralamva! Our relationship with the Pandavas is\nfounded upon birth and blood, as also upon an attraction of hearts. In\ntheir growth is our growth. Do not, therefore, give way to wrath, O bull\namong men!\" Hearing these words of Vasudeva the wielder of the plough,\nwho was conversant with rules of morality, said, \"Morality is well\npractised by the good. Morality, however, is always afflicted by two\nthings, the desire of Profit entertained by those that covet it, and the\ndesire for Pleasure cherished by those that are wedded to it. Whoever\nwithout afflicting Morality and Profit, or Morality and Pleasure, or\nPleasure and Profit, followeth all three--Morality, Profit and\nPleasure--always succeeds in obtaining great happiness. In consequence,\nhowever, of morality being afflicted by Bhimasena, this harmony of which\nI have spoken hath been disturbed, whatever, O Govinda, thou mayst tell\nme!\" Krishna replied, saying, \"Thou art always described as bereft of\nwrath, and righteous-souled and devoted to righteousness! Calm thyself,\ntherefore, and do not give way to wrath! Know that the Kali age is at\nhand. Remember also the vow made by the son of Pandu! Let, therefore, the\nson of Pandu be regarded to have paid off the debt he owed to his\nhostility and to have fulfilled his vow!\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Hearing this fallacious discourse from Keshava, O\nking, Rama failed to dispel his wrath and become cheerful. He then said\nin that assembly, \"Having unfairly slain king Suyodhana of righteous\nsoul, the son of Pandu shall be reputed in the world as a crooked\nwarrior! The righteous-souled Duryodhana, on the other hand, shall obtain\neternal blessedness! Dhritarashtra's royal son, that ruler of men, who\nhath been struck down, is a fair warrior. Having made every arrangement\nfor the Sacrifice of battle and having undergone the initiatory\nceremonies on the field, and, lastly, having poured his life as a\nlibation upon the fire represented by his foes, Duryodhana has fairly\ncompleted his sacrifice by the final ablutions represented by the\nattainment of glory!\" Having said these words, the valiant son of Rohini,\nlooking like the crest of a white cloud, ascended his car and proceeded\ntowards Dwaraka. The Pancalas with the Vrishnis, as also the Pandavas, O\nmonarch, became rather cheerless after Rama had set out for Dwaravati.\nThen Vasudeva, approaching Yudhishthira who was exceedingly melancholy\nand filled with anxiety, and who hung down his head and knew not what to\ndo in consequence of his deep affliction, said unto him these words:\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"O Yudhishthira the just, why dost thou sanction this\nunrighteous act, since thou permittest the head of the insensible and\nfallen Duryodhana whose kinsmen and friends have all been slain to be\nthus struck by Bhima with his foot. Conversant with the ways of morality,\nwhy dost thou, O king, witness this act with indifference?\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira answered, \"This act, O Krishna, done from wrath, of\nVrikodara's touching the head of the king with his foot, is not agreeable\nto me, nor am I glad at this extermination of my race! By guile were we\nalways deceived by the sons of Dhritarashtra! Many were the cruel words\nthey spoke to us. We were again exiled into the woods by them. Great is\nthe grief on account of all those acts that is in Bhimasena's heart!\nReflecting on all this, O thou of Vrishni's race, I looked on with\nindifference! Having slain the covetous Duryodhana bereft of wisdom and\nenslaved by his passions, let the son of Pandu gratify his desire, be it\nrighteousness or unrighteousness!\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'After Yudhishthira had said this, Vasudeva, that\nperpetuator of Yadu's race, said with difficulty, \"Let it be so!\" Indeed,\nafter Vasudeva had been addressed in those words by Yudhishthira, the\nformer, who always wished what was agreeable to and beneficial for\nBhima, approved all those acts that Bhima had done in battle. Having\nstruck down thy son in battle, the wrathful Bhimasena, his heart filled\nwith joy, stood with joined hands before Yudhishthira and saluted him in\nproper form. With eyes expanded in delight and proud of the victory he\nhad won, Vrikodara of great energy, O king, addressed his eldest brother,\nsaying, \"The Earth is today thine, O king, without brawls to disturb her\nand with all her thorns removed! Rule over her, O monarch, and observe\nthe duties of thy order! He who was the cause of these hostilities and\nwho fomented them by means of his guile, that wretched wight fond of\ndeception, lieth, struck down, on the bare ground, O lord of earth! All\nthese wretches headed by Duhshasana, who used to utter cruel words, as\nalso those other foes of thine, the son of Radha, and Shakuni, have been\nslain! Teeming with all kinds of gems, the Earth, with her forests and\nmountains, O monarch, once more cometh to thee that hast no foes alive!\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Hostilities have come to an end! King Suyodhana\nhath been struck down! The earth hath been conquered (by us), ourselves\nhaving acted according to the counsels of Krishna! By good luck, thou\nhast paid off thy debt to thy mother and to thy wrath! By good luck, thou\nhast been victorious, O invincible hero, and by good luck, thy foe hath\nbeen slain!\"'\"\n\n\n\n61\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Beholding Duryodhana struck down in battle by\nBhimasena, what, O Sanjaya, did the Pandavas and the Srinjayas do?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding Duryodhana slain by Bhimasena in battle, O\nking, like a wild elephant slain by a lion, the Pandavas with Krishna\nbecame filled with delight. The Pancalas and the Srinjayas also, upon the\nfall of the Kuru king, waved their upper garments (in the air) and\nuttered leonine roars. The very Earth seemed to be unable to bear those\nrejoicing warriors. Some stretched their bows; others drew their\nbowstrings. Some blew their huge conchs; others beat their drums. Some\nsported and jumped about, while some amongst thy foes laughed aloud. Many\nheroes repeatedly said these words unto Bhimasena, \"Exceedingly difficult\nand great hath been the feats that thou hast achieved today in battle, by\nhaving struck down the Kuru king, himself a great warrior, with thy mace!\nAll these men regard this slaughter of the foe by thee to be like that of\nVritra by Indra himself! Who else, save thyself, O Vrikodara, could slay\nthe heroic Duryodhana while careering in diverse kinds of motion and\nperforming all the wheeling manoeuvres (characteristic of such\nencounters)? Thou hast now reached the other shore of these hostilities,\nthat other shore which none else could reach. This feat that thou hast\nachieved is incapable of being achieved by any other warriors. By good\nluck, thou hast, O hero, like an infuriated elephant, crushed with thy\nfoot the head of Duryodhana on the field of battle! Having fought a\nwonderful battle, by good luck, O sinless one, thou hast quaffed the\nblood of Duhshasana, like a lion quaffing the blood of a buffalo! By good\nluck, thou hast, by thy own energy, placed thy foot on the head of all\nthose that had injured the righteous-souled king Yudhishthira! In\nconsequence of having vanquished thy foes and of thy having slain\nDuryodhana, by good luck, O Bhima, thy fame hath spread over the whole\nworld! Bards and eulogists applauded Shakra after the fall of Vritra,\neven as we are now applauding thee, O Bharata, after the fall of thy\nfoes! Know, O Bharata, that the joy we felt upon the fall of Duryodhana\nhath not yet abated in the least!\" Even these were the words addressed to\nBhimasena by the assembled eulogists on that occasion! Whilst those\ntigers among men, the Pancalas and the Pandavas, all filled with delight\nwere indulging in such language, the slayer of Madhu addressed them,\nsaying, \"You rulers of men, it is not proper to slay a slain foe with\nsuch cruel speeches repeatedly uttered. This wight of wicked\nunderstanding hath already been slain. This sinful, shameless, and\ncovetous wretch, surrounded by sinful counsellors and ever regardless of\nthe advice of wise friends, met with his death even when he refused,\nthough repeatedly urged to contrary by Vidura and Drona and Kripa and\nSanjaya, to give unto the sons of Pandu their paternal share in the\nkingdom which they had solicited at his hands! This wretch is not now fit\nto be regarded either as a friend or a foe! What use in spending bitter\nbreath upon one who hath now become a piece of wood! Mount your cars\nquickly, ye kings, for we should leave this place! By good luck, this\nsinful wretch hath been slain with his counsellors and kinsmen and\nfriends!\" Hearing these rebukes from Krishna, king Duryodhana, O monarch,\ngave way to wrath and endeavoured to rise. Sitting on his haunches and\nsupporting himself on his two arms, he contracted his eyebrows and cast\nangry glances at Vasudeva. The form then of Duryodhana whose body was\nhalf raised looked like that of a poisonous snake, O Bharata, shorn of\nits tail. Disregarding his poignant and unbearable pains, Duryodhana\nbegan to afflict Vasudeva with keen and bitter words, \"O son of Kansa's\nslave, thou hast, it seems, no shame, for hast thou forgotten that I have\nbeen struck down most unfairly, judged by the rules that prevail in\nencounters with the mace? It was thou who unfairly caused this act by\nreminding Bhima with a hint about the breaking of my thighs! Dost thou\nthink I did not mark it when Arjuna (acting under thy advice) hinted it\nto Bhima? Having caused thousands of kings, who always fought fairly, to\nbe slain through diverse kinds of unfair means, feelest thou no shame or\nno abhorrence for those acts? Day after day having caused a great carnage\nof heroic warriors, thou causedst the grandsire to be slain by placing\nShikhandi to the fore! Having again caused an elephant of the name of\nAshvatthama to be slain, O thou of wicked understanding, thou causedst\nthe preceptor to lay aside his weapons. Thinkest thou that this is not\nknown to me! While again that valiant hero was about to be slain this\ncruel Dhrishtadyumna, thou didst not dissuade the latter! The dart that\nhad been begged (of Shakra as a boon) by Karna for the slaughter of\nArjuna was baffled by thee through Ghatotkacha! Who is there that is more\nsinful than thou? Similarly, the mighty Bhurishrava, with one of his arms\nlopped off and while observant of the Praya vow, was caused to be slain\nby thee through the agency of the high-souled Satyaki. Karna had done a\ngreat feat for vanquishing Partha. Thou, however, causedst Aswasena, the\nson of that prince of snakes (Takshaka), to be baffled in achieving his\npurpose! When again the wheel of Karna's car sank in mire and Karna was\nafflicted with calamity and almost vanquished on that account, when,\nindeed, that foremost of men became anxious to liberate his wheel, thou\ncausedst that Karna to be then slain! If ye had fought me and Karna and\nBhishma and Drona by fair means, victory then, without doubt, would never\nhave been yours. By adopting the most crooked and unrighteous of means\nthou hast caused many kings observant of the duties of their order and\nourselves also to be slain!\"\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"Thou, O son of Gandhari, hast been slain with thy\nbrothers, sons, kinsmen, friends, and followers, only in consequence of\nthe sinful path in which thou hast trod! Through thy evil acts those two\nheroes, Bhishma and Drona, have been slain! Karna too hath been slain for\nhaving imitated thy behaviour! Solicited by me, O fool, thou didst not,\nfrom avarice, give the Pandavas their paternal share, acting according to\nthe counsels of Shakuni! Thou gavest poison to Bhimasena! Thou hadst,\nalso, O thou of wicked understanding, endeavoured to burn all the\nPandavas with their mother at the palace of lac! On the occasion also of\nthe gambling, thou hadst persecuted the daughter of Yajnasena, while in\nher season, in the midst of the assembly! Shameless as thou art, even\nthen thou becamest worthy of being slain! Thou hadst, through Subala's\nson well-versed in dice, unfairly vanquished the virtuous Yudhishthira\nwho was unskilled in gambling! For that art thou slain! Through the\nsinful Jayadratha again, Krishna was on another occasion persecuted when\nthe Pandavas, her lords, had gone out hunting towards the hermitage of\nTrinavindu! Causing Abhimanyu, who was a child and alone, to be\nsurrounded by many, thou didst slay that hero. It is in consequence of\nthat fault, O sinful wretch, that thou art slain! All those unrighteous\nacts that thou sayest have been perpetrated by us, have in reality been\nperpetrated by thee in consequence of thy sinful nature! Thou didst never\nlisten to the counsels of Brihaspati and Usanas! Thou didst never wait\nupon the old! Thou didst never hear beneficial words! Enslaved by\nungovernable covetousness and thirst of gain, thou didst perpetrate many\nunrighteous acts! Bear now the consequences of those acts of thine!\"\n\n\"'Duryodhana said, \"I have studied, made presents according to the\nordinance, governed the wide Earth with her seas, and stood over the\nheads of my foes! Who is there so fortunate as myself! That end again\nwhich is courted by Kshatriyas observant of the duties of their own\norder, death in battle, hath become mine. Who, therefore, is so fortunate\nas myself? Human enjoyments such as were worthy of the very gods and such\nas could with difficulty be obtained by other kings, had been mine.\nProsperity of the very highest kind had been attained by me! Who then is\nso fortunate as myself? With all my well-wishers, and my younger\nbrothers, I am going to heaven, O thou of unfading glory! As regards\nyourselves, with your purposes unachieved and torn by grief, live ye in\nthis unhappy world!\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Upon the conclusion of these words of the\nintelligent king of the Kurus, a thick shower of fragrant flowers fell\nfrom the sky. The Gandharvas played upon many charming musical\ninstruments. The Apsaras in a chorus sang the glory of king Duryodhana.\nThe Siddhas uttered loud sound to the effect, \"Praise be to king\nDuryodhana!\" Fragrant and delicious breezes mildly blew on every side.\nAll the quarters became clear and the firmament looked blue as the lapis\nlazuli. Beholding these exceedingly wonderful things and this worship\noffered to Duryodhana, the Pandavas headed by Vasudeva became ashamed.\nHearing (invisible beings cry out) that Bhishma and Drona and Karna and\nBhurishrava were slain unrighteously, they became afflicted with grief\nand wept in sorrow. Beholding the Pandavas filled with anxiety and grief,\nKrishna addressed them in a voice deep as that of the clouds or the drum,\nsaying, \"All of them were great car-warriors and exceedingly quick in the\nuse of weapons! If ye had put forth all your prowess, even then ye could\nnever have slain them in battle by fighting fairly! King Duryodhana also\ncould never be slain in a fair encounter! The same is the case with all\nthose mighty car-warriors headed by Bhishma! From desire of doing good to\nyou, I repeatedly applied my powers of illusion and caused them to be\nslain by diverse means in battle. If I had not adopted such deceitful\nways in battle, victory would never have been yours, nor kingdom, nor\nwealth! Those four were very high-souled warriors and regarded as\nAtirathas in the world. The very Regents of the Earth could not slay them\nin fair fight! Similarly, the son of Dhritarashtra, though fatigued when\narmed with the mace, could not be slain in fair fight by Yama himself\narmed with his bludgeon! You should not take it to heart that this foe of\nyours hath been slain deceitfully. When the number of one's foes becomes\ngreat, then destruction should be effected by contrivances and means. The\ngods themselves, in slaying the Asuras, have trod the same way. That way,\ntherefore, that hath been trod by the gods, may be trod by all. We have\nbeen crowned with success. It is evening. We had better depart to our\ntents. Let us all, ye kings, take rest with our steeds and elephants and\ncars.\" Hearing these words of Vasudeva, the Pandavas and the Pancalas,\nfilled with delight, roared like a multitude of lions. All of them blew\ntheir conchs and Jadava himself blew Panchajanya, filled with joy, O bull\namong men, at the sight of Duryodhana struck down in battle.'\"\n\n\n\n62\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'All those kings, possessed of arms that resembled spiked\nbludgeons, then proceeded towards their tents, filled with joy and\nblowing their conchs on their way. The Pandavas also, O monarch,\nproceeded towards our encampment. The great bowman Yuyutsu followed them,\nas also Satyaki, and Dhrishtadyumna, and Shikhandi, and the five sons of\nDraupadi. The other great bowmen also proceeded towards our tents. The\nParthas then entered the tent of Duryodhana, shorn of its splendours and\nreft of its lord and looking like an arena of amusement after it has been\ndeserted by spectators. Indeed, that pavilion looked like a city reft of\nfestivities, or a lake without its elephant. It then swarmed with women\nand eunuchs and certain aged counsellors. Duryodhana and other heroes,\nattired in robes dyed in yellow, formerly used, O king, to wait\nreverentially, with joined hands, on those old counsellors.\n\n\"'Arrived at the pavilion of the Kuru king, the Pandavas, those foremost of\ncar-warriors, O monarch, dismounted from their cars. At that time, always\nengaged, O bull of Bharata's race, in the good of his friend, Keshava,\naddressed the wielder of Gandiva, saying, \"Take down thy Gandiva as also\nthe two inexhaustible quivers. I shall dismount after thee, O best of the\nBharatas! Get thee down, for this is for thy good, O sinless one!\"\n\n\"'Pandu's brave son Dhananjaya did as he was directed. The intelligent\nKrishna, abandoning the reins of the steeds, then dismounted from the car\nof Dhananjaya. After the high-souled Lord of all creatures had dismounted\nfrom that car, the celestial Ape that topped the mantle of Arjuna's\nvehicle, disappeared there and then. The top of the vehicle, which had\nbefore been burnt by Drona and Karna with their celestial weapons,\nquickly blazed forth to ashes, O king, without any visible fire having\nbeen in sight. Indeed, the car of Dhananjaya, with its quick pairs of\nsteeds, yoke, and shaft, fell down, reduced to ashes.\n\n\"'Beholding the vehicle thus reduced to ashes, O lord, the sons of Pandu\nbecame filled with wonder, and Arjuna, O king, having saluted Krishna and\nbowed unto him, said these words, with joined hands and in an\naffectionate voice, \"O Govinda, O divine one, for what reason hath this\ncar been consumed by fire? What is this highly wonderful incident that\nhas happened before our eyes! O thou of mighty arms, if thou thinkest\nthat I can listen to it without harm, then tell me everything.\"\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"That car, O Arjuna, had before been consumed by diverse\nkinds of weapons. It was because I had sat upon it during battle that it\ndid not fall into pieces, O scorcher of foes! Previously consumed by the\nenergy of brahmastra, it has been reduced to ashes upon my abandoning it\nafter attainment by thee of thy objects!\"\n\n\"'Then, with a little pride, that slayer of foes, the divine Keshava,\nembracing king Yudhishthira, said unto him, \"By good luck, thou hast won\nthe victory, O son of Kunti! By good luck, thy foes have been vanquished!\nBy good luck, the wielder of Gandiva, Bhimasena the son of Pandu,\nthyself, O king, and the two sons of Madri have escaped with life from\nthis battle so destructive of heroes, and have escaped after having slain\nall your foes! Quickly do that, O Bharata, which should now be done by\nthee!\n\n\"'\"After I had arrived at Upaplavya, thyself, approaching me, with the\nwielder of Gandiva in thy company, gavest me honey and the customary\ningredients, and saidst these words, O Lord: 'This Dhananjaya, O Krishna,\nis thy brother and friend! He should, therefore, be protected by thee in\nall dangers!' After thou didst say these words, I answered thee, saying,\n'So be it!'\n\n\"'\"That Savyasaci hath been protected by me. Victory also hath been thine,\nO king! With his brothers, O king of kings, that hero of true prowess hath\ncome out of this dreadful battle, so destructive of heroes, with life!\"\nThus addressed by Krishna, King Yudhishthira the just, with hair standing\non end, O monarch, said these words unto Janardana:\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Who else save thee, O grinder of foes, not excepting\nthe thunder-wielding Purandara himself, could have withstood the\nbrahmastras hurled by Drona and Karna! It was through thy grace that the\nSamsaptakas were vanquished! It was through thy grace that Partha had\nnever to turn back from even the fiercest of encounters! Similarly, it\nwas through thy grace, O mighty-armed one, that I myself, with my\nposterity, have, by accomplishing diverse acts one after another,\nobtained the auspicious end of prowess and energy! At Upaplavya, the\ngreat rishi Krishna-Dvaipayana told me that thither is Krishna where\nrighteousness is, and thither is victory where Krishna is!\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'After this conversation, those heroes entered thy\nencampment and obtained the military chest, many jewels, and much wealth.\nAnd they also obtained silver and gold and gems and pearls and many\ncostly ornaments and blankets and skins, and innumerable slaves male and\nfemale, and many other things necessary for sovereignty. Having obtained\nthat inexhaustible wealth belonging to thee, O bull of Bharata's race,\nthose highly blessed ones, whose foe had been slain, uttered loud cries\nof exultation. Having unyoked their animals, the Pandavas and Satyaki\nremained there awhile for resting themselves.\n\n\"'Then Vasudeva of great renown said, \"We should, as an initiatory act of\nblessedness, remain out of the camp for this night.\" Answering, \"So be\nit!\" the Pandavas and Satyaki, accompanied by Vasudeva, went out of the\ncamp for the sake of doing that which was regarded as an auspicious act.\nArrived on the banks of the sacred stream Oghavati, O king, the Pandavas,\nreft of foes, took up their quarters there for that night!\n\n\"'They despatched Keshava of Yadu's race to Hastinapura. Vasudeva of great\nprowess, causing Daruka to get upon his car, proceeded very quickly to\nthat place where the royal son of Ambika was. While about to start on his\ncar having Shaibya and Sugriva (and the others) yoked unto it, (the\nPandavas) said unto him, \"Comfort the helpless Gandhari who hath lost all\nher sons!' Thus addressed by the Pandavas, that chief of the Satvatas\nthen proceeded towards Hastinapura and arrived at the presence of\nGandhari who had lost all her sons in the war.\"'\"\n\n\n\n63\n\nJanamejaya said, \"For what reason did that tiger among kings,\nYudhishthira the just, despatch that scorcher of foes, Vasudeva, unto\nGandhari? Krishna had at first gone to the Kauravas for the sake of\nbringing about peace. He did not obtain the fruition of his wishes. In\nconsequence of this the battle took place. When all the warriors were\nslain and Duryodhana was struck down, when in consequence of the battle\nthe empire of Pandu's son became perfectly foeless, when all the (Kuru)\ncamp became empty, all its inmates having fled, when great renown was won\nby the son of Pandu, what, O regenerate one, was the cause for which\nKrishna had once again to go to Hastinapura? It seems to me, O Brahmana,\nthat the cause could not be a light one, for it was Janardana of\nimmeasurable soul who had himself to make the journey! O foremost of all\nAdhyaryus, tell me in detail what the cause was for undertaking such a\nmission!\"\n\nVaishampayana said, \"The question thou askest me, O king, is, indeed,\nworthy of thee! I will tell thee everything truly as it occurred, O bull\nof Bharata's race! Beholding Duryodhana, the mighty son of Dhritarashtra,\nstruck down by Bhimasena in contravention of the rules of fair fight, in\nfact, beholding the Kuru king slain unfairly, O Bharata, Yudhishthira, O\nmonarch, became filled with great fear, at the thought of the highly\nblessed Gandhari possessed of ascetic merit. 'She hath undergone severe\nascetic austerities and can, therefore, consume the three worlds,' even\nthus thought the son of Pandu. By sending Krishna, Gandhari, blazing with\nwrath, would be comforted before Yudhishthira's own arrival. 'Hearing of\nthe death of her son brought to such a plight by ourselves, she will, in\nwrath, with the fire of her mind, reduce us to ashes! How will Gandhari\nendure such poignant grief, after she hears her son, who always fought\nfairly, slain unfairly by us?' Having reflected in this strain for a long\nwhile, king Yudhishthira the just, filled with fear and grief, said these\nwords unto Vasudeva: 'Through thy grace, O Govinda, my kingdom hath been\nreft of thorns! That which we could not in imagination even aspire to\nobtain hath now become ours, O thou of unfading glory! Before my eyes, O\nmighty-armed one, making the very hair stand on end, violent were the\nblows that thou hadst to bear, O delighter of the Yadavas! In the battle\nbetween the gods and the Asuras, thou hadst, in days of old, lent thy aid\nfor the destruction of the foes of the gods and those foes were slain! In\nthe same way, O mighty-armed one, thou hast given us aid, O thou of\nunfading glory! By agreeing to act as our charioteer, O thou of Vrishni's\nrace, thou hast all along protected us! If thou hadst not been the\nprotector of Phalguna in dreadful battle, how could then this sea of\ntroops have been capable of being vanquished? Many were the blows of the\nmace, and many were the strokes of spiked bludgeons and darts and sharp\narrows and lances and battle axes, that have been endured by thee! For\nour sake, O Krishna, thou hadst also to hear many harsh words and endure\nthe fall, violent as the thunder, of weapons in battle! In consequence of\nDuryodhana's slaughter, all this has not been fruitless, O thou of\nunfading glory! Act thou again in such a way that the fruit of all those\nacts may not be destroyed! Although victory hath been ours, O Krishna,\nour heart, however, is yet trembling in doubt! Know, O Madhava, that\nGandhari's wrath, O mighty-armed one, hath been provoked! That\nhighly-blessed lady is always emaciating herself with the austerest of\npenances! Hearing of the slaughter of her sons and grandsons, she will,\nwithout doubt, consume us to ashes! It is time, O hero, I think, for\npacifying her! Except thee, O foremost of men, what other person is there\nthat is able to even behold that lady of eyes red like copper in wrath\nand exceedingly afflicted with the ills that have befallen her children?\nThat thou shouldst go there, O Madhava, is what I think to be proper, for\npacifying Gandhari, O chastiser of foes, who is blazing with wrath! Thou\nart the Creator and the Destroyer. Thou art the first cause of all the\nworlds thyself being eternal! By words fraught with reasons, visible and\ninvisible that are all the result of time, thou wilt quickly, O thou of\ngreat wisdom, be able to pacify Gandhari! Our grandsire, the holy\nKrishna-Dvaipayana, will be there. O mighty-armed one, it is thy duty to\ndispel, by all means in thy power, the wrath of Gandhari!' Hearing these\nwords of king Yudhishthira the just, the perpetuator of Yadu's race,\nsummoning Daruka, said, 'Let my car be equipped!' Having received\nKeshava's command, Daruka in great haste, returned and represented unto\nhis high-souled master that the car was ready. That scorcher of foes and\nchief of Yadu's race, the lord Keshava, having mounted the car, proceeded\nwith great haste to the city of the Kurus. The adorable Madhava then,\nriding on his vehicle, proceeded, and arriving at the city called after\nthe elephant entered it. Causing the city to resound with the rattle of\nhis car-wheels as he entered it, he sent word to Dhritarashtra and then\nalighted from his vehicle and entered the palace of the old king. He\nthere beheld that best of Rishis, (Dvaipayana) arrived before him.\nJanardana, embracing the feet of both Vyasa and Dhritarashtra, quietly\nsaluted Gandhari also. Then the foremost of the Yadavas, Vishnu seizing\nDhritarashtra by the hand, O monarch, began to weep melodiously. Having\nshed tears for a while from sorrow, he washed his eyes and his face with\nwater according to rules. That chastiser of foes then said these softly\nflowing words unto Dhritarashtra, 'Nothing is unknown to thee, O Bharata,\nabout the past and the future! Thou art well-acquainted, O lord, with the\ncourse of time! From a regard for thee, the Pandavas had endeavoured to\nprevent the destruction of their race and the extermination of\nKshatriyas, O Bharata! Having made an understanding with his brothers,\nthe virtuous Yudhishthira had lived peacefully. He even went to exile\nafter defeat at unfair dice! With his brothers he led a life of\nconcealment, attired in various disguises. They also every day got into\ndiverse other woes as if they were quite helpless! On the eve of battle I\nmyself came and in the presence of all men begged of thee only five\nvillages. Afflicted by Time, and moved by covetousness, thou didst not\ngrant my request. Through thy fault, O king, all the Kshatriya race hath\nbeen exterminated! Bhishma, and Somadatta, and Valhika, and Kripa, and\nDrona and his son, and the wise Vidura, always solicited thee for peace.\nThou didst not, however, follow their counsels! Everyone, it seems, when\nafflicted by Time, is stupefied, O Bharata, since even thou, O king, as\nregards this matter, did act so foolishly! What else can it be but the\neffect of Time? Indeed, Destiny is supreme! Do not, O thou of great\nwisdom, impute any fault to the Pandavas! The smallest transgression is\nnot discernible in the high-souled Pandavas, judged by the rules of\nmorality or reason or affection, O scorcher of foes! Knowing all this to\nbe the fruit of thy own fault, it behoveth thee not to cherish any\nill-feeling towards the Pandavas! Race, line, funeral cake, and what else\ndepends upon offspring, now depend on the Pandavas as regards both\nthyself and Gandhari! Thyself, O tiger among the Kurus, and the renowned\nGandhari also, should not harbour malice towards the Pandavas. Reflecting\nupon all this, and thinking also of thy own transgressions, cherish good\nfeeling towards the Pandavas. I bow to thee, O bull of Bharata's race!\nThou knowest, O mighty-armed one, what the devotion is of king\nYudhishthira and what his affection is towards thee, O tiger among kings!\nHaving caused this slaughter of even foes that wronged him so, he is\nburning day and night, and hath not succeeded in obtaining peace of mind!\nThat tiger among men, grieving for thee and for Gandhari, faileth to\nobtain any happiness. Overwhelmed with shame he cometh not before thee\nthat art burning with grief on account of thy children and whose\nunderstanding and senses have been agitated by that grief!' Having said\nthese words unto Dhritarashtra, that foremost one of Yadu's race, O\nmonarch, addressed the grief-stricken Gandhari in these words of high\nimport: 'O daughter of Subala, thou of excellent vows, listen to what I\nsay! O auspicious dame, there is now no lady like thee in the world! Thou\nrememberest, O queen, those words that thou spokest in the assembly in my\npresence, those words fraught with righteousness and that were beneficial\nto both parties, which thy sons, O auspicious lady, did not obey!\nDuryodhana who coveted victory was addressed by thee in bitter words!\nThou toldst him then. \"Listen, O fool, to these words of mine: 'thither\nis victory where righteousness is.'\" Those words of thine, O princess,\nhave now been accomplished! Knowing all this, O auspicious lady, do not\nset thy heart on sorrow. Let not thy heart incline towards the\ndestruction of the Pandavas! In consequence of the strength of thy\npenances, thou art able, O highly blessed one, to burn, with thy eyes\nkindled with rage, the whole Earth with her mobile and immobile\ncreatures!' Hearing these words of Vasudeva, Gandhari said, 'It is even\nso, O Keshava, as thou sayest! My heart, burning in grief, has been\nunsteadied! After hearing thy words, however, that heart, O Janardana,\nhath again become steady. As regards the blind old king, now become\nchild, thou, O foremost of men, with those heroes, the sons of Pandu,\nhast become his refuge!' Having said so much, Gandhari, burning in grief\non account of the death of her sons, covered her face with her cloth and\nbegan to weep aloud. The mighty-armed lord Keshava then comforted the\ngrief-stricken princess with words that were fraught with reasons drawn\nfrom visible instances. Having comforted Gandhari and Dhritarashtra,\nKeshava of Madhu's race came to know (by intuition) the evil that was\nmeditated by Drona's son. Rising up in haste after worshipping the feet\nof Vyasa bending his head, Keshava, O monarch, addressed Dhritarashtra,\nsaying, 'I take my leave, O foremost one of Kuru's race! Do not set thy\nheart on grief! The son of Drona bears an evil purpose. It is for this\nthat I rise so suddenly! It seems that he has formed a plan of destroying\nthe Pandavas during the night!' Hearing these words, both Gandhari and\nDhritarashtra said unto Keshava that slayer of Keshi, these words: 'Go,\nquickly, O mighty-armed one, protect the Pandavas! Let me soon meet thee\nagain, O Janardana!' Then Keshava of unfading glory proceeded with\nDaruka. After Vasudeva had departed, O king, Vyasa, that adored of the\nwhole world, of inconceivable soul, began to comfort king Dhritarashtra.\nThe righteous-souled Vasudeva departed, having achieved his mission\nsuccessfully, from Hastinapura, for seeing the camp and the Pandavas.\nArrived at the camp, he proceeded to the presence of the Pandavas.\nTelling them everything (about his mission to the city), he took his seat\nwith them.\"\n\n\n\n64\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Kicked at the head, his thighs broken, prostrated\non the ground, exceedingly proud, what, O Sanjaya, did my son then say?\nKing Duryodhana was exceedingly wrathful and his hostility to the sons of\nPandu was deep-rooted. When therefore this great calamity overtook him,\nwhat did he next say on the field?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Listen to me, O monarch, as I describe to thee what\nhappened. Listen, O king, to what Duryodhana said when overtaken by\ncalamity. With his thighs broken, the king, O monarch, covered with dust,\ngathered his flowing locks, casting his eyes on all sides. Having with\ndifficulty gathered his locks, he began to sigh like a snake. Filled with\nrage and with tears flowing fast from his eyes, he looked at me. He\nstruck his arms against the Earth for a while like an infuriated\nelephant. Shaking his loose locks, and gnashing his teeth, he began to\ncensure the eldest son of Pandu. Breathing heavily, he then addressed me,\nsaying, \"Alas, I who had Santanu's son Bhishma for my protector, and\nKarna, that foremost of all wielders of weapons and Gotama's son,\nShakuni, and Drona, that first of all wielders of arms, and Ashvatthama,\nand the heroic Shalya, and Kritavarma, alas, even I have come to this\nplight! It seems that Time is irresistible! I was the lord of eleven\nChamus of troops and yet I have come to this plight! O mighty-armed one,\nno one can rise superior to Time! Those of my side that have escaped with\nlife from this battle should be informed, how I have been struck down by\nBhimasena in contravention of the rules of fair fight! Many have been the\nvery unfair and sinful acts that have been perpetrated towards\nBhurishrava, and Bhishma, and Drona of great prosperity! This is another\nvery infamous act that the cruel Pandavas have perpetrated, for which, I\nam certain, they will incur the condemnation of all righteous men! What\npleasure can a righteously disposed person enjoy at having gained a\nvictory by unfair acts? What wise man, again, is there that would accord\nhis approbation to a person contravening the rules of fairness? What\nlearned man is there that would rejoice after having won victory by\nunrighteousness as that sinful wretch, Vrikodara the son of Pandu,\nrejoices? What can be more amazing than this, that Bhimasena in wrath\nshould with his foot touch the head of one like me while lying with my\nthighs broken? Is that person, O Sanjaya, worthy of honour who behaveth\nthus towards a man possessed of glory endued with prosperity, living in\nthe midst of friends? My parents are not ignorant of the duties of\nbattle. Instructed by me, O Sanjaya, tell them that are afflicted with\ngrief these words: I have performed sacrifices, supported a large number\nof servants properly, governed the whole earth with her seas! I stayed on\nthe heads of my living foes! I gave wealth to my kinsmen to the extent of\nmy abilities, and I did what was agreeable to friends. I withstood all my\nfoes. Who is there that is more fortunate than myself? I have made\nprogresses through hostile kingdoms and commanded kings as slaves. I have\nacted handsomely towards all I loved and liked. Who is there more\nfortunate than myself? I honoured all my kinsmen and attended to the\nwelfare of all my dependants. I have attended to the three ends of human\nexistence, Religion, Profit, and Pleasure! Who is there more fortunate\nthan myself? I laid my commands on great kings, and honour, unattainable\nby others, was mine, I always made my journeys on the very best of\nsteeds. Who is there more fortunate than myself? I studied the Vedas and\nmade gifts according to the ordinance. My life has passed in happiness.\nBy observance of the duties of my own order, I have earned many regions\nof blessedness hereafter. Who is there more fortunate than myself? By\ngood luck, I have not been vanquished in battle and subjected to the\nnecessity of serving my foes as masters. By good luck, O lord, it is only\nafter my death that my swelling prosperity abandons me for waiting upon\nanother! That which is desired by good Kshatriyas observant of the duties\nof their order, that death, is obtained by me! Who is there so fortunate\nas myself? By good luck, I did not suffer myself to be turned away from\nthe path of hostility and to be vanquished like an ordinary person! By\ngood luck, I have not been vanquished after I had done some base act!\nLike the slaughter of a person that is asleep or that is heedless, like\nthe slaughter of one by the administration of poison, my slaughter hath\ntaken place, for I have been slain as unrighteously, in contravention of\nthe rules of fair fight! The highly blessed Ashvatthama, and Kritavarma\nof the Satwata race, and Saradwat's son Kripa, should be told these words\nof mine, 'You should never repose any confidence upon the Pandavas, those\nviolators of rules, who have perpetrated many unrighteous acts!' After\nthis, thy royal son of true prowess addressed our message-bearers in\nthese words, \"I have, in battle, been slain by Bhimasena most\nunrighteously! I am now like a moneyless wayfarer and shall follow in the\nwake of Drona who has already gone to heaven, of Karna and Shalya, of\nVrishasena of great energy, of Shakuni the son of Subala, of Jalasandha\nof great valour, of king Bhagadatta, of Somadatta's son, that mighty\nbowman, of Jayadratha, the king of the Sindhus, of all my brothers headed\nby Duhshasana and equal unto myself, of Duhshasana's son of great\nprowess, and of Lakshmana, my son, and thousands of others that fought\nfor me. Alas how shall my sister, stricken with woe, live sorrowfully,\nafter hearing of the slaughter of her brothers and her husband! Alas,\nwhat shall be the plight of the old king, my sire, with Gandhari, and his\ndaughters-in-law and grand-daughters-in-law! Without doubt, the beautiful\nand large-eyed mother of Lakshmana, made sonless and husbandless, will\nsoon meet with her death! If Charvaka, the mendicant devotee who is a\nmaster of speech, learns everything, that blessed man will certainly\navenge himself of my death! By dying upon the sacred field of\nSamantapanchaka, celebrated over the three worlds, I shall certainly\nobtain many eternal regions!\" Then, O sire, thousands of men, with eyes\nfull of tears, fled away in all directions, having heard these\nlamentations of the king. The whole Earth, with her forests and seas,\nwith all her mobile and immobile creatures, began to tremble violently,\nand produce a loud noise. All the points of the compass became murky. The\nmessengers, repairing to Drona's son, represented to him all that had\nhappened regarding the conduct of the mace-encounter and the fall of the\nking. Having represented everything unto Drona's son, O Bharata, all of\nthem remained in a thoughtful mood for a long while and then went away,\ngrief-stricken, to the place they came from.'\"\n\n\n\n65\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Having heard of Duryodhana's fall from the messengers,\nthose mighty car-warriors, the unslain remnant of the Kaurava army,\nexceedingly wounded with keen shafts, and maces and lances and darts,\nthose three, Ashvatthama and Kripa and Kritavarma of the Satwata race,\ncame quickly on their fleet steeds to the field of battle. They beheld\nthere the high-souled son of Dhritarashtra prostrate on the ground like a\ngigantic Sala tree laid low in the forest by a tempest. They beheld him\nwrithing on the bare ground and covered with blood even like a mighty\nelephant in the forest laid low by a hunter. They saw him weltering in\nagony and bathed in profuse streams of blood. Indeed, they saw him lying\non the ground like the sun dropped on the earth or like the ocean dried\nby a mighty wind, or like the full Moon in the firmament with his disc\nshrouded by a fog. Equal to an elephant in prowess and possessed of long\narms, the king lay on the earth, covered with dust. Around him were many\nterrible creatures and carnivorous animals like wealth-coveting\ndependants around a monarch in state. His forehead was contracted into\nfurrows of rage and his eyes were rolling in wrath. They beheld the king,\nthat tiger among men, full of rage, like a tiger struck down (by\nhunters). Those great archers Kripa and others, beholding the monarch\nlaid low on the Earth, became stupefied. Alighting from their cars, they\nran towards the king. Seeing Duryodhana, all of them sat on the earth\naround him. Then Drona's son, O monarch, with tearful eyes and breathing\nlike a snake, said these words unto that chief of Bharata's race, that\nforemost of all the kings on earth, \"Truly, there is nothing stable in\nthe world of men, since thou, O tiger among men, liest on the bare earth,\nstained with dust! Thou wert a king who had laid thy commands on the\nwhole Earth! Why then, O foremost of monarchs, dost thou lie alone on the\nbare ground in such a lonely wilderness? I do not see Duhshasana beside\nthee, nor the great car-warrior Karna, nor those friends of thine\nnumbering in hundreds! What is this, O bull among men? Without doubt, it\nis difficult to learn the ways of Yama, since thou, O lord of all the\nworlds, thus liest on the bare ground, stained with dust! Alas, this\nscorcher of foes used to walk at the head of all Kshatriyas that had\ntheir locks sprinkled with holy water at ceremonies of coronation! Alas,\nhe now eateth the dust! Behold the reverses that Time bringeth on its\ncourse! Where is that pure white umbrella of thine? Where is that fanning\nyak-tail also, O king? Where hath that vast army of thine now gone, O\nbest of monarchs? The course of events is certainly a mystery when causes\nother than those relied upon are at book, since even thou that wert the\nmaster of the world hast been reduced to this plight! Without doubt, the\nprosperity of all mortals is very unstable, since thou that wert equal\nunto Shakra himself hast now been reduced to such a sorry plight!\"\nHearing these words of the sorrowing Ashvatthama, thy son answered him in\nthese words that were suited to the occasion. He wiped his eyes with his\nhands and shed tears of grief anew. The king then addressed all those\nheroes headed by Kripa and said, \"This liability to death (of all living\ncreatures) is said to have been ordained by the Creator himself. Death\ncomes to all beings in course of time. That death hath now come to me,\nbefore the eyes of you all! I who reigned over the whole earth have now\nbeen reduced to this plight! By good luck, I never turned back from\nbattle whatever calamities overtook me. By good luck, I have been slain\nby those sinful men, by the aid particularly of deception. By good luck,\nwhile engaged in hostilities, I always displayed courage and\nperseverance. By good luck, I am slain in battle, along with all my\nkinsmen and friends. By good luck, I behold you escaped with life from\nthis great slaughter, and safe and sound. This is highly agreeable to me.\nDo not, from affection, grieve for my death. If the Vedas are any\nauthority, I have certainly acquired many eternal regions! I am not\nignorant of the glory of Krishna of immeasurable energy. He hath not\ncaused me to fall off from the proper observance of Kshatriya duties. I\nhave obtained him. On no account should anybody grieve from me. Ye have\ndone what persons like ye should do. Ye have always striven for my\nsuccess. Destiny, however, is incapable of being frustrated.\" Having said\nthis much, the king, with eyes laved with tears, became silent, O\nmonarch, agitated as he was with agony. Beholding the king in tears and\ngrief, Drona's son flamed up in anger like the fire that is seen at the\nuniversal destruction. Overwhelmed with rage, he squeezed his hand and\naddressing the king in a voice hoarse with tears, he said these words,\n\"My sire was slain by those wretches with a cruel contrivance. That act,\nhowever, doth not burn me so keenly as this plight to which thou hast\nbeen reduced, O king! Listen to these words of mine that I utter,\nswearing by Truth itself, O lord, and by all my acts of piety, all my\ngifts, my religion, and the religious merits I have won. I shall today,\nin the very presence of Vasudeva, despatch all the Pancalas, by all means\nin my power, to the abode of Yama? It behoveth thee, O monarch, to grant\nme permission!\" Hearing these words of Drona's son, that were highly\nagreeable to his heart, the Kuru king addressing Kripa, said, \"O\npreceptor, bring me without delay a pot full of water!\" At these words of\nthe king, that foremost of Brahmanas soon brought a vessel full of water\nand approached the king. Thy son then, O monarch, said unto Kripa, \"Let\nthe son of Drona, O foremost of Brahmanas, (blessed be thou), be at my\ncommand installed as generalissimo, if thou wishest to do me the good! At\nthe command of the king, even a Brahmana may fight, specially one that\nhas adopted Kshatriya practices! Those learned in the scriptures say\nthis!\" Hearing these words of the king, Kripa, the son of Saradwat,\ninstalled Drona's son as generalissimo, at the king's command! The\ninstallation over, O monarch, Ashvatthama embraced that best of kings and\nleft the spot, having caused the ten points to resound with his leonine\nroars. That foremost of kings, Duryodhana, profusely covered with blood,\nbegan to pass there that night so frightful to all creatures. Wending\naway quickly from the field of battle, O king, those heroes, with hearts\nagitated by grief, began to reflect anxiously and earnestly.'\"\n\nThe End of Shalya-parva.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Mahabharata\n\nof\n\nKrishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa\n\nBOOK 10\n\nSauptika-parva\n\n\n\nTranslated into English Prose from the Original Sanskrit Text\n\nby\n\nKisari Mohan Ganguli\n\n[1883-1896]\n\nScanned and Proofed by Mantra Caitanya. Additional proofing and\nformatting at sacred-texts.com, by J. B. Hare, October 2003.\n\n\n\n1\n\nOm! Having bowed down unto Narayana, and Nara the most exalted of male\nbeings, and unto the goddess Sarasvati, must the word Jaya be uttered!\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Those heroes then together proceeded towards the south. At\nthe hour of sunset they reached a spot near the (Kuru) encampment.\nLetting their animals loose they became very much frightened. Reaching\nthen a forest, they secretly entered it. They took up their quarters\nthere at no great distance from the encampment. Cut and mangled with many\nkeen weapons, they breathed long and hot sighs, thinking of the Pandavas.\nHearing the loud noise made by the victorious Pandavas, they feared a\npursuit and therefore fled towards the east. Having proceeded for\nsometime, their animals became tired and they themselves became thirsty.\nOverpowered by wrath and vindictiveness, those great bowmen could not put\nup with what had occurred, burning as they did with (grief at) the\nslaughter of the king. They however, took rest for a while.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'The feat, O Sanjaya, that Bhima achieved seems to be\nincredible, since my son who was struck down possessed the strength of\n10,000 elephants. In manhood's prime and possessed of an adamantine\nframe, he was not capable of being slain by any creature! Alas, even that\nson of mine was struck down by the Pandavas in battle! Without doubt, O\nSanjaya, my heart is made of adamant, since it breaks not into a 1,000\nfragments even after hearing of the slaughter of my hundred sons! Alas,\nwhat will be the plight of myself and my spouse, an old couple destitute\nof children! I dare not dwell in the dominions of Pandu's son! Having\nbeen the sire of a king and a king myself, O Sanjaya, how shall I pass my\ndays as a slave obedient to the commands of Pandu's son! Having laid my\ncommands over the whole Earth and having stayed over the heads of all, O\nSanjaya, how shall I live now as a slave in wretchedness? How shall I be\nable, O Sanjaya, to endure the words of Bhima who hath single-handed\nslain a full hundred sons of mine? The words of the high-souled Vidura\nhave come to be realised! Alas, my son, O Sanjaya, did not listen to\nthose words! What, however, did Kritavarma and Kripa and Drona's son do\nafter my son Duryodhana had been unfairly stuck down?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'They had not proceeded far, O king, when they stopped, for\nthey beheld a dense forest abounding with trees and creepers. Having\nrested for a little while, they entered that great forest, proceeding on\ntheir cars drawn by their excellent steeds whose thirst had been\nassuaged. That forest abounded with diverse kinds of animals, and it\nteemed with various species of birds. And it was covered with many trees\nand creepers and was infested by numerous carnivorous creatures. Covered\nwith many pieces of water and adorned with various kinds of flowers, it\nhad many lakes overgrown with blue lotuses.\n\n\"'Having entered that dense forest, they cast their eyes about and saw a\ngigantic banyan tree with thousands of branches. Repairing to the shade\nof that tree, those great car-warriors, O king, those foremost of men,\nsaw that was the biggest tree in that forest. Alighting from their cars,\nand letting loose their animals, they cleansed themselves duly and said\ntheir evening prayers. The Sun then reached the Asta mountains, and\nNight, the mother of the universe, came. The firmament, bespangled with\nplanets and stars, shone like an ornamented piece of brocade and\npresented a highly agreeable spectacle. Those creatures that walk the\nnight began to howl and utter their cries at will, while they that walk\nthe day owned the influence of sleep. Awful became the noise of the\nnight-wandering animals. The carnivorous creatures became full of glee,\nand the night, as it deepened, became dreadful.\n\n\"'At that hour, filled with grief and sorrow, Kritavarma and Kripa and\nDrona's son all sat down together. Seated under that banyan, they began\nto give expression to their sorrow in respect of that very matter: the\ndestruction that had taken place of both the Kurus and the Pandavas.\nHeavy with sleep, they laid themselves down on the bare earth. They had\nbeen exceedingly tired and greatly mangled with shafts. The two great\ncar-warriors, Kripa and Kritavarma, succumbed to sleep. However deserving\nof happiness and undeserving of misery, they then lay stretched on the\nbare ground. Indeed, O monarch, those two who had always slept on costly\nbeds now slept, like helpless persons, on the bare ground, afflicted with\ntoil and grief.\n\n\"'Drona's son, however, O Bharata, yielding to the influence of wrath and\nreverence, could not sleep, but continued to breathe like a snake.\nBurning with rage, he could not get a wink of slumber. That hero of\nmighty arms cast his eyes on every side of that terrible forest. As he\nsurveyed that forest peopled with diverse kinds of creatures, the great\nwarrior beheld a large banyan covered with crows. On that banyan\nthousands of crows roosted in the night. Each perching separately from\nits neighbour, those crows slept at ease, O Kauravya! As, however, those\nbirds were sleeping securely on every side, Ashvatthama beheld an owl of\nterrible aspect suddenly make its appearance there. Of frightful cries\nand gigantic body, with green eyes and tawny plumage, its nose was very\nlarge and its talons were long. And the speed with which it came\nresembled that of Garuda. Uttering soft cries that winged creature, O\nBharata, secretly approached the branches of that banyan. That ranger of\nthe sky, that slayer of crows, alighting on one of the branches of the\nbanyan, slew a large number of his sleeping enemies. He tore the wings of\nsome and cut off the heads of others with his sharp talons and broke the\nlegs of many. Endued with great strength, he slew many that fell down\nbefore his eyes. With the limbs and bodies, O monarch, of the slain\ncrows, the ground covered by the spreading branches of the banyan became\nthickly strewn on every side. Having slain those crows, the owl became\nfilled with delight like a slayer of foes after having behaved towards\nhis foes according to his pleasure.\n\n\"'Beholding that highly suggestive deed perpetrated in the night by the\nowl, Drona's son began to reflect on it, desirous of framing his own\nconduct by the light of that example. He said unto himself, \"This owl\nteaches me a lesson in battle. Bent as I am upon the destruction of the\nfoe, the time for the deed has come! The victorious Pandavas are\nincapable of being slain by me! They are possessed of might, endued with\nperseverance, sure of aim, and skilled in smiting. In the presence,\nhowever, of the king I have vowed to slay them. I have thus pledged\nmyself to a self-destructive act, like an insect essaying to rush into a\nblazing fire! If I were to fight fairly with them, I shall, without\ndoubt, have to lay down my life! By an act of guile, however, success may\nyet be mine and a great destruction may overtake my foes! People\ngenerally, as also those versed in the scriptures, always applaud those\nmeans which are certain over those which are uncertain. Whatever of\ncensure and evil repute this act may provoke ought to be incurred by\nperson that is observant of Kshatriya practices. The Pandavas of\nuncleansed souls have, at every step, perpetrated very ugly and\ncensurable acts that are again fall of guile. As regards this matter,\ncertain ancient verses, full of truth, are heard, sung by truth-seeing\nand righteousness-observing persons, who sang them after a careful\nconsideration of the demands of justice.\n\n\"'\"These verses are even these: 'The enemy's force, even when fatigued, or\nwounded with weapons, or employed in eating, or when retiring, or when\nresting within their camp, should be smitten. They should be dealt with\nin the same way when afflicted with sleep in the dead of night, or when\nreft of commanders, or when broken or when under the impression of an\nerror.'\"\n\n\"'Having reflected in this way, the valiant son of Drona formed the\nresolution of slaying during the night the slumbering Pandavas and the\nPancalas. Having formed this wicked resolution and pledged himself\nrepeatedly to its execution, he awoke both his maternal uncle and the\nchief of Bhojas. Awakened from sleep, those two illustrious and mighty\npersons, Kripa and the Bhoja chief, heard Ashvatthama's scheme. Filled\nwith shame, both of them abstained from giving a suitable reply.\n\n\"'Having reflected for a short while, Ashvatthama said with tearful eyes,\n\"King Duryodhana, that one hero of great might, for whose sake we were\nwaging hostilities with the Pandavas, hath been slain! Deserted and\nalone, though he was the lord of eleven Akshauhinis of troops, that hero\nof unstained prowess hath been struck down by Bhimasena and a large\nnumber of wretches banded together in battle! Another wicked act hath\nbeen perpetrated by the vile Vrikodara, for the latter hath touched with\nhis foot the head of a person whose coronal locks underwent the sacred\nbath! The Pancalas are uttering loud roars and cries and indulging in\nloud bursts of laughter. Filled with joy, they are blowing their conchs\nand beating their drums! The loud peal of their instruments, mingled with\nthe blare of conchs, is frightful to the ear and borne by the winds, is\nfilling all the points of the compass. Loud also is the din made by their\nneighing steeds and grunting elephants and roaring warriors! That\ndeafening noise made by the rejoicing warriors as they are marching to\ntheir quarters, as also the frightful clatter of their car-wheels, comes\nto us from the east. So great hath been the havoc made by the Pandavas on\nthe Dhartarashtras that we three are the only survivors of that great\ncarnage! Some were endued with the might of a hundred elephants, and some\nwere masters of all weapons. Yet have they been slain by the sons of\nPandu! I regard this to be an instance of the reverses brought about by\nTime! Truly, this is the end to which such an act leads! Truly, although\nthe Pandavas have achieved such difficult feats, even this should be the\nresult of those feats! If your wisdom hath not been driven away by\nstupefaction, then say what is proper for us to do in view of this\ncalamitous and grave affair.\"'\"\n\n\n\n2\n\n\"'Kripa said, \"We have heard all that thou hast said, O puissant one!\nListen, however, to a few words of mine, O mighty armed one! All men are\nsubjected to and governed by these two forces, Destiny and Exertion.\nThere is nothing higher than these two. Our acts do not become successful\nin consequence of destiny alone, nor of exertion alone, O best of men!\nSuccess springs from the union of the two. All purposes, high and low,\nare dependent on a union of those two. In the whole world, it is through\nthese two that men are seen to act as also to abstain. What result is\nproduced by the clouds pouring upon a mountain? What results are not\nproduced by them pouring upon a cultivated field? Exertion, where destiny\nis not auspicious, and absence of exertion where destiny is auspicious,\nboth these are fruitless! What I have said before (about the union of the\ntwo) is the truth. If the rains properly moisten a well-tilled soil, the\nseed produces great results. Human success is of this nature.\n\n\"'\"Sometimes, Destiny, having settled a course of events, acts of itself\n(without waiting for exertion). For all that, the wise, aided by skill\nhave recourse to exertion. All the purposes of human acts, O bull among\nmen, are accomplished by the aid of those two together. Influenced by\nthese two, men are seen to strive or abstain. Recourse may be had to\nexertion. But exertion succeeds through destiny. It is in consequence\nalso of destiny that one who sets himself to work, depending on exertion,\nattains to success. The exertion, however, of even a competent man, even\nwhen well directed, is without the concurrence of destiny, seen in the\nworld to be unproductive of fruit. Those, therefore, among men, that are\nidle and without intelligence, disapprove of exertion. This however, is\nnot the opinion of the wise.\n\n\"'\"Generally, an act performed is not seen to be unproductive of fruit in\nthe world. The absent of action, again, is seen to be productive of grave\nmisery. A person obtaining something of itself without having made any\nefforts, as also one not obtaining anything even after exertion, is not\nto be seen. One who is busy in action is capable of supporting life. He,\non the other hand, that is idle, never obtains happiness. In this world\nof men it is generally seen that they that are addicted to action are\nalways inspired by the desire of earning good. If one devoted to action\nsucceeds in gaining his object or fails to obtain the fruit of his acts,\nhe does not become censurable in any respect. If anyone in the world is\nseen to luxuriously enjoy the fruits of action without doing any action,\nhe is generally seen to incur ridicule and become an object of hatred. He\nwho, disregarding this rule about action, liveth otherwise, is said to do\nan injury to himself. This is the opinion of those that are endued with\nintelligence.\n\n\"'\"Efforts become unproductive of fruits in consequence of these two\nreasons: destiny without exertion and exertion without destiny. Without\nexertion, no act in this world becomes successful. Devoted to action and\nendued with skill, that person, however, who, having bowed down to the\ngods, seeks, the accomplishment of his objects, is never lost. The same\nis the case with one who, desirous of success, properly waits upon the\naged, asks of them what is for his good, and obeys their beneficial\ncounsels. Men approved by the old should always be solicited for counsel\nwhile one has recourse to exertion. These men are the infallible root of\nmeans, and success is dependent on means. He who applies his efforts\nafter listening to the words of the old, soon reaps abundant fruits from\nthose efforts. That man who, without reverence and respect for others\n(capable of giving him good counsel), seeks the accomplishment of his\npurposes, moved by passion, anger, fear, and avarice, soon loses his\nprosperity.\n\n\"'\"This Duryodhana, stained by covetousness and bereft of foresight, had\nwithout taking counsel, foolishly commenced to seek the accomplishment of\nan undigested project. Disregarding all his well-wishers and taking\ncounsel with only the wicked, he had, though dissuaded, waged hostilities\nwith the Pandavas who are his superiors in all good qualities. He had,\nfrom the beginning, been very wicked. He could not restrain himself. He\ndid not do the bidding of friends. For all that, he is now burning in\ngrief and amid calamity. As regards ourselves since we have followed that\nsinful wretch, this great calamity hath, therefore, overtaken us! This\ngreat calamity has scorched my understanding. Plunged in reflection, I\nfail to see what is for our good!\n\n\"'\"A man that is stupefied himself should ask counsel of his friends. In\nsuch friends he hath his understanding, his humility, and his prosperity.\nOne's actions should have their root in them. That should be done which\nintelligent friends, having settled by their understanding, should\ncounsel. Let us, therefore, repair to Dhritarashtra and Gandhari and the\nhigh-souled Vidura and ask them as what we should do. Asked by us, they\nwill say what, after all this, is for our good. We should do what they\nsay. Even this is my certain resolution. Those men whose acts do not\nsucceed even after the application of exertion, should, without doubt, be\nregarded as afflicted by destiny.\"'\"\n\n\n\n3\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Hearing these words of Kripa that were auspicious and\nfraught with morality and profit, Ashvatthama, O monarch, became\noverwhelmed with sorrow and grief. Burning with grief as if with a\nblazing fire, he formed a wicked resolution and then addressed them both\nsaying, \"The faculty of understanding is different in different men. Each\nman, however, is pleased with own understanding. Every man regards\nhimself more intelligent than others. Everyone respects his own\nunderstanding and accords it great praise. Everyone's own wisdom is with\nevery one a subject of praise. Everyone speaks ill of the wisdom of\nothers, and well of his own, in all instances. Men whose judgements agree\nwith respect to any unattained object, even though there be a variety of\nconsiderations, become gratified with and applaud one another. The\njudgements, again, of the same men, overwhelmed with reverses through the\ninfluence of time, become opposed to one another. More particularly, in\nconsequence of the diversity of human intellects, judgements necessarily\ndiffer when intellects are clouded.\n\n\"'\"As a skilful physician, having duly diagnosed a disease, prescribes a\nmedicine by the application of his intelligence for effecting a cure,\neven so men, for the accomplishment of their acts, use their\nintelligence, aided by their own wisdom. What they do is again\ndisapproved by others. A man, in youth, is affected by one kind of\nunderstanding. In middle age, the same does not prevail with him, and in\nthe period of decay, a different kind of understanding becomes agreeable\nto him. When fallen into terrible distress or when visited by great\nprosperity, the understanding of a person, O chief of the Bhojas, is seen\nto be much afflicted. In one and the same person, through want of wisdom,\nthe understanding becomes different at different times. That\nunderstanding which at one time is acceptable becomes the reverse of that\nat another time.\n\n\"'\"Having resolved, however, according to one's wisdom, that resolution\nwhich is excellent should be endeavoured to be accomplished. Such\nresolution, therefore, should force him to put forth exertion. All\npersons, O chief of the Bhojas, joyfully begin to act, even in respect of\nenterprises that lead to death, in the belief that those enterprises are\nachievable by them. All men, relying on their own judgements and wisdom,\nendeavour to accomplish diverse purposes, knowing them to be beneficial.\nThe resolution that has possessed my mind today in consequence of our\ngreat calamity, as something that is capable of dispelling my grief, I\nwill now disclose unto both of you.\n\n\"'\"The Creator, having formed his creatures, assigned unto each his\noccupation. As regards the different orders, he gave unto each a portion\nof excellence. Unto Brahmanas he assigned that foremost of all things,\nthe Veda. Unto the Kshatriya he assigned superior energy. Unto the\nVaishya he gave skill, and unto the Shudra he gave the duty of serving\nthe three other classes. Hence, a Brahmana without self-restraint is\ncensurable. A Kshatriya without energy is base. A Vaishya without skill\nis worthy of dispraise, as also a Shudra who is bereft of humility (to\nthe other orders).\n\n\"'\"I am born in an adorable and high family of Brahmanas. Through ill-luck,\nhowever, I am wedded to Kshatriya practices. If, conversant as I am with\nKshatriya duties, I adopt now the duties of a Brahmana and achieve a high\nobject (the purification of self under such injuries), that course would\nnot be consistent with nobleness. I hold an excellent bow and excellent\nweapons in battle. If I do not avenge the slaughter of my sire, how shall\nI open my mouth in the midst of men? Paying regard to Kshatriya duties,\ntherefore, without hesitation, I shall today walk in the steps of my\nhigh-souled sire and the king.\n\n\"'\"The Pancalas, elated with victory, will trustfully sleep tonight, having\nput off their armour and in great glee, and filled with happiness at the\nthought of the victory they have won, and spent with toil and exertion.\nWhile sleeping at their ease during the night within their own camp, I\nshall make a great and terrible assault upon their camp. Like Maghavat\nslaying the Danavas, I shall, attacking them while senseless and dead in\nsleep in their camp, slay them all, putting forth my prowess. Like a\nblazing fire consuming a heap of dry grass, I shall slay all of them\nassembled in one place with their leader Dhrishtadyumna! Having slain the\nPancalas, I shall obtain peace of mind, O best of men! While engaged in\nthe act of slaughter, I shall career in their midst like the wielder of\nPinaka, Rudra himself, in rage among living creatures. Having cut off and\nslain all the Pancalas today, I shall then, in joy, afflict the sons of\nPandu in battle. Taking their lives one after another and causing the\nearth to be strewn with the bodies of all the Pancalas, I shall pay off\nthe debt I owe to my sire. I shall today make the Pancalas follow in the\nwake, hard to tread, of Duryodhana and Karna and Bhishma, and the ruler\nof the Sindhus. Putting forth my might, I shall tonight grind the head,\nlike that of any animal, of Dhrishtadyumna, the king of the Pancalas! I\nshall tonight, O son of Gautama, cut off with my sharp sword, in battle,\nthe sleeping sons of the Pancalas and the Pandavas. Having exterminated\nthe Pancalas army tonight while sunk in sleep, I shall, O thou of great\nintelligence, obtain great happiness and regard myself to have done my\nduty!\"'\"\n\n\n\n4\n\n\"'Kripa said, \"By good luck, O thou of unfading glory, thy heart is set\ntoday on vengeance. The wielder of the thunder himself will not succeed\nin dissuading thee today. Both of us, however, shall accompany thee in\nthe morning. Putting off thy armour and taking down thy standard, take\nrest for this night. I shall accompany thee, as also Kritavarma of the\nSatvata race, clad in mail and riding on our cars, while thou shalt\nproceed against the foe. United with ourselves, thou shalt slay the foes,\nthe Pancalas with all their followers, tomorrow in press of battle,\nputting forth thy prowess, O foremost of car-warriors! If thou puttest\nforth thy prowess, thou art quite competent to achieve that fear! Take\nrest, therefore, for this night. Thou hast kept thyself awake for many a\nnight. Having rested and slept, and having become quite refreshed, O\ngiver of honours, encounter the foe in battle! Thou shalt then slay the\nenemy, without doubt. No one, not even Vasava amongst the gods, would\nventure to vanquish thee armed with foremost of weapons, O first of\ncar-warriors! Who is there that would, even if he be the chief of the\ngods himself, fight Drona's son, when the latter proceeds, accompanied by\nKripa and protected by Kritavarma? Therefore, having rested and slept\nthis night and shaken off fatigue, we shall slay the foe tomorrow\nmorning! Thou art a master of celestial weapons. I also am so, without\ndoubt. This hero of Satvata's race is a mighty bowman, always skilled in\nbattle. All of us, uniting together, O son, shall succeed in slaying our\nassembled foes in battle by putting forth our might. Great shall be our\nhappiness then! Dispelling thy anxieties, rest for this night and sleep\nhappily! Myself and Kritavarma, both armed with bows and capable of\nscorching our enemies, will, clad in mail, follow thee, O best of men,\nwhile thou shalt proceed on thy car against the enemy. Proceeding to\ntheir camp and proclaiming thy name in battle, thou shalt then make a\ngreat slaughter of the foe. Tomorrow morning, in broad daylight, having\ncaused a great slaughter among them thou shalt sport like Shakra after\nthe slaughter of great Asuras. Thou art quite competent to vanquish the\narmy of the Pancalas in battle like the slayer of the Danavas in\nvanquishing in rage the danava host. United with myself in battle and\nprotected by Kritavarma, thou art incapable of being withstood by the\nwielder of the thunderbolt himself.\n\n\"'\"Neither I, O son, nor Kritavarma, will ever retreat from battle without\nhaving vanquished the Pandavas! Having slain the angry Pancalas along\nwith the Pandavas, we shall come away, or slain by them, we shall proceed\nto heaven. By every means in our power, we two shall render thee\nassistance in battle tomorrow morning. O thou of mighty arms, I tell thee\nthe truth, O sinless one!\"\n\n\"'Addressed in these beneficial words by his maternal uncle, the son of\nDrona, with eyes red in rage, answered his uncle, O king, saying, \"Where\ncan a person that is afflicted, or one that is under the influence of\nrage, or one whose heart is always engaged in revolving projects for the\nacquisition of wealth, or one that is under the power of lust, obtain\nsleep? Behold, all these four causes are present in my case. Any one of\nthese, singly would destroy sleep. How great is the grief of that person\nwhose heart is always thinking of the slaughter of his sire! My heart is\nnow burning day and night. I fail to obtain peace. The way in which my\nsire in particular was slain by those sinful wretches hath been witnessed\nby you all. The thought of that slaughter is cutting all my vitals. How\ncould a person like me live for even a moment after hearing the Pancalas\nsay that they have slain my father? I cannot bear the thought of\nsupporting life without having slain Dhrishtadyumna in battle. In\nconsequence of the slaughter of my father he hath become slayable by me,\nas also all with whom he is united. Who is there so hard-hearted that\nwould not burn after having heard the lamentations that I have heard of\nthe king lying with broken thighs? Who is there so destitute of\ncompassion whose eyes would not be filled with tears after hearing such\nwords uttered by the king with broken thighs? They whose side was adopted\nby me have been vanquished. The thought of this enhances my sorrow as a\nrush of waters enhances the sea.\n\n\"'\"Protected as they are by Vasudeva and Arjuna, I regard them, O uncle, to\nbe irresistible by the great Indra himself. I am unable to restrain this\nrising wrath in my heart. I do not behold the man in this world that can\nassuage this wrath of mine! The messengers informed me of the defeat of\nmy friends and the victory of the Pandavas. That is burning my heart.\nHaving however, caused a slaughter of my enemies during their sleep, I\nshall then take rest and shall then sleep without anxiety.\"'\"\n\n\n\n5\n\n\"'Kripa said, \"A person who is bereft of intelligence and who hath not his\npassions under control, cannot, even if he waits dutifully upon his\nsuperiors, understand all the considerations of morality. This is my\nopinion. Similarly, an intelligent person who does not practise humility\nfails to understand the settled conclusions of morality. A brave man, if\nbereft of understanding, by waiting all his life upon a learned person\nfails to know his duties, like a wooden ladle unable to taste the juicy\nsoup (in which it may lie immersed). The wise man, however, by waiting\nupon a learned person for even a moment, succeeds in knowing his duties,\nlike the tongue tasting the juicy soup (as soon as it comes into contact\nwith the latter). That person who is endued with intelligence, who waits\nupon his superiors, and who has his passions under control succeeds in\nknowing all the rules of morality and never disputes with what is\naccepted by all. An ungovernable, irreverent, and sinful person of wicked\nsoul perpetrates sin in seeking his well-being by disregarding destiny.\n\n\"'\"Well-wishers seek to restrain a friend from sin. He who suffers himself\nto be dissuaded, succeeds in winning prosperity. He that does otherwise\nreaps misery. As a person of disordered brains is restrained by soothing\nwords, even so should a friend be restrained by well-wishers. He that\nsuffers himself to be so restrained never becomes a prey to misery. When\na wise friend is about to perpetrate a wicked act, well-wishers possessed\nof wisdom repeatedly and according to the extent of their power endeavour\nto restrain him. Setting thy heart on what is truly beneficial, and\nrestraining thyself by thy own self, do my bidding, O son, so that thou\nmayst not have to repent afterwards.\n\n\"'\"In this world, the slaughter of sleeping persons is not applauded,\nagreeably to the dictates of religion. The same is the case with persons\nthat have laid down their arms and come down from cars and steeds. They\nalso are unslayable who say 'We are thine!' and they that surrender\nthemselves, and they whose locks are dishevelled, and they whose animals\nhave been killed under them or whose cars have been broken. All the\nPancalas will sleep tonight, O lord, divesting themselves of armour.\nTrustfully sunk in sleep, they will be like dead men. That crooked-minded\nman who would wage hostility with them then, it is evident, would sink in\ndeep and limitless hell without a raft save himself. In this world thou\nart celebrated as the foremost of all persons conversant with weapons.\nThou hast not as yet committed even a minute trespass. When the sun rises\nnext morning and light shall discover all things, thyself, like a second\nsun in effulgence wilt conquer the foe in battle. This censurable deed,\nso impossible in one like thee, will look like a red spot on a white\nsheet. Even this is my opinion.\"\n\n\"'Ashvatthama said, \"Without doubt, it is even so, O maternal uncle, as\nthou sayest. The Pandavas, however, have before this broken the bridge of\nrighteousness into a hundred fragments. In the very sight of all the\nkings, before thy eyes also, my sire, after he had laid down his weapons,\nwas slain by Dhrishtadyumna. Karna also, that foremost of car-warriors,\nafter the wheel of his car had sunk and he had been plunged into great\ndistress, was slain by the wielder of Gandiva. Similarly, Shantanu's son\nBhishma, after he had laid aside his weapons and become disarmed, was\nslain by Arjuna with Shikhandi placed in his van. So also, the mighty\nbowman Bhurishrava, while observant of the praya vow on the field of\nbattle, was slain by Yuyudhana in total disregard of the cries of all the\nkings! Duryodhana too, having encountered Bhima in battle with the mace,\nhath been slain unrighteously by the former in the very sight of all the\nlords of earth. The king was all alone in the midst of a large number of\nmighty car-warriors standing around him. Under such circumstances was\nthat tiger among men slain by Bhimasena. Those lamentations that I have\nheard, of the king lying prostrate on the earth with his thighs broken,\nfrom the messengers circulating the news, are cutting the very core of my\nheart. The unrighteous and sinful Pancalas, who have broken down the\nbarrier of virtue, are even such. Why do you not censure them who have\ntransgressed all considerations? Having slain the Pancalas, those slayers\nof my sire, in the night when they are buried in sleep, I care not if I\nam born a worm or a winged insect in my next life. That which I have\nresolved is hurrying me towards its accomplishment. Hurried as I am by\nit, how can I have sleep and happiness? That man is not yet born in the\nworld, nor will be, who will succeed in baffling this resolution that I\nhave formed for their destruction.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Having said these words, O monarch, the valiant son\nof Drona yoked his steeds to his car at a corner and set out towards the\ndirection of his enemies. Then Bhoja and Sharadvata's son, those\nhigh-souled persons, addressed him, saying, \"Why dost thou yoke the\nsteeds to thy car? Upon what business art thou bent? We are determined to\naccompany thee tomorrow, O bull among men! We sympathise with thee in\nweal and woe. It behoveth thee not to mistrust us. Remembering the\nslaughter of his sire, Ashvatthama in rage told them truly about the feat\nthat he had resolved to accomplish. When my sire, having slain hundreds\nand thousands of warriors with keen shafts, had laid aside his weapons,\nhe was then slain by Dhrishtadyumna. I shall slay that slayer today in a\nsimilar condition that is, when he will have laid aside his armour. The\nsinful son of the king of the Pancalas I shall today slay by a sinful\nact. It is my resolve to slay like an animal that sinful prince of the\nPancalas in such a way that he may not attain to regions earned by\npersons slain with weapons! Put on your coats of mail without delay and\ntake your bows and swords, and wait for me here, ye foremost of\ncar-warrior and scorchers of foes.\"\n\n\"'Having said these words, Ashvatthama got upon his car and set out towards\nthe direction of the enemy. Then Kripa, O king, and Kritavarma of the\nSatvata race, both followed him. While the three proceeded against the\nenemy, they shone like three blazing fires in a sacrifice, fed with\nlibations of clarified butter. They proceeded, O lord, towards the camp\nof the Pancalas within which everybody was asleep. Having approached the\ngate, Drona's son, that mighty car-warrior, stopped.'\"\n\n\n\n6\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Seeing Drona's son stop at the gate of the\nencampment, what, O Sanjaya, did those two mighty car-warriors, Kripa and\nKritavarma, do? Tell me this!'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Inviting Kritavarma, as also the mighty car-warrior Kripa,\nDrona's son, filled with rage, approached the gate of the camp. He there\nbeheld a being of gigantic frame, capable of making the very hair stand\non end, and possessed of the effulgence of the Sun or the Moon, guarding\nthe entrance. Round his loins was a tiger-skin dripping with blood, and\nhe had a black deer for his upper garment. He had for his sacred thread a\nlarge snake. His arms were long and massive and held many kinds of\nuplifted weapons. He had for his angadas a large snake wound round his\nupper arm. His mouth seemed to blaze with flames of fire. His teeth made\nhis face terrible to behold. His mouth was open and dreadful. His face\nwas adorned with thousands of beautiful eyes. His body was incapable of\nbeing described, as also his attire. The very mountains, upon beholding\nhim, would split into a 1,000 fragments. Blazing flames of fire seemed to\nissue from his mouth and nose and ears and all those thousands of eyes.\nFrom those blazing flames hundreds and thousands of Hrishikeshas issued,\narmed with conchs and discs and maces.\n\n\"'Beholding that extraordinary being capable of inspiring the whole world\nwith terror, Drona's son, without feeling any agitation, covered him with\nshowers of celestial weapons. That being, however, devoured all those\nshafts shot by Drona's son. Like the vadava fire devouring the waters of\nthe ocean, that being devoured the shafts sped by the son of Drona.\nBeholding his arrowy showers prove fruitless, Ashvatthama hurled at him a\nlong dart blazing like a flame of fire. That dart of blazing point,\nstriking against that being, broke into pieces like a huge meteor at the\nend of the yuga breaking and falling down from the firmament after\nstriking against the Sun. Ashvatthama then, without losing a moment, drew\nfrom its sheath an excellent scimitar of the colour of the sky and endued\nwith a golden hilt. The scimitar came out like a blazing snake from its\nhole. The intelligent son of Drona then hurled that excellent scimitar at\nthat being. The weapon, approaching that being, disappeared within his\nbody like a mongoose disappearing in its hole. Filled with rage, the son\nof Drona then hurled a blazing mace of the proportions of a pole set up\nin honour of Indra. The being devoured that mace also.\n\n\"'At last, when all his weapons were exhausted Ashvatthama, casting his\neyes around, beheld the whole firmament densely crowded with images of\nJanardana. Drona's son, divested of weapons, beholding that wonderful\nsight, recollected the words of Kripa, and turning pale with grief, said,\n\"He that listens not to the beneficial words of advising friends is\nobliged to repent, being overwhelmed with calamity, even as my foolish\nself for having disregarded my two well-wishers. That fool who,\ndisregarding the way pointed out by the scriptures, seeketh to slay his\nenemies, falleth off from the path of righteousness and is lost in the\ntrackless wilderness of sin. One should not cast weapons upon kine,\nBrahmanas, kings, women, friends, one's own mother, one's own preceptor,\na weak man, an idiot, a blind man, a sleeping man, a terrified man, one\njust arisen from sleep, an intoxicated person, a lunatic and one that is\nheedless. The preceptors of old always inculcated this truth upon men. I\nhave, however, by disregarding the eternal way pointed out by the\nscriptures, and by essaying to tread in a wrong path, fallen into\nterrible distress. The wise have called that to be a terrible calamity\nwhen one falls back, through fear, from a great feat after having essayed\nto achieve it. I am unable, by putting forth only my skill and might, to\nachieve that which I have vowed.\n\n\"'\"Human exertion is never regarded more efficacious than destiny. If any\nhuman action that is commenced does not succeed through destiny, the\nactor becomes like one who falling off from the path of righteousness, is\nlost in the wilderness of sin. The sages speak of defeat as foolishness\nwhen one having commenced an act swerves from it through fear. In\nconsequence of the wickedness of my essay, this great calamity has come\nupon me, otherwise Drona's son would never had been forced to hold back\nfrom battle. This being, again whom I see before me, is most wonderful!\nHe stands there like the uplifted rod of divine chastisement. Reflecting\neven deeply, I cannot recognise who this being is. Without doubt, that\nbeing is the terrible fruit of this sinful determination of mine that I\nhad essayed to achieve unrighteously. He standeth there for baffling that\ndetermination. It seems, therefore, that in my case this falling off from\nfight had been ordained by destiny. It is not for me to exert for the\naccomplishment of this my purpose unless destiny becomes favourable. I\nshall, therefore, at this hour, seek the protection of the puissant\nMahadeva! He will dispel this dreadful rod of divine chastisement\nuplifted before me. I will take the shelter of that god, that source of\neverything beneficial, the lord of Uma, otherwise called Kapardin, decked\nwith a garland of human skulls, that plucker of Bhaga's eyes called also\nRudra and Hara. In ascetic austerities and prowess, he far surpasses all\nthe gods. I shall, therefore, seek the protection of Girisha armed with\nthe trident.\"'\"\n\n\n\n7\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'The son of Drona, O monarch, having reflected thus,\ndescended from the terrace of his car and stood, bending his head unto\nthat supreme god. And he said, \"I seek the protection of Him called Ugra,\nSthanu, Shiva, Rudra, Sharva, Ishana, Ishvara, Girisha; and of that\nboon-giving god who is the Creator and Lord of the universe; of Him whose\nthroat is blue, who is without birth, who is called Shakra, who destroyed\nthe sacrifice of Daksha, and who is called Hara; of Him whose form is the\nuniverse, who hath three eyes, who is possessed of multifarious forms,\nand who is the lord of Uma; of Him who resides in crematoriums, who\nswells with energy, who is the lord of diverse tribes of ghostly beings,\nand who is the possessor of undecaying prosperity and power; of Him who\nwields the skull-topped club, who is called Rudra, who bears matted locks\non his head, and who is a brahmacari. Purifying my soul that is so\ndifficult to purify, and possessed as I am of small energy, I adore the\nDestroyer of the triple city, and offer myself as the victim. Hymned thou\nhast been, deserving art thou of hymns, and I hymn to thy glory!\n\n\"'\"Thy purposes are never baffled. Thou art robed in skins; thou hast red\nhair on thy head; thou art blue-throated; thou art unbearable; thou art\nirresistible! Thou art pure; thou art the Creator of Brahman; thou art\nBrahma; thou art a brahmacari; thou art an observer of vows; thou art\ndevoted to ascetic austerities; thou art infinite; thou art the refuge of\nall ascetics; thou art multiform; thou art the leader of diverse tribes\nof ghostly beings; thou art three-eyed; thou art fond of those beings\ncalled companions; thou art always seen by the Lord of treasures; thou\nart dear to Gauri's heart; thou art the sire of Kumara; thou art tawny;\nthou hast for thy excellent bearer a bovine bull; thou art robed in a\nsubtle attire; thou art most fierce; thou art eager to adorn Uma; thou\nart higher than all that is high; thou art higher than everything; there\nis nothing higher than thou; thou art the wielder of weapons; thou art\nimmeasurable, and thou art the protector of all quarters; thou art cased\nin golden armour; thou art divine; thou hast the moon as an ornament on\nthy brow! With concentrated attention, I seek thy protection, O god! For\nsuccess in getting over this dreadful distress that is so difficult to\nget over, I sacrifice unto thee, the purest of the pure, offering for thy\nacceptance the (five) elements of which my body is composed!\"\n\n\"'Knowing this to be his resolution in consequence of his desire to\naccomplish his object, a golden altar appeared before the high-souled son\nof Drona. Upon the altar, O king, appeared a blazing fire, filling all\nthe points of the compass, cardinal and subsidiary, with its splendour.\nMany mighty beings also, of blazing mouths and eyes, of many feet, heads,\nand arms, adorned with angadas set with gems, and with uplifted arms, and\nlooking like elephants and mountains, appeared there. Their faces\nresembled those of hares and boars and camels and horses and jackals and\ncows and bears and cats and tigers and pards and crows and apes and\nparrots. And the faces of some were like those of mighty snakes, and\nothers had faces like those of ducks. And all of them were endued with\ngreat effulgence. And the faces of some were like those of woodpeckers\nand jays, O Bharata, and of tortoises and alligators and porpoises and\nhuge sharks and whales, and of lions and cranes and pigeons and elephants\nand stags. Some had faces like those of ravens and hawks, some had ears\non their hands; some had a 1,000 eyes, some had very large stomachs, and\nsome had no flesh, O Bharata! And some, O king, had no heads, and some, O\nBharata, had faces like those of bears. The eyes of some were like fire,\nand some had fiery complexions. The hair on the heads and bodies of some\nwere blazing and some had four arms, and some, O king, had faces like\nthose of sheep and goats. The colour of some was like that of conchs, and\nsome had faces that resembled conchs, and the ears of some were like\nconchs, some wore garlands made of conchs, and the voices of some\nresembled the blare of conchs. Some had matted locks on their heads, and\nsome had five tufts of hair, and some had heads that were bald. Some had\nlean stomachs; some had four teeth, some had four tongues, some had ears\nstraight as arrows and some had diadems on their brows. Some had strings\nof grass on their bodies, O monarch, and some had curly hair. Some had\nhead-gears made of cloth, some had coronets, some had beautiful faces,\nand some were adorned with ornaments. Some had ornaments made of lotuses,\nand some were decked with flowers. They numbered in hundreds and\nthousands.\n\n\"'Some were armed with shataghnis, some with thunder, and some had mushalas\nin their hands. Some had bhushundis, some had nooses, and some had maces\nin their hands, O Bharata! On the backs of some were slung quivers\ncontaining excellent shafts, and all were fierce in battle. Some had\nstandards with banners and bells, and some were armed with battle-axes.\nSome had large nooses in their uplifted arms, and some had clubs and\nbludgeons. Some had stout posts in their hands, some had scimitars, and\nsome had snakes with erect heads for their diadems. Some had large snakes\n(wound round their upper arms) for angadas, and some had beautiful\nornaments on their persons. Some were begrimed with dust, some smutted\nwith mire, and all were attired in white robes and white garments. The\nlimbs of some were blue, while others had limbs that were tawny. And some\nthere were that were beardless. Those beings, called companions,\npossessed of golden complexions, and filled with joy, played upon drums\nand horns and cymbals and jharjharas and anakas and gomukhas. And some\nsang and some danced about uttering loud sounds, and some leapt forward\nand cut capers and jumped sideways. Endued with great fleetness, they ran\nabout most fiercely, the hair on their heads waving in the air, like huge\nelephants infuriated with passion and frequently uttering loud roars.\nTerrible, and of frightful mien and armed with lances and battle-axes,\nthey were attired in robes of diverse hues and decked with beautiful\ngarlands and unguents. Adorned with angadas decked with gems, and with\nuplifted arms, they were endued with great courage. Capable of forcibly\nslaying all foes, they were irresistible in prowess. Drinkers of blood\nand fat and other animal matter, they subsisted on the flesh and entrails\nof animals. Some had their locks tied in tall tufts above their heads.\nSome had single tufts on their heads; some had rings on their ears; and\nsome had stomachs resembling earthen vessels used for cooking. Some were\nof very short statures, and some were very high in stature. Some were\ntall and very fierce. Some had grim features, some had long lips, and the\ngenital limbs of some were very long. Some had costly and diverse kinds\nof crowns upon their heads; and some had bald heads, and the heads of\nothers were covered with matted locks.\n\n\"'They were capable of bringing down the firmament with the sun, moon, and\nstars, on earth, and exterminating the four orders of created things.\nThey know not what it is to fear, and are capable of enduring the frowns\nof Hara. They always act as they like, and are the lords of the lords of\nthe three worlds. Always engaged in merry sports, they are thorough\nmasters of speech and are perfectly free from pride. Having obtained the\neight kinds of divine attributes, they are never elated with pride. The\ndivine Hara is always filled with wonder at their feats. They are devout\nworshippers of Mahadeva. Adored by them in thought, word, and deed, the\ngreat god protects those worshippers of his, looking upon them, in\nthought, word, and deed as children of his own loins. Filled with rage,\nthey always drink the blood and fat of all haters of Brahma. They always\ndrink also the soma juice endued with four kinds of taste. Having adored\nthe trident-bearing god with Vedic recitations, with brahmacarya, with\nausterities, and with self-restraint, they have obtained the\ncompanionship of Bhava. The divine Maheshvara, that lord of the past, the\npresent, and the future as also Parvati, eat with those diverse tribes of\nmighty beings that partake of their own nature.\n\n\"'Causing the universe to resound with the peal of diverse kinds of\ninstruments, with noise of laughter, with loud sounds and shrieks and\nleonine roar, they approached Ashvatthama. Uttering the praises of\nMahadeva and spreading an effulgent light all around, desirous of\nenhancing the honour of Ashvatthama and the glory of the high-souled\nHara, and wishing to ascertain the extent of Ashvatthama's energy, and\ndesirous also of beholding the slaughter during the hour of sleep, armed\nwith terrible and fierce bludgeons and fiery wheels and battle-axes, that\ncrowd of strange beings, endued with terrible forms, came from every\nside. They were capable of inspiring the three worlds with dread at their\nsight. The mighty Ashvatthama, however, beholding them, felt no fear.\nDrona's son, armed with bow, and with fingers cased in fences made of\niguana skins, himself offered up his own self as a victim unto Mahadeva.\nBows were the fuel, and sharp shafts were the ladles, and his own soul\npossessed of great might was the libation, O Bharata, in that act of\nsacrifice. The valiant and wrathful son of Drona then, with propitiating\nmantras, offered up his own soul as the victim. Having with fierce rites\nadored Rudra of fierce deeds, Ashvatthama with joined hands, said these\nwords unto that high-souled god.\n\n\"'Ashvatthama said, \"Sprung from Angirasa's line, I am about to pour my\nsoul, O god, as a libation on this fire! Accept, O lord, this victim! In\nthis hour of distress, O Soul of the universe, I offer up my own self as\nthe sacrificial victim, from devotion to thee and with heart concentrated\nin meditation! All creatures are in thee and thou art in all creatures!\nAssemblage of all high attributes occur in thee! O lord, O thou art the\nrefuge of all creatures. I wait as a libation for thee, since I am unable\nto vanquish my foes. Accept me, O god.\" Having said these words, Drona's\nson, ascending that sacrificial altar on which a fire blazed brightly,\noffered himself up as the victim and entered that blazing fire.\n\n\"'Beholding him stand immovable and with uplifted hands and as an offering\nup to himself, the divine Mahadeva appeared in person and smilingly said,\n\"With truth, purity, sincerity, resignation, ascetic austerities, vows,\nforgiveness, devotion, patience, thought, and word, I have been duly\nadored by Krishna of pure deeds. For this there is none dearer to me than\nKrishna. For honouring him and at his word I have protected the Pancalas\nand displayed diverse kinds of illusion. By protecting the Pancalas I\nhave honoured him. They have, however, been afflicted by time. The period\nof their lives hath run out.\"\n\n\"'Having said these words unto the high-souled Ashvatthama, the divine\nMahadeva entered Ashvatthama's body after giving him an excellent and\npolished sword. Filled by that divine being, Drona's son blazed up with\nenergy. In consequence of that energy derived from godhead, he became\nall-powerful in battle. Many invisible beings and Rakshasas proceeded\nalong his right and his left as he set out, like the lord Mahadeva\nhimself, for entering the camp of his foes.'\"\n\n\n\n8\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'While Drona's son, that mighty car-warrior, thus\nproceeded towards the hostile camp, did Kripa and Bhoja stop from fear? I\nhope those two car-warriors checked by vulgar guards, did not fly away\nsecretly, thinking their opponents irresistible? Or, have they, after\ngrinding the camp, the Somakas, and the Pandavas, followed, while still\nengaged in battle, the highly glorious path in which Duryodhana has gone?\nAre those heroes, slain by the Pancalas, sleeping on the bare Earth? Did\nthey achieve any feat? Tell me all this, O Sanjaya!'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'When the high-souled son of Drona proceeded towards the\ncamp, Kripa and Kritavarma waited at the gate. Beholding them ready to\nexert themselves, Ashvatthama became filled with joy, and addressing them\nwhisperingly, O king, said, \"If you two exert, you are competent to\nexterminate all the Kshatriyas! What need I say, therefore, of this\nremnant of the (Pandava) army, particularly when it is buried in sleep? I\nshall enter the camp and career like Yama. I am sure that you two will\nact in such way that no man may escape you with life.\"\n\n\"'Having said these words, the son of Drona entered the vast camp of the\nParthas; casting off all fear, he penetrated into it by a spot where\nthere was no door. The mighty-armed hero, having entered the camp,\nproceeded, guided by signs, very softly, towards the quarters of\nDhrishtadyumna. The Pancalas, having achieved great feats, had been much\ntired in battle. They were sleeping in confidence, assembled together,\nand by the side of one another. Entering into Dhrishtadyumna's chamber, O\nBharata, Drona's son beheld the prince of the Pancalas sleeping before\nhim on his bed. He lay on a beautiful sheet of silk upon a costly and\nexcellent bed. Excellent wreaths of flowers were strewn upon that bed and\nit was perfumed with powdered dhupa. Ashvatthama, O king, awoke with a\nkick the high-souled prince sleeping trustfully and fearlessly on his\nbed. Feeling that kick, the prince, irresistible in battle and of\nimmeasurable soul, awaked from sleep and recognised Drona's son standing\nbefore him. As he was rising from his bed, the mighty Ashvatthama seized\nhim by the hair of his head and began to press him down on the earth with\nhis hands. Thus pressed by Ashvatthama with great strength, the prince,\nfrom fear as also from sleepiness, was not able to put forth his strength\nat that time. Striking him with his foot, O king, on both his throat and\nbreast while his victim writhed and roared, Drona's son endeavoured to\nkill him as if he were an animal. The Pancala prince tore Ashvatthama\nwith his nails and at last softly said, \"O preceptor's son, slay me with\na weapon, do not tarry! O best of men, let me, through thy act, repair to\nthe regions of the righteous!\"\n\n\"'Having said this much, that slayer of foes, the son of the Pancala king,\nassailed with strength by that mighty hero, became silent. Hearing those\nindistinct sounds of his, Drona's son said, \"O wretch of thy race, there\nis no region for those that slay their preceptors. For this, O thou of\nwicked understanding, thou deservest not to be slain with any weapon!\"\nWhile saying so, Ashvatthama, filled with rage, began to strike the vital\nparts of his victim with violent kicks of his heels, and slew his foe\nlike a lion slaying an infuriated elephant. At the cries of that hero\nwhile he was being slain, his wives and guards that were in his tent all\nawake, O king! Beholding somebody crushing the prince with superhuman\nforce, they regarded the assailant to be some preternatural being and,\ntherefore, uttered no cries from fear. Having despatched him to Yama's\nabode by such means, Ashvatthama of great energy went out and getting\nupon his beautiful car stayed on it. Indeed, coming out of\nDhrishtadyumna's abode, O king, Ashvatthama caused all the points of the\ncompass to resound with his roars, and then proceeded on his car to other\nparts of the camp for slaying his foes.\n\n\"'After Drona's son, that mighty car-warrior, had gone away, the women and\nall the guards set up a loud wail of woe. Seeing their king slain, all\nthe wives of Dhrishtadyumna, filled with great sorrow, cried. At that\nwail of theirs many mighty Kshatriyas, awaking, put on their armour and\ncame there for enquiring after the cause of those cries. Those ladies,\nterrified at the sight of Ashvatthama, in piteous tones asked the men to\npursue him without delay. They said, \"Whether he is a Rakshasa or a human\nbeing, we know not what he is! Having slain the Pancala king, he stayeth\nthere!\" At these words, those foremost of warriors suddenly surrounded\nDrona's son. The latter slew them all by means of the rudrastra. Having\nslain Dhrishtadyumna and all those followers of his, he beheld Uttamauja\nsleeping on his bed. Attacking him with his foot on the throat and chest,\nDrona's son slew that great hero also while the latter writhed in agony.\nYudhamanyu, coming up and believing his comrade to have been slain by a\nRakshasa, speedily struck Drona's son in the chest with a mace. Rushing\ntowards him, Ashvatthama seized him and brought him down to the ground\nand slew him like an animal while the latter uttered loud shrieks.\n\n\"'Having slain Yudhamanyu thus, that hero proceeded against the other\ncar-warriors of the king, who were all asleep. He slew all those\ntrembling and shrieking warriors like animals in a sacrifice. Taking up\nhis sword then, he slew many others. Proceeding along the diverse paths\nof the camp, one after another, Ashvatthama, accomplished in the use of\nthe sword, beheld diverse gulmas and slew in a trice the unarmed and\ntired warriors sleeping within them. With that excellent sword he cut off\ncombatants and steeds and elephants. Covered all over with blood, he\nseemed then to be Death himself commissioned by time. Causing his foes to\ntremble by the repeated blows of his sword that were of three kinds,\nAshvatthama became bathed in blood. Covered as he was with blood, and\nwielding as he did a blazing sword, his form, as he careered in battle,\nbecame exceedingly terrible and superhuman. Those who awaked from sleep,\nO Kaurava, became stupefied with the loud noise (they heard around).\nBeholding Drona's son, they looked at each other's faces and trembled\n(with fear). Those Kshatriyas, beholding the form of that crusher of\nfoes, believed him to be a Rakshasa and closed their eyes.\n\n\"'Of terrible form, he careered in the camp like Yama himself, and at last\nsaw the sons of Draupadi and the remnant of the Somakas. Alarmed by the\nnoise, and learning that Dhrishtadyumna had been slain, those mighty\ncar-warriors, the sons of Draupadi, armed with bows, fearlessly poured\ntheir shafts on Drona's son. Awakened by their noise, the Prabhadrakas\nwith Shikhandi at their head, began to grind the son of Drona with their\narrows. Drona's son, beholding them shower their arrows on him, uttered a\nloud roar and became desirous of slaying those mighty car-warriors.\nRecollecting the death of his sire, Ashvatthama became filled with rage.\nAlighting from the terrace of his car, he rushed furiously (against his\nenemies). Taking up his bright shield with a 1,000 moons and his massive\nand celestial sword decked with gold, the mighty Ashvatthama rushed\nagainst the sons of Draupadi and began to lay about him with his weapon.\nThen that tiger among men, in that dreadful battle, struck Prativindhya\nin the abdomen, at which the latter, O king, deprived of life, fell down\non the Earth. The valiant Sutasoma, having pierced the son of Drona with\na lance, rushed at him with his uplifted sword. Ashvatthama, however cut\noff Sutasoma's arm with the sword in grasp, and once more struck him in\nthe flank. At this, Sutasoma fell down, bereft of life. The valiant\nShatanika, the son of Nakula, taking up a car-wheel with his two hands,\nviolently struck Ashvatthama at the chest. The regenerate Ashvatthama\nviolently assailed Shatanika after he had hurled that car-wheel.\nExceedingly agitated, Nakula's son fell down upon the Earth, upon which\nDrona's son cut off his head. Then Shrutakarma, taking up a spiked\nbludgeon, attacked Ashvatthama. Furiously rushing at Drona's son, he\nassailed him violently on the left part of his forehead. Ashvatthama\nstruck Shrutakarma with his excellent sword on the face. Deprived of\nsenses and his face disfigured, he fell down lifeless on the Earth. At\nthis noise, the heroic Shrutakirti, that great car-warrior, coming up,\npoured showers of arrows on Ashvatthama. Baffling those arrowy showers\nwith his shield, Ashvatthama cut off from the enemy's trunk the latter's\nbeautiful head adorned with ear-rings. Then the slayer of Bhishma, the\nmighty Shikhandi, with all the Prabhadrakas, assailed the hero from every\nside with diverse kinds of weapons. Shikhandi struck Ashvatthama with an\narrow in the midst of his two eyebrows. Filled with rage at this, Drona's\nson, possessed of great might, approached Shikhandi and cut him into\ntwain with his sword. Having slain Shikhandi, Ashvatthama, filled with\nrage, rushed furiously against the other Prabhadrakas. He proceeded also\nagainst the remnant of Virata's force.\n\n\"'Endued with great strength, Drona's son made a heavy carnage amongst the\nsons, the grandsons, and the followers of Drupada, singling them out one\nafter another. Accomplished in the use of the sword, Ashvatthama then,\nrushing against other combatants, cut them down with his excellent sword.\nThe warriors in the Pandava camp beheld that Death-Night in her embodied\nform, a black image, of bloody mouth and bloody eyes, wearing crimson\ngarlands and smeared with crimson unguents, attired in a single piece of\nred cloth, with a noose in hand, and resembling an elderly lady, employed\nin chanting a dismal note and standing full before their eyes, and about\nto lead away men and steeds and elephants all tied in a stout cord. She\nseemed to take away diverse kinds of spirits, with dishevelled hair and\ntied together in a cord, as also, O king, many mighty car-warriors\ndivested of their weapons. On other days, O sire, the foremost warriors\nof the Pandava camp used to see in their dreams that figure leading away\nthe sleeping combatants and Drona's son smiting them behind! The Pandava\nsoldiers saw that lady and Drona's son in their dreams every night from\nthe day when the battle between the Kurus and the Pandavas first\ncommenced. Afflicted before by Destiny, they were now smitten by Drona's\nson who terrified them all with the frightful roars uttered by him.\nAfflicted by Destiny, the brave warriors of the Pandava camp,\nrecollecting the sight they had seen in their dreams, identified it with\nwhat they now witnessed.\n\n\"'At the noise made, hundreds and thousands of Pandava bowmen in the camp\nawoke from their slumbers. Ashvatthama cut off the legs of some, and the\nhips of others, and pierced some in their flanks, careering like the\nDestroyer himself let loose by Time. The Earth, O lord, was soon covered\nwith human beings that were crushed into shapelessness or trodden down by\nelephants and steeds and with others that roared in great affliction.\nMany of them loudly exclaimed, \"What is this?\" \"Who is this one?\" \"What\nis this noise?\" \"Who is doing what?\" While uttering such shrieks, Drona's\nson became their Destroyer. That foremost of smiters, the son of Drona,\ndespatched to regions of Yama all those Pandus and Srinjayas who were\nwithout armour and weapons. Terrified at that noise, many awoke from\nsleep. Possessed with fear, blinded by sleep, and deprived of their\nsenses, those warriors seemed to vanish (before the fury of Ashvatthama).\nThe thighs of many were paralysed and many were so stupefied that they\nlost all their energy. Shrieking and possessed with fear, they began to\nslay one another. Drona's son once more got upon his car of terrible\nclatter and taking up his bow despatched many with his shafts to Yama's\nabode. Others awoke from sleep, brave warriors and foremost of men, as\nthey came towards Ashvatthama, were slain before they could approach him\nand were thus offered up as victims unto that Death-Night. Crushing many\nwith that foremost of cars, he careered through the camp, and covered his\nfoes with repeated showers of arrows. Once again with that beautiful\nshield of his, adorned with hundred moons, and with that sword of his\nwhich was of the hue of the welkin, he careered amidst his enemies. Like\nan elephant agitating a large lake, Drona's son, irresistible in battle,\nagitated the camp of the Pandavas.\n\n\"'Awaked by the noise, O king, many warriors, afflicted still with sleep\nand fear, and with senses still under a cloud, ran hither and thither.\nMany shrieked in harsh tones and many uttered incoherent exclamations.\nMany succeeded not in obtaining their weapons and armour. The locks of\nmany were dishevelled, and many failed to recognise one another. Having\nrisen from sleep, many fell down, fatigued; some wandered here and there\nwithout any purpose. Elephants and steeds, breaking their cords, passed\nexcreta and urine. Many, causing great confusion, huddled together.\nAmongst these, some through fear laid themselves down on the earth. The\nanimals of the camp crushed them there.\n\n\"'While the camp was in this state, Rakshasas, O king, uttered loud roars\nin joy, O chief of the Bharatas! The loud noise, O king, uttered by\nghostly beings in joy, filled all the points of the compass and the\nwelkin. Hearing the wails of woe, elephants, steeds, breaking their\ncords, rushed hither and thither, crushing the combatants in the camp. As\nthose animals rushed hither and thither, the dust raised by them made the\nnight doubly dark. When that thick gloom set in, the warriors in the camp\nbecame perfectly stupefied; sires recognised not their sons, brothers\nrecognised not their brothers. Elephants assailing riderless elephants,\nand steeds assailing riderless steeds, assailed and broke and crushed the\npeople that stood in their way. Losing all order, combatants rushed and\nslew one another, and felling those that stood in their way, crushed them\ninto pieces. Deprived of their senses and overcome with sleep, and\nenveloped in gloom, men, impelled by fate, slew their own comrades. The\nguards, leaving the gates they watched, and those at duty at the outposts\nleaving the posts they guarded, fled away for their lives, deprived of\ntheir senses and not knowing whither they proceeded. They slew one\nanother, the slayers, O lord, not recognising the slain. Afflicted by\nFate, they cried after their sires and sons. While they fled, abandoning\ntheir friends and relatives, they called upon one another, mentioning\ntheir families and names. Other, uttering cries of \"Oh!\" and \"Alas!\" fell\ndown on the earth. In the midst of the battle, Drona's son, recognising\nthem, slew them all.\n\n\"'Other Kshatriyas, while being slaughtered, lost their senses, and\nafflicted by fear, sought to fly away from their camps. Those men that\nsought to fly away from their camp for saving their lives, were slain by\nKritavarma and Kripa at the gate. Divested of weapons and instruments and\narmour, and with dishevelled hair, they joined their hands. Trembling\nwith fear, they were on the ground. The two Kuru warriors, however, (who\nwere on their cars) gave quarter to none. None amongst those that escaped\nfrom the camp was let off by those two wicked persons, Kripa and\nKritavarma. Then again, for doing that which was highly agreeable to\nDrona's son, those two set fire to the Pandava camp in three places.\n\n\"'When the camp was lighted, Ashvatthama, that delighter of his sires, O\nmonarch, careered, sword in hand and smiting his foes with great skill.\nSome of his brave foes rushed towards him and some ran hither and\nthither. That foremost of regenerate ones, with his sword, deprived all\nof them of their lives. The valiant son of Drona, filled with rage,\nfelled some of the warriors, cutting them in twain with his sword as if\nthey were sesame stalks. The Earth, O bull of Bharata's race, became\nstrewn with the fallen bodies of the foremost of men and steeds and\nelephants mingled together and uttering woeful wails and cries. When\nthousands of men had fallen down deprived of life, innumerable headless\ntrunks stood up and fell down. Ashvatthama, O Bharata, cut off arms\nadorned with angadas and holding weapons in grasp, and heads, and thighs\nresembling trunks of elephants, and hands, and feet. The illustrious son\nof Drona mangled the backs of some, cut off the heads of some, and caused\nsome to turn away from the fight. And he cut off some at the middle, and\nlopped off the ears of others, and struck others on the shoulders, and\npressed down the heads of some into their trunks.\n\n\"'As Ashvatthama careered in this way, slaughtering thousands of men, the\ndeep night became more terrible in consequence of the darkness that set\nin. The earth became terrible to behold, strewn with thousands of human\nbeings dead and dying and innumerable steeds and elephants. Cut off by\nthe enraged son of Drona, his foes fell down on the earth that was then\ncrowded with Yakshas and Rakshasas, and frightful with (broken) cars and\nslain steeds and elephants. Some called upon their brothers, some upon\ntheir sires, and some upon their sons. And some said, \"The Dhartarashtras\nin rage could never accomplish such feats in battle as these which\nRakshasas of wicked deeds are achieving (upon us) during the hour of\nsleep! It is only in consequence of the absence of the Parthas that this\ngreat slaughter is going on. That son of Kunti, who hath Janardana for\nhis protector, is incapable of being vanquished by gods, Asuras,\nGandharvas, Yakshas and Rakshasas! Devoted to Brahma, truthful in speech,\nself-restrained, and compassionate towards all creatures, that son of\nPritha, called Dhananjaya, never slaughters one that is asleep, or one\nthat is heedless, or one that has laid aside his weapons or one that has\njoined his hands in supplication, or one that is retreating, or one whose\nlocks have been dishevelled. Alas, they are Rakshasas of wicked deeds who\nare perpetrating such terrible act upon us.\" Uttering such words, many\nlaid themselves down.\n\n\"'The loud din caused by the cries and groans of human beings died away\nwithin a short space of time. The earth being drenched with blood, O\nking, that thick and frightful dust soon disappeared. Thousands of men\nmoving in agony, overwhelmed with anxiety and overcome with despair, were\nslain by Ashvatthama like Rudra slaying living creatures. Many who laid\nthemselves down on the ground clasping one another, and many who sought\nto fly away, and many who sought to hide themselves, and many who\nstruggled in battle, were all slain by the son of Drona. Burnt by the\nraging flames and slaughtered by Ashvatthama, the men, losing their\nsenses, slew one another. Before half the night was over, the son of\nDrona, O monarch, despatched the large host of the Pandavas unto Yama's\nabode.\n\n\"'That night, so terrible and destructive unto human beings and elephants\nand steeds filled with joy all creatures that wander in the dark. Many\nRakshasas and Pishacas of various tribes were seen there, gorging upon\nhuman flesh and quaffing the blood that lay on the ground. They were\nfierce, tawny in hue, terrible, of adamantine teeth, and dyed with blood.\nWith matted locks on their heads, their thighs were long and massive;\nendued with five feet, their stomachs were large. Their fingers were set\nbackwards. Of harsh temper and ugly features, their voice was loud and\nterrible. They had rows of tinkling bells tied to their bodies. Possessed\nof blue throats, they looked very frightful. Exceedingly cruel and\nincapable of being looked at without fear, and without abhorrence for\nanything, they came there with their children and wives. Indeed, diverse\nwere the forms seen there of the Rakshasas that came. Quaffing the blood\nthat ran in streams, they became filled with joy and began to dance in\nseparate bands. \"This is excellent!\" \"This is pure!\" \"This is very\nsweet!\" these were the words they uttered.\n\n\"'Other carnivorous creatures, subsisting upon animal food, having gorged\nupon fat and marrow and bones and blood, began to eat the delicate parts\nof corpses. Others, drinking the fat that flowed in streams, ran naked\nover the field. Possessed of diverse kinds of faces, other carnivorous\nbeings of great ferocity, and living upon dead flesh, came there in tens\nof thousands and millions. Grim and gigantic Rakshasas also, of wicked\ndeeds, came there in bands as numerous. Other ghostly beings, filled with\njoy and gorged to satiety, O king, also came there and were seen in the\nmidst of that dreadful carnage.\n\n\"'When morning dawned, Ashvatthama desired to leave the camp. He was then\nbathed in human blood and the hilt of his sword so firmly adhered in his\ngrasp that his hand and sword, O king, became one! Having walked in that\npath that is never trod (by good warriors), Ashvatthama, after that\nslaughter, looked like the blazing fire at the end of the yuga after it\nhas consumed all creatures into ashes. Having perpetrated that feat\nagreeably to his vow, and having trod in that untrodden way, Drona's son,\nO lord, forgot his grief for the slaughter of his sire. The Pandava camp,\nin consequence of the sleep in which all within it were buried, was\nperfectly still when Drona's son had entered it in the night.\n\n\"'After the nocturnal slaughter, when all became once more quiet,\nAshvatthama issued from it. Having issued from the camp, the valiant\nAshvatthama met his two companions and, filled with joy, told them of his\nfeat, gladdening them, O king, by the intelligence. Those two, in return,\ndevoted as they were to his good, gave him the agreeable intelligence of\nhow they also had slaughtered thousands of Pancalas and Srinjayas (at the\ngates). Even thus did that night prove terribly destructive to the\nSomakas who had been heedless and buried in sleep. The course of time,\nwithout doubt, is irresistible. Those who had exterminated us were\nthemselves exterminated now.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Why is it that that mighty car-warrior, the son of\nDrona, did not achieve such a feat before although he had resolutely\nexerted himself for bestowing victory upon Duryodhana? For what reason\ndid that great bowman do this after the slaughter of the wretched\nDuryodhana? It behoveth thee to tell me this!'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Through fear of the Parthas, O son of Kuru's race,\nAshvatthama could not achieve such a feat then. It was owing to the\nabsence of the Parthas and the intelligent Keshava as also of Satyaki,\nthat Drona's son could accomplish it. Who is there, the lord Indra\nunexcepted, that is competent to slay them in the presence of these\nheroes? Besides, O king, Ashvatthama succeeded in accomplishing the feat\nonly because the men were all asleep. Having caused that vast slaughter\nof the Pandava forces, those three great car-warriors (Ashvatthama, Kripa\nand Kritavarma), meeting together, exclaimed, \"Good luck!\" His two\ncompanions congratulated Ashvatthama, and the latter was also embraced by\nthem. In great joy the latter uttered these words: \"All the Pancalas have\nbeen slain, as also all the sons of Draupadi! All the Somakas also, as\nwell as all that remained of the Matsyas, have been slaughtered by me!\nCrowned with success, let us without delay go there where the king is! If\nthe king be still alive, we will give him this joyful intelligence!\"'\"\n\n\n\n9\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Having slain all the Pancalas and the sons of Draupadi,\nthe three Kuru heroes together came to that spot where Duryodhana lay,\nstruck down by the foe. Arrived there, they beheld that life had not been\nwholly extinct in the king. Jumping down from their cars, they surrounded\nthy son. The Kuru king, O monarch, was lying there with broken thighs.\nAlmost senseless, his life was about to ebb away. He was vomiting blood\nat intervals, with downcast eyes. He was then surrounded by a large\nnumber of carnivorous animals of terrible forms, and by wolves and\nhyenas, that awaited at no great distance for feeding upon his body. With\ngreat difficulty the king was keeping off those beasts of prey that stood\nin expectation of feasting upon him. He was writhing on the earth in\ngreat agony. Beholding him thus lying on the earth, bathed in his own\nblood, the three heroes who were the sole survivors of his army,\nAshvatthama and Kripa and Kritavarma, became afflicted with grief and sat\nsurrounding him. Encompassed by those three mighty car-warriors who were\ncovered with blood and who breathed hot sighs, the Kuru king looked like\na sacrificial altar surrounded by three fires. Beholding the king lying\nin that highly undeserving plight, the three heroes wept in unendurable\nsorrow. Wiping the blood from off his face with their hands, they uttered\nthese piteous lamentations in the hearing of the king lying on the field\nof battle.\n\n\"'Kripa said, \"There is nothing too difficult for destiny to bring about,\nsince even this king Duryodhana who was the lord of eleven Akshauhinis of\ntroops sleepeth on the bare ground, struck down by the foes and covered\nwith blood! Behold, fond he was of the mace, and that mace decked with\npure gold still lieth by the side of the king whose splendour still\nresembles that of pure gold! In no battle did that mace abandon this\nhero! Even now, when he is about to ascend to heaven, that weapon leaveth\nnot this illustrious warrior. Behold, that weapon, adorned with pure\ngold, still lieth by the side of this hero like a loving wife by the side\nof her lord stretched on his bed in his chamber of sleep. Behold the\nreverses brought about by Time! This scorcher of foes that used to walk\nat the head of all crowned kings, now eateth the dust struck down (by the\nfoe)! He who had formerly struck down many foes and caused them to lie on\nthe bare ground, alas, that king of the Kurus lieth today on the bare\nground, struck down by foes. He to whom hundreds of kings used to bow\ndown in fear, lieth today on the field of battle, surrounded by beasts of\nprey. The Brahmanas formerly used to wait upon this lord for wealth.\nAlas, beasts of prey wait upon him today for feeding upon his body!\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Beholding that chief of Kuru's race lying on the\nground, Ashvatthama, O best of the Bharatas, uttered these piteous\nlamentations: \"O tiger among kings, all people indicated thee as the\nforemost of all bowmen! People also said that (in encounters with the\nmace) thou, a disciple of Sankarshana, wert like the Lord of treasures\n(Kuvera), himself! How then, O sinless one, could Bhima notice any lapses\nin thee! Thou wert ever mighty and possessed of skill! He, on the other\nhand, O king, is a wicked-souled wight! Without doubt, O monarch, Time in\nthis world is mightier than everything else, for we behold even thee\nstruck down by Bhimasena in battle! Alas, how could the wretched and mean\nVrikodara unrighteously strike thee down, thee that wert conversant with\nevery rule of righteousness! Without doubt, Time is irresistible. Alas,\nhaving summoned thee to a fair fight, Bhimasena, putting forth his might,\nfractured thy thighs. Fie on that wretched Yudhishthira who tolerated the\nhead of one unrighteously struck down in battle to be touched with the\nfoot! In all battles warriors will certainly reprove Vrikodara as long as\nthe world will last. Without doubt, thou hast been struck down\nunrighteously!\n\n\"'\"The valiant Rama of Yadu's race, O king, always used to say that there\nis no one equal to Duryodhana in encounters with the mace. He of the\nVrishni race, O Bharata, used to boast of thee, O lord, in every assembly,\nsaying, Duryodhana of Kurus race is a worthy disciple of mine!' Thou hast\nobtained that end which great Rishis have declared to be the high reward\nof a Kshatriya slain in battle with his face towards the foe. I do not, O\nbull among men, grieve for thee, O Duryodhana! I grieve only for thy\nmother Gandhari and thy sire, childless as they now are. Afflicted with\nsorrow, they will have to wander over the earth, begging their food. Fie\non Krishna, Vrishni's race, and on Arjuna of wicked understanding! They\nregard themselves conversant with the duties of morality, yet both of\nthem stood indifferent whilst thou wert being slain! How will the other\nPandavas, shameless though they are, O king, speak of the manner in which\nthey have accomplished thy death? Thou art highly fortunate, O son of\nGandhari, since thou hast been slain on the field of battle, O bull among\nmen, while advancing fairly against the foe. Alas, what will be the\nplight of Gandhari who is now childless, and who hath lost all her\nkinsmen and relatives! What also will be the plight of the blind king!\n\n\"'\"Fie on Kritavarma, on myself, as also on mighty car-warrior Kripa, since\nwe have not yet gone to heaven with thy royal self before us! Fie on us,\nlowest of mortals, since we do not follow thee that wert the granter of\nall wishes, the protector of all men, and the benefactor of all thy\nsubjects! Through thy power, the abodes of Kripa, of myself, and of my\nsire, along with those of our dependants, O tiger among men, are full of\nwealth. Through thy grace, ourselves with our friends and relatives have\nperformed many foremost of sacrifices with a profusion of presents to\nBrahmanas. Where shall such sinful persons as ourselves now go, since\nthou hast gone to heaven, taking with thee all the kings of the earth?\nSince we three, O king, do not follow thee that art about to obtain the\nhighest end (of life), it is for this that we are indulging in such\nlamentations. Deprived of thy companionship, reft of wealth, our memories\npainfully dwelling upon thy prosperity, alas, what will be our lot since\nwe do not go with thee? Without doubt, O chief of Kuru's race, we shall\nhave to wander in grief on the earth. Deprived of thee, O king, where can\nwe have peace and where can we have happiness?\n\n\"'\"Going from this world, O monarch, and meeting with those mighty\ncar-warriors (that have preceded thee), show thy regards to them, at my\nrequest, one after another, according to the order of their rank and\nyears. Having offered worship to thy preceptor, that foremost of all\nwielders of bows, tell him, O king, that Dhrishtadyumna hath been slain\nby me. Embrace king Bahlika, that mighty car-warrior, as also the ruler\nof the Sindhus, and Somadatta, Bhurishrava, and the other foremost of\nkings that have preceded thee to heaven. At my request, embrace all of\nthem and enquire after their welfare.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Having said these words unto the king deprived of his\nsenses and lying with broken thighs, Ashvatthama once more cast his eyes\non him and uttered these words, \"If, O Duryodhana, thou hast any life in\nthee still, listen to these words that are so pleasant to hear. On the\nside of the Pandavas, only seven are alive, and among the Dhartarashtras,\nonly we three! The seven on their side are the five brothers and Vasudeva\nand Satyaki; on our side, we three are myself and Kripa and Kritavarma!\nAll the sons of Draupadi have been slain, as also all the children of\nDhrishtadyumna! All the Pancalas too have been slain, as also the remnant\nof the Matsyas, O Bharata! Behold the vengeance taken for what they had\ndone! The Pandavas are now childless! While buried in sleep, the men and\nanimals in their camp have all been slain! Penetrating into their camp in\nthe night, O king, I have slain Dhrishtadyumna, that wight of sinful\ndeeds, as one kills an animal.\"\n\n\"'Duryodhana then, having heard those words that were so agreeable to his\nheart, regained his senses and said these words in reply, \"That which\nneither Ganga's son, nor Karna, nor thy sire, could achieve, hath at last\nbeen achieved by thee today, accompanied by Kripa and Bhoja. Thou hast\nslain that low wretch (Dhrishtadyumna) who was commander of the Pandava\nforces, as also Shikhandi. In consequence of this I regard myself equal\nto Maghavat himself! Good be to you all! Let prosperity be yours! All of\nus will again meet together in heaven!\"\n\n\"'Having said these words the high-souled king of the Kurus became silent.\nCasting off his griefs for all his (slain) kinsmen, he then gave up his\nlife-breath. His soul ascended to sacred heaven, while his body only\nremained on earth. Even thus, O king, thy son Duryodhana breathed his\nlast. Having provoked the battle first, he was slain by his foes at last.\nThe three heroes repeatedly embraced the king and gazed steadfastly on\nhim. They then ascended their cars. Having heard these piteous\nlamentations of Drona's son, I came away at early dawn towards the city.\nEven thus the armies of the Kurus and Pandavas have been destroyed. Great\nand terrible have been that carnage, O king, caused by thy evil policy.\nAfter thy son had ascended to heaven, I became afflicted with grief and\nthe spiritual sight which the rishi gave hath been lost by me!'\"\n\nVaishampayana continued, \"The king, hearing of his son's death, breathed\nlong and hot sighs, and became plunged in great anxiety.\"\n\n\n\n10\n\nVaishampayana said, \"After that night had gone away, the driver of\nDhrishtadyumna's car gave intelligence to king Yudhishthira of the great\nslaughter that had been caused during the hour of sleep.\n\n\"The driver said, 'The sons of Draupadi, O king, have been slain, with all\nthe children of Drupada himself, while they were heedless and trustfully\nasleep in their own camp! During the night, O king, thy camp has been\nexterminated by the cruel Kritavarma, and Kripa, the son of Gautama, and\nthe sinful Ashvatthama! Slaying thousands of men and elephants and steeds\nwith lances and darts and battle-axes, those men have exterminated thy\narmy. While thy army was being slaughtered like a forest cut down with\naxes, a loud wail was heard rising from thy camp. I am the sole survivor,\nO monarch, of that vast force. I have, O thou of virtuous soul, escaped\nwith difficulty from Kritavarma at a time when he was heedless!'\n\n\"Hearing these evil tidings, Kunti's son Yudhishthira, however, capable of\nbearing up (against foes), fell down on the earth, afflicted with grief\nat the loss of his sons. Advancing forward, Satyaki held the king in his\nembrace. Bhimasena and Arjuna and the two sons of Madri also stretched\nforth their arms. Having recovered his senses, the son of Kunti lamented\nin great affliction, uttering these words rendered indistinct by sorrow:\n'Alas, having vanquished the foe, we have ourselves been vanquished in\nthe end! The course of events is difficult to be ascertained even by\npersons endued with spiritual sight. The foes, who were vanquished have\nbecome victorious! Ourselves, again, while victorious, are vanquished!\nHaving slain brothers and friends and sires and sons and well-wishers,\nand kinsmen, and counsellors, and having vanquished them all, we\nourselves are vanquished at last! Misery looks like prosperity and\nprosperity looks like misery! This our victory has assumed the shape of\ndefeat. Our victory, therefore, has ended in defeat! Having won the\nvictory, I am obliged to grieve as an afflicted wretch. How, then, can I\nregard it as a victory? In reality, I have been doubly defeated by the\nfoe. They for whose sake we have incurred the sin of victory by slaying\nour kinsmen and friends, alas, they, after victory had crowned them, have\nbeen vanquished by defeated foes that were heedful!\n\n\"'Alas, through heedlessness have they been slain that had escaped from\neven Karna, that warrior who had barbed arrows and Nalikas for his teeth,\nthe sword for his tongue, the bow for his gaping mouth, and the twang of\nthe bowstring and the sound of palms for his roars--that angry Karna who\nnever retreated from battle, and who was a very lion among men! Alas,\nthose princes that succeeded in crossing, by boats constituted by their\nown excellent weapons, the great Drona-ocean having cars for its deep\nlakes, showers of arrows for its waves, the ornaments of warriors for its\ngems, car-steeds for its animals, darts and swords for its fishes,\nelephants for its alligators, bows for its whirlpools, mighty weapons for\nits foam, and the signal of battle for its moonrise causing it to swell\nwith energy, and the twang of the bowstring and the sound of palms for\nits roar,--alas, even those princes have from heedlessness been slain!\n\n\"'There is, in this world, no more powerful cause of death, as regards men,\nthan heedlessness! Prosperity abandons a heedless man from every side,\nand every kind of misery overtakes him. The tall standard with excellent\ntop that stood on his car was the wreath of smoke that infallibly\nindicated the Bhishma-fire. Shafts constituted its flames, and wrath was\nthe wind that fanned it! The twang of his formidable bow and the sound of\nhis palms constituted the roar of that fire. Armour and diverse kinds of\nweapons were the homa libations that were poured into it. The vast\nhostile army was the heap of dry forest-grass that was assailed by that\nfire. Alas, even they that had endured that fierce fire whose terrible\nenergy was represented by the mighty weapons in Bhishma's hand have at\nlast fallen through heedlessness.\n\n\"'A heedless person can never acquire knowledge, asceticism, prosperity, or\ngreat renown. Behold, Indra has obtained great happiness after slaying\nall his foes heedfully. Behold the survivors among our foes have, through\nour heedlessness, slain so many sons and grandsons of kings, each of whom\nwas really like Indra himself. Alas, they have perished like merchants\nwith rich freight perishing through carelessness in a shallow stream\nafter having crossed the great ocean. They whose bodies are now lying on\nthe bare ground, slain by those vindictive wretches, have without doubt\nascended to heaven.\n\n\"'I grieve, however, for the princess Krishna. Alas, she will be plunged\ntoday in an ocean of grief. Hearing of the slaughter of her brothers and\nsons and her venerable sire, the king of the Pancalas, without doubt she\nwill fall down senseless on the earth. Her body emaciated by grief, she\nwill not rise again. Unable to bear the grief resulting from such\naffliction, and worthy as she is of happiness, alas, what will be her\nplight? Cut to the quick by the slaughter of her sons and brothers, she\nwill be like one scorched by fire.'\n\nHaving in deep affliction indulged in these lamentations, that king of\nKuru's race then addressed Nakula, saying, 'Go and bring the unfortunate\nprincess Draupadi here along with all her maternal relations.' Obediently\naccepting that command of the king who equalled Yama himself in\nrighteousness, Nakula speedily proceeded on his car to the quarters of\nDraupadi where that princess resided with all the wives of the Pancala\nking. Having despatched the son of Madri, Yudhishthira, crushed by grief,\nproceeded with tears in his eyes accompanied by those friends of his, to\nthe field on which his sons had battled and which still teemed with\ndiverse kinds of creatures. Having entered that cursed field abounding\nwith fierce sights, the king saw his sons, well-wishers, and friends, all\nlying on the ground, covered with blood, their bodies mangled, and heads\nseparated from their trunks. Beholding them in that plight, Yudhishthira,\nthat foremost of righteous men, became deeply afflicted. That chief of\nthe Kurus then began to weep aloud and fell down on the earth, deprived\nof his senses, along with all his followers.\"\n\n\n\n11\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Beholding his sons, grandsons, and friends all slain\nin battle, the king's soul became overwhelmed with great grief, O\nJanamejaya! Recollecting those sons and grandsons and brothers and\nallies, a deep sorrow took possession of the illustrious monarch.\nSenseless and trembling, his eyes were bathed in tears. His friends then,\nthemselves filled with anxiety, began to comfort him.\n\n\"At that time, Nakula, skilled in executing errands, arrived there on his\ncar of solar effulgence, accompanied by the princess Krishna in great\naffliction. She had been residing at Upaplavya. Having received that\nheartrending intelligence about the slaughter of all her sons, she became\nexceedingly agitated. Trembling like a plantain tree shaken by the wind,\nthe princess Krishna, arrived at the presence of Yudhishthira, fell down,\nafflicted by grief. Her face, adorned with eyes resembling a couple of\nfull-blown lotuses, seemed to be darkened by grief like the Sun himself\nwhen enveloped in darkness.\n\n\"Beholding her prostrate on the earth, the wrathful Vrikodara, of prowess\nincapable of being baffled, advancing hastily, raised her up and clasped\nher with his arms. The beautiful lady, comforted by Bhimasena, began to\nweep, and addressing the eldest son of Pandu with his brothers, said, 'By\ngood luck, O monarch, having obtained the whole earth, thou shalt enjoy\nher after the slaughter of thy brave sons in the observance of Kshatriya\nduties. By good luck, O son of Pritha, thou art happy at the thought of\nhaving obtained the whole earth. By good luck, thy thoughts do not dwell\non Subhadra's son whose tread resembled that of an infuriated elephant.\nBy good luck, thou dost not, like myself while residing at Upaplavya,\nrecollect thy heroic sons slaughtered in the observance of Kshatriya\nduties. O son of Pritha, hearing of the slaughter of those sleeping\nheroes by Drona's son of sinful deeds, grief burns me as if I were in the\nmidst of a fire. If Drona's son be not made to reap the fruit of that\nsinful deed of his, if, putting forth your prowess in battle, thou dost\nnot take the life of that wretch of sinful deeds, along with the lives of\nall his followers, then listen to me, ye Pandavas, I shall sit here in\npraya!'\n\n\"Having said these words, the helpless Krishna, the daughter of Yajnasena,\nsat by the side of the eldest son of Pandu, king Yudhishthira the just.\nThe royal sage, Yudhishthira, of righteous soul, seeing his dear queen\nsit in praya, addressed her, saying, 'O auspicious lady, O thou that art\nconversant with morality, all thy sons and brothers have righteously met\nwith a noble death. It behoveth thee not to grieve for them. As regards\nDrona's son, he hath gone to a distant forest, O beautiful princess! How\nshall thou O lady, make thyself sure of his fall in battle?'\n\n\"Draupadi answered, 'I have heard that Drona's son hath a gem on his head,\nborn with him. I shall see that gem brought to me after the slaughter of\nthat wretch in battle. Placing that gem on thy head, O king, I shall\nendure to live. Even this is my resolve.'\n\n\"Having said these words unto the royal son of Pandu, the beautiful\nKrishna approached Bhimasena and said these words of high purpose unto\nhim: 'Remembering the duties of a Kshatriya, O Bhima, it behoveth thee to\ncome to my rescue. Slay that man of sinful deeds like Maghavat slaying\nSamvara. There is no one in this world who is equal to thee in prowess.\nIt is known throughout the world how on an occasion of great calamity\nthou becamest at the town Varanavata the refuge of all the Parthas. When\nagain we were seen by Hidimba, it was thou that becamest our refuge in\nthe same way. Like Maghavat rescuing (his spouse) the daughter of Puloma,\nthou didst rescue my afflicted self, in Virata's city, from a great\ncalamity. Like those great feats, O Partha, that thou didst achieve in\nformer days, slay now, O slayer of foes, the son of Drona and be thou\nhappy!'\n\n\"Hearing these and other piteous lamentations of the princess, Kunti's\nson, Bhimasena, of great might, could not endure them. He mounted upon\nhis great car adorned with gold and took his beautiful bow with arrow\nplaced on the string. Making Nakula his charioteer, and resolved upon\nslaying the son of Drona, he began to stretch his bow and caused his\nsteeds to be urged without delay. Those steeds, fleet as the wind, thus\nurged, O tiger among men, proceeded with great speed. Possessed of great\nvalour and unfading energy, Bhima set out from the Pandava camp and\nproceeded with great celerity along the track of Ashvatthama's vehicle.\"\n\n\n\n12\n\nVaishampayana said, \"After the irresistible Bhimasena had set out, that\nbull of Yadu's race, possessed of eyes like lotus-petals, addressed\nKuru's son Yudhishthira, saying, 'O son of Pandu, this brother of thine,\noverwhelmed with grief at the slaughter of his sons, proceedeth alone to\nbattle, from desire of slaying the son of Drona. O bull of Bharata's\nrace, of all thy brothers, Bhima is thy dearest! Beholding him fallen\ninto a great danger why dost thou not stir thyself? The weapon called\nbrahmashira, which that subjugator of hostile towns, Drona, communicated\nto his son, is capable of consuming the whole world. The illustrious and\nhighly blessed preceptor, that foremost of all wielders of bows,\ndelighted with Dhananjaya, had given him that very weapon. Unable to\nendure it, his only son then begged it of him. Unwillingly he imparted\nthe knowledge of that weapon to Ashvatthama. The illustrious Drona knew\nthe restlessness of his son. Acquainted with all duties, the preceptor\nlaid this command on him, saying, \"Even when overtaken by the greatest\ndanger, O child in the midst of battle, thou shouldst never use this\nweapon, particularly against human beings.\" Even thus the preceptor Drona\nspoke unto his son. A little while after he again spoke, saying, \"O bull\namong men, thou wilt not, it seems, walk in the path of the righteous.\"\nHearing those bitter words of his sire, the wicked-souled Ashvatthama, in\ndespair of obtaining every kind of prosperity, began in grief to wander\nover the earth.\n\n\"'Then, O chief of the Kurus, while you were living in the woods, O\nBharata, he came to Dvaraka and took up his abode there, worshipped by\nthe Vrishnis. One day, after he had taken up his abode in Dvaraka, he\ncame to me, without a companion and when I myself was without anybody by\nmy side, on the seacoast, and there smilingly addressing me said, \"O\nKrishna, that weapon, called brahmashira, worshipped by gods and\nGandharvas, which my sire, the preceptor of the Bharatas, of prowess\nincapable of being baffled, and obtained from Agastya after performing\nthe austerest penances, is now with me, O Dasharha, as much as it is with\nmy sire. O foremost one of Yadu's race, in exchange for that celestial\nweapon, give me thy discus which is capable of slaying all foes in\nbattle.\"\n\n\"'While he with joined palms and great importunity thus begged of me my\ndiscus, myself, O bull of Bharata's race, from desire of gladdening him,\ntold him these words: \"Gods, Danavas, Gandharvas, men, birds and snakes,\nassembled together, are not equal to even a hundredth part of my energy.\nI have this bow, this dart, this discus, and this mace. I will give thee\nwhichever amongst these thou desirest to have from me. Without giving me\nthe weapon thou wishest to give, take from among these weapons of mine\nwhichever thou mayest be able to wield and use in battle.\"\n\n\"'Thus addressed, the illustrious son of Drona, as if challenging me,\nsolicited at my hands my discus of excellent nave and hard as thunder,\npossessed of a 1,000 spokes, and made of iron. \"Take it,\" I said unto him.\nThus addressed, he rose suddenly and seized the discus with his left\nhand. He failed, however, to even move the weapon from the spot on which\nit lay. He then made preparations for seizing it with his right hand.\nHaving seized it then very firmly and having put forth all his strength,\nhe still failed to either wield or move it. At this, Drona's son became\nfilled with sorrow. After he was tired with the exertions he made, he\nceased, O Bharata!\n\n\"'When he withdrew his heart from that purpose, I addressed the anxious and\nsenseless Ashvatthama and said, \"He who is always regarded as the\nforemost of all human beings, that wielder of Gandiva, that warrior\nhaving white steeds yoked unto his car, that hero owning the prince of\napes for the device on his standard, that hero who, desirous of\nvanquishing in a wrestling encounter the god of gods, the blue-throated\nlord of Uma, gratified the great Shankara himself, that Phalguna than\nwhom I have no dearer friend on earth, that friend to whom there is\nnothing that I cannot give including my very wives and children, that\ndear friend Partha of unstained acts, never said unto me, O Brahmana,\nsuch words as these which thou hast uttered.\n\n\"'\"That son whom I obtained through ascetic penances and observances of\naustere brahmacarya for twelve years on the breast of Himavati whither I\nhad gone for the purpose, that son of mine, Pradyumna, of great energy\nand a portion of Sanat-kumara himself, begotten by me upon my wife\nRukmini who had practised vows as austere as mine, that hero even never\nsolicited this best of objects, this unrivalled discus, which thou of\nlittle understanding had solicited!\n\n\"'\"Rama of great might never said such words to me! Neither Gada nor Samba\nhas ever asked that of me which thou hast asked! No one among the other\ngreat car-warriors of the Vrishni and the Andhaka race residing in\nDvaraka has ever asked this of me which thou hast asked! Thou art the son\nof the preceptor of the Bharatas, thou art held in high respect by all\nthe Yadavas. Let me ask thee, O foremost of car-warriors, with whom\nwouldst thou fight using this weapon?\"\n\n\"'Thus addressed by me, Drona's son replied, saying, \"After offering\nworship to thee, O Krishna, it was my intention to fight thee, O thou of\nunfading glory! It was for this, O Krishna that I solicited thee for thy\ndiscus which is adored by gods and Danavas. If I had got it I would then\nbecome invincible in the world. Having failed, O Keshava, in obtaining my\nalmost unattainable wish, I am about to leave thee, O Govinda! Address me\nin fair words now. This terrible weapon is held by thee that art the\nforemost of all terrible persons. Unrivalled art thou for this weapon!\nThere is none else in this world capable of possessing it.\"\n\n\"'Having said these words unto me, the son of Drona, taking many couples of\nsteeds and much wealth and diverse kinds of gems, left Dvaraka. He is\nwrathful, wicked-souled, restless, and very cruel. He knows the weapon\ncalled brahmashira. Vrikodara should be protected from him!'\"\n\n\n\n13\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Having said these words, that foremost of all\nwielders of weapons, that delighter of all the Yadavas, mounted upon his\nexcellent car equipped with every kind of powerful weapons. Unto that\nvehicle were yoked two pairs of foremost steeds of the Kamboja breed,\nthat were adorned with garlands of gold. The dhur of that best of cars\nwas of the hue of the morning sun. On the right was yoked the steed known\nas Shaibya; on the left was placed Sugriva; the Parshni was borne by two\nothers called Meghapushpa and Balahaka. There was seen on that car a\ncelestial standard decked with gems and gold and created by the divine\nArtificer, and standing high like the Maya (of Vishnu himself). Upon that\nstandard was Vinata's son (Garuda) shining with great splendour. Indeed,\nthat enemy of snakes perched on the standard-top of Keshava who is Truth\nembodied.\n\n\"Then Hrishikesha, that foremost of all bowmen, mounted on that car. After\nhim Arjuna of irresistible feats and Yudhishthira, the king of the Kurus,\nascended the same vehicle. Seated on that car, by the side of him of\nDasharha's race who wielded the bow called Sharnga, the two sons of Pandu\nlooked exceedingly beautiful, like the twin Ashvinis seated by the side\nof Vasava. Causing them to ascend on that car of his which was adored by\nall the world, he of Dasharha's race urged those foremost of steeds\nendued with great fleetness. Those steeds then suddenly flew, taking\nafter them that excellent vehicle ridden by the two sons of Pandu and by\nthat bull of Yadu's race. Endued with great speed, as those animals bore\naway the wielder of Sharnga, loud became the noise caused by their rush,\nlike that of birds coursing through the air.\n\n\"Proceeding with great speed, they soon came up, O bull of Bharata's race,\nwith the mighty bowman Bhimasena in whose wake they had followed.\nAlthough those great car-warriors met Bhima, they failed however to stop\nthat son of Kunti, as filled with wrath he proceeded fiercely towards the\nfoe. In the very sight of those illustrious and firm bowmen, Bhima, by\nmeans of his very fleet steeds, proceeded towards the bank of the river\nbrought down by Bhagiratha. He beheld the high-souled and illustrious and\ndark-complexioned and island-born Vyasa sitting near the edge of the\nwater in the midst of many Rishis. And he also saw Drona's son of wicked\ndeeds sitting beside them, covered with dust, attired in a piece of cloth\nmade of kusha grass, and smeared all over with clarified butter. The\nmighty-armed Bhimasena, the son of Kunti, taking up his bow with shaft\nfixed on it, rushed towards Ashvatthama, and said, 'Wait, wait!'\n\n\"Drona's son, beholding that terrible bowman coming towards him bow in\nhand, and the two brothers on Janardana's car, became exceedingly\nagitated and thought his hour had come. Of soul incapable of being\ndepressed, he called to his mind that high weapon (which he had obtained\nfrom his sire). He then took up a blade of grass with his left hand.\nFallen into great distress, he inspired that blade of grass with proper\nmantras and converted it into that powerful celestial weapon. Unable to\nbrook the arrows (of the Pandavas) and the presence of those wielders of\ncelestial weapons, he uttered in wrath these terrible words: 'For the\ndestruction of the Pandavas.' Having said these words, O tiger among\nkings, the valiant son of Drona let off that weapon for stupefying all\nthe worlds. A fire then was born in that blade of grass, which seemed\ncapable of consuming the three worlds like the all-destroying Yama at the\nend of the yuga.\"\n\n\n\n14\n\nVaishampayana said, \"At the very outset the mighty-armed hero of\nDasharha's race understood from signs the intention of Drona's son.\nAddressing Arjuna, he said, 'O Arjuna, O son of Pandu, the time is come\nfor the use of that celestial weapon which is in thy memory, knowledge of\nwhich was imparted to thee by Drona. For protecting thyself as also thy\nbrothers, O Bharata, shoot in this battle that weapon which is capable of\nneutralising all weapons.'\n\n\"Thus addressed by Keshava, Arjuna, that slayer of hostile heroes, quickly\nalighted from the car, taking with him his bow with shaft fixed on the\nstring. Softly wishing good unto the preceptor's son and then unto\nhimself, and unto all his brothers, that scorcher of foes then bowed unto\nall the gods and all his superiors and let off his weapon, thinking of\nthe welfare of all the worlds and uttering the words, 'Let Ashvatthama's\nweapon be neutralised by this weapon!'\n\n\"That weapon, quickly let off by the wielder of Gandiva, blazed up with\nfierce flames like the all-destroying fire that appears at the end of the\nyuga. Similarly, the weapon that had been shot by Drona's son of fierce\nenergy blazed up with terrible flames within a huge sphere of fire.\nNumerous peals of thunder were heard; thousands of meteors fell; and all\nliving creatures became inspired with great dread. The entire welkin\nseemed to be filled with noise and assumed a terrible aspect with those\nflames of fire. The whole earth with her mountains and waters and trees,\ntrembled. Then the two great Rishis, Narada, who is the soul of every\ncreature, and the grandsire of all the Bharata princes (Vyasa), beholding\nthose two weapons scorching the three worlds, showed themselves there.\nThe two Rishis sought to pacify the two heroes Ashvatthama and\nDhananjaya. Conversant with all duties and desirous of the welfare of all\ncreatures, the two sages, possessed of great energy, stood in the midst\nof those two blazing weapons. Incapable of being overwhelmed by any\nforce, those two illustrious Rishis, placing themselves between the two\nweapons, stood like two blazing fires. Incapable of being checked by any\ncreature endued with life, and adorned by the gods and Danavas, they two\nacted in this way, neutralising the energy of the two weapons and doing\ngood to all the world.\n\n\"The two Rishis said, 'Those great car-warriors who have fallen in this\nbattle were acquainted with diverse kinds of weapons. They, however,\nnever shot such a weapon upon human beings. What act of rashness is this,\nye heroes, that ye have done?'\"\n\n\n\n15\n\nVaishampayana said, \"At the very sight, O tiger among men, of those two\nRishis possessed of splendour like that of fire, Dhananjaya quickly\nresolved to withdraw his celestial shaft. Joining his hands, he addressed\nthose Rishis, saying, 'I used this weapon, saying, \"Let it neutralise the\n(enemy's) weapon!\" If I withdraw this high weapon, Drona's son of sinful\ndeeds will then, without doubt, consume us all with the energy of his\nweapon. Ye two are like gods! It behoveth you to devise some means by\nwhich our welfare as also that of the three worlds may be secured!'\n\n\"Having said these words Dhananjaya withdrew his weapon. The withdrawal of\nthat weapon by the gods themselves in battle is exceedingly difficult.\nNot excepting the great Indra himself, there was nobody save the son of\nPandu, who was capable of withdrawing that high weapon after it had once\nbeen let off. That weapon was born of Brahma energy. No person of\nuncleansed soul can bring it back after it is once let off. Only one that\nleads the life of a brahmacari can do it. If one who has not practised\nthe vow of brahmacarya seeks to bring it back after having shot it, it\nstrikes off his own head and destroys him with all his equipments. Arjuna\nwas a brahmacari and an observer of vows. Having obtained that almost\nunobtainable weapon, he had never used it even when plunged into\nsituations of the greatest danger. Observant of the vow of truth,\npossessed of great heroism, leading the life of a brahmacari, the son of\nPandu was submissive and obedient to all his superiors. It was for this\nthat he succeeded in withdrawing his weapon.\n\n\"Drona's son, beholding those two Rishis standing before him, could not by\nhis energy withdraw his own terrible weapon. Unable to withdraw the high\nweapon in battle, Drona's son, O king, with a cheerless heart, said unto\nthe island-born rishi these words, 'Threatened by a great danger, and\ndesirous of protecting my life, I let off this weapon, through fear of\nBhimasena, O sage! This Bhimasena of false behaviour, acted sinfully, O\nholy one, while slaying the son of Dhritarashtra in battle! It is for\nthis, O regenerate one, that of uncleansed soul as I am I let off this\nweapon. I dare not, however, withdraw it now. Having inspired this\nirresistible and celestial weapon with the energy of fire, I let it off\nfor the destruction of the Pandavas. Contrived for the destruction of the\nPandavas, that weapon, therefore, will take away the lives of all the\nsons of Pandu. O regenerate one, I have, in wrath, done this sinful deed.\nI invoked this weapon in battle for the destruction of the Pandavas.'\n\n\"Vyasa said, 'Pritha's son Dhananjaya, O child, was acquainted with the\nweapon called brahmashira. Neither from wrath, nor for thy destruction in\nbattle, did he shoot this weapon. Arjuna, on the other hand, used it for\nbaffling thy weapon. He has again withdrawn it. Having obtained even the\nbrahmastra through thy sire's instructions, the mighty-armed Dhananjaya\ndid not fall off from a Kshatriya's duties. Arjuna is possessed of such\npatience, and such honesty. He is, besides, conversant with every weapon,\nWhy dost thou seek to compass the destruction of such a person with all\nhis brothers? That region where the weapon called brahmashira is baffled\nby another high weapon suffers a drought for twelve years, for the clouds\ndo not pour a drop of water there for this period. For this reason, the\nmighty-armed son of Pandu, although he had the power, would not, from\ndesire of doing good to living creatures, baffle thy weapon with his. The\nPandavas should be protected; thy own self should be protected; the\nkingdom also should be protected. Therefore, O thou of mighty arms,\nwithdraw this celestial weapon of thine. Dispel this wrath from thy heart\nand let the Pandavas be safe. The royal sage Yudhishthira never desires\nto win victory by perpetrating any sinful act. Give unto these that gem\nwhich is on thy head. Taking that, the Pandavas will in return grant thee\nthy life!'\n\n\"Drona's son said, 'This my gem is more valuable than all the wealth that\nhas ever been earned by the Pandavas and the Kauravas. If this gem is\nworn, the wearer ceases to have any fear from weapons or disease or\nhunger! He ceases to have any fear of gods and Danavas and Nagas! His\napprehensions from Rakshasas as also from robbers will cease. Even these\nare the virtues of this gem of mine. I cannot, by any means, part with\nit. That, however, O holy one, which thou sayest, should be done by me.\nHere is this gem. Here is myself. This blade of grass (inspired into a\nfatal weapon) will, however, fall into the wombs of the Pandava women,\nfor this weapon is high and mighty, and incapable of being frustrated. O\nregenerate one, I am unable to withdraw it, having once let it off. I\nwill now throw this weapon into the wombs of the Pandava women. As\nregards thy commands in other respects, O holy one, I shall certainly\nobey them.'\n\n\"Vyasa said, 'Do then this. Do not, however, entertain any other purpose,\nO sinless one! Throwing this weapon into the wombs of the Pandava women,\nstop thyself.'\"\n\nVaishampayana continued, \"The son of Drona, having heard these words of\nthe island-born, threw that uplifted weapon into the wombs of the Pandava\nwomen.\"\n\n\n\n16\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Understanding that that weapon was thrown (into the\nwombs of the Pandava women) by Drona's son of sinful deeds, Hrishikesha,\nwith a cheerful heart, said these words unto him: 'A certain Brahmana of\npious vows, beholding Virata's daughter who is now daughter-in-law to\nArjuna, while she was at Upaplavya, said, \"While the Kuru line will\nbecome extinct, a son will be born to thee. This thy son for that reason,\nwill be called by the name of Parikshit.\" The words of that pious man\nshall become true: the Pandavas shall have a son called Parikshit.' Unto\nGovinda, that foremost one of the Satvata race, while he was saying these\nwords, Drona's son, filled with wrath, replied, saying, 'This, O Keshava,\nthat thou sayest from thy partiality for the Pandavas, shall not happen.\nO thou of eyes like lotus-petals, my words cannot but be fulfilled.\nUplifted by me, this weapon of mine shall fall on the foetus that is in\nthe womb of Virata's daughter, upon that foetus which thou, O Krishna,\nart desirous of protecting.'\n\n\"The holy one said, 'The fall of this mighty weapon will not be fruitless.\nThe foetus will die. But being dead, it will live again and have a long\nlife! As regards thyself, all wise men know thee for a coward and a\nsinful wretch! Always engaged in sinful acts, thou art the slayer of\nchildren. For this reason, thou must have to bear the fruit of these thy\nsins. For 3,000 years thou shalt wander over this earth, without a\ncompanion and without being able to talk with anyone. Alone and without\nanybody by thy side, thou shalt wander through diverse countries, O\nwretch, thou shalt have no place in the midst of men. The stench of pus\nand blood shall emanate from thee, and inaccessible forests and dreary\nmoors shall be thy abode! Thou shalt wander over the Earth, O thou of\nsinful soul, with the weight of all diseases on thee.\n\n\"'The heroic Parikshit, attaining to age and a knowledge of the Vedas and\nthe practice of pious vows, shall obtain all weapons from the son of\nSharadvata. Having obtained a knowledge of all high weapons, and\nobservant of all Kshatriya duties, that righteous-souled king shall rule\nthe earth for sixty years. More than this, that boy shall become the\nmighty-armed king of the Kurus, known by the name of Parikshit, before\nthy very eyes, O thou of wicked soul! Though burnt by the energy of thy\nweapon's fire, I shall revive him. O lowest of men, behold the energy of\nmy austerities and my truth.'\n\n\"Vyasa said, 'Since, disregarding us, thou hast perpetrated this\nexceedingly cruel act, and since thy behaviour is such although thou art\na good Brahmana (by birth), therefore, those excellent words that\nDevaki's son has said, will, without doubt, be realised in thy case, an\nadopter as thou hast been of Kshatriya usages!'\n\n\"Ashvatthama said, 'With thyself among all men, O holy one, I shall live!\nLet the words of this illustrious and foremost of men become true!'\"\n\nVaishampayana continued, \"Drona's son, then, having made over his gem to\nthe high-souled Pandavas, cheerlessly proceeded, before their eyes, to\nthe forest. The Pandavas who had killed and chastised all their foes,\nplaced Govinda and the island-born Krishna and the great ascetic Narada\nat their head, and taking the gem that was born with Ashvatthama, quickly\ncame back to the intelligent Draupadi who was sitting in observance of\nthe praya vow.\n\n\"Those tigers among men, borne by their excellent steeds resembling the\nwind in fleetness, came back with him of Dasharha's race to their\nencampment. Speedily alighting from their cars, those great car-warriors,\nthemselves much more afflicted, beheld Drupada's daughter Krishna\nafflicted with woe. Approaching the cheerless princess stricken with\nsorrow and grief, the Pandavas with Keshava, sat round her.\n\n\"Then the mighty Bhimasena, desired by the king, gave that celestial gem\nunto her and said these words: 'This gem, O amiable lady, is thine. The\nslayer of thy sons hath been vanquished. Rise, casting off thy sorrow,\nand recollect the duties of a Kshatriya lady. O thou of black eyes, when\nVasudeva was about to set out (from Upaplavya) on his mission of peace,\nthou hadst, O timid lady, said even these words unto the slayer of Madhu,\n'I have no husbands! I have no sons, nor brothers! Nor art thou alive, O\nGovinda, since the king desires for peace!' Those bitter words were\naddressed by thee to Krishna, that foremost of persons! It behoveth thee\nto recollect those words of thine that were so consistent with Kshatriya\nusages.\n\n\"'The wretched Duryodhana, that obstacle on the way of our sovereignty, has\nbeen slain. I have quaffed the blood of the living Duhshasana. We have\npaid off the debt we owed to our enemy. People, while talking, will not\nbe able to censure us any longer. Having vanquished Drona's son, we have\nset him free for the sake of his being a Brahmana and of the respect that\nshould be shown to our deceased preceptor. His fame hath been destroyed,\nO goddess, only his body remains! He has been divested of his gem and on\nearth he has been reft of his weapons!'\n\n\"Draupadi said, 'I desired to only pay off our debt for the injury we have\nsustained. The preceptor's son is worthy of my reverence as the preceptor\nhimself. Let the king bind this gem on his head, O Bharata!' The king\nthen, taking that gem, placed it on his head, at the desire of Draupadi\nand regarding it as a gift from the preceptor. Holding on his head that\nexcellent and celestial gem, the puissant king looked beautiful like a\nmountain with the moon above it. Though stricken with grief on account of\nthe death of her sons, the princess Draupadi, possessed of great mental\nstrength, gave up her vow. Then king Yudhishthira enquired of the\nmighty-armed Krishna, saying the following words.\"\n\n\n\n17\n\nVaishampayana said, \"After all the troops had been slain during the hour\nof sleep by those three car-warriors, king Yudhishthira in great grief\nsaid these words unto him of Dasharha's race: 'How, O Krishna, could my\nsons, all of whom were mighty car-warriors, be slaughtered by the sinful\nand wretched Ashvatthama of no great skill in battle? How also could\nDrona's son slay the children of Drupada, all of whom were accomplished\nin weapons, possessed of great prowess, and capable of battling with\nhundreds of thousands of foes? How could he slay that foremost of\ncar-warriors, Dhrishtadyumna, before whom the great bowman Drona himself\ncould not appear? What act was done by the preceptor's son, O bull among\nmen, in consequence of which he succeeded in slaying, single-handed, all\nour men in battle?'\n\n\"The holy one said, 'Verily, Drona's son had sought the aid of that\nhighest of all the gods, the eternal Mahadeva. It was for this that he\nsucceeded in slaying, single-handed, so large a number of warriors. If\nMahadeva be gratified, he can bestow even immortality. Girisha can give\nsuch valour as will succeed in checking Indra himself. I know Mahadeva\ntruly, O bull of Bharata's race! I know also his various acts of old. He,\nO Bharata, is the beginning, the middle, and the end of all creatures.\nThis entire universe acts and moves through his energy.\n\n\"'The puissant Grandsire, desirous of creating living creatures, saw Rudra;\nand the Grandsire asked him, saying, \"Create living creatures without\ndelay!\" Thus asked, Rudra of tawny locks, saying, \"So be it!\" plunged\ninto the water and practised austerities for a long time, inasmuch as he\nwas sensible of the defects of living creatures. Having waited in\nexpectation of Rudra for a very long time, the Grandsire, by a fiat of\nhis will, invoked into existence another being for making him the creator\nof all kinds of living things. Beholding Girisha plunged into the waters,\nthis (second) being said unto his sire, \"If there be no being born before\nme, then I will create living creatures!\" His sire replied unto him,\nsaying, \"There is no other first-born being besides thee! This Sthanu has\nplunged into the water! Go and create living creatures, without any\nanxiety!\"\n\n\"'That being then created many living creatures, having Daksha for their\nfirst, who created all these creatures of four kinds. As soon, however,\nas they were created, they ran O king, towards their sire, afflicted with\nhunger and desirous of devouring him. The second being whom Brahma had\ncreated, thereupon ran towards him, desirous of protection from his own\noffspring. And he said unto the Grandsire, \"O illustrious one, protect me\nfrom these, and let these creatures have their food assigned unto them!\"\nThen the Grandsire assigned herbs and plants and other vegetables as\ntheir food, and unto those that were strong he assigned the weaker\ncreatures as the means of sustenance. Their sustenance having been thus\nassigned, the newly-created creatures all went away to regions they\ndesired, and cheerfully multiplied by union with their respective species.\n\n\"'After the creatures had multiplied and the Grandsire had become well\npleased, the first-born rose from the water and beheld the living\ncreation. He saw that diverse kinds of creatures had been created and\nthat they had multiplied by their own energy. At this sight, Rudra became\nangry and caused his procreative limb to disappear in the bowels of the\nEarth. The unfading Brahma, soothing him by soft words, said unto him, \"O\nSharva, what wert thou doing so long within the water? For what reason,\nalso hast thou caused thy limb of generation to disappear in the bowels\nof the Earth?\" Thus questioned, that lord of the universe wrathfully\nanswered the lord Brahman, \"Somebody else has created all these\ncreatures! What purpose then would be served by this limb of mine? I have\nby my austerities, O Grandsire, created food for all these creatures.\nThese herbs and plants also will multiply like those that will subsist\nupon them!\" Having said these words, Bhava went away, in cheerlessness\nand rage, to the foot of the Menjavat mountains for practising severer\nausterities.'\"\n\n\n\n18\n\n\"The holy one said, 'After the krita-yuga had elapsed, the gods, desirous\nof performing a sacrifice, duly made preparation for one according to the\ndirections laid down in the Vedas. They collected clarified butter and\nthe other requisites. And they not only devised what the requisites of\ntheir sacrifice should be, but also determined those amongst themselves\nthat should have a share in the sacrificial offerings.\n\n\"'Not knowing Rudra truly, the celestials, O king, assigned no share for\nthe divine Sthanu. Seeing that the celestials assigned to him no share in\nthe sacrificial offerings, Sthanu, clad in deer skins, desired to destroy\nthat Sacrifice and with that object constructed a bow. There are four\nkinds of Sacrifices: the loka Sacrifice, the Sacrifice of special rites,\nthe eternal domestic Sacrifice, and the Sacrifice consisting in the\ngratification derived by man from his enjoyment of the five elemental\nsubstances and their compounds. It is from these four kinds of Sacrifice\nthat the universe has sprung. Kapardin constructed that bow using as\nmaterials the first and the fourth kinds of Sacrifices. The length of\nthat bow was five cubits. The sacred (mantra) \"vashat,\" O Bharata, was\nmade its string. The four parts, of which a Sacrifice consists, became\nthe adornments of that bow.\n\n\"'Then Mahadeva, filled with rage, and taking up that bow, proceeded to\nthat spot where the celestials were engaged in their Sacrifice. Beholding\nthe unfading Rudra arrive there attired as a brahmacari and armed with\nthat bow, the goddess Earth shrunk with fear and the very mountains began\nto tremble. The very wind ceased to move, and fire itself, though fed,\ndid not blaze forth. The stars in the firmament, in anxiety, began to\nwander in irregular courses. The Sun's splendour decreased. The disc of\nthe Moon lost its beauty. The entire welkin became enveloped in a thick\ngloom. The celestials, overwhelmed, knew not what to do. Their Sacrifice\nceased to blaze forth. The gods were all terrified. Rudra then pierced\nthe embodiment of Sacrifice with a fierce shaft in the heart. The\nembodied form of Sacrifice, assuming the shape of a deer, fled away, with\nthe god of fire. Approaching heaven in that form, he blazed forth in\nbeauty. Rudra, however, O Yudhishthira, pursued him through the skies.\nAfter Sacrifice had fled away, the gods lost their splendour. Having lost\ntheir senses, the gods were stupefied.\n\n\"'Then the three-eyed Mahadeva, with his bow, broke in rage the arms of\nSavitri, and plucked out the eyes of Bhaga and the teeth of Pushana. The\ngods then fled away, as also all the several parts of Sacrifice. Some\namongst them, reeling as they sought to fly away, fell down senseless.\nThe blue-throated Rudra, having agitated them thus, laughed aloud, and\nwhirling the horn of his bow, paralysed them. The celestials then uttered\na cry. At their command, the string of the bow broke. The string having\nbroken, the bow became stretched into a line. The gods then approached\nthe bowless god of gods and, with the embodied form of Sacrifice, sought\nthe protection of the puissant Mahadeva and endeavoured to gratify him.\n\n\"'Gratified, the great god threw his wrath into the water, O king, that\nwrath, assuming the form of fire, is always employed in consuming that\nliquid element. He then gave unto Savitri his arms, Bhaga his eyes, and\nPushana his teeth. And he also restored the Sacrifices themselves, O\nPandava! The world once more became safe and sound. The gods assigned\nunto Mahadeva all the libations of clarified butter as the share of great\ndeity. O monarch, when Mahadeva had become angry, the whole world had\nthus become agitated: when he became gratified everything became safe.\nPossessed of great energy, the god Mahadeva was gratified with\nAshvatthama. It was for this that thy sons, those mighty car-warriors,\ncould be slain by that warrior. It was for this that many other heroes,\nthe Pancalas, with all their followers, could be slain by him. Thou\nshouldst not suffer thy mind to dwell on it. It was not Drona's son that\naccomplished that act. It was done through the grace of Mahadeva. Do now\nwhat should next be done.'\"\n\nThe end of Sauptika-parva.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Mahabharata\n\nof\n\nKrishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa\n\nBOOK 11\n\nStri-parva\n\n\n\nTranslated into English Prose from the Original Sanskrit Text\n\nby\n\nKisari Mohan Ganguli\n\n[1883-1896]\n\nScanned and Proofed by Mantra Caitanya. Additional proofing and\nformatting at sacred-texts.com, by J. B. Hare, October 2003.\n\n\n\n1\n\n(Jalapradanika-parva)\n\nOm! Having bowed down unto Narayana and Nara, the foremost of male\nbeings, and unto the goddess Sarasvati, must the word Jaya be uttered.\n\nJanamejaya said, \"After Duryodhana had fallen and after all the warriors\nalso had fallen, what, O sage, did king Dhritarashtra do on receipt of\nthe intelligence? What also did the high-souled Kuru king Yudhishthira,\nthe son of Dharma, do? What did the three survivors (of the Kuru army)\nviz. Kripa and the others do? I have heard everything about the feats of\nAshvatthama. Tell me what happened after that mutual denunciation of\ncurses. Tell me all that Sanjaya said unto the blind old king.\"\n\nVaishampayana said, \"After he had lost his century of sons, king\nDhritarashtra, afflicted with grief on that account, cheerless, and\nlooking like a tree shorn of its branches, became overwhelmed with\nanxiety and lost his power of speech. Possessed of great wisdom, Sanjaya,\napproaching the monarch, addressed him, saying, 'Why dost thou grieve, O\nmonarch? Grief does not serve any purpose. Eight and ten Akshauhinis of\ncombatants, O king, have been slain! The earth hath become desolate, and\nis almost empty now! Kings of diverse realms, hailing from diverse\nquarters, united with thy son (for aiding him in battle) have all laid\ndown their lives. Let now the obsequial rites of thy sires and sons and\ngrandsons and kinsmen and friends and preceptors be performed in due\norder.'\"\n\nVaishampayana continued, \"Destitute of sons and counsellors and all his\nfriends, king Dhritarashtra of great energy suddenly fell down on the\nearth like a tree uprooted by the wind.\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Destitute as I am of sons and counsellors and all my\nfriends, I shall, without doubt have to wander in sorrow over the earth.\nWhat need have I now of life itself, left as I am of kinsmen and friends\nand resembling as I do a bird shorn of its wings and afflicted with\ndecrepitude? Shorn of kingdom, deprived of kinsmen, and destitute of\neyes, I cannot, O thou of great wisdom, shine any longer on earth like a\nluminary shorn of its splendours! I did not follow the counsels of\nfriends of Jamadagni's son, of the celestial rishi Narada, and of\nisland-born Krishna, while they offered me counsel. In the midst of the\nassembly, Krishna told me what was for my good, saying, \"A truce (tense)\nto hostilities, O king! Let thy son take the whole kingdom! Give but five\nvillages to the Pandavas!\" Fool that I was, for not following that\nadvice, I am now obliged to repent so poignantly! I did not listen to the\nrighteous counsels of Bhishma. Alas, having heard of the slaughter of\nDuryodhana whose roars were as deep as those of a bull, having heard also\nof the death of Duhshasana and the extinction of Karna and the setting of\nthe Drona-sun, my heart does not break into pieces. I do not, O Sanjaya,\nremember any evil act committed by me in former days, whose consequences,\nfool that I am, I am suffering today. Without doubt, I committed great\nsins in my former lives, for which the Supreme Ordainer has set me to\nendure such a measure of grief. This destruction of all my kinsmen, this\nextermination of all my well-wishers and friends, at this old age, has\ncome upon me through the force of Destiny. What other man is there on\nearth who is more afflicted than my wretched self? Since it is so, let\nthe Pandavas behold me this very day firmly resolved to betake myself to\nthe long way that leads to the regions of Brahman!'\"\n\nVaishampayana continued, \"While king Dhritarashtra was indulging in such\nlamentations, Sanjaya addressed him in the following words for dispelling\nhis grief, 'Cast off thy grief, O monarch! Thou hast heard the conclusions\nof the Vedas and the contents of diverse scriptures and holy writ, from\nthe lips of the old, O king! Thou hast heard those words which the sages\nsaid unto Sanjaya while the latter was afflicted with grief on account of\nthe death of his son. When thy son, O monarch, caught the pride that is\nborn of youth, thou didst not accept the counsels offered unto thee by\nthy well-wishers. Desirous of fruit, thou didst not, through\ncovetousness, do what was really for thy benefit. Thy own intelligence,\nlike a sharp sword, has wounded thee. Thou didst generally pay court to\nthose that were of wicked behaviour. Thy son had Duhshasana for his\ncounsellor, and the wicked-souled son of Radha, and the equally wicked\nShakuni and Citrasena of foolish understanding, and Salya. Thy son (by\nhis own behaviour) made the whole world his enemy. Thy son, O Bharata,\ndid not obey the words of Bhishma, the reverend chief of the Kurus, of\nGandhari and Vidura, of Drona, O king, of Kripa the son of Sharadvata, of\nthe mighty-armed Krishna, of the intelligent Narada, of many other\nRishis, and of Vyasa himself of immeasurable energy. Though possessed of\nprowess, thy son was of little intelligence, proud, always desirous of\nbattle, wicked, ungovernable, and discontented. Thou art possessed of\nlearning and intelligence and art always truthful. They that are so\nrighteous and possessed of such intelligence as thou, are never stupefied\nby grief. Virtue was regarded by none of them. Battle was the one word on\ntheir lips. For this the Kshatriya order has been exterminated and the\nfame of thy foes enhanced. Thou hadst occupied the position of an umpire,\nbut thou didst not utter one word of salutary advise. Unfitted as thou\nwert for the task, thou didst not hold the scales evenly. Every person\nshould, at the outset, adopt such a beneficial line of action that he may\nnot have, in the end, to repent for something already done by him.\nThrough affection for thy son, O monarch, thou didst what was agreeable\nto Duryodhana. Thou art obliged to repent for that now. It behoveth thee,\nhowever not to give way to grief. The man whose eyes are directed towards\nonly the honey without being once directed to the fall, meets with\ndestruction through his covetousness for honey. Such a man is obliged to\nrepent even like thee. The man who indulges in grief never wins wealth.\nBy grieving one loses the fruits one desires. Grief is again an obstacle\nto the acquisition of objects dear to us. The man who gives way to grief\nloses even his salvation. The man who shrouds a burning coal within the\nfolds of his attire and is burnt by the fire that is kindled by it, would\nbe pronounced a fool if he grieves for his injuries. Thyself, with thy\nson, hadst, with your words, fanned the Partha-fire, and with your\ncovetousness acting as clarified butter caused that fire to blaze forth,\ninto consuming flames. When that fire thus blazed forth thy sons fell\ninto it like insects. It behoveth thee not, however, to grieve for them\nnow that they have all been burnt in the fire of the enemy's arrow. The\ntear-stained face, O king, which thou bearest now is not approved by the\nscriptures or praised by the wise. These tears, like sparks of fire, burn\nthe dead for whom they are shed. Kill thy grief with thy intelligence,\nand bear thyself up with the strength of thy own self!' Thus was the king\ncomforted by the high-souled Sanjaya. Vidura then, O scorcher of foes,\nonce again addressed the king, displaying great intelligence.\"\n\n\n\n2\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Listen, O Janamejaya, to the nectar-like words that\nVidura said unto the son of Vichitravirya and by which he gladdened that\nbull among men!\n\n\"Vidura said, 'Rise, O king! Why art thou stretched on the earth? Bear\nthyself up with thy own self. O king, even this is the final end of all\nliving creatures. Everything massed together ends in destruction;\neverything that gets high is sure to fall down. Union is certain to end\nin separation; life is sure to end in death. The destroyer, O Bharata,\ndrags both the hero and the coward. Why then, O bull amongst Kshatriyas,\nshould not Kshatriyas engage in battle? He that does not fight is seen to\nescape with life. When, however, one's time comes, O king, one cannot\nescape. As regards living creatures, they are non-existent at first. They\nexist in the period that intervenes. In the end they once more become\nnon-existent. What matter of grief then is there in this? The man that\nindulges in grief succeeds not in meeting with the dead. By indulging in\ngrief, one does not himself die. When the course of the world is such,\nwhy dost thou indulge in sorrow? Death drags all creatures, even the\ngods. There is none dear or hateful to death, O best of the Kurus! As the\nwind tears off the tops of all blades of grass, even so, O bull of\nBharata's race, death overmasters all creatures. All creatures are like\nmembers of a caravan bound for the same destination. (When death will\nencounter all) it matters very little whom he meets with first. It\nbehoveth thee not, O king, to grieve for those that have been slain in\nbattle. If the scriptures are any authority, all of them must have\nobtained the highest end. All of them were versed in the Vedas; all of\nthem had observed vows. Facing the foe all of them have met with death.\nWhat matter of sorrow is there in this? Invisible they had been (before\nbirth). Having come from that unknown region, they have once more become\ninvisible. They are not thine, nor art thou theirs. What grief then is\nthere in such disappearance? If slain, one wins heaven. By slaying, fame\nis won. Both these, with respect to us, are productive of great merit.\nBattle, therefore, is not bootless. No doubt, Indra will contrive for\nthem regions capable of granting every wish. These, O bull among men,\nbecome the guests of Indra. Men cannot, by sacrifices with profuse gifts,\nby ascetic penances and by learning, go so speedily to heaven as heroes\nslain in battle. On the bodies of hostile heroes constituting the\nsacrificial fire, they poured their arrowy libations. Possessed of great\nenergy, they had in return to endure the arrowy libations (poured upon\nthem by their enemies). I tell thee, O king, that for a Kshatriya in this\nworld there is not a better road to heaven than battle! They were all\nhigh-souled Kshatriyas; possessed of bravery, they were ornaments of\nassemblies. They have attained to a high state of blessedness. They are\nnot persons for whom we should grieve. Comforting thyself by thy own self\ncease to grieve, O bull among men! It behoveth thee not to suffer thyself\nto be overwhelmed with sorrow and to abandon all actions. There are\nthousands of mothers and fathers and sons and wives in this world. Whose\nare they, and whose are we? From day to day thousands of causes spring up\nfor sorrow and thousands of causes for fear. These, however, affect the\nignorant but are nothing to him that is wise. There is none dear or\nhateful to Time, O best of the Kurus! Time is indifferent to none. All\nare equally dragged by Time. Time causeth all creatures to grow, and it\nis Time that destroyeth everything. When all else is asleep, Time is\nawake. Time is irresistible. Youth, beauty, life, possessions, health,\nand the companionship of friends, all are unstable. He that is wise will\nnever covet any of these. It behoveth thee not to grieve for what is\nuniversal. A person may, by indulging in grief, himself perish, but grief\nitself, by being indulged in, never becomes light. If thou feelest thy\ngrief to be heavy, it should be counteracted by not indulging in it. Even\nthis is the medicine for grief, viz., that one should not indulge in it.\nBy dwelling on it, one cannot lessen it. On the other hand, it grows with\nindulgence. Upon the advent of evil or upon the bereavement of something\nthat is dear, only they that are of little intelligence suffer their\nminds to be afflicted with grief. This is neither Profit, nor Religion,\nnor Happiness, on which thy heart is dwelling. The indulgence of grief is\nthe certain means of one's losing one's objects. Through it, one falls away\nfrom the three great ends of life (religion, profit, and pleasure). They\nthat are destitute of contentment, are stupefied on the accession of\nvicissitudes dependent upon the possession of wealth. They, however, that\nare wise, are on the other hand, unaffected by such vicissitudes. One\nshould kill mental grief by wisdom, just as physical grief should be\nkilled by medicine. Wisdom hath this power. They, however, that are\nfoolish, can never obtain tranquillity of soul. The acts of a former life\nclosely follow a man, insomuch that they lie by him when he lies down,\nstay by him when he stays, and run with him when he runs. In those\nconditions of life in which one acts well or ill, one enjoys or suffers\nthe fruit thereof in similar conditions. In those forms (of physical\norganisation) in which one performs particular acts, one enjoys or\nsuffers the fruits thereof in similar forms. One's own self is one's own\nfriend, as, indeed, one's own self is one's own enemy. One's own self is\nthe witness of one's acts, good and evil. From good acts springs a state of\nhappiness, from sinful deeds springs woe. One always obtains the fruit of\none's acts. One never enjoys or suffers weal or woe that is not the fruit\nof one's own acts. Intelligent persons like thee, O king, never sink in\nsinful enormities that are disapproved by knowledge and that strike at\nthe very root (of virtue and happiness).'\"\n\n\n\n3\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'O thou of great wisdom, my grief has been dispelled\nby thy excellent words! I desire, however, to again hear thee speak. How,\nindeed, do those that are wise free themselves from mental grief born of\nthe advent of evils and the bereavement of objects that are dear?'\n\n\"Vidura said, 'He that is wise obtains tranquillity by subduing both grief\nand joy through means by which one may escape from grief and joy. All\nthose things about which we are anxious, O bull among men, are ephemeral.\nThe world is like a plantain tree, without enduring strength. Since the\nwise and the foolish, the rich and the poor, all, divested of their\nanxieties, sleep on the crematorium, with bodies reft of flesh and full\nof bare bones and shrivelled sinews, whom amongst them will the survivors\nlook upon as possessed of distinguishing marks by which the attributes of\nbirth and beauty may be ascertained? (When all are equal in death) why\nshould human beings, whose understandings are always deceived (by the\nthings of this world) covet one another's rank and position? The learned\nsay that the bodies of men are like houses. In time these are destroyed.\nThere is one being, however, that is eternal. As a person, casting off\none attire, whether old or new, wears another, even such is the case with\nthe bodies of all embodied beings. O son of Vichitravirya, creatures\nobtain weal or woe as the fruit of their own acts. Through their acts\nthey obtain heaven, O Bharata, or bliss, or woe. Whether able or unable,\nthey have to bear their burdens which are the result of their own acts.\nAs amongst earthen pots some break while still on the potters wheel, some\nwhile partially shaped, some as soon as brought into shape, some after\nremoval from the wheel, some while in course of being removed, some after\nremoval, some while wet, some while dry, some while being burnt, some\nwhile being removed from the kiln, some after removal therefrom, and some\nwhile being used, even such is the case with the bodies of embodied\ncreatures. Some are destroyed while yet in the womb, some after coming\nout of the womb, some on the day after, some on the expiration of a\nfortnight or of a month, some on the expiration of a year or of two\nyears, some in youth, some in middle age, and some when old. Creatures\nare born or destroyed according to their acts in previous lives. When\nsuch is the course of the world, why do you then indulge in grief? As\nmen, while swimming in sport on the water, sometimes dive and sometimes\nemerge, O king, even so creatures sink and emerge in life's stream. They\nthat are of little wisdom suffer or meet with destruction as the result\nof their own acts. They, however, that are wise, observant of virtue, and\ndesirous of doing good unto all living creatures, they, acquainted with\nthe real nature of the appearance of creatures in this world, attain at\nlast to the highest end.'\"\n\n\n\n4\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'O of foremost speakers, how may the wilderness of\nthis world be known? I desire to hear this. Asked by me, tell me this.'\n\n\"Vidura said, 'I will describe to thee all the acts of creatures from\ntheir first conception. At the outset it lives in the admixture of blood\nand the vital fluid. Then it grows little by little. Then on the expiry\nof the fifth month it assumes shape. It next becomes a foetus with all\nits limbs completed, and lives in a very impure place, covered with flesh\nand blood. Then, through the action of the wind, its lower limbs are\nturned upwards and the head comes downwards. Arriving in this posture at\nthe mouth of the uterus, it suffers manifold woes. In consequence of the\ncontractions of the uterus, the creature then comes out of it, endued\nwith the results of all his previous acts. He then encounters in this\nworld other evils that rush towards him. Calamities proceed towards him\nlike dogs at the scent of meat. Next diverse diseases approach him while\nhe is enchained by his previous acts. Bound by the chains of the senses\nand women and wealth and other sweet things of life, diverse evil\npractices also approach him then, O king! Seized by these, he never\nobtains happiness. At that season he succeeds not in obtaining the fruit\nof his acts, right or wrong. They, however, that set their hearts on\nreflection, succeed in protecting their souls. The person governed by his\nsenses does not know that death has come at his door. At last, dragged by\nthe messengers of the Destroyer, he meets with destruction at the\nappointed time. Agitated by his senses, for whatever good and evil has\nbeen done at the outset and having enjoyed or suffered the fruits of\nthese, he once more becomes indifferent to his acts of self-slaughter.\nAlas, the world is deceived, and covetousness brings it under its\ndominion. Deprived of understanding by covetousness, wrath, and fear, one\nknows not one's own self. Filled with joy at one's own respectability of\nbirth, one is seen to traduce those that are not high-born. Swelled also\nwith pride of wealth, one is seen to contemn the poor. One regards others\nto be ignorant fools, but seldom takes a survey of one's own self. One\nattributes faults to others but is never desirous to punish one's own\nself. Since the wise and the ignorant, the rich and the poor, the\nhigh-born and the lowborn, the honoured and the dishonoured, all go to\nthe place of the dead and sleep there freed from every anxiety, with\nbodies divested of flesh and full only of bones united by dried-up\ntendons, whom amongst them would the survivors look upon as distinguished\nabove the others and by what signs would they ascertain the attributes of\nbirth and beauty? When all, stretched after the same fashion, sleep on\nthe bare ground, why then should men, taking leave of their senses,\ndesire to deceive one another? He that, looking at this saying (in the\nscriptures) with his own eyes or hearing it from others, practiseth\nvirtue in this unstable world of life and adhereth to it from early age,\nattaineth to the highest end. Learning all this, he that adhereth to\nTruth, O king, succeedeth in passing over all paths.'\"\n\n\n\n5\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Tell me in detail everything about the ways of that\nintelligence by which this wilderness of duties may be safely covered.'\n\n\"Vidura said, 'Having bowed down to the Self-create, I will obey thy\nbehest by telling thee how the great sages speak of the wilderness of\nlife. A certain Brahmana, living in the great world, found himself on one\noccasion in a large inaccessible forest teeming with beasts of prey. It\nabounded on every side with lions and other animals looking like\nelephants, all of which were engaged in roaring aloud. Such was the\naspect of that forest that Yama himself would take fright at it.\nBeholding the forest, the heart of the Brahmana became exceedingly\nagitated. His hair stood on end, and other signs of fear manifested\nthemselves, O scorcher of foes! Entering it, he began to run hither and\nthither, casting his eyes on every point of the compass for finding out\nsomebody whose shelter he might seek. Wishing to avoid those terrible\ncreatures, he ran in fright. He could not succeed, however, in distancing\nthem or freeing himself from their presence. He then saw that that\nterrible forest was surrounded with a net, and that a frightful woman\nstood there, stretching her arms. That large forest was also encompassed\nby many five-headed snakes of dreadful forms, tall as cliffs and touching\nthe very heavens. Within it was a pit whose mouth was covered with many\nhard and unyielding creepers and herbs. The Brahmana, in course of his\nwanderings, fell into that invisible pit. He became entangled in those\nclusters of creepers that were interwoven with one another, like the\nlarge fruit of a jack tree hanging by its stalk. He continued to hang\nthere, feet upwards and head downwards. While he was in that posture,\ndiverse other calamities overtook him. He beheld a large and mighty snake\nwithin the pit. He also saw a gigantic elephant near its mouth. That\nelephant, dark in complexion, had six faces and twelve feet. And the\nanimal gradually approached that pit covered with creepers and trees.\nAbout the twigs of the tree (that stood at the mouth of the pit), roved\nmany bees of frightful forms, employed from before in drinking the honey\ngathered in their comb about which they swarmed in large numbers.\nRepeatedly they desired, O bull of Bharatas race, to taste that honey\nwhich though sweet to all creatures could, however, attract children\nonly. The honey (collected in the comb) fell in many jets below. The\nperson who was hanging in the pit continually drank those jets. Employed,\nin such a distressful situation, in drinking that honey, his thirst,\nhowever, could not be appeased. Unsatiated with repeated draughts, the\nperson desired for more. Even then, O king, he did not become indifferent\nto life. Even there, the man continued to hope for existence. A number of\nblack and white rats were eating away the roots of that tree. There was\nfear from the beasts of prey, from that fierce woman on the outskirts of\nthat forest, from that snake at the bottom of the well, from that\nelephant near its top, from the fall of the tree through the action of\nthe rats, and lastly from those bees flying about for tasting the honey.\nIn that plight he continued to dwell, deprived of his senses, in that\nwilderness, never losing at any time the hope of prolonging his life.'\"\n\n\n\n6\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Alas, great was the distress of that person and very\npainful his mode of life! Tell me, O first of speakers, whence was his\nattachment to life and whence his happiness? Where is that region, so\nunfavourable to the practice of virtue, in which that person resides? Oh,\ntell me how will that man be freed from all those great terrors? Tell me\nall this! We shall then exert ourselves properly for him. My compassion\nhas been greatly moved by the difficulties that lie in the way of his\nrescue!'\n\n\"Vidura said, 'They that are conversant, O monarch, with the religion of\nmoksha cite this as a simile. Understanding this properly, a person may\nattain to bliss in the regions hereafter. That which is described as the\nwilderness is the great world. The inaccessible forest within it is the\nlimited sphere of one's own life. Those that have been mentioned as beasts\nof prey are the diseases (to which we are subject). That woman of\ngigantic proportions residing in the forest is identified by the wise\nwith Decrepitude which destroys complexion and beauty. That which has\nbeen spoken of as the pit is the body or physical frame of embodied\ncreatures. The huge snake dwelling in the bottom of that pit is time, the\ndestroyer of all embodied creatures. It is, indeed, the universal\ndestroyer. The cluster of creepers growing in that pit and attached to\nwhose spreading stems the man hangeth down is the desire for life which\nis cherished by every creature. The six-faced elephant, O king, which\nproceeds towards the tree standing at the mouth of the pit is spoken of\nas the year. Its six faces are the seasons and its twelve feet are the\ntwelve months. The rats and the snakes that are cutting off the tree are\nsaid to be days and nights that are continually lessening the periods of\nlife of all creatures. Those that have been described as bees are our\ndesires. The numerous jets that are dropping honey are the pleasures\nderived from the gratification of our desires and to which men are seen\nto be strongly addicted. The wise know life's course to be even such.\nThrough that knowledge they succeed in tearing off its bonds.'\"\n\n\n\n7\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Excellent is this parable that thou hast recited!\nIndeed, thou art acquainted with truth! Having listened to thy nectarlike\nspeech, I desire to hear thee more.'\n\n\"Vidura said, 'Listen to me, O king, I shall once more discourse in detail\non those means an acquaintance with which enable the wise to free\nthemselves from the ties of the world. As a person, O king, who has to\ntravel a long way is sometimes obliged to halt when fatigued with toil,\neven so, O Bharata, they that are of little intelligence, travelling\nalong the extended way of life, have to make frequent halts in the shape\nof repeated births in the womb. They, however, that are wise are free\nfrom that obligation. Men conversant with the scriptures, for this,\ndescribe life's course as a long way. The wise also call life's round with\nall its difficulties a forest. Creatures, O bull of Bharata's race,\nwhether mobile or immobile, have to repeatedly return to the world. The\nwise alone escape. The diseases, mental and physical, to which mortals\nare subject, whether visible or invisible, are spoken of as beasts of\nprey by the wise. Men are always afflicted and impeded by them, O\nBharata! Then again, those fierce beasts of prey, represented by their\nown acts in life, never cause any anxiety to them that are of little\nintelligence. If any person, O monarch, somehow escapes from diseases,\nDecrepitude, that destroyer of beauty, overwhelms him afterwards. Plunged\nin a slough by the objects of the different senses--sound and form and\ntaste and touch and scent--man remains there without anything to rescue\nhim thence. Meanwhile, the years, the seasons, the months, the\nfortnights, the days, and the nights, coming one after another, gradually\ndespoil him of beauty and lessen the period allotted to him. These all\nare messengers of death. They, however, that are of little understanding\nknow them not to be such. The wise say that all creatures are governed by\nthe Ordainer through their acts. The body of a creature is called the\ncar. The living principle is the driver of (that car). The senses are\nsaid to be steeds. Our acts and the understanding are the traces. He who\nfolloweth after those running steeds has to come repeatedly to this world\nin a round of rebirths. He, however, who, being self-restrained restrains\nthem by his understanding hath not to come back. They, however, that are\nnot stupefied while wandering in this wheel of life that is revolving\nlike a real wheel, do not in reality wander in a round of rebirths. He\nthat is wise should certainly take care to prevent the obligation of\nrebirth. One should not be indifferent to this, for indifference may\nsubject us to it repeatedly. The man, O king, who has restrained his\nsenses and subdued wrath and covetousness, who is contented, and truthful\nin speech, succeeds in obtaining peace. This body is called the car of\nYama. Then those that are of little intelligence are stupefied by it.\nSuch a person, O king, would obtain that which thou hast obtained. The\nloss of kingdom, of friends, and of children, O Bharata, and such as\nthese, overtake him who is still under the influence of desire. He that\nis wise should apply the medicine of intelligence to all great griefs.\nIndeed, obtaining the medicine of wisdom, which is truly very efficacious\nand is almost unattainable, the man of restrained soul would kill that\nserious disease called sorrow. Neither prowess, nor wealth, nor friends,\nnor well-wishers can cure a man of his grief so effectually as the\nself-restrained soul. Therefore, observant of the great duty of\nabstention from all injuries, or friendship for all creatures, be of\npious behaviour, O Bharata! Self-restraint, renunciation, and heedfulness\nare the three steeds of Brahman. He who rides on the car of his soul,\nunto which are yoked these steeds with the aid of traces furnished by\ngood conduct, and drives it, casting off all fear of death, proceedeth, O\nking, to the regions of Brahman. That person, O monarch, who gives unto\nall creatures an assurance of his harmlessness, goes to the highest of\nregions, the blessed realm of Vishnu. The fruit that one obtains by an\nassurance unto all creatures of his harmlessness cannot be obtained by a\n1,000 sacrifices or by daily fasts. Amongst all things there is certainly\nnothing dearer than self. Death is certainly disliked by all creatures, O\nBharata! Therefore, compassion should certainly be shown unto all. Endued\nwith diverse kinds of errors entangled by the net of their own\nintelligence, they that are wicked and are of good vision, wander\nrepeatedly on the earth. They however, that are wise and endued with\nsubtle sight, attain to a union with Brahman.'\"\n\n\n\n8\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Even after hearing the words of Vidura, the chief of\nthe Kurus, afflicted with grief on account of the death of his sons, fell\ndown senseless on the Earth. Beholding him fall down in that state, his\nfriends, as also the island-born Vyasa, and Vidura, and Sanjaya, and\nother well-wishers, and the attendants who used to wait at the gates and\nwho enjoyed his confidence, sprinkled cool water over his body, and\nfanned him with palm leaves, and gently rubbed him with their hands. For\na long while they comforted the king while in that condition. The\nmonarch, recovering his senses after a long time, wept for a long while,\noverwhelmed with grief on account of the death of his sons. He said, 'Fie\non the state of humanity! Fie on the human body! The woes that are\nsuffered in this life frequently arise from the very state of humanity.\nAlas, O lord, great is the grief, like poison or fire, that one suffers\nat the loss of sons, of wealth, of kinsmen, and relatives. That grief\ncauses the limbs to burn and our wisdom to be destroyed. Overwhelmed with\nthat grief, a person regards death to be preferable. This calamity that\nhas overtaken me through ill-luck is even like that. It will not, I see,\nend except with life itself. O best of regenerate ones, I shall,\ntherefore, put an end to my life this very day.' Having said these words\nunto his high-souled sire, that foremost of all persons conversant with\nBrahman, Dhritarashtra, overwhelmed with grief, became stupefied. The\nking, O monarch reflecting on his woes, became speechless. Hearing these\nwords of his, the puissant Vyasa thus spoke unto his son afflicted with\ngrief on account of the death of his children.\n\n\"Vyasa said, 'O mighty-armed Dhritarashtra, listen to what I say. Thou art\npossessed of learning, thou hast great intelligence, and thou, O puissant\none, art skilled in understanding duties. Nothing of that which should be\nknown is unknown to thee, O scorcher of foes! Without doubt, thou knowest\nthe instability of all things doomed to death. When the world of life is\nunstable, when this world itself is not eternal, when life is sure to end\nin death, why then, O Bharata, dost thou grieve? Before thy very eyes, O\nking, the concatenation of facts brought about by Time making thy son the\ncause, produced this hostility. This destruction of the Kurus, O king,\nwas inevitable. Why then dost thou grieve for those heroes that have\nattained to the highest end? O thou of mighty arms, the high-souled\nVidura knew everything. With all his might he had endeavoured, O king, to\nbring about peace. It is my opinion that the course marked out by Destiny\ncannot be controlled by anyone, even if one struggles for eternity. The\ncourse that was settled by the gods was heard directly by me. I will\nrecite it to thee, so that tranquillity of mind may be thine. Once\nbefore, without any fatigue, I repaired very quickly to the court of\nIndra. There I beheld all the denizens of heaven assembled together.\nThere were, O sinless one, all the celestial Rishis also, headed by\nNarada. There, O monarch, I saw also the Earth (in her embodied form).\nThe latter had repaired to the gods for the accomplishment of a\nparticular mission. Approaching the gods, she said, \"That which ye all\nshould do for me hath, ye blessed ones, been already promised by you\nwhile you were in Brahma's abode. Let that be accomplished soon.\" Hearing\nthese words of hers, Vishnu, the adored of all the worlds, smilingly\naddressed her in the midst of the celestial conclave, saying, \"The eldest\nof the hundred sons of Dhritarashtra, who is known by the name of\nDuryodhana, will accomplish thy business. Through that king, thy purpose\nwill be achieved. For his sake, many kings will assemble together on the\nfield of Kuru. Capable of smiting, they will cause one another to be\nslain through the instrumentality of hard weapons. It is evident, O\ngoddess, that thy burthen will then be lightened in battle. Go quickly to\nthy own place and continue to bear the weight of creatures, O beauteous\none!\" From this thou wilt understand, O king, that thy son Duryodhana,\nborn in Gandhari's womb, was a portion of Kali, sprung for the object of\ncausing a universal slaughter. He was vindictive, restless, wrathful, and\ndifficult of being gratified. Through the influence of Destiny his\nbrothers also became like him. Shakuni became his maternal uncle and\nKarna his great friend. Many other kings were born on earth for aiding in\nthe work of destruction. As the king is, so do his subjects become. If\nthe king becomes righteous, even unrighteousness (in his dominions)\nassumes the shape of righteousness. Servants, without doubt, are affected\nby the merits and defects of their masters. Those sons of thine, O king,\nhaving obtained a bad king, have all been destroyed. Conversant with\ntruth, Narada, knew all this. Thy sons, through their own faults, have\nbeen destroyed, O king! Do not grieve for them, O monarch! There is no\ncause for grief. The Pandavas have not, O Bharata, the least fault in\nwhat has happened. Thy sons were all of wicked souls. It is they that\ncaused this destruction on earth. Blessed be thou; Narada had truly\ninformed Yudhishthira of all this in his court on the occasion of the\nrajasuya sacrifice, saying, \"The Pandavas and the Kauravas, encountering\neach other, will meet with destruction. Do that, O son of Kunti, which\nthou shouldst!\" Upon these words of Narada, the Pandavas became filled\nwith grief. I have thus told thee that which is an eternal secret of the\ngods. This will destroy thy grief and restore to thee a love of thy\nlife-breath, and cause thee to cherish affection for the Pandavas, for\nall that has happened has been due to what had been ordained by the gods.\nO thou of mighty arms, I had learnt all this sometime before. I also\nspoke of it to king Yudhishthira the just on the occasion of his foremost\nof sacrifices, the rajasuya. When I secretly informed him of all this,\nDharma's son endeavoured his best for preserving peace with the Kauravas.\nThat, however, which is ordained by the gods proved too powerful (to be\nfrustrated by him). The fiat, O king of the Destroyer, is incapable of\nbeing baffled anyhow by mobile and immobile creatures. Thou art devoted\nto virtue and possessed of superior intelligence, O Bharata! Thou knowest\nalso that which is the way and that which is not the way of all\ncreatures. If king Yudhishthira learns that thou art burning with grief\nand losing thy senses frequently, he will cast off his very life-breath.\nHe is always compassionate and possessed of wisdom. His kindness extends\neven to all the inferior creatures. How is it possible, O king, that he\nwill not show compassion to thee, O monarch? At my command, and knowing\nthat what is ordained is inevitable, as also from kindness to the\nPandavas, continue to bear thy life, O Bharata! If thou livest thus, thy\nfame will spread in the world. Thou shalt then be able to acquire a\nknowledge of all duties and find many years for obtaining ascetic merit.\nThis grief for the death of thy sons that has arisen in thy heart, like a\nblazing fire, should always be extinguished, O king, by the water of\nwisdom!'\"\n\nVaishampayana continued, \"Hearing these words of Vyasa of immeasurable\nenergy and reflecting upon them for a little while, Dhritarashtra said, 'O\nbest of regenerate ones, I am exceedingly afflicted by a heavy load of\ngrief. My senses are repeatedly forsaking me and I am unable to bear up\nmy own self. Hearing, however, these words of thine about what had been\nordained by the gods, I shall not think of casting off my life-breath and\nshall live and act without indulging in grief!' Hearing these words of\nDhritarashtra, O monarch, Satyavati's son, Vyasa, disappeared then and\nthere.\"\n\n\n\n9\n\nJanamejaya said, \"After the holy Vyasa had departed, what, O regenerate\nsage, did king Dhritarashtra, do? It behoveth thee to tell me this. What\nalso did the Kuru king, the high-souled son of Dharma, do? And how did\nthose three, Kripa and others, do? I have heard of the feats of\nAshvatthama and the mutual denouncement of curses. Tell me what happened\nnext and what Sanjaya next said (unto the old king).\"\n\nVaishampayana said, \"After Duryodhana had been slain and all the troops\nslaughtered, Sanjaya, deprived of his spiritual sight, came back to\nDhritarashtra.\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'The kings of diverse peoples, that came from diverse\nrealms, have all, O king, gone to the regions of the dead, along with thy\nsons. Thy son, O king, who had constantly been implored (for peace) but\nwho always wished to terminate his hostility (with the Pandavas by\nslaughtering them) has caused the earth to be exterminated. Do thou, O\nking, cause the obsequial rites of thy sons and grandsons and sires to be\nperformed according to due order!'\"\n\nVaishampayana continued, \"Hearing these terrible words of Sanjaya, the\nking fell down on the Earth and lay motionless like one deprived of life.\nApproaching the monarch who was lying prostrate on the Earth, Vidura,\nconversant with every duty, said these words: 'Rise, O king, why dost thou\nlie down thus? Do not grieve, O bull of Bharata's race! Even this, O lord\nof Earth, is the final end of all creatures. At first creatures are\nnon-existent. In the interim, O Bharata, they become existent. At the\nend, they once more become non-existent. What cause of sorrow is there in\nall this? By indulging in grief, one cannot get back the dead. By\nindulging in grief, one cannot die himself. When such is the course of\nthe world, why dost thou indulge in grief? One may die without having\nbeen engaged in battle. One also escapes with life after being engaged in\nbattle. When one's Time comes, O king, one cannot escape! Time drags all\nkinds of creatures. There is none dear or hateful to Time, O best of the\nKurus! As the wind tears off the ends of all blades of grass, even so all\ncreatures, O bull of Bharata's race, are brought by Time under its\ninfluence. All creatures are like members of the same caravan bound for\nthe same destination. What cause of sorrow is there if Time meets with\none a little earlier than with another? Those again, O king, that have\nfallen in battle and for whom thou grievest, are not really objects of\nthy grief, since all those illustrious ones have gone to heaven. By\nsacrifices with profuse presents, by ascetic austerities, and by\nknowledge, people cannot so easily repair to heaven as heroes by courage\nin battle. All those heroes were conversant with the Vedas; all of them\nwere observant of vows; all of them have perished, facing the foe in\nbattle. What cause of sorrow then is there? They poured their arrowy\nlibations upon the bodies of their brave foes as upon a fire. Foremost of\nmen, they bore in return the arrowy libations poured upon themselves. I\ntell thee, O king, that there is no better way to heaven for a Kshatriya\nthan through battle. All of them were high-souled Kshatriyas, all of them\nwere heroes and ornaments of assemblies. They have attained to a high\nstate of blessedness. One should not grieve for them. Do thou comfort thy\nown self. Do not grieve, O bull among men! It behoveth thee not to suffer\nthyself to be overwhelmed with sorrow and abandon all action.'\"\n\n\n\n10\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Hearing these words of Vidura, that bull of Bharata's\nrace (Dhritarashtra) ordered his car to be yoked. The king once more\nsaid, 'Bring Gandhari hither without delay, and all the Bharata ladies.\nBring hither Kunti also, as well as all the other ladies with her.' Having\nsaid these words unto Vidura, conversant with every duty, Dhritarashtra\nof righteous soul, deprived of his senses by sorrow, ascended on his car.\nThen Gandhari, afflicted with grief on account of the death of her sons,\naccompanied by Kunti and the other ladies of the royal household, came at\nthe command of her lord to that spot where the latter was waiting for\nher. Afflicted with grief, they came together to the king. As they met,\nthey accosted each other and uttered loud wails of woe. Then Vidura, who\nhad become more afflicted than those ladies, began to comfort them.\nPlacing those weeping fair ones on the cars that stood ready for them, he\nset out (with them) from the city. At that time a loud wail of woe arose\nfrom every Kuru house. The whole city, including the very children,\nbecame exceedingly afflicted with grief. Those ladies that had not before\nthis been seen by the very gods were now helpless, as they were, for the\nloss of their lords, seen by the common people. With their beautiful\ntresses all dishevelled and their ornaments cast off, those ladies, each\nattired in a single piece of raiment, proceeded most woefully. Indeed,\nthey issued from their houses resembling white mountains, like a dappled\nherd of deer from their mountain caves after the fall of their leader.\nThese fair ladies, in successive bevies, O king, came out, filled with\nsorrow, and ran hither and thither like a herd of fillies on a circus\nyard. Seizing each other by the hand, they uttered loud wails after their\nsons and brothers and sires. They seemed to exhibit the scene that takes\nplace on the occasion of the universal destruction at the end of the\nYuga. Weeping and crying and running hither and thither, and deprived of\ntheir senses by grief, they knew not what to do. Those ladies who\nformerly felt the blush of modesty in the presence of even companions of\ntheir own sex, now felt no blush of shame, though scantily clad, in\nappearing before their mothers-in-law. Formerly they used to comfort each\nother while afflicted with even slight causes of woe. Stupefied by grief,\nthey now, O king, refrained from even casting their eyes upon each other.\nSurrounded by those thousands of wailing ladies, the king cheerlessly\nissued out of the city and proceeded with speed towards the field of\nbattle. Artisans and traders and Vaishyas and all kinds of mechanics,\nissuing out of the city, followed in the wake of the king. As those\nladies, afflicted by the wholesale destruction that had overtaken the\nKurus, cried in sorrow, a loud wail arose from among them that seemed to\npierce all the worlds. All creatures that heard that wail thought that\nthe hour of universal destruction had come when all things would be\nconsumed by the fire that arises at the end of the Yuga. The citizens\nalso (of Hastinapura), devoted to the house of Kuru, with hearts filled\nwith anxiety at the destruction that had overtaken their rules, set up, O\nking, a wail that was as loud as that uttered by those ladies.\"\n\n\n\n11\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Dhritarashtra had not proceeded for more than two\nmiles when he met with those three great car-warriors, Sharadvata's son\nKripa, Drona's son (Ashvatthama), and Kritavarma. As soon as the latter\nobtained a sight of the blind monarch possessed of great power, the three\nheroes sighed in grief and with voices choked in tears weepingly\naddressed him, saying, 'Thy royal son, O king, having achieved the most\ndifficult feats, has, with all his followers, gone to the region of\nIndra. We are the only three car-warriors of Duryodhana's army that have\nescaped with life. All the others, O bull of Bharata's race, have\nperished.' Having said these words unto the king, Sharadvatas son Kripa,\naddressing the grief-afflicted Gandhari, said these words unto her, 'Thy\nsons have fallen while engaged in achieving feats worthy of heroes, while\nfearlessly fighting in battle and striking down large numbers of foes.\nWithout doubt, having obtained those bright worlds that are attainable\nonly by the use of weapons, they are sporting there like celestials,\nhaving assumed resplendent forms. Amongst those heroes there was no one\nthat turned back from battle. Every one of them has fallen at the end or\nedge of weapons. None of them joined his hands, begging for quarter.\nDeath in battle at the end or edge of weapons has been said by the\nancients to be the highest end that a Kshatriya can obtain. It behoveth\nthee not, therefore, to grieve for any of them. Their foes, O queen, the\nPandavas, too, have not been more fortunate. Listen, what we, headed by\nAshvatthama, have done unto them. Learning that thy son had been slain\nunrighteously by Bhima, we slaughtered the Pandavas after entering their\ncamp buried in sleep. All the Pancalas have been slain. Indeed, all the\nsons of Drupada, as also all the sons of Draupadi, have been slaughtered.\nHaving caused this carnage of the sons of our foes, we are flying away\nsince we three are incapable of standing in battle with them. Our foes,\nthe Pandavas, are all heroes and mighty bowmen. They will soon come up\nwith us, filled with rage, for taking vengeance on us. Hearing the\nslaughter of their sons, those bulls among men, infuriated with rage,\nthose heroes, O illustrious lady, will speedily pursue our track. Having\ncaused a carnage (in their sleeping camp) we dare not stay. Grant us\npermission, O queen! It behoveth thee not to set thy heart on sorrow.\nGrant us thy permission also, O king! Summon all thy fortitude. Do thou\nalso observe the duties of a Kshatriya in their highest form.' Having said\nthese words unto the king, and circumambulating him, Kripa and Kritavarma\nand Drona's son, O Bharata, without being able to withdraw their eyes from\nking Dhritarashtra possessed of great wisdom, urged their steeds towards\nthe banks of the Ganga. Moving away from that spot, O king, those great\ncar-warriors, with hearts plunged in anxiety, took one another's leave and\nseparated from one another. Sharadvata's son, Kripa, went to Hastinapura;\nHridika's son repaired to his own kingdom; while the son of Drona set for\nthe asylum of Vyasa. Even thus those heroes, who had offended the\nhigh-souled sons of Pandu, respectively proceeded to the places they\nselected, afflicted with fear and casting their eyes on one another.\nHaving met the king thus, those brave chastisers of foes, before the sun\nrose, went away, O monarch, to the places they chose. It was after this,\nO king, that the sons of Pandu, those great car-warriors, encountered the\nson of Drona, and putting forth their prowess, vanquished him, O monarch,\n(in the way already related).\"\n\n\n\n12\n\nVaishampayana said, \"After all the warriors had been slaughtered, king\nYudhishthira the just heard that his uncle Dhritarashtra had set out from\nthe city called after the elephant. Afflicted with grief on account of\nthe death of his sons, Yudhishthira, O king, accompanied by his brothers,\nset out for meeting his uncle, filled with sorrow and overwhelmed with\ngrief for the slaughter of his (hundred) sons. The son of Kunti was\nfollowed by the high-souled and heroic Krishna of Dasharha's race, and by\nYuyudhana, as also by Yuyutsu. The princess Draupadi also, burning with\ngrief, and accompanied by those Pancala ladies that were with her,\nsorrowfully followed her lord. Yudhishthira beheld near the banks of the\nGanga, O king, the crowd of Bharata ladies afflicted with woe and crying\nlike a flight of she-ospreys. The king was soon surrounded by those\nthousands of ladies who, with arms raised aloft in grief, were indulging\nin loud lamentations and giving expression to all kinds of words,\nagreeable and disagreeable: 'Where, indeed, is that righteousness of the\nking, where is truth and compassion, since he has slain sires and\nbrothers and preceptors and sons and friends? How, O mighty-armed one,\nhath thy heart become tranquil after causing Drona, and thy grandsire\nBhishma, and Jayadratha, to be slaughtered? What need hast thou of\nsovereignty, after having seen thy sires and brothers, O Bharata, and the\nirresistible Abhimanyu and the sons of Draupadi, thus slaughtered?'\nPassing over those ladies crying like a flight of she-ospreys, the\nmighty-armed king Yudhishthira the just saluted the feet of his eldest\nuncle. Having saluted their sire according to custom, those slayers of\nfoes, the Pandavas, announced themselves to him, each uttering his own\nname. Dhritarashtra, exceedingly afflicted with grief on account of the\nslaughter of his sons, then reluctantly embraced the eldest son of Pandu,\nwho was the cause of that slaughter. Having embraced Yudhishthira the\njust and spoken a few words of comfort to him, O Bharata, the\nwicked-souled Dhritarashtra sought for Bhima, like a blazing fire ready\nto burn everything that would approach it. Indeed, that fire of his\nwrath, fanned by the wind of his grief, seemed then to be ready to\nconsume the Bhima-forest. Ascertaining the evil intentions cherished by\nhim towards Bhima, Krishna, dragging away the real Bhima, presented an\niron statue of the second son of Pandu to the old king. Possessed of\ngreat intelligence, Krishna had, at the very outset, understood the\nintentions of Dhritarashtra, and had, therefore, kept such a contrivance\nready for baffling them. Seizing with his two arms that iron Bhima, king\nDhritarashtra, possessed of great strength, broke into pieces, thinking\nit to be Bhima himself in flesh and blood. Endued with might equal to\nthat of 10,000 elephants, the king reduced that statue into fragments.\nHis own breast, however, became considerably bruised and he began to\nvomit blood. Covered with blood, the king fell down on the ground like a\nparijata tree topped with its flowery burden. His learned charioteer\nSanjaya, the son of Gavalgana, raised the monarch and soothing and\ncomforting him, said, 'Do not act so.' The king then, having cast off his\nwrath and returned to his normal disposition, became filled with grief\nand began to weep aloud, saying, 'Alas, oh Bhima, alas, oh Bhima!'\nUnderstanding that he was no longer under the influence of wrath, and\nthat he was truly sorry for having (as he believed) killed Bhima,\nVasudeva, that foremost of men, said these words, 'Do not grieve, O\nDhritarashtra, for thou hast not slain Bhimasena! That is an iron statue,\nO king, which has been broken by thee! Understanding that thou wert\nfilled with rage, O bull of Bharata's race, I dragged the son of Kunti\naway from within the jaws of Death. O tiger among kings, there is none\nequal to thee in strength of body. What man is there, O mighty-armed one,\nthat would endure pressure of thy arms? Indeed, as no one can escape with\nlife from an encounter with the Destroyer himself, even so no body can\ncome out safe from within thy embrace. It was for this that yonder iron\nstatue of Bhima, which had been caused to be made by thy son, had been\nkept ready for thee. Through grief for the death of thy sons, thy mind\nhas fallen off from righteousness. It is for this, O great king, that\nthou seekest to slay Bhimasena. The slaughter of Bhima, however, O king,\nwould do thee no good. Thy sons, O monarch, would not be revived by it.\nTherefore, do thou approve of what has been by us with a view to secure\npeace and do not set thy heart on grief!'\"\n\n\n\n13\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Certain maid-servants then came to the king for\nwashing him. After he had been duly washed, the slayer of Madhu again\naddressed him, saying, 'Thou hast, O king, read the Vedas and diverse\nscriptures. Thou hast heard all old histories, and everything about the\nduties of kings. Thou art learned, possessed of great wisdom, and\nindifferent to strength and weakness. Why then dost thou cherish such\nwrath when all that has overtaken thee is the result of thy own fault? I\nspoke to thee before the battle. Both Bhishma and Drona, O Bharata, did\nthe same, as also Vidura and Sanjaya. Thou didst not, however, then\nfollow our advice. Indeed, though exhorted by us, thou didst not yet act\naccording to the counsels we offered, knowing that the Pandavas were\nsuperior to thee and thine, O Kauravya, in strength and courage. That\nking who is capable of seeing his own faults and knows the distinctions\nof place and time, obtains great prosperity. That person, however, who,\nthough counselled by well-wishers, does not accept their words, good or\nbad, meets with distress and is obliged to grieve in consequence of the\nevil policy he pursues. Observe thou a different course of life now, O\nBharata! Thou didst not keep thy soul under restraint, but suffered\nthyself to be ruled by Duryodhana. That which has come upon thee is due\nto thy own fault. Why then dost thou seek to slay Bhima? Recollecting thy\nown faults, govern thy wrath now. That mean wretch who had, from pride,\ncaused the princess of Pancala to be brought into the assembly has been\nslain by Bhimasena in just revenge. Look at thy own evil acts as also at\nthose of thy wicked-souled son. The sons of Pandu are perfectly innocent.\nYet have they been treated most cruelly by thee and him.'\"\n\nVaishampayana continued, \"After he had thus been told nothing but the\ntruth by Krishna, O monarch, king Dhritarashtra replied unto Devaki's son,\nsaying, 'It is even so, O thou of mighty arms! What thou sayest, O\nMadhava, is perfectly true. It is parental affection, O thou of righteous\nsoul, that caused me to fall away from righteousness. By good luck, that\ntiger among men, the mighty Bhima of true prowess, protected by thee,\ncame not within my embrace. Now, however, I am free from wrath and fever.\nI desire eagerly, O Madhava, to embrace that hero, the second son of\nPandu. When all the kings have been dead, when my children are no more,\nupon the sons of Pandu depend my welfare and happiness.' Having said these\nwords, the old king then embraced those princes of excellent frames,\nBhima and Dhananjaya, and those two foremost of men, the two sons of\nMadri, and wept, and comforted and pronounced blessings upon them.\"\n\n\n\n14\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Commanded by Dhritarashtra, those bulls of Kuru's\nrace, the Pandava brothers, accompanied by Keshava, then proceeded to see\nGandhari. The faultless Gandhari, afflicted with grief on account of the\ndeath of her hundred sons, recollecting that king Yudhishthira the just\nhad slain all his enemies, wished to curse him. Understanding her evil\nintentions towards the Pandavas, the son of Satyavati addressed himself\nfor counteracting them at the very outset. Having cleansed himself by the\nsacred and fresh water of the Ganga, the great rishi, capable of\nproceeding everywhere at will with the fleetness of the mind, came to\nthat spot. Capable of seeing the heart of every creature with his\nspiritual vision and with his mind directed towards it, the sage made his\nappearance there. Endued with great ascetic merit and ever intent on\nsaying what was for the benefit of creatures, the rishi, addressing his\ndaughter-in-law at the proper moment, said, 'Do not avail thyself of this\nopportunity for denouncing a curse. On the other hand, utilize it for\nshowing thy forgiveness. Thou shouldst not be angry with the Pandavas, O\nGandhari! Set thy heart on peace. Restrain the words that are about to\nfall from thy lips. Listen to my advice. Thy son, desirous of victory,\nhad besought thee every day for the eighteen days that battle lasted,\nsaying, \"O mother, bless me who am fighting with my foes.\" Implored every\nday in these words by thy son desirous of victory, the answer thou always\ngavest him was, \"Thither is victory where righteousness is!\" I do not, O\nGandhari, remember that any words spoken by thee have become false. Those\nwords, therefore, that thou, implored by Duryodhana, saidst unto him,\ncould not be false. Thou art always employed in the good of all\ncreatures. Having without doubt reached the other shore in that dreadful\nbattle of Kshatriyas, the sons of Pandu have certainly won the victory\nand a measure of righteousness that is much greater. Thou wert formerly\nobservant of the virtue of forgiveness. Why wouldst thou not observe it\nnow? Subdue unrighteousness, O thou that art conversant with\nrighteousness. There is victory where righteousness is. Remembering thy\nown righteousness and the words spoken by thyself, restrain thy wrath, O\nGandhari! Do not act otherwise, O thou that art beautiful in speech.'\nHearing these words, Gandhari said, 'O holy one, I do not cherish any ill\nfeelings towards the Pandavas, nor do I wish that they should perish. In\nconsequence, however, of grief for the death of my sons, my heart is very\nmuch agitated. I know that I should protect the Pandavas with as much\ncare as Kunti herself protects them, and that Dhritarashtra also should\nprotect them as I should. Through the fault of Duryodhana and of Shakuni\nthe son of Subala, and through the action of Karna and Duhshasana,\nextermination of the Kurus hath taken place. In this matter the slightest\nblame cannot attach to Vibhatsu or to Pritha's son Vrikodara, or to Nakula\nor Sahadeva, or to Yudhishthira himself. While engaged in battle, the\nKauravas, swelling with arrogance and pride, have fallen along with many\nothers (that came to their aid). I am not grieved at this. But there has\nbeen one act done by Bhima in the very presence of Vasudeva (that moves\nmy resentment). The high-souled Vrikodara, having challenged Duryodhana\nto a dreadful encounter with mace, and having come to know that my son,\nwhile careering in diverse kinds of motion in the battle, was superior to\nhim in skill, struck the latter below the navel. It is this that moves my\nwrath. Why should heroes, for the sake of their lives, cast off\nobligations of duty that have been determined by high-souled persons\nconversant with every duty?'\"\n\n\n\n15\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Hearing these words of Gandhari, Bhimasena, looking\nlike one in fright, said these words for soothing her, 'Be the act\nrighteous or unrighteous, it was done by me through fear and for the\nobject of protecting my own self. It behoveth thee therefore, to forgive\nme now. Thy mighty son was incapable of being slain by anybody in a fair\nand righteous battle. It was for this that I did what was unfair.\nDuryodhana himself had formerly vanquished Yudhishthira unrighteously. He\nused always to behave guilefully towards us. It was for this that I had\nrecourse to an unfair act. Thy son was then the sole unslain warrior on\nhis side. In order that that valiant prince might not slay me in the\nmace-encounter and once more deprive us of our kingdom, I acted in that\nway. Thou knowest all that thy son had said unto the princess of Pancala\nwhile the latter, in her season, was clad in a single piece of raiment.\nWithout having disposed of Suyodhana it was impossible for us to rule\npeacefully the whole earth with her seas. It was for this that I acted in\nthat way. Thy son inflicted many wrongs on us. In the midst of the\nassembly he had shown his left thigh unto Draupadi. For that wicked\nbehaviour, thy son deserved to be slain by us even then. At the command,\nhowever, of king Yudhishthira the just, we suffered ourselves to be\nrestrained by the compact that had been made. By this means, O queen, thy\nson provoked deadly hostilities with us. Great were our sufferings in the\nforest (whither we were driven by thy son). Remembering all this, I acted\nin that way. Having slain Duryodhana in battle, we have reached the end\nof our hostilities. Yudhishthira has got back his kingdom, and we also\nhave been freed from wrath.' Hearing these words of Bhima, Gandhari said,\n'Since thou praisest my son thus (for his skill in battle), he did not\ndeserve such a death. He, however, did all that thou tellest me. When\nVrishasena, however, had deprived Nakula of his steeds, O Bharata, thou\nquaffedst in battle the blood from Duhshasana's body! Such an act is cruel\nand is censured by the good. It suits only a person that is most\ndisrespectable. It was a wicked act, O Vrikodara, that was then\naccomplished by thee! It was undeserving of thee.' Bhima replied, saying,\n'It is improper to quaff the blood of even a stranger, what then need be\nsaid about quaffing the blood of one's own self? One's brother, again, is\nlike one's own self. There is no difference between them. The blood,\nhowever, (that I am regarded to have quaffed) did not, O mother, pass\ndown my lips and teeth. Karna knew this well. My hands only were smeared\nwith (Duhshasana's) blood. Seeing Nakula deprived of his steeds by\nVrishasena in battle, I caused the rejoicing (Kaurava) brothers to be\nfilled with dread. When after the match at dice the tresses of Draupadi\nwere seized, I uttered certain words in rage. Those words are still in my\nremembrance, I would, for all years to come, have been regarded to have\nswerved from the duties of a Kshatriya if I had left that vow\nunaccomplished. It was for this, O queen, that I did that act. It\nbehoveth thee not, O Gandhari, to impute any fault to me. Without having\nrestrained thy sons in former days, doth it behove thee to impute any\nfault to our innocent selves?'\n\n\"Gandhari said, 'Unvanquished by anyone, thou hast slain a hundred sons of\nthis old man. Oh, why didst thou not spare, O child, even one son of this\nold couple deprived of kingdom, one whose offences were lighter? Why\ndidst thou not leave even one crutch for this blind couple? O child,\nalthough thou livest unharmed, having slain all my children, yet no grief\nwould have been mine if thou hadst adopted the path of righteousness (in\nslaying them).'\"\n\nVaishampayana continued, \"Having said these words, Gandhari, filled with\nwrath at the slaughter of all her sons and grandsons, enquired after\nYudhishthira, saying, 'Where is the king?' After she had said these words\nking Yudhishthira, trembling and with joined hands, approached her and\nsaid these soft words unto her, 'Here is Yudhishthira, O goddess, that\ncruel slayer of thy sons! I deserve thy curses, for I am the cause of\nthis universal destruction. Oh, curse me! I have no longer any need for\nlife, for kingdom, for wealth! Having caused such friends to be slain, I\nhave proved myself to be a great fool and a hater of friends.' Unto\nYudhishthira who spoke such words, who was overcome with fear, and who\nstood in her presence, Gandhari, drawing long sighs, said nothing.\nConversant with the rules of righteousness, the Kuru queen, possessed of\ngreat foresight, directed her eyes, from within the folds of the cloth\nthat covered them, to the tip of Yudhishthira's toe, as the prince, with\nbody bent forwards, was about to fall down at her feet. At this, the\nking, whose nails had before this been all very beautiful, came to have a\nsore nail on his toe. Beholding this, Arjuna moved away to the rear of\nVasudeva, and the other sons of Pandu became restless and moved from one\nspot to another. Gandhari then, having cast off her wrath, comforted the\nPandavas as a mother should. Obtaining her leave, those heroes of broad\nchests then proceeded together to present themselves to their mother,\nthat parent of heroes. Having seen her sons after a long time, Kunti, who\nhad been filled with anxiety on their account, covered her face with her\ncloth and began to weep. Having wept for some time with her children,\nPritha beheld the wounds and scars of many weapons on their bodies. She\nthen repeatedly embraced and patted each of her sons, and afflicted with\ngrief wept with Draupadi who had lost all her children and whom she saw\nlying on the bare earth, indulging in piteous lamentations.\n\n\"Draupadi said, 'O venerable dame, where have all your grandsons, with\nAbhimanyu among them, gone? Beholding thee in such distress, why are they\ndelaying in making their appearance before thee? Deprived as I am of my\nchildren, what need have I of kingdom?' Raising the grief-stricken\nprincess of Pancala who was weeping thus, Pritha began to comfort that\nlady of large eyes. Then Kunti, accompanied by the princess of Pancala\nand followed by her sons, proceeded towards the grief-afflicted Gandhari\nherself in greater affliction still. Beholding that illustrious lady with\nher daughter-in-law, Gandhari addressed her, saying, 'Do not, O daughter,\ngrieve so. Behold, I too am as much stricken with grief as thou. I think\nthis universal destruction has been brought about by the irresistible\ncourse of Time. Inevitable as it was, this dreadful slaughter has not\nbeen due to the voluntary agency of human beings. Even that has come to\npass which Vidura of great wisdom foretold after Krishna's supplication\nfor peace had failed. Do not, therefore, grieve, in a matter that was\ninevitable, especially after its occurrence. Having fallen in battle,\nthey should not be grieved for. I am in the same predicament with thee.\n(If thou actest in such a way) who then will comfort us? Through my\nfault, this foremost of races has been destroyed.'\"\n\nHere ends the Jalapradanika-parva in the Stri-parva.\n\n\n\n16\n\n(Stri-vilapa-parva)\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Having said these words, Gandhari, though staying on\nthat spot which was distant from the field of battle, beheld, with her\nspiritual eye, the slaughter of the Kurus. Devoted to her lord, that\nhighly blessed lady had always practised high vows. Undergoing the\nseverest penances, she was always truthful in her speech. In consequence\nof the gift of the boon by the great rishi Vyasa of sanctified deeds, she\nbecame possessed of spiritual knowledge and power. Piteous were the\nlamentations in which that dame then indulged. Endued with great\nintelligence, the Kuru dame saw, from a distance, but as if from a near\npoint, that field of battle, terrible to behold and full of wonderful\nsights, of those foremost of fighters. Scattered all over with bones and\nhair, and covered with streams of blood, that field was strewn with\nthousands upon thousands of dead bodies on every side. Covered with the\nblood of elephants and horses and car-warriors and combatants of other\nkinds, it teemed with headless trunks and trunkless heads. And it\nresounded with the cries of elephants and steeds and men and women and\nabounded with jackals and cranes and ravens and kankas and crows. And it\nwas the sporting ground of Rakshasas subsisting on human flesh. And it\nswarmed with ospreys and vultures and resounded with the inauspicious\nhowls of jackals. Then king Dhritarashtra, at the command of Vyasa, and\nall the sons of Pandu with Yudhishthira at their head, with Vasudeva and\nall the Kuru ladies, proceeded to the field of battle. Those ladies,\nbereaved of their lords, having reached Kurukshetra, beheld their slain\nbrothers and sons and sires and husbands lying on the ground, and in\ncourse of being devoured by beasts of prey and wolves and ravens and\ncrows and ghosts and Pishacas and Rakshasas and diverse other wanderers\nof the night. Beholding that carnage which resembled the sights seen on\nthe sporting ground of Rudra, the ladies uttered loud shrieks and quickly\nalighted from their costly vehicles. Witnessing sights the like of which\nthey had never before witnessed, the Bharata ladies felt their limbs to\nbe deprived of strength and fell down on the ground. Others became so\nstupefied that they lost all their senses. Indeed, the Pancala and the\nKuru ladies were plunged into unutterable distress. Beholding that\ndreadful field of battle resounding on every direction with the cries of\nthose grief-stricken ladies, the daughter of Subala, acquainted with\nevery duty, addressed the lotus-eyed Keshava, that foremost of all men.\nWitnessing that universal slaughter of the Kurus and filled with grief at\nthe sight, she said these words: 'Behold, O lotus-eyed Madhava, these\ndaughters-in-law of mine! Deprived of their lords, they are uttering,\nwith dishevelled hair, piteous cries of woe like a flight of she-ospreys.\nMeeting with those dead bodies, they are calling back to their memories\nthe great Bharata chiefs. They are running hither and thither in large\nbands towards their sons and brothers and sires and husbands. Behold, O\nmighty-armed one, the field is covered with mothers of heroes, all of\nwhom, however, have been bereaved of children. There, those portions\nagain are covered with spouses of heroes, who have, however, been\nbereaved of their spouses! Behold, the field of battle is adorned with\nthose tigers among men, Bhishma and Karna and Abhimanyu and Drona and\nDrupada and Shalya, as if with blazing fires. Behold, it is adorned also\nwith the golden coats of mail, and with the costly gems, of high-souled\nwarriors, and with their angadas, and keyuras and garlands. Behold, it is\nstrewn with darts and spiked clubs hurled by heroic hands, and swords and\ndiverse kinds of keen shafts and bows. Beasts of prey, assembled\ntogether, are standing or sporting or lying down as it likes them!\nBehold, O puissant hero, the field of battle is even such. At this sight,\nO Janardana, I am burning with grief. In the destruction of the Pancalas\nand the Kurus, O slayer of Madhu, I think, the five elements (of which\neverything is made) have been destroyed. Fierce vultures and other birds,\nin thousands, are dragging those blood-dyed bodies, and seizing them by\ntheir armour, are devouring them. Who is there that could think of the\ndeath of such heroes as Jayadratha and Karna and Drona and Bhishma and\nAbhimanyu? Alas, though incapable of being slain, they have yet been\nslain, O destroyer of Madhu! Behold, vultures and Kankas and ravens and\nhawks and dogs and jackals are feasting upon them. There, those tigers\namong men, that fought on Duryodhana's side, and took the field in wrath,\nare now lying like extinguished fires. All of them are worthy of sleeping\non soft and clean beds. But, alas, plunged into distress, they are\nsleeping today on the bare ground. Bards reciting their praises used to\ndelight them before at proper times. They are now listening to the fierce\nand inauspicious cries of jackals. Those illustrious heroes who used\nformerly to sleep on costly beds with their limbs smeared with sandal\npaste and powdered aloe, alas, now sleep on the dust! These vultures and\nwolves and ravens have now become their ornaments. Repeatedly uttering\ninauspicious and fierce cries those creatures are now dragging their\nbodies. Delighting in battle, those heroes, looking cheerful, have still\nbeside them their keen shafts, well-tempered swords, and bright maces, as\nif life has not yet departed from them. Many foremost of heroes,\npossessed of beauty and fair complexions and adorned with garlands of\ngold, are sleeping on the ground. Behold, beasts of prey are dragging and\ntearing them. Others, with massive arms, are sleeping with maces in their\nembrace, as if those were beloved wives. Others, still cased in armour,\nare holding in their hands their bright weapons. Beasts of prey are not\nmangling them, O Janardana, regarding them to be still alive. The\nbeautiful garlands of pure gold on the necks of other illustrious heroes,\nas the latter are being dragged by carnivorous creatures, are scattered\nabout on every side. There, those fierce wolves, numbering in thousands,\nare dragging the golden chains round the necks of many illustrious heroes\nstilled by death. Many, whom bards well-trained to their work formerly\nused, with their hymns and eulogies of grave import, to delight every\nmorning, are now surrounded by fair ladies stricken with grief and\nweeping and crying around them in woe, O tiger of Vrishni's race! The\nfaces of those beautiful ladies, O Keshava, though pale, look resplendent\nstill, like an assemblage of red lotuses! Those Kuru ladies have ceased\nto weep, with their respective followers and companions. They are all\nfilled with anxiety. Overwhelmed with sorrow, they are running hither and\nthither. The faces of those fair ones have, with weeping and anger,\nbecome resplendent as the morning sun or gold or burnished copper.\nHearing each other's lamentations of incomplete sense, those ladies, in\nconsequence of the loud wails of woe bursting from every side, are unable\nto catch each other's meaning. Some amongst them, drawing long sighs and\nindulging in repeated lamentations, are stupefied by grief and are\nabandoning their life-breaths. Many of them, beholding the bodies (of\ntheir sons, husbands, or sires), are weeping and setting up loud wails.\nOthers are striking their heads with their own soft hands. The earth,\nstrewn with severed heads and hands and other limbs mingled together and\ngathered in large heaps, looks resplendent with these signs of havoc!\nBeholding many headless trunks of great beauty, and many heads without\ntrunks, those fair ones have been lying senseless on the ground for a\nlong while. Uniting particular heads with particular trunks, those\nladies, senseless with grief, are again discovering their mistakes and\nsaying, \"This is not this ones,\" and are weeping more bitterly! Others,\nuniting arms and thighs and feet, cut off with shafts, are giving way to\ngrief and losing their senses repeatedly (at the sight of the restored\nforms). Some amongst the Bharata ladies, beholding the bodies of their\nlords,--bodies that have been mangled by animals and birds and severed of\ntheir heads,--are not succeeding in recognising them. Others, beholding\ntheir brothers, sires, sons, and husbands slain by foes, are, O destroyer\nof Madhu, striking their heads with their own hands. Miry with flesh and\nblood, the Earth has become impassable with arms still holding swords in\ntheir grasp, and with heads adorned with earrings. Beholding the field\nstrewn with their brothers and sires, and sons, those faultless ladies,\nwho had never before suffered the least distress, are now plunged into\nunutterable woe. Behold, O Janardana, those numerous bevies of\nDhritarashtra's daughters-in-law, resembling successive multitudes of\nhandsome fillies adorned with excellent manes! What, O Keshava, can be a\nsadder spectacle for me to behold than that presented by those ladies of\nfair forms who have assumed such an aspect? Without doubt, I must have\nperpetrated great sins in my former lives, since I am beholding, O\nKeshava, my sons and grandsons and brothers all slain by foes.' While\nindulging in such lamentations in grief, Gandhari's eyes fell upon her son\n(Duryodhana).\"\n\n\n\n17\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Beholding Duryodhana, Gandhari, deprived of her\nsenses by grief, suddenly fell down on the earth like an uprooted\nplantain tree. Having regained her senses soon, she began to weep,\nrepeatedly uttering loud wails at the sight of her son lying on the bare\nground, covered with blood. Embracing her son, Gandhari indulged in\npiteous lamentations for him. Stricken with grief, and with senses\nexceedingly agitated, the Kuru queen exclaimed, 'Alas, O son! Alas, O son!'\nBurning with sorrow, the queen drenched with her tears the body of her\nson, possessed of massive and broad shoulders, and adorned with garlands\nand collar. Addressing Hrishikesha who stood near, she said, 'On the eve\nof this battle, O puissant one, that has exterminated this race, this\nforemost of kings, O thou of Vrishnis race, said unto me, \"In this\ninternecine battle, O mother, wish me victory!\" When he had said these\nwords, I myself, knowing that a great calamity had come upon us, told him\neven this, tiger among men, \"Thither is victory where righteousness is.\nAnd since, son, thy heart is set on battle, thou wilt, without doubt,\nobtain those regions that are attainable by (the use of) weapons (and\nsport there) like a celestial.\" Even these were the words that I then\nsaid unto him. I did not then grieve for my son. I grieve, however, for\nthe helpless Dhritarashtra bereaved of friends and kinsmen. Behold, O\nMadhava, my son, that foremost of warriors, wrathful, skilled in weapons,\nand irresistible in battle, sleeping on the bed of heroes. Behold the\nreverses brought about by Time. This scorcher of foes that used of old to\nwalk at the head of all crowned persons now sleepeth on the dust. Without\ndoubt, the heroic Duryodhana, when he sleeps on that bed which is the\nhero's hath obtained the most unattainable end. Inauspicious jackals are\nnow delighting that prince asleep on the hero's bed, who was formerly\ndelighted by the fairest of ladies sitting round him. He who was formerly\nencircled by kings vying with one another to give him pleasure, alas, he,\nslain and lying on the ground, is now encircled by vultures! He who was\nformerly fanned with beautiful fans by fair ladies is now fanned by\n(carnivorous) birds with flaps of their wings! Possessed of great\nstrength and true prowess, this mighty-armed prince, slain by Bhimasena\nin battle, sleeps like an elephant slain by a lion! Behold Duryodhana, O\nKrishna, lying on the bare ground, covered with blood, slain by Bhimasena\nwith his mace. That mighty-armed one who had in battle assembled together\neleven Akshauhinis of troops, O Keshava, hath, in consequence of his own\nevil policy, been now slain. Alas, there that great bowman and mighty\ncar-warrior sleeps, slain by Bhimasena, like a tiger slain by a lion!\nHaving disregarded Vidura, as also his own sire, this reckless, foolish,\nand wicked prince hath succumbed to death, in consequence of his\ndisregard of the old. He who had ruled the earth, without a rival, for\nthirteen years, alas, that prince, that son of mine, sleepeth to-day on\nthe bare ground, slain by his foes. Not long before, O Krishna, I beheld\nthe Earth, full of elephants and kine and horses, ruled by Duryodhana!\nToday, O thou of mighty arms, I see her ruled by another, and destitute\nof elephants and kine and horses! What need have I, O Madhava, of life?\nBehold, again, this sight that is more painful than the death of my son,\nthe sight of these fair ladies weeping by the side of the slain heroes!\nBehold, O Krishna, the mother of Lakshmana, that lady of large hips, with\nher tresses dishevelled, that dear spouse of Duryodhana, resembling a\nsacrificial altar of gold. Without doubt, this damsel of great\nintelligence, while her mighty-armed lord was formerly alive, used to\nsport within the embrace of her lords handsome arms! Why, indeed, does\nnot this heart of mine break into a hundred fragments at the sight of my\nson and grandson slain in battle? Alas, that faultless lady now smells\n(the head of) her son covered with blood. Now, again, that lady of fair\nthighs is gently rubbing Duryodhana's body with her fair hand. At one time\nshe is sorrowing for her lord and at another for her son. At one time she\nlooketh on her lord, at another on her son. Behold, O Madhava, striking\nher head with her hands, she falls upon the breast of her heroic spouse,\nthe king of the Kurus. Possessed of complexion like that of the filaments\nof the lotus, she still looketh beautiful like a lotus. The unfortunate\nprincess now rubbeth the face of her son and now that of her lord. If the\nscriptures and the shrutis be true, without doubt, this king has obtained\nthose regions (of blessedness) that one may win by the use of weapons!'\"\n\n\n\n18\n\n\"Gandhari said, 'Behold, O Madhava, my century of sons, incapable of\nfatigue (from exertion in battle), have all been slain by Bhimasena with\nhis mace in battle! That which grieves me more today is that these my\ndaughters-in-law, of tender years, deprived of sons and with dishevelled\nhair, are wandering on the field today. Alas, they who formerly walked\nonly on the terraces of goodly mansions with feet adorned with many\nornaments, are now, in great affliction of heart, obliged to touch with\nthose feet of theirs this hard earth, miry with blood! Reeling in sorrow,\nthey are wandering like inebriated persons, driving away vultures and\njackals and crows with difficulty. Behold, that lady of faultless limbs\nand slender waist, seeing this terrible carnage, falleth down,\noverwhelmed with grief. Beholding this princess, this mother of\nLakshmana, O thou of mighty arms, my heart is torn with grief. These\nbeautiful ladies of fair arms, some seeing their brothers, some their\nhusbands, and some their sons, lying down in death on the bare ground,\nare themselves falling down, seizing the arms of the slain. Listen, O\nunvanquished one, to the loud wails of those elderly ladies and those\nothers of middle age at sight of this terrible carnage. Supporting\nthemselves against broken boxes of cars and the bodies of slain elephants\nand steeds, behold, O thou of great might, those ladies, worn out with\nfatigue, are resting themselves. Behold, O Krishna, some one amongst\nthem, taking up some kinsman's severed head decked with beautiful nose and\nearrings, is standing in grief. I think, O sinless one, that both those\nand myself of little understanding must have committed great sins in our\nformer lives, since, O Janardana, all our relatives and kinsmen have thus\nbeen slain by king Yudhishthira the just! Our acts, righteous or\nunrighteous, cannot go for nothing, O thou of Vrishni's race! Behold, O\nMadhava, those young ladies of beautiful bosoms and abdomen, well-born,\npossessed of modesty, having black eye-lashes and tresses of the same\ncolour on their heads, endued with voice sweet and dear like that of\nswans, are falling down, deprived of their senses in great grief and\nuttering piteous cries like flights of cranes. Behold, O lotus-eyed hero,\ntheir beautiful faces resembling full-blown lotuses, are scorched by the\nsun. Alas, O Vasudeva, the wives of my proud children possessed of\nprowess like that of infuriated elephants, are now exposed to the gaze of\ncommon people. Behold, O Govinda, the shields decked with hundred moons,\nthe standards of solar effulgence, the golden coats of mail, and the\ncollars and cuirasses made of gold, and the head-gears, of my sons,\nscattered on the earth, are blazing with splendour like sacrificial fires\nover which have been poured libations, of clarified butter. There,\nDuhshasana sleepeth, felled by Bhima, and the blood of all his limbs\nquaffed by that heroic slayer of foes. Behold that other son of mine, O\nMadhava, slain by Bhima with his mace, impelled by Draupadi and the\nrecollection of his woes at the time of the match at dice. Addressing the\ndice-won princess of Pancala in the midst of the assembly, this\nDuhshasana, desirous of doing what was agreeable to his (elder) brother\nas also to Karna, O Janardana, had said, \"Thou art now the wife of a\nslave! With Sahadeva and Nakula and Arjuna, O lady, enter our household\nnow!\" On that occasion, O Krishna, I said unto king Duryodhana, \"O son,\ncast off (from thy side) the wrathful Shakuni. Know that thy maternal\nuncle is of very wicked soul and exceedingly fond of quarrel. Casting him\noff without delay, make peace with the Pandavas, O son! O thou of little\nintelligence, thinkest thou not of Bhimasena filled with wrath? Thou art\npiercing him with thy wordy shafts like a person striking an elephant\nwith burning brands.\" Alas, disregarding my words, he vomitted his wordy\npoison at them, like a snake vomitting its poison at a bull,--at them who\nhad already been pierced with his wordy darts. There, that Duhshasana\nsleepeth, stretching his two massive arms, slain by Bhimasena like a\nmighty elephant by a lion. The very wrathful Bhimasena perpetrated a most\nhorrible act by drinking in battle the blood of his foe!'\"\n\n\n\n19\n\n\"Gandhari said, 'There, O Madhava, my son Vikarna, applauded by the wise,\nlieth on the bare ground, slain by Bhima and mangled horribly! Deprived\nof life, O slayer of Madhu, Vikarna lieth in the midst of (slain)\nelephants like the moon in the autumnal sky surrounded by blue clouds.\nHis broad palm, cased in leathern fence, and scarred by constant wielding\nof the bow, is pierced with difficulty by vultures desirous of feeding\nupon it. His helpless young wife, O Madhava, is continually endeavouring,\nwithout success, to drive away those vultures desirous of feeding on\ncarrion. The youthful and brave and handsome Vikarna, O bull among men,\nbrought up in luxury and deserving of every kind of weal, now sleepeth\namid the dust, O Madhava! Though all his vital parts have been pierced\nwith clothyard shafts and bearded arrows and Nalikas, yet that beauty of\nperson which was his hath not forsaken this best of the Bharatas. There,\nmy son Durmukha, that slayer of large band of foes, sleepeth, with face\ntowards the enemy, slain by the heroic Bhimasena in observance of his\nvow. His face, O Krishna, half-eaten away by beasts of prey, looketh more\nhandsome, O child, even like the moon on the seventh day of the lighted\nfortnight. Behold, O Krishna, the face of that heroic son of mine, which\nis even such. How could that son of mine be slain by foes and thus made\nto eat the dust? O amiable one, how could that Durmukha, before whom no\nfoe could stand, be slain by foes, O subjugator of celestial regions!\nBehold, O slayer of Madhu, that other son of Dhritarashtra, Citrasena,\nslain and lying on the ground, that hero who was the model of all bowmen?\nThose young ladies, afflicted with grief and uttering piteous cries, are\nnow sitting, with beasts of prey, around his fair form adorned with\nwreaths and garlands. These loud wails of woe, uttered by women, and\nthese cries and roars of beasts of prey, seem exceedingly wonderful to\nme, O Krishna! Youthful and handsome, and always waited upon and served\nby the most beautiful ladies, my son Vivingsati, O Madhava, sleepeth\nthere, stained with dust. His armour hath been pierced with arrows. Slain\nin the midst of the carnage, alas, the heroic Vivingsati is now\nsurrounded and waited upon by vultures! Having in battle penetrated the\nranks of the Pandava army, that hero now lieth on the bed of a hero,--on\nthe bed, that is, of an exalted Kshatriya! Behold, O Krishna, his very\nbeautiful face, with a smile playing on it, adorned with excellent nose\nand fair eyebrows, and resembling the resplendent Moon himself! Formerly\na large number of the most beautiful ladies used to wait upon him, like\nthousands of celestial girls upon a sporting gandharva. Who again could\nendure my son Duhsaha, that slayer of heroic foes, that hero, that\nornament of assemblies, that irresistible warrior, that resister of foes?\nThe body of Duhsaha, covered with arrows, looks resplendent like a\nmountain overgrown with flowering karnikaras. With his garland of gold\nand his bright armour, Duhsaha, though deprived of life, looks\nresplendent yet, like a white mountain of fire!'\"\n\n\n\n20\n\n\"Gandhari said, 'He whose might and courage were regarded, O Keshava, as a\none and half times superior to those of his sire and thee, he who\nresembled a fierce and proud lion, he who, without a follower, alone\npierced the impenetrable array of my son, he who proved to be the death\nof many, alas, he now sleepeth there, having himself succumbed to death!\nI see, O Krishna, the splendour of that son of Arjuna, of that hero of\nimmeasurable energy, Abhimanyu, hath not been dimmed even in death.\nThere, the daughter of Virata, the daughter-in-law of the wielder of\nGandiva, that girl of faultless beauty overwhelmed with grief at sight of\nher heroic husband, is indulging in lamentations! That young wife, the\ndaughter of Virata, approaching her lord, is gently rubbing him, O\nKrishna, with her hand. Formerly, that highly intelligent and exceedingly\nbeautiful girl, inebriated with honeyed wines, used bashfully to embrace\nher lord, and kiss the face of Subhadra's son, that face which resembled a\nfull-blown lotus and which was supported on a neck adorned with three\nlines like those of a conch-shell. Taking of her lord's golden coat of\nmail, O hero, that damsel is gazing now on the blood-dyed body of her\nspouse. Beholding her lord, O Krishna, that girl addresses thee and says,\n\"O lotus-eyed one, this hero whose eyes resembled thine, hath been slain.\nIn might and energy, and prowess also, he was thy equal, O sinless one!\nHe resembled thee very much in beauty. Yet he sleeps on the ground, slain\nby the enemy!\" Addressing her own lord, the damsel says again, \"Thou wert\nbrought up in every luxury. Thou usedst to sleep on soft skins of the\nranku deer. Alas, does not thy body feel pain today by lying thus on the\nbare ground? Stretching thy massive arms adorned with golden angadas,\nresembling a couple of elephants trunks and covered with skin hardened by\nfrequent use of the bow, thou sleepest, O lord, in peace, as if exhausted\nwith the toil of too much exercise in the gymnasium. Alas, why dost thou\nnot address me that am weeping so? I do not remember to have ever\noffended thee. Why dost thou not speak to me then? Formerly, thou usedst\nto address me even when thou wouldst see me at a distance. O reverend\nsir, whither wilt thou go, leaving behind thee the much-respected\nSubhadra, these thy sires that resemble the very celestials, and my own\nwretched self distracted with woe?\" Behold, O Krishna, gathering with her\nhands the blood-dyed locks of her lord and placing his head on her lap,\nthe beautiful damsel is speaking to him as if he were alive, \"How couldst\nthose great car-warriors slay thee in the midst of battle,--thee that art\nthe sister's son of Vasudeva and the son of the wielder of Gandiva? Alas,\nfie on those warriors of wicked deeds, Kripa and Karna and Jayadratha and\nDrona and Drona's son, by whom thou wert deprived of life. What was the\nstate of mind of those great car-warriors at that time when they\nsurrounded thee, a warrior of tender years, and slew thee to my grief?\nHow couldst thou, O hero, who had so many protectors, be slain so\nhelplessly in the very sight of the Pandavas and the Pancalas? Beholding\nthee, O hero, slain in battle by many persons united together, how is\nthat tiger among men, that son of Pandu, thy sire, able to bear the\nburden of life? Neither the acquisition of a vast kingdom nor the defeat\nof their foes conduces to the joy of the Parthas bereft of thee, O\nlotus-eyed one! By the practice of virtue and self-restraint, I shall\nvery soon repair to those regions of bliss which thou hast acquired by\nthe use of weapons. Protect me, O hero, when I repair to those regions.\nWhen one's hour does not come, one cannot die, since, wretched that I am,\nI still draw breath after seeing thee slain in battle. Having repaired to\nthe region of the pitris, whom else, like me, dost thou address now, O\ntiger among men, in sweet words mingled with smiles? Without doubt, thou\nwilt agitate the hearts of the Apsaras in heaven, with thy great beauty\nand thy soft words mingled with smiles! Having obtained the regions\nreserved for persons of righteous deeds, thou art now united, O son of\nSubhadra, with the Apsaras! While sporting with them, recollect at times\nmy good acts towards thee. Thy union with me in this world had, it seems,\nbeen ordained for only six months, for in the seventh, O hero, thou hast\nbeen bereft of life!\" O Krishna, the ladies of the royal house of Matsya\nare dragging away the afflicted Uttara, baffled of all her purposes,\nwhile lamenting in this strain. Those ladies, dragging away the afflicted\nUttara, themselves still more afflicted than that girl, are weeping and\nuttering loud wails at sight of the slain Virata. Mangled with the\nweapons and shafts of Drona, prostrate on the ground, and covered with\nblood, Virata is encompassed by screaming vultures and howling jackals\nand crowing ravens. Those black-eyed ladies, approaching the prostrate\nform of the Matsya king over which carnivorous birds are uttering cries\nof joy, are endeavouring to turn the body. Weakened by grief and\nexceedingly afflicted, they are unable to do what they intend. Scorched\nby the Sun, and worn out with exertion and toil, their faces have become\ncolourless and pale. Behold also, O Madhava, those other children besides\nAbhimanyu--Uttara, Sudakshina the prince of the Kambhojas, and the\nhandsome Lakshmana--all lying on the field of battle!'\"\n\n\n\n21\n\n\"Gandhari said, 'There the mighty Karna, that great bowman, lieth on the\nground! In battle he was like a blazing fire! That fire, however, hath\nnow been extinguished by the energy of Partha. Behold, Vikartana's son\nKarna, after having slain many atirathas, has been prostrated on the bare\nground, and is drenched with blood. Wrathful and possessed of great\nenergy, he was a great bowman and a mighty car-warrior. Slain in battle\nby the wielder of Gandiva, that hero now sleepeth on the ground. My sons,\nthose mighty car-warriors, from fear of the Pandavas, fought, placing\nKarna at their head, like a herd of elephants with its leader to the\nfore. Alas, like a tiger slain by a lion, or an elephant by an infuriated\nelephant, that warrior hath been slain in battle by Savyasaci. Assembled\ntogether, O tiger among men, the wives of that warrior, with dishevelled\ntresses and loud wails of grief, are sitting around that fallen hero!\nFilled with anxiety caused by the thoughts of that warrior, king\nYudhishthira the just could not, for thirteen years, obtain a wink of\nsleep! Incapable of being checked by foes in battle like Maghavat himself\nwho is invincible by enemies, Karna was like the all-destroying fire of\nfierce flames at the end of the yuga, and immovable like Himavat himself!\nThat hero became the protector of Dhritarashtra's son, O Madhava! Alas,\ndeprived of life, he now lieth on the bare ground, like a tree prostrated\nby the wind! Behold, the wife of Karna and mother of Vrishasena, is\nindulging in piteous lamentations and crying and weeping and falling upon\nthe ground! Even now she exclaims, \"Without doubt, thy preceptor's curse\nhath pursued thee! When the wheel of thy car was swallowed up by the\nEarth, the cruel Dhananjaya cut off thy head with an arrow! Alas, fie (on\nthe heroism and skill)!\" That lady, the mother of Sushena, exceedingly\nafflicted and uttering cries of woe, is falling down, deprived of her\nsenses, at the sight of the mighty-armed and brave Karna prostrated on\nthe earth, with his waist still encircled with a belt of gold.\nCarnivorous creatures, feeding on the body of that illustrious hero, have\nreduced it to very small dimensions. The sight is not gladdening, like\nthat of the moon on the fourteenth night of the dark fortnight. Falling\ndown on the earth, the cheerless dame is rising up again. Burning with\ngrief on account of the death of her son also, she cometh and smelleth\nthe face of her lord!'\"\n\n\n\n22\n\n\"Gandhari said, 'Slain by Bhimasena, behold, the lord of Avanti lies\nthere! Vultures and jackals and crows are feeding upon that hero! Though\npossessed of many friends, he lies now perfectly friendless! Behold, O\nslayer of Madhu, having made a great slaughter of foes, that warrior is\nnow lying on the bed of a hero, covered with blood. Jackals, and Kankas,\nand other carnivorous creatures of diverse kinds, are dragging him now.\nBehold the reverses brought about by Time. His wives, assembled together,\nand crying in grief, are sitting around that hero who in life was a\nterrible slayer of foes but who now lies on the bed of a hero. Behold,\nPratipa's son Bahlika, that mighty bowman possessed of great energy, slain\nwith a broad-headed shaft, is now lying on the ground like a sleeping\ntiger. Though deprived of life, the colour of his face is still\nexceedingly bright, like that of the moon at full, risen on the fifteenth\nday of the lighted fortnight! Burning with grief on account of the death\nof his son, and desirous of accomplishing his vow, Indra's son (Arjuna)\nhath slain there that son of Vriddhakshatra! Behold that Jayadratha, who\nwas protected by the illustrious Drona, slain by Partha bent on\naccomplishing his vow, after penetrating through eleven Akshauhinis of\ntroops. Inauspicious vultures, O Janardana, are feeding upon Jayadratha,\nthe lord of the Sindhu-Sauviras, full of pride and energy! Though sought\nto be protected by his devoted wives, see, O Acyuta, carnivorous\ncreatures are dragging his body away to a jungle in the vicinity. The\nKamboja and Yavana wives of that mighty-armed lord of the Sindhus and the\nSauviras are waiting upon him for protecting him (from the wild beasts).\nAt that time, O Janardana, when Jayadratha, assisted by the Kekayas,\nendeavoured to ravish Draupadi, he deserved to be slain by the Pandavas!\nFrom regard, however, for Duhshala, they set him free on that occasion.\nWhy, O Krishna, did they not show some regard for that Duhshala once\nmore? That daughter of mine, of tender years, is now crying in grief. She\nis striking her body with her own hands and censuring the Pandavas. What,\nO Krishna, can be a greater grief to me than that my daughter of tender\nyears should be a widow and all my daughters-in-law should become\nlordless. Alas, alas, behold, my daughter Duhshala, having cast off her\ngrief and fears, is running hither and thither in search of the head of\nher husband. He who had checked all the Pandavas desirous of rescuing\ntheir son, after causing the slaughter of a vast force, at last himself\nsuccumbed to death. Alas, those wives of his, with faces as beautiful as\nthe moon, are crying, sitting around that irresistible hero who resembled\nan infuriated elephant!'\"\n\n\n\n23\n\n\"Gandhari said, 'There lies Shalya, the maternal uncle himself of Nakula,\nslain in battle, O sire, by the pious and virtuous Yudhishthira! He used\neverywhere, O bull among men, to boast of his equality with thee! That\nmighty car-warrior, the ruler of the Madras, now lieth, deprived of life.\nWhen he accepted the drivership of Karna's car in battle, he sought to\ndamp the energy of Karna for giving victory to the sons of Pandu! Alas,\nalas, behold the smooth face of Shalya, beautiful as the moon, and\nadorned with eyes resembling the petals of the lotus, eaten away by\ncrows! There, the tongue of that king, of the complexion of heated gold,\nrolling out of his mouth, is, O Krishna, being eaten away by carnivorous\nbirds! The ladies of the royal house of Madra, uttering loud wails of\nwoe, are sitting around the body of that king, that ornament of\nassemblies, deprived of life by Yudhishthira! Those ladies are sitting\naround that fallen hero like a herd of she-elephants in their season\naround their leader sunk in a slough. Behold the brave Shalya, that giver\nof protection, that foremost of car-warriors, stretched on the bed of\nheroes, his body mangled with shafts. There, king Bhagadatta of great\nprowess, the ruler of a mountainous kingdom, the foremost of all wielders\nof the elephant-hook, lieth on the ground, deprived of life. Behold the\ngarland of gold that he still wears on his head, looketh resplendent.\nThough the body is being eaten away by beasts of prey, that garland still\nadorns the fair locks on his head. Fierce was the battle that took place\nbetween this king and Partha, making the very hair stand on end, like\nthat between Shakra and the Asura Vritra. This mighty-armed one, having\nfought Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha, and having reduced him to great\nstraits, was at last slain by his antagonist. He who had no equal on\nearth in heroism and energy, that achiever of terrible feats in battle,\nBhishma, lieth there, deprived of life. Behold the son of Shantanu, O\nKrishna, that warrior of solar effulgence, stretched on the earth, like\nthe Sun himself fallen from the firmament at the end of the yuga. Having\nscorched his foes with the fire of his weapons in battle, that valiant\nwarrior, that Sun among men, O Keshava, hath set like the real Sun at\nevening. Behold that hero, O Krishna, who in knowledge of duty was equal\nto Devapi himself, now lying on a bed of arrows, so worthy of heroes.\nHaving spread his excellent bed of barbed and unbarbed arrows, that hero\nlieth on it like the divine Skanda on a clump of heath. Indeed, the son\nof Ganga lieth, resting his head on that excellent pillow, consisting of\nthree arrows,--becoming complement of his bed--given him by the wielder\nof Gandiva. For obeying the command of his sire, this illustrious one\ndrew up his vital seed. Unrivalled in battle, that son of Shantanu lieth\nthere, O Madhava! Of righteous soul and acquainted with every duty, by\nthe aid of his knowledge relating to both the worlds, that hero, though\nmortal, is still bearing his life like an immortal. When Shantanu's son\nlieth today, struck down with arrows, it seems that no other person is\nalive on earth that possesseth learning and prowess that is competent to\nachieve great feats in battle. Truthful in speech, this righteous and\nvirtuous hero, solicited by the Pandavas, told them the means of his own\ndeath. Alas, he who had revived the line of Kuru that had become extinct,\nthat illustrious person possessed of great intelligence, hath left the\nworld with all the Kurus in his company. Of whom, O Madhava, will the\nKurus enquire of religion and duty after that bull among men, Devavrata,\nwho resembles a god, shall have gone to heaven? Behold Drona, that\nforemost of Brahmanas, that preceptor of Arjuna, of Satyaki, and of the\nKurus, lying on the ground! Endued with mighty energy, Drona, O Madhava,\nwas as conversant with the four kinds of arms as the chief of the\ncelestials or Shukra of Bhrigu's race. Through his grace, Vibhatsu the son\nof Pandu, hath achieved the most difficult feats. Deprived of life, he\nnow lies on the ground. Weapons refused to come (at last) at his bidding.\nPlacing him at their head, the Kauravas had challenged the Pandavas. That\nforemost of all wielders of weapons was at last mangled with weapons. As\nhe careered in battle, scorching his foes in every direction, his course\nresembled that of a blazing conflagration. Alas, deprived of life, he now\nlieth on the ground, like an extinguished fire. The handle of the bow is\nyet in his grasp. The leathern fences, O Madhava, still encase his\nfingers. Though slain, he still looketh as if alive. The four Vedas, and\nall kinds of weapons, O Keshava, did not abandon that hero even as these\ndo not abandon the Lord Prajapati himself. His auspicious feet, deserving\nof every adoration and adored as a matter of fact by bards and eulogists\nand worshipped by disciples, are now being dragged by jackals. Deprived\nof her senses by grief, Kripi woefully attendeth, O slayer of Madhu, on\nthat Drona who hath been slain by Drupada's son. Behold that afflicted\nlady, fallen upon the Earth, with dishevelled hair and face hanging down.\nAlas, she attendeth in sorrow upon her lifeless lord, that foremost of all\nwielders of weapons, lying on the ground. Many brahmacaris, with matted\nlocks on their head, are attending upon the body of Drona that is cased\nin armour rent through and through, O Keshava, with the shafts of\nDhrishtadyumna. The illustrious and delicate Kripi, cheerless and\nafflicted, is endeavouring to perform the last rites on the body of her\nlord slain in battle. There, those reciters of Samas, having placed the\nbody of Drona on the funeral pyre and having ignited the fire with due\nrites, are singing the three (well-known) Samas. Those brahmacaris, with\nmatted locks on their heads, have piled the funeral pyre of that Brahmana\nwith bows and darts and car-boxes, O Madhava! Having collected diverse\nother kinds of shafts, that hero of great energy is being consumed by\nthem. Indeed, having placed him on the pyre, they are singing and\nweeping. Others are reciting the three (well-known) Samas that are used\non such occasions. Consuming Drona on that fire, like fire in fire, those\ndisciples of his of the regenerate class are proceeding towards the banks\nof the Ganga, along the left side of the pyre and having placed Kripi at\ntheir head!'\"\n\n\n\n24\n\n\"Gandhari said, 'Behold the son of Somadatta, who was slain by Yuyudhana,\npecked at and torn by a large number of birds! Burning with grief at the\ndeath of his son, Somadatta, O Janardana, (as he lies there) seems to\ncensure the great bowman Yuyudhana. There the mother of Bhurishrava, that\nfaultless lady, overcome with grief, is addressing her lord Somadatta,\nsaying, \"By good luck, O king, thou seest not this terrible carnage of\nthe Bharatas, this extermination of the Kurus, this sight that resembles\nthe scenes occurring at the end of the yuga. By good luck, thou seest not\nthy heroic son, who bore the device of the sacrificial stake on his\nbanner and who performed numerous sacrifices with profuse presents to\nall, slain on the field of battle. By good luck, thou hearest not those\nfrightful wails of woe uttered amidst this carnage by thy\ndaughters-in-law like the screams of a flight of cranes on the bosom of\nthe sea. Thy daughters-in-law, bereaved of both husbands and sons, are\nrunning hither and thither, each clad in a single piece of raiment and\neach with her black tresses all dishevelled. By good luck, thou seest not\nthy son, that tiger among men, deprived of one of his arms, overthrown by\nArjuna, and even now in course of being devoured by beasts of prey. By\ngood luck, thou seest not today thy son slain in battle, and Bhurishrava\ndeprived of life, and thy widowed daughters-in-law plunged into grief. By\ngood luck, thou seest not the golden umbrella of that illustrious warrior\nwho had the sacrificial stake for the device on his banner, torn and\nbroken on the terrace of his car. There the black-eyed wives of\nBhurishrava are indulging in piteous lamentations, surrounding their lord\nslain by Satyaki. Afflicted with grief on account of the slaughter of\ntheir lords, those ladies, indulging in copious lamentations, are falling\ndown on the earth with their faces towards the ground, and slowly\napproaching thee, O Keshava! Alas, why did Arjuna of pure deeds\nperpetrate such a censurable act, since he struck off the arm of a\nheedless warrior who was brave and devoted to the performance of\nsacrifices. Alas, Satyaki did an act that was still more sinful, for he\ntook the life of a person of restrained soul while sitting in the\nobservance of the praya vow. Alas, O righteous one, thou liest on the\nground, slain unfairly by two foes.\" Even thus, O Madhava, those wives of\nBhurishrava are crying aloud in woe. There, those wives of that warrior,\nall possessed of slender waists, are placing upon their laps the lopped\noff arm of their lord and weeping bitterly!\n\n\"'\"Here is that arm which used to invade the girdles, grind the deep\nbosoms, and touch the navel, the thighs, and the hips, of fair women, and\nloosen the ties of the drawers worn by them! Here is that arm which slew\nfoes and dispelled the fears of friends, which gave thousands of kine and\nexterminated Kshatriyas in battle! In the presence of Vasudeva himself,\nArjuna of unstained deeds, lopped it off thy heedless self while thou\nwert engaged with another in battle. What, indeed, wilt thou, O\nJanardana, say of this great feat of Arjuna while speaking of it in the\nmidst of assemblies. What also will the diadem-decked Arjuna himself say\nof it?\" Censuring thee in this way, that foremost of ladies hath stopped\nat last. The co-wives of that lady are piteously lamenting with her as if\nshe were their daughter-in-law!\n\n\"'There the mighty Shakuni, the chief of Gandharas, of prowess incapable\nof being baffled, hath been slain by Sahadeva, the maternal uncle by the\nsister's son! Formerly, he used to be fanned with a couple of gold-handed\nfans! Alas, now, his prostrate form is being fanned by birds with their\nwings! He used to assume hundreds and thousands of forms. All the\nillusions, however, of that individual possessed of great deceptive\npowers, have been burnt by the energy of the son of Pandu. An expert in\nguile, he had vanquished Yudhishthira in the assembly by his powers of\ndeception and won from him his vast kingdom. The son of Pandu, however,\nhath now won Shakuni's life-breaths. Behold, O Krishna, a large number of\nbirds is now sitting around Shakuni. An expert in dice, alas, he had\nacquired that skill for the destruction of my sons. This fire of\nhostility with the Pandavas had been ignited by Shakuni for the\ndestruction of my children as also of himself and his followers and\nkinsmen. Like those acquired by my sons, O puissant one, by the use of\nweapons, this one too, however wicked-souled, has acquired many regions\nof bliss by the use of weapons. My fear, O slayer of Madhu, is that that\ncrooked person may not succeed in fomenting dissensions even (there, the\nregion attained by them) between my children, all of whom are confiding\nand possessed of candour!'\"\n\n\n\n25\n\n\"Gandhari said, 'Behold that irresistible ruler of the Kambojas, that\nbull-necked hero, lying amid the dust, O Madhava, though deserving of\nbeing stretched at his ease on Kamboja blankets. Stricken with great\ngrief, his wife is weeping bitterly at sight of his blood-stained arms,\nwhich, however, formerly used to be smeared with sandal-paste. Indeed,\nthe beauteous one exclaims, \"Even now adorned with beautiful palms and\ngraceful fingers, these two arms of thine resemble a couple of spiked\nmaces, getting within whose clasp, joy never left me for a moment! What\nwill be my end, O ruler of men, when I am deprived of thee?\" Endued with\na melodious voice, the Kamboja queen is weeping helplessly and quivering\nwith emotion. Behold that bevy of fair ladies there. Although tired with\nexertion and worn out with heat, yet beauty leaves not their forms, like\nthe sightliness of the wreaths worn by the celestials although exposed to\nthe Sun. Behold, O slayer of Madhu, the heroic ruler of the Kalingas\nlying there on the ground with his mighty arms adorned with a couple of\nangadas. Behold, O Janardana, those Magadha ladies crying and standing\naround Jayatsena, the ruler of the Magadhas. The charming and melodious\nwails of those long-eyed and sweet-voiced girls, O Krishna, are\nstupefying my heart exceedingly. With all their ornaments displaced,\ncrying, and afflicted with grief, alas, those ladies of Magadha, worthy\nof resting on costly beds, are now lying down on the bare ground! There,\nagain, those other ladies, surrounding their lord, the ruler of the\nKosalas, prince Brihadbala, are indulging in loud wails. Engaged in\nplucking from his body the shafts with which it was pierced by Abhimanyu\nwith the full might of his arms, those ladies are repeatedly losing their\nsenses. The faces of those beautiful ladies, O Madhava, through toil and\nthe rays of the Sun, are looking like faded lotuses. There, the brave\nsons of Dhrishtadyumna, of tender years and all adorned with garlands of\ngold and beautiful angadas, are lying, slain by Drona. Like insects on a\nblazing fire, they have all been burnt by falling upon Drona, whose car\nwas the chamber of fire, having the bow for its flame and shafts and\ndarts and maces for its fuel. Similarly, the five Kekaya brothers,\npossessed of great courage, and adorned with beautiful angadas, are lying\non the ground, slain by Drona and with their faces turned towards that\nhero. Their coats of mail, of the splendour of heated gold, and their\ntall standards and cars and garlands, all made of the same metal, are\nshedding a bright light on the earth like so many blazing fires. Behold,\nO Madhava, king Drupada overthrown in battle by Drona, like a mighty\nelephant in the forest slain by a huge lion. The bright umbrella, white\nin hue of the king of the Pancalas, shines, O lotus-eyed one, like the\nmoon in the autumnal firmament. The daughters-in-law and the wives of the\nold king, afflicted with grief, having burnt his body on the funeral\npyre, are proceeding, keeping the pyre to their right. There those\nladies, deprived of their senses, are removing the brave and great bowman\nDhrishtaketu, that bull among the Cedis, slain by Drona. This crusher of\nfoes, O slayer of Madhu, this great bowman, having baffled many weapons\nof Drona, lieth there, deprived of life, like a tree uprooted by the\nwind. Alas, that brave ruler of the Cedis, that mighty car-warrior\nDhrishtaketu, after having slain thousands of foes, lies himself deprived\nof life! There, O Hrishikesha, the wives of the ruler of the Cedis are\nsitting around his body still decked with fair locks and beautiful\nearrings, though torn by carnivorous birds. Those foremost of ladies\nplacing upon their laps the prostrate form of the heroic Dhrishtaketu\nborn of the Dasharha race, are crying in sorrow. Behold, O Hrishikesha,\nthe son, possessed of fair locks and excellent earrings, of that\nDhrishtaketu, hacked in battle by Drona with his shafts. He never\ndeserted his sire while the latter battled with his foes. Mark, O slayer\nof Madhu, he does not, even in death, desert that heroic parent. Even\nthus, my son's son, that slayer of hostile heroes, the mighty-armed\nLakshmana, hath followed his sire Duryodhana! Behold, O Keshava, the two\nbrothers of Avanti, Vinda and Anuvinda, lying there on the field, like\ntwo blossoming shala trees in the spring overthrown by the tempest. Clad\nin golden armour and adorned with Angadas of gold, they are still armed\nwith swords and bows. Possessed of eyes like those of a bull, and decked\nwith bright garlands, both of them are stretched on the field. The\nPandavas, O Krishna, with thyself, are surely unslayable, since they and\nthou have escaped from Drona, from Bhishma, from Karna the son of\nVikartana, from Kripa, from Duryodhana, from the son of Drona, from the\nmighty car-warrior Jayadratha, from Somadatta, from Vikarna, and from the\nbrave Kritavarma. Behold the reverses brought about by Time! Those bulls\namong men that were capable of slaying the very celestials by force of\ntheir weapons have themselves been slain. Without doubt, O Madhava, there\nis nothing difficult for destiny to bring about, since even these bulls\namong men, these heroes, have been slain by Kshatriya warriors. My sons\nendued with great activity were (regarded by me as) slain even then, O\nKrishna, when thou returnedst unsuccessfully to Upaplavya. Shantanu's son\nand the wise Vidura told me then, \"Cease to bear affection for thy\nchildren!\" The interviews of those persons could not go for nothing.\nSoon, O Janardana, have my sons been consumed into ashes!'\"\n\nVaishampayana continued, \"Having said these words, Gandhari, deprived of\nher senses by grief, fell down on the earth! Casting off her fortitude,\nshe suffered her senses to be stupefied by grief. Filled with wrath and\nwith sorrow at the death of her sons, Gandhari, with agitated heart,\nascribed every fault to Keshava.\n\n\"Gandhari said, 'The Pandavas and the Dhartarashtras, O Krishna, have both\nbeen burnt. Whilst they were thus being exterminated, O Janardana, why\nwert thou indifferent to them? Thou wert competent to prevent the\nslaughter, for thou hast a large number of followers and a vast force.\nThou hadst eloquence, and thou hadst the power (for bringing about\npeace). Since deliberately, O slayer of Madhu, thou wert indifferent to\nthis universal carnage, therefore, O mighty-armed one, thou shouldst reap\nthe fruit of this act. By the little merit I have acquired through\nwaiting dutifully on my husband, by that merit so difficult to attain, I\nshall curse thee, O wielder of the discus and the mace! Since thou wert\nindifferent to the Kurus and the Pandavas whilst they slew each other,\ntherefore, O Govinda, thou shalt be the slayer of thy own kinsmen! In the\nthirty-sixth year from this, O slayer of Madhu, thou shalt, after causing\nthe slaughter of thy kinsmen and friends and sons, perish by disgusting\nmeans in the wilderness. The ladies of thy race, deprived of sons,\nkinsmen, and friends, shall weep and cry even as these ladies of the\nBharata race!'\"\n\nVaishampayana continued, \"Hearing these words, the high-souled Vasudeva,\naddressing the venerable Gandhari, said unto her these words, with a\nfaint smile, 'There is none in the world, save myself, that is capable of\nexterminating the Vrishnis. I know this well. I am endeavouring to bring\nit about. In uttering this curse, O thou of excellent vows, thou hast\naided me in the accomplishment of that task. The Vrishnis are incapable\nof being slain by others, be they human beings or gods or Danavas. The\nYadavas, therefore shall fall by one another's hand.' After he of\nDasharha's race had said these words, the Pandavas became stupefied.\nFilled with anxiety all of them became hopeless of life!\"\n\n\n\n26\n\n\"The holy one said, 'Arise, arise, O Gandhari, do not set thy heart on\ngrief! Through thy fault, this vast carnage has taken place! Thy son\nDuryodhana was wicked-souled, envious, and exceedingly arrogant.\nApplauding his wicked acts, thou regardest them to be good. Exceedingly\ncruel, he was the embodiment of hostilities, and disobedient to the\ninjunctions of the old. Why dost thou wish to ascribe thy own faults to\nme? Dead or lost, the person that grieves for what has already occurred,\nobtaineth more grief. By indulging in grief, one increases it two-fold. A\nwoman of the regenerate class bears children for the practice of\nausterities; the cow brings forth offspring for bearing burdens; the mare\nbrings forth her young for acquiring speed of motion; the Shudra woman\nbears a child for adding to the number of servitors; the Vaishya woman\nfor adding to the number of keepers of cattle. A princess, however, like\nthee, brings forth sons for being slaughtered!'\"\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Hearing these words of Vasudeva that were\ndisagreeable to her, Gandhari, with heart exceedingly agitated by grief,\nremained silent. The royal sage Dhritarashtra, however, restraining the\ngrief that arises from folly, enquired of Yudhishthira the just, saying,\n'If, O son of Pandu, thou knowest it, tell me the number of those that\nhave fallen in this battle, as also of those that have escaped with life!'\n\n\"Yudhishthira answered, 'One billion 660 million and 20,000 men have\nfallen in this battle. Of the heroes that have escaped, the number is\n240,165.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Tell me, O mighty-armed one, for thou art conversant\nwith everything, what ends have those foremost of men attained.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'Those warriors of true prowess that have cheerfully\ncast off their bodies in fierce battle have all attained regions like\nthose of Indra. Knowing death to be inevitable, they that have\nencountered it cheerlessly have attained the companionship of the\nGandharvas. Those warriors that have fallen at the edge of weapons, while\nturning away from the field or begging for quarter, have attained the\nworld of the guhyakas. Those high-souled warriors who, observant of the\nduties of Kshatriya-hood and regarding flight from battle to be shameful,\nhave fallen, mangled with keen weapons, while advancing unarmed against\nfighting foes, have all assumed bright forms and attained the regions of\nBrahman. The remaining warriors, that have in anyhow met with death on\nthe precincts of the field of battle, have attained the region of the\nUttara-Kurus.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'By the power of what knowledge, O son, thou seest\nthese things like one crowned with ascetic success? Tell me this, O\nmighty-armed one, if thou thinkest that I can listen to it without\nimpropriety!'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'While at thy command I wandered in the forest, I\nobtained this boon on the occasion of sojourning to the sacred places. I\nmet with the celestial rishi Lomasa and obtained from him the boon of\nspiritual vision. Thus on a former occasion I obtained second sight\nthrough the power of knowledge!'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'It is necessary that our people should burn, with\ndue rites, the bodies of both the friendless and the friended slain. What\nshall we do with those that have none to look after them and that have no\nsacred fires? The duties that await us are many. Who are those whose\n(last) rites we should perform? O Yudhishthira, will they obtain regions\nof blessedness by the merit of their acts, they whose bodies are now\nbeing torn and dragged by vultures and other birds?'\"\n\nVaishampayana continued, \"Thus addressed, Kunti's son Yudhishthira of\ngreat wisdom commanded Sudharma (the priest of the Kauravas) and Dhaumya,\nand Sanjaya of the Suta order, and Vidura of great wisdom, and Yuyutsu of\nKurus race, and all his servants headed by Indrasena, and all the other\nSutas that were with him, saying, 'Cause the funeral rites of the slain,\nnumbering by thousands, to be duly performed, so that nobody may perish\nfor want of persons to take care of them!' At this command of king\nYudhishthira the just, Vidura and Sanjaya and Sudharma and Dhaumya and\nIndrasena and others, procuring sandal, aloe and other kinds of wood used\non such occasions, as also clarified butter and oil and perfumes and\ncostly silken robes and other kinds of cloth, and large heaps of dry\nwood, and broken cars and diverse kinds of weapons, caused funeral pyres\nto be duly made and lighted and then without haste burnt, with due rites\nthe slain kings in proper order. They properly burned upon those fires\nthat blazed forth with libations of clarified butter in torrents over\nthem, the bodies of Duryodhana and his hundred brothers, of Shalya, and\nking Bhurishrava; of king Jayadratha and Abhimanyu, O Bharata; of\nDuhshasana's son and Lakshmana and king Dhrishtaketu; of Vrihanta and\nSomadatta and the hundreds of Srinjayas; of king Kshemadhanva and Virata\nand Drupada; of Shikhandi the prince of Pancalas, and Dhrishtadyumna of\nPrishata's race; of the valiant Yudhamanyu and Uttamauja; of the ruler of\nthe Kosalas, the sons of Draupadi, and Shakuni the son of Subala; of\nAcala and Vrishaka, and king Bhagadatta; of Karna and his son of great\nwrath; of those great bowmen, the Kekaya princes, and those mighty\ncar-warriors, the Trigartas; of Ghatotkaca the prince of Rakshasas, and\nthe brother of Vaka, of Alambusha, the foremost of Rakshasas, and king\nJalasandha; and of hundreds and thousands of other kings. The pitri-medha\nrites in honour of some of the illustrious dead were performed there,\nwhile some sang Samas, and some uttered lamentations for the dead. With\nthe loud noise of Samas and Riks, and the lamentations of the women, all\ncreatures became stupefied that night. The funeral fires, smokeless and\nblazing brightly (amid the surrounding darkness), looked like luminous\nplanets in the firmament enveloped by clouds. Those among the dead that\nhad come from diverse realms and were utterly friendless were piled\ntogether in thousands of heaps and, at the command of Yudhishthira, were\ncaused to be burnt by Vidura through a large number of persons acting\ncoolly and influenced by good-will and affection, on pyres made of dry\nwood. Having caused their last rites to be performed, the Kuru king\nYudhishthira, placing Dhritarashtra at his head, proceeded towards the\nriver Ganga.\"\n\n\n\n27\n\nVaishampayana said, \"Arrived at the auspicious Ganga full of sacred\nwater, containing many lakes, adorned with high banks and broad shores,\nand having a vast bed, they cast off their ornaments, upper garments, and\nbelts and girdles. The Kuru ladies, crying and afflicted with great\ngrief, offered oblations of water unto their sires and grandsons and\nbrothers and kinsmen and sons and reverend seniors and husbands.\nConversant with duties, they also performed the water-rite in honour of\ntheir friends. While those wives of heroes were performing this rite in\nhonour of their heroic lords, the access to the stream became easy,\nalthough the paths (made by the tread of many feet) disappeared\nafterwards. The shores of the stream, though crowded with those spouses\nof heroes, looked as broad as the ocean and presented a spectacle of\nsorrow and cheerlessness. Then Kunti, O king, in a sudden paroxysm of\ngrief, weepingly addressed her sons in these soft words, 'That hero and\ngreat bowman, that leader of leaders of car-divisions, that warrior\ndistinguished by every mark of heroism, who hath been slain by Arjuna in\nbattle, that warrior whom, ye sons of Pandu, ye took forth, Suta's child\nborn of Radha, that hero who shone in the midst of his forces like the\nlord Surya himself, who battled with all of you and your followers, who\nlooked resplendent as he commanded the vast force of the Duryodhana, who\nhad no equal on earth for energy, that hero who preferred glory to life,\nthat unretiring warrior firm in truth and never fatigued with exertion,\nwas your eldest brother. Offer oblations of water unto that eldest\nbrother of yours who was born of me by the god of day. That hero was born\nwith a pair of earrings and clad in armour, and resembled Surya himself\nin splendour!' Hearing these painful words of their mother, the Pandavas\nbegan to express their grief for Karna. Indeed, they became more\nafflicted than ever. Then that tiger among men, the heroic Yudhishthira,\nsighing like a snake, asked his mother, 'That Karna who was like an ocean\nhaving shafts for his billows, his tall standard for his vortex, his own\nmighty arms for a couple of huge alligators, his large car for his deep\nlake, and the sound of his palms for his tempestuous roar, and whose\nimpetuosity none could withstand save Dhananjaya, O mother, wert thou the\nauthoress of that heroic being? How was that son, resembling a very\ncelestial, born of thee in former days? The energy of his arms scorched\nall of us. How, mother, couldst thou conceal him like a person concealing\na fire within the folds of his cloth? His might of arms was always\nworshipped by the Dhartarashtras even as we always worship the might of\nthe wielder of Gandiva! How was that foremost of mighty men, that first\nof car-warriors, who endured the united force of all lords of earth in\nbattle, how was he a son of thine? Was that foremost of all wielders of\nweapons our eldest brother? How didst thou bring forth that child of\nwonderful prowess? Alas, in consequence of the concealment of this affair\nby thee, we have been undone! By the death of Karna, ourselves with all\nour friends have been exceedingly afflicted. The grief I feel at Karna's\ndeath is a hundred times greater than that which was caused by the death\nof Abhimanyu and the sons of Draupadi, and the destruction of the\nPancalas and the Kurus. Thinking of Karna, I am burning with grief, like\na person thrown into a blazing fire. Nothing could have been unattainable\nby us, not excepting things belonging to heaven. Alas, this terrible\ncarnage, so destructive of the Kurus, would not have occurred.' Copiously\nindulging in lamentations like these, king Yudhishthira the just uttered\nloud wails of woe. The puissant monarch then offered oblations of water\nunto his deceased elder brother. Then all the ladies that crowded the\nshores of the river suddenly sent up a loud wail of grief. The\nintelligent king of the Kurus, Yudhishthira, caused the wives and members\nof Karna's family to be brought before him. Of righteous soul, he\nperformed, with them, the water-rite in honour of his eldest brother.\nHaving finished the ceremony, the king with his senses exceedingly\nagitated, rose from the waters of Ganga.\"\n\nThe end of Stri-parva.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Mahabharata\n\nof\n\nKrishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa\n\nBOOK 12\n\nSANTI PARVA\n\nTranslated into English Prose from the Original Sanskrit Text\n\nby\n\nKisari Mohan Ganguli\n\n[1883-1896]\n\nScanned at sacred-texts.com, 2004. Proofed by John Bruno Hare, November\n2004.\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE MAHABHARATA\n\nSANTI PARVA\n\nSECTION I\n\n(Rajadharmanusasana Parva)\n\nOm! Having bowed down to Narayana, and Nara, the foremost of male beings,\nand unto the goddess Saraswati, must the word Jaya be uttered.\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Having offered oblations, of water unto all their\nfriends and kinsmen, the sons of Pandu, and Vidura, and Dhritarashtra,\nand all the Bharata ladies, continued to dwell there (on the banks of the\nsacred stream). The high-souled sons of Pandu desired to pass the period\nof mourning,[1] which extended for a month, outside the Kuru city. After\nking Yudhishthira the just had performed the water-rites, many\nhigh-souled sages crowned with ascetic success and many foremost of\nregenerate Rishis came there to see the monarch. Among them were the\nIsland-born (Vyasa), and Narada, and the great Rishi Devala, and\nDevasthana, and Kanwa. They were all accompanied by best of their pupils.\nMany other members of the regenerate order, possessed of wisdom and\naccomplished in the Vedas, leading lives of domesticity or belonging to\nthe Snataka class, came to behold the Kuru king. Those high-souled ones,\nas they came, were duly worshipped by Yudhishthira. The great Rishis then\ntook their seats on costly carpets. Accepting the worship suited to that\nperiod (of mourning and impurity) that was offered them, they sat in due\norder around the king. Thousands of Brahmanas offered consolation and\ncomfort to that king of kings residing on the sacred banks of the\nBhagirathi with heart exceedingly agitated by grief. Then Narada, after\nhaving accosted the Rishis with the Island-born for their first, in due\ntime, addressed Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, saying, \"Through the\nmight of thy arms and the grace of Madhava, the whole Earth, O\nYudhishthira, hath been righteously won by thee. By good luck, thou hast\nescaped with life from this dreadful battle. Observant as thou art of\nthe duties of a Kshatriya, dost thou not rejoice, O son of Pandu? Having\nslain all thy foes, shalt thou not gratify thy friends, O king? Having\nobtained this prosperity, I hope, grief doth not afflict thee still.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Indeed the whole Earth hath been subjugated by me\nthrough my reliance on the might of Krishna's arms, through the grace of\nthe Brahmanas, and through the strength of Bhima and Arjuna. This heavy\ngrief, however, is always sitting in my heart, viz., that through\ncovetousness I have caused this dreadful carnage of kinsmen. Having\ncaused the death of the dear son of Subhadra, and of the sons of\nDraupadi, this victory, O holy one, appears to me in the light of a\ndefeat. What wilt Subhadra of Vrishni's race, that sister-in-law of mine,\nsay unto me? What also will the people residing in Dwaraka say unto the\nslayer of Madhu when he goes thither from this place? This Draupadi,\nagain, who is ever engaged in doing what is agreeable to us, bereaved of\nsons and kinsmen, is paining me exceedingly. This is another topic, O\nholy Narada, about which I will speak to thee. In consequence of Kunti\nhaving kept her counsels close in respect of a very important matter,\ngreat has been my grief. That hero who had the strength of ten thousand\nelephants, who in this world was an unrivalled car-warrior, who was\npossessed of leonine pride and gait, who was endued with great\nintelligence and compassion, whose liberality was very great, who\npractised many high vows, who was the refuge of the Dhartarashtras, who\nwas sensitive about his honour, whose prowess was irresistible, who was\nready to pay off all injuries and was always wrathful (in battle), who\noverthrew us in repeated encounters, who was quick in the use of weapons,\nconversant with every mode of warfare, possessed of great skill, and\nendued with wonderful valour (that Karna) was a son of Kunti, born\nsecretly of her, and therefore, a uterine brother of ours. Whilst we were\noffering oblations of water unto the dead, Kunti spoke of him as the son\nof Surya. Possessed of every virtue, that child had been cast into the\nwater. Having placed him in a basket made of light materials, Kunti\ncommitted him to the current of Ganga. He who was regarded by the world\nas a Suta's child born of Radha, was really the eldest son of Kunti and,\ntherefore, our uterine brother. Covetous of kingdom, alas, I have\nunwittingly caused that brother of mine to be slain. It is this that is\nburning my limbs like a fire burning a heap of cotton. The white-steeded\nArjuna knew him not for a brother. Neither I, nor Bhima, nor the twins,\nknew him for such. He, however, of excellent bow, knew us (for his\nbrothers). We have heard that on one occasion Pritha went to him for\nseeking our good and addressed him, saying, 'Thou art my son!' That\nillustrious hero, however, refused to obey Pritha's wishes. Subsequently,\nwe are informed, he said unto his mother these words, 'I am unable to\ndesert Duryodhana in battle! If I do so, it would be a dishonourable,\ncruel, and ungrateful act. If, yielding to thy wishes, I make peace with\nYudhishthira, people will say that I am afraid of the white-steeded\nArjuna. Having vanquished Arjuna with Kesava, therefore, in battle, I\nwill subsequently make peace with Dharma's son.' Even these were his\nwords as we have heard. Thus answered, Pritha once more addressed her son\nof broad chest and said, 'Fight Phalguna then, but spare my four other\nsons.' The intelligent Karna, with joined hands, then replied unto his\ntrembling mother, saying, 'If I get thy four other sons even under my\npower, I will not slay them. Without doubt, O goddess, thou shalt\ncontinue to have five sons. If Karna be slain with Arjuna, thou shalt\nhave five! If, on the other hand, Arjuna be slain, thou shalt have five,\nnumbering me.' Desirous of the good of her children, his mother once more\nsaid unto him, 'Go, O Karna, do good unto those brothers of thine whose\ngood thou always seekest.' Having said these words, Pritha took his leave\nand came back to her abode. That hero has been slain by Arjuna,--the\nuterine brother by the brother! Neither Pritha, nor he, had ever\ndisclosed the secret, O lord! That hero and great bowman was therefore\nslain by Arjuna in battle. Subsequently I have come to know, O best of\nregenerate ones, that he was my uterine brother. Indeed, at Pritha's\nwords I have come to know that Karna was the eldest born! Having caused\nmy brother to be slain, my heart is burning exceedingly. If I had both\nKarna and Arjuna for aiding me, I could have vanquished Vasudeva himself.\nWhilst I was tortured in the midst of the assembly by the wicked-souled\nsons of Dhritarashtra, my wrath, suddenly provoked, became cooled at\nsight of Karna. Even while listening to the harsh and bitter words of\nKarna himself on that occasion of our match at dice, to the words, that\nKarna uttered from desire of doing what was agreeable to Duryodhana, my\nwrath became cooled at sight of Karna's feet. It seemed to me that\nKarna's feet resembled the feet of our mother Kunti. Desirous of finding\nout the reason of that resemblance between him and our mother, I\nreflected for a long time. With even my best exertions I failed to find\nthe cause. Why, indeed, did the earth swallow up the wheels of his car at\nthe time of battle? Why was my brother cursed? It behoveth thee to recite\nall this to me. I desire to hear everything from thee, O holy one! Thou\nart acquainted with everything in this world and thou knowest both the\npast and the future!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION II\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'That foremost of speakers, the sage Narada, thus\nquestioned, narrated everything about the manner in which he who was\nbelieved to be a Suta's son had been cursed (in former days).'\n\n\"'Narada said, \"It is even so, O mighty armed one, as thou sayest, O\nBharata! Nothing could resist Karna and Arjuna in battle. This, O sinless\none, that I am about to tell thee is unknown to the very gods. Listen to\nme, O mighty-armed one, as it befell in former days. How all the\nKshatriyas, cleansed by weapons should attain to regions of bliss, was\nthe question. For this, a child was conceived by Kunti in her maidenhood,\ncapable of provoking a general war. Endued with great energy, that child\ncame to have the status of a Suta. He subsequently acquired the science\nof weapons from the preceptor (Drona), that foremost descendant of\nAngirasa's race. Thinking of the might of Bhimasena, the quickness of\nArjuna in the use of weapons, the intelligence of thyself, O king, the\nhumility of the twins, the friendship, from earliest years, between\nVasudeva and the wielder of Gandiva, and the affection of the people for\nyou all, that young man burnt with envy. In early age he made friends\nwith king Duryodhana, led by an accident and his own nature and the hate\nhe bore towards you all. Beholding that Dhananjaya was superior to every\none in the science of weapons, Karna one day approached Drona in private\nand said these words unto him, 'I desire to be acquainted with the Brahma\nweapon, with all its mantras and the power of withdrawing it, for I\ndesire to fight Arjuna. Without doubt, the affection thou bearest to\nevery one of thy pupils is equal to what thou bearest to thy own son. I\npray that all the masters of the science of weapons may, through thy\ngrace, regard me as one accomplished in weapons!' Thus addressed by him,\nDrona, from partiality for Phalguna, as also from his knowledge of the\nwickedness of Karna, said, 'None but a Brahmana, who has duly observed\nall vows, should be acquainted with the Brahma weapon, or a Kshatriya\nthat has practised austere penances, and no other.' When Drona had\nanswered thus, Karna, having worshipped him, obtained his leave, and\nproceeded without delay to Rama then residing on the Mahendra mountains.\nApproaching Rama, he bent his head unto him and said, 'I am a Brahmana of\nBhrigu's race.' This procured honour for him. With this knowledge about\nhis birth and family, Rama received him kindly and said, 'Thou art\nwelcome!' at which Karna became highly glad. While residing on the\nMahendra mountains that resembled heaven itself, Karna met and mixed with\nmany Gandharvas, Yakshas, and gods. Residing there he acquired all the\nweapons duly, and became a great favourite of the gods, the Gandharvas,\nand the Rakshasas. One day he roved on the sea-coast by the side of that\nasylum. Indeed, Surya's son, armed with bow and sword, wandered alone,\nWhile thus employed, O Partha, he inadvertently slew, without witting it,\nthe Homa cow of a certain utterer of Brahma who daily performed his\nAgnihotra rite. Knowing that he had perpetrated that act from\ninadvertence, he informed the Brahmana of it. Indeed Karna, for the\nobject of gratifying the owner, repeatedly said, 'O holy one, I have\nkilled this thy cow without willing it. Forgive me the act!' Filled with\nwrath, the Brahmana, rebuking him, said these words, 'O thou of wicked\nconduct, thou deservest to be killed. Let the fruit of this act be thine,\nO thou of wicked soul. While fighting him, O wretch whom thou always\nchallengest, and for whose sake thou strivest so much every day, the\nearth shall swallow the wheel of thy car! And while the wheel of thy car\nshall thus be swallowed up by the earth, thy foe, putting forth his\nprowess, will cut off thy head, thyself being stupefied the while! Leave\nme, O vile man! As thou hast heedlessly slain this my cow, even so wilt\nthy foe cut off thy head while thou shalt be heedless!' Though cursed,\nKarna still sought to gratify that foremost of Brahmanas by offering him\nkine and wealth and gems. The latter, however, once more answered him,\n'All the words will not succeed in falsifying the words spoken by me! Go\nhence or remain, do whatever thou likest.' Thus addressed by the\nBrahmana, Karna, hanging down his head from cheerlessness, returned\ntimidly to Rama, reflecting on that matter.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION III\n\n\"'Narada said, \"That tiger of Bhrigu's race (viz., Rama), was well-pleased\nwith the might of Karna's arms, his affection (for him), his\nself-restraint, and the services he did unto his preceptor. Observant of\nascetic penances, Rama cheerfully communicated, with due forms, unto his\npenance-observing disciple, everything about the Brahma weapon with the\nmantras for withdrawing it. Having acquired a knowledge of that weapon,\nKarna began to pass his days happily in Bhrigu's retreat, and endued with\nwonderful prowess, he devoted himself with great ardour to the science of\nweapons. One day Rama of great intelligence, while roving with Karna in\nthe vicinity of his retreat, felt very weak in consequence of the fasts\nhe had undergone. From affection begotten by confidence, the tired son of\nJamadagni placing his head on Karna's lap, slept soundly. While his\npreceptor was thus sleeping (with head) on his lap, a frightful worm,\nwhose bite was very painful and which subsisted on phlegm and fat and\nflesh and blood, approached the presence of Karna. That blood-sucking\nworm, approaching Karna's thigh, began to pierce it. Through fear of\n(awaking) his preceptor, Karna became unable to either throw away or kill\nthat worm. Though his limb was bored through by that worm, O Bharata, the\nson of Surya, lest his preceptor should awake, suffered it to do its\npleasure. Though the pain was intolerable, Karna bore it with heroic\npatience, and continued to hold Bhrigu's son on his lap, without\nquivering in the least and without manifesting any sign of pain. When at\nlast Karna's blood touched the body of Rama of great energy, the latter\nawoke and said these words in fear, 'Alas, I have been made impure! What\nis this that thou art doing. Tell me, casting off all fear, what is the\ntruth of this matter!' Then Karna informed him of that worm's bite. Rama\nsaw that worm which resembled a hog in shape. It had eight feet and very\nkeen teeth, and it was covered with bristles that were all pointed like\nneedles. Called by the name of Alarka, its limbs were then shrunk (with\nfear). As soon as Rama cast his eyes on it, the worm gave up its\nlife-breath, melting in that blood which it had drawn. All this seemed\nwonderful. Then in the welkin was seen a Rakshasa of terrible form, dark\nin hue, of a red neck, capable of assuming any form at wilt, and staying\non the clouds,--his object fulfilled, the Rakshasa, with joined hands,\naddressed Rama, saying, 'O best of ascetics, thou hast rescued me from\nthis hell! Blessed be thou, I adore thee, thou hast done me good!'\nPossessed of great energy, the mighty-armed son of Jamadagni said unto\nhim, 'Who art thou? And why also didst thou fall into hell? Tell me all\nabout it.' He answered, 'Formerly I was a great Asura of the name of\nDansa. In the Krita period, O sire, I was of the same age with Bhrigu. I\nravished the dearly-loved spouse of that sage. Through his curse I felt\ndown on the earth in the form of a worm. In anger thy ancestors said unto\nme, \"Subsisting on urine and phlegm, O wretch, thou shalt lead a life of\nhell.\" I then besought him, saying, \"When, O Brahmana, shall this curse\nend?\" Bhrigu replied unto me, saying, \"This curse shall end through Rama\nof my race.\" It was for this that I had obtained such a course of life\nlike one of uncleansed soul. O righteous one, by thee, however, I have\nbeen rescued from that sinful life.' Having said these words, the great\nAsura, bending his head unto Rama went away. Then Rama wrathfully\naddressed Karna, saying, 'O fool, no Brahmana could endure such agony.\nThy patience is like that of a Kshatriya. Tell me the truth, without\nfear.' Thus asked, Karna, fearing to be cursed, and seeking to gratify\nhim, said these words, 'O thou of Bhrigu's race, know me for a Suta, a\nrace that has sprung from the intermixture of Brahmanas with Kshatriyas.\nPeople call me Karna the son of Radha. O thou of Bhrigu's race, be\ngratified with my poor self that has acted from the desire of obtaining\nweapons. There is no doubt in this that a reverend preceptor in the Vedas\nand other branches of knowledge is one's father. It was for this that I\nintroduced myself to thee as a person of thy own race.' Unto the\ncheerless and trembling Karna, prostrated with joined hands upon earth,\nthat foremost one of Bhrigu's race, smiling though filled with wrath,\nanswered, 'Since thou hast, from avarice of weapons, behaved here with\nfalsehood, therefore, O wretch, this Brahma weapon shalt not dwell in thy\nremembrance[2]. Since thou art not a Brahmana, truly this Brahma weapon\nshall not, up to the time of thy death, dwell in thee when thou shalt be\nengaged with a warrior equal to thyself![3] Go hence, this is no place\nfor a person of such false behaviour as thou! On earth, no Kshatriya will\nbe thy equal in battle.' Thus addressed by Rama, Karna came away, having\nduty taken his leave. Arriving then before Duryodhana, he informed him,\nsaying, 'I have mastered all weapons!'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION IV\n\n\"'Narada said, \"Having thus obtained weapons from him of Bhrigu's race,\nKarna began to pass his days in great joy, in the company of Duryodhana,\nO bull of Bharata's race! Once on a time, O monarch, many kings repaired\nto a self-choice at the capital of Chitrangada, the ruler of the country\nof the Kalingas. The city, O Bharata, full of opulence, was known by the\nname of Rajapura. Hundreds of rulers repaired thither for obtaining the\nhand of the maiden. Hearing that diverse kings had assembled there,\nDuryodhana also, on his golden car, proceeded thither, accompanied by\nKarna. When the festivities commenced in that self-choice, diverse\nrulers, O best of kings, came thither for the hand of the maiden. There\nwere amongst them Sisupala and Jarasandha and Bhishmaka and Vakra, and\nKapotaroman and Nila and Rukmi of steady prowess, and Sringa who was\nruler of the kingdom of females, and Asoka and Satadhanwan and the heroic\nruler of the Bhojas. Besides these, many others who dwelt in the\ncountries of the South, and many preceptors (in arms) of the Mlechcha\ntribes, and many rulers from the East and the North, O Bharata, came\nthere. All of them were adorned with golden Angadas, and possessed of the\nsplendour of pure gold. Of effulgent bodies, they were like tigers of\nfierce might. After all those kings had taken their seats, O Bharata, the\nmaiden entered the arena, accompanied by her nurse and a guard of\neunuchs. Whilst being informed of the names of the kings (as she made her\nround), that maiden of the fairest complexion passed by the son of\nDhritarashtra (as she had passed others before him). Duryodhana, however,\nof Kuru's race, could not tolerate that rejection of himself.\nDisregarding all the kings, he commanded the maiden to stop. Intoxicated\nwith the pride of energy, and relying upon Bhishma and Drona, king\nDuryodhana, taking up that maiden on his car, abducted her with force.\nArmed with sword, clad in mail, and his fingers cased in leathern fences,\nKarna, that foremost of all wielders of weapons riding on his car,\nproceeded along Duryodhana's rear. A great uproar then took place among\nthe kings, all of whom were actuated by the desire for fight, 'Put on\nyour coats of mail! Let the cars be made ready!' (These were the sounds\nthat were heard). Filled with wrath, they pursued Karna and Duryodhana,\nshowering their arrows upon them like masses of clouds pouring rain upon\na couple of hills. As they thus pursued them, Karna felled their bows and\narrows on the ground, each with a single arrow. Amongst them some became\nbowless, some rushed bow in hand, some were on the point of shooting\ntheir shafts, and some pursued them, armed with darts and maces.\nPossessed of great lightness of hands, Karna, that foremost of all\nsmiters, afflicted them all. He deprived many kings of their drivers and\nthus vanquished all those lords of earth. They then themselves took up\nthe reins of their steeds, and saying, 'Go away, go away', turned away\nfrom the battle with cheerless hearts. Protected by Karna, Duryodhana\nalso came away, with a joyous heart, bringing with him the maiden to the\ncity called after the elephant.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION V\n\n\"'Narada said, \"Hearing of the fame of Karna's might, the ruler of the\nMagadhas, king Jarasandha, challenged him to a single combat. Both\nconversant with the celestial weapons, a fierce battle took place between\nthem in which they struck each other with diverse kinds of arms. At last\nwhen their arrows were exhausted and bows and swords were broken and they\nboth became carless, they began, possessed of might as they were, to\nfight with bare arms. While engaged with him in mortal combat with bare\narms, Karna was about to sever the two portions of his antagonist's body\nthat had been united together by Jara. The king (of Magadha), then after\nfeeling himself very much pained, cast off all desire of hostility and\naddressed Karna, saying, 'I am gratified.' From friendship he then gave\nunto Karna the town Malini. Before this, that tiger among men and\nsubjugator of all foes (viz., Karna) had been king of the Angas only, but\nfrom that time the grinder of hostile forces began to rule over Champa\nalso, agreeably to the wishes of Duryodhana, as thou knowest. Thus Karna\nbecame famous on earth for the valour of his arms. When, for thy good,\nthe Lord of the celestials begged of him his (natural) coat of mail and\near-rings, stupefied by celestial illusion, he gave away those precious\npossessions. Deprived of his car-rings and divested of his natural\narmour, he was slain by Arjuna in Vasudeva's presence. In consequence of\na Brahmana's curse, as also of the curse of the illustrious Rama, of the\nboon granted to Kunti and the illusion practised on him by Indra, of his\ndepreciation by Bhishma as only half a car-warrior, at the tale of Rathas\nand Atirathas, of the destruction of his energy caused by Salya (with his\nkeen speeches), of Vasudeva's policy, and, lastly of the celestial\nweapons obtained by Arjuna from Rudra and Indra and Yama and Varuna and\nKuvera and Drona and the illustrious Kripa, the wielder of Gandiva\nsucceeded in slaying Vikartana's son Karna of effulgence like that of\nSurya himself. Even thus had thy brother been cursed and beguiled by\nmany. As, however, he has fallen in battle, thou shouldst not grieve for\nthat tiger among men!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION VI\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Having said these words, the celestial Rishi Narada\nbecame silent. The royal sage Yudhishthira, filled with grief, became\nplunged in meditation. Beholding that hero cheerless and unmanned by\nsorrow, sighing like a snake and shedding copious tears, Kunti, herself\nfilled with grief and almost deprived of her senses by sorrow, addressed\nhim in these sweet words of grave import and well-suited to the occasion,\n\"O mighty-armed Yudhishthira, it behoveth thee not to give way to sorrow\nthus. O thou of great wisdom, kill this grief of thine, and listen to\nwhat I say. I tried in past times to apprise Karna of his brothership\nwith thee. The god Surya also, O foremost of all righteous persons, did\nthe same. All that a well-wishing friend, from desire of good, should say\nunto one, was said unto Karna by that god in a dream and once more in my\npresence. Neither by affliction nor by reasons could Surya or myself\nsucceed in pacifying him or inducing him to unite himself with thee.\nSuccumbing to the influence of Time, he became resolved upon wreaking his\nenmity on thee. As he was bent upon doing injuries upon you all, I myself\ngave up the attempt.\" Thus addressed by his mother, king Yudhishthira,\nwith tearful eyes and heart agitated by grief, said these words, \"In\nconsequence of thyself having concealed thy counsels, this great\naffliction has overtaken me!\" Possessed of great energy, the righteous\nking, then, in sorrow, cursed all the women of the world, saying,\n\"Henceforth no woman shall succeed in keeping a secret.\" The king, then,\nrecollecting his sons and grandsons and kinsmen and friends, became\nfilled with anxiety and grief. Afflicted with sorrow, the intelligent\nking, resembling a fire covered with smoke, became overwhelmed with\ndespair.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION VII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'The righteous-souled Yudhishthira, with an agitated\nheart and burning with sorrow, began to grieve for that mighty\ncar-warrior Karna. Sighing repeatedly, he addressed Arjuna, saying, \"If,\nO Arjuna, we had led a life of mendicancy in the cities of the Vrishnis\nand the Andhakas, then this miserable end would not have been ours in\nconsequence of having exterminated our kinsmen. Our foes, the Kurus, have\ngained in prosperity, while we have become divested of all the objects of\nlife, for what fruits of righteousness can be ours when we have been\nguilty of self-slaughter?[4] Fie on the usages of Kshatriyas, fie on\nmight and valour, and fie on wrath, since through these such a calamity\nhath overtaken us. Blessed are forgiveness, and self-restraint, and\npurity, with renunciation and humility, and abstention from injury, and\ntruthfulness of speech on all occasions, which are all practised by\nforest-recluses. Full of pride and arrogance, ourselves, however, through\ncovetousness and folly and from desire of enjoying the sweets of\nsovereignty, have fallen into this plight. Beholding those kinsmen of\nours that were bent on acquiring the sovereignty of the world slain on\nthe field of battle, such grief hath been ours that one cannot gladden us\nby giving the sovereignty of even the three worlds. Alas, having slain,\nfor the sake of the earth, such lords of earth as deserved not to be\nslain by us, we are bearing the weight of existence, deprived of friends\nand reft of the very objects of life. Like a pack of dogs fighting one\nanother for a piece of meat, a great disaster has overtaken us! That\npiece of meat is no longer dear to us. On the other hand, it shall be\nthrown aside. They that have been slain should not have been slain for\nthe sake of even the whole earth or mountains of gold, or all the horses\nand kine in this world. Filled with envy and a hankering for all earthly\nobjects, and influenced by wrath and pleasure, all of them, betaking\nthemselves to the highway of Death, have repaired to the regions of Yama.\nPractising asceticism and Brahmacharya and truth and renunciation, sires\nwish for sons endued with every kind of prosperity. Similarly, by fasts\nand sacrifices and vows and sacred rites and auspicious ceremonies\nmothers conceive. They then hold the foetus for ten months. Passing their\ntime in misery and in expectation of fruit, they always ask themselves in\nanxiety, 'Shall these come out of the womb safely? Shall these live after\nbirth? Shall they grow in might and be objects of regard on earth? Shall\nthey be able to give us happiness in this and the other world?' Alas,\nsince their sons, youthful in years and resplendent with ear-rings, have\nbeen slain, therefore, those expectations of theirs rendered fruitless,\nhave been abandoned by them. Without having enjoyed the pleasure of this\nworld, and without having paid off the debts they owed to their sires and\nthe gods, they have repaired to Yama's abode. Alas, O mother, those kings\nhave been slain just at that time when their parents expected to reap the\nfruits of their might and wealth.[5] They were always fitted with envy\nand a hankering after earthly objects, and were exceedingly subject to\nanger and joy. For this, they could not be expected to enjoy at any time\nor any place the fruits of victory.[6] I think that they among the\nPanchalas and the Kurus that have fallen (in this battle) have been lost,\notherwise he that has slain would, by that act of his, obtain all regions\nof bliss.[7] We are regarded as the cause of the destruction that has\novertaken the world. The fault, however, is really ascribable to the sons\nof Dhritarashtra. Duryodhana's heart was always set upon guile. Always\ncherishing malice, he was addicted to deception. Although we never\noffended him, yet he always behaved falsely towards us. We have not\ngained our object, nor have they gained theirs. We have not vanquished\nthem, nor have they vanquished us. The Dhartarashtras could not enjoy\nthis earth, nor could they enjoy women and music. They did not listen to\nthe counsels of ministers and friends and men learned in the scriptures.\nThey could not, indeed, enjoy their costly gems and well-filled treasury\nand vast territories. Burning with the hate they bore us, they could not\nobtain happiness and peace. Beholding our aggrandisement, Duryodhana\nbecame colourless, pale and emaciated. Suvala's son informed king\nDhritarashtra of this. As a father full of affection for his son,\nDhritarashtra tolerated the evil policy his son pursued. Without doubt,\nby disregarding Vidura and the high-souled son of Ganga, and in\nconsequence of his neglect in restraining his wicked and covetous son,\nentirely governed by his passions, the king has met with destruction like\nmy poor self. Without doubt, Suyodhana, having caused his uterine\nbrothers to be slain and having cast this couple into burning grief, hath\nfallen off from his blazing fame. Burning with the hate he bore to us\nDuryodhana was always of a sinful heart. What other kinsman of high birth\ncould use such language towards kinsmen as he, from desire of battle,\nactually used in the presence of Krishna? We also have, through\nDuryodhana's fault, been lost for eternity, like suns burning everything\naround them with their own energy. That wicked-souled wight, that\nembodiment of hostility, was our evil star. Alas, for Duryodhana's acts\nalone, this race of ours has been exterminated. Having slain those whom\nwe should never have slain, we have incurred the censures of the world.\nKing Dhritarashtra, having installed that wicked-souled prince of sinful\ndeeds, that exterminator of his race, in the sovereignty, is obliged to\ngrieve today. Our heroic foes have been slain. We have committed sin. His\npossessions and kingdom are gone. Having slain them, our wrath has been\npacified. But grief is stupefying me. O Dhananjaya, a perpetrated sin is\nexpiated by auspicious acts, by publishing it wildly, by repentance, by\nalms-giving, by penances, by trips to tirthas after renunciation of\neverything, by constant meditation on the scriptures. Of all these, he\nthat has practised renunciation is believed to be incapable of committing\nsins anew. The Srutis declare that he that practises renunciation escapes\nfrom birth and death, and obtaining the right rood, that person of fixed\nsoul attains to Brahma. I shall, therefore, O Dhananjaya, go to the\nwoods, with your leave, O scorcher of foes, disregarding all the pairs of\nopposites, adopting the vow of taciturnity, and walking in the way\npointed out by knowledge.[8] O slayer of foes, the Srutis declare it and\nI myself have seen it with my eyes, that one who is wedded to this earth\ncan never obtain every kind Of religious merit. Desirous of obtaining the\nthings of this earth, I have committed sin, through which, as the Srutis\ndeclare, birth and death are brought about. Abandoning the whole of my\nkingdom, therefore, and the things of this earth, I shall go to the\nwoods, escaping from the ties of the world, freed from grief, and without\naffection for anything. Do thou govern this earth, on which peace has\nbeen restored, and which has been divested of all its thorns. O best of\nKuru's race, I have no need for kingdom or for pleasure.\" Having said\nthese words, king Yudhishthira the just stopped. His younger brother\nArjuna then addressed him in the following words.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION VIII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Like a person unwilling to forgive an insult, Arjuna\nof keen speech and prowess, and possessed of energy, betraying great\nfierceness and licking the corners of his mouth, said these words of\ngrave import, smiling the while: \"Oh, how painful, how distressing! I\ngrieve to see this great agitation of thy heart, since having achieved\nsuch a superhuman feat, thou art bent upon forsaking this great\nprosperity. Having slain thy foes, and having acquired the sovereignty of\nthe earth which has been won through observance of the duties of thy own\norder, why shouldst thou abandon everything through fickleness of heart?\nWhere on earth hath a eunuch or a person of procrastination ever acquired\nsovereignty? Why then didst thou, insensate with rage, slay all the kings\nof the earth? He that would live by mendicancy, cannot, by any act of\nhis, enjoy the good things of the earth. Divested of prosperity and\nwithout resources, he can never win fame on earth or acquire sons and\nanimals. If, O king, abandoning this swelling kingdom, thou livest in the\nobservance of the wretched mode of life led by a mendicant, what will the\nworld say of thee? Why dost thou say that abandoning all the good things\nof the earth, divested of prosperity, and reft of resources, thou wilt\nlead a life of mendicancy like a vulgar person? Thou art born in this\nrace of kings. Having won by conquest the whole earth, wishest thou from\nfolly to live in the woods after abandoning everything of virtue and\nprofit? If thou retirest into the woods, in thy absence, dishonest men\nwill destroy sacrifices. That sin will certainly pollute thee. King\nNahusha, having done many wicked acts in a state of poverty, cried fie on\nthat state and said that poverty is for recluses. Making no provision for\nthe morrow is a practice that suits Rishis. Thou knowest this well. That,\nhowever, which has been called the religion of royalty depends entirely\non wealth. One who robs another of wealth, robs him of his religion as\nwell.[9] Who amongst us, therefore, O king, would forgive an act of\nspoliation that is practised on us? It is seen that a poor man, even when\nhe stands near, is accused falsely. Poverty is a state of sinfulness. It\nbehoveth thee not to applaud poverty, therefore. The man that is fallen,\nO king, grieveth, as also he that is poor. I do not see the difference\nbetween a fallen man and a poor man. All kinds of meritorious acts flow\nfrom the possession of great wealth like a mountain. From wealth spring\nall religious acts, all pleasures, and heaven itself, O king! Without\nwealth, a man cannot find the very means of sustaining his life. The acts\nof a person who, possessed of little intelligence, suffers himself to be\ndivested of wealth, are all dried up like shallow streams in the summer\nseason. He that has wealth has friends. He that has wealth has kinsmen.\nHe that has wealth is regarded as a true man in the world. He that has\nwealth is regarded as a learned man. If a person who hath no wealth\ndesires to achieve a particular purpose, he meets with failure. Wealth\nbrings about accessions of wealth, like elephants capturing (wild)\nelephants. Religious acts, pleasures, joy, courage, wrath, learning, and\nsense of dignity, all these proceed from wealth, O king! From wealth one\nacquires family honour. From wealth, one's religious merit increases. He\nthat is without wealth hath neither this world, nor the next, O best of\nmen! The man that hath no wealth succeeds not in performing religious\nacts, for these latter spring from wealth, like rivers from a mountain.\nHe that is lean in respect of (his possession of) steeds and kine and\nservants and guests, is truly lean and not he whose limbs alone are so.\nJudge truly, O king, and look at the conduct of the gods and the Danavas.\nO king, do the gods ever wish for anything else than the slaughter of\ntheir kinsmen (the Asuras)? If the appropriation of wealth belonging to\nothers be not regarded as righteous, how, O monarch, will kings practise\nvirtue on this earth? Learned men have, in the Vedas, laid down this\nconclusion. The learned have laid it down that kings should live,\nreciting every day the three Vedas, seeking to acquire wealth, and\ncarefully performing sacrifices with the wealth thus acquired. The gods,\nthrough internecine quarrels, have obtained footing in heaven. When the\nvery gods have won their prosperity through internecine quarrels, what\nfault can there be in such quarrels? The gods, thou seest, act in this\nway. The eternal precepts of the Vedas also sanction it. To learn, teach,\nsacrifice, and assist at other's sacrifices,--these are our principal\nduties. The wealth that kings take from others becomes the means of their\nprosperity. We never see wealth that has been earned without doing some\ninjury to others. It is even thus that kings conquer this world. Having\nconquered, they call that wealth theirs, just as sons speak of the wealth\nof their sires as their own. The royal sages that have gone to heaven\nhave declared this to be the duty of kings. Like water flowing on every\ndirection from a swollen ocean, that wealth runs on every direction from\nthe treasuries of kings. This earth formerly belonged to kings Dilipa,\nNahusha, Amvarisha, and Mandhatri. She now belongs to thee! A great\nsacrifice, therefore, with profuse presents of every kind and requiring a\nvast heap of the earth's produce, awaits thee. If thou dost not perform\nthat sacrifice, O king, then the sins of this kingdom shall all be thine.\nThose subjects whose king performs a horse-sacrifice with profuse\npresents, become all cleansed and sanctified by beholding the ablutions\nat the end of the sacrifice. Mahadeva himself, of universal form, in a\ngreat sacrifice requiring libations of all kinds of flesh, poured all\ncreatures as sacrificial libations and then his own self. Eternal is this\nauspicious path. Its fruits are never destroyed. This is the great path\ncalled Dasaratha. Abandoning it, O king, to what other path wouldst thou\nbetake thyself?\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION IX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"For a little while, O Arjuna, concentrate thy\nattention and fix thy mind and hearing on thy inner soul. If thou\nlistenest to my words in such a frame of mind, they will meet with thy\napprobation. Abandoning all worldly pleasures, I shall betake myself to\nthat path which is trod by the righteous. I shall not, for thy sake,\ntread along the path thou recommendest. If thou askest me what path is\nauspicious that one should tread alone, I shall tell thee. If thou dost\nnot desire to ask me, I shall yet, unasked by thee, tell thee of it.\nAbandoning the pleasures and observance of men of the world, engaged in\nperforming the austerest of penances, I shall wander in the forest, with\nthe animals that have their home there, living on fruit and roots.\nPouring libations on the fire at due hours, and performing ablutions at\nmorn and eve, I shall thin myself by reduced diet, and covering myself\nwith skins, bear matted locks on my head. Enduring cold, wind, and heat\nas also hunger and thirst and toil, I shall emaciate my body by penances\nas laid down in the ordinance. Charming to the heart and the ear, I shall\ndaily listen to the clear strains of cheerful birds and animals residing\nin the woods. I shall enjoy the fragrance of flower-burthened trees and\ncreepers, and see diverse kinds of charming products that grow in the\nforest. I shall also see many excellent recluses of the forest. I shall\nnot do the slightest injury to any creature, what need be said then of\nthose that dwell in villages and towns?[10] Leading a retired life and\ndevoting myself to contemplation, I shall live upon ripe and unripe\nfruits and gratify the Pitris and the deities with offerings of wild\nfruits and spring water and grateful hymns. Observing in this way the\naustere regulations of a forest life, I shall pass my days, calmly\nawaiting the dissolution of my body. Or, living alone and observing the\nvow of taciturnity, with my head shaved clean, I shall derive my\nsustenance by begging each day of only one tree.[11] Smearing my body\nwith ashes, and availing of the shelter of abandoned houses, or lying at\nthe foot of trees, I shall live, casting off all things dear or hateful.\nWithout indulging in grief or joy, and regarding censure and applause,\nhope and affliction, equally, and prevailing over every couple of\nopposites, I shall live casting off all the things of the world. Without\nconversing with anybody, I shall assume the outward form of a blind and\ndeaf idiot, while living in contentment and deriving happiness from my\nown soul. Without doing the least injury to the four kinds of movable and\nimmovable creatures, I shall behave equally towards all creatures whether\nmindful of their duties or following only the dictates of the senses. I\nshall not jeer at any one, nor shall I frown at anybody. Restraining all\nmy senses, I shall always be of a cheerful face. Without asking anybody\nabout the way, proceeding along any route that I may happen to meet with,\nI shall go on, without taking note of the country or the point of the\ncompass to which or towards which I may go. Regardless of whither I may\nproceed, I shall not look behind. Divesting myself of desire and wrath,\nand turning my gaze inwards, I shall go on, casting off pride of soul and\nbody. Nature always walks ahead; hence, food and drink will somehow be\naccomplished. I shall not think of those pairs of opposites that stand in\nthe way of such a life. If pure food in even a small measure be not\nobtainable in the first house (to which I may go), I shalt get it by\ngoing to other houses. If I fail to procure it by even such a round, I\nshall proceed to seven houses in succession and fill my craving. When the\nsmoke of houses will cease, their hearth-fires having been extinguished,\nwhen husking-rods will be kept aside, and all the inmates will have taken\ntheir food, when mendicants and guests will cease to wander, I shall\nselect a moment for my round of mendicancy and solicit alms at two,\nthree, or five houses at the most. I shall wander over the earth, after\nbreaking the bonds of desire. Preserving equability in success and\nfailure, I shall earn great ascetic merit. I shall behave neither like\none that is fond of life nor like one that is about to die. I shall not\nmanifest any liking for life or dislike for death. If one strikes off one\narm of mine and another smears the other arm with sandal-paste, I shall\nnot wish evil to the one or good to the other. Discarding all those acts\nconducive to prosperity that one can do in life, the only acts I shall\nperform will be to open and shut my eyes and take as much food and drink\nas will barely keep up life. Without ever being attached to action, and\nalways restraining the functions of the senses, I shall give up all\ndesires and purify the soul of all impurities. Freed from all attachments\nand tearing off all bonds and ties, I shall live free as the wind. Living\nin such freedom from affections, everlasting contentment will be mine.\nThrough desire, I have, from ignorance, committed great sins. A certain\nclass of men, doing both auspicious and inauspicious acts here, maintain\ntheir wives, children, and kinsmen, all bound to them in relations of\ncause and effect.[12] When the period of their life runs out, casting off\ntheir weakened bodies, they take upon themselves all the effects of their\nsinful acts, for none but the actor is burdened with the consequences of\nhis acts.[13] Even thus, endued with actions, creatures come into this\nwheel of life that is continually turning like the wheel of a car, and\neven thus, coming thither, they meet with their fellow-creatures. He,\nhowever, who abandons the worldly course of life, which is really a\nfleeting illusion although it looks eternal, and which is afflicted by\nbirth, death, decrepitude, disease, and pain, is sure to obtain\nhappiness. When again, the very gods fall down from heaven and great\nRishis from their respective positions of eminence, who that is\nacquainted with truths of causes (and effects) would wish to have even\nheavenly prosperity?[14] Insignificant kings, having performed diverse\nacts relating to the diverse means of kingcraft (known by the means of\nconciliation, gift, &c.) often slay a king through some contrivance.\nReflecting on these circumstances, this nectar of wisdom hath come to me.\nHaving attained it, I desire to get a permanent, eternal, and\nunchangeable place (for myself). Always (conducting myself) with such\nwisdom and acting in this way, I shall, by betaking myself to that\nfearless path of life, terminate this physical frame that is subject to\nbirth, death, decrepitude, disease, and pain.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION X\n\n\"'Bhimasena said, \"Thy understanding, O king, has become blind to the\ntruth, like that of a foolish and unintelligent reciter of the Veda in\nconsequence of his repeated recitation of those scriptures. If censuring\nthe duties of kings thou wouldst lead a life of idleness, then, O bull of\nBharata's race, this destruction of the Dhartarashtras was perfectly\nuncalled for. Are forgiveness and compassion and pity and abstention from\ninjury not to be found in anybody walking along the path of Kshatriya\nduties? If we knew that this was thy intention, we would then have never\ntaken up arms and slain a single creature. We would then have lived by\nmendicancy till the destruction of this body. This terrible battle\nbetween the rulers of the earth would also have never taken place. The\nlearned have said this all that we see is food for the strong. Indeed,\nthis mobile and immobile world is our object of enjoyment for the person\nthat is strong. Wise men acquainted with Kshatriya duties have declared\nthat they who stand in the way of the person taking the sovereignty of\nthe earth, should be slain. Guilty of that fault, those that stood as\nenemies of our kingdom have all been slain by us. Having slain them, O\nYudhishthira, righteously govern this earth. This our act (in refusing\nthe kingdom) is like that of a person who having dug a well stops in his\nwork before obtaining water and comes up smutted with mire. Or, this our\nact is like that of a person who having climbed up a tall tree and taken\nhoney there from meets with death before tasting it. Or, it is like that\nof a person who having set out on a long way comes back in despair\nwithout having reached his destination. Or, it is like that of a person\nwho having slain all his foes, O thou of Kuru's race, at last falls by\nhis own hand. Or, it is like that of a person afflicted with hunger, who\nhaving obtained food, refuses to take it, or of a person under the\ninfluence of desire, who having obtained a woman reciprocating his\npassion, refuses to meet with her. We have become objects of censure, O\nBharata, because, O king, we follow thee that art of feeble\nunderstanding, in consequence of thyself being our eldest brother. We are\npossessed of mighty arms; we are accomplished in knowledge and endued\nwith great energy. Yet we are obedient to the words of a eunuch as if we\nwere entirely helpless. We are the refuge of all helpless persons. Yet,\nwhen people see us so, why would they not say that in respect of the\nacquisition of our objects we are entirely powerless? Reflect on this\nthat I say. It has been laid down that (a life of) renunciation should be\nadopted, only in times of distress, by kings overcome with decrepitude or\ndefeated by foes. Men of wisdom, therefore, do not applaud renunciation\nas the duty of a Kshatriya. On the other hand, they that are of clear\nsight think that the adoption of that course of life (by a Kshatriya)\ninvolves even the loss of virtue. How can those that have sprung from\nthat order, that are devoted to the practices of that order, and that\nhave refuge in them, censure those duties? Indeed, if those duties be\ncensurable, then why should not the Supreme Ordainer be censured?[15] It\nis only those persons that are reft of prosperity and wealth and that are\ninfidels in faith, that have promulgated this precept of the Vedas (about\nthe propriety of a Kshatriya's adoption of a life of renunciation) as the\ntruth. In reality, however, it is never proper for a Kshatriya to do so.\nHe who is competent to support life by prowess, he who can support\nhimself by his own exertions, does not live, but really falls away from\nhis duty, by the hypocritical externals of a life of renunciation. That\nman only is capable of leading a solitary life of happiness in the woods\nwho is unable to support sons and grandsons and the deities and Rishis\nand guests and Pitris. As the deer and boars and birds (though they lead\na forest life) cannot attain to heaven, even so those Kshatriyas that are\nnot bereft of prowess yet not given to doing good turns cannot attain to\nheaven by leading only a forest life. They should acquire religious merit\nby other ways. If, O king, anybody were to obtain success from\nrenunciation, then mountains and trees would surely obtain it! These\nlatter are always seen to lead lives of renunciation. They do not injure\nany one. They are, again, always aloof from a life of worldliness and are\nall Brahmacharins. If it be the truth that a person's success depends\nupon his own lot in life and not upon that of other, then (as a person\nborn in the Kshatriya order) thou shouldst betake thyself to action. He\nthat is reft of action can never have success. If they that fill only\ntheir own stomachs could attain to success, then all aquatic creatures\nwould obtain it, for these have none else to support save their own\nselves. Behold, the world moves on, with every creature on it employed in\nacts proper to its nature. Therefore, one should betake oneself to\naction. The man reft of action can never obtain success.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XI\n\n\"'Arjuna said, \"In this connection an old history is cited, viz., the\ndiscourse between certain ascetics and Sakra, O bull of Bharata's race! A\nnumber of well-born Brahmana youth of little understanding, without the\nhirsute honours of manhood, abandoning their homes, came to the woods for\nleading a forest life. Regarding that to be virtue, those youths of\nabundant resources became desirous of living as Brahmacharins, having\nabandoned their brothers and sires. It so happened that Indra became\ncompassionate towards them. Assuming the form of a golden bird, the holy\nSakra addressed them, saying, 'That which is done by persons that eat the\nremnants of a sacrifice is the most difficult of acts that men can\nachieve.[16] Such an act is highly meritorious. The lives of such men are\nworthy of every praise. Having attained the object of life, those men,\ndevoted to virtue obtain the highest end.' Hearing these words, the\nRishis said, 'Lo, this bird applauds those that subsist upon the remnants\nof sacrifices. He informs us of it, for we live upon such remnants.' The\nbird then said, 'I do not applaud you.' Ye are stationed with mire and\nvery impure. Living upon offals, ye are wicked. Ye are not persons\nsubsisting upon the remnants of sacrifice.\n\n\"'\"The Rishis said, 'We regard this our course of life to be highly\nblessed. Tell us, O bird, what is for our good. Thy words inspire us with\ngreat faith.'\n\n\"'\"The bird said, 'If you do not refuse me your faith by arraying\nyourselves against your better selves, then I shall tell you words that\nare true and beneficial.'\n\n\"'\"The Rishis said, 'We shall listen to thy words, O sire, for the\ndifferent paths are all known to thee. O thou of righteous soul, we\ndesire also to obey thy commands. Instruct us now.'\n\n\"'\"The bird said, 'Among quadrupeds the cow is the foremost. Of metals,\ngold is the foremost. Of words, mantras, and of bipeds, the Brahmanas,\nare the foremost. These mantras regulate all the rites of a Brahmana's\nlife beginning with those appertaining to birth and the period after it,\nand ending with those appertaining to death and the crematorium. These\nVedic rites are his heaven, path, and foremost of sacrifices. If it were\notherwise, how could I find the acts (of persons in quest of heaven)\nbecome successful through mantras? He who, in this world, adores his\nsoul, firmly regarding it to be a deity of a particular kind, obtains\nsuccess consistent with the nature of that particular deity.[17] The\nseasons measured by half the months lead to the Sun, the Moon, or the\nStars.[18] These three kinds of success, depending upon action are\ndesired by every creature. The domestic mode of life is very superior and\nsacred and is called the field (for the cultivation) of success. By what\npath do those men go that censure action? Of little understanding and\ndeprived of wealth, they incur sin. And since those men of little\nunderstanding live by abandoning the eternal paths of the gods, the paths\nof the Rishis, and the paths of Brahma, therefore, they attain to paths\ndisapproved of by the Srutis.[19] There is an ordinance in the mantras\nwhich says, \"Ye sacrificer, perform the sacrifice represented by gifts of\nvaluable things. I wilt give thee happiness represented by sons, animals,\nand heaven!\"--To live, therefore, in accordance with ordinance is said to\nbe the highest asceticism of the ascetics. Therefore, ye should perform\nsuch sacrifices and such penances in the shape of gifts. The due\nperformance of these eternal duties, viz., the worship of the gods, the\nstudy of the Vedas, and the gratification of the Pitris, as also\nregardful services unto the preceptors--these are called the austerest of\npenances. The gods, by performing such exceedingly difficult penances,\nhave obtained the highest glory and power. I, therefore, tell you to bear\nthe very heavy burthen of the duties of domesticity. Without doubt,\npenances are the foremost of all things and are the root of all\ncreatures. Asceticism, however, is to be obtained by leading a life of\ndomesticity, upon which depends everything. They that eat the remnants of\nfeasts, after duly apportioning the food morning and evening among\nkinsmen, attain to ends that are exceedingly difficult of attainment.\nThey are called eater of the remnants of feasts who eat after having\nserved guests and gods and Rishis and kinsmen. Therefore, those persons\nthat are observant of their own duties, that practise excellent vows and\nare truthful in speech, become objects of great respect in the world,\nwith their own faith exceedingly strengthened. Free from pride, those\nachievers of the most difficult feats attain to heaven and live for\nunending time in the regions of Sakra.'\"\n\n\"'Arjuna continued, \"Those ascetics then, hearing these words that were\nbeneficial and fraught with righteousness, abandoned the religion of\nrenunciation, saying, \"There is nothing in it,\" and betook themselves to\na life of domesticity. Therefore, O thou that are conversant with\nrighteousness, calling to thy aid that eternal wisdom, rule the wide\nworld, O monarch that is now destitute of foes.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Hearing these words of Arjuna, O chastiser of foes,\nNakula of mighty arms and a broad chest, temperate in speech and\npossessed of great wisdom, with face whose colour then resembled that of\ncopper, looked at the king, that foremost of all righteous persons, and\nspoke these words, besieging his brother's heart (with reason).'\n\n\"'Nakula said, \"The very gods had established their fires in the region\ncalled Visakha-yupa. Know, therefore, O king, that the gods themselves\ndepend upon the fruits of action.[20] The Pitris, that support (by rain)\nthe lives of even all disbelievers, observing the ordinances (of the\nCreator as declared in the Vedas), are, O king, engaged in action.[21]\nKnow them for downright atheists that reject the declaration of the Vedas\n(which inculcate action). The person that is learned in the Vedas, by\nfollowing their declarations in all his acts, attains, O Bharata, to the\nhighest region of heaven by the way of the deities.[22]\n\n\"'\"This (domestic mode of life again) has been said by all persons\nacquainted with Vedic truths to be superior to all the (other) modes of\nlife. Knowing this, O king, that the person who in sacrifices gives away\nhis righteously acquired wealth unto those Brahmanas that are well\nconversant with the Vedas, and restrains his soul, is, O monarch,\nregarded as the true renouncer. He, however, who, disregarding (a life of\ndomesticity, that is) the source of much happiness, jumps to the next\nmode of life,--that renouncer of his own self,[23] O monarch, is a\nrenouncer labouring under the quality of darkness. That man who is\nhomeless, who roves over the world (in his mendicant rounds), who has the\nfoot of a tree for his shelter, who observes the vow of taciturnity,\nnever cooks for himself, and seeks to restrain all the functions of his\nsenses, is, O Partha, a renouncer in the observance of the vow of\nmendicancy.[24] That Brahmana who, disregarding wrath and joy, and\nespecially deceitfulness, always employs his time in the study of the\nVedas, is a renouncer in the observance of the vow of mendicancy.[25] The\nfour different modes of life were at one time weighed in the balance. The\nwise have said, O king, that when domesticity was placed on one scale, it\nrequired the three others to be placed on the other for balancing it.\nBeholding the result of this examination by scales, O Partha, and seeing\nfurther, O Bharata, that domesticity alone contained both heaven and\npleasure, that became the way of the great Rishis and the refuge of all\npersons conversant with the ways of the world. He, therefore, O bull of\nBharata's race, who betakes himself to this mode of life, thinking it to\nbe his duty and abandoning all desire for fruit, is a real renouncer, and\nnot that man of clouded understanding who goes to the woods, abandoning\nhome and its surroundings. A person, again, who under the hypocritical\ngarb of righteousness, fails to forget his desires (even while living in\nthe woods), is bound by the grim King of death with his deadly fetters\nround the neck. Those acts that are done from vanity, are said to be\nunproductive of fruit. Those acts, on the other hand, O monarch, that\nare done from a spirit of renunciation, always bear abundant fruits.[26]\nTranquillity, self-restraint, fortitude, truth, purity, simplicity,\nsacrifices, perseverance, and righteousness,--these are always regarded\nas virtues recommended by the Rishis. In domesticity, it is said, are\nacts intended for Pitris, gods, guests. In this mode of life alone, O\nmonarch, are the threefold aims to be attained.[27] The renouncer that\nrigidly adheres to this mode of life, in which one is free to do all\nacts, has not to encounter ruin either here or hereafter. The sinless\nLord of all creatures, of righteous soul, created creatures, with the\nintention that they would adore him by sacrifices with profuse presents.\nCreepers and trees and deciduous herbs, and animals that are clean, and\nclarified butter, were created as ingredients of sacrifice. For one in\nthe observance of domesticity the performance of sacrifice is fraught\nwith impediments. For this, that mode of life has been said to be\nexceedingly difficult and unattainable. Those persons, therefore, in the\nobservance of the domestic mode of life, who, possessed of wealth and\ncorn and animals, do not perform sacrifices, earn, O monarch, eternal\nsin. Amongst Rishis, there are some that regard the study of the Vedas to\nbe a sacrifice, and some that regard contemplation to be a great\nsacrifice which they perform in their minds. The very gods, O monarch,\ncovet the companionship of a regenerate person like this, who in\nconsequence of his treading along such a way which consists in the\nconcentration of the mind, has become equal to Brahma. By refusing to\nspend in sacrifice the diverse kinds of wealth that thou hast taken from\nthy foes, thou art only displaying thy want of faith. I have never seen,\nO monarch, a king in the observance of a life of domesticity renouncing\nhis wealth in any other way except in the Rajasuya, the Aswamedha, and\nother kinds of sacrifice. Like Sakra, the chief of the celestial, O sire,\nperform those other sacrifices that are praised by the Brahmanas. That\nking, through whose heedlessness the subjects are plunged by robbers, and\nwho does not offer protection to those whom he is called upon to govern,\nis said to be the very embodiment of Kali. If, without giving away\nsteeds, and kine, and female slaves, and elephants adorned with\ntrappings, and villages, and populous regions, and fields, and houses,\nunto Brahmanas, we retire into the woods with hearts not harbouring\nfriendly feeling towards kinsmen, even we shall be, O monarch, such Kalis\nof the kingly order. Those members of the kingly order that do not\npractise charity and give protection (to others), incur sin. Woe is their\nportion hereafter and not bliss. If, O lord, without performing great\nsacrifices and the rites in honour of thy deceased ancestors, and if,\nwithout bathing in sacred waters, thou betakest thyself to a wandering\nlife, thou shalt then meet with destruction like a small cloud separated\nfrom a mass and dashed by the winds. Thou shalt then fall off from both\nworlds and have to take thy birth in the Pisacha order.[28] A person\nbecomes a true renouncer by casting off every internal and external\nattachment, and not simply by abandoning home for dwelling in the woods.\nA Brahmana that lives in the observance of these ordinances in which\nthere are no impediments, does not fall off from this or the other world.\nObservant of the duties of one's own order,--duties respected by the\nancients and practised by the best of men, who is there, O Partha, that\nwould grieve, O king, for having in a trice stain in battle his foes that\nswelled with prosperity, like Sakra slaying the forces of the Daityas?\nHaving in the observance of Kshatriya duties subjugated the world by the\naid of thy prowess, and having made presents unto persons conversant with\nthe Vedas, thou canst, O monarch, go to regions higher than heaven. It\nbehoves thee not, O Partha, to indulge in grief.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XIII\n\n\"'Sahadeva said, \"By casting off all external objects only, O Bharata, one\ndoes not attain to success. By casting off even mental attachments, the\nattainment of success is doubtful.[29] Let that religious merit and that\nhappiness which are his who has cast off external objects but whose mind\nstill internally covets them, be the portion of our foes! On the other\nhand, let that religious merit and that happiness which are his who\ngoverns the earth, having cast off all internal attachments also, be the\nportion of our friends. The word mama (mine), consisting of two letters,\nis Death's self; while the opposite word na-mama (not mine), consisting\nof three letters, is eternal Brahma.[30] Brahma and death, O king,\nentering invisibly into every soul, without doubt, cause all creatures to\nact. If this being, O Bharata, that is called Soul, be not ever subject\nto destruction, then by destroying the bodies of creatures one cannot be\nguilty of slaughter. If, on the other hand, the soul and the body of a\nbeing are born or destroyed together, so that when the body is destroyed\nthe soul also is destroyed, then the way (prescribed in the scriptures)\nof rites and acts would be futile. Therefore, driving away all doubts\nabout the immortality of the soul, the man of intelligence should adopt\nthat path which has been trodden by the righteous of old and older times.\nThe life of that king is certainly fruitless who having acquired the\nentire earth with her mobile and immobile creatures, does not enjoy her.\nAs regards the man again who lives in the forest upon wild fruits and\nroots, but whose attachment to things of the earth has not ceased, such a\none, O king, lives within the jaws of Death. Behold, O Bharata, the\nhearts and the outward forms of all creatures to be but manifestations of\nthy own. They that look upon all creatures as their own selves escape\nfrom the great fear (of destruction).[31] Thou art my sire, thou art my\nprotector, thou art my brother, and thou art my senior and preceptor. It\nbehoveth thee, therefore, to forgive these incoherent utterances in\nsorrow of a woe-stricken person. True or false, this that has been\nuttered by me, O lord of earth, has been uttered from a due regard for\nthee, O best of Bharatas, that I entertain!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XIV\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'When Kunti's son, king Yudhishthira the just,\nremained speechless after listening to his brothers who were telling\nthese truths of the Vedas, that foremost of women, viz., Draupadi, of\nlarge eyes and great beauty, and noble descent, O monarch, said these\nwords unto that bull among kings seated in the midst of his brothers that\nresembled so many lions and tigers, and like the leader in the midst of a\nherd of elephants. Ever expectant of loving regards from all her husbands\nbut especially from Yudhishthira, she was always treated with affection\nand indulgence by the king. Conversant with duties and observant of them\nin practice, that lady of large hips, casting her eyes on her lord,\ndesired his attention in soothing and sweet words and said as follows.\n\n\"'Draupadi said, \"These thy brothers, O Partha, are crying and drying their\npalates like chatakas but thou dost not gladden them. O monarch, gladden\nthese thy brothers, that resemble infuriated elephants (in prowess), with\nproper words,--these heroes that have always drunk of the cup of misery.\nWhy, O king, while living by the side of the Dwaita lake, didst thou say\nunto these thy brothers then residing with thee, and suffering from cold\nand wind and sun, even these words, viz.,--'rushing to battle from\ndesire of victory, we will slay Duryodhana and enjoy the earth that is\ncapable of granting every wish. Depriving great car-warriors of their\ncars and slaying huge elephants, and strewing the field of battle with\nthe bodies of car-warriors and horsemen and heroes, ye chastisers of\nfoes, ye will perform great sacrifices of diverse kinds with presents in\nprofusion. All these sufferings, due to a life of exile in the woods,\nwill then end in happiness.' O foremost of all practisers of virtue,\nhaving thyself said these words unto thy brothers then, why, O hero, dost\nthou depress our hearts now? A eunuch can never enjoy wealth. A eunuch\ncan never have children even as there can be no fish in a mire (destitute\nof water). A Kshatriya without the rod of chastisement can never shine. A\nKshatriya without the rod of chastisement can never enjoy the earth. The\nsubjects of a king that is without the rod of chastisement can never have\nhappiness. Friendship for all creatures, charity, study of the Vedas,\npenances,--these constitute the duties of a Brahmana and not of a king, O\nbest of kings! Restraining the wicked, cherishing the honest, and never\nretreating from battle,--these are the highest duties of kings. He is\nsaid to be conversant with duties in whom are forgiveness and wrath,\ngiving and taking, terrors and fearlessness, and chastisement and reward.\nIt was not by study, or gift, or mendicancy, that thou hast acquired the\nearth. That force of the enemy, O hero, ready to burst upon thee with all\nits might, abounding with elephants and horse and cars, strong with three\nkinds of strength[32] protected by Drona and Karna and Aswatthaman and\nKripa, has been defeated and slain by thee, O hero! It is for this that I\nask thee to enjoy the earth. Formerly, O puissant one, thou hadst, O\nmonarch, swayed with might,[33] the region called Jambu, O tiger among\nmen, abounding with populous districts. Thou hadst also, O ruler of men,\nswayed with might that other region called Kraunchadwipa situate on the\nwest of the great Meru and equal unto Jambu-dwipa itself. Thou hadst\nswayed with might, O king, that other region called Sakadwipa on the east\nof the great Meru and equal to Krauncha-dwipa itself. The region called\nBhadraswa, on the north of the great Meru and equal to Sakadwipa was also\nswayed by thee, O tiger, among men! Thou hadst even penetrated the ocean\nand swayed with might other regions, too, O hero, and the very islands\nbegirt by the sea and containing many populous provinces. Having, O\nBharata, achieved such immeasurable feats, and having obtained (through\nthem) the adorations of the Brahmanas, how is it that thy soul is not\ngratified? Seeing these brothers of thine before thee, O Bharata,--these\nheroes swelling with might and resembling bulls or infuriated elephants\n(in prowess),--why dost thou not address them in delightful words? All of\nyou are like celestials. All of you are capable of resisting foes. All of\nyou are competent to scorch your enemies. If only one of you had become\nmy husband, my happiness would even then have been very great. What need\nI say then, O tiger among men, when all of you, numbering five, are my\nhusbands (and look after me) like the five senses inspiring the physical\nframe? The words of my mother-in-law who is possessed of great knowledge\nand great foresight, cannot be untrue. Addressing me, she said, 'O\nprincess of Panchala, Yudhishthira will ever keep you in happiness, O\nexcellent lady!' Having slain many thousands of kings possessed of active\nprowess, I see, O monarch, that through thy folly thou art about to make\nthat feat futile. They whose eldest brother becomes mad, have all to\nfollow him in madness. Through thy madness, O king, all the Pandavas are\nabout to become mad. If, O monarch, these thy brothers were in their\nsenses, they would then have immured thee with all unbelievers (in a\nprison) and taken upon themselves the government of the earth. That\nperson who from dullness of intellect acts in this way never succeeds in\nwinning prosperity. The man that treads along the path of madness should\nbe subjected to medical treatment by the aid of incense and collyrium, of\ndrugs applied through the nose, and of other medicines. O best of the\nBharatas, I am the worst of all my sex, since I desire to live on even\nthough I am bereaved of my children. Thou shouldst not disregard the\nwords spoken by me and by these brothers of thine that are endeavouring\nthus (to dissuade thee from thy purpose). Indeed, abandoning the whole\nearth, thou art inviting adversity and danger to come upon thee. Thou\nshinest now, O monarch, even as those two best of kings, viz., Mandhatri\nand Amvarisha, regarded by all the lords of earth, did in former days.\nProtecting thy subjects righteously, govern the goddess Earth with her\nmountains and forests and islands. Do not, O king, become cheerless.\nAdore the gods in diverse sacrifices. Fight thy foes. Make gifts of\nwealth and clothes and other objects of enjoyment unto the Brahmanas, O\nbest of kings!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XV\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Hearing these words of Yajnasena's daughter, Arjuna\nonce more spoke, showing proper regard for his mighty-armed eldest\nbrother of unfading glory.\n\n\"'Arjuna said, \"The man armed with the rod of chastisement governs all\nsubjects and protects them. The rod of chastisement is awake when all\nelse is sleep. For this, the wise have characterised the rod of\nchastisement to be Righteousness itself. The rod of chastisement protects\nRighteousness and Profit. It protects also, O king! For this, the rod of\nchastisement is identified with the triple objects of life. Corn and\nwealth are both protected by the rod of chastisement. Knowing this, O\nthou that art possessed of learning, take up the rod of chastisement and\nobserve the course of the world. One class of sinful men desist from sin\nthrough fear of the rod of chastisement in the king's hands. Another\nclass desist from similar acts through fear of Yama's rod, and yet\nanother from fear of the next world. Another class of persons desist from\nsinful acts through fear of society. Thus, O king, in this world, whose\ncourse is such, everything is dependent on the rod of chastisement.\nThere is a class of persons who are restrained by only the rod of\nchastisement from devouring one another. If the rod of chastisement did\nnot protect people, they would have sunk in the darkness of hell. The rod\nof chastisement (danda) has been so named by the wise because it\nrestrains the ungovernable and punishes the wicked. The chastisement of\nBrahmanas should be by word of mouth; of Kshatriyas, by giving them only\nthat much of food as would suffice for the support of life; of Vaisyas,\nby the imposition of fines and forfeitures of property, while for Sudras\nthere is no punishment.[34] For keeping men awake (to their duties) and\nfor the protection of property, ordinances, O king, have been established\nin the world, under the name of chastisement (or punitive legislation).\nThither where chastisement, of dark complexion and red eyes, stands in an\nattitude of readiness (to grapple with every offender) and the king is of\nrighteous vision, the subjects never forget themselves. The Brahmacharin\nand the house-holder, the recluse in the forest and the religious\nmendicant, all these walk in their respective ways through fear of\nchastisement alone. He that is without any fear, O king, never performs a\nsacrifice. He that is without fear never giveth away. The man that is\nwithout any fear never desires to adhere to any engagement or compact.\nWithout piercing the vitals of others, without achieving the most\ndifficult feats and without staying creatures like a fisherman (slaying\nfish), no person can obtain great prosperity.[35] Without slaughter, no\nman has been able to achieve fame in this world or acquire wealth or\nsubjects. Indra himself, by the slaughter of Vritra, became the great\nIndra. Those amongst the gods that are given to slaughtering others are\nadored much more by men. Rudra, Skanda, Sakra, Agni, Varuna, are all\nslaughterers. Kala and Mrityu and Vayu and Kuvera and Surya, the Vasus,\nthe Maruts, the Sadhyas, and the Viswadevas, O Bharata, are all\nslaughterers. Humbled by their prowess, all people bend to those gods,\nbut not to Brahman or Dhatri or Pushan at any time. Only a few men that\nare noble of disposition adore in all their acts those among the gods\nthat are equally disposed towards all creatures and that are\nself-restrained and peaceful. I do not behold the creature in this world\nthat supports life without doing any act of injury to others. Animals\nlive upon animals, the stronger upon the weaker. The mongoose devours\nmice; the cat devours the mongoose; the dog devours the cat; the dog\nagain is devoured by the spotted leopard. Behold all things again are\ndevoured by the Destroyer when he comes! This mobile and immobile\nuniverse is food for living creatures. This has been ordained by the\ngods. The man of knowledge, therefore, is never stupefied at it. It\nbehoveth thee, O great king, to become that which thou art by birth.\nFoolish (Kshatriyas) alone, restraining wrath and joy take refuge in the\nwoods. The very ascetics cannot support their lives without killing\ncreatures. In water, on earth, and fruits, there are innumerable\ncreatures. It is not true that one does not slaughter them. What higher\nduty is there than supporting one's life?[36] There are many creatures\nthat are so minute that their existence can only be inferred. With the\nfalling of the eyelids alone, they are destroyed. There are men who\nsubduing wrath and pride betake themselves to ascetic courses of life and\nleaving village and towns repair to the woods. Arrived there, those men\nmay be seen to be so stupefied as to adopt the domestic mode of life once\nmore. Others may be seen, who (in the observance of domesticity) tilling\nthe soil, uprooting herbs, cutting off trees and killing birds and\nanimals, perform sacrifices and at last attain to heaven. O son of Kunti,\nI have no doubt in this that the acts of all creatures become crowned\nwith success only when the policy of chastisement is properly applied. If\nchastisement were abolished from the world, creatures would soon be\ndestroyed. Like fishes in the water, stronger animals prey on the weaker.\nThis truth was formerly spoken by Brahmana himself, viz., that\nchastisement, properly applied upholds creatures. Behold, the very fires,\nwhen extinguished, blaze up again, in fright, when blown. This is due to\nthe fear of force or chastisement. If there were no chastisement in the\nworld distinguishing the good from the bad, then the whole world would\nhave been enveloped in utter darkness and all things would have been\nconfounded. Even they that are breakers of rules, that are atheists and\nscoffers of the Vedas, afflicted by chastisement, soon become disposed to\nobserve rules and restrictions.[37] Everyone in this world is kept\nstraight by chastisement. A person naturally pure and righteous is\nscarce. Yielding to the fear of chastisement, man becomes disposed to\nobserve rules and restraints. Chastisement was ordained by the Creator\nhimself for protecting religion and profit, for the happiness of all the\nfour orders, and for making them righteous and modest. If chastisement\ncould not inspire fear, then ravens and beasts of prey would have eaten\nup all other animals and men and the clarified butter intended for\nsacrifice. If chastisement did not uphold and protect, then nobody would\nhave studied the Vedas, nobody would have milked a milch cow, and no\nmaiden would have married.[38] If chastisement did not uphold and\nprotect, then ravage and confusion would have set in on every side, and\nall barriers would have been swept away, and the idea of property would\nhave disappeared. If chastisement did not uphold and protect, people\ncould never duly perform annual sacrifices with large presents. If\nchastisement did not uphold and protect, no one, to whatever mode of life\nhe might belong, would observe the duties of that mode as declared (in\nthe scriptures), and no one would have succeeded in acquiring\nknowledge.[39] Neither camels, nor oxen, nor horses, nor mules, nor\nasses, would, even if yoked thereto, drag cars and carriages, if\nchastisement did not uphold and protect. Upon chastisement depend all\ncreatures. The learned, therefore, say that chastisement is the root of\neverything. Upon chastisement rests the heaven that men desire, and upon\nit rests this world also. Thither where foe-destroying chastisement is\nwell applied, no sin, no deception, and no wickedness, is to be seen. If\nthe rod of chastisement be not uplifted, the dog will lick the\nsacrificial butter. The crow also would take away the first (sacrificial)\noffering, if that rod were not kept uplifted. Righteously or\nunrighteously, this kingdom hath now become ours. Our duty now is to\nabandon grief. Do thou, therefore, enjoy it and perform sacrifices. Men\nthat are fortunate, living with their dear wives (and children), eat good\nfood, wear excellent clothes, and cheerfully acquire virtue. All our\nacts, without doubt, are dependent on wealth; that wealth again is\ndependent on chastisement. Behold, therefore, the importance of\nchastisement. Duties have been declared for only the maintenance of the\nrelations of the world. There are two things here, viz., abstention from\ninjury and injury prompted by righteous motives. Of these two, that is\nsuperior by which righteousness may be acquired.[40] There is no act that\nis wholly meritorious, nor any that is wholly wicked. Right or wrong, in\nall acts, something of both is seen. Subjecting animals to castration,\ntheir horns again are cut off. They are then made to bear weights, are\ntethered, and chastised. In this world that is unsubstantial and rotten\nwith abuses and rendered painful, O monarch, do thou practise the ancient\ncustoms of men, following the rules and analogies cited above. Perform\nsacrifices, give alms, protect thy subjects, and practise righteousness.\nSlay thy foes, O son of Kunti, and protect thy friends. Let no\ncheerlessness be thine, O king, while slaying foes. He that does it, O\nBharata, does not incur the slightest sin. He that takes up a weapon and\nslays an armed foe advancing against him, does not incur the sin of\nkilling a foetus, for it is the wrath of the advancing foe that provokes\nthe wrath of the slayer. The inner soul of every creature is incapable of\nbeing slain. When the soul is incapable of being slain, how then can one\nbe slain by another? As a person enters a new house, even so a creature\nenters successive bodies. Abandoning forms that are worn out, a creature\nacquires new forms. People capable of seeing the truth regard this\ntransformation to be death.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XVI\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'After the conclusion of Arjuna's speech, Bhimasena of\ngreat wrath and energy, mustering all his patience, said these words unto\nhis eldest brother, \"Thou art, O monarch, conversant with all duties.\nThere is nothing unknown to thee. We always wish to imitate thy conduct,\nbut, alas, we cannot do it!--'I will not say anything! I will not say\nanything!'--Even this is what I had wished! Impelled, however, by great\ngrief I am constrained to say something. Listen to these words of mine, O\nruler of men! Through the stupefaction of thy faculties, everything is\nendangered, and ourselves are being made cheerless and weak. How is it\nthat thou that art the ruler of the world, thou that art conversant with\nall branches of knowledge, sufferest thy understanding to be clouded, in\nconsequence of cheerlessness, like a coward? The righteous and\nunrighteous paths of the world are known to thee. There is nothing\nbelonging either to the future or the present that is also unknown to\nthee, O puissant one! When such is the case, O monarch, I will indicate,\nO ruler of men, the reasons in favour of your assuming sovereignty.\nListen to me with undivided attention. There are two kinds of diseases,\nviz., physical and mental. Each springs from the other. None of them can\nbe seen existing independently. Without doubt, mental diseases spring\nfrom physical ones. Similarly physical diseases spring from mental ones.\nThis is the truth. He that indulgeth in regrets on account of past\nphysical or mental woes, reapeth woe from woe and suffereth double woe.\nCold, heat, and wind,--these three are the attributes of the body.[41]\nTheir existence in harmony is the sign of health. If one of the three\nprevails over the rest, remedies have been laid down. Cold is checked by\nheat, and heat is checked by cold. Goodness, passion, and darkness are\nthe three attributes of the mind. The existence of these three in harmony\nis the sign of (mental) health. If one of these prevails over the rest,\nremedies have been prescribed. Grief is checked by joy, and joy is\nchecked by grief. One, living in the present enjoyment of this, wishes to\nrecollect his past woes. Another, living in the present suffering of woe,\nwishes to recollect his past bliss. Thou, however, wert never sad in\ngrief or glad in bliss.[42] Thou shouldst not, therefore, use thy memory\nfor becoming sad during times of bliss, or glad during times of woe. It\nseems that Destiny is all-powerful. Or, if it be thy nature, in\nconsequence of which thou art thus afflicted, how is it that it does not\nbehove thee to recollect the sight thou sawest before, viz., the\nscantily-clad Krishna dragged, while in her season, before the\nassembly.[43] Why does it not behove thee to recollect our expulsion from\nthe (Kuru) city and our exile (into the woods) dressed in deerskins, as\nalso our living in the great forests? Why hast thou forgotten the woes\ninflicted by Jatasura, the battle with Chitrasena, and the distress\nsuffered at the hands of the Sindhu king? Why hast thou forgotten the\nkick received by the princess Draupadi from Kichaka while we were living\nin concealment? A fierce battle, O chastiser of foes, like that which\nthou hast fought with Bhishma and Drona is now before thee, to be fought\n(however) with thy mind alone. Indeed, that battle is now before thee in\nwhich there is no need of arrows, of friends, of relatives and kinsmen,\nbut which will have to be fought with thy mind alone. If thou givest up\nthy life-breath before conquering in this battle, then, assuming another\nbody, thou shalt have to fight these very foes again.[44] Therefore,\nfight that battle this very day, O bull of Bharata's race, disregarding\nthe concerns of thy body, and aided by thy own acts, conquer and identify\nwith thy mind's foe.[45] If thou canst not win that battle, what wilt be\nthy condition? On the other hand, by winning it, O monarch, thou shalt\nhave attained the great end of life. Applying thy intellect to this, and\nascertaining the right and the wrong paths of creatures, follow thou the\ncourse adopted by thy sire before thee and govern properly thy kingdom.\nBy good luck, O king, the sinful Duryodhana hath been slain with all his\nfollowers. By good luck, thou too hast attained to the condition of\nDraupadi's locks.[46] Perform with due rites and profuse presents the\nhorse-sacrifice. We are thy servants, O son of Pritha, as also Vasudeva\nof great energy!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XVII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Discontent, heedless attachment to earthly goods,\nthe absence of tranquillity, might, folly, vanity, and anxiety,--affected\nby these sins, O Bhima, thou covetest sovereignty. Freed from desire,\nprevailing over joy and grief and attaining to tranquillity, strive thou\nto be happy. That peerless monarch who will govern this unbounded earth,\nwill have but one stomach. Why dost thou then applaud this course of\nlife? One's desires, O bull of Bharata's race, are incapable of being\nfilled in a day, or in many months. Desire, which is incapable of\ngratification, cannot, indeed, be fitted in course of one's whole life.\nFire, when fed with fuel, blazeth forth; when not so fed, it is\nextinguished. Do thou, therefore, extinguish with little food the fire in\nthy stomach when it appears. He that is bereft of wisdom seeks much food\nfor his stomach. Conquer thy stomach first. (Thou shalt then be able to\nconquer the Earth). The earth being conquered, that which is for thy\npermanent good will then be won by thee. Thou applaudest desires and\nenjoyments and prosperity. They, however, that have renounced all\nenjoyments and reduced their bodies by penances, attain to regions of\nbeatitude. The acquisition and preservation of kingdom is attended with\nboth righteousness and unrighteousness. The desire for them exists in\nthee. Free thyself, however, from thy great burthens, and adopt\nrenunciation. The tiger, for filling one stomach of his, slaughters many\nanimals. Other animals destitute of strength and moved by covetousness\nlive upon the tiger's prey.[47] If kings, accepting earthly possessions,\npractise renunciation, they can never have contentment. Behold the loss\nof understanding that is noticeable in them. As a matter of fact,\nhowever, they who subsist on leaves of trees, or use two stones only or\ntheir teeth alone for husking their grain, or live upon water only or air\nalone, succeed in conquering hell.[48] That king who rules this wide\nunbounded earth, and that person who regards gold and pebbles equally,\namongst these two, the latter is said to have attained the object of his\nlife and not the former. Depending, therefore, upon that which is the\neternal refuge of joy both here and hereafter, cease thou to act and hope\nwith respect to thy wishes and cease to bear attachment to them. They\nthat have given up desire and enjoyment have never to grieve. Thou,\nhowever, grievest for enjoyments.[49] Discarding desire and enjoyment,\nthou mayst succeed in liberating thyself from false speech.[50] There are\ntwo well-known paths (for us), viz., the path of the Pitris and the path\nof the gods. They that perform sacrifices go by the Pitri-path, while\nthey that are for salvation, go by the god-path.[51] By penances, by\nBrahmacharya, by study (of the Vedas), the great Rishis, casting off\ntheir bodies, proceeded to regions that are above the power of Death.\nWorldly enjoyments have been styled as bonds. They have also been called\nAction. Liberated from those two sins (viz., bonds and action), one\nattains to the highest end. Mention is made of a verse sung (of old) by\nJanaka who was freed from the pairs of opposites, liberated from desire\nand enjoyments, and observant of the religion of Moksha. That verse runs\nthus: 'My treasures are immense, yet I have nothing! If again the whole\nof Mithila were burnt and reduced to ashes, nothing of mine will be\nburnt!' As a person on the hill-top looketh down upon men on the plain\nbelow, so he that has got up on the top of the mansion of knowledge,\nseeth people grieving for things that do not call for grief. He, however,\nthat is of foolish understanding, does not see this. He who, casting his\neyes on visible things, really seeth them, is said to have eyes and\nunderstanding. The faculty called understanding is so called because of\nthe knowledge and comprehension it gives of unknown and incomprehensible\nthings. He who is acquainted with the words of persons that are learned,\nthat are of cleansed souls, and that have attained to a state of Brahma,\nsucceeds in obtaining great honours. When one seeth creatures of infinite\ndiversity to be all one and the same and to be but diversified emanations\nfrom the same essence, one is then said to have attained Brahma.[52]\nThose who reach this high state of culture attain to that supreme and\nblissful end, and not they who are without knowledge, or they who are of\nlittle and narrow souls, or they who are bereft of understanding, or they\nwho are without penances. Indeed, everything rests on the (cultivated)\nunderstanding!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XVIII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'When Yudhishthira, after saying these words, became\nsilent, Arjuna, afflicted by that speech of the king, and burning with\nsorrow and grief, once more addressed his eldest brother, saying, \"People\nrecite this old history, O Bharata, about the discourse between the ruler\nof the Videhas and his queen. That history has reference to the words\nwhich the grief-stricken spouse of the ruler of the Videhas had said to\nher lord when the latter, abandoning his kingdom, had resolved to lead a\nlife of mendicancy. Casting off wealth and children and wives and\nprecious possessions of various kinds and the established path for\nacquiring religious merit and fire itself,[53] King Janaka shaved his\nhead (and assumed the garb of a mendicant). His dear spouse beheld him\ndeprived of wealth, installed in the observance of the vow of mendicancy,\nresolved to abstain from inflicting any kind of injury on others, free\nfrom vanity of every kind, and prepared to subsist upon a handful of\nbarley fallen off from the stalk and to be got by picking the grains from\ncrevices in the field. Approaching her lord at a time when no one was\nwith him, the queen, endued with great strength of mind, fearlessly and\nin wrath, told him these words fraught with reason: 'Why hast thou\nadopted a life of mendicancy, abandoning thy kingdom full of wealth and\ncorn? A handful of fallen off barley cannot be proper for thee. Thy\nresolution tallies not with thy acts,[54] since abandoning thy large\nkingdom thou covetest, O king, a handful of grain! With this handful of\nbarley, O king, wilt thou succeed in gratifying thy guests, gods, Rishis\nand Pitris? This thy labour, therefore, is bootless. Alas, abandoned by\nall these, viz., gods, guests, and Pitris, thou leadest a life, of\nwandering mendicancy, O king, having cast off all action. Thou wert,\nbefore this, the supporter of thousands of Brahmanas versed in the three\nVedas and of many more besides. How canst thou desire to beg of them thy\nown food today? Abandoning thy blazing prosperity, thou castest thy eyes\naround like a dog (for his food). Thy mother hath today been made sonless\nby thee, and thy spouse, the princess of Kosala, a widow. These helpless\nKshatriyas, expectant of fruit and religious merit, wait upon thee,\nplacing all their hopes on thee. By killing those hopes of theirs, to\nwhat regions shalt thou go, O king, especially when salvation is doubtful\nand creatures are dependent on actions?[55] Sinful as thou art, thou hast\nneither this world nor the other, since thou wishest to live, having cast\noff thy wedded wife?[56] Why, indeed, dost thou lead a life of wandering\nmendicancy, abstaining from all actions, after having abandoned garlands\nand perfumes and ornaments and robes of diverse kinds? Having been, as it\nwere, a large and sacred lake unto all creatures, having been a mighty\ntree worthy of adoration and granting its shelter unto all, alas, how\ncanst thou wait upon and worship others? If even an elephant desists from\nall work, carnivorous creatures coming in packs and innumerable worms\nwould eat it up. What need be said of thyself that art so powerless?[57]\nHow couldst thy heart be set on that mode of life which recommends an\nearthen pot, and a triple-headed stick, and which forces one to abandon\nhis very clothes and which permits the acceptance of only a handful of\nbarley after abandonment of everything? If, again, thou sayest that a\nkingdom and a handful of barley are the same to thee, then why dost thou\nabandon the former! If, again, a handful of barley becomes an object of\nattachment with thee, then, thy original resolution (of abandoning\neverything) falls to the ground. If, again, thou canst act up to thy\nresolution of abandoning everything, then who am I to thee, who art thou\nto me, and what can be thy grace to me?[58] If thou beest inclined to\ngrace, rule then this Earth! They that are desirous of happiness but are\nvery poor and indigent and abandoned by friends may adopt renunciation.\nBut he who imitates those men by abandoning palatial mansions and beds\nand vehicles and robes and ornaments, acts improperly, indeed. One always\naccepts gifts made by others; another always makes gifts. Thou knowest\nthe difference between the two. Who, indeed, of these two shouldst be\nregarded the superior? If a gift be made to one who always accepts gifts,\nor to one that is possessed of pride, that gift becomes bootless like the\nclarified butter that is poured upon a forest-conflagration.[59] As a\nfire, O king, never dies till it has consumed all that has been thrown\ninto it, even so a beggar can never be silenced till he receives a\ndonative. In this world, the food that is given by a charitable person is\nthe sure support of the pious. If, therefore, the king does not give\n(food) where will the pious that are desirous of salvation go?[60] They\nthat have food (in their houses) are house-holders. Mendicants are\nsupported by them. Life flows from food. Therefore, the giver of food is\nthe giver of life. Coming out from among those that lead a domestic mode\nof life, mendicants depend upon those very persons from whom they come.\nThose self-restrained men, by doing this, acquire and enjoy fame and\npower. One is not to be called a mendicant for his having only renounced\nhis possessions, or for his having only adopted a life of dependence on\neleemosynary charity. He who renounces the possessions and pleasures of\nthe world in a sincere frame of mind is to be regarded a true\nmendicant.[61] Unattached at heart, though attached in outward show,\nstanding aloof from the world, having broken all his bonds, and regarding\nfriend and foe equally, such a man, O king, is regarded to be\nemancipated! Having shaved their heads clean and adopted the brown robe,\nmen may be seen to betake themselves to a life of wandering mendicancy,\nthough bound by various ties and though ever on the lookout for bootless\nwealth. They who, casting off the three Vedas, their usual occupations,\nand children, adopt a life of mendicancy by taking up the triple-headed\ncrutch and the brown robe, are really persons of little understanding.\nWithout having cast off anger and other faults, the adoption of only the\nbrown robe, know, O king, is due to the desire of earning the means of\nsustenance. Those persons of clean-shaven heads that have set up the\nbanner of virtue, have this only (viz., the acquisition of sustenance)\nfor their object in life. Therefore, O king, keeping thy passions under\ncontrol, do thou win regions of bliss hereafter by supporting them that\nare truly pious amongst men of matted locks or clean-shaven heads, naked\nor clad in rags, or skins or brown robes. Who is there that is more\nvirtuous than he who maintains his sacred fire, who performs sacrifices\nwith presents of animals and Dakshina, and who practises charity day and\nnight?'\"\n\n\"'Arjuna continued, \"King Janaka is regarded to have been a truth-knowing\nperson in this world. Even he, in this matter (viz., the ascertainment of\nduty) had become stupefied. Do not yield to stupefaction! Even thus the\nduties of Domesticity are observed by persons practising charity. By\nabstaining from injuries of all kinds, by casting off desire and wrath,\nby being engaged in protecting all creatures, by observing the excellent\nduty of charity, and lastly by cherishing superiors and persons of age,\nwe shall succeed in attaining such regions of bliss as we like. By duly\ngratifying gods, guests, and all creatures, by worshipping Brahmanas, and\nby truthfulness of speech, we shall certainly attain to desirable regions\nof bliss.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XIX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"I am conversant with both the Vedas and the\nscriptures that lead to the attainment of Brahma. In the Vedas there are\nprecepts of both kinds, viz., those that inculcate action and those that\ninculcate renouncement of action. The scriptures are confounding and\ntheir conclusions are based upon reasons. The truth, however, that is in\nthe Mantras, is duly known to me. Thou art conversant only with weapons\nand observant of the practices of heroes. Thou art unable to understand\ntruly the sense of the scriptures. If thou wert really acquainted with\nduty, then thou couldst have understood that words such as these ought\nnot to have been addressed to me by even one possessed of the clearest\ninsight into the meaning of the scriptures and acquainted with the truths\nof religion. That, however, which thou hast said unto me, induced by\nfraternal affection, has been fit and proper, O son of Kunti! I am, for\nthat, pleased with thee, O Arjuna! There is no one equal to thee in the\nthree worlds in all duties connected with battle and in skill in respect\nof diverse kinds of acts. Thou mayst, therefore, speak of the subtleties\nconnected with those subjects,--subtleties, that is, that are\nimpenetrable by others. It behoveth thee not, however, O Dhananjaya, to\ndoubt my intelligence. Thou art conversant with the science of battle,\nbut thou hast never waited upon the aged. Thou knowest not the\nconclusions arrived at by those that have studied the subject in brief\nand detail. Even this is the conclusion of intelligent men whose\nunderstanding are bent on achieving salvation, viz., that amongst ascetic\npenances, renunciation, and knowledge of Brahma, the second is superior\nto the first, and the third is superior to the second. This, however,\nthat thou thinkest, viz., that there is nothing superior to wealth, is an\nerror. I will convince thee of it, so that wealth may not again appear to\nthee in that light. All men that are righteous are seen to be devoted to\nascetic penances and the study of the Vedas. The Rishis also, that have\nmany eternal regions for them, have the merit of penances. Others\npossessed of tranquillity of soul, having no enemies, and dwelling in the\nwoods, have, through penances and study of the Vedas, proceeded to\nheaven. Pious men, by restraining desire for worldly possessions, and\ncasting off that darkness which is born of folly, proceed northward\n(i.e., by luminous paths) to the regions reserved for practisers of\nrenunciation. The path that lies to the south and that leads to regions\nof light (i.e., lunar regions), are reserved for men devoted to action.\nThese are attained by persons subject to birth and death. That end,\nhowever, which persons desirous of salvation have before their eyes, is\nindescribable. Yoga is the best means for attaining to it. It is not easy\nto explain it (to thee). Those that are learned live, reflecting on the\nscriptures from desire of finding what is unreal. They are, however,\noften led away to this and to that in the belief that the object of their\nsearch exists in this and that. Having mastered, however, the Vedas, the\nAranyakas, and the other scriptures, they miss the real, like men failing\nto find solid timber in an uprooted banana plant. Some there are who,\ndisbelieving in its unity, regard the Soul, that dwells in this physical\nframe consisting of the five elements, to be possessed of the attributes\nof desire and aversion (and others).[62] Incapable of being seen by the\neye, exceedingly subtle, and inexpressible by words, it revolves in a\nround (of re-births) among the creatures of the earth, keeping before it\nthat which is the root of action.[63] Having made the Soul advance\ntowards itself which is the spring of every kind of blessedness, having\nrestrained all desires of the mind, and having cast off all kinds of\naction, one may become perfectly independent and happy. When there is\nsuch a path that is trod by the righteous and that is attainable by\nKnowledge, why, O Arjuna, dost thou applaud wealth which is full of every\nkind of calamity? Men of olden times that were conversant with the\nscriptures, O Bharata,--men that were always engaged in gifts and\nsacrifice and action, were of this opinion, O Bharata! There are some\nfools who, accomplished in the science of argumentation, deny the\nexistence of the Soul, in consequence of the strength of their\nconvictions of a previous life. It is very difficult to make them accept\nthis truth about final emancipation.[64] Those wicked men, though\npossessed of great learning, travel all over the earth, making speeches\nin assemblies, and deprecating the true doctrine about emancipation. O\nPartha, who else will succeed in understanding that which we do not\nunderstand? Indeed, (as those men cannot understand the true meaning of\nthe scriptures), similarly they cannot succeed in knowing those wise and\npious persons that are truly great and that have deep acquaintance with\nthe scriptures. O son of Kunti, men acquainted with truth obtain Brahma\nby asceticism and intelligence, and great happiness by renunciation.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XX\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'After Yudhishthira had stopped, the great ascetic\nDevasthana, possessed of eloquence, said these words, fraught with\nreason, unto the king.\n\n\"'Devasthana said, \"Phalguna has told thee that there is nothing superior\nto wealth. I shall discourse to thee on that subject. Listen to me with\nundivided attention. O Ajatasatru, thou hast righteously won the earth.\nHaving won her, it behoves thee not, O king, to abandon her without\ncause. Four modes of life are indicated in the Vedas. Do thou, O king,\nduly pass through them, one after another. At present thou shouldst,\ntherefore, perform great sacrifices with profuse presents. Amongst the\nvery Rishis, some are engaged in the sacrifice represented by Vedic\nstudy, and some in that presented by knowledge. Therefore, O Bharata,\nthou must know that the very ascetics also are addicted to action. The\nVaikhanasas, however, are said to preach that he who does not seek for\nwealth is superior to him that seeks for it.[65] I think that he who\nwould follow that precept would incur many faults. Men collect together\ndiverse things (for the performance of sacrifices) simply because of the\n(Vedic) ordinance. He who, tainted by his own understanding, giveth away\nwealth to an undeserving person without giving it to the deserving, doth\nnot know that he incurs the sin of killing a foetus.[66] The exercise of\nthe duty of charity after discriminating the deserving from the\nundeserving is not easy. The Supreme Ordainer created wealth for\nsacrifice, and He created man also for taking care of that wealth and for\nperforming sacrifice. For this reason the whole of one's wealth should be\napplied to sacrifice. Pleasure would follow from it as a natural\nconsequence. Possessed of abundant energy, Indra, by the performance of\ndiverse sacrifices with profuse gifts of valuables, surpassed all the\ngods. Having got their chiefship by that means, he shineth in heaven.\nTherefore, everything should be applied to sacrifices. Clad in\ndeer-skins, the high-souled Mahadeva, having poured his own self as a\nlibation in the sacrifice called Sarva, became the first of gods, and\nsurpassing all creatures in the universe and prevailing over them by\nmeans of that achievement, shines in resplendence. King Marutta, the son\nof Avikshit, by the profusion of his wealth, vanquished Sakra himself,\nthe chief of the gods. In the great sacrifice he performed, all the\nvessels were of gold, and Sree herself came in person. Thou hast heard\nthat the great king Harischandra, having performed sacrifices, earned\ngreat merit and great happiness. Though a man, he nevertheless vanquished\nSakra by his wealth. For this reason everything should be applied to\nsacrifice.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXI\n\n\"'Devasthana said, \"In this connection is cited an old history, viz., the\ndiscourse that Vrihaspati, asked by Indra, delivered unto him. Vrihaspati\nsaid, 'Contentment is the highest heaven, contentment is the highest\nbliss. There is nothing higher than contentment. Contentment stands as\nthe highest. When one draws away all his desires like a tortoise drawing\nin all its limbs, then the natural resplendence of his soul soon manifests\nitself. When one does not fear any creature, nor any creature is\nfrightened at one, when one conquers one's desire and aversion, then is\none said to behold one's soul. When one, indeed, in word and thought,\nseeks to injure nobody and cherishes no desire, one is said to attain to\nBrahma. Thus, O son of Kunti, whatever religion is followed by creatures,\nthey obtain corresponding fruits. Awaken thyself by this consideration, O\nBharata![67] Some praise Peacefulness, some praise Exertion; some there\nare that praise Contemplation; and some praise both Peacefulness and\nExertion.[68] Some praise sacrifice; others, renunciation. Some praise\ngifts; others, acceptance. Some, abandoning everything, live in silent\nmeditation. Some praise sovereignty and the cherishing of subjects,\nafter slaying, cutting and piercing (foes). Some are for passing their\ndays in retirement. Observing all this, the conclusion of the learned is\nthat that religion which consists in not injuring any creature is worthy\nof the approbation of the righteous. Abstention from injury, truthfulness\nof speech, justice, compassion, self-restraint, procreation (of\noffspring) upon one's own wives, amiability, modesty, patience,--the\npractice of these is the best of a religions as said by the self-create\nManu himself. Therefore, O son of Kunti, do thou observe this religion\nwith care. That Kshatriya, who, conversant with the truths or royal\nduties, takes sovereignty upon himself, restraining his soul at all\ntimes, equally regarding that which is dear and that which is not, and\nsubsisting upon the remains of sacrificial feasts, who is engaged in\nrestraining the wicked and cherishing the righteous, who obliges his\nsubjects to tread in the path of virtue and who himself treads in that\npath, who at last transmits his crown to his son and betakes himself to\nthe woods, there to live on the products of the wilderness and act\naccording to the ordinances or the Vedas after having cast off all\nidleness, that Kshatriya who conducts himself thus, conforming in\neverything to the well-known duties of kings, is sure to obtain excellent\nfruits in both this world and the next. That final emancipation, of which\nthou speakest, is exceedingly difficult to obtain, and its pursuit is\nattended with many impediments. They that adopt such duties and practise\ncharity and ascetic penances, that are possessed of the quality of\ncompassion and are freed from desire and wrath, that are engaged in\nruling their subjects with righteousness and fighting for the sake of\nkine and Brahmanas, attain hereafter to a high end. For the Rudras with\nthe Vasus and the Adityas, O scorcher of foes, and the Sadhyas and hosts\nof kings adopt this religion. Practising without heedlessness the duties\ninculcated by that religion, they attain to heaven through those acts of\ntheirs.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'After this, Arjuna once more addressed his eldest\nbrother of unfading glory, viz., king Yudhishthira of cheerless heart,\nand said these words: \"O thou that art conversant with every kind of\nduty, having by the practice of Kshatriya duties obtained sovereignty\nthat is so very difficult of acquisition, and having conquered all thy\nfoes, why dost thou burn in grief? O king, as regards Kshatriyas, death\nin battle is regarded more meritorious for them than the performance of\ndiverse sacrifices. It is so declared in the ordinance that lays down the\nduties of Kshatriyas. Penances and Renunciation are the duties of\nBrahmanas. Even this is the ordinance (affecting the two orders) about\nthe next world. Indeed, O puissant one, death in battle is laid down for\nKshatriyas. The duties of Kshatriyas are exceedingly fierce and are\nalways connected with the use of weapons, and it has been laid down, O\nchief of the Bharatas, that they should, when the time comes, perish by\nweapons on the field of battle. The life of even a Brahmana, O king, that\nlives in the observance of Kshatriya duties, is not censurable, for\nKshatriyas also have sprung from Brahmana. Neither Renunciation, nor\nSacrifice, nor Penances, nor dependence on the wealth of others, O ruler\nof men, has been ordained for Kshatriyas. Thou art acquainted with all\nduties, and thou art of righteous soul, O bull of Bharata's race! Thou\nart a wise king, skilled in all acts. Thou canst distinguish what is\nright in this world from what is wrong. Casting off this cheerlessness by\nrepentance, address thyself with a strong will to action. The heart of a\nKshatriya especially is hard as thunder. Having by the exercise of\nKshatriya duties vanquished thy foes and acquired empire without a thorn\nin its side, conquer thy soul, O ruler of men, and be engaged in the\nperformance of sacrifices and the practice of charity. Indra himself,\nthough a Brahmana, became a Kshatriya in his acts, and battled with his\nsinful kinsfolk for eight hundred and ten times. Those acts of his, O\nmonarch, are adorable and worthy of praise. Through them he obtained, as\nwe have heard, the chiefship of the gods. Do thou, therefore, O monarch,\nperform sacrifices with profuse presents even as Indra did, O ruler of\nmen, and thereby free thyself from thy fever. Do not, O bull among\nKshatriyas, grieve thus for what is past. They that have been slain have\nattained to the highest end, sanctified by weapons and agreeably to the\nordinances of the Kshatriya religion. That which has happened was\nordained to happen. Destiny, O tiger among kings, is incapable of being\nresisted.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXIII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Thus addressed by Arjuna of curly hair, the Kuru king\nborn of Kunti remained speechless. Then the island-born (Vyasa) said\nthese words.\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"The words of Arjuna, O amiable Yudhishthira, are true. The\nhighest religion, as declared by the scriptures, depends on the duties of\ndomesticity. Thou art acquainted with all duties. Do thou then duly\npractise the duties prescribed for thee (viz., the duties of\ndomesticity). A life of retirement in the woods, casting off the duties\nof domesticity, has not been laid down for thee. The gods, Pitris,\nguests, and servants, all depend (for their sustenance) upon the person\nleading a life of domesticity. Do thou then support all these, O lord of\nthe earth! Birds and animals and various other creatures, O ruler of men,\nare supported by men leading domestic lives. He, therefore, that belongs\nto that mode of life is superior (to all others). A life of domesticity\nis the most difficult of all the four modes of life. Do thou practise\nthat mode of life then, O Partha, which is difficult of being practised\nby persons of unrestrained sense. Thou hast a good knowledge of all the\nVedas. Thou hast earned great ascetic merit. It behoveth thee, therefore,\nto bear like an ox the burthen of thy ancestral kingdom. Penances,\nsacrifices, forgiveness, learning, mendicancy, keeping the senses under\ncontrol, contemplation, living in solitude, contentment, and knowledge\n(of Brahma), should, O king, be striven after by Brahmanas to the best of\ntheir ability for the attainment of success. I shall now tell thee the\nduties of Kshatriyas. They are not unknown to thee. Sacrifice, learning,\nexertion, ambition,[69] wielding 'the rod of punishment,' fierceness,\nprotection of subjects, knowledge of the Vedas, practise of all kinds of\npenances, goodness of conduct, acquisition of wealth, and gifts to\ndeserving persons,--these, O king, well performed and acquired by persons\nof the royal order, secure for them both this world and the next, as\nheard by us. Amongst these, O son of Kunti, wielding the rod of\nchastisement has been said to be the foremost. Strength must always\nreside in a Kshatriya, and upon strength depends chastisement. Those\nduties that I have mentioned are, O king, the principal ones for\nKshatriyas and contribute greatly to their success. Vrihaspati, in this\nconnection, sang this verse: 'Like a snake devouring a mouse, the Earth\ndevours a king that is inclined to peace and a Brahmana that is\nexceedingly attached to a life of domesticity.' It is heard again that\nthe royal sage Sudyumna, only by wielding the rod of chastisement,\nobtained the highest success, like Daksha himself, the son of Prachetas.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O holy one, by what acts did Sudyumna, that lord of\nthe earth, obtain the highest success? I desire to hear the history of\nthat king!\"\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"In this connection is cited this old history. There were\ntwo brothers, viz., Sankha and Likhita, of rigid vows. The two brothers\nhad two separate dwellings both of which were beautiful. Situate by the\nbank of the stream called Vahuda, both of those residences were adorned\nwith trees that were always burthened with flowers and fruits. Once on a\ntime Likhita came to the residence of his brother Sankha. At that time,\nhowever, Sankha had gone out of his asylum on no fixed purpose. Arrived\nat the asylum of his brother, Likhita plucked many ripe fruits. Obtaining\nthem the regenerate Likhita began to eat them without any qualms of\nconscience. While still employed in the act of eating, Sankha came back\nto his retreat. Beholding him eating, Sankha addressed his brother,\nsaying, 'Whence have these fruits been obtained and for what reason art\nthou eating them?' Approaching his elder brother and saluting him,\nLikhita smilingly replied, saying, 'I have taken them even from this\nretreat.' Filled with great rage, Sankha said unto him, 'Thou hast\ncommitted theft by thyself taking these fruits. Go and approaching the\nking confess to him what thou hast done. Tell him, O best of kings, I\nhave committed the offence of approaching what was not given to me.\nKnowing me for a thief and observing the duty of thy order, do thou soon\ninflict upon me, O ruler of men, the punishment of a thief.' Thus\naddressed, the highly blessed Likhita of rigid vows, at the command of\nhis brother, proceeded to king Sudyumna. Hearing from his gate-keepers\nthat Likhita had come, king Sudyumna, with his counsellors, advanced (for\nreceiving the sage). Meeting him, the king addressed that foremost of all\npersons conversant with duties, saying, 'Tell me, O revered one, the\nreason of thy coming. Regard it as already accomplished.' Thus\nquestioned, that regenerate sage said unto Sudyumna, 'Do thou promise\nfirst that thou wilt achieve it. It will then behove thee, after hearing\nme, to accomplish that promise. O bull among men, I ate some fruits that\nhad not been given me by my elder brother. Do thou, O monarch, punish me\nfor it without delay.' Sudyumna answered, 'If the king be regarded as\ncompetent to wield the rod of chastisement, he should be regarded, O bull\namong Brahmanas, as equally competent to pardon. Purified in respect of\nthy act, O thou of high vows, consider thyself as pardoned. Tell me now\nwhat other wishes thou hast. I shall certainly accomplish those commands\nof thine!'\"\n\n\"'Vyasa continued, \"Thus honoured by the high-souled king, the regenerate\nsage Likhita, however, did not solicit him for any other favour. Then\nthat ruler of the earth caused the two hands of the high-souled Likhita\nto be cut off, whereupon the latter, bearing the punishment, went away.\nReturning to his brother Sankha, Likhita, in great affection, said, 'It\nbehoveth thee now to pardon this wretch that hath been duly punished (for\nwhat he did).' Sankha said, 'I am not angry with thee, nor hast thou\ninjured me, O foremost of all persons conversant with duties. Thy virtue,\nhowever, had suffered a shock. I have rescued thee from that plight.\nProceed without delay to the river Vahuda and gratify duly, with\noblations of water, the gods, Rishis and the Pitris, and never again set\nthy heart on sin.' Hearing these words of Sankha, Likhita performed his\nablutions in the sacred stream and set about for commencing the\nwater-rite. Upon this, two hands, resembling two lotuses, appeared at the\nextremities of his stumps. Filled with wonder he came back to his brother\nand showed him the two hands. Sankha said unto him, 'All this has been\naccomplished by me through my penances. Do not be surprised at it.\nProvidence hath been the instrument here.' Likhita answered, 'O thou of\ngreat splendour, why didst thou not purify me at first, when, O best of\nregenerate ones, such was the energy of thy penances?' Sankha said, 'I\nshould not have acted otherwise. I am not thy chastiser. The ruler (who\nhas punished thee) has been himself purified, as also thyself, along with\nthe Pitris!'\"\n\n\"'Vyasa continued, \"That king, O eldest son of Pandu, became eminent by\nthis act and obtained the highest success like the lord Daksha himself!\nEven this is the duty of Kshatriyas, viz., the ruling of subjects. Any\nother, O monarch, would be regarded as a wrong path for them. Do not give\nway to grief. O best of all persons conversant with duty, listen to the\nbeneficial words of this thy brother. Wielding the rod of chastisement, O\nking, is the duty of kings and not the shaving of the head.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXIV\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Once more the great sage Krishna-Dwaipayana said\nthese words unto Ajatasatru, the son of Kunti: \"Let these great\ncar-warriors of abundant energy of mind, O monarch, let these brothers of\nthine, O Yudhishthira, the chief of the Bharatas, obtain those wishes of\ntheirs that they cherished while dwelling in the woods. Rule thou the\nearth, O son of Pritha, like (another) Yayati, the son of Nahusha. Before\nnow misery was yours while ye dwelt in the woods in the observance of\nascetic penances. That misery is ended, O tiger among men! Enjoy\nhappiness, therefore, for some time. Having O Bharata, earned and enjoyed\nreligious merit and wealth and pleasure for some time with thy brothers,\nthou mayst then, O king, retire into the woods. Be freed first, O\nBharata, from the debt thou owest to persons that may beg of thee, to the\nPitris, and to the gods. Thou mayst then, O son of Kunti, practise all\nthe other modes of life (that come afterwards). Do thou, O son of Kuru's\nrace, perform the sacrifices of Sarvamedha and Aswamedha. Thou shalt then\nattain, O monarch, to the highest end hereafter. Installing thy brothers\nalso in great sacrifices with plentiful presents (to the Brahmanas), thou\nshalt, O son of Pandu, acquire great fame. There is a saying, O tiger\namong men and best of the Kurus! Listen to it, for by acting according to\nit, O king, thou shalt not swerve from virtue. Those men only, O\nYudhishthira, whose practices resemble those of robbers, cause a king by\ntheir counsels to take to a career of war and victory.[70] That king who,\nguided by considerations of place and time and moved by an understanding\ndependent on the scriptures, pardons even a number of robbers, incurs no\nsin. That king who, realising his tribute of a sixth, doth not protect\nhis kingdom, taketh a fourth part of the sins of his kingdom.[71] Listen\nalso to that by which a king may not swerve from virtue. By transgressing\nthe scriptures (one incurs sin), while by obeying them one may live\nfearlessly. That king who, guided by an understanding based upon the\nscriptures and disregarding lust and wrath, behaves impartially, like a\nfather, towards all his subjects, never incurs sin. O thou of great\nsplendour, if a king, afflicted by destiny, fails to accomplish an act\nwhich he should, such failure would not be called a trespass. By force\nand policy should the king put down his foes. He must not suffer sin to\nbe perpetrated in his kingdom but should cause virtue to be practised.\nBrave men, those that are respectable in their practices, they that are\nvirtuous in their acts, they that are possessed of learning, O\nYudhishthira, Brahmanas conversant with Vedic texts and rites, and men of\nwealth, should especially be protected. In determining suits and\naccomplishing religious acts, they that are possessed of great learning\nshould alone be employed. A prudent king will never repose his confidence\nupon one individual, however accomplished. That king who does not protect\nhis subjects, whose passions are ungovernable, who is full of vanity, who\nis stained with haughtiness and malice, incurs sin and earns the reproach\nof tyranny. If the subjects of a king, O monarch, waste away from want of\nprotection and are afflicted by the gods and ground down by robbers, the\nsin of all this stains the king himself. There is no sin, O Yudhishthira,\nin doing an act with heartiness, after full deliberation, and\nconsultation with men capable of offering good advice. Our tasks fail or\nsucceed through destiny. If exertion, however, be applied, sin would not\ntouch the king. I shall recite to thee, O tiger among kings, the story of\nwhat happened to an ancient king of the name of Hayagriva, O son of\nPandu,--the story, viz., of the heroic Hayagriva of unstained deeds, who\nafter having slain a large number of his foes in battle, was himself\ndefeated and slain while without a follower by his side. Having achieved\nall that should be done for keeping foes under check and adopted all\nthose foremost of means by which men may be protected, Hayagriva acquired\ngreat fame from the battles he fought and is now enjoying great bliss in\nheaven. Mangled by robbers with weapons, boldly fighting with them, and\ncasting off his life in battle, the high-souled Hayagriva, ever attentive\nto his (kingly) duties, achieved the object of his life and is now\nenjoying great bliss in heaven. The bow was his (sacrificial) stake and\nthe bowstring was the cord for tying the victims. Shafts constituted the\nsmaller ladle and the sword the large one, and blood was the clarified\nbutter that he poured. The car was the altar and the wrath he felt in\nbattle was the fire, and the four foremost of steeds yoked unto his\nvehicle were the four Hotris. Having poured upon that sacrificial fire\nhis foes as libations and then his own life-breaths at the completion of\nthe sacrifice, that vigorous lion among kings, viz., Hayagriva, became\nfreed from sin and is now sporting in the regions of the gods. Having\nprotected his kingdom with policy and intelligence, the high-souled\nHayagriva of resigned self and great strength of mind and accustomed to\nthe performance of sacrifices filled all the worlds with his fame and is\nnow sporting in the region of the gods.[72] Having obtained the merit\ndependent on the performance of sacrifices as also every kind of merit\nthat is connected with human affairs, he wielded the rod of chastisement\nand ruled the Earth with vigour and without pride. For this the virtuous\nand high-souled Hayagriva is sporting in the region of the gods.[73]\nPossessed of learning, practising renunciation, actuated by faith, and\nfull of gratitude, that king, having performed diverse acts, left this\nworld of men and won the regions that are reserved for the intelligent\nand the wise and those that are of approved usages and behaviour and\nprepared to cast off their lives in battle. Having studied the Vedas well\nand the other scriptures also, having ruled his kingdom properly and\ncaused all the four orders to adhere to their respective duties, the\nhigh-souled Hayagriva is sporting in joy in the regions of the gods. Having\nwon many battles and cherished his subjects, having drunk the Soma juice\nin sacrifices and gratified the foremost of Brahmanas with presents and\njudiciously wielded the rod of chastisement over those placed under his\nsway and at last cast off his life in battle, that king is living happily\nin heaven. His life was worthy of every praise. Learned and honest men\napplaud it, deserving as it is of every applause. Having won heaven and\nacquired the regions reserved for heroes, that high-souled monarch of\nvirtuous deeds became crowned with success.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXV\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Hearing the words of the Island-born Rishi and seeing\nDhananjaya angry, Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, saluted Vyasa and made\nthe following answer.\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"This earthly sovereignty and the diverse enjoyments\n(appertaining thereto) fail to give any joy to my heart. On the other\nhand, this poignant grief (consequent upon the loss of my kinsmen) is\neating away its core. Hearing the lamentations of these women who have\nlost their heroic husbands and children, I fail to attain peace, O\nsage!\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed, the virtuous Vyasa that foremost\nof all persons conversant with Yoga, possessed of great wisdom and\nintimately acquainted with the Vedas, said unto Yudhishthira (the\nfollowing words).\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"No man can acquire anything by his own acts or by\nsacrifices and worship. No man can give anything to a fellow man. Man\nacquires everything through Time. The Supreme Ordainer has made the\ncourse of Time the means of acquisition. By mere intelligence or study of\nthe scriptures, men, if Time be unfavourable, cannot acquire any earthly\npossession. Sometimes an ignorant fool may succeed in winning wealth.\nTime is the efficacious means for the accomplishment of all acts. During\ntimes of adversity, neither science, nor incantations, nor drugs, yield\nany fruits. In times, however, of prosperity, those very things, properly\napplied, become efficacious and bear success. By Time the winds blow\nviolently; by Time the clouds become rain-charged; by Time tanks become\nadorned with lotuses of different kinds; by Time trees in the forest\nbecome decked with flowers. By Time nights become dark or lighted. By\nTime the Moon becomes full. If the Time for it does not come, trees do\nnot bear flowers and fruits. If the Time for it does not come, the\ncurrents of rivers do not become fierce. Birds and snakes and deer and\nelephants and other animals never become excited when the Time for it\ndoes not come. If the Time for it does not come, women do not conceive.\nIt is with Time that winter, and summer, and the rainy season come. If\nthe Time for it does not come, no one is born and no one dies. If the\nTime does not come, the infant does not acquire power of speech. If the\nTime does not come, one does not acquire youth. It is with Time that the\nseed sown puts forth its sprouts. If the Time does not come, the Sun does\nnot appear above the horizon, nor, when the Time for it does not come,\ndoes he repair to the Asta hills. If the Time for it does not come, the\nMoon does not wax nor wane, nor the ocean, with its high billows, rise\nand ebb. In this connection is instanced the old story recited, O\nYudhishthira, by king Senajit in grief. The irresistible course of Time\naffects all mortals. All earthly things, ripened by Time, suffer\ndestruction. Some, O king, slay some men. The slayers, again, are slain\nby others. This is the language of the world. Really, however, no one\nslays and no one is slain. Some one thinks men slay (their fellow-men).\nAnother thinks men do not slay. The truth is that the birth and\ndestruction of all creatures have been ordained to happen in consequence\nof their very nature. Upon the loss of one's wealth or the death of one's\nwife or son or sire, one cries out, saying 'Alas, what grief!' and\ndwelling upon that sorrow always enhances it. Why do you, like a foolish\nperson, indulge in grief? Why do you grieve for them that are subject to\ngrief?[74] Behold, grief is increased by indulgence as fear is by\nyielding to. This body even is not mine. Nothing in this earth is mine.\nOr, the things of this earth belong as much to others as to me. The wise,\nseeing this, do not suffer themselves to be deluded. There are thousands\nof causes for sorrow, and hundreds of causes for joy. These every day\naffect the ignorant only, but not him that is wise. These, in course of\nTime, become objects of affection or aversion, and appearing as bliss or\nwoe revolve (as if in a wheel) for affecting living creatures. There is\nonly sorrow in this world but no happiness. It is for this that sorrow\nonly is felt. Indeed, sorrow springs from that affliction called desire,\nand happiness springs from the affliction called sorrow. Sorrow comes\nafter happiness, and happiness after sorrow. One does not always suffer\nsorrow or always enjoy happiness. Happiness always ends in sorrow, and\nsometimes proceeds from sorrow itself. He, therefore, that desires\neternal happiness must abandon both. When sorrow must arise upon the\nexpiration of happiness, and happiness upon the expiration of sorrow, one\nshould, for that, cast off, like a (snake-bit) limb of one's body, that\nfrom which one experiences sorrow or that heart-burning which is nurtured\nby sorrow or that which is the root of his anxiety.[75] Be it happiness\nor sorrow, be it agreeable or disagreeable, whatever comes should be\nborne with an unaffected heart. O amiable one, if thou abstainest, in\neven a slight measure, from doing what is agreeable to your wives and\nchildren, thou shalt then know who is whose and why so and for what. They\nthat are highly stupid and they that are masters of their souls enjoy\nhappiness here. They however, that occupy an intermediate place suffer\nmisery. This, O Yudhishthira, is what Senajit of great wisdom said, that\nperson who was conversant with what is good or bad in this world, with\nduties, and with happiness and misery. He who is grieved at other\npeople's griefs can never be happy. There is no end of grief, and grief\narises from happiness itself. Happiness and misery, prosperity and\nadversity, gain and loss, death and life, in their turn, wait upon all\ncreatures. For this reason the wise man of tranquil soul should neither\nbe elated with joy nor be depressed with sorrow. To be engaged in battle\nhas been said to be the Sacrifice for a king; a due observance of the\nscience of chastisement is his Yoga; and the gift of wealth in sacrifices\nin the form of Dakshina is his Renunciation. All these should be regarded\nas acts that sanctify him. By governing the kingdom with intelligence and\npolicy, casting off pride, performing sacrifices, and looking at\neverything and all persons with kindness and impartiality, a high-souled\nking, after death, sports in the region of the gods. By winning battles,\nprotecting his kingdom, drinking the Soma juice, advancing his subjects,\nwielding judiciously the rod of Chastisement, and casting off his body at\nlast in fight, a king enjoys happiness in heaven. Having studied all the\nVedas and the other scriptures duly, having protected the kingdom\nproperly, and having caused all the four orders to adhere to their\nrespective duties, a king becomes sanctified and finally sports in\nheaven. He is the best of kings whose conduct, even after his death, is\napplauded by the inhabitants of city and country and by his counsellors\nand friends.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXVI\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'In this connection, the high-souled Yudhishthira said\nunto Arjuna these words fraught with reason. \"Thou thinkest, O Partha,\nthat there is nothing superior to wealth, and that the poor man can\nneither have heaven, nor happiness, nor the acquisition of his wishes.\nThis, however, is not true. Many persons are seen that have been crowned\nwith success through sacrifice in the shape of Vedic study. Many sages\nare seen by devotion to penances to have acquired eternal regions of\nbliss. They, O Dhananjaya, who always observe the practices of the Rishis\nby betaking themselves to Brahmacharya and who become acquainted with all\nduties, are regarded by the gods as Brahmanas. O Dhananjaya, thou\nshouldst always regard those Rishis that are devoted to the study of the\nVedas and those that are devoted to the pursuit of true knowledge as\npersons that are truly virtuous. O son of Pandu, all our acts depend upon\nthose that are devoted to the acquisition of true knowledge.[76] We know\nthis to be the opinion of the Vaikhanasas, O puissant one! The Ajas, the\nPrishnis, the Sikatas, O Bharata, the Arunas, and the Kitavas, have all\ngone to heaven through the merit of Vedic study. By performing those\nacts, O Dhananjaya, that are indicated in the Vedas, viz., battle, study\nof the Vedas, sacrifices, the restraint of passion that is so difficult,\none goes to heaven by the southern path of the Sun (Dakshinayana). I\nhave, before this, told thee that those very regions belong to persons\nthat are observant of (Vedic) acts. Thou shalt see, however, that the\nnorthern path (Uttarayana) is travelled by those that are devoted to Yoga\npenances. Those eternal and bright regions to which that path leads\nbelong to men of Yoga. Of these two, the northern path is much applauded\nby those conversant with the Puranas. Thou shouldst know that one\nacquires heaven through contentment. From contentment springs great\nhappiness. There is nothing higher than contentment. Unto the Yogin who\nhas controlled wrath and joy, contentment is his high praise and success.\nIn this connection is cited the discourse by Yayati of old. Listening to\nthat discourse one may succeed in withdrawing all his desires like a\ntortoise drawing in all his limbs. When one cherishes no fear of\nanything, when one is not feared by anything, when one cherishes no\ndesire, when one bears no hate, then is one said to have attained to the\nstate of Brahma. When one does not bear sinfully towards any creature, in\nact, thought, or word, one is then said to have attained to Brahma. When\none has controlled his pride and folly, and withdrawn himself from all\nattachments, it is then that that pious man of irradiated soul becomes\nfit for attaining to that salvation which consists in the annihilation of\nseparate existence. Listen now to me with concentrated attention, O son\nof Pritha, as I say it unto thee. Some desire virtue; some, good conduct;\nand some wealth. One may desire wealth (as a means for the acquisition\nof virtue). The abandonment, however, of such desire would be better for\nhim.[77] There are many faults attached to wealth and consequently to\nthose religious acts that are performed with wealth. We have seen it with\nour own eyes. It behoveth thee also to see this. He that desires wealth\nfinds it very difficult to abandon that which should by every means be\nabandoned. Good deeds are very rare in those that amass riches. It is\nsaid that wealth can never be acquired without injuring others, and that,\nwhen earned, it brings numerous troubles. A person of narrow heart,\nsetting at naught the fear of repentance, commits acts of aggression\ntowards others, tempted by even a little wealth, unconscious all the\nwhile of the sin of Brahmanicide that he incurs by his acts. Obtaining\nwealth which is so difficult of acquisition, one burns with grief if one\nhas to give a portion of it to one's servants,--with grief, that is,\nwhich is equal to what one would feel if one is actually robbed by\ndepredators. If, on the other hand, one does not part with one's wealth,\nobloquy becomes one's share. One, however, that has no wealth, never\nbecomes the subject of censure. Withdrawn from all attachments, such a\nperson can become happy in all respects by supporting life upon what\nlittle he may obtain as alms. No one, however, can be happy by the\nacquisition of wealth. In this connection certain verses relating to\nsacrifices are recited by persons conversant with ancient scriptures.\nWealth was created by the Creator for the sake of sacrifices, and man was\ncreated by him for protecting that wealth and performing sacrifices. For\nthis, all wealth should be applied to sacrifices. It is not proper that\nit should be spent for the gratification of desire of enjoyment. The\nCreator then confers wealth upon mortals for the sake of sacrifices. Know\nthis, O son of Kunti, thou that art the foremost of all wealthy persons!\nIt is for this that the wise think that wealth, without doubt, is\nnobody's on earth. One should perform sacrifices with it and give it away\nwith a trustful heart. One should spend (in gift) what one has acquired,\nand not waste or spend it in gratifying one's desire of enjoyment. What\nuse is there in amassing wealth when such proper objects exist in which\nto spend it? Those persons of little understanding that give away\n(wealth) unto men that have swerved from the duties of their order, have\nto subsist hereafter for a hundred years on ordure and dirt. That men\ngive unto the undeserving and refrain from giving unto the deserving is\ndue to inability to discriminate between the deserving and the\nundeserving. For this reason the practice of even the virtue of charity\nis difficult. These are the two faults connected with wealth even when\nacquired, viz., gift to an undeserving person and abstaining from giving\nunto him that is deserving.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXVII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"In consequence of the fall of Abhimanyu of tender\nyears, of the sons of Draupadi, of Dhrishtadyumna, of Virata, of king\nDrupada, of Vasusena conversant with every duty, of the royal\nDhrishtaketu, and of diverse other kings hailing from diverse regions, in\nbattle, grief does not forsake my wretched self that am a slayer of\nkinsmen. Indeed, I am inordinately covetous of kingdom and am an\nexterminator of my own race. He upon whose breast and limbs I used to\nroll in sport, alas, that Ganga's son has been slain by me in battle\nthrough lust of sovereignty. When I beheld that lion among men, viz., our\ngrandsire, assailed by Sikhandin and trembling and reeling in consequence\nof Partha's shafts that resembled thunder-bolts in energy, when I beheld\nhis tall form pierced all over with blazing arrows and himself become\nweak like an aged lion, my heart was deeply pained. When I beheld that\nafflictor of hostile cars reel like a mountain summit and fall down\nstrengthless on the terrace of his own vehicle with his face turned\ntowards the east, my senses were stupefied. That scion of Kuru's race who\nwith bow and shaft in hand had contended in fierce battle for many days\nwith Rama himself of Bhrigu's line on the field sanctified by Kuru, that\nson of Ganga, that hero, who, at Baranasi, for the sake of brides, had,\non a single car, challenged to battle the assembled Kshatriyas of the\nworld, he who had burnt by the energy of his weapons that irresistible\nand foremost of kings, viz., Ugrayudha, alas, that hero has been caused\nby me to be slain in battle. Knowing full well that Sikhandin the prince\nof Panchala was his destroyer, that hero still refrained from slaying the\nprince with his shafts. Alas, such a magnanimous warrior was slain by\nArjuna. O best of sages, at that moment when I beheld the grandsire\nstretched on the earth and covered with blood, a violent fever afflicted\nmy heart. He who had protected and reared us when we were children, alas,\nhe was caused to be slain by my sinful self that am covetous of kingdom,\nthat am a slayer of reverend seniors, and a perfect fool, for the sake of\nsovereignty that would last but a few days. Our preceptor, the great\narcher Drona, adored by all the kings, was approached by me and addressed\nfalsely in respect of his son. The memory of that act of mine is burning\nall my limbs. The preceptor said unto me, 'Tell me truly, O king, whether\nmy son liveth still.' Expecting truth from me, the Brahmana asked me of\nall others. By silently uttering the word 'elephant,' I behaved falsely\ntowards him. Sinful that I am, exceedingly covetous of kingdom, and a\nslayer of my reverend seniors, I behaved even thus towards my preceptor\nin battle, throwing off the garb of truth (which I was believed to wear),\nfor I said unto him that Aswatthaman had been killed when, in fact, an\nelephant of that name had been slain. To what regions shall I go\n(thereafter), having perpetrated such infamous deeds? I caused also my\neldest brother Karna to be slain, that terrible warrior who never\nretreated from battle. Who is there more sinful than I? Through\ncovetousness I caused Abhimanyu of tender years, that hero who resembled\na lion born in the hills, to penetrate into the array that was protected\nby Drona himself. I am like one guilty of infanticide. Sinful as I am, I\nhave not since then, been able to look Arjuna or the lotus-eyed Krishna\nin the face. I grieve also for Draupadi who is bereft of her five sons\nlike the Earth bereft of her five mountains. I am a great offender, a\ngreat sinner, and a destroyer of the earth! Without rising from this seat\nthat I now occupy, I will weaken my body (by starvation) and meet with\ndeath. Know me who am the slayer of my preceptor as one that has sat down\nhere in the observance of the Praya vow. An exterminator of my race, I\nmust do so in order that I may not he reborn in any of other orders of\nbeings![78] I shall forgo all food and drink, and without moving from\nthis place, O great ascetic, shall dry up my life-breaths that are so\ndear. I pray you with humility, grant me permission in this and go\nwhithersoever you please. Let every one grant me permission. I shall cast\noff this body of mine.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Restraining Pritha's son who, stupefied by\nsorrow on account of his kinsmen, uttered such words, Vyasa, that best of\nascetics, spoke as follows, first telling him, \"This can not be!\"\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"It behoveth thee not, O monarch, to indulge in such\npoignant grief. I shall repeat what I have once said. All this is\nDestiny, O puissant one! Without doubt, all creatures that are born\ndisplay at first a union (of diverse materials and forces). Dissolution,\nhowever, overtakes them at the end. Like bubbles in the water they rise\nand disappear. All things massed together are sure to crumble away and\nall things that rise must fall down. Union ends in dissolution and life\nends in death. Idleness, though temporarily agreeable, ends in misery,\nand labour with skill, though temporarily painful, ends in happiness.\nAffluence, Prosperity, Modesty, Contentment, and Fame dwell in labour and\nskill but not in idleness. Friends are not competent to bestow happiness,\nnor foes competent to inflict misery. Similarly wisdom does not bring\nwealth nor does wealth bring happiness. Since, O son of Kunti, thou hast\nbeen created by the Maker to engage thyself in Work. Success springs from\nWork. Thou art not fit, O king, to avoid Work.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXVIII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Vyasa then dispelled the grief of the eldest son of\nPandu, who, burning with sorrow on account of the slaughter of his\nkinsmen, had resolved to make an end of himself.\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"In this connection is cited the old story, O tiger among\nmen, that is known by the name of Asma's discourse. Listen to it, O\nYudhishthira! Janaka the ruler of the Videhas, O king, filled with sorrow\nand grief, questioned a wise Brahmana of the name of Asma for the\nresolution of his doubts.\n\n\"'\"Janaka said, 'How should a man desirous of his own good behave upon\noccasions of the accession and the destruction of both kinsmen and\nwealth?'\n\n\"'\"Asma said, 'Immediately after the formation of a man's body, joys and\ngriefs attach themselves to it. Although there is a possibility of either\nof the two overtaking the person, yet whichever actually overtakes him\nquickly robs him of his reason like the wind driving away gathering\nclouds. (In times of prosperity) one thinks in this strain, viz., \"I am\nof high birth! I can do whatever I like!--I am not an ordinary man!\" His\nmind becomes soaked with such triple vanity. Addicted to all earthly\nenjoyments, he begins to waste the wealth hoarded by his ancestors.\nImpoverished in course of time, he regards the appropriation of what\nbelongs to others as even laudable. Like a hunter piercing a deer with\nhis shafts, the king then punishes that wicked wight, that robber of other\npeople's possessions, that transgressor of law and rule. Without\nattaining to a hundred years (the usual period of human life), such men\nscarcely live beyond twenty or thirty years. Carefully observing the\nbehaviour of all creatures, a king should, by the exercise of his\nintelligence, apply remedies for alleviating the great sorrows of his\nsubjects. The causes of all mental sorrow are two, viz., delusion of the\nmind and the accession of distress. No third cause exists. All these\ndiverse kinds of woe as also those arising from attachment to earthly\nenjoyments, that overtake man, are even such.[79] Decrepitude and Death,\nlike a pair of wolves, devour all creatures, strong or weak, short or\ntall. No man can escape decrepitude and death, not even the subjugator of\nthe whole earth girt by the sea. Be it happiness or be it sorrow that\ncomes upon creatures, it should be enjoyed or borne without elation or\ndepression. There is no method of escape from them. The evils of life, O\nking, overtake one in early or middle or old age. They can never be\navoided, while those (sources of bliss) that are coveted never come.[80]\nThe absence of what is agreeable, the presence of what is disagreeable,\ngood and evil, bliss and woe, follow Destiny. Similarly, the birth of\ncreatures and their death, and the accessions of gain and loss, are all\npre-ordained. Even as scent, colour, taste, and touch spring naturally,\nhappiness and misery arise from what has been pre-ordained. Seats and\nbeds and vehicles, prosperity and drink and food, ever approach, leaving\ncreatures according to Time's course.[81] Physicians even get ill. The\nstrong become weak. They that are in the enjoyment of prosperity lose all\nand become indigent. The course of Time is very wonderful. High birth,\nhealth, beauty, prosperity, and objects of enjoyment, are all won through\nDestiny. The indigent, although they may not desire it, have many\nchildren. The affluent again are seen to be childless. Wonderful is the\ncourse of Destiny. The evils caused by disease, fire, water, weapons,\nhunger, poison, fever, and death, and falls from high places, overtake a\nman according to the Destiny under which he is born. It is seen in this\nworld that somebody without sinning, suffers diverse ills, while another,\nhaving sinned, is not borne down by the weight of calamity. It is seen\nthat somebody in the enjoyment of wealth perishes in youth; while some\none that is poor drags on his existence, borne down by decrepitude, for a\nhundred years. One borne in an ignoble race may have a very long life,\nwhile one sprung from a noble line perishes soon like an insect. In this\nworld, it is very common that persons in affluent circumstances have no\nappetite, while they that are indigent can digest chips of wood. Impelled\nby destiny, whatever sins the man of wicked soul, discontented with his\ncondition, commits, saying, \"I am the doer,\" he regards to be all for his\ngood. Hunting, dice, women, wine, brawls, these are censured by the wise.\nMany persons, however, possessed of even extensive knowledge of the\nscriptures are seen to be addicted to them. Objects, whether coveted or\notherwise, come upon creatures in consequence of Time's course. No other\ncause can be traced. Air, space, fire, moon, sun, day, night, the\nluminous bodies (in the firmament), rivers, and mountains,--who makes\nthem and who supports them? Cold, and heat, and rain, come one after\nanother in consequence of Time's course. It is even so, O bull among men,\nwith the happiness and the misery of mankind. Neither medicines, nor\nincantations, can rescue the man assailed by decrepitude or overtaken by\ndeath. As two logs of wood floating on the great ocean, come together and\nare again (when the time comes) separated, even so creatures come\ntogether and are again (when the time comes) separated. Time acts equally\ntowards those men that (are in affluent circumstances and that) enjoy the\npleasures of song and dance in the company of women and those helpless\nmen that live upon the food that others supply. In this world a thousand\nkinds of relationship are contracted, such as mother and father and son\nand wife. In reality, however, whose are they and whose are we? No one\ncan become anyone's own, nor can anyone become anybody else's own. Our\nunion here with wives and kinsfolk and well-wishers is like that of\ntravellers at a road-side inn. Where am I? Where shall go? Who am I? How\ncome I here? What for and whom I grieve? Reflecting on these questions\none obtains tranquillity. Life and its environments are constantly\nrevolving like a wheel, and the companionship of those that are dear is\ntransitory. The union with brother, mother, father, and friend is like\nthat of travellers in an inn. Men of knowledge behold, as if with\ncorporeal eyes, the next world that is unseen. Without disregarding the\nscriptures, one desirous of knowledge should have faith. One possessed of\nknowledge should perform the rites laid down in respect of the Pitris and\nthe gods, practise all religious duties, perform sacrifices, judiciously\npursue virtue, profit, and pleasure. Alas, no one understands that the\nworld is sinking on the ocean of Time that is so very deep and that is\ninfested with those huge crocodiles called decrepitude and death. Many\nphysicians may be seen afflicted with all the members of their families,\nalthough they have carefully studied the science of Medicine.[82] Taking\nbitters and diverse kinds of oily drugs, these succeed not in escaping\ndeath, like ocean in transcending its continents. Men well-versed in\nchemistry, notwithstanding chemical compounds applied judiciously, are\nseen to be broken down by decrepitude like trees broken down by\nelephants. Similarly, persons possessed of ascetic merit, devoted to\nstudy of the Vedas, practising charity, and frequently performing\nsacrifices, succeed not in escaping decrepitude and death. As regards all\ncreatures that have taken birth, neither years, nor months, nor\nfortnights, nor days, nor nights, that have once passed, do ever return.\nMan, whose existence is so transitory, is forced, in course of Time,\nwhether he will or not, to come upon this inevitable and broad path that\nhas to be trodden by every creature.[83] Whether the body springs from\nthe creature or the creature springs from the body, one's union however,\nwith wives and other friends is like that of travellers in an inn.[84]\nOne cannot obtain a lasting companionship with anyone. One cannot obtain\nsuch companionship with one's own body. How then it can be had with\nanyone else? Where, O king, is thy sire today and where thy grandsire?\nThou beholdst them not today and they do not behold thee. O sinless one!\nNo person can see either heaven or hell. The scriptures, however, are the\neyes of the virtuous. O king, frame thy conduct according to the\nscriptures. With pure heart, one should practise first the vow of\nBrahmacharya and then beget children and then perform sacrifices, for\npaying off the debt one owes to the Pitris, the gods, and men. Performing\nsacrifices and engaged in procreating (children), after having first\nobserved the vow of Brahmacharya, one who hath wisdom for his eyes,\ncasting off all anxiety of heart, should pay court to heaven, this world,\nand his own soul.[85] That king bent upon the practice of virtue who\nstrives judiciously for acquiring Heaven and Earth and who takes of\nearthly goods just what is ordained (as the king's share) in the\nscriptures, wins a reputation that spread over all the worlds and among\nall creatures, mobile and immobile.' The ruler of the Videhas, of clear\nunderstanding, having heard these words full of reason, become freed from\ngrief, and taking Asma's leave proceeded towards his abode. O thou of\nunfading glory, cast off thy grief and rise up. Thou art equal to Sakra\nhimself. Suffer thy soul to be gladdened. The earth has been won by thee\nin the exercise of Kshatriya duties. Enjoy her, O son of Kunti, and do\nnot disregard my words.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXIX\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'The foremost of kings, viz., Yudhishthira the son of\nDharma, still remaining speechless. Pandu's son Arjuna addressed Krishna\nand spoke as follows:\n\n\"'Arjuna said, \"This scorcher of foes, viz., Dharma's son, is burning with\ngrief on account of his (slaughtered) kinsfolk. Comfort him, O Madhava!\nOnce more, O Janardana, all of us have fallen into great danger. It\nbehoveth thee, O mighty-armed one, to dispel his grief.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed by the high-souled Arjuna, the\nlotus-eyed Govinda of unfading glory turned his face towards the king.\nKesava could not by any means be disregarded by Yudhishthira. From the\nearliest years Govinda was dearer to Yudhishthira than Arjuna himself.\nTaking up the king's hand adorned with sandal-paste and looking like a\ncolumn of marble, the mighty-armed Saurin began to speak, gladdening (the\nhearts of all who listened to him). His face, adorned with teeth and eyes\nthat were very beautiful, shone brightly like a full-blown lotus at\nsunrise.\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"Do not, O tiger among men, indulge in such grief that\nemaciates thy body. They who have been slain in this battle will on no\naccount be got back. Those Kshatriyas, O king, that have fallen in this\ngreat battle, are even like objects that one acquires in one's dreams\nand that vanish when one awakes. All of them were heroes and ornaments of\nbattle. They were vanquished while rushing with faces towards their foes.\nNo one amongst them was slain with wounds on the back or while flying\naway. All of them, having contended with heroes in great battle and\nhaving cast off their life-breaths then, have, sanctified by weapons,\nproceeded to heaven. It behoveth thee not to grieve for them. Devoted to\nthe duties of Kshatriyas, possessed of courage, perfectly conversant with\nthe Vedas and their branches, all of them have attained to that blissful\nend which is obtainable by heroes. It behoveth thee not to grieve for\nthem after hearing of those high-souled lords of the earth, of ancient\ndays, that departed from this world. In this connection is cited the old\ndiscourse of Narada before Srinjaya when the latter was deeply afflicted\nwith grief on account of the death of his son. (Narada said),--'Subject to\nhappiness and misery, myself, thyself and all creatures, O Srinjaya,\nshall have to die. What cause then is there for sorrow. Listen to me as I\nrecite the great blessedness of (some) ancient kings. Hear me with\nconcentrated attention. Thou shalt then, O king, cast off thy grief.\nListening to the story of those high-souled lords of the earth, abate thy\nsorrow. O, hear me as I recite their stories to thee in detail. By\nlistening to the charming and delightful history of those kings of\nancient times, malignant stars may be propitiated and the period of one's\nlife be increased. We hear, O Srinjaya, that there was a king of the name\nof Marutta who was the son of Avikshit. Even he fell a prey to death. The\ngods with Indra and Varuna and Vrihaspati at their head came to\nsacrifice, called Viswasrij, performed by that high-souled monarch.[86]\nChallenging Sakra, the chief of the gods, that king vanquished him in\nbattle. The learned Vrihaspati, from desire of doing good unto Indra, had\nrefused to officiate at Marutta's sacrifice. Thereupon Samvarta, the\nyounger brother of Vrihaspati, acceded to the king's request. During the\nrule of that king, O best of monarchs, the earth yielded crops without\nbeing tilled and was adorned with diverse kinds of ornaments. In the\nsacrifice of that king, the Viswedevas sat as courtiers, the Maruts acted\nas distributors (of food and presents) and the high-souled Sadhyas were\nalso present. In that sacrifice of Marutta, the Maruts drank Soma. The\nsacrificial presents the king made surpassed (in value) those ever made\nby the gods, the Gandharvas, and men. When even that king, O Srinjaya,\nwho transcended thee in religious merit, knowledge, renunciation, and\naffluence, and who was purer than thy son, felt a prey to death, do not\ngrieve for thy son. There was another king of the name of Suhotra the son\nof Atithi. We hear, O Srinjaya, that even he fell a prey to death. During\nhis rule, Maghavat showered gold for one whole year upon his kingdom.\nObtaining that king for her lord, the earth became in reality (and not in\nname only as before) Vasumati.[87] The rivers, during the sway of that\nking, bore golden tortoises, crabs, alligators, sharks, and porpoises,\nfor the adorable Indra, O king, had showered these upon them. Beholding\nthose golden fishes and sharks and tortoises in hundreds and thousands,\nAtithi's son became filled with wonder. Collecting that vast wealth of\ngold that covered the earth, Suhotra performed a sacrifice at Kurujangala\nand gave it away unto the Brahmanas. When that king, O Srinjaya, who\ntranscended thee in the four attributes of religious merit, knowledge,\nrenunciation, and affluence, and who was purer than thy son, felt a prey\nto death, do not grieve for thy son (that is dead). Thy son never\nperformed a sacrifice and never made gifts. Knowing this, pacify thy mind\nand do not give away to grief.[88] We hear also, O Srinjaya, that\nVrihadratha the king of the Angas, fell a prey to death. He gave away a\nhundred thousand steeds. A hundred thousand maidens also, adorned with\ngolden ornaments, he gave away as presents in a sacrifice he performed. A\nhundred thousand elephants also of the best breed, he gave away as\npresents in another sacrifice performed by him. A hundred millions also\nof bulls, adorned with golden chains, with thousands of kine accompanying\nthem, he gave away as sacrificial presents. While the king of Anga\nperformed his sacrifice by the hill called Vishnupada, Indra became\nintoxicated with the Soma he drank, and the Brahmanas with the presents\nthey received. In the sacrifices, O monarch, numbering by hundreds, that\nthis king performed of old, the presents he made far surpassed those ever\nmade by the gods, the Gandharvas, and men. No other man was born, or will\never be born, that gave or will give away so much wealth as was given\naway by the king of the Angas in the seven sacrifices he performed, each\nof which was characterised by the consecration of the Soma.[89] When, O\nSrinjaya, this Vrihadratha even, who was thy superior in the four\nattributes and who was purer than thy son, fell a prey to death, do not\ngrieve for thy son that is dead. We hear also, O Srinjaya, that Sivi, the\nson of Usinara, fell a prey to death. That king swayed the whole earth as\none sways the leathern shield in his hand. Riding on a single car that\nproved victorious in every battle, king Sivi caused the whole earth to\nresound with the rattle of his wheels and subjugated all monarchs.[90]\nUsinara's son Sivi gave away, in a sacrifice, all the kine and horses he\nhad, both domestic and wild. The Creator himself thought that no one\namongst the kings of the past or the future had or would have the ability\nto bear the burthen, O Srinjaya, that Usinara's son Sivi, that foremost\nof kings, that hero who was possessed of prowess equal to that of Indra\nhimself, bore. Do not, therefore, grieve for thy son who never performed\nany sacrifice nor made any gift. Indeed, O Srinjaya, when Sivi, who was\nfar superior to thee in the four attributes and who was purer than thy\nson, fell a prey to death, do not grieve for thy son that is dead. We\nhear, O Srinjaya, that the high-souled Bharata also, the son of Dushmanta\nand Sakuntala, who had a vast and well-filled treasury, fell a prey to\ndeath. Devoting three hundred horses unto the gods on the banks of the\nYamuna, twenty on the banks of the Saraswati, and fourteen on the banks\nof Ganga, that king of great energy, in days of old, performed (in this\norder) a thousand Horse-sacrifices and a hundred Rajasuyas. No one\namongst the kings of the earth can imitate the great deeds of Bharata,\neven as no man can, by the might of his arms, soar into the welkin.\nErecting numerous sacrificial altars, he gave away innumerable horses and\nuntold wealth unto the sage Kanwa.[91] When even he, O Srinjaya, who was\nfar superior to thee in the four attributes and who was purer than thy\nson, fell a prey to death, do not grieve for thy son that is dead. We\nhear, O Srinjaya, that Rama also, the son of Dasaratha, fell a prey to\ndeath. He always cherished his subjects as if they were the sons of his\nown loins. In his dominions there were no widows and none that was\nhelpless. Indeed, Rama in governing his kingdom always acted like his\nfather Dasaratha. The clouds, yielding showers seasonably, caused the\ncrops to grow abundantly. During the period of his rule, food was always\nabundant in his kingdom. No death occurred by drowning or by fire. As\nlong as Rama governed it, there was no fear in his kingdom of any\ndisease. Every man lived for a thousand years, and every man was blessed\nwith a thousand children. During the period of Rama's sway, all men were\nwhole and all men attained the fruition of their wishes. The very women\ndid not quarrel with one another, what need then be said of the men?\nDuring his rule his subjects were always devoted to virtue. Contented,\ncrowned with fruition in respect of all the objects of their desire,\nfearless, free, and wedded to the vow of truth, were all the people when\nRama governed the kingdom. The trees always bore flowers and fruit and\nwere subject to no accidents. Every cow yielded milk filling a drona to\nthe brim. Having dwelt, in the observance of severe penances, for four\nand ten years in the woods, Rama performed ten Horse-sacrifices of great\nsplendour[92] and to them the freest access was given to all. Possessed\nof youth, of a dark complexion, with red eyes, he looked like the leader\nof an elephantine herd. With arms stretching down to his knees and of\nhandsome face, his shoulders were like those of a lion and the might of\nhis arms great. Ascending upon the throne of Ayodhya, he ruled for ten\nthousand and ten hundred years. When he, O Srinjaya, who transcended thee\nin the four principal attributes and who was purer than thy son, fell a\nprey to death, do not grieve for thy son that is dead. We hear, O\nSrinjaya, that king Bhagiratha also died. In one of the sacrifices of\nthat king, intoxicated with the Soma he had drunk, Indra, the adorable\nchastiser of Paka and the chief of the gods, vanquished, by putting forth\nthe might of his arms, many thousands of Asuras. King Bhagiratha, in one\nof the sacrifices he performed, gave away a million of maidens adorned\nwith ornaments of gold. Each of those maidens sat upon a car and unto\neach car were attached four steeds. With each car were a hundred\nelephants, all of the foremost breed and decked with chains of gold.\nBehind each elephant were a thousand steeds, and behind each steed a\nthousand kine, and behind each cow a thousand goats and sheep. (The\nriver-goddess) Ganga, named (from before) Bhagirathi, sat upon the lap of\nthis king dwelling near (her stream), and from this incident she came to\nbe called Urvasi.[93] The triple-coursed Ganga had agreed to be the\ndaughter of Bhagiratha of Ikshvaku's race, that monarch ever engaged in\nthe performance of sacrifices with presents in profusion unto the\nBrahmanas.[94] When he, O Srinjaya, who transcended thee in respect of\nthe four principal attributes and who was purer than thy son, fell a prey\nto death, do not grieve for thy son. We hear, O Srinjaya, that the\nhigh-souled Dilipa also fell a prey to death. The Brahmanas love to\nrecite his innumerable deeds. In one of his great sacrifices that king,\nwith heart fully assenting, gave away the entire earth, abounding with\nwealth, unto the Brahmanas. In each sacrifice performed by him, the chief\npriest received as sacrificial fee a thousand elephants made of gold. In\none of his sacrifices, the stake (set up for slaughtering the victims)\nwas made of gold and looked exceedingly beautiful. Discharging the duties\nassigned to them, the gods having Sakra for their chief, used to seek the\nprotection of that king. Upon that golden stake possessed of great\neffulgence and decked with a ring, six thousand Gods and Gandharvas\ndanced in joy, and Viswavasu himself, in their midst played on his Vina\nthe seven notes according to the rules that regulate their combinations.\nSuch was the character of Viswavasu's music that every creature (whatever\nhe might be) thought that the great Gandharva was playing to him alone.\nNo other monarch could imitate this achievement of king Dilipa. The\nelephants of that king, intoxicated and adorned with housings of gold,\nused to lie down on the roads.[95] Those men proceeded to heaven that\nsucceeded in obtaining a sight even of the high-souled king Dilipa who\nwas ever truthful in speech and whose bow could bear a hundred foes equal\nin energy to a hundred Anantas.[96] These three sounds never ceased in\nDilipa's abode, viz., the voice of Vedic recitations, the twang of bows,\nand cries of \"Let it be given.\" When he, O Srinjaya, who transcended thee\nin the four principal attributes and who was purer than thy son, fell a\nprey to death, do not grieve for thy son that is dead. Yuvanaswa's son\nMandhatri also, O Sanjaya, we have heard, fell a prey to death. The\ndeities named Maruts extracted that child from his sire's stomach through\none of its sides. Sprung from a quantity of clarified butter that had\nbeen sanctified by mantras (and that had by mistake been quaffed by his\nsire instead of his sire's spouse) Mandhatri was born in the stomach of\nthe high-souled Yuvanaswa. Possessed of great prosperity, king Mandhatri\nconquered the three worlds. Beholding that child of celestial beauty\nlying on the lap of his sire, the God asked one another, \"From whom shall\nthis child obtain suck?\" Then Indra approached him, saying, \"He shall\nobtain suck even from me!\" From this circumstance, the chief of the\ndeities came to call the child by the name of Mandhatri.[97] From the\nnourishment of that high-souled child of Yuvanaswa, the finger of Indra,\nplaced in his mouth, began to yield a jet of milk. Sucking Indra's\nfinger, he grew up into a stout youth in a hundred days. In twelve days\nhe looked like one of twelve years. The whole earth in one day came under\nthe sway of that high-souled and virtuous and brave king who resembled\nIndra himself for prowess in battle. He vanquished kings Angada, Marutta,\nAsita, Gaya, and Vrihadratha the king of the Angas.[98] When Yuvanaswa's\nson fought in battle with Angada, the Gods thought that the firmament was\nbreaking with the twang of his bow. The whole earth from where the Sun\nrises to where he sets is said to be the field of Mandhatri. Having\nperformed Horse-sacrifices and a hundred Rajasuyas, he gave unto the\nBrahmanas many Rohita fishes. Those fishes were each ten Yojanas in\nlength and one in breadth. Those that remained after gratifying the\nBrahmanas were divided amongst themselves by the other classes. When he,\nO Srinjaya, who transcended thee in respect of the four principal\nattributes and who was purer than thy son, fell a prey to death, do not\ngrieve for thy son that is dead. We hear, O Sanjaya, that Yayati, the son\nof Nahusha, also fell a prey to death. Having subjugated the whole world\nwith its seas, he journeyed through it, decking it with successive\nsacrificial altars the intervals between which were measured by throws of\na heavy piece of wood. Indeed, he reached the very shores of the sea as\nhe proceeded performing great sacrifices (on those altars along his\nway).[99] Having performed a thousand sacrifices and a hundred Vajapeyas,\nhe gratified the foremost of Brahmanas with three mountains of gold.\nHaving slain many Daityas and Danavas duly arrayed in battle, Nahusha's\nson, Yayati, divided the whole earth (among his children). At last\ndiscarding his other sons headed by Yadu and Drahyu, he installed (his\nyoungest son) Puru on his throne and then entered the woods accompanied\nby his wife, When he, O Srinjaya, who far surpassed thee in the four\nprincipal attributes and who was purer than thy son, fell a prey to\ndeath, do not grieve for thy son that is dead. We hear, O Srinjaya, that\nAmvarisha also, the son of Nabhaga, fell a prey to death. That protector\n(of the world) and foremost of kings was regarded by his subjects as the\nembodiment of virtue. That monarch, in one of his sacrifices, assigned to\nthe Brahmanas, for waiting upon them, a million of kings who had\nthemselves performed thousands of sacrifices each. Men of piety praised\nAmvarisha, the son of Nabhaga, saying that such feats had never been\nachieved before nor would their like be achieved in the future.[100]\nThose hundreds upon hundreds and thousands upon thousands of kings (that\nhad at the command of Amvarisha waited at his sacrifices upon the\nBrahmanas that came there) became (through Amvarisha's merits) crowned\nwith the fruits of the Horse-sacrifice, and followed their lord by the\nSouthern-path (to regions of brightness and bliss). When he, O Srinjaya,\nwho far surpassed thee in the four principal attributes and who was purer\nthan thy son, fell a prey to death, do not grieve for thy child that is\ndead. We hear, O Srinjaya, that Sasavindu also, the son of Chitrasena,\nfelt a prey to death. That high-souled king had a hundred thousand wives,\nand million of sons. All of them used to wear golden armour and all of\nthem were excellent bowmen. Each of those princes married a hundred\nprincesses, and each princess brought a hundred elephants. With each of\nthose elephants were a hundred cars. With each car were a hundred steeds,\nall of good breed and all decked with trappings of gold. With each steed\nwere a hundred kine, and with each cow were a hundred sheep and goats.\nThis countless wealth, O monarch, Sasavindu gave away, in a\nHorse-sacrifice, unto the Brahmanas. When he, O Srinjaya, who far\nsurpassed thee in the four principal attributes and who was purer than\nthy son, fell a prey to death, do not grieve for thy child that is dead.\nWe hear, O Srinjaya, that Gaya also, the son of Amurtarayas, fell a prey\nto death. For a hundred years, that king subsisted upon the remains of\nsacrificial food. (Pleased with such devotion) Agni desired to give him\nboons. The boons solicited by Gaya were, \"Let my wealth be inexhaustible\neven if I give ceaselessly. Let my regard for virtue exist for ever. Let\nmy heart ever take pleasure in Truth, through thy grace, O eater of\nsacrificial libations.\" It hath been heard by us that king Gaya obtained\nall those wishes from Agni. On days of the new moon, on those of the full\nmoon, and on every fourth month, for a thousand years, Gaya repeatedly\nperformed the Horse-sacrifice. Rising (at the completion of every\nsacrifice) he gave away a hundred thousand kine and hundreds of mules\n(unto the Brahmanas) during this period. That bull among men gratified\nthe gods with Soma, the Brahmanas with wealth, the Pitris with Swadha,\nand the women with the accomplishment of all their wishes. In his great\nHorse-sacrifice, king Gaya caused a golden ground to be made, measuring a\nhundred cubits in length and fifty in breadth, and gave it away as the\nsacrificial fee. That foremost of men, viz., Gaya, the son of\nAmurtarayas, gave away as many kine as there are sand grains, O king, in\nthe river Ganga. When he, O Srinjaya, who far surpassed thee in the four\nprincipal attributes and who was purer than thy son, fell a prey to\ndeath, do not grieve for thy son that is dead. We hear, O Srinjaya, that\nSankriti's son Rantideva also fell a prey to death. Having undergone the\nausterest of penances and adored him with great reverence, he obtained\nthese boons from Sakra, having solicited them, saying \"Let us have\nabundant food and numerous guests. Let not my faith sustain any\ndiminution, and let us not have to ask anything of any person.\" The\nanimals, both domestic and wild, slaughtered in his sacrifice, used to\ncome to him, viz., the high-souled Rantideva of rigid vows and great\nfame, of their own accord. The secretions that flowed from the skins of\nthe animals (slaughtered in his sacrifices), produced a mighty and\ncelebrated river which to this day is known by the name of Charmanwati.\nKing Rantideva used to make gifts unto the Brahmanas in an extensive\nenclosure. When the king said, \"Unto thee I give a hundred nishkas! Unto\nthee I give a hundred,\" the Brahmanas (without accepting what was\noffered) made a noise (expressive of refusal). When, however, the king\nwould say, \"I give a thousand nishkas,\" the gifts were all accepted. All\nthe vessels and plates, in Rantideva's palace, for holding food and other\narticles, all the jugs and pots, the pans and plates and cups, were of\ngold. On those nights during which the guests used to live in Rantideva's\nabode, twenty thousand and one hundred kine had to be slaughtered. Yet\neven on such occasions, the cooks, decked in ear-rings, used to proclaim\n(amongst those that sat down to supper): \"There is abundant soup, take as\nmuch as ye wish; but of flesh we have not as much today as on former\noccasions.\" When he, O Srinjaya, who far surpassed thee in the four\nprincipal attributes and who was purer than thy son, fell a prey to\ndeath, do not grieve for thy son that is dead. We hear, O Srinjaya, that\nthe high-souled Sagara also fell a prey to death. He was of Ikshvaku's\nrace, a tiger among men, and of superhuman prowess. Sixty thousand sons\nused to walk behind him, like myriads upon myriads of stars waiting upon\nthe Moon in the cloudless firmament of autumn. His sway extended over the\nwhole of this earth.[101] He gratified the gods by performing a thousand\nHorse-sacrifices. He gave away unto deserving Brahmanas palatial mansions\nwith columns of gold and (other parts) made entirely of that precious\nmetal, containing costly beds and bevies of beautiful ladies with eyes\nresembling petals of the lotus, and diverse other kinds of valuable\nobjects. At his command, the Brahmanas divided those gifts among\nthemselves. Through anger that king caused the earth to be excavated\nwhereupon she came to have the ocean on her bosom, and for this, the\nocean has come to be called Sagara after his name. When he, O Srinjaya,\nwho far surpassed thee in the four principal attributes and who was purer\nthan thy son, fell a prey to death, do not grieve for thy son that is\ndead. We hear, O Srinjaya, that king Prithu also, the son of Vena, fell a\nprey to death. The great Rishis, assembling together in the great forest,\ninstalled him in the sovereignty of the earth. And because it was thought\nthat he would advance all mankind, he was, for that reason, called Prithu\n(the advancer). And because also he protected people from injuries\n(Kshata), he was, for that reason, called a Kshatriya (protector from\ninjuries). Beholding Prithu the son of Vena, all the creatures of the\nearth exclaimed, \"We have been lovingly attached to him.\" From this\ncircumstance of the loving attachment (to him of all creatures), he came\nto be called a Raja (one that can inspire attachment). The earth, during\nhis sway, yielded crops without being tilled, every leaf that the trees\nhad bore honey, and every cow yielded a jugful of milk. All men were hale\nand all their wishes used to be crowned with fruition. They had no fear\nof any kind. They used to live, as they pleased, in fields or in\n(sheltered) houses. When Prithu desired to go over the sea, the waters\nbecame solidified. The rivers also never swelled up when he had to cross\nthem but remained perfectly calm. The standard on his car moved freely\neverywhere (without being obstructed by any impediment). King Prithu, in\none of his grand Horse-sacrifices, gave away unto the Brahmanas one and\ntwenty mountains of gold, each measuring three nalwas.[102] When he, O\nSrinjaya, who far surpassed thee in the four principal attributes and who\nwas purer than thy son, fell a prey to death, do not grieve for thy son\nthat is dead. Upon what, O Srinjaya, dost thou reflect in silence? It\nseems, O king, that thou hearest not these words of mine. If thou hast\nnot heard them, then this discourse of mine has been a fruitless\nrhapsody, like medicine or diet, to a person on the point of death.'\n\n\"'\"Srinjaya said, 'I am attending, O Narada, to this discourse of thine, of\nexcellent import and perfumed like a garland of flowers,--this discourse\nupon the conduct of high-souled royal sages of meritorious deeds and\ngreat fame, that can certainly dispel grief. Thy discourse, O great sage,\nhas not been a fruitless rhapsody. I have been freed from grief at thy\nvery sight. Like one never satiated with drinking nectar, I am not\nsatiated with thy words. O thou of true sight, if thou, O lord, be\ninclined to show thy grace towards this person burning on account of the\ndeath of his son, then that son, through that grace of thine, is sure to\nbe revived and to mingle once more with me (in this life).'\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'I will give back to thee that son of thine, named\nSuvarnashthivin, whom Parvata gave thee and who has been bereft of life.\nOf the splendour of gold, that child shall have a thousand years.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"How did the son of Srinjaya become\nSuvarnashthivin?[103] Why also did Parvata give Srinjaya that child? And\nwhy did he die? When the lives of all men in those days extended for a\nthousand years, why did Srinjaya's son die in infancy? Or, was he in name\nonly Suvarnashthivin? How also did he come to be so? I desire to know all\nthis.\"\n\n\"'Krishna said, \"I will recite to thee, O king, the facts as they\nhappened. There are two Rishis, the foremost ones in the world, named\nNarada and Parvata. Narada is the maternal uncle and Parvata is his\nsister's son. With cheerful hearts, the uncle Narada and the nephew\nParvata had, in days of old, O king, left heaven for a pleasant ramble on\nearth for tasting clarified butter and rice. Both of them, possessed of\ngreat ascetic merit, wandered over the earth, subsisting on food taken by\nhuman beings. Filled with joy and entertaining great affection for each\nother, they entered into a compact that, whatever wish, good or bad,\nwould be entertained by one should be disclosed to the other, but on the\nevent of one of them acting otherwise, he should be subject to the\nother's curse. Agreeing to that understanding, those two great Rishis,\nadored of all the worlds, repaired to king Srinjaya, the son of Sitya and\nsaid unto him, 'We two, for thy good, shall dwell with thee for a few\ndays. O lord of earth, do thou attend to all our wants duly.' The king,\nsaying, 'So be it,' set himself to attend upon them hospitably. After a\nwhile, one day, the king filled with joy, introduced to those illustrious\nascetics his daughter of the fairest complexion, saying, 'This my\ndaughter will wait upon you both. Bright as the filaments of the lotus,\nshe is beautiful and of faultless limbs, accomplished and of sweet\nmanners, and is called Sukumari by name.' 'Very well,' said the Rishis in\nreply, upon which the king directed his daughter, telling her, 'O child,\nattend upon these two Brahmanas as thou wouldst upon the gods or thy\nsire.' The virtuous princess, saying, 'So be it' began to attend upon\nthem in obedience to her father's behest. Her dutiful services and her\nunrivalled beauty very soon inspired Narada with a tender flame towards\nher. That tender sentiment began to grow in the heart of the illustrious\nsaint like the moon gradually waxing on the accession of the lighted\nfortnight. The virtuous Narada, however, overwhelmed by shame, could not\ndisclose that burning attachment to his sister's son, the high-souled\nParvata. By his ascetic power, as also by signs, Parvata understood all.\nInflamed with rage, the latter thereupon resolved to curse the\nlove-afflicted Narada. And he said, 'Having of thy own accord made a\ncompact with me that, whatever wish, good or bad, would be cherished by\neither of us should be disclosed to the other, thou hast violated it.\nThese were thy own words, O Brahmana! It is for this that I shall curse\nthee. Thou didst not tell me before that thy heart has been pierced by\nthe charms of the maiden Sukumari! It is for this that I shall curse\nthee. Thou art a Brahmacharin. Thou art my preceptor. Thou art an ascetic\nand a Brahmana. Yet hast thou broken the compact thou hadst made with me.\nFitted with rage I shall, for this, curse even thee. Listen to me. This\nSukumari shall, without doubt, become thy wife. From the time of thy\nmarriage, however, O puissant one, both she and all men shall behold thee\nan ape, for thy true features having disappeared, an ape shalt thou\nappear unto all.' Hearing these words of his, the uncle Narada, filled\nwith wrath, cursed his nephew Parvata in return, saying, 'Although thou\nhast ascetic merit and Brahmacharya and truth and self-restraint, and\nalthough thou art ever devoted to virtue, thou shalt not yet succeed in\nproceeding to heaven.' Filled with rage and desire of vengeance, they\nthus cursed and flamed against each other like a couple of infuriated\nelephants. From that time the high-souled Parvata began to wander over\nthe earth, respected as he deserved, O Bharata, for his own energy.\nNarada then, that foremost of Brahmanas, obtained according to due rites\nthe hand of Srinjaya's daughter, the faultless Sukumari. The princess,\nhowever, beheld Narada exactly as the curse had said. Indeed, just after\nthe last of the wedding mantras had been recited, Sukumari beheld the\ncelestial Rishi to have a face like that of an ape. She, however, did not\non that account, disregard her lord. On the other hand, she dedicated her\nlove to him. Indeed, the princess, chaste as she was, devoted herself\nentirely to her lord and did not in her heart even desire any one else\namong the gods, Munis, and Yakshas for a husband. One day, as the\nillustrious Parvata, in course of his wanderings, entered a solitary\nforest, he beheld Narada there. Saluting him, Parvata said, 'Show thy\ngrace unto me by permitting me, O puissant one, to go to heaven.' Seeing\nthe cheerless Parvata kneeling before him with joined hands, Narada,\nhimself more cheerless, said unto him, 'Thou hadst cursed me first,\nsaying, \"Be thou an ape!\" After thou hadst said so unto me, I cursed thee\nfrom anger, saying, \"From this day thou shalt not dwell in heaven!\" It\nwas not well of thee, since thou art like a son unto me.' The two saints\nthen freed each other from their mutual curses. Beholding her husband\npossessed of celestial form and blazing with beauty, Sukumari fled from\nhim, taking him to be somebody other than her lord. Seeing the beautiful\nprincess flying away from her lord, Parvata addressed her, saying, 'This\none is even thy husband. Do not entertain any scruple. This one is the\nillustrious and puissant Rishi Narada, that foremost of virtuous persons.\nHe is thy lord, of one soul with thee. Do not have any doubt.' Assured in\ndiverse ways by the high Parvata and informed also of the curse on her\nlord, the princess regained her equanimity. Then Parvata proceeded to\nheaven and Narada to his home.\"\n\n\"'Vasudeva continued, \"The illustrious Rishi Narada, who was himself an\nactor in this matter, is here. O best of men, asked by thee, he will tell\nthee everything that happened.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXI\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'The royal son of Pandu then addressed Narada, saying,\n\"O holy one, I desire to hear of the birth of the child whose excreta\nwere gold.\" Thus addressed by king Yudhishthira the just, the sage Narada\nbegan to narrate to him all that had occurred in connection with that\nchild of golden excreta.\n\n\"'Narada said, \"It is even so, O thou of mighty arms, as Kesava here hath\nsaid. Asked by thee I shall now recite the portion that remains of this\nstory. Myself, and my sister's son, the great ascetic Parvata, came (on\none occasion) unto Srinjaya that foremost of all victorious kings, for\ndwelling with him. Honoured by him with due rites, and with every wish of\nours gratified, we took up our residence in his abode. After the season\nof rains had gone, and when the time came for our own departure, Parvata\nsaid unto me those words of grave import suitable to the hour: 'We have,\nO Brahmana, dwelt in the abode of this king for some time, highly\nhonoured by him. Think of what return we should make.' I then, O monarch,\naddressed Parvata of blessed aspect, saying, 'O nephew, this becomes\nthee, and, O thou of great power, all this depends upon thyself. Through\nthy boons let the king be made happy and let him obtain his wishes. Or,\nif thou choosest, let him be crowned with success through the ascetic\nmerits of both of us.' After this, Parvata having called king Srinjaya,\nthat foremost of victorious persons, said unto him these words O bull of\nKuru's race, 'We have been exceedingly gratified, O king, with thy\nhospitable attentions given to us with every sincerity. With our\npermission, O foremost of men, think of the boon thou shouldst solicit.\nLet the boon, however, be such that it may not imply enmity to the gods\nor destruction to men! Accept then, O king, a boon, for thou deservest\none as we think.' Hearing these words, Srinjaya replied, 'If ye have been\ngratified with me, my object then has been gained, for that of itself has\nbeen my greatest gain and that is regarded by me as the fruition of all\nmy desire.' Unto Srinjaya who said so, Parvata again said, 'Solicit, O\nking, the fruition of that wish which thou art cherishing in thy heart,\nfor a long time.' Srinjaya answered, 'I desire a son that shall be heroic\nand possessed of great energy, firm in his vows and of long life, highly\nblessed and possessed of splendour equal to that of the Chief himself of\nthe deities.' At this, Parvata said, 'This thy desire shall be fulfilled.\nThy child, however, shall not be long-lived, for thy wish for such a son\nis even for prevailing over the Chief of the gods. Thy son shall be known\nby the name of Suvarnashthivin. He shall be possessed of splendour like\nthat of the Chief of the gods but take care to protect him always from\nthat deity.' Hearing these words of the high-souled Parvata, Srinjaya\nbegan to beseech that saint for ordaining otherwise, saying, 'Let my son\nbe long-lived, O Muni, through thy ascetic merit.' Parvata, however, said\nnothing, through partiality for Indra. Beholding the king very cheerless,\nI said unto him, 'Think of me, O king, (in thy distress), and I shall\npromise to come when thought of by thee. Do not grieve, O lord of earth!\nI will give thee back thy beloved child, even if he be dead, in his\nliving form.' Having said so unto that monarch, both of us left his\npresence for coming to where we wished, and Srinjaya returned to his\nabode as he pleased. After some time had elapsed, the royal sage Srinjaya\nhad born unto him a son of great prowess and blazing forth with energy.\nThe child grew up like a large lotus in a lake, and became\nSuvarnashthivin in reality as in name. This extraordinary fact, O best of\nthe Kurus, soon became widely known over the world. The Chief of the gods\nalso came to know it as the result of Parvata's boon. Fearing humiliation\n(at the hands of the child when he would grow up), the slayer of Vala and\nVritra began to watch for the laches of the prince. He commanded his\ncelestial weapon Thunder, standing before him in embodied shape, saying,\n'Go, O puissant one, and assuming the form of a tiger slay this prince.\nWhen grown up, this child of Srinjaya may, by his achievements, humiliate\nme, O Thunder, as Parvata said.' Thus addressed by Sakra, the celestial\nweapon Thunder, that subjugator of hostile towns, began from that day to\ncontinually watch for the laches of the prince. Srinjaya, meanwhile,\nhaving obtained that child whose splendour resembled that of Indra\nhimself, became filled with joy. The king, accompanied by his wives, and\nthe other ladies of his household, took up his residence in the midst of\na forest. One day, on the shores of the Bhagirathi, the boy, accompanied\nby his nurse, ran hither and thither in play. Though only five years of\nage, his prowess, even then, resembled that of a mighty elephant. While\nthus employed, the child met a powerful tiger that came upon him\nsuddenly. The infant prince trembled violently as he was being crushed by\nthe tiger and soon fell down lifeless on the earth. At this sight the\nnurse uttered loud cries of grief. Having slain the prince, the tiger,\nthrough Indra's powers of delusion, vanished there and then. Hearing the\nvoice of the crying nurse, the king, in great anxiety, ran to the spot.\nHe beheld his son there, his blood quaffed off, and lying lifeless on the\nground like the moon dropped from the firmament. Taking up on his lap the\nboy covered with blood, the king, with heart stricken by grief, began to\nlament piteously. The royal ladies then, afflicted with grief and crying,\nquickly ran to the spot where king Srinjaya was. In that situation the\nking thought of me with concentrated attention. Knowing that the king was\nthinking of me I appeared before him. Stricken with grief as the king\nwas, I recited to him all those stories, O monarch, that hero of Yadu's\nrace has already recited to thee. I brought Srinjaya's child back to\nlife, with Indra's permission. That which is ordained must occur. It is\nimpossible that it should be otherwise. After this, prince\nSuvarnashthivin of great fame and energy began to delight the hearts of\nhis parents. Of great prowess, he ascended the throne of his father after\nthe latter had repaired to heaven, and ruled for a period of one thousand\nand one hundred years. He worshipped the gods in many great sacrifices\ncharacterised by profuse presents. Possessed of great splendour, he\ngratified the gods and the Pitris. Having procreated many sons, all of\nwhom by their issues multiplied the race, he went the way of all nature,\nO king, after many years. Do thou, O foremost of kings dispel this grief\nborn in thy heart, even as Kesava has counselled thee, as also Vyasa of\naustere penances. Rise up, O king, and bear the burthen of this thy\nancestral kingdom, and perform high and great sacrifices so that thou\nmayst obtain (hereafter) whatever regions may be desired by thee!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Unto king Yudhishthira who still remained speechless\nand plunged in grief, the island-born Vyasa, that great ascetic,\nconversant with truths of religion, spoke again.\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"O thou of eyes like lotus petals, the protection of\nsubjects is the duty of kings. Those men that are always observant of\nduty regard duty to be all powerful. Do thou, therefore, O king, walk in\nthe steps of thy ancestors. With Brahmanas, penances are a duty. This is\nthe eternal ordinance of the Vedas. Penances, therefore, O bull of\nBharata's race, constitute the eternal duty of Brahmanas. A Kshatriya is\nthe protector of all persons in respect of their duties.[104] That man\nwho, addicted to earthly possessions, transgresses wholesome restraints,\nthat offender against social harmony, should be chastised with a strong\nhand. That insensate person who seeks to transgress authority, be he an\nattendant, a son, or even a saint, indeed,--all men of such sinful\nnature, should by every means be chastised or even killed. That king who\nconducts himself otherwise incurs sin. He who does not protect morality\nwhen it is being disregarded is himself a trespasser against morality.\nThe Kauravas were trespassers against morality. They have, with their\nfollowers, been slain by thee. Thou hast been observant of the duties of\nthy own order. Why then, O son of Pandu, dost thou indulge in such grief?\nThe king should slay those that deserve death, make gifts to persons\ndeserving of charity, and protect his subjects according to the\nordinance.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"I do not doubt the words that fall from thy lips, O\nthou of great ascetic merit! Everything appertaining to morality and duty\nis well known to thee, O foremost of all persons conversant with morality\nand duty! I have, however, for the sake of kingdom, caused many persons\nto be slain! Those deeds, O Brahmana, are burning and consuming me!\"\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"O Bharata, is the Supreme Being the doer, or is man the\ndoer? Is everything the result of Chance in the world, or are the fruits\nthat we enjoy or suffer, the results of (previous) action? If man, O\nBharata, does all acts, good or bad, being urged thereto by the Supreme\nBeing, then the fruits of those acts should attach to the Supreme being\nhimself. If a person cuts down, with an axe, a tree in forest, it is the\nperson that incurs the sin and not the axe by any means. Or, if it be\nsaid that, the axe being only the material cause, the consequence of the\nact (of cutting) should attach to the animate agent (and not to the\ninanimate tool), then the sin may be said to belong to the person that\nhas made the axe. This, however, can scarcely be true. If this be not\nreasonable, O son of Kunti, that one man should incur the consequence of\nan act done by another, then, guided by this, thou shouldst throw all\nresponsibility upon the Supreme Being.[105] If, again, man be himself the\nagent of all his acts virtuous and sinful, then Supreme Director there is\nnone, and, therefore, whatever thou hast done cannot bring evil\nconsequences on thee.[106] No one, O king, can ever turn away from that\nwhich is destined. If, again, Destiny be the result of the acts of former\nlives, then no sin can attach to one in this life even as the sin of\ncutting down a tree cannot touch the maker of the axe.[107] If thou\nthinkest it is chance only that acts in the world, then such an act of\ndestruction could never happen nor will ever happen.[108] If it is\nnecessary to ascertain what is good and what is evil in the world, attend\nto the scriptures. In those scriptures it has been laid down that kings\nshould stand with the rod of chastisement uplifted in their hands. I\nthink, O Bharata, that acts, good and bad, are continually revolving here\nas a wheel, and men obtain the fruits of those acts, good or bad, that\nthey do. One sinful act proceeds from another. Therefore, O tiger among\nkings, avoid all evil acts and do not thus set thy heart upon grief. Thou\nshouldst adhere, O Bharata, to the duties, even if reproachable, of thy\nown order. This self-destruction, O king, does not look well in thee.\nExpiations, O king, have been ordained for (evil) acts. He that is alive\ncan perform them, but he that dies fails in their performance. Therefore,\nO king, without laying down thy life, perform those expiatory acts. If\nthou dost not perform them thou mayst have to repent in the next world.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Sons and grandsons and brothers and sires and\nfathers-in-law and preceptors and maternal uncles and grandsires, many\nhigh-souled Kshatriyas, many relatives (by marriage), friends,\ncompanions, sister's sons, and kinsmen, O grandsire, and many foremost of\nmen coming from diverse countries, have fallen. All these, O grandsire,\nhave been caused to be slain by myself alone, from desire of kingdom.\nHaving caused so many heroic kings who were always devoted to\nrighteousness and all of whom had quaffed Soma in sacrifices, what end\nshall I attain, O great ascetic! Thinking that this earth has been bereft\nof many lions among kings, all of whom were in the enjoyment of great\nprosperity, I burn continually to this day. Having witnessed this\nslaughter of kinsmen and millions of other men, I burn with grief, O\ngrandsire! Oh, what will be the plight of those foremost of ladies who\nhave been deprived of sons, of husbands, and of brothers. Reproaching the\nPandavas and the Vrishnis as cruel murderers, those ladies, with\nemaciated features and plunged in grief, will throw themselves on the\nearth! Not beholding their sires and brothers and husbands and sons,\nthose ladies, through affliction, casting off their life-breath, will go\nto the abode of Yama, O foremost of Brahmanas! I have no doubt of this.\nThe course of morality is very subtle. It is plain that we shall be\nstained with the guilt of slaughtering women for this. Having slain our\nkinsmen and friends and thereby committed an inexpiable sin, we shall\nhave to fall into hell with heads downwards. O best of men, we shall,\ntherefore, waste our limbs with the austerest of penances. Tell me, O\ngrandsire, to what mode of life I should betake myself then.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these words of Yudhishthira, the\nIsland-born Rishi, having reflected keenly for some time, addressed the\nson of Pandu as follows:\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"Remembering the duties of a Kshatriya, O king, do not give\nway to grief. All those Kshatriyas, O bull among Kshatriyas, have fallen\nin the observance of their proper duties. In the pursuit of great\nprosperity and of great fame on earth, those foremost of men, all of whom\nwere liable to death,[109] have perished through the influence of Time.\nThou hast not been their slayer, nor this Bhima, nor Arjuna, nor the\ntwins. It is Time that took away their life-breaths according to the\ngreat law of change. Time hath neither mother, nor father, nor anybody\nfor whom he is disposed to show any favour. He is the witness of the acts\nof all creatures. By him have they been taken away. This battle, O bull\nof Bharata's race, was only an occasion ordained by him. He causes\ncreatures to be slain through the instrumentality of creatures. This is\nthe manner in which it puts forth its irresistible power. Know that Time\n(in his dealings with creatures) is dependent upon the bond of action and\nis the witness of all actions good and bad. It is Time that brings about\nthe fruits, fraught with bliss or woe, of our actions. Think, O\nmighty-armed one, of the acts of those Kshatriyas that have fallen. Those\nacts were the causes of their destruction and it is in consequence of\nthem that they have perished. Think also of thy own acts consisting of\nobservances of vows with restrained soul. And think also how thou hast\nbeen forced by the Supreme Ordainer to do such an act (as the slaughter\nof so many human beings). As a weapon made by a smith or carpenter is\nunder the control of the person that is handling it, and moves as he\nmoves it, similarly this universe, controlled by actions done in Time,\nmoves as those actions move it. Seeing that the births and deaths of\ncreatures take place without any (assignable) cause and in perfect\nwantonness, grief and joy are perfectly needless. Although this\nentanglement of thy heart is a mere delusion, still, if it pleaseth thee,\nO king, perform expiatory rites (for washing thyself free of thy\nso-called sin). It is heard, O Partha, that the gods and the Asuras\nfought against each other. The Asuras were the elder, and the gods the\nyounger brothers. Covetous of prosperity, fierce was the battle fought\nbetween them. The fight lasted for two and thirty thousand years. Making\nthe earth one vast expanse of blood, the gods slew the Daityas and gained\npossession of heaven. Having obtained possession of the earth, a (large)\nnumber of Brahmanas, conversant with the Vedas, armed themselves,\nstupefied with pride, with the Danavas for giving them help in the fight.\nThey were known by the name of Salavrika and numbered eight and eighty\nthousand. All of them, however, were slain by the gods. Those\nwicked-souled persons who desire the extinction of virtue and who set\nsinfulness agoing deserve to be slain even as the furious Daityas were\nslain by the gods. If by slaying a single individual a family may be\nsaved, or, if by slaying a single family the whole kingdom may be saved,\nsuch an act of slaughter will not be a transgression. Sin, O king,\nsometimes assumes the form of virtue, and virtue sometimes assumes the\nform of sin. They, however, that are learned, know which is which.\nTherefore, console thyself, O son of Pandu, for thou art well versed in\nthe scriptures. Thou hast, O Bharata, only followed the path formerly\ntrodden by the very gods. Men like yourselves never go to hell, O bull of\nPandu's race! Comfort these thy brothers and all thy friends, O scorcher\nof foes! He who deliberately engages himself in sinful acts, and\ncommitting sinful acts feels no shame but continues the same as before,\nis called (in the scripture) a great sinner. There is no expiation for\nhim and his sins know no diminution. Thou art born in noble race. Forced\nby the faults of others, thou hast most unwillingly done this, and having\ndone this thou repentest of it. The Horse-sacrifice, that grand rite, has\nbeen indicated as an expiation for thee. Make preparations for that\nsacrifice, O monarch, and thou shalt be freed from thy sins. The divine\nchastiser of Paka, having vanquished his foes with the assistance of the\nMaruts, gradually performed a hundred sacrifices and became\nSatakratu.[110] Freed from sin, possessed of heaven, and having obtained\nmany regions of bliss and great happiness and prosperity, Sakra,\nsurrounded by the Maruts, is shining in beauty, and illuminating all the\nquarters with his splendour. The lord of Sachi is adored in the heavens\nby the Apsaras. The Rishis and the other gods all worship him with\nreverence. Thou hast got the earth through thy prowess. All the kings\nhave been vanquished by thee, O sinless one, through thy prowess.\nProceeding with thy friends to their kingdom, O king, install their\nbrothers, sons, or grandsons on their thrones. Behaving with kindness\ntowards even the children in the womb, make thy subjects glad and happy,\nand rule the earth. Install on their thrones the daughters of those that\nhave no sons. Women are fond of pleasure and power. Through this means\nthey will cast off their sorrows and become happy. Having comforted the\nwhole empire in this way, O Bharata, adore the gods in a Horse-sacrifice\nas the virtuous Indra did in days of old. It is not proper for us to\ngrieve for those high-souled Kshatriyas, O bull of thy order (that have\nfallen in battle). Stupefied by the power of the destroyer, they have\nperished in the observance of the duties of their own order. Thou hast\ndischarged the duties of a Kshatriya and obtained the earth without a\nthorn in it. Observe thy own duties, O son of Kunti, for then, O Bharata,\nthou shalt be able to obtain happiness in the other world.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXIV-XXXV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"After doing what acts does a man become liable to\nperform expiation? And what are those acts which he must do for being\nfreed from sin? Tell me this, O grandsire.\"\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"Having omitted to do those acts that have been ordained,\nand done those that have been interdicted, and having behaved\ndeceitfully, a man becomes liable to perform expiation. The person in the\nobservance of the Brahmacharya vow, who rises from bed after the sun has\nrisen or goes to bed while the sun is setting, one who has a rotten nail\nor black teeth, one whose younger brother weds first, one who weds before\nhis elder brother is wedded, one who has been guilty of the slaughter of\na Brahmana, one who speaks ill of others, one who weds a younger sister\nbefore the elder sister has been wedded, one who weds an elder sister\nafter having wedded a younger one, one who falls away from a vow, one who\nslays any one of the regenerate classes, one who imparts a knowledge of\nthe Vedas to a person unworthy of it, one who does not impart a knowledge\nthereof to a person that is worthy of it, one who takes many lives, one\nwho sells flesh, one who has abandoned his (sacred) fire, one who sells a\nknowledge of the Vedas,[111] one who slays his preceptor or a woman, one\nborn in a sinful family, one who slays an animal wilfully,[112] one who\nsets fire to a dwelling house, one who lives by deceit, one who acts in\nopposition to his preceptor, and one who has violated a compact,--these\nall are guilty of sins requiring expiation. I shall now mention other\nacts that men should not do, viz., acts that are interdicted by both the\nworld and the Vedas. Listen to me with concentrated attention. The\nrejection of one's own creed, the practice of other people's creed,\nassisting at the sacrifice or the religious rites of one that is not\nworthy of such assistance, eating of food that is forbidden, deserting\none that craves protection, neglect in maintaining servants and\ndependants, selling salt and treacle (and similar other substances),\nkilling of birds and animals, refusal, though competent, to procreate\nupon a soliciting woman, omission to present the daily gifts (of handfuls\nof grass to kine and the like), omission to present the dakshina,\nhumiliating a Brahmana,--these all have been pronounced by persons\nconversant with duty to be acts that no one should do. The son that\nquarrels with the father, the person that violates the bed of his\npreceptor, one that neglects to produce offspring in one's wedded wife,\nare all sinful, O tiger among men! I have now declared to thee, in brief\nas also in detail, those acts and omissions by which a man becomes liable\nto perform expiation. Listen now to the circumstances under which men, by\neven committing these acts, do not become stained with sin. If a Brahmana\nwell acquainted with the Vedas takes up arms and rushes against thee in\nbattle for killing thee, thou mayst proceed against him for taking his\nlife. By such an act the slayer does not become guilty of the slaughter\nof a Brahmana.[113] There is a mantra in the Vedas, O son of Kunti, that\nlays this down, I declare unto thee only those practices that are\nsanctioned by the authority of the Vedas. One who slays a Brahmana that\nhas fallen away from his own duties and that advances, weapon in hand,\nwith intent to slaughter, does not truly become the slayer of a Brahmana.\nIn such a case it is the wrath of the slayer that proceeds against the\nwrath of the slain. A person by drinking alcoholic stimulants in\nignorance or upon the advice of a virtuous physician when his life is at\nperil, should have the regenerating ceremonies performed once more in his\ncase. All that I have told thee, O son of Kunti, about the eating of\ninterdicted food, may be cleansed by such expiatory rites. Connection\nwith the preceptor's wife at the preceptor's command does not stain the\npupil. The sage Uddalaka caused his son Swetaketu to be begotten by a\ndisciple. A person by committing theft for the sake of his preceptor in a\nseason of distress is not stained with sin. One, however, that takes to\nthieving for procuring enjoyments for himself becomes stained. One is not\nstained by stealing from other than Brahmanas (in a season of distress\nand for the sake of one's preceptor). Only one that steals under such\ncircumstances without himself appropriating any portion thereof is\nuntouched by sin. A falsehood may be spoken for saving one's own life or\nthat of another, or for the sake of one's preceptor, or for gratifying a\nwoman, or for bringing about a marriage. One's vow of Brahmacharya is not\nbroken by having wet dreams. In such cases the expiation laid down\nconsists in the pouring of libations of clarified butter on the blazing\nfire. If the elder brother be fallen or has renounced the world, the\nyounger brother does not incur sin by marrying. Solicited by a woman,\nconnection with her is not destructive of virtue. One should not slay or\ncause to be slain an animal except in a sacrifice. Animals have become\nsacred (fit for sacrifice) through the kindness manifested towards them\nby the Creator himself in the ordinance laid down by him. By making a\ngift in ignorance to an undeserving Brahmana one does not incur sin. The\nomission (through ignorance) to behave with liberality towards a\ndeserving person does not lead to sin. By casting off an adulterous wife\none does not incur sin. By such treatment the woman herself may be purged\nwhile the husband may avoid sin. One who knows the true use of the Soma\njuice, does not incur sin by selling it.[114] By dismissing a servant who\nis incompetent to render service one is not touched by sin. I have now\nsaid unto thee those acts by doing which one does not incur sin. I shall\nnow speak to thee of expiation in detail.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXVI\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"By penances, religious rites, and gifts, O Bharata, a man\nmay wash off his sins if he does not commit them again. By subsisting\nupon only one meal a day, and that procured by mendicancy, by doing all\nhis acts himself (without relying on the aid of a servant), by making his\nround of mendicancy with a human skull in one hand and a khattanga in\nanother, by becoming a Brahmacharin and always ready for exertion, by\ncasting off all malice, by sleeping on the bare ground, by publishing his\noffence to the world, by doing all this for full twelve years, a person\ncan cleanse himself from the sin of having slain a Brahmana. By perishing\nupon the weapon of a person living by the use of arms, of one's own will\nand upon the advice of persons learned in the scriptures, or by throwing\none's self down, for three times, with head downwards, upon a blazing\nfire, or by walking a hundred Yojanas all the while reciting the Vedas,\nor by giving away one's whole property to a Brahmana conversant with the\nVedas, or at least so much as would secure to him a competence for life,\nor a house properly furnished, and by protecting kine and Brahmanas, one\nmay be cleansed of the sin of having slain a Brahmana. By living upon the\nscantiest meal every day for a space of six years, a person may be\ncleansed of that sin.[115] By observing a harder vow with regard to food\none may be cleansed in three years.[116] By living upon one meal a month,\none may be cleansed in course of only a year. By observing, again, an\nabsolute fast, one may be cleansed within a very short time. There is no\ndoubt again that one is cleansed by a Horse-sacrifice. Men that have\nbeen guilty of having slain a Brahmana and that have succeeded in taking\nthe final bath at the completion of the Horse-sacrifice, become cleansed\nof all their sins. This is an injunction of great authority in the\nSrutis. One again, by slaying down his life in a battle undertaken for\nthe sake of a Brahmana, becomes cleansed of the sin of having slain a\nBrahmana. By giving away a hundred thousand kine unto persons deserving\nof gifts, one becomes cleansed of the sin of having slain a Brahmana as\nalso, indeed, of all his sins. One that gives away five and twenty\nthousand kine of the Kapila species and while all of them have calved,\nbecomes cleansed of all his sins. One who, at the point of death, gives\naway a thousand kine with calves unto poor but deserving persons, becomes\nfreed from sin. That man, O king, who gives away a hundred steeds of the\nKamvoja breed unto Brahmanas of regulated behaviour, becomes freed from\nsin. That man. O Bharata, who gives unto even one person all that he asks\nfor, and who, having given it, does not speak of his act to any one,\nbecomes freed from sin. If a person who has once taken alcohol drinks (as\nexpiation) hot liquor, he sanctifies himself both here and hereafter. By\nfalling from the summit of a mountain or entering a blazing fire, or by\ngoing on an everlasting journey after renouncing the world, one is freed\nfrom all sins. By performing the sacrifice laid down by Vrihaspati, a\nBrahmana who drinks alcoholic liquors may succeed in attaining to the\nregion of Brahman. This has been said by Brahman himself. If a person,\nafter having drunk alcoholic liquor, becomes humble and makes a gift of\nland, and abstains from it ever afterwards, he becomes sanctified and\ncleansed. The person that has violated his preceptor's bed, should lie\ndown on a sheet of iron having heated it, and having cut off the emblem\nof his sex should leave the world for a life in the woods, with eyes\nalways turned upwards. By casting off one's body, one becomes cleansed of\nall his evil acts. Women, by leading a regulated life for one year,\nbecome cleansed of all their sins. The person who observes a very rigid\nvow, or gives away the whole of his wealth, or perishes in a battle\nfought for the sake of his preceptor, becomes cleansed of all his sins.\nOne who uses falsehood before one's preceptor or acts in opposition to\nhim, becomes cleansed of that sin by doing something agreeable to one's\npreceptor. One who has fallen off from the vow (of Brahmacharya), may\nbecome cleansed of that sin by wearing the hide of a cow for six months\nand observing the penances laid down in the case of the slaughter of a\nBrahmana. One who has been guilty of adultery, or of theft, may become\ncleansed by observing rigid vows for a year. When one steals another's\nproperty, one should, by every means in his power, return to that other\nproperty of the value of what has been stolen. One may then be cleansed\nof the sin (of theft). The younger brother who has married before the\nmarriage of the elder brother, as also the elder brother whose younger\nbrother has married before him, becomes cleansed by observing a rigid\nvow, with collected soul, for twelve nights. The younger brother,\nhowever, should wed again for rescuing his deceased ancestors. Upon such\nsecond wedding, the first wife becomes cleansed and her husband himself\nwould not incur sin by taking her. Men conversant with the scriptures\ndeclare that women may be cleansed of even the greatest sins by observing\nthe vow of chaturmasya, all the while living upon scanty and cleansing\nfood. Persons conversant with the scriptures do not take into account the\nsins that women may commit at heart. Whatever their sins (of this\ndescription), they are cleansed by their menstrual course like a metallic\nplate that is scoured with ashes. Plates (made of the alloy of brass and\ncopper) stained by a Sudra eating off it, or a vessel of the same metal\nthat has been smelt by a cow, or stained by a Brahmana's Gandusha, may be\ncleansed by means of the ten purifying substances.[117] It has been laid\ndown that a Brahmana should acquire and practise the full measure of\nvirtue. For a person at the kingly order it has been laid down that he\nshould acquire and practise a measure of virtue less by a fourth part.\nSo, a Vaisya should acquire a measure less (than a Kshatriya's) by a\nfourth and a Sudra less (than a Vaisya's) by a fourth. The heaviness or\nlightness of sins (for purposes of expiation) of each of the four orders,\nshould be determined upon this principle. Having slain a bird or an\nanimal, or cut down living trees, a person should publish his sin and\nfast for three nights. By having intercourse with one with whom\nintercourse is prohibited, the expiation for one is wandering in wet\nclothes and sleeping on a bed of ashes. These, O king, are the expiations\nfor sinful acts, according to precedent and reason and scriptures and the\nordinances. A Brahmana may be cleansed of all sins by reciting the\nGayatri in a sacred place, all the while living upon frugal fare, casting\noff malice, abandoning wrath and hate, unmoved by praise and blame, and\nabstaining from speech. He should during the day-time be under shelter of\nthe sky and should lie down at night even at such a place. Thrice during\nthe day, and thrice during the night, he should also plunge with his\nclothes into a stream or lake for performing his ablutions. Observant of\nrigid vows, he should abstain from speech with women, Sudras, and fallen\npersons. A Brahmana by observing such regulations may be cleansed of all\nsins unconsciously committed by him. A person obtains in the other world\nthe fruits, good or bad, of his acts here which are all witnessed by the\nelements. Be it virtue or be it vice, according to the true measure that\none acquires of either, one enjoys or suffers the consequences (even\nhere). By knowledge, by penances, and by righteous acts, therefore, one\nenhances his weal (even here). One, therefore may similarly enhance his\nmisery by committing unrighteous acts. One should, therefore, always\nachieve acts that are righteous and abstain altogether from those that\nare unrighteous. I have now indicated what the expiations are of the sins\nthat have been mentioned. There is expiation for every sin except those\nthat are called Mahapatakas (highly heinous sins). As regards sins in\nrespect of unclean food and the like, and improper speeches, etc., they\nare of two classes, viz., those committed consciously and those that are\ncommitted unconsciously. All sins that are committed consciously are\ngrave, while those that are committed unconsciously are trivial or light.\nThere is expiation for both. Indeed sin is capable of being washed away\nby (observance of) the ordinances spoken of. Those ordinances, however,\nhave been laid down only for believers (in God) and those that have\nfaith. They are not for atheists or those that have no faith, or those in\nwhom pride and malice predominate. A person, O tiger among men, that is\ndesirous of weal both here and hereafter, should, O foremost of virtuous\nmen, have recourse to righteous behaviour, to (the counsels of) men that\nare righteous, and to the duties that have been ordained for him.\nTherefore, for the reasons already advanced (by me), thou, O king, shalt\nbe cleansed of all thy sins for thou hast slain thy foes in the discharge\nof thy duties as a king and for the protection of thy life-breath and thy\ninheritance. Or, if not withstanding this, thou still regardest thyself\nto be sinful, perform expiation. Do not cast away thy life in consequence\nof such grief that is not becoming a wise man.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, \"Thus addressed by the holy Rishi, king\nYudhishthira the just, having reflected for a short while, said these\nwords unto the sage.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXVII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me, O grandfather, what food is clean and what\nunclean, what gift is praiseworthy, and who should be considered\ndeserving and who undeserving (of gifts).\"\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"In this connection is cited the old account of a discourse\nbetween the ascetics and that lord of creation, viz., Manu. In the Krita\nage, an assembly of Rishis, of rigid vows, having approached the great\nand puissant lord of creation, Manu, while seated at his ease, solicited\nhim to discourse on duties, saying, 'What food should be taken, who is to\nbe regarded a deserving person (for gifts), what gifts should be made,\nhow should a person study, and what penances should one perform and how,\nand what acts should be done and what acts should not be done, O lord of\ncreation, tell us everything about all this.' Thus addressed by them, the\ndivine and self-born Manu said unto them, 'Listen to me as I expound the\nduties in brief and in detail. In regions which have not been\ninterdicted, silent recitation (of sacred mantras, homa), fasts,\nknowledge of self, sacred rivers, regions inhabited by men devoted to\nthis pious acts,--these have been laid down as acts and objects that are\ncleansing. Certain mountains also are cleansing, as also the eating of\ngold and bathing in waters into which have been dipped gems and precious\nstones. Sojourn to holy places, and eating of sanctified butter--these\nalso, without doubt speedily cleanse a man. No man would ever be called\nwise if he is indulged in pride. If he wishes to be long-lived, he should\nfor three nights drink hot water (as an expiation for having indulged in\npride). Refusal to appropriate what is not given, gift, study (of\nscriptures), penance, abstention from injury, truth, freedom from wrath,\nand worship of the gods in sacrifices,--these are the characteristics of\nvirtue. That again which is virtue may, according to time and place, be\nsin. Thus appropriation (of what belongs to others), untruth, and injury\nand killing, may under special circumstances, become virtue. With respect\nto persons capable of judging, acts are of two kinds, viz., virtuous and\nsinful. From the worldly and the Vedic points of view again, virtue and\nsin are good or bad (according to their consequences). From the Vedic\npoint of view, virtue and sin (i.e., everything a man may do or not do),\nwould be classed under action and inaction. Inaction (i.e., abstention\nfrom Vedic rites and adoption of a life of contemplation) leads to\nemancipation (from rebirth); while the consequences of action (i.e.,\npractice of Vedic rites) are repeated death and rebirth. From the worldly\npoint of view, acts that are evil lead to evil and those that are good to\nconsequences that are good. From the worldly point of view, therefore,\nvirtue and sin are to be distinguished by the good and the evil character\nof their consequences.[118] Acts that are (apparently) evil, when\nundertaken from considerations connected with the gods, the scriptures,\nlife itself, and the means by which life is sustained, produce\nconsequences that are good. When an act is undertaken from the\nexpectation, however doubtful, that it will produce mischief (to some\none) in the future, or when an act is done whose consequence is visibly\nmischievous, expiation has been laid down. When an act is done from wrath\nor clouded judgment, then expiation should be performed by giving pain to\nthe body, guided by precedent, by scriptures, and by reason. When\nanything, again, is done for pleasing or displeasing the mind, the sin\narising therefrom may be cleansed by sanctified food and recitation of\nmantras. The king who lays aside (in a particular case) the rod of\nchastisement, should fast for one night. The priest who (in a particular\ncase) abstains from advising the king to inflict punishment, should fast\nfor three nights as an expiation. The person who, from grief, attempts to\ncommit suicide by means of weapons, should fast for three nights. There\nis no expiation for them that cast off the duties and practices of their\norder and class, country, and family, and that abandon their very creed.\nWhen an occasion for doubt respecting what should be done arises, that\nshould be regarded as the injunction of the scriptures which ten persons\nversed in Vedic scriptures or three of those that frequently recite them\nmay declare.[119] The bull, earth, little ants, worms generated in dirt,\nand poison, should not be eaten by Brahmanas. They should not also eat\nfishes that have no scales, and four-footed aquatic animals like frogs\nand others, except the tortoise. Water-fowls called Bhasas, ducks,\nSuparnas, Chakravakas, diving ducks, cranes, crows, shags, vultures,\nhawks, owls, as also all four-footed animals that are carnivorous and\nthat have sharp and long teeth, and birds, and animals having two teeth\nand those having four teeth, as also the milk of the sheep, the she-ass,\nthe she-camel, the newly-calved cow, woman and deer, should not be taken\nby a Brahmana. Besides this, the food that has been offered to the man,\nthat which has been cooked by a woman who has recently brought forth a\nchild, and food cooked by an unknown person, should not be eaten. The\nmilk also of a cow that has recently calved should not be taken. If a\nBrahmana takes food that has been cooked by a Kshatriya, it diminishes\nhis energy; if he takes the food provided by a Sudra, it dims his\nBrahmanic lustre; and if he takes the food provided by a goldsmith or a\nwoman who has neither husband nor children it lessens the period of his\nlife. The food provided by a usurer is equivalent to dirt, while that\nprovided by a woman living by prostitution is equivalent to semen. The\nfood also provided by persons that tolerate the unchastity of their\nwives, and by persons that are ruled by their spouses, is forbidden. The\nfood provided by a person selected (for receiving gifts) at a certain\nstage of a sacrifice, by one who does not enjoy his wealth or make any\ngifts, that provided by one who sells Soma, or one who is a shoe-maker,\nby an unchaste woman, by a washerman, by a physician, by persons serving\nas watchmen, by a multitude of persons, by one who is pointed at by a\nwhole village, by one deriving his support from keep of dancing girls, by\npersons wedding before their elder brothers are wedded, by professional\npanegyrists and bards, and by those that are gamblers, the food also\nwhich is brought with the left hand or which is stale, the food which is\nmixed with alcohol, the food a portion of which has been already tasted,\nand the food that forms the remnant of a feast, should not be taken (by a\nBrahmana). Cakes, sugarcanes, potherbs, and rice boiled in sugared milk,\nif they have lost their relish, should not be taken. The powder of fried\nbarley and of other kinds of fried grain, mixed with curds, if become\nstale with age, should not be taken. Rice boiled in sugared milk, food\nmixed with the tila seed, meat, and cakes, that have not been dedicated\nto the gods, should not be taken by Brahmanas leading a domestic mode of\nlife. Having first gratified the gods, Rishis, guests, Pitris, and the\nhousehold deities, a Brahmana leading a domestic mode of life should then\ntake his food. A householder by living thus in his own house becomes like\na person of the Bhikshu order that has renounced the world. A man of such\nbehaviour, living with his wives in domesticity, earns great religious\nmerit. No one should make a gift for the sake of acquiring fame, or from\nfear (of censure and the like) or unto a benefactor. A virtuous man would\nnot make gifts unto persons living by singing and dancing or unto those\nthat are professional jesters, or unto a person that is intoxicated, or\nunto one that is insane, or unto a thief, or unto a slanderer, or unto an\nidiot, or unto one that is pale of hue, or unto one that is defective of\na limb, or unto a dwarf, or unto a wicked person, or unto one born in a\nlow and wicked family, or unto one that has not been sanctified by the\nobservance of vows. No gift should be made to a Brahmana destitute of\nknowledge of the Vedas. Gifts should be made unto him only that is a\nSrotriya.[120] An improper gift and an improper acceptance produce evil\nconsequences unto both the giver and the acceptor. As a person who seeks\nto cross the ocean with the aid of a rock or a mass of catechu sinks\nalong with his support, even so the giver and the acceptor (in such a\ncase) both sink together. As a fire that is covered with wet fuel does\nnot blaze forth, even so the acceptor of a gift who is bereft of penances\nand study and piety cannot confer any benefit (upon the giver). As water\nin a (human skull) and milk in a bag made of dog-skin become unclean in\nconsequence of the uncleanliness of the vessels in which they are kept\neven so the Vedas become fruitless in a person who is not of good\nbehaviour. One may give from compassion unto a low Brahmana who is\nwithout mantras and vows, who is ignorant of the scriptures and who\nharbours envy. One may, from compassion, give unto a person that is poor\nor afflicted or ill. But he should not give unto such a person in the\nbelief that he would derive any (spiritual) benefit from it or that he\nwould earn any religious merit by it. There is no doubt that a gift made\nto Brahmana bereft of the Vedas becomes perfectly fruitless in\nconsequence of the fault of the recipient. As an elephant made of wood or\nan antelope made of leather, even so is a Brahmana that has not studied\nthe Vedas. All the three have nothing but names.[121] As a eunuch is\nunproductive with women, as a cow is unproductive with a cow, as a bird\nlives in vain that is featherless, even so is a Brahmana that is without\nmantras. As grain without kernel, as a well without water, as libations\npoured on ashes, even so is a gift to a Brahmana void of learning. An\nunlearned Brahmana is an enemy (to all) and is the destroyer of the food\nthat is presented to the gods and Pitris. A gift made to such a person\ngoes for nothing. He is, therefore, like unto a robber (of other people's\nwealth). He can never succeed in acquiring regions of bliss hereafter.' I\nhave now told thee in brief, O Yudhishthira, all that was said (by Manu\non that occasion). This high discourse should be listened to by all, O\nbull of Bharata's race.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXVIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O holy and great ascetic, I desire to hear in detail\nwhat the duties of kings are and what the duties, in full, of all the\nfour orders. I desire also to hear, O foremost of Brahmanas, what\nbehaviour should be adopted in seasons of distress, and how I may\nsubjugate the world by treading along the path of morality. This\ndiscourse on expiation, treating (at the same time) of fasts and capable\nof exciting great curiosity, fills me with joy. The practice of virtue\nand the discharge of kingly duties are always inconsistent with each\nother. For always thinking of how one may reconcile the two, my mind is\nconstantly stupefied.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Then Vyasa, O monarch, that foremost of all\npersons conversant with the Vedas, casting his eyes upon that ancient and\nall-knowing person, viz., Narada, said, \"If, O king, thou wishest to hear\nof duties and morality in full, then ask Bhishma, O mighty-armed one,\nthat old grandsire of the Kurus. Conversant with all duties and possessed\nof universal knowledge, that son of Bhagirathi will remove all the doubts\nin thy heart on the difficult subject of duties. That goddess, viz., the\ngenius of the celestial river of three courses brought him forth. He saw\nwith his physical eyes all the gods with Indra at their head. Having\ngratified with his dutiful services the celestial Rishis having\nVrihaspati at their head, he acquired a knowledge of the duties of kings.\nThat foremost one among the Kurus obtained a knowledge also of that\nscience, with its interpretations, with Usanas and that regenerate one\nwho is the preceptor of the celestials know. Having practised rigid vows,\nthat mighty-armed one acquired a knowledge of all the Vedas and their\nbranches, from Vasishtha and from Chyavana of Bhrigu's race. In olden\ndays he studied under the eldest-born son of the Grandsire himself, viz.,\nSanatkumara of blazing splendour, well conversant with the truths of\nmental and spiritual science. He learnt the duties in full of the Yatis\nfrom the lips of Markandeya. The bull among men obtained all weapons from\nRama and Sakra. Although born among human beings, his death itself is\nstill under his own control. Although childless, yet he has many regions\nof bliss hereafter as heard by us. Regenerate Rishis of great merit were\nalways his courtiers. There is nothing among objects that should be known\nthat is unknown to him. Conversant with all duties and acquainted with\nall the subtle truths of morality, even he will discourse to thee upon\nduty and morality. Go unto him before he abandons his life breath.\" Thus\naddressed by him, the high-souled son of Kunti, of great wisdom, said the\nfollowing words unto Satyavati's son Vyasa, that first of eloquent men.'\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Having caused a great and horrid slaughter of\nkinsmen, I have become an offender against all and a destroyer of the\nearth. Having caused that Bhishma himself, that warrior who always fought\nfairly, to be slain by the aid of deceit, how shall I approach him for\nasking him (about duties and morality)?\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Moved by the desire of benefiting all the four\norders, the mighty armed and high-souled chief of Yadu's race once more\naddressed that foremost of kings (in the following words).'\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"It behoveth thee not to show such pertinacity in grief.\nDo that, O best of kings, which the holy Vyasa has said. The Brahmanas, O\nmighty-armed one, and these thy brothers of great energy, stand before\nthee beseechingly like persons beseeching the deity of the clouds at the\nclose of summer. The unslain remnant of the assembled kings, and the\npeople belonging to all the four orders of thy kingdom of Kurujangala, O\nking, are here. For the sake of doing what is agreeable to these\nhigh-souled Brahmanas, in obedience also to the command of thy revered\nsenior Vyasa of immeasurable energy, and at the request of ourselves\nthat are thy well-wishers, and of Draupadi, O scorcher of foes, do what\nis agreeable to us, O slayer of foes, and what is beneficial to the\nworld.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed by Krishna, the high-souled king\n(Yudhishthira) of eyes like lotus petals, rose from his seat for the good\nof the whole world. The tiger among men, viz., Yudhishthira of great\nfame, besought by Krishna himself, by the Island-born (Vyasa), by\nDevasthana, by Jishnu, by these and many others, cast off his grief and\nanxiety. Fully conversant with the declarations of the Srutis, with the\nscience that treats of the interpretation of those declarations, and with\nall that men usually hear and all that deserve to be heard, the son of\nPandu obtained peace of mind and resolved upon that he should next do.\nSurrounded by all of them like the moon by the stars, the king, placing\nDhritarashtra at the head of the train, set out for entering the city.\nDesirous of entering the city, Kunti's son Yudhishthira, conversant with\nevery duty, offered worship unto the gods and thousands of Brahmanas. He\nthen ascended a new and white car covered with blankets and deerskins,\nand unto which were yoked sixteen white bullocks possessed of auspicious\nmarks, and which had been sanctified with Vedic mantras. Adored by\npanegyrists and bards, the king mounted upon that car like Soma riding\nupon his own ambrosial vehicle. His brother Bhima of terrible prowess\ntook the reins. Arjuna held over his head a white umbrella of great\neffulgence. That white umbrella held upon the car looked beautiful like a\nstar-decked white cloud in the firmament. The two heroic sons of Madri,\nviz., Nakula and Sahadeva, took up two yak-tails white as the rays of the\nmoon and adorned with gems for fanning the king. The five brothers decked\nwith ornaments, having ascended the car, O king, looked like the five\nelements (that enter into the composition of everybody). Riding upon\nanother white car unto which were yoked steeds fleet as thought, Yuyutsu,\nO king, followed the eldest son of Pandu behind. Upon his own brilliant\ncar of gold unto which were yoked Saivya and Sugriva, Krishna, with\nSatyaki, followed the Kurus. The eldest uncle of Pritha's son, O Bharata,\naccompanied by Gandhari, proceeded at the head of the train, upon a\nvehicle borne on the shoulders of men. The other ladies of the Kuru\nhousehold, as also Kunti and Krishna, all proceeded on excellent\nvehicles, headed by Vidura. Behind followed a large number of cars and\nelephants decked with ornaments, and foot-soldiers and steeds. His\npraises chanted by sweet-voiced panegyrists and bards, the king proceeded\ntowards the city called after the elephant. The progress, O mighty-armed\none, of king Yudhishthira, became so beautiful that its like had never\nbeen on earth. Teeming with healthy and cheerful men, the busy hum of\ninnumerable voices was heard there. During the progress of Pritha's son,\nthe city and its streets were adorned with gay citizens (all of whom had\ncome out for honouring the king). The spot through which the king passed\nhad been decked with festoons of flowers and innumerable banners. The\nstreets of the city were perfumed with incense. The place was overlaid\nwith powdered perfumes and flowers and fragrant plants, and hung over\nwith garlands and wreaths. New metallic jars, full of water to the brim,\nwere kept at the door of every house, and bevies of beautiful maidens of\nthe fairest complexion stood at the particular spots. Accompanied by his\nfriends, the son of Pandu, adored with sweet speeches, entered the city\nthrough its well-adorned gate.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXIX\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'At the time the Parthas entered the city, thousands\nupon thousands of the citizens came out to behold the sight. The\nwell-adorned squares and streets, with crowd swelling at each moment\nlooked beautiful like the ocean swelling at the rise of the moon. The\nlarge mansions that stood on the street-sides, decked with every ornament\nand full of ladies, seemed to shake, O Bharata, with their weight. With\nsoft and modest voices they uttered the praises of Yudhishthira, of Bhima\nand Arjuna, and of the two sons of Madri. And they said, \"Worthy of all\npraise art thou, O blessed princess of Panchala, that waitest by the side\nof those foremost of men even like Gautami by the side of the (seven)\nRishis. Thy acts and vows have borne their fruits, O lady!\" In this\nstrain, O monarch, the ladies praised the princess Krishna. In\nconsequence of those praises, O Bharata, and their speeches with one\nanother, and the shouts of joy (uttered by the men), the city became\nfilled with a loud uproar. Having passed through the streets with such\nbehaviour as befitted him, Yudhishthira then entered the beautiful palace\n(of the Kurus) adorned with every ornament. The people belonging to the\ncity and the provinces, approaching the palace, uttered speeches that\nwere agreeable to his ears, \"By good luck, O foremost of kings, thou hast\nvanquished thy enemies, O slayer of foes! By good luck, thou hast\nrecovered thy kingdom through virtue and prowess. Be, O foremost of\nkings, our monarch for a hundred years, and protect thy subjects\nvirtuously like Indra protecting the denizens of heaven.\" Thus adored at\nthe palace-gate with blessed speeches, and accepting the benedictions\nuttered by the Brahmanas from every side, the king, graced with victory\nand the blessings of the people, entered the palace that resembled the\nmansion of Indra himself, and then descended from his car. Entering the\napartments, blessed Yudhishthira approached the household gods and\nworshipped them with gems and scents and floral wreaths. Possessed of\ngreat fame and prosperity, the king came out once more and beheld a\nnumber of Brahmanas waiting with auspicious articles in their hands (for\npronouncing benedictions on him). Surrounded by those Brahmanas desirous\nof uttering benedictions on him, the king looked beautiful like the\nspotless moon in the midst of the stars. Accompanied by his priest\nDhaumya and his eldest uncle, the son of Kunti cheerfully worshipped,\nwith due rites, those Brahmanas with (gifts of) sweets, gems, and gold in\nprofusion, and kine and robes, O monarch, and with diverse other articles\nthat each desired. Then loud shouts of \"This is a blessed day\" arose,\nfilling the entire welkin, O Bharata. Sweet to the ear, that sacred sound\nwas highly gratifying to the friends and well-wishers (of the Pandavas).\nThe king heard that sound uttered by those learned Brahmanas and that was\nas loud and clear as the sound of a flock of swans. He listened also to\nthe speeches, fraught with melodious words and grave import, of those\npersons well conversant with the Vedas. Then, O king, the peal of drums\nand the delightful blare of conchs, indicative of triumph, arose. A\nlittle while after when the Brahmanas had become silent, a Rakshasa of\nthe name of Charvaka, who had disguised himself as a Brahmana, addressed\nthe king. He was a friend of Duryodhana and stood there in the garb of a\nreligious mendicant. With a rosary, with a tuft of hair on his head, and\nwith the triple staff in his hand, he stood proudly and fearlessly in the\nmidst of all those Brahmanas that had come there for pronouncing\nbenedictions (upon the king), numbering by thousands, O king, and all of\nwhom were devoted to penances and vows. That wicked wight, desirous of\nevil unto the high-souled Pandavas and without having consulted those\nBrahmanas, said these words unto the king.'\n\n\"'Charvaka said, \"All these Brahmanas, making me their spokesman, are\nsaying, 'Fie on thee! Thou art a wicked king. Thou art a slayer of\nkinsmen.' What shalt thou gain, O son of Kunti, by having thus\nexterminated thy race? Having slain also thy superiors and preceptor, it\nis proper for thee to cast away thy life.\" Hearing these words of that\nwicked Rakshasa the Brahmanas there became deeply agitated. Stung by that\nspeech, they made a loud uproar. And all of them, with king Yudhishthira.\nO monarch, became speechless from anxiety and shame.'\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"I bow down to you and beseech you humbly, be\ngratified with me. It doth not behove you to cry fie on me. I shall soon\nlay down my life.\"'[122]\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Then all those Brahmanas, O king, loudly said,\n\"These are not our words. Prosperity to thee, O monarch!\" Those\nhigh-souled persons, conversant with the Vedas, with understanding\nrendered clear by penances, then penetrated the disguise of the speaker\nby means of their spiritual sight. And they said, \"This is the Rakshasa\nCharvaka, the friend of Duryodhana. Having put on the garb of a religious\nmendicant, he seeks the good of his friend Duryodhana. We have not, O\nthou of righteous soul, said anything of the kind. Let this anxiety of\nthine be dispelled. Let prosperity attend upon thee with thy brothers.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'These Brahmanas then, insensate with rage,\nuttered the sound Hun. Cleansed of all sins, they censured the sinful\nRakshasa and slew him there (with that very sound). Consumed by the\nenergy of those utterers of Brahma, Charvaka fell down dead, like a tree\nwith all its sprouts blasted by the thunder of Indra. Duly worshipped,\nthe Brahmanas went away, having gladdened the king with their\nbenedictions. The royal son of Pandu also, with all his friends, felt\ngreat happiness.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XL\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Then Devaki's son Janardana of universal knowledge\naddressed king Yudhishthira who stood there with his brothers, saying,\n\"In this world, O sire, Brahmanas are always the objects of worship with\nme. They are gods on earth having poison in their speech, and are\nexceedingly easy to gratify. Formerly, in the Krita age, O king, a\nRakshasa of the name of Charvaka, O mighty-armed one, performed austere\npenances for many years in Vadari. Brahman repeatedly solicited him to\nask for boons. At last the Rakshasa solicited the boon, O Bharata, of\nimmunity from fear at the hand of every being in the universe. The Lord\nof the universe gave that high boon of immunity from fear at the hands of\nall creatures, subject to the only limitation that he should be careful\nof how he offended the Brahmanas. Having obtained that boon, the sinful\nand mighty Rakshasa of fierce deeds and great prowess began to give pain\nto the gods. The gods, persecuted by the might of the Rakshasa,\nassembling together, approached Brahman, for compassing their foe's\ndestruction. The eternal and unchangeable god answered them, O Bharata,\nsaying, 'I have already arranged the means by which the death of this\nRakshasa may soon be brought about. There will be a king of the name of\nDuryodhana. Among men, he will be the friend of this wight. Bound by\naffection towards him, the Rakshasa will insult the Brahmanas. Stung by\nthe wrong he will inflict upon them, the Brahmanas, whose might consists\nin speech, will in wrath censure him at which he will meet with\ndestruction.' Even that Rakshasa Charvaka, O foremost of kings, slain by\nthe curse of the Brahmanas, lies there deprived of life. Do not, O bull\nof Bharata's race, give way to grief. The kinsmen, O king, have all\nperished in the observance of Kshatriya duties. Those bulls among\nKshatriyas, those high-souled heroes, have all gone to heaven. Do thou\nattend to thy duties now. O thou of unfading glory, let no grief be\nthine. Stay thy foes, protect thy subjects, and worship the Brahmanas.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLI\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'The royal son of Kunti, freed from grief and the\nfever of his heart, took his seat, with face eastwards, on excellent seat\nmade of gold. On another seat, beautiful and blazing and made of gold,\nsat with face directed towards him, those two chastisers of foes, viz.,\nSatyaki and Vasudeva. Placing the king in their midst, on his two sides\nsat Bhima and Arjuna upon two beautiful seats adorned with gems. Upon a\nwhite throne of ivory, decked with gold, sat Pritha with Sahadeva and\nNakula. Sudharman,[123] and Vidura, and Dhaumya, and the Kuru king\nDhritarashtra, each sat separately on separate seats that blazed with the\neffulgence of fire. Yuyutsu and Sanjaya and Gandhari of great fame, all\nsat down where king Dhritarashtra had taken his seat. The\nrighteous-souled king, seated there, touched the beautiful white flowers,\nSwastikas, vessels full of diverse articles, earth, gold, silver, and\ngems, (that were placed before him). Then all the subjects, headed by the\npriest, came to see king Yudhishthira, bringing with them diverse kinds\nof auspicious articles. Then earth, and gold, and many kinds of gems, and\nall the things in profusion that were necessary for the performance of\nthe coronation rite, were brought there. There were golden jars full to\nthe brim (with water), and those made of copper and silver and earth, and\nflowers, and fried paddy, and Kusa grass, and cow's milk, and\n(sacrificial) fuel consisting of the wood of Sami, Pippala, and Palasa,\nand honey and clarified butter and (sacrificial) ladles made of Udumvara,\nand conches adorned with gold.[124] Then the priest Dhaumya, at the\nrequest of Krishna, constructed, according to rule, an altar gradually\ninclining towards the cast and the north. Causing the high-souled\nYudhishthira then, with Krishna the daughter of Drupada, to be seated\nupon a handsome seat, called Sarvatobhadra, with firm feet and covered\nwith tiger-skin and blazing with effulgence, began to pour libations of\nclarified butter (upon the sacrificial fire) with proper mantras. Then he\nof Dasaratha's race, rising from his seat, took up the sanctified conch,\npoured the water it contained upon the head of that lord of earth, viz.,\nYudhishthira, the son of Kunti. The royal sage Dhritarashtra and all the\nsubjects also did the same at the request of Krishna. The son of Pandu\nthen, with his brothers, thus bathed with the sanctified water of the\nconch, looked exceedingly beautiful. Then Panavas and Anakas and drums\nwere beaten. King Yudhishthira the just duly accepted the gifts made unto\nhim by the subjects. Always giving away presents in profusion in all his\nsacrifices, the king honoured his subjects in return. He gave a thousand\nnishkas unto the Brahmanas that uttered (especial) benedictions on him.\nAll of them had studied the Vedas and were endued with wisdom and good\nbehaviour. Gratified (with gifts), the Brahmanas, O king, wished him\nprosperity and victory, and with voices melodious like that of swans,\nuttered his praises, saying, \"O Yudhishthira of mighty arms, by good\nluck, O son of Pandu, victory has been thine. By good luck, O thou of\ngreat splendour, thou hast recovered thy position through prowess. By\ngood luck, the wielder of Gandiva, and Bhimasena, and thyself, O king,\nand the two sons of Madri, are all well, having slain your foes and\nescaped with life from the battle, so destructive of heroes. Do thou, O\nBharata, attend without delay to those acts that should next be done.\"\nThus adored by those pious men, king Yudhishthira the just, with his\nfriends, became installed on the throne of a large kingdom, O Bharata!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Having heard those words, suitable to time and\nplace, of his subjects, king Yudhishthira answered them in the following\nwords, \"Great must be the sons of Pandu, in sooth, whose merits, true or\nfalse, are thus recited by such foremost of Brahmanas assembled together.\nWithout doubt, we are all objects of favour with you since you so freely\ndescribe us to be possessed of such attributes. King Dhritarashtra,\nhowever, is our father and god. If ye desire to do what is agreeable to\nme, always render your obedience to him and what is agreeable to him.\nHaving slaughtered all my kinsmen, I live for him alone. My great duty is\nto always serve him in every respect with watchfulness. If ye, as also my\nfriends, think that I should be an object of favour with you and them,\nlet me then request you all to show the same behaviour towards\nDhritarashtra as ye used to show before. He is the lord of the world, of\nyourselves, and of myself. The whole world, with the Pandavas, belongs to\nhim. Ye should always bear these words of mine in your minds.\" The king\nthen told them to go whithersoever they liked. Having dismissed the\ncitizens and the people of the provinces, the delighter of the Kurus\nappointed his brother Bhimasena as Yuvaraja. And he cheerfully appointed\nVidura of great intelligence for assisting him with his deliberations and\nfor overlooking the sixfold requirements of the state.[125] And he\nappointed Sanjaya of mature years and possessed of every accomplishment,\nas general director and supervisor of the finances. And the king\nappointed Nakula for keeping the register of the forces, for giving them\nfood and pay and for supervising other affairs of the army. And king\nYudhishthira appointed Phalguna for resisting hostile forces and\nchastising the wicked. And he appointed Dhaumya, the foremost of priests,\nto attend daily to the Brahmanas and all rites in honour of the gods and\nother acts of a religious kind. And he appointed Sahadeva to always\nremain by his side, for the king thought, O monarch, that he should under\nall circumstances be protected by that brother of his. And the king\ncheerfully employed others in other acts according as he deemed them fit.\nThat slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the righteous-souled king\nYudhishthira, ever devoted to virtue, commanded Vidura and the\nhigh-souled Yuyutsu, saying, \"You should always with alacrity and\nattention do everything that my royal father Dhritarashtra wishes.\nWhatever also should be done in respect of the citizens and the residents\nof the provinces should be accomplished by you in your respective\ndepartments, after taking the king's permission.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLIII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'After this king Yudhishthira of magnanimous soul\ncaused the Sraddha rites to be performed of every one of his kinsmen\nslain in battle. King Dhritarashtra also of great fame, gave away, for\nthe good of his sons in the other world, excellent food, and kine, and\nmuch wealth, and many beautiful and costly gems (unto the Brahmanas).\nYudhishthira accompanied by Draupadi, gave much wealth for the sake of\nDrona and the high-souled Karna, of Dhrishtadyumna and Abhimanyu, of the\nRakshasa Ghatotkacha, the son of Hidimva, and of Virata, and his other\nwell-wishers that had served him loyally, and of Drupada and the five\nsons of Draupadi. For the sake of each of these, the king gratified\nthousands of Brahmanas with gifts of wealth and gems, and kine and\nclothes. The king performed the Sraddha rite for the good in the next\nworld, of every one of those kings also who had fallen in the battle\nwithout leaving kinsmen or friends behind. And the king also, for the\ngood of the souls of all his friends, caused houses to be founded for the\ndistribution of food, and places for the distribution of water, and tanks\nto be excavated in their names. Thus paying off the debt he owed to them\nand avoiding the chance of censure in the world,[126] the king became\nhappy and continued to protect his subjects religiously. He showed due\nhonour, as before, unto Dhritarashtra, and Gandhari, and Vidura, and unto\nall the superior Kauravas and unto all the officers. Full of kindness,\nthe Kuru king honoured and protected all those ladies also who had, in\nconsequence of the battle, been deprived of their heroic husbands and\nsons. The puissant king, with great compassion, extended his favours to\nthe destitute and the blind and the helpless by giving them food, clothes\nand shelter. Freed from foes and having conquered the whole Earth, king\nYudhishthira began to enjoy great happiness.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLIV\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Having got back the kingdom, king Yudhishthira of\ngreat wisdom and purity, after the ceremony of installation had been\nover, joining his hands together, addressed the lotus-eyed Krishna of\nDasarha's race, saying, \"Through thy grace, O Krishna, through thy policy\nand might and intelligence and prowess, O tiger among the Yadus, I have\ngot back this ancestral kingdom of mine. O thou of eyes like lotus\nleaves, I repeatedly bow to thee, O chastiser of foes! Thou hast been\ncalled the One only Being. Thou hast been said to be the refuge of all\nworshippers. The regenerate ones adore thee under innumerable names.[127]\nSalutations to thee, O Creator of the Universe! Thou art the soul of the\nUniverse and the Universe hath sprung from thee. Thou art Vishnu, thou\nart Jishnu, thou art Hari, thou art Krishna, thou art Vaikuntha, and thou\nart the foremost of all beings. Thou hast, as said in the Puranas, taken\nthy birth seven times in the womb of Aditi. It was thou that tookest\nbirth in the womb of Prishni.[128] The learned say that thou art the\nthree Yugas.[129] All thy achievements are sacred. Thou art the lord of\nour senses. Thou art the great Lord worshipped in sacrifices. Thou art\ncalled the great swan. Thou art three-eyed Sambhu. Thou art One, though\nknown as Vibhu and Damodara. Thou art the great Boar, thou art Fire, thou\nart the Sun, thou hast the bull for the device on thy banner, and thou\nhast Garuda also as thy device. Thou art the grinder of hostile hosts,\nthou art the Being that pervadest every form in the universe and thou art\nof irresistible prowess. Thou art the foremost of all things, thou art\nfierce, thou art the generalissimo in battle, thou art the Truth, thou\nart the giver of food, and thou art Guha (the celestial generalissimo);\nThyself unfading, thou causest thy foes to fade and waste. Thou art the\nBrahmana of pure blood, and thou art those that have sprung from\nintermixture. Thou art great. Thou walkest on high, thou art the\nmountains, and thou art called Vrishadarbha and Vrishakapi. Thou art the\nOcean, thou art without attributes, thou hast three humps, thou hast\nthree abodes, and thou takest human forms on earth, descending from\nheaven. Thou art Emperor, thou art Virat, and thou art Swarat.[130] Thou\nart the Chief of the celestials, and thou art the cause whence the\nUniverse has sprung. Thou art Almighty, thou art existence in every form,\nthou art without form, thou art Krishna, and thou art fire. Thou art the\nCreator, thou art the sire of the celestial physicians, thou art (the\nsage) Kapila, and thou art the Dwarf.[131] Thou art Sacrifice embodied,\nthou art Dhruva,[132] thou art Garuda, and thou art called Yajnasena.\nThou art Sikhandin, thou art Nahusha, and thou art Vabhru. Thou art the\nconstellation Punarvasu extended in the firmament, Thou art exceedingly\ntawny in hue, thou art the sacrifice known by the name of Uktha, thou art\nSushena, thou art the drum (that sends forth its sound on every side).\nThe track of thy car-wheels is light. Thou art the lotus of Prosperity,\nthou art the cloud called Pushkara, and thou art decked with floral\nwreaths. Thou art affluent, thou art puissant, thou art the most subtle,\nand it is thou whom the Vedas describe. Thou art the great receptacle of\nwaters, thou art Brahman, thou art the sacred refuge, and thou knowest\nthe abodes of all. Thou art called Hiranyagarbha, thou art the sacred\nmantras swadha  and swaha, thou art Kesava. Thou art the cause whence all\nthis hath sprung, and thou art its dissolution. In the beginning it is\nthou that createst the universe. This universe is under thy control, O\nCreator of the universe! Salutations to thee, O wielder of Sarnga, discus\nand sword!\" Thus hymned by king Yudhishthira the just in the midst of the\ncourt, the lotus-eyed Krishna became pleased. That foremost one of the\nYadavas then began to gladden the eldest son of Pandu with many agreeable\nspeeches.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLV\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'The king dismissed all his subjects, who, commanded\nby the monarch, returned to their respective homes. Comforting his\nbrothers, Yudhishthira, blazing with beauty, then addressed his brothers\nBhima of terrible prowess and Arjuna and the twins, saying, \"Your bodies\nhave, in the great battle, been mangled with diverse kinds of weapons by\nthe foe. Ye are greatly fatigued, grief and anger have scorched your\nhearts. Through my fault, ye bulls of Bharata's race, ye have suffered\nthe miseries of an exile in the forests like vulgar men. In delight and\nin happy ease enjoy this victory (that ye have won). After resting\nyourselves and regaining the full use of your faculties, meet me again in\nthe morning.\" After this, the mighty-armed Vrikodara like Maghavat\nentering his own beautiful fane, entered the palace of Duryodhana, that\nwas adorned with many excellent buildings and rooms, that adorned with\ngems of diverse kinds, that teemed with servants, male and female, and\nthat Yudhishthira assigned to him with the approval of Dhritarashtra. The\nmighty-armed Arjuna also, at the command of the king, obtained the palace\nof Dussasana which was not inferior to Duryodhana's and which consisted\nof many excellent structures and was adorned with a gate-way of gold, and\nwhich abounded in wealth and was full of attendants of both sexes. The\npalace of Durmarshana was even superior to that of Dussasana. Looking\nlike the mansion of Kuvera himself, it was adorned with gold and every\nkind of gem. King Yudhishthira gladly gave it to Nakula who deserved it\nbest and who had been emaciated (with the miseries of a life) in the\ngreat forest. The foremost of palaces belonging to Durmukha was\nexceedingly beautiful and adorned with gold. It abounded in beds and\nbeautiful women, with eyes like lotus-petals. The king gave it unto\nSahadeva who was ever employed in doing what was agreeable to him.\nObtaining it, Sahadeva became delighted as the Lord of treasures upon\nobtaining Kailasa. Yuyutsu and Vidura and Sanjaya, O monarch, and\nSudharman and Dhaumya, proceeded to the abodes they had owned\nbefore.[133] Like a tiger entering his cave in the hills, that tiger\namong men, viz., Saurin, accompanied by Satyaki, entered the palace of\nArjuna. Feasting on the viands and drinks (that had been kept ready for\nthem), the princes passed the night happily. Awaking in the morning with\nwell pleased hearts, they presented themselves before king Yudhishthira.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLVI\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'It behoveth thee, O learned Brahmana, to tell me what\nwas next done by Yudhishthira the mighty-armed son of Dharma after he had\nregained his kingdom. It behoveth thee to tell me also, O Rishi, what the\nheroic Hrishikesa, the supreme master of the three worlds did after this.'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Listen to me, O king, as I narrate in detail, O\nsinless one, what the Pandavas, headed by Vasudeva, did after this.\nHaving obtained his kingdom, O monarch, Kunti's son Yudhishthira\nappointed each of the four orders of men to their respective duties. The\n(eldest) son of Pandu gave unto a thousand high-souled Brahmanas of the\nSnataka order a thousand Nishkas each. He then gratified the servants\nthat were dependant on him and the guests that came to him, including\npersons that were undeserving and those that held heterodox views, by\nfulfilling their wishes. Unto his priest Dhaumya he gave kine in\nthousands and much wealth and gold and silver and robes of diverse kinds.\nTowards Kripa, O monarch, the king behaved in the way one should towards\none's preceptor. Observant of vows, the king continued to honour Vidura\ngreatly. That foremost of charitable men gratified all persons with gifts\nof food and drink and robes of diverse kinds and beds and seats. Having\nrestored peace to his kingdom, the king, O best of monarchs, possessed of\ngreat fame, paid due honour unto Yuyutsu and Dhritarashtra. Placing his\nkingdom, at the disposal of Dhritarashtra, of Gandhari, and of Vidura,\nking Yudhishthira continued to pass his days happily. Having gratified\neverybody, including the citizens, in this way, Yudhishthira, O bull of\nBharata's race, then proceeded with joined hands to the presence of the\nhigh-souled Vasudeva. He beheld Krishna, of the hue of a blue cloud,\nseated on a large sofa adorned with gold and gems. Attired in yellow\nrobes of silk and decked with celestial ornaments, his person blazed with\nsplendour like a Jewel set on gold. His bosom adorned with the Kaustubha\ngem, he looked like the Udaya mountain that decked the rising Sun. So\nbeautiful did he look that there is no simile in the three worlds.\nApproaching the high-souled one who was Vishnu himself in incarnate form,\nking Yudhishthira addressed him sweetly and smilingly, saying, \"O\nforemost of intelligent men, hast thou passed the night happily? O thou\nof unfading glory, are all thy faculties in their full vigour? O foremost\nof intelligent persons, is it all right with thy understanding? We have\ngot back our kingdom and the whole earth has come under our control, O\ndivine lord, through thy grace, O refuge of the three worlds and, O thou\nof three steps,[134] through thy grace have we won victory and obtained\ngreat fame and have not fallen away from the duties of our order!\" Unto\nthat chastiser of foes, viz., king Yudhishthira the just who addressed\nhim in that strain the divine Krishna said not a word, for he was then\nrapt in meditation.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLVII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"How wonderful is this, O thou of immeasurable\nprowess, that thou art rapt in meditation! O great refuge of the\nuniverse, is it all right with the three worlds? When thou hast, O God,\nwithdrawn thyself (from the world), having, O bull among men, adopted the\nfourth state, my mind has been filled with wonder.[135] The five\nlife-breaths that act within the body have been controlled by thee into\nstillness. Thy delighted senses thou hast concentrated within thy mind.\nBoth speech and mind, O Govinda, have been concentrated within thy\nunderstanding. All thy senses, indeed, have been withdrawn into thy\nsoul.[136] The hair on thy body stands erect. Thy mind and understanding\nare both still. Thou art as immobile now, O Madhava, as a wooden post or\na stone. O illustrious God, thou art as still as the flame of a lamp\nburning in a place where there is no wind. Thou art as immobile as a mass\nof rock. If I am fit to hear the cause, if it is no secret of thine,\ndispel, O god, my doubt for I beg of thee and solicit it as a favour.\nThou art the Creator and thou art the Destroyer. Thou art destructible\nand thou art indestructible. Thou art without beginning and thou art\nwithout end. Thou art the first and the foremost of Beings. O foremost of\nrighteous persons, tell me the cause of this (Yoga) abstraction. I\nsolicit thy favour, and am thy devoted worshipper, and bow to thee,\nbending my head.\" Thus addressed, the illustrious younger brother of\nVasava, recalling his mind, understanding, and the senses to their usual\nsphere, said these words with a soft smile.'\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"That tiger among men, Bhishma, who is now lying on a bed\nof arrows, and who is now like unto a fire that is about to go out, is\nthinking of me. Hence my mind also was concentrated on him. My mind was\nconcentrated upon him, the twang of whose bowstring and the sound of\nwhose palms Indra himself was unable to bear. I was thinking of him who\nhaving vanquished in a trice all the assembled kings (at the Self-choice\nof the daughters of the king of Kasi) abducted the three princesses for\nthe marriage of his brother Vichitravirya. I was thinking of him who\nfought continually for three and twenty days with Rama himself of\nBhrigu's race and whom Rama was unable to overcome. Collecting all his\nsenses and concentrating his mind by the aid of his understanding, he\nsought my refuge (by thinking of me). It was for this that I had centered\nmy mind upon him. I was thinking of him whom Ganga conceived and brought\nforth according to ordinary human laws and whom Vasishtha took as a\npupil. I was thinking of that hero of mighty energy and great\nintelligence who possesses a knowledge of all the celestial weapons as\nalso of the four Vedas with all their branches. I was thinking of him, O\nson of Pandu, who is the favourite disciple of Rama, the son of\nJamadagni, and who is the receptacle of the sciences. I was thinking of\nthat foremost of all persons conversant with morality and duty, of him, O\nbull of Bharata's race, who knows the Past, the Future, and the Present.\nAfter that tiger among kings shall have, in consequences of his own\nachievements, ascended to heaven, the earth, O son of Pritha, will look\nlike a moonless night. Therefore, O Yudhishthira, submissively\napproaching Ganga's son, viz., Bhishma of terrible prowess, question him\nabout what thou mayst desire to learn. O lord of the earth, enquire of\nhim about the four branches of knowledge (in respect of morality,\nprofit, pleasure and salvation), about the sacrifices and the rites laid\ndown for the four orders, about the four modes of life, and about the\nkingly duties in full. When Bhishma, that foremost one of Kuru's race,\nwill disappear from the world, every kind of knowledge will disappear\nwith him. It is for this that I urge thee (to go to him now).\" Hearing\nthese beneficial words of high import from Vasudeva, the righteous\nYudhishthira, with voice choked in tears, answered Janardana, saying,\n\"What thou hast said, O Madhava, about the eminence of Bhishma, is\nperfectly true. I have not the slightest doubt regarding it. Indeed, I\nhad heard of the high blessedness, as also the greatness, of the\nillustrious Bhishma from high-souled Brahmanas discoursing upon it. Thou,\nO slayer of foes, art the Creator of all the worlds. There cannot,\ntherefore, O delighter of the Yadavas, be the slightest doubt in what\nthou sayest. If thy heart be inclined to show grace, O Madhava, then we\nshall go unto Bhishma with thyself at our head. When the divine Surya\nshall have turned towards the north, Bhishma will leave (this world), for\nthose regions of bliss that he has won. That descendant of Kuru's race,\ntherefore, O mighty-armed one, deserves to have a sight of thee. (If thou\ngrantest my prayer), Bhishma will then obtain a sight of thee that art\nthe first of Gods, of thee that art destructible and indestructible.\nIndeed, O lord, thou it is that art the vast receptacle of Brahma.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these words of king Yudhishthira the\njust, the slayer of Madhu addressed Satyaki who was sitting beside him,\nsaying, \"Let my car be yoked.\" At this, Satyaki quickly left Kesava's\npresence and going out, commanded Daruka, saying, \"Let Krishna's car be\nmade ready.\" Hearing the words of Satyaki, Daruka speedily yoked\nKrishna's car. That foremost of vehicles, adorned with gold, decked with\na profusion of emeralds, and moon-gems and sun-gems, furnished with\nwheels covered with gold, possessed of effulgence, fleet as the wind, set\nin the middle with diverse other kinds of jewels, beautiful as the\nmorning sun, equipped with a beautiful standard topped by Garuda, and gay\nwith numerous banners, had those foremost of steeds, fleet as thought,\nviz., Sugriva and Saivya and the other two, in trappings of gold, yoked\nunto it. Having yoked it, O tiger, among kings, Daruka, with joined\nhands, informed Krishna of the fact.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLVIII\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'How did the grandsire of the Bharatas, who lay on a\nbed of arrows, cast off his body and what kind of Yoga did he adopt?'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Listen, O king, with pure heart and concentrated\nattention, as to how, O tiger among the Kurus, the high-souled Bhishma\ncast off his body. As soon as the Sun, passing the solstitial point,\nentered in his northerly course, Bhishma, with concentrated attention,\ncaused his soul (as connected with and independent of the body) to enter\nhis soul (in its independent and absolute state). Surrounded by many\nforemost of Brahmanas, that hero, his body pierced with innumerable\narrows, blazed forth in great beauty like Surya himself with his\ninnumerable rays. Surrounded by Vyasa conversant with the Vedas, by the\ncelestial Rishi Narada, by Devasthana, by Asmaka Sumantu, by Jaimini, by\nthe high-souled Paila, by Sandilya, by Devarata, by Maitreya of great\nintelligence, by Asita and Vasishtha and the high-souled Kausika, by\nHarita and Lomasa and Atri's son of great intelligence, by Vrihaspati and\nSukra and the great sage Chyavana, by Sanatkumara and Kapila and Valmiki\nand Tumvuru and Kuru, by Maudgalya and Rama of Bhrigu's race, and the\ngreat sage Trinavindu, by Pippalada and Vayu and Samvarta and Pulaha and\nKatha, by Kasyapa and Pulastya and Kratu and Daksha and Parasara, by\nMarichi and Angiras and Kasmya and Gautama and the sage Galava, by\nDhaumya and Vibhanda and Mandavya and Dhaumra and Krishnanubhautika, by\nUluka, that foremost of Brahmanas and the great sage Markandeya, by\nBhaskari and Purana and Krishna and Suta,--that foremost of virtuous\npersons, surrounded by these and many other highly-blessed sages of great\nsouls and possessed of faith and self-restraint and tranquillity of mind,\nthe Kuru hero looked like the Moon in the midst of the planets and the\nstars. Stretched on his bed of arrows, that tiger among men, Bhishma,\nwith pure heart and joined palms, thought of Krishna in mind, word, and\nact. With a cheerful and strong voice he hymned the praise of the slayer\nof Madhu, that master of yoga, with the lotus in his navel, that lord of\nthe universe, called Vishnu and Jishnu. With joined hands, that foremost\nof eloquent men, that puissant one, viz., Bhishma of highly virtuous\nsoul, thus praised Vasudeva.\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"O Krishna, O foremost of Beings, be thou pleased with\nthese words which I utter, in brief and in detail, from desire of hymning\nthy praises. Thou art pure and purity's self. Thou transcendest all. Thou\nart what people say to be THAT. Thou art the Supreme Lord. With my whole\nheart I seek thy refuge, O universal Soul and Lord of all creatures![137]\nThou art without beginning and without end. Thou art the highest of the\nhigh and Brahma. Neither the gods nor the Rishis know thee. The divine\nCreator, called Narayana or Hari, alone knows thee. Through Narayana, the\nRishis, the Siddhas, the great Nagas, the gods, and the celestial Rishis\nknow a little of thee. Thou art the highest of the high and knowest no\ndeterioration. The gods, the Danavas, the Gandharvas, the Yakshas, the\nPannagas, do not know who thou art and whence art thou. All the worlds\nand all created things live in thee, and enter thee (when the dissolution\ncomes). Like gems strung together in a thread, all things that have\nattributes reside in thee, the Supreme Lord.[138] Having the universe\nfor thy work and the universe for thy limbs, this universe consisting of\nmind and matter resides in thy eternal and all-pervading soul like a\nnumber of flowers strung together in a strong thread. Thou art called\nHari, of a thousand heads, a thousand feet, a thousand eyes, a thousand\narms, a thousand crowns, and a thousand faces of great splendour. Thou\nart called Narayana, divinity, and the refuge of the universe. Thou art\nthe subtlest of the subtle, grossest of the gross, the heaviest of the\nheavy and the highest of the high. In the Vaks, the Anuvaks, the Nishads,\nand Upanishads, thou art regarded as the Supreme Being of irresistible\nforce. In the Samans also, whose declarations are always true, thou art\nregarded as Truth's self![139] Thou art of quadruple soul. Thou art\ndisplayed in only the understanding (of all creatures). Thou art the Lord\nof those that are bound to thee in faith. O God, thou art adored (by the\nfaithful) under four excellent, high, and secret names.[140] Penances are\never present in thee. Performed (by other creatures for gratifying thee),\npenances live in thy form. Thou art the Universal Soul. Thou art of\nuniversal knowledge. Thou art the universe. Thou art omniscient. Thou art\nthe creator of everything in the universe.[141] Like a couple of sticks\ngenerating a blazing fire, thou hast been born of the divine Devaki and\nVasudeva for the protection of Brahma on earth.[142] For this eternal\nsalvation, the devout worshipper, with mind withdrawn from everything\nelse and casting off all desires, beholds thee, O Govinda, that art the\npure Soul, in his own soul. Thou transcendest Surya in glory. Thou art\nbeyond the ken of the senses and the understanding. O Lord of all\ncreatures, I place myself in thy hands. In the Puranas thou hast been\nspoken as Purusha (all-pervading spirit). On occasions of the\ncommencement of the Yugas, thou art said to be Brahma, while on occasions\nof universal dissolution thou art spoken of as Sankarshana. Adorable thou\nart, and therefore I adore thee. Though one, thou hast yet been born in\ninnumerable forms. Thou hast thy passions under complete control. Thy\ndevout worshippers, faithfully performing the rites laid down in the\nscriptures, sacrifice to thee, O giver of every wish! Thou art called the\nsheath within which the universe lies. All created things live in thee.\nLike swans and ducks swimming on the water, all the worlds that we see\nfloat in thee. Thou art Truth. Thou art One and undeteriorating. Thou art\nBrahma, Thou art That which is beyond Mind and Matter. Thou art without\nbeginning, middle, and end. Neither the gods nor the Rishis know thee.\nThe gods, the Asuras, the Gandharvas, the Siddhas, the Rishis, and the\ngreat Uragas with concentrated souls, always adore thee. Thou art the\ngreat panacea for all sorrow. Thou art without birth and death. Thou art\nDivine. Thou art self-created. Thou art eternal. Thou art invisible and\nbeyond ken. Thou art called Hari and Narayana, O puissant one. The Vedas\ndeclare thee to be the Creator of the universe and the Lord of everything\nexisting in the universe. Thou art the Supreme protector of the universe.\nThou knowest no deterioration and thou art that which is called the\nhighest. Thou art of the complexion of gold. Thou art the slayer of\nAsuras. Though One, Aditi brought thee forth in twelve forms.[143]\nSalutations to thee that art the soul of the Sun. Salutations to thee in\nthy form of Soma that is spoken of as the chief of all the regenerate\nones and that gratifies with nectar the gods in the lighted fortnight and\nthe Pitris in the dark fortnight. Thou art the One Being of transcendent\neffulgence dwelling on the other side of thick darkness. Knowing thee one\nceases to have any fear of death. Salutations to thee in that form which\nis an object of knowledge.[144] In the grand Uktha sacrifice, the\nBrahmanas adore thee as the great Rich. In the great fire-sacrifice, they\nsing thee as the chief Adhyaryu (priest). Thou art the soul of the Vedas.\nSalutations to thee. The Richs, the Yajus, and the Samans are thy abode.\nThou art the five kinds of sanctified libations (used in sacrifices).\nThou art the seven woofs used in the Vedas. Salutations to thee in thy\nform of Sacrifice.[145] Libations are poured on the Homa fire in\naccompaniment with the seventeen monosyllabic sounds. Thou art the soul\nof the Homa. Salutations to thee! Thou art that Purusha whom the Vedas\nsing. Thy name is Yajus. The Vedic metres are thy limbs. The sacrifices\nlaid down in the three Vedas are thy three heads. The great sacrifice\ncalled Rathantara is thy voice expressive of gratification. Salutation to\nthee in thy form of sacred hymns! Thou art the Rishi that hadst appeared\nin the great sacrifice extending for a thousand years performed by the\ncreators of the universe. Thou art the great swan with wings of gold.\nSalutations to thee in thy form of a swan.[146] Roots with all kinds of\naffixes and suffixes are thy limbs. The Sandhis are thy joints. The\nconsonants and the vowels are thy ornaments. The Vedas have declared thee\nto be the divine word. Salutations to thee in thy form as the word![147]\nAssuming the form of a boar whose limbs were constituted by sacrifice,\nthou hadst raised the submerged earth for the benefit of the three\nworlds. Salutations to thee in thy form of infinite prowess! Thou\nsleepest in Yoga on thy snake-decked sofa constituted by the thousand\nhoods (of the Naga). Salutations to thee in thy form of sleep! Thou\nbuildest the bridge for the good (to cross the sea of life) with Truth,\nwith those means by which emancipation may be obtained, and with the\nmeans by which the senses may be controlled. Salutations to thee in thy\nform of Truth! Men practising diverse creeds, actuated by desire of\ndiverse fruits worship thee with diverse rites. Salutations to thee in\nthy form of Creed! From thee have all things sprung. It is thou that\nexcitest all creatures having physical frames containing the principle of\ndesire. Salutations to thee in thy form of Excitement. The great Rishis\nseek thy unmanifest self within the manifest. Called Kshetrajna, thou\nsittest in Kshetra. Salutations to thee in thy form of Kshetra![148] Thou\nalways conscious and present in self, the Sankhyas still describe thee as\nexisting in the three states of wakefulness, dream, and sound sleep. They\nfurther speak of thee as possessed of sixteen attributes and representing\nthe number seventeen. Salutations to thy form as conceived by the\nSankhyas![149] Casting off sleep, restraining breath, withdrawn into\ntheir own selves, Yogins of restrained senses behold thee as eternal\nlight. Salutations to thee in thy Yoga form! Peaceful Sannyasins, freed\nfrom fear of rebirth in consequence of the destruction of all their sins\nand merits, obtain thee. Salutations to thee in thy form of\nemancipation![150] At the end of a thousand Yugas, thou assumest the form\nof a fire with blazing flames and consumest all creatures. Salutations to\nthee in thy form of fierceness! Having consumed all creatures and making\nthe universe one vast expanse of water, thou sleepest on the waters in\nthe form of a child. Salutations to thee in thy form as Maya (illusion)!\nFrom the navel of the Self-born of eyes like lotus leaves, sprang a\nlotus. On that lotus is established this universe. Salutations to thee in\nthy form as lotus! Thou hast a thousand heads. Thou pervadest everything.\nThou art of immeasurable soul. Thou hast subjugated the four kinds of\ndesire that are as vast as the four oceans. Salutations to thee in thy\nform of Yoga-sleep! The clouds are in the hair of thy head. The rivers\nare in the several joints of thy limbs. The four oceans are in thy\nstomach. Salutations to thee in thy form as water! Birth and the change\nrepresented by death spring from thee. All things, again, at the\nuniversal dissolution dissolve away in thee. Salutations to thy form as\ncause! Thou sleepest not in the night. Thou art occupied in day time\nalso. Thou observest the good and the bad actions (of all). Salutations\nto thee in thy form of (universal) observer! There is no act which thou\ncanst not do. Thou art, again, ever ready to accomplish acts that are\nrighteous. Salutations to thee in thy form of Work, the form, viz., which\nis called Vaikuntha! In wrath thou hadst, in battle, exterminated thrice\nseven times the Kshatriyas who had trampled virtue and authority under\ntheir feet. Salutations to thee in thy form of Cruelty! Dividing thyself\ninto five portions thou hast become the five vital breaths that act\nwithin everybody and cause every living creature to move. Salutations to\nthee in thy form of air! Thou appearest in every Yuga in the form called\nmonth and season and half-year and year, and art the cause of both\ncreation and dissolution. Salutations to thee in thy form of Time!\nBrahmanas are thy mouth, Kshatriyas are thy two arms, Vaisyas are thy\nstomach and thighs, and Sudras live in thy feet. Salutations to thee in\nthy form of caste! Fire constitute thy mouth. The heavens are the crown\nof thy head. The sky is thy navel. The earth is thy feet. The Sun is thy\neye. The points of the compass are thy ears. Salutations to thee in thy\nform as the (three) worlds! Thou art superior to Time. Thou art superior\nto Sacrifice. Thou art higher than the highest. Thyself without origin,\nthou art the origin of the universe. Salutations to thee in thy form as\nUniverse! Men of the world, according to the attributes ascribed to thee\nby the Vaiseshika theory, regard thee as the Protector of the world.\nSalutations to thee in thy form of Protector! Assuming the forms of food,\ndrink, and fuel, thou increasest the humours and the life-breaths of\ncreatures and upholdest their existence. Salutations to thee in thy form\nof life! For supporting the life-breaths thou eatest the four kinds of\nfood.[151] Assuming also the form of Agni within the stomach, thou\ndigestest that food. Salutations to thee in the form of digesting heat!\nAssuming the form of half-man and half-lion, with tawny eyes and tawny\nmanes, with teeth and claws for thy weapons, thou hadst taken the life of\nthe chief of the Asuras. Salutations to thee in thy form of swelling\nmight! Neither the gods, nor the Gandharvas, nor the Daityas, nor the\nDanavas, know thee truly. Salutations to thy form of exceeding subtility!\nAssuming the form of the handsome, illustrious, and puissant Ananta in\nthe nether region, thou upholdest the world. Salutations to thy form of\nMight! Thou stupefiest all creatures by the bonds of affection and love\nfor the continuance of the creation. Salutations to thee in thy form of\nstupefaction.[152] Regarding that knowledge which is conversant with the\nfive elements to be the true Self-knowledge (for which yogins strive),\npeople approach thee by knowledge! Salutations to thee in thy form of\nKnowledge! Thy body is immeasurable. Thy understanding and eyes are\ndevoted to everything. Thou art infinite, being beyond all measures.\nSalutations to thee in thy form of vastness! Thou hadst assumed the form\nof a recluse with matted locks on head, staff in hand, a long stomach,\nand having thy begging bowl for thy quiver. Salutations to thee in thy\nform of Brahma.[153] Thou bearest the trident, thou art the lord of the\ncelestials, thou hast three eyes, and thou art high-souled. Thy body is\nalways besmeared with ashes, and thy phallic emblem is always turned\nupwards. Salutations to thee in thy form of Rudra! The half-moon forms\nthe ornament of thy forehead. Thou hast snakes for the holy thread\ncircling thy neck. Thou art armed with Pinaka and trident. Salutations to\nthy form of Fierceness! Thou art the soul of all creatures. Thou art the\nCreator and the Destroyer of all creatures. Thou art without wrath,\nwithout enmity, without affection. Salutations to thee in thy form of\nPeace! Everything is in thee. Everything is from thee. Thyself art\nEverything. Everywhere art thou. Thou art always the All. Salutations to\nthee in thy form as Everything! Salutations to thee whose work is the\nuniverse, to thee that art the soul of the universe, to thee from whom\nhath sprung the universe, to thee that art the dissolution of all things,\nto thee that are beyond the five (elements that constitute all things)!\nSalutations to thee that art the three worlds, to thee that art above the\nthree worlds! Salutations to thee that art all the directions! Thou art\nall and thou art the one receptacle of All. Salutations to thee, O divine\nLord, O Vishnu, and O eternal origin of all the worlds! Thou, O\nHrishikesa, art the Creator, thou art the Destroyer, and thou art\ninvincible. I cannot behold that heavenly form in which thou art\ndisplayed in the Past, Present, and the Future. I can, however, behold\ntruly thy eternal form (as manifest in thy works). Thou hast filled\nheaven with thy head, and the earth with thy feet: with thy prowess thou\nhast filled the three worlds. Thou art Eternal and thou pervadest\neverything in the universe. The directions are thy arms, the Sun is thy\neye, and prowess is thy vital fluid. Thou art the lord of all creatures.\nThou standest, shutting up the seven paths of the Wind whose energy is\nimmeasurable. They are freed from all fears that worship thee, O Govinda\nof unfading prowess, thee that art attired in yellow robes of the colour\nof the Atasi flower.[154] Even one bending of the head unto thee, O\nKrishna, is equal to the completion of ten Horse-sacrifices. The man that\nhas performed ten Horse-sacrifices is not freed from the obligation of\nrebirth. The man, however, that bows to Krishna escapes rebirth. They\nthat have Krishna for their vow, they that think of Krishna in the night,\nand upon rising from sleep, may be said to have Krishna for their body.\nThose people (after death) enter Krishna's self even as libations of\nclarified butter sanctified with mantras enter the blazing fire.\nSalutations to thee that dispellest the fear of hell, to thee, O Vishnu,\nthat art a boat unto them that are plunged amid the eddies of the ocean\nrepresented by worldly life! Salutations to thee, O God, that art the\nBrahmana's self, to thee that art the benefactor of Brahmanas and kine,\nto thee that art the benefactor of the universe, to thee that art Krishna\nand Govinda! The two syllables Hari constitute the pecuniary stock of\nthose that sojourn through the wilderness of life and the medicine that\neffectually cures all worldly predilections, besides being the means\nthat alleviate sorrow and grief.[155] As truth is full of Vishnu, as the\nuniverse is full of Vishnu, as everything is full of Vishnu, so let my\nsoul be full of Vishnu and my sins be destroyed! I seek thy protection\nand am devoted to thee, desirous of obtaining a happy end. O thou of eyes\nlike lotus petals, O best of gods, do thou think of what will be for my\ngood! Thyself without origin, O Vishnu, thou art the origin of Knowledge\nand Penances. Thus art thou praised! O Janardana, thus worshipped by me\nin the Sacrifice constituted by speech (alone), be, O god, gratified with\nme! The Vedas are devoted to Narayana. Penances are devoted to Narayana.\nThe gods are devoted to Narayana. Everything is always Narayana!'\"\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having uttered these words, Bhishma, with mind\nconcentrated upon Krishna, said, \"Salutations to Krishna!\" and bowed unto\nhim. Learning by his Yoga prowess of the devotion of Bhishma, Madhava,\notherwise called Hari, (entering his body) bestowed upon him heavenly\nknowledge compassing the Past, the Present, and the Future, and went\naway. When Bhishma became silent, those utterers of Brahma (that sat\naround him), with voices choked in tears, adored that high-souled chief\nof the Kurus in excellent words. Those foremost of Brahmanas uttered the\npraises of Krishna also, that first of Beings, and then continued in soft\nvoices to commend Bhishma repeatedly. Learning (by his Yoga powers) of\nthe devotion of Bhishma towards him, that foremost of Beings, viz.,\nMadhava, suddenly rose from his seat and ascended on his car, Kesava and\nSatyaki proceeded on one car. On another proceeded those two illustrious\nprinces, viz., Yudhishthira and Dhananjaya. Bhimasena and the twins rode\non a third; while those bulls among men, Kripa and Yuyutsu, and that\nscorcher of foes, Sanjaya of the Suta caste, proceeded on their\nrespective cars, each of which looked like a town. And all of them\nproceeded, causing the earth to tremble with the rattle of their\nchariot-wheels. That foremost of men, as he proceeded, cheerfully\nlistened to the speeches, fraught with his praise, that were uttered by\nthe Brahmanas. The slayer of Kesi, with gladdened heart, saluted the\npeople that waited (along the streets) with joined hands and bent heads.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLIX\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Then Hrishikesa and king Yudhishthira, and all those\npersons headed by Kripa, and the four Pandavas, riding on those cars\nlooking like fortified cities and decked with standards and banners,\nspeedily proceeded to Kurukshetra with the aid of their fleet steeds.\nThey descended on that field which was covered with hair and marrow and\nbones and where millions of high-souled Kshatriyas had cast away their\nbodies. It abounded also with many a hill formed of the bodies and bones\nof elephants and steeds, and human heads and skulls lay stretched over it\nlike conch-shells. Variegated with thousands of funeral pyres and teeming\nwith heaps of armour and weapons, the vast plain looked like the drinking\ngarden of the Destroyer himself used and abandoned recently. The mighty\ncar-warriors quickly proceeded, viewing the field of battle haunted by\ncrowds of spirits and thronged with Rakshasas. While proceeding, the\nmighty-armed Kesava, that delighter of all the Yadavas, spoke unto\nYudhishthira about the prowess of Jamadagni's son, \"Yonder, at a\ndistance, O Partha, are seen the five lakes of Rama! There Rama offered\noblations of Kshatriya blood unto the manes of his ancestors. It was\nhither that the puissant Rama, having freed the earth of Kshatriya for\nthrice seven times, gave up his task.\"'\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said,--\"I have great doubts in what thou sayest about\nRama's having thrice seven times exterminated the Kshatriyas in days of\nold. When the very Kshatriya seed was burnt by Rama, O bull among the\nYadus, how was the Kshatriya order revived, O thou of immeasurable\nprowess? How, O bull of the Yadus, was the Kshatriya order exterminated\nby the illustrious and high-souled Rama, and how did it again grow? In\nfrightful car-encounters millions of Kshatriyas were slain. The earth, O\nforemost of eloquent men, was strewn with the corpses of Kshatriyas. For\nwhat reason was the Kshatriya order thus exterminated in days of yore by\nRama, the high-souled descendant of Bhrigu, O tiger among the Yadus? O\nthou of Vrishni's race, remove this doubt of mine, O bird-bannered hero!\nO Krishna, O younger brother of Baladeva, the highest knowledge is from\nthee.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said,--'The puissant elder brother of Gada then narrated\nunto Yudhishthira of incomparable prowess everything that happened, in\nfull detail, as to how the earth had become filled with Kshatriyas.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION L\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"Listen, O son of Kunti, to the story of Rama's energy\nand powers and birth as heard by me from great Rishis discoursing upon\nthe subject. Listen to the story of how millions of Kshatriyas were slain\nby Jamadagni's son and how those that sprung again in the diverse royal\nraces in Bharata were again slaughtered. Jadu had a son named Rajas.\nRajas had a son named Valakaswa. King Valakaswa had a son named Kusika of\nrighteous behaviour. Resembling the thousand-eyed Indra on earth, Kusika\nunderwent the austerest of penances from desire of attaining the chief of\nthe three worlds for a son. Beholding him engaged in the austerest of\npenances and competent to beget a son, the thousand-eyed Purandara\nhimself inspired the king (with his force). The great lord of the three\nworlds, the chastiser of Paka, O king, then became Kusika's son known by\nthe name of Gadhi. Gadhi had a daughter, O monarch, of the name of\nSatyavati. The puissant Gadhi gave her (for wife) unto Richika, a\ndescendant of Bhrigu. Her lord of Bhrigu's race, O delighter of the\nKurus, became highly gratified with her for the purity of her behaviour.\nHe cooked the sacrificial food consisting of milk and rice for giving\nunto Gadhi (her sire) a son. Calling his wife, Richika of Bhrigu's race\nsaid, 'This portion of the sanctified food should be taken by thee, and\nthis (other) portion by thy mother. A son will be born of her that will\nblaze with energy and be a bull among Kshatriyas. Invincible by\nKshatriyas on earth, he will be the slayer of the foremost of Kshatriyas.\nAs regards thee, O blessed lady, this portion of the food will give thee\na son of great wisdom, an embodiment of tranquillity, endued with ascetic\npenances, and the foremost of Brahmanas.' Having said these words unto his\nwife, the blessed Richika of Bhrigu's race, setting his heart on\npenances, proceeded to the woods. About this time, king Gadhi, resolved\nupon a pilgrimage to the holy waters, arrived with his queen at the\nretreat of Richika. Satyavati, upon this, O king, taking the two\nportions of the sanctified food, cheerfully and in great haste,\nrepresented the words of her lord unto her mother. The queen-mother, O\nson of Kunti, gave the portion intended for herself unto her daughter,\nand herself took from ignorance the portion intended for the latter. Upon\nthis, Satyavati, her body blazing with lustre, conceived a child of\nterrible form intended to become the exterminator of the Kshatriyas.\nBeholding a Brahmana child lying within her womb, that tiger among the\nBhrigus said unto his wife of celestial beauty these words: 'Thou hast\nbeen deceived by thy mother, O blessed lady, in consequence of the\nsubstitution of the sanctified morsels. Thy son will become a person of\ncruel deeds and vindictive heart. Thy brother again (born of thy mother)\nwill be a Brahmana devoted to ascetic penances. Into the sanctified food\nintended for thee had been placed the seed of the supreme and universal\nBrahma, while into that intended for thy mother had been placed the sum\ntotal of Kshatriya energy. In consequence, however, of the substitution\nof the two portions, O blessed lady, that which had been intended will\nnot happen. Thy mother will obtain a Brahmana child while thou wilt\nobtain a son that will become a Kshatriya.' Thus addressed by her lord,\nthe highly blessed Satyavati prostrated herself and placing her head at\nhis feet, trembling, said, 'It behoveth thee not, O holy one, to speak\nsuch words unto me, viz., \"Thou shalt obtain a wretch among Brahmanas\n(for thy son).\"'\n\n\"'\"Richika said, 'This was not intended by me, O blessed lady, in respect\nof thee. A son of fierce deeds has been conceived by thee simply in\nconsequence of the substitution of the sanctified morsels.'\n\n\"'\"Satyavati replied saying, 'If thou wishest, O sage, thou canst create\nother worlds, what need then be said of a child? It behoveth thee, O\npuissant one, to give me a son that shall be righteous and devoted to\npeace.'\n\n\"'\"Richika said, 'Never was falsehood spoken by me before, O blessed lady,\neven in jest. What need then be said of (such a solemn occasion as)\npreparing sanctified food with the aid of Vedic formulae after igniting\nthe fire? It was ordained of yore by Destiny, O amiable one! I have\nascertained it all by my penances. All the descendants of thy father will\nbe possessed of Brahmanic virtues.'\n\n\"'\"Satyavati said, 'O puissant one, let our grandson be such, but, O\nforemost of ascetics, let me have a son of tranquil pursuits.'\n\n\"'\"Richika said, 'O thou of the fairest complexion, there is no\ndistinction, I conceive, between a son and a grandson. It will be, O\namiable one, as thou sayest.'\"\n\n\"'Vasudeva continued, \"Then Satyavati brought forth a son in Bhrigu's race\nwho was devoted to penances and characterised by tranquil pursuits, viz.,\nJamadagni of regulated vows. Kusika's son Gadhi begot a son named\nViswamitra. Possessed of every attribute of a Brahmana, that son (though\nborn in the Kshatriya order) was equal to a Brahmana. Richika (thus)\nbegot Jamadagni, that ocean of penances. Jamadagni begot a son of fierce\ndeeds. The foremost of men, that son mastered the sciences, including the\nscience of arms. Like unto a blazing fire, that son was Rama, the\nexterminator of the Kshatriyas. Having gratified Mahadeva on the\nmountains of Gandhamadana, he begged weapons of that great god,\nespecially the axe of fierce energy in his hands. In consequence of that\nunrivalled axe of fiery splendour and irresistible sharpness, he became\nunrivalled on earth. Meanwhile the mighty son of Kritavirya, viz., Arjuna\nof the Kshatriya order and ruler of the Haihayas, endued with great\nenergy, highly virtuous in behaviour, and possessed of a thousand arms\nthrough the grace of (the great Rishi) Dattatreya, having subjugated in\nbattle, by the might of his own arms, the whole earth with her mountains\nand seven islands, became a very powerful emperor and (at last) gave away\nthe earth unto the Brahmanas in a horse-sacrifice. On a certain occasion,\nsolicited by the thirsty god of fire, O son of Kunti, the thousand-armed\nmonarch of great prowess gave alms unto that deity. Springing from the\npoint of his shafts, the god of fire, possessed of great energy, desirous\nof consuming (what was offered), burnt villages and towns and kingdoms\nand hamlets of cowherds. Through the prowess of that foremost of men,\nviz., Kritavirya of great energy, the god of fire burnt mountains and\ngreat forests. Assisted by the king of the Haihayas, the god of fire,\ncaused by the wind to blaze forth with energy consumed the uninhabited\nbut delightful retreat of the high-souled Apava. Possessed of great\nenergy, Apava, O mighty-armed king, seeing his retreat consumed by the\npowerful Kshatriya, cursed that monarch in wrath, saying, 'Since, O\nArjuna, without excepting these my specious woods, thou hast burnt them,\ntherefore, Rama (of Bhrigu's race) will lop off thy (thousand) arms.' The\nmighty Arjuna, however, of great prowess, always devoted to peace, ever\nregardful of Brahmanas and disposed to grant protection (unto all classes),\nand charitable and brave, O Bharata, did not think of that curse\ndenounced on him by that high-souled Rishi. His powerful sons, always\nhaughty and cruel, in consequence of that curse, became the indirect\ncause of his death. The princes, O bull of Bharata's race, seized and\nbrought away the calf of Jamadagni's homa cow, without the knowledge of\nKritavirya, the ruler of the Haihayas. For this reason a dispute took\nplace between the high-souled Jamadagni (and the Haihayas). The puissant\nRama, the son of Jamadagni, filled with wrath, lopped off the arms of\nArjuna and brought back, O monarch, his sire's calf which was wandering\nwithin the inner enclosures of the king's palace. Then the foolish son of\nArjuna, repairing together to the retreat of the high-souled Jamadagni,\nfelled with the points of their lances, O king, the head of the Rishi\nfrom off his trunk while the celebrated Rama was out for fetching sacred\nfuel and grass. Inflamed with wrath at the death of his father and\ninspired with vengeance, Rama vowed to free the earth of Kshatriyas and\ntook up arms. Then that tiger among the Bhrigus, possessed of great\nenergy, putting forth his prowess, speedily slaughtered all the sons and\ngrandsons of Kritavirya. Slaughtering thousands of Haihayas in rage, the\ndescendent of Bhrigu, O king, made the earth miry with blood. Possessed\nof great energy, he quickly reft the earth of all Kshatriyas. Filled then\nwith compassion, he retired into the woods. Afterwards, when some\nthousands of years had passed away, the puissant Rama, who was wrathful\nby nature, had imputations cast upon him (of cowardice). The grandson of\nViswamitra and son of Raivya, possessed of great ascetic merit, named\nParavasu, O monarch, began to cast imputations on Rama in public, saying,\n'O Rama, were not those righteous men, viz., Pratardana and others, who\nwere assembled at a sacrifice at the time of Yayati's fall, Kshatriyas by\nbirth? Thou art not of true vows, O Rama! Thine is an empty boast among\npeople. Through fear of Kshatriya heroes thou hast betaken thyself to the\nmountains.' The descendant of Bhrigu, hearing these words of Paravasu,\nonce more took up arms and once more strewed the earth with hundreds of\nKshatriya bodies. Those Kshatriyas, however, O king, counting by\nhundreds, that were spared by Rama, multiplied (in time) and became\nmighty monarchs on earth. Rama once more slaughtered them quickly, not\nsparing the very children, O king! Indeed, the earth became once more\nstrewn with the bodies of Kshatriya children of premature birth. As soon\nas Kshatriya children were born, Rama slaughtered them. Some Kshatriya\nladies, however, succeeded in protecting their children (from Rama's\nwrath). Having made the earth destitute of Kshatriyas for thrice seven\ntimes, the puissant Bhargava, at the completion of a horse-sacrifice,\ngave away the earth as sacrificial present unto Kasyapa. For preserving\nthe remnant of the Kshatriyas, Kasyapa, O king, pointing with his hand\nthat still held the sacrificial ladle, said these words, 'O great sage,\nrepair to the shores of the southern ocean. It behoveth thee not, O Rama,\nto reside within (what is) my dominion.' At these words, Ocean suddenly\ncreated for Jamadagni's son, on his other shore, a region called\nSurparaka. Kasyapa also, O monarch, having accepted the earth in gift,\nand made a present of it unto the Brahmanas, entered the great forest.\nThen Sudras and Vaisyas, acting most wilfully, began to unite themselves,\nO bull of Bharata's race, with the wives of Brahmanas. When anarchy sets\nin on earth, the weak are oppressed by the strong, and no man is master\nof his own property. Unprotected duly by Kshatriyas observant of virtue,\nand oppressed by the wicked in consequence of that disorder, the earth\nquickly sank to the lowest depths. Beholding the earth sinking from fear,\nthe high-souled Kasyapa held her on his lap; and since the great Rishi\nheld her on his lap (uru) therefore is the earth known by the name of\nUrvi. The goddess earth, for protection's sake, gratified Kasyapa and\nbegged of him a king.\n\n\"'\"The Earth said, 'There are, O regenerate one, some foremost of\nKshatriyas concealed by me among women. They were born in the race of\nHaihayas. Let them, O sage, protect me. There is another person of Puru's\nrace, viz., Viduratha's son, O puissant one, who has been brought up\namong bears in the Rikshavat mountains. Another, viz., the son of\nSaudasa, has been protected, through compassion, by Parasara of\nimmeasurable energy and ever engaged in sacrifices. Though born in one of\nthe regenerate orders, yet like a Sudra he does everything for that Rishi\nand has, therefore, been named Sarvakarman (servant of all work). Sivi's\nson of great energy, viz., Gopati by name, has been brought up in the\nforest among kine. Let him, O sage, protect me. Pratardana's son, named\nVatsa of great might, has been brought up among calves in a cowpen. Let\nthat one of the royal order protect me. Dadhivahana's grandson and\nDiviratha's son was concealed and protected on the banks of Ganga by the\nsage Gautama. His name is Vrihadratha. Possessed of great energy and\nadorned with numerous blessed qualities, that blessed prince has been\nprotected by wolves and the mountains of Gridhrakuta. Many Kshatriyas\nbelonging to the race of Maratta have been protected. Equal unto the lord\nof Maruts in energy, they have been brought up by Ocean. These children\nof the Kshatriya order have been heard of as existing in different\nplaces. They are living among artisans and goldsmiths. If they protect me\nI shall then stay unmoved. Their sires and grandsires have been slain for\nmy sake by Rama of great prowess. It is my duty, O great sage, to see\nthat their funeral rites are duly performed. I do not desire that I\nshould be protected by my present rulers. Do thou, O sage, speedily make\nsuch arrangements that I may exist (as before).'\"\n\n\"'Vasudeva continued, \"The sage Kasyapa then, seeking out those Kshatriyas\nof great energy whom the goddess had indicated, installed them duly as\nkings (for protecting her). Those Kshatriya races that are now extant are\nthe progeny of those princes. That which thou hast questioned me, O son\nof Panda, happened in days of yore even thus.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Conversing thus with Yudhishthira, that\nforemost of righteous persons, the high-souled Yadava hero proceeded\nquickly on that car, illumining all the points of the compass like the\ndivine Surya himself.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LI\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'King Yudhishthira, hearing of those feats of Rama,\nbecame filled with wonder and said unto Janardana, \"O thou of Vrishni's\nrace, the prowess of the high-souled Rama, who in wrath had freed the\nearth of Kshatriyas, was like that of Sakra himself. The scions of\nKshatriyas, troubled with the fear of Rama, were concealed (and brought\nup) by kine, Ocean, leopards, bears and apes. Worthy of every praise is\nthis world of men and fortunate are they that reside in it where a feat,\nthat was again so righteous, was accomplished by a Brahmana.\" After\nthis discourse was ended, those two illustrious persons, viz., Krishna of\nunfading glory and Yudhishthira proceeded thither where the puissant son\nof Ganga lay on his bed of arrows. They then beheld Bhishma stretched on\nhis arrowy bed and resembling in splendour the evening Sun covered with\nhis own rays. The Kuru hero was surrounded by many ascetics like he of a\nhundred sacrifices by the deities of heaven. The spot on which he lay was\nhighly sacred, being situate on the banks of the river Oghavati.\nBeholding him from a distance, Krishna and Dharma's royal son, and the\nfour Pandavas, and the other headed by Saradwat, alighted from their\nvehicles and collecting their restless minds and concentrating all their\nsenses, approached the great Rishis. Saluting those foremost of Rishis\nheaded by Vyasa, Govinda and Satyaki and the others approached the son of\nGanga. Beholding Ganga's son of great ascetic merit, the Yadu and Kuru\nprinces, those foremost of men, took their seats, surrounding him. Seeing\nBhishma looking like a fire about to die out, Kesava with a rather\ncheerless heart addressed him as follows.\n\n\"'Kesava said, \"Are thy perceptions now as clear as before? I hope thy\nunderstanding, O foremost of eloquent men, is not clouded. I hope thy\nlimbs are not tortured by the pain arising from the wounds by shafts.\nFrom mental grief also the body becomes weak. In consequences of the boon\ngranted to thee by thy sire, the righteous Santanu, thy death, O puissant\nhero, depends on thy own will. I myself have not that merit in\nconsequence of which thou hast obtained this boon. The minutest pin\n(inserted) within the body produces pain. What need then be said, O king,\nof hundreds of arrows that have pierced thee? Surely, pain cannot be said\nto afflict thee. Thou art competent, O Bharata, to instruct the very gods\nregarding the origin and dissolution of living creatures. Possessed of\ngreat knowledge, everything belonging to the Past, the Future, and the\nPresent, is well known to thee. The dissolution of created beings and the\nreward of righteousness are well known to thee, O thou of great wisdom,\nfor thou art an ocean of virtue and duty. While living in the enjoyment\nof swelling sovereignty, I beheld thee forgo female intercourse though\nsound of limbs and perfectly hale and though surrounded by female\ncompanions. Except Santanu's son Bhishma of great energy and firmly\ndevoted to righteousness, possessed of heroism and having virtue for the\nonly object of his pursuit, we have never heard of any other person in\nthe three worlds that could, by his ascetic power, though lying on a bed\nof arrows and at the point of death, still have such a complete mastery\nover death (as to keep it thus at bay). We have never heard of anybody\nelse that was so devoted to truth, to penances, to gifts, to the\nperformances of sacrifices, to the science of arms, to the Vedas, and to\nthe protection of persons soliciting protection, and that was so harmless\nto all creatures, so pure in behaviour, so self-restrained, and so bent\nupon the good of all creatures, and that was also so great a car-warrior\nas thee. Without doubt, thou art competent to subjugate, on a single car,\nthe gods, Gandharvas, Asuras, Yakshas, and Rakshasas. O mighty-armed\nBhishma, thou art always spoken of by the Brahmanas as the ninth of the\nVasus. By thy virtues, however, thou hast surpassed them all and art\nequal unto Vasava himself. I know, O best of persons, that thou art\ncelebrated for thy prowess, O foremost of beings, among even the very\ngods. Among men on earth, O foremost of men, we have never seen nor heard\nof any one possessed of such attributes as thee. O thou of the royal\norder, thou surpassest the gods themselves in respect of every attribute.\nBy thy ascetic power thou canst create a universe of mobile and immobile\ncreatures. What need then be said of thy having acquired many blessed\nregions by means of thy foremost of virtues? Dispel now the grief of the\neldest son of Panda who is burning with sorrow on account of the\nslaughter of his kinsmen. All the duties that have been declared in\nrespect of the four orders about the four modes of life are well known to\nthee. Everything again that is indicated in the four branches of\nknowledge, in the four Hotras, O Bharata, as also those eternal duties\nthat are laid down in Yoga and Sankhya philosophy, the duties too of the\nfour orders and these duties that are not inconsistent with their\ndeclared practices,--all these, along with their interpretations, O son\nof Ganga, are known to thee. The duties that have been laid down for\nthose sprang from an intermixture of the four orders and those laid down\nfor particular countries and tribes and families, and those declared by\nthe Vedas and by men of wisdom, are all well known to thee. The subjects\nof histories and the Puranas are all known to thee. All the scriptures\ntreating of duty and practice dwell in thy mind. Save thee, O bull among\nmen, there is no other person that can remove the doubts that may arise\nin respect of those subjects of knowledge that are studied in the world.\nWith the aid of thy intelligence, do thou, O prince of men, drive the\nsorrow felt by the son of Pandu. Persons possessed of so great and such\nvaried knowledge live only for comforting men whose minds have been\nstupefied.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Hearing those words of Vasudeva of great\nintelligence, Bhishma, raising his head a little, said these words with\njoined hands.'\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Salutations to thee, O divine Krishna! Thou art the\norigin and thou art the dissolution of all the worlds. Thou art the\nCreator and thou art the Destroyer. Thou, O Hrishikesa, art incapable of\nbeing vanquished by any one. The universe is thy handiwork. Thou art the\nsoul of the universe and the universe hath sprung from thee. Salutations\nto thee! Thou art the end of all created things. Thou art above the five\nelements. Salutations to thee that art the three worlds and that art\nagain above the three worlds. O lord of Yogins, salutations to thee that\nart the refuge of everything. O foremost of beings, those words which\nthou hast said regarding me have enabled me to behold thy divine\nattributes as manifest in the three worlds. (In consequence of that\nkindness), O Govinda, I also behold thy eternal form. Thou standest\nshutting up the seven paths of the Wind possessed of immeasurable energy.\nThe firmament is occupied by thy head, and the earth by thy feet. The\npoints of the compass are thy two arms, and the Sun is thy eye, and Sakra\nconstitutes thy prowess. O thou of unfading glory, thy Person, attired in\nyellow robes that resemble the hue of the Atasi flower, seem to us to be\nlike a cloud charged with flashing of lightning. Think of that, O best of\ngods, which would be good, O thou of lotus eyes, for my humble self, that\nam devoted to thee, that seek thy protection, and that am desirous of\nobtaining a blissful end.\"\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"Since, O bull among men, thy devotion to me is very\ngreat, for this, O prince, I have displayed my celestial form to thee. I\ndo not, O foremost of kings, display myself unto one that is not devoted\nto me, or unto a devotee that is not sincere, or unto one, O Bharata,\nthat is not of restrained soul. Thou art devoted to me and art always\nobservant of righteousness. Of a pure heart, thou art always\nself-restrained and ever observant of penances and gifts. Through thy own\npenances, O Bhishma, thou art competent to behold me. Those regions, O\nking, are ready for thee whence there is no return.[156] Six and fifty\ndays, O foremost one of Kuru's race, still remain for thee to live!\nCasting off thy body, thou shalt then, O Bhishma, obtain the blessed\nreward of thy acts. Behold, those deities and the Vasus, all endued with\nforms of fiery splendour, riding on their cars, are waiting for thee\ninvisibly till the moment of the sun's entering on northerly course.\nSubject to universal time, when the divine Surya turns to his northerly\ncourse, thou, O foremost of men, shalt go to those regions whence no man\nof knowledge ever returns to this earth! When thou, O Bhishma, wilt leave\nthis world for that, all Knowledge, O hero, will expire with thee. It is\nfor this, that all these persons, assembled together, have approached\nthee for listening to discourses on duty and morality. Do thou then speak\nwords of truth, fraught with morality and Yoga, unto Yudhishthira who as\nfirm in truth but whose learning has been clouded by grief on account of\nthe slaughter of his kinsmen, and do thou, by this, quickly dispel that\ngrief of his!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Hearing these words of Krishna fraught with Morality\nand profit, Santanu's Bhishma, answered him in the following words.\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"O master of all the worlds, O mighty-armed one, O Siva, O\nNarayana, O thou of unfading glory, hearing the words spoken by thee I\nhave been filled with joy. But what words (of instruction), O master of\nspeech, can I say in thy presence, when especially in all the subjects of\nspeech have been dealt with in thy speech?[157] Whatever in either world\nshould be done or is done, proceeds from thy intelligent self, O god!\nThat person who is competent to discourse on the subject of heaven in the\npresence of the chief of the gods himself is competent to discourse on\nthe interpretation of morality and pleasure and profit and salvation in\nthy presence. My mind, O slayer of Madhu, is exceedingly agitated by the\npain of arrow-wounds. My limbs are weak. My understanding is not clear. I\nam so afflicted, O Govinda, by these shafts resembling poison or fire\nthat I have not power to utter anything. My strength is abandoning me. My\nlife-breaths are hastening to leave me. The very vitals of my body are\nburning. My understanding is clouded. From weakness my utterance is\nbecoming indistinct. How then can I venture to speak? O enhancer of (the\nglory of) Dasarha's race, be gratified with me. O mighty-armed one, I\nwill not say anything. Pardon me (for my unwillingness). The very master\nof speech (Vrihaspati), in speaking in thy presence, will be overcome by\nhesitation. I cannot any longer distinguish the points of the compass,\nnor the sky from the earth! Through thy energy, O slayer of Madhu, I am\nonly barely alive. Do thou, therefore, thyself speak for the good of king\nYudhishthira the just, for thou art the ordainer of all the ordinances.\nHow, O Krishna, when thou, the eternal creator of the universe, art\npresent, can one like me speak (on such subjects) like a disciple in the\npresence of the preceptor?\"\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"The words spoken by thee are worthy of thee that art the\nforemost one of Kuru's race, thee that art endued with great energy, thee\nthat art of great soul, and thee that art possessed of great patience and\nconversant with every subject. Regarding what thou hast said unto me\nabout the pain of thy arrow-wounds, receive, O Bhishma, this boon that I\ngrant thee, O puissant one, from my grace. Discomfort and stupefaction\nand burning and pain and hunger and thirst shall not, O son of Ganga,\novercome thee, O thou of unfading glory! Thy perceptions and memory, O\nsinless one, shall be unclouded.[158] Thy understanding shall not fail\nthee. Thy mind, O Bhishma, freed from the qualities of passion and\ndarkness, will always be subject to the quality of goodness, like the\nmoon emerged from the clouds. Thy understanding will penetrate whatever\nsubject connected with duty, morality, or profit, thou wilt think upon. O\ntiger among kings, obtaining celestial vision, thou wilt, O thou of\nimmeasurable prowess, succeed in beholding the four orders of created\nthings. Endued with the eye of knowledge, thou wilt, O Bhishma, behold,\nlike fishes in a limpid stream, all created things that thou mayst\nendeavour to recollect!\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Then those great Rishis, with Vyasa amongst\nthem, adored Krishna with hymns from the Richs, the Yajuses, and the\nSamans. A celestial shower of flowers belonging to every season fell on\nthat spot where he of Vrishni's race, with Ganga's son and the son of\nPandu were. Celestial instruments of every kind played in the welkin and\nthe tribes of Apsaras began to sing. Nothing of evil and no portent of\nany evil kind were seen there. An auspicious, pleasant, and pure breeze,\nbearing every kind of fragrance, began to blow. All the points of the\ncompass became clear and quiet, and all the animals and birds began to\nrove in peace. Soon after, like a fire at the extremity of a great\nforest, the divine Surya of a thousand rays was seen to descend to the\nwest. The great Rishis then, rising up, saluted Janardana and Bhishma and\nking Yudhishthira. Upon this, Kesava, and the sons of Pandu, and Satyaki,\nand Sanjaya, and Saradwata's son Kripa, bowed in reverence to those\nsages. Devoted to the practice of righteousness, those sages, thus\nworshipped by Kesava and others, speedily proceeded to their respective\nabodes, saying, \"We will return tomorrow.\" After this, Kesava and the\nPandavas, saluting Bhishma and circumambulating him, ascended their\nhandsome cars. Those heroes then proceeded, accompanied by many other\ncars decked with golden Kuvaras, and infuriated elephants looking like\nmountains and steeds fleet as Garudas, and foot-soldiers armed with bows\nand weapons. That army, moving with great speed, proceeded in two\ndivisions, one in the van and the other in the rear of those princes. The\nscene resembled the two currents of the great river Narmada at the point\nwhere it is divided by the Rikshavat mountains standing across it.\nGladdening that great host, the divine Chandramas rose before it in the\nfirmament, once more inspiring with moisture, by his own force, the\nterrestrial herbs and plants whose juice had been sucked up by the Sun.\nThen that bull of Yadu's race and the sons of Pandu, entering the (Kuru)\ncity whose splendour resembled that of the city of Indra itself,\nproceeded to their respective mansions like tired lions seeking their\ncaves.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LIII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'The slayer of Madhu, retiring to his bed, slept\nhappily. Awaking when half a Yama was wanting to usher in the day, he\naddressed himself to contemplation. Fixing all his senses, he meditated\non the eternal Brahma. Then a batch of well-trained and sweet-voiced\npersons, conversant with hymns and the Puranas, began to utter the\npraises of Vasudeva, that lord of all creatures and creator of the\nuniverse. Others, marking time by clapping of hands, began to recite\nsweet hymns, and vocalists began to sing. Conch-shells and drums were\nblown and beaten by thousands. The delightful sound of Vinas, Panavas,\nand bamboo flutes was heard. The spacious mansion of Krishna, in\nconsequence thereof, seemed to laugh with music. In the palace of king\nYudhishthira also sweet voices were heard, uttering auspicious wishes,\nand the sound of songs too and musical instruments. Then he of Dasarha's\nrace performed his ablutions. Joining his hands, the mighty-armed hero of\nunfading glory silently recited his secret mantras, and kindling a fire\npoured libations of clarified butter upon it. Giving away a thousand kine\nunto a thousand Brahmanas all of whom were fully conversant with the four\nVedas, he caused them to utter benedictions upon him. Touching next\ndiverse kinds of auspicious articles and beholding himself in a clear\nmirror, Krishna addressed Satyaki, saying, \"Go, O descendant of Sini, and\nrepairing to Yudhishthira's abode, ascertain whether that king of great\nenergy is dressed for visiting Bhishma.\" At these words of Krishna,\nSatyaki, proceeding quickly to the royal son of Pandu, said unto him,\n\"The foremost of cars, belonging to Vasudeva of great intelligence,\nstands ready, O king, for Janardana will go to see Ganga's son. O\nrighteous king of great splendour, he is waiting for thee. It behoveth\nthee now to do what should be done next.\" Thus addressed, Dharma's son\nYudhishthira answered as follows.'\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O Phalguna of unrivalled splendour, let my foremost\nof cars be made ready. We should not be accompanied (today) by the\nsoldiers, but we shall proceed ourselves. That foremost of righteous\npersons, Bhishma, should not be vexed. Let the guards, therefore, O\nDhananjaya, stop today. From this day Ganga's son will speak of things\nthat are great mysteries. I do not therefore, O son of Kunti, wish that\nthere should be a miscellaneous gathering (in Bhishma's presence).\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these words of the king, Kunti's son\nDhananjaya, that foremost of men (went out and coming back) represented\nunto him that his best of cars stood harnessed for him. King\nYudhishthira, and the twins, and Bhima and Arjuna, the five resembling\nthe five elements, then proceeded towards Krishna's abode. While the\nhigh-souled Pandavas were coming, Krishna of great intelligence,\naccompanied by the grandson of Sini, mounted on his car. Saluting one\nanother from their cars and each enquiring of the other whether the night\nhad been passed happily by him, those bulls among men proceeded, without\nstopping on those foremost of cars whose rattle resembled the roar of the\nclouds. Krishna's steeds, viz., Valahaka and Meghapushpa and Saivya and\nSugriva were urged by Daruka. The animals, urged by him, O king,\nproceeded, indenting the earth with their hoofs. Endued with great\nstrength and great speed, they flew onwards, devouring the very skies.\nTraversing the sacred field of Kuru, the princes proceeded to that spot\nwhere the puissant Bhishma on his bed of arrows was lying, surrounded by\nthose great Rishis, like Brahman himself in the midst of the gods. Then\nGovinda and Yudhishthira and Bhima and the wielder of Gandiva and the\ntwins and Satyaki, alighting from their vehicles, saluted the Rishis by\nraising their right hands. Surrounded by them, king Yudhishthira like the\nmoon in the midst of the stars approached Ganga's son like Vasava\nproceeding towards Brahman. Overcome with fear, the king timidly cast his\neyes on the mighty-armed hero lying on his bed of arrows like the Sun\nhimself dropped from the firmament.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LIV\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'When that tiger among men, of righteous soul and great\nenergy, firmly adhering to truth and with passions under complete\ncontrol, viz., the son of Santanu and Ganga, named Devavrata or Bhishma\nof unfading glory, lay on a hero's bed with the sons of Pandu sitting\naround him, tell me, O great sage, what converse ensued in that meeting\nof heroes after the slaughter of the troops.'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'When Bhishma that chief of the Kurus, lay on his bed\nof arrows, many Rishis and Siddhas, O king, headed by Narada, came to\nthat spot. The unslain remnant of the (assembled) kings with Yudhishthira\nat their head, and Dhritarashtra and Krishna and Bhima and Arjuna and the\ntwins also came there. Those high-souled persons, approaching the\ngrandsire of the Bharatas who looked like the Sun himself dropped from\nthe firmament, indulged in lamentations for him. Then Narada of godlike\nfeatures reflecting for a short while, addressed all the Pandavas and the\nunslain remnant of the kings saying, \"The time, I think, has come for you\nto question Bhishma (on subject of morality and religion), for Ganga's\nson is about to expire like the Sun that is on the point of setting. He\nis about to cast off his life-breaths. Do you all, therefore, solicit him\nto discourse to you? He is acquainted with the varied duties of all the\nfour orders. Old in years, after abandoning his body he will obtain high\nregions of bliss. Solicit him, therefore, without delay, to clear the\ndoubts that exist in your minds.\" Thus addressed by Narada, those\nprinces approached Bhishma, but unable to ask him anything, looked at one\nanother. Then Yudhishthira the son of Pandu, addressing Hrishikesa said,\n\"There is no one else than Devaki's son that can question the grandsire.\nO foremost one of Yadu's race, do thou, therefore, O slayer of Madhu,\nspeak first. Thou, O sire, art the foremost of us all and thou art\nconversant with every duty and practice.\" Thus addressed by the son of\nPandu, the illustrious Kesava of unfading glory, approaching the\nunconquerable Bhishma, spoke unto him as follows.'\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"Hast thou, O best of kings, passed the night happily?\nHas thy understanding become unclouded? Does thy knowledge, O sinless\none, shine in thee by inward light? I hope thy heart no longer feels pain\nand thy mind is no longer agitated.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Burning, stupefaction, fatigue, exhaustion, illness, and\npain, through thy grace, O thou of Vrishni's race, have all left me in a\nsingle day. O thou of incomparable splendour, all that is past, all that\nis future, and all that is present, I behold as clearly as a fruit placed\nin my hands. All the duties declared in the Vedas, all those laid down in\nthe Vedantas, I behold clearly, O thou of unfading glory, in consequence\nof the boon thou hast granted to me. The duties that have been declared\nby persons of learning and righteous behaviour, dwell in my remembrance.\nI am conversant also, O Janardana, with the duties and practices\nprevailing in particular countries and among particular tribes and\nfamilies. Everything relating again to the four modes of life has come\nback to my recollection. I am acquainted also, O Kesava, with the duties\nthat relate to king-craft. Whatever should at whatever time be said, I\nwould say, O Janardana! Through thy grace, I have acquired an auspicious\nunderstanding. Strengthened by meditation on thee, I feel as if I have\nbecome a young man again. Through thy favour, O Janardana, I have become\ncompetent to discourse on what is beneficial (for the world). Why,\nhowever, O holy one, dost thou not thyself discourse to Pandu's son upon\nall that is good? What explanation hast thou to give in respect of this?\nTell me quickly, O Madhava!\"\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"Know, O thou of Kuru's race, that I am the root of fame\nand of everything that leads to good. All things, good or bad, proceed\nfrom me. Who on earth will wonder if the moon be said to be of cool rays?\nSimilarly, who will wonder if I were described as one possessed of the\nfull measure of fame?[159] I have, however, resolved to enhance thy fame,\nO thou of great splendour! It is for this, O Bhishma, that I have just\ninspired thee with great intelligence. As long, O lord of earth, as the\nearth will last, so long will thy fame travel with undiminished lustre\nthrough all the worlds. Whatever, O Bhishma, thou wilt say unto the\ninquiring son of Pandu, will be regarded on earth to be as authoritative\nas the declarations of that Vedas. That person who will conduct himself\nhere according to the authority of thy declarations, will obtain\nhereafter the reward of every meritorious act. For this reason, O\nBhishma, I have imparted to thee celestial understanding so that thy fame\nmay be enhanced on earth. As long as a man's fame lasts in the world, so\nlong are his achievements said to live. The unslain remnant of the\n(assembled) kings are sitting around thee, desirous of listening to thy\ndiscourses on morality and duty. Do thou speak unto them, O Bharata! Thou\nart old in years and thy behaviour is consistent with the ordinance of\nthe Srutis. Thou art well conversant with the duties of kings and with\nevery other science of duty. No one has ever noticed the slightest\ntransgression in thee from thy very birth. All the kings know thee to be\nconversant with all the sciences of morality and duty. Like a sire unto\nhis sons do thou, therefore, O king, discourse unto them of high\nmorality. Thou hast always worshipped the Rishis and the gods. It is\nobligatory on thee to discourse on these subjects in detail unto persons\ndesirous of listening to discourse on morality and duty. A learned\nperson, especially when solicited by the righteous, should discourse on\nthe same. The sages have declared this to be a duty. O puissant one, if\nthou dost not speak on such subjects, thou wilt incur sin. Therefore,\nquestioned by thy sons and grandsons, O learned one, about the eternal\nduties (of men), do thou, O bull among the Bharatas, discourse upon them\non the subject.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LV\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Endued with great energy, the delighter of the Kurus\n(viz., Bhishma), said, \"I shall discourse on the subject of duty. My\nspeech and mind have become steady, through thy grace, O Govinda, since\nthou art the eternal soul of every being. Let the righteous-souled\nYudhishthira question me about morality and duty. I shall then be much\ngratified and shall speak of all duties. Let the son of Pandu, that royal\nsage of virtuous and great soul, upon whose birth all the Vrishnis were\nfilled with joy, question me. Let the son of Pandu, who has no equal\namong all the Kurus, among all persons of righteous behaviour, and among\nmen of great celebrity, put questions to me. Let the son of Pandu, in\nwhom are intelligence, self-restraint, Brahmacharya, forgiveness,\nrighteousness, mental vigour and energy, put questions to me. Let the son\nof Pandu, who always by his good offices honours his relatives and guests\nand servants and others that are dependent on him, put questions to me.\nLet the son of Pandu, in whom are truth and charity and penances,\nheroism, peacefulness, cleverness, and fearlessness, put questions to me.\nLet the righteous-souled son of Pandu, who would never commit a sin\ninfluenced by desire of Pleasure or Profit or from fear put questions to\nme. Let the son of Pandu, who is ever devoted to truth, to forgiveness,\nto knowledge and to guests, and who always makes gifts unto the\nrighteous, put questions to me. Let the son of Pandu, who is ever engaged\nin sacrifices and study of the Vedas and the practice of morality and\nduty who is ever peaceful and who has heard all mysteries, put questions\nto me.\"\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"King Yudhishthira the just, overcome with great shame\nand fearful of (thy) curse, does not venture to approach thee. That lord\nof earth, O monarch, having caused a great slaughter, ventures not to\napproach thee from fear of (thy) curse. Having pierced with shafts those\nthat deserved his worship, those that were devoted to him, those that\nwere his preceptors, those that were his relatives and kinsmen and those\nthat were worthy of his highest regard, he ventures not to approach thee.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"As the duty of the Brahmanas consists of the practice of\ncharity, study, and penances, so the duty of Kshatriyas is to cast away\ntheir bodies, O Krishna, in battle. A Kshatriya should slay sires and\ngrandsires and brothers and preceptors and relatives and kinsmen that may\nengage with him in unjust battle. This is their declared duty. That\nKshatriya, O Kesava, is said to be acquainted with his duty who slays in\nbattle his very preceptors if they happen to be sinful and covetous and\ndisregardful of restraints and vows. That Kshatriya is said to be\nacquainted with his duty who slays in battle the person that from\ncovetousness disregards the eternal barriers of virtue.[160] That\nKshatriya is said to be acquainted with duty who in battle makes the\nearth a lake of blood, having the hair of slain warriors for the grass\nand straw floating on it, and having elephants for its rocks, and\nstandards for the trees on its banks. A Kshatriya, when challenged,\nshould always fight in battle, since Manu has said that a righteous\nbattle (in the case of a Kshatriya) leads to both heaven and fame on\nearth.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'After Bhishma had spoken thus, Dharma's son\nYudhishthira, with great humility, approached the Kuru hero and stood in\nhis sight. He seized the feet of Bhishma who in return gladdened him with\naffectionate words. Smelling his head, Bhishma asked Yudhishthira to take\nhis seat. Then Ganga's son, that foremost of bowmen, addressed\nYudhishthira, saying, \"Do not fear, O best of the Kurus! Ask me, O child,\nwithout any anxiety.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LVI\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Having bowed unto Hrishikesa, and saluted Bhishma,\nand taken the permission of all the seniors assembled there, Yudhishthira\nbegan to put questions unto Bhishma.'\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Persons conversant with duty and morality say that\nkingly duties constitute the highest science of duty. I also think that\nthe burden of those duties is exceedingly onerous. Do thou, therefore, O\nking, discourse on those duties. O grandsire, do thou speak in detail on\nthe duties of kings. The science of kingly duties is the refuge of the\nwhole world of life. O thou of Kuru's race, Morality, Profit, and\nPleasure are dependent on kingly duties. It is also clear that the\npractices that lead to emancipation are equally dependent on them. As the\nreins are in respect of the steed or the iron hook in respect of the\nelephant, even so the science of kingly duties constitutes the reins for\nchecking the world. If one becomes stupefied in respect of the duties\nobserved by royal sages, disorder would set in on the earth and\neverything will become confused. As the Sun, rising, dispels inauspicious\ndarkness, so this science destroys every kind of evil consequence in\nrespect of the world. Therefore, O grandsire, do thou, for my sake,\ndiscourse on kingly duties in the first instance, for thou, O chief of\nthe Bharatas, art the foremost of all persons conversant with duties. O\nscorcher of foes, Vasudeva regards thee as the first of all intelligent\npersons. Therefore, all of us expect the highest knowledge from thee.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Bowing unto Dharma who is Supreme, unto Krishna who is\nBrahma in full, and unto the Brahmanas, I shall discourse on the eternal\nduties (of men). Hear from me, O Yudhishthira, with concentrated\nattention, the whole range of kingly duties described with accurate\ndetails, and other duties that you mayst desire to know. In the first\nplace, O foremost one of Kuru's race, the king should, from desire of\npleasing (his subjects), wait with humility upon the gods and the\nBrahmanas, always bearing himself agreeably to the ordinance. By\nworshipping the deities and the Brahmanas, O perpetuator of Kuru's race,\nthe king pays off his debt to duty and morality, and receives the respect\nof his subjects. O son, thou shouldst always exert with promptitude, O\nYudhishthira, for without promptitude of exertion mere destiny never\naccomplishes the objects cherished by kings. These two, viz., exertion\nand destiny, are equal (in their operation). Of them, I regard exertion\nto be superior, for destiny is ascertained from the results of what is\nbegun with exertion. Do not indulge in grief if what is commenced ends\ndisastrously, for thou shouldst then exert thyself in the same act with\nredoubled attention. This is the high duty of kings. There is nothing\nwhich contributes so much to the success of kings as Truth. The king who\nis devoted to Truth finds happiness both here and hereafter. As regards\nRishis also, O king, Truth is their great wealth. Similarly, as regards\nkings, there is nothing that so much inspires confidence in them as\nTruth. The king that is possessed of every accomplishment and good\nbehaviour, that is self-restrained, humble, and righteous, that has his\npassions under control, that is of handsome features and not too\nenquiring,[161] never loses prosperity. By administering justice, by\nattending to these three, viz., concealment of his own weaknesses,\nascertainment of the weaknesses of foes, and keeping his own counsels, as\nalso by the observance of conduct that is straightforward, the king, O\ndelighter of the Kurus, obtains prosperity. If the king becomes mild,\neverybody disregards him. On the other hand, if he becomes fierce, his\nsubjects then become troubled.\n\n\"'\"Therefore, do thou observe both kinds of behaviour. O foremost of\nliberal men, the Brahmanas should never be punished by thee, for the\nBrahmana, O son of Pandu, is the foremost of beings on the Earth. The\nhigh-souled Manu, O king of kings, that sung two Slokas, in respect of\nthy duties, O thou of Kuru's race, thou shouldst always bear them in mind.\nFire hath sprung from water, the Kshatriya from the Brahmana, and iron from\nstone. The three (viz., fire, Kshatriya and iron) can exert their force on\nevery other thing, but coming into contact with their respective\nprogenitors, their force becomes neutralised. When iron strikes stone, or\nfire battles with water, or Kshatriya cherishes enmity towards Brahmana,\nthese three soon become weak. When this is so, O monarch, (you will see\nthat) the Brahmanas are worthy of worship. They that are foremost among the\nBrahmanas are gods on earth. Duly worshipped, they uphold the Vedas and\nthe Sacrifices. But they, O tiger among kings, that desire to have such\nhonour however much they may be impediments to the three worlds, should\never be repressed by the might of thy arms. The great Rishi Usanas, O\nson, sang two Slokas in days of old. Listen to them, O king, with\nconcentrated attention. The righteous Kshatriya, mindful of his duties,\nshould chastise a Brahmana that may be a very master of the Vedas if he\nrushes to battle with an uplifted weapon. The Kshatriya, conversant with\nduties, that upholds righteousness when it is trespassed against, does\nnot, by that act, become a sinner, for the wrath of the assailant\njustifies the wrath of the chastiser. Subject to these restrictions, O\ntiger among kings, the Brahmanas should be protected. If they become\noffenders, they should then be exiled beyond thy dominions. Even when\ndeserving of punishment, thou shouldst, O kings, show them compassion. If\na Brahmana becomes guilty of Brahmanicide, or of violating the bed of his\npreceptor or other revered senior, or of causing miscarriage, or of\ntreason against the king, his punishment should be banishment from thy\ndominions. No corporal chastisement is laid down for them. Those persons\nthat show respect towards the Brahmanas should be favoured by thee (with\noffices in the state). There is no treasure more valuable to kings than\nthat which consists in the selection and assemblage of servants. Among\nthe six kinds of citadels indicated in the scriptures, indeed among every\nkind of citadel, that which consists of (the ready service and the love\nof the) subjects is the most impregnable. Therefore, the king who is\npossessed of wisdom should always show compassion towards the four orders\nof his subjects. The king who is of righteous soul and truthful speech\nsucceeds in gratifying his subjects. Thou must not, however, O son always\nbehave with forgiveness towards everybody, for the king that is mild is\nregarded as the worst of his kind like an elephant that is reft of\nfierceness. In the scriptures composed by Vrihaspati, a Sloka was in days\nof old applicable to the present matter. Hear it, O king as I recite it.\n'If the king happens to be always forgiving, the lowest of persons\nprevails over him, even as the driver who sits on the head of the\nelephant he guides.' The king, therefore, should not always be mild. Nor\nshould he always be fierce. He should be like the vernal Sun, neither\ncold nor so hot as to produce perspiration. By the direct evidence of the\nsenses, by conjecture, by comparisons, and by the canons of the\nscriptures. O monarch, the king should study friends and foes. O thou of\ngreat liberality, thou shouldst avoid all those evil practices that are\ncalled Vyasanas. It is not necessary that thou shouldst never indulge in\nthem. What, however, is needed is that thou shouldst not be attached to\nthem. He that is attached to those practices is prevailed over by\neveryone. The king who cherishes no love for his people inspires the\nlatter with anxiety. The king should always bear himself towards his\nsubjects as a mother towards the child of her womb. Hear, O monarch, the\nreason why this becomes desirable. As the mother, disregarding those\nobjects that are most cherished by her, seeks the good of her child\nalone, even so, without doubt, should kings conduct themselves (towards\ntheir subjects). The king that is righteous, O foremost one of Kuru's\nrace, should always behave in such a manner as to uphold what is dear to\nhim, for the sake of doing that which would benefit his people. Thou\nshouldst not ever, O son of Pandu, abandon fortitude. The king that is\npossessed of fortitude and who is known to inflict chastisement on\nwrong-doers, has no cause of fear. O foremost of speakers, thou shouldst\nnot indulge in jests with thy servants. O tiger among kings, listen to\nthe faults of such conduct. If the master mingles too freely with them,\ndependents begin to disregard him. They forget their own position and\nmost truly transcend that of the master. Ordered to do a thing, they\nhesitate, and divulge the master's secrets. They ask for things that\nshould not be asked for, and take the food that is intended for the\nmaster. They go to the length of displaying their wrath and seek to\noutshine the master. They even seek to predominate over the king, and\naccepting bribes and practising deceit, obstruct the business of the\nstate. They cause the state to rot with abuses by falsifications and\nforgeries. They make love with the female guards of the palace and dress\nin the same style as their master. They become so shameless as to indulge\nin eructations and the like, and expectorate in the very presence of\ntheir master, O tiger among kings, and they do not fear to even speak of\nhim with levity before others. If the king becomes mild and disposed to\njest, his servants, disregarding him, ride on steeds and elephants and\ncars as good as the king's.[162] His counsellors, assembled in court,\nopenly indulge in such speeches as: 'This is beyond thy power. This is a\nwicked attempt.' If the king becomes angry, they laugh; nor are they\ngladdened if favours be bestowed upon them, though they may express joy\nfor other reasons. They disclose the secret counsels of their master and\nbruit his evil acts. Without the least anxiety they set at naught the\nking's commands. If the king's jewels, or food, or the necessaries of his\nbath, or unguents, be not forthcoming, the servants, in his very\npresence, do not show the least anxiety. They do not take what rightfully\nbelongs to them. On the other hand, without being content with what has\nbeen assigned to them, they appropriate what belongs to the king. They\nwish to sport with the king as with a bird tied with a string. And always\ngive the people to understand that the king is very intimate with them\nand loves them dearly. If the king becomes mild and disposed to jest, O\nYudhishthira, these and many other evils spring from it.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LVII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The king, O Yudhishthira, should always be ready for\naction. That king is not worth of praise who, like a woman, is destitute\nof exertion. In this connection, the holy Usanas has sung a Sloka, O\nmonarch. Listen to it with attention, O king, as I recite it to thee:\n'Like a snake swallowing up mice, the earth swallows up these two, the\nking that is averse to battle and the Brahmana that is exceedingly\nattached to wives and children.'[163] It behoveth thee, O tiger among\nkings, to bear this always in thy heart. Make peace with those foes with\nwhom (according to the ordinance) peace should be made, and wage war with\nthem with whom war should be waged. Be he thy preceptor or be he thy\nfriend, he that acts inimically towards thy kingdom consisting of seven\nlimbs, should be slain.[164] There is an ancient Sloka sung by king\nMarutta, agreeable to Vrihaspati's opinion, O monarch, about the duty of\nkings. According to the eternal provision, there is punishment for even\nthe preceptor if he becomes haughty and disregardful of what should be\ndone and what should not, and if he transgresses all restraints. Jadu's\nson, king Sagara, of great intelligence, from desire of doing good to the\ncitizens, exiled his own eldest son Asamanjas. Asamanjas, O king, used to\ndrown the children of the citizens in the Sarayu. His sire, therefore,\nrebuked him and sent him to exile. The Rishi Uddalaka cast off his\nfavourite son Swetaketu (afterwards) of rigid penances, because the\nlatter used to invite Brahmanas with deceptive promises of entertainment.\nThe happiness of their subjects, observance of truth, and sincerity of\nbehaviour are the eternal duty of kings. The king should not covet the\nwealth of others. He should in time give what should be given, If the\nking becomes possessed of prowess, truthful in speech, and forgiving in\ntemper, he would never fall away from prosperity. With soul cleansed of\nvices, the king should be able to govern his wrath, and all his\nconclusions should be conformable to the scriptures. He should also\nalways pursue morality and profit and pleasure and salvation\n(judiciously). The king should always conceal his counsels in respect of\nthese three, (viz., morality, profit, and pleasure). No greater evil can\nbefall the king than the disclosure of his counsels. Kings should protect\nthe four orders in the discharge of their duties. It is the eternal duty\nof kings to prevent a confusion of duties in respect of the different\norders. The king should not repose confidence (on others than his own\nservants), nor should he repose full confidence (on even his servants).\nHe should, by his own intelligence, look after the merits and defects of\nthe six essential requisites of sovereignty.[165] The king who is\nobservant of the laches of his foes, and judicious in the pursuit of\nmorality, profit, and pleasure, who sets clever spies for ascertaining\nsecrets and seeks to wean away the officers of his enemies by presents of\nwealth, deserves applause. The king should administer justice like Yama\nand amass wealth like Kuvera. He should also be observant of the merits\nand defects of his own acquisitions and losses and of his own dominions.\nHe should feed those that have not been fed, and enquire after those that\nhave been fed. Possessed of sweet speech, he could speak with a smiling\n(and not with a sour) countenance. He should always wait upon those that\nare old in years and repress procrastination. He should never covet what\nbelongs to others. He should firmly follow the behaviour of the righteous\nand, therefore, observe that behaviour carefully. He should never take\nwealth from those that are righteous. Taking the wealth of those that are\nnot righteous he should give it unto them that are righteous. The king\nshould himself be skilful in smiting. He should practise liberality. He\nshould have his soul under control. He should dress himself with\nsplendour. He should make gifts in season and regular in his meals. He\nshould also be of good behaviour. The king desirous of obtaining\nprosperity should always bind to his service men that are brave, devoted,\nincapable of being deceived by foes,[166] well-born, healthy,\nwell-behaved, and connected with families that are well-behaved,\nrespectable, never inclined to insult others, conversant with all the\nsciences, possessing a knowledge of the world and its affairs, unmindful\nof the future state of existence, always observant of their duties,\nhonest, and steadfast like mountains. There should be no difference\nbetween him and them as regards objects of enjoyment. The only\ndistinction should consist in his umbrella and his power of passing\norders. His conduct towards them, before or behind, should be the same.\nThe king who behaves in this way never comes to grief. That crooked and\ncovetous king who suspects everybody and who taxes his subjects heavily,\nis soon deprived of life by his own servants and relatives. That king,\nhowever, who is of righteous behaviour and who is ever engaged in\nattracting the hearts of his people, never sinks when attacked by foes.\nIf overcome, he soon regains his position. If the king is not wrathful,\nif he is not addicted to evil practices and not severe in his\npunishments, if he succeeds in keeping his passions under control, he\nthen becomes an object of confidence unto all like the Himavat mountains\n(unto all creatures). He is the best of kings who hath wisdom, who is\npossessed of liberality, who is ready to take advantage of the laches of\nfoes, who has agreeable features, who is conversant with what is bad for\neach of the four orders of his subjects, who is prompt in action, who has\nhis wrath under control, who is not vindictive, who is high-minded, who\nis not irascible by disposition, who is equal engaged in sacrifices and\nother religious acts, who is not given to boasting, and who vigorously\nprosecutes to completion all works commenced by him. He is the best of\nkings in whose dominions men live fearlessly like sons in the house of\ntheir sire. He is the best of kings whose subjects have not to hide their\nwealth and are conversant with what is good and what is bad for them. He,\nindeed, is a king whose subjects are engaged in their respective duties\nand do not fear to cast off their bodies when duty calls for it; whose\npeople, protected duly, are all of peaceful behaviour, obedient, docile,\ntractable, unwilling to be engaged in disputes, and inclined to\nliberality. That king earns eternal merit in whose dominions there is no\nwickedness and dissimulation and deception and envy. That king truly\ndeserves to rule who honours knowledge, who is devoted to the scriptures\nand the good of his people, who treads in the path of the righteous, and\nwho is liberal. That king deserves to rule, whose spies and counsels and\nacts, accomplished and unaccomplished, remain unknown to his enemies. The\nfollowing verse was sung in days of old by Usanas of Bhrigu's race, in\nthe narrative called Ramacharita, on the subject, O Bharata, of kingly\nduties: 'One should first select a king (in whose dominions to live).\nThen should he select a wife, and then earn wealth. If there be no king,\nwhat would become of his wife and acquisition?' Regarding those that are\ndesirous of kingdom, there is no other eternal duty more obligatory than\nthe protection (of subjects). The protection the king grants to his\nsubjects upholds the world.[167] Manu, the son of Prachetas, sang these\ntwo verses respecting the duties of kings. Listen to them with attention:\n'These six persons should be avoided like a leaky boat on the sea, viz.,\na preceptor that does not speak, a priest that has not studied the\nscriptures, a king that does not grant protection, a wife that utters\nwhat is disagreeable, a cow-herd that likes to rove within the village,\nand a barber that is desirous of going to the woods.'\"'\"[168]\n\n\n\nSECTION LVIII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Protection of the subject, O Yudhishthira, is the very\ncheese of kingly duties. The divine Vrihaspati does not applaud any other\nduty (so much as this one). The divine Kavi (Usanas) of large eyes and\naustere penances, the thousand-eyed Indra, and Manu the son of Prachetas,\nthe divine Bharadwaja, and the saga Gaurasiras, all devoted to Brahma and\nutterers of Brahma, have composed treatises on the duties of kings. All\nof them praise the duty of protection, O foremost of virtuous persons, in\nrespect of kings. O thou of eyes like lotus leaves and of the hue of\ncopper, listen to the means by which protection may be secured. Those\nmeans consist of the employment of spies and servants, giving them their\njust dues without haughtiness, the realisation of taxes with\nconsiderateness, never taking anything (from the subject) capriciously\nand without cause, O Yudhishthira, the selection of honest men (for the\ndischarge of administrative functions), heroism, skill, and cleverness\n(in the transaction of business), truth, seeking the good of the people,\nproducing discord and disunion among the enemy by fair or unfair means,\nthe repair of buildings that are old or on the point of falling away, the\ninfliction of corporal punishments and fines regulated by observance of\nthe occasion, never abandoning the honest, granting employment and\nprotection to persons of respectable birth, the storing of what should be\nstored, companionship with persons of intelligence, always gratifying the\nsoldiery, supervision over the subjects, steadiness in the transaction of\nbusiness, filling the treasury, absence of blind confidence on the guards\nof the city, producing disloyalty among the citizens of a hostile town,\ncarefully looking after the friends and allies living in the midst of the\nenemy's country, strictly watching the servants and officers of the\nstate, personal observation of the city, distrust of servants, comforting\nthe enemy with assurances, steadily observing the dictates of policy,\nreadiness for action, never disregarding an enemy, and casting off those\nthat are wicked. Readiness for exertion in kings is the root of kingly\nduties. This has been said by Vrihaspati. Listen to the verses sung by\nhim: 'By exertion the amrita was obtained; by exertion the Asuras were\nslain, by exertion Indra himself obtained sovereignty in heaven and on\nearth. The hero of exertion is superior to the heroes of speech. The\nheroes of speech gratify and worship the heroes of exertion.[169]' The\nking that is destitute of exertion, even if possessed of intelligence, is\nalways overcome by foes like a snake that is bereft of poison. The king,\neven if possessed of strength, should not disregard a foe, however weak.\nA spark of fire can produce a conflagration and a particle of poison can\nkill. With only one kind of force, an enemy from within a fort, can\nafflict the whole country of even a powerful and prosperous king. The\nsecret speeches of a king, the amassing of troops for obtaining victory,\nthe crooked purposes in his heart, similar intents for accomplishing\nparticular objects, and the wrong acts he does or intends to do, should\nbe concealed by putting on an appearance of candour. He should act\nrighteously for keeping his people under subjection. Persons of crooked\nminds cannot bear the burden of extensive empire. A king who is mild\ncannot obtain superior rank, the acquisition of which depends upon\nlabour. A kingdom, coveted by all like meat, can never be protected by\ncandour and simplicity. A king, O Yudhishthira, should, therefore, always\nconduct himself with both candour and crookedness. If in protecting his\nsubjects a king falls into danger, he earns great merit. Even such should\nbe the conduct of kings. I have now told thee a portion only of the\nduties of kings. Tell me, O best of the Kurus, what more you wish to\nknow.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'The illustrious Vyasa and Devasthana and Aswa,\nand Vasudeva and Kripa and Satyaki and Sanjaya, filled with joy, and with\nfaces resembling full-blown flowers, said, \"Excellent! Excellent!\" and\nhymned the praises of that tiger among men, viz., Bhishma, that foremost\nof virtuous persons. Then Yudhishthira, that chief of Kuru's race, with a\ncheerless heart and eyes bathed in tears, gently touched Bhishma's feet\nand said, \"O grandsire, I shall to-morrow enquire after those points\nabout which I have my doubts, for today, the sun, having sucked the\nmoisture of all terrestrial objects, is about to set.\" Then Kesava and\nKripa and Yudhishthira and others, saluting the Brahmanas (assembled\nthere) and circumambulating the son of the great river, cheerfully\nascended their cars. All of them observant of excellent vows then bathed\nin the current of the Drishadwati. Having offered oblations of water unto\ntheir ancestors and silently recited the sacred mantras and done other\nauspicious acts, and having performed the evening prayer with due rites,\nthose scorchers of foes entered the city called after the elephant.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LIX\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Rising from their beds the next day and performing\nthe morning rites laid down in the scriptures, the Pandavas and the\nYadavas set out (for the spot where Bhishma lay) on their cars resembling\nfortified towns. Proceeding to the field of Kuru and approaching the\nsinless Bhishma, they enquired of that foremost of car-warriors if he had\npassed the night happily. Saluting all the Rishis, and blessed by them in\nreturn, the princes took their seats around Bhishma. Then king\nYudhishthira the just possessed of great energy, having worshipped\nBhishma duly, said these words with joined hands.\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Whence arose the word Rajan (King), that is used, O\nBharata, on earth? Tell me this, O scorcher of foes! Possessed of hands\nand arms and neck like others, having understanding and senses like those\nof others, subject like others to the same kinds of joy and grief, endued\nwith back, mouth, and stomach similar to those of the rest of the world,\nhaving vital fluids and bones and marrow and flesh and blood similar to\nthose of the rest of the world, inhaling and exhaling breaths like\nothers, possessed of life-breaths and bodies like other men, resembling\nothers in birth and death, in fact, similar to others in respect of all\nattributes of humanity, for what reason does one man, viz., the king,\ngovern the rest of the world numbering many men possessed of great\nintelligence and bravery? Whence is it that one man rules the wide world\nteeming with brave and energetic and high-born men of good behaviour? Why\ndo all men seek to obtain his favour? Why is it that if one man becomes\ndelighted, the whole world becomes delighted, and if that one man is\ntroubled, the whole world becomes troubled? I desire to hear this in\ndetail, O bull of Bharata's race! O foremost of speakers, discourse to me\non this fully. O king, there cannot but be a grave reason for all this\nsince it is seen that the whole world bows down to one man as to a god.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"With concentrated attention, O tiger among kings, listen\nto it in detail as to how in the Krita age sovereignty first began. At\nfirst there was no sovereignty, no king, no chastisement, and no\nchastiser. All men used to protect one another righteously. As they thus\nlived, O Bharata, righteously protecting one another, they found the task\n(after some time) to be painful. Error then began to assail their hearts.\nHaving become subject to error, the perceptions of men, O prince, came to\nbe clouded, and thence their virtue began to decline. When their\nperceptions were dimmed and when men became subject to error, all of them\nbecame covetous, O chief of the Bharatas! And because men sought to\nobtain objects, which they did not possess, another passion called lust\n(of acquisition) got hold of them. When they became subject to lust,\nanother passion, named anger, soon soiled them. Once subject to wrath,\nthey lost all consideration of what should be done and what should not.\nUnrestrained sexual indulgence set in. Men began to utter what they\nchose. All distinctions between food that is clean and unclean and\nbetween virtue and vice disappeared. When this confusion set in amongst\nmen, the Vedas disappeared. Upon the disappearance of the Vedas,\nrighteousness was lost. When both the Vedas and righteousness were lost,\nthe gods were possessed by fear. Overcome with fear, O tiger among men,\nthey sought the protection of Brahmana. Having gratified the divine\nGrandsire of the universe, the gods, afflicted with grief, said unto him,\nwith joined hands, 'O god, the eternal Vedas have been afflicted in the\nworld of men by covetousness and error. For this, we have been struck\nwith fear. Through loss of the Vedas, O Supreme Lord, righteousness also\nhas been lost. For this, O Lord of the three worlds, we are about to\ndescend to the level of human beings. Men used to pour libations upwards\nwhile we used to pour rain downwards.[170] In consequence, however, of\nthe cessation of all pious rites among men, great distress will be our\nlot. Do thou then, O Grandsire, think of that which would benefit us, so\nthat the universe, created by thy power, may not meet with destruction.'\nThus addressed, the Self-born and divine Lord said unto them, 'I shall\nthink of what will do good to all. Ye foremost of gods, let your fears be\ndispelled!' The Grandsire then composed by his own intelligence a\ntreatise consisting of a hundred thousand chapters. In it were treated\nthe subject of Virtue, Profit, and Pleasure, which the Self-born\ndesignated as the triple aggregate. He treated of a fourth subject called\nEmancipation with opposite meaning and attributes. The triple aggregate\nin respect of emancipation, viz., to the attributes of Goodness, Passion,\nand Darkness, and another, (a fourth, viz., the practice of duty without\nhope of bliss or reward in this or the other world), were treated in it.\nAnother triple aggregate connected with Chastisement, viz., Conversation,\nGrowth, and Destruction, was treated in it.[171] Another aggregate of six\nconsisting of the hearts of men, place, time, means, overt acts, and\nalliances, and causes, were treated in it. The religious rites laid down\nin the three Vedas, knowledge, and the acts necessary for the support of\nlife, (viz., agriculture, trade, &c.), O bull of Bharata's race, and the\nvery extensive branch of learning called punitive legislation, were laid\ndown in it. The subjects also of behaviour towards counsellors, of spies,\nthe indications of princes, of secret agents possessed of diverse means,\nof envoys and agents of other kinds, conciliation, fomenting discord,\ngifts, and chastisement, O king, with toleration as the fifth, were fully\ntreated therein. Deliberation of all kinds, counsels for producing\ndisunion, the errors of deliberation, the results of the success or\nfailure of counsels, treaties of three kinds, viz., bad, middling, and\ngood, made through fear, good offices, and gifts of wealth, were\ndescribed in detail. The four kinds of time for making journeys, the\ndetails of the aggregate of three, the three kinds of victory, viz., that\nsecured righteously, that won by wealth, and that obtained by deceitful\nways, were described in detail. The three kinds of attributes, viz., bad,\nmiddling, and good, of the aggregate of five (viz., counsellors, kingdom,\nfort, army, and treasury,) were also treated in it. Chastisements of two\nkinds, viz., open and secret, were indicated. The eight kinds of open\nchastisement, as also the eight kinds of secret chastisement, were dealt\nwith in detail. Cars, elephants, horses, and foot-soldiers, O son of\nPandu, impressed labourers, crews, and paid attendants (of armies), and\nguides taken from the country which is the seat of war, these are the\neight instruments, O Kauravya, of open chastisement or forces acting\nopenly. The use and administration of movable and immovable poison were\nalso mentioned in respect of the three kinds of things, viz., wearing\napparel, food, and incantations. Enemies, allies, and neutrals,--these\nalso were described. The diverse characteristics of roads (to be taken,\nas dependent on stars and planets, etc.), the attributes of the soil (on\nwhich to encamp), protection of self, superintendence of the construction\nof cars and other utensils of war and use, the diverse means for\nprotecting and improving men, elephants, cars, and steeds, the diverse\nkinds of battle array, strategies, and manoeuvres in war, planetary\nconjunctions foreboding evil, calamitous visitations (such as\nearthquakes), skilful methods of warfare and retreat, knowledge of\nweapons and their proper keep, the disorders of troops and how to get rid\nof them, the means of inspiring the army with joy and confidence,\ndiseases, times of distress and danger, knowledge of guiding\nfoot-soldiers in battle, the methods of sounding alarms and notifying\norders, inspiring the enemy with fear by display of standards, the\ndiverse methods of afflicting the enemy's kingdom by means of robbers and\nfierce wild-tribes, and fire-raisers and poisoners and forgers by\nproducing disunion among the chief officers of hostile armies, by cutting\ndown crops and plants, by destroying the efficiency of the enemy's\nelephants, by producing alarms, by honouring those among the enemy's\nsubjects that are well disposed towards the invader, and by inspiring the\nenemy with confidence, the waste, growth, and harmony of the seven\nessential requisites of sovereignty, capacity for (projected) works, the\nmeans for accomplishing them, the methods of extending the kingdom, the\nmeans of winning over persons residing in the enemy's territory, the\nchastisement and destruction of those that are strong, the exact\nadministration of justice, the extermination of the wicked, wrestling,\nshooting and throwing and hurling of weapons, the methods of making\npresents and of storing requisite things, feeding the unfed and\nsupervision over those that have been fed, gifts of wealth in season,\nfreedom from the vices called Vyasanas, the attributes of kings, the\nqualifications of military officers, the sources of the aggregate of\nthree and its merits and faults, the diverse kinds of evil intents, the\nbehaviour of dependents, suspicion against every one, the avoidance of\nheedlessness, the acquisition of objects unattained, the improving of\nobjects already acquired, gifts to deserving persons of what has thus\nbeen improved, expenditure of wealth for pious purposes, for acquiring\nobjects of desire, and for dispelling danger and distress, were all\ntreated in that work. The fierce vices, O chief of the Kurus, born of\ntemper, and those born of lust, in all of ten kinds, were mentioned in\nthat treatise. The four kinds of vices which the learned say are born of\nlust, viz., hunting, gambling, drinking, and sexual indulgence, were\nmentioned by the Self-born in that work. Rudeness of speech, fierceness,\nseverity of chastisement, infliction of pain on the body, suicide, and\nfrustrating one's own objects, these are the six kinds of faults born of\nwrath, that have also been mentioned. Diverse kinds of machines and their\nactions have been described there. Devastation of the enemy's\nterritories, attacks upon foes, the destruction and removal of landmarks\nand other indications, the cutting down of large trees (for depriving the\nenemy and the enemy's subjects of their refreshing shade), siege of\nforts, supervision of agriculture and other useful operations, the\nstorage of necessaries, robes and attire (of troops), and the best means\nof manufacturing them, were all described. The characteristics and uses\nof Panavas, Anakas, conchs, and drums, O Yudhishthira, the six kinds of\narticles (viz., gems, animals, lands, robes, female slaves, and gold) and\nthe means of acquiring them (for one's one self) and of destroying them\n(for injuring the foe), pacification of newly acquired territories,\nhonouring the good, cultivating friendship with the learned, knowledge of\nthe rules in respect of gifts and religious rites such as homa, the touch\nof auspicious articles, attention to the adornment of the body, the\nmanner of preparing and using food, piety of behaviour, the attainment of\nprosperity by following in one path, truthfulness of speech, sweetness of\nspeech, observance of acts done on occasions of festivity and social\ngatherings and those done within the household, the open and secret acts\nof persons in all places of meeting, the constant supervision of the\nbehaviour of men, the immunity of Brahmanas from punishment, the\nreasonable infliction of punishment, honours paid to dependants in\nconsideration of kinship and merit, the protection of subjects and the\nmeans of extending the kingdom, the counsels that a king who lives in the\nmidst of a dozen of kings, should pursue in respect of the four kinds of\nfoes, the four kinds of allies, and the four kinds of neutrals, the two\nand seventy acts laid down in medical works about the protection,\nexercise, and improvements of the body, and the practices of particular\ncountries, tribes, and families, were all duty treated in that work.\nVirtue, Profit, and Pleasure, and Emancipation, were also described in\nit. The diverse means of acquisition, the desire for diverse kinds of\nwealth, O giver of profuse presents, the methods of agriculture and other\noperations that form the chief source of the revenue, and the various\nmeans for producing and applying illusions, the methods by which stagnant\nwater is rendered foul, were laid down in it. All those means, O tiger\namong kings, by which men might be prevented from deviating from the path\nof righteousness and honesty, were all described in it. Having composed\nthat highly beneficial treatise, the divine Lord cheerfully said unto the\ndeities having Indra for their head, those words: 'For the good of the\nworld and for establishing the triple aggregate (viz., Virtue, Profit,\nand Pleasure), I have composed this science representing the very cheese\nof speech. Assisted by chastisement, this science will protect the world.\nDealing rewards and punishments, this science will operate among men. And\nbecause men are led (to the acquisition of the objects of their\nexistence) by chastisement, or, in other words, chastisement leads or\ngoverns everything, therefore will this science be known in the three\nworlds as Dandaniti (science of chastisement).[172] Containing the\nessence of all the attributes of the aggregate of six, this science will\nalways be much regarded by all high-souled persons. Virtue, Profit,\nPleasure, and Salvation have all been treated in it.' After this, the\nlord of Uma,--the divine and multiform Siva of large eyes, the Source of\nall blessings, first studied and mastered it. In view, however, of the\ngradual decrease of the period of life of human beings, the divine Siva\nabridged that science of grave import compiled by Brahman. The\nabridgment, called Vaisalakasha, consisting of ten thousand lessons, was\nthen received by Indra devoted to Brahman and endued with great ascetic\nmerit. The divine Indra also abridged it into a treatise consisting of\nfive thousand lessons and called it Vahudantaka. Afterwards the puissant\nVrihaspati, by his intelligence, further abridged the work into a\ntreatise consisting of three thousand lessons and called it Varhaspatya.\nNext, that preceptor of Yoga, of great celebrity, viz., Kavi of\nimmeasurable wisdom, reduced it further into a work of a thousand\nlessons. In view of the period of men's lives and the general decrease\n(of everything), great Rishis did thus, for benefiting the world, abridge\nthat science. The gods then, approaching that lord of creatures, viz.,\nVishnu, said unto him, 'Indicate, O god, that one among mortals who\ndeserves to have superiority over the rest.' The divine and puissant\nNarayana, reflecting a little, created, by a fiat of his will, a son born\nof his energy, named Virajas. The highly blessed Virajas, however, did\nnot desire sovereignty on earth. His mind, O son of Pandu, inclined to a\nlife of renunciation. Virajas had a son named Krittimat. He too renounced\npleasure and enjoyment.[173] Krittimat had a son named Kardama. Kardama\nalso practised severe austerities. The lord of creatures, Kardama, begot\na son named Ananga. Ananga became a protector of creatures, pious in\nbehaviour, and fully conversant with the science of chastisement. Ananga\nbegot a son named Ativala, well versed in policy. Obtaining extensive\nempire after the demise of his sire, he became a slave of his passions.\nMrityu, O king, had a daughter born of his mind, named Sunita and\ncelebrated over the three worlds. She was married to Ativala and gave\nbirth to a son named Vena. Vena, a slave of wrath and malice, became\nunrighteous in his conduct towards all creatures. The Rishis, those\nutterers of Brahma, slew him with Kusa blades (as their weapon) inspired\nwith mantras. Uttering mantras the while, those Rishis pierced the right\nthigh of Vena. Thereupon, from that thigh, came out a short-limbed person\non earth, resembling a charred brand, with blood-red eyes and black hair.\nThose utterers of Brahma said unto him, 'Nishida (sit) here!' From him\nhave sprung the Nishadas, viz., those wicked tribes that have the hills\nand the forests for their abode, as also those hundreds and thousands of\nothers called Mlecchas, residing on the Vindhya mountains. The great\nRishis then pierced the right arm of Vena. Thence sprang a person who was\na second Indra in form. Clad in mail, armed with scimitars, bows, and\narrows, and well-versed in the science of weapons, he was fully\nacquainted with the Vedas and their branches. All the ordinances of the\nscience of chastisement, O king, (in their embodied forms) came to that\nbest of men. The son of Vena then, with joined hands, said unto those\ngreat Rishis, 'I have attained an understanding that is very keen and\nthat is observant of righteousness. Tell me in detail what I shall do\nwith it. That useful task which you will be pleased to indicate, I shall\naccomplish without hesitation.' Thus addressed, the gods that were\npresent there, as also the Rishis, said unto him. 'Do thou fearlessly\naccomplish all those tasks in which righteousness even resides.\nDisregarding what is dear and what not so, look upon all creatures with\nan equal eye. Cast off at a distance lust and wrath and covetousness and\nhonour, and, always observing the dictates of righteousness, do thou\npunish with thy own hands the man, whoever he may be, that deviates from\nthe path of duty. Do thou also swear that thou wouldst, in thought, word,\nand deed, always maintain the religion inculcated on earth by the Vedas.\nDo thou further swear that thou wouldst fearlessly maintain the duties\nlaid down in the Vedas with the aid of the science of chastisement, and\nthat thou wouldst never act with caprice. O puissant one, know that\nBrahmanas are exempt from chastisement, and pledge further that thou\nwouldst protect the world from an intermixture of castes.' Thus\naddressed, Vena's son replied unto the deities headed by the Rishis,\nsaying, 'Those bulls among men, viz., the highly blessed Brahmanas, shall\never be worshipped by me.' Those utterers of Brahma then said unto him,\n'Let it be so!' Then Sukra, that vast receptacle of Brahma, became his\npriest. The Valakhilyas became his counsellors, and the Saraswatas his\ncompanions. The great and illustrious Rishi Garga became his astrologer.\nThis high declaration of the Srutis is current among men that Prithu is\nthe eighth from Vishnu. A little before, the two persons named Suta and\nMagadha had come into existence. They became his bards and panegyrists.\nGratified, Prithu, the royal son of Vena, possessed of great prowess,\ngave unto Suta the land lying on the sea-coast, and unto Magadha the\ncountry since known as Magadha. We have heard that the surface of the\nearth had before been very uneven. It was Prithu who made the terrestrial\nsurface level. In every Manwantara, the earth becomes uneven.[174] Vena's\nson removed the rocks and rocky masses lying all around, O monarch, with\nthe horn of his bow. By this means the hills and mountains became\nenlarged. Then Vishnu, and the deities of Indra, and the Rishis, and the\nRegents of the world, and the Brahmanas, assembled together for crowning\nPrithu (as the king of the world). The earth herself, O son of Pandu, in\nher embodied form, came to him, with a tribute of gems and jewels. Ocean,\nthat lord of rivers, and Himavat, the king of mountains, and Sakra, O\nYudhishthira, bestowed upon him inexhaustible wealth. The great Meru,\nthat mountain of gold, gave unto him heaps of that precious metal. The\ndivine Kuvera, borne on the shoulders of human beings, that lord of\nYakshas and Rakshasas, gave him wealth enough for gratifying the needs of\nreligion, profit, and pleasure. Steeds, cars, elephants, and men, by\nmillions, O son of Pandu, started into life as soon as Vena's son thought\nof them. At that time there was neither decrepitude, nor famine, nor\ncalamity, nor disease (on earth). In consequence of the protection\nafforded by that king, nobody had any fear from reptiles and thieves or\nfrom any other source. When he proceeded to the sea, the waters used to\nbe solidified. The mountains gave him way, and his standard was never\nobstructed anywhere. He drew from the earth, as a milcher from a cow,\nseven and ten kinds of crops for the food of Yakshas, and Rakshasas, and\nNagas, and other creatures. That high-souled king caused all creatures to\nregard righteousness as the foremost of all things; and because he\ngratified all the people, therefore, was he called Rajan (king). And\nbecause he also healed the wounds of Brahmanas, therefore, he earned the\nname of Kshatriya. And because the earth (in his region) became\ncelebrated for the practice of virtue, therefore, she came to be called\nby many as Prithvi. The eternal Vishnu himself, O Bharata, confirmed his\npower, telling him, 'No one, O king, shall transcend thee.' The divine\nVishnu entered the body of that monarch in consequence of his penances.\nFor this reason, the entire universe offered divine worship unto Prithu,\nnumbered among human gods.[175] O king, thy kingdom should always be\nprotected by the aid of the science of chastisement. Thou shouldst also,\nby careful observation made through the movements of thy spies, protect\nit in such a way that no one may be able to injure it.[176] All good\nacts, O king, lead to the good (of the monarch). The conduct of a king\nshould be regulated by his own intelligence, as also by the opportunities\nand means that may offer themselves.[177] What other cause is there in\nconsequence of which the multitude live in obedience to one, save the\ndivinity of the monarch? At that time a golden lotus was born from\nVishnu's brow. The goddess Sree was born of that lotus. She became the\nspouse of Dharma of great intelligence; upon Sree, O son of Pandu, Dharma\nbegot Artha. All the three, viz., Dharma, and Artha and Sree, were\nestablished in sovereignty. A person upon the exhaustion of his merit,\ncomes down from heaven to earth, and takes birth as a king conversant\nwith the science of chastisement. Such a person becomes endued with\ngreatness and is really a portion of Vishnu on earth. He becomes\npossessed of great intelligence and obtains superiority over others.\nEstablished by the gods, no one transcends him. It is for this reason\nthat everybody acts in obedience to one, and it is for this that the\nworld cannot command him. Good acts, O king, lead to good. It is for this\nthat the multitude obey his words of command, though he belongs to the\nsame world and is possessed of similar limbs. He who once beheld Prithu's\namiable face became obedient to him. Thenceforth he began to regard him\nas handsome, wealthy, and highly blessed.[178] In consequence of the\nmight of his sceptre, the practice of morality and just behaviour became\nso visible on earth. It is through that reason that the earth became\noverspread with virtue.\n\n\"'\"Thus, O Yudhishthira, the histories of all past events, the origin of\nthe great Rishis, the holy waters, the planets and stars and asterisms,\nthe duties in respect of the four modes of life, the four kinds of Homa,\nthe characteristics of the four orders of men, and the four branches of\nlearning, were all treated of in that work (of the Grandsire). Whatever\nobjects or things, O son of Pandu, there are on earth, were all included\nin that treatise of the Grandsire. Histories and the Vedas and the\nscience of Nyaya were all treated in it, as also penances, knowledge,\nabstention from injury in respect of all creatures, truth, falsehood, and\nhigh morality. Worship of persons old in years, gifts, purity of\nbehaviour, readiness for exertion, and compassion towards all creatures,\nwere very fully described in it. There is no doubt in this. Since that\ntime, O monarch, the learned have begun to say that there is no\ndifference between a god and a king. I have now told thee everything\nabout the greatness of kings. What other subject is there, O chief of the\nBharatas, upon which I shall next have to discourse?\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LX\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'After this, Yudhishthira, saluted his grandsire, viz.\nthe son of Ganga, and with joined hands and concentrated attention, once\nmore asked him, saying, \"What are the general duties of the four orders\nof men, and what the special duties of each order? What mode of life\nshould be adopted by which order? What duties are especially called the\nduties of kings? By what means does a kingdom grow, and what are those\nmeans by which the king himself grows? How also, O bull of Bharata's\nrace, do the citizens and the servants of the king grow? What sorts of\ntreasuries, punishments, forts, allies, counsellors, priests, and\npreceptors, should a king avoid?[179] Whom should the king trust in what\nkinds of distress and danger? From what evils should the king guard\nhimself firmly? Tell me all this, O grandsire!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I bow down to Dharma who is great, and to Krishna who is\nBrahma. Having bowed down also unto the Brahmanas (assembled here), I\nshall discourse on duties that are eternal. The suppression of wrath,\ntruthfulness of speech, justice, forgiveness, begetting children upon\none's own wedded wives, purity of conduct, avoidance of quarrel,\nsimplicity, and maintenance of dependants, these nine duties belong to\nall the four orders (equally). Those duties, however, which belong\nexclusively to Brahmanas, I shall now tell thee. Self-restraint, O king,\nhas been declared to be the first duty of Brahmanas. Study of the Vedas,\nand patience in undergoing austerities, (are also their other duties). By\npractising these two, all their acts are accomplished. If while engaged\nin the observance of his own duties, without doing any improper act,\nwealth comes to a peaceful Brahmana possessed of knowledge, he should\nthen marry and seek to beget children and should also practise charity\nand perform sacrifices. It has been declared by the wise that wealth thus\nobtained should be enjoyed by distributing it (among deserving persons\nand relatives). By his study of the Vedas all the pious acts (laid down\nfor the Brahmana) are accomplished. Whether he does or does not achieve\nanything else, if he devotes himself to the study of the Vedas, he\nbecomes (by that) known as a Brahmana or the friend of all creatures. I\nshall also tell thee, O Bharata, what the duties are of a Kshatriya. A\nKshatriya, O king, should give but not beg, should himself perform\nsacrifices but not officiate as a priest in the sacrifices of others. He\nshould never teach (the Vedas) but study (them with a Brahmana\npreceptor). He should protect the people. Always exerting himself for the\ndestruction of robbers and wicked people, he should put forth his prowess\nin battle. Those among Kshatriya rulers who perform great sacrifices, who\nare possessed of a knowledge of the Vedas, and who gain victories in\nbattle, become foremost of those that acquire many blessed regions\nhereafter by their merit. Persons conversant with the old scriptures do\nnot applaud that Kshatriya who returns unwounded from battle. This has\nbeen declared to be the conduct of a wretched Kshatriya.[180] There is no\nhigher duty for him than the suppression of robbers. Gifts, study, and\nsacrifices, bring prosperity to kings. Therefore, a king who desires to\nacquire religious merit should engage in battle.[181] Establishing all\nhis subjects in the observance of their respective duties, a king should\ncause all of them to do everything according to the dictates of\nrighteousness. Whether he does or does not do any other act, if only he\nprotects his subjects, he is regarded to accomplish all religious acts\nand is called a Kshatriya and the foremost of men. I shall now tell thee,\nO Yudhishthira, what the eternal duties of the Vaisya are. A Vaisya\nshould make gifts, study the Vedas, perform sacrifices, and acquire\nwealth by fair means. With proper attention he should also protect and\nrear all (domestic) animals as a sire protecting his sons. Anything else\nthat he will do will be regarded as improper for him. By protecting the\n(domestic) animals, he would obtain great happiness. The Creator, having\ncreated the (domestic) animals, bestowed their care upon the Vaisya. Upon\nthe Brahmana and the Kshatriya he conferred (the care of) all creatures.\nI shall tell thee what the Vaisya's profession is and how he is to earn\nthe means of his sustenance. If he keeps (for others) six kine, he may\ntake the milk of one cow as his remuneration; and if he keeps (for\nothers) a hundred kine, he may take a single pair as such fee. If he\ntrades with other's wealth, he may take a seventh part of the profits (as\nhis share). A seventh also is his share in the profits arising from the\ntrade in horns, but he should take a sixteenth if the trade be in hoofs.\nIf he engages in cultivation with seeds supplied by others, he may take a\nseventh part of the yield. This should be his annual remuneration. A\nVaisya should never desire that he should not tend cattle. If a Vaisya\ndesires to tend cattle, no one else should be employed in that task. I\nshould tell thee, O Bharata, what the duties of a Sudra are. The Creator\nintended the Sudra to become the servant of the other three orders. For\nthis, the service of the three other classes is the duty of Sudra. By\nsuch service of the other three, a Sudra may obtain great happiness. He\nshould wait upon the three other classes according to their order of\nseniority. A Sudra should never amass wealth, lest, by his wealth, he\nmakes the members of the three superior classes obedient to him. By this\nhe would incur sin. With the king's permission, however, a Sudra, for\nperforming religious acts, may earn wealth. I shall now tell thee the\nprofession he should follow and the means by which he may earn his\nlivelihood. It is said that Sudras should certainly be maintained by the\n(three) other orders. Worn-out umbrellas, turbans, beds and seats, shoes,\nand fans, should be given to the Sudra servants.[182] Torn clothes which\nare no longer fit for wear, should be given away by the regenerate\nclasses unto the Sudra. These are the latter's lawful acquisitions. Men\nconversant with morality say that if the Sudra approaches any one\nbelonging to the three regenerate orders from desire of doing menial\nservice, the latter should assign him proper work. Unto the sonless Sudra\nhis master should offer the funeral cake. The weak and the old amongst\nthem should be maintained.[183] The Sudra should never abandon his\nmaster, whatever the nature or degree of the distress into which the\nlatter may fall. If the master loses his wealth, he should with excessive\nzeal be supported by the Sudra servant. A Sudra cannot have any wealth\nthat is his own. Whatever he possesses belongs lawfully to his\nmaster.[184] Sacrifice has been laid down as a duty of the three other\norders. It has been ordained for the Sudra also, O Bharata! A Sudra,\nhowever, is not competent to titter swaha and swadha or any other Vedic\nmantra. For this reason, the Sudra, without observing the vows laid down\nin the Vedas, should worship the gods in minor sacrifices called\nPaka-yajnas. The gift called Purna-patra is declared to be the Dakshina\nof such sacrifices.[185] It has been heard by us that in days of old a\nSudra of the name of Paijavana gave a Dakshina (in one of his sacrifices)\nconsisting of a hundred thousand Purnapatras, according to the ordinance\ncalled Aindragni.[186] Sacrifice (as has been already said), is as much\nlaid down for the Sudra as for the three other classes. Of all\nsacrifices, devotion has been laid down to be the foremost.[187] Devotion\nis a high deity. It cleanses all sacrificers. Then again Brahmanas are\nthe foremost of gods unto their respective Sudra attendants. They worship\nthe gods in sacrifices, for obtaining the fruition of various wishes. The\nmembers of the three other classes have all sprung from the\nBrahmanas.[188] The Brahmanas are the gods of the very gods. Whatever\nthey would say would be for thy great good. Therefore, all kinds of\nsacrifices naturally appertain to all the four orders. The obligation is\nnot one whose discharge is optional. The Brahmana, who is conversant with\nRichs, Yajuses, and Samans, should always be worshipped as a god. The\nSudra, who is without Richs and Yajuses and Samans, has Prajapati for his\ngod.[189] Mental sacrifice, O sire, is laid down for all the orders, O\nBharata! It is not true that the gods and other (Superior) persons do not\nmanifest a desire to share the offerings in such sacrifices of even the\nSudra.[190] For this reason, the sacrifice that consists in devotion is\nlaid down for all the classes.[191] The Brahmana is the foremost of gods.\nIt is not true that they that belong to that order do not perform the\nsacrifices of the other orders. The fire called Vitana, though procured\nfrom Vaisyas and inspired with mantras, is still inferior.[192] The\nBrahmana is the performer of the sacrifices of the three other orders.\nFor this reason all the four orders are holy. All the orders bear towards\none another to relation of consanguinity, through the intermediate\nclasses. They have all sprung from Brahmanas. In ascertaining (the\npriority or subsequence of men in respect of their creation) it will\nappear that amongst all the orders the Brahmana was created first.\nOriginally Saman was one, Yajus was one, and Rich was one.[193] In this\nconnection, persons conversant with ancient histories cite a verse, O\nking, sung in praise of sacrifice by the Vaikhanasa Munis on the occasion\nof performing a sacrifice of theirs. Before or after sunrise a person of\nsubdued senses, with heart filled with devotion, poureth libations on the\n(sacrificial) fire according to the ordinance. Devotion is a mighty\nagent. With regard to homas again, that variety which is called skanna is\nthe initial one, while that which is called askanna is the last (but\nforemost in point of merit). Sacrifices are multifarious. Their rites and\nfruits again are multifarious. The Brahmana possessed of devotion who,\nendued with scriptural learning, who is acquainted with them all, is\ncompetent to perform sacrifices. That person who desires to perform a\nsacrifice is regarded as righteous even if he happens to be a thief, a\nsinner, or the worst of sinners. The Rishis applaud such a man. Without\ndoubt they are right. This then is the conclusion that all the orders\nshould always and by every means in their power perform sacrifices. There\nis nothing in the three worlds equal to sacrifice. Therefore, it has been\nsaid that every one with heart free from malice, should perform\nsacrifices, aided by devotion which is sacred, to the best of his power\nand according as he pleases.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXI\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"O mighty-armed one, listen now to me, O thou of prowess\nincapable of being baffled, as I mention the names of the four modes of\nlife and the duties in respect of each. The four modes are Vanaprastha,\nBhaikshya, Garhasthya of great merit, and Brahmacharya which is adopted\nby Brahmanas. Undergoing the purificatory rite in respect of bearing\nmatted locks, after having gone through the rite of regeneration and\nperformed for some time the rites in respect of the sacred fire and\nstudied the Vedas, one should, with cleansed soul and senses under\nrestraint, having first carefully performed all the duties of the mode\ncalled Garhasthya, proceed, with or without his wife, to the woods for\nadoption of the mode called Vanaprastha. Having studied the scriptures\ncalled Aranyakas, having drawn up his vital fluid and having retired from\nall worldly affairs, the virtuous recluse may then attain to an\nabsorption with the eternal Soul knowing no decay. These are the\nindications of Munis that have drawn up their vital fluid. A learned\nBrahmana, O king, should first practise and perform them. The Brahmana, O\nking, that is desirous of emancipation, it is well known, is competent to\nadopt the Bhaikshya mode after having gone through the mode called\nBrahmacharya. Sleeping at that place (in the course of the wanderings)\nwhere evening overtakes him, without desire of bettering his situation,\nwithout a home, subsisting on whatever food is obtained (in charity),\ngiven to contemplation, practising self-restraint, with the senses under\ncontrol, without desire, regarding all creatures equally, without\nenjoyments, without dislike to anything, the Brahmana possessed of\nlearning, by adopting this mode of life, attains to absorption with the\neternal Soul that knows no decay. The person leading the Garhasthya mode\nof life should, after studying the Vedas, accomplish all the religious\nacts laid down for him. He should beget children and enjoy pleasures and\ncomforts. With careful attention he should accomplish all the duties of\nthis mode of life that is applauded by ascetics and that is extremely\ndifficult to go through (without transgressions). He should be satisfied\nwith his own wedded wife and should never approach her except her season.\nHe should observe the ordinances of the scriptures, should not be cunning\nand deceitful. He should be abstemious in diet, devoted to the gods,\ngrateful, mild, destitute of cruelty, and forgiving. He should be of a\ntranquil heart, tractable and attentive in making offerings to the gods\nand the Pitris. He should always be hospitable to the Brahmanas. He\nshould be without pride, and his charity should not be confined to any\none sect. He should also be always devoted to the performance of the\nVedic rites. In this connection, the illustrious and great Rishis cite a\nverse sung by Narayana himself, of grave import and endued with high\nascetic merit. Listen to me as I repeat it.--'By truth, simplicity,\nworship of guests, acquisition of morality and profit, and enjoyment of\none's own wedded wives, one should enjoy diverse kinds of happiness both\nhere and hereafter.' The great Rishis have said that support of sons and\nwives, and study of the Vedas, form the duties of those that lead this\nhigh mode of life. That Brahmana who, always engaged in the performance\nof sacrifices, duly goes through this mode of life and properly\ndischarges all its duties, obtains blessed rewards in heaven. Upon his\ndeath, the rewards desired by him became deathless. Indeed, these wait\nupon him for eternity like menials ever on the alert to execute the\ncommands of their master.[194] Always attending to the Vedas, silently\nreciting the mantras obtained from his preceptor, worshipping all the\ndeities, O Yudhishthira, dutifully waiting upon and serving his preceptor\nwith his own body smeared with clay and filth, the person leading the\nBrahmacharya mode of life should always observe rigid vows and, with\nsenses under control, should always pay attention to the instructions he\nhas received. Reflecting on the Vedas and discharging all the duties (in\nrespect of contemplation and overt acts), he should live, dutifully\nwaiting upon his preceptor and always bowing unto him. Unengaged in the\nsix kinds of work (such as officiating in the sacrifices of others), and\nnever engaged with attachment to any kind of acts, never showing favour\nor disfavour to any one, doing good even unto his enemies, these, O sire,\nare the duties laid down for a Brahmacharin!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell us those duties in respect of persons like\nourselves which are auspicious, productive of happiness in the future,\nbenevolent, approved by all, pleasant, and agreeable.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The four modes of life, O puissant one, have been laid\ndown for the Brahmana. The other three orders do not adopt them, O best\nof the Bharatas! Many acts, O king, leading to heaven and especially fit\nfor the kingly order, have already been declared. Those, however, cannot\nbe referred to in reply to thy present query, for all of them have been\nduly laid down for such Kshatriyas as are not disinclined to\npitilessness. The Brahmana who is addicted to the practices of Kshatriyas\nand Vaisyas and Sudras, incurs censure in this world as a person of\nwicked soul and goes to hell in the next world. Those names which are\napplied among men to slaves and dogs and wolves and (other) beasts, are\napplied, O son of Pandu, to the Brahmana who is engaged in pursuits that\nare improper for him. That Brahmana who, in all the four modes of life.\nis duly engaged in the six-fold acts (of regulating the breath,\ncontemplation, etc.), who performs all his duties, who is not restless,\nwho has his passions under control, whose heart is pure and who is ever\nengaged in penances, who has no desire of bettering his prospects, and\nwho is charitable, has inexhaustible regions of bliss in the other world.\nEveryone derives his own nature from the nature of his acts, in respect\nof their circumstances, place, and means and motives. Thou shouldst,\ntherefore, O king, regard the study of the Vedas, which is fraught with\nsuch high merit, to be equal with the exertion of kingly power, or the\npursuits of agriculture, trade, and hunting. The world is set agoing by\nTime. Its operations are settled by the course of Time. Man does all his\nacts, good, bad, and indifferent, entirely influenced by Time.[195] Those\namongst the good acts of a man's past life that exert the greatest\ninfluence on the next, are liable to be exhausted. Men, however, are\nalways engaged in those acts to which their propensities lead. Those\npropensities, again, lead a living being to every direction.\"'\"[196]\n\n\n\nSECTION LXIII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Drawing the bow-string, destruction of foes, agriculture,\ntrade, tending cattle, and serving others for wealth, these are improper\nfor a Brahmana. An intelligent Brahmana, leading a domestic mode of life,\nshould duly perform the six Vedic acts. The retirement of a Brahmana into\nthe woods, after having duly discharged all the duties of the domestic\nmode of life, is applauded. A Brahmana should avoid service of the king,\nwealth obtained by agriculture, sustenance derived from trade, all kinds\nof crooked behaviour, companionship with any but his wedded wives, and\nusury. That wretched Brahmana who falls away from his duties and whose\nbehaviour becomes wicked, becomes, O king, a Sudra. The Brahmana who weds\na Sudra woman, who becomes vile in conduct or a dancer or a village\nservant or does other improper acts, becomes a Sudra. Whether he recites\nthe Vedas or not, O king, if he does such improper acts, he becomes equal\nto a Sudra and on occasions of feeding he should be assigned a place\namongst Sudras. Such Brahmanas become equal to Sudras, O king, and should\nbe discarded on occasions of worshipping the Gods.[197] Whatever presents\nof food dedicated to the gods and the Pitris are made unto Brahmanas that\nhave transgressed all restraints or become impure in behaviour or\naddicted to wicked pursuits and cruel acts or fallen away from their\nlegitimate duties, confer no merit (on the giver). For this reason, O\nking, self-restraint and purity and simplicity have been laid down as the\nduties of a Brahmana. Besides these, O monarch, all the four modes of\nlife were laid down by Brahman for him. He that is self-restrained, has\ndrunk the Soma in sacrifices, is of good behaviour, has compassion for\nall creatures and patience to bear everything, has no desire of bettering\nhis position by acquisition of wealth, is frank and simple, mild, free\nfrom cruelty, and forgiving, is truly a Brahmana and not he that is\nsinful in acts. Men desirous of acquiring virtue, seek the assistance, O\nking, of Sudras and Vaisyas and Kshatriyas. If, therefore, the members of\nthese (three) orders do not adopt peaceful duties (so as to be able to\nassist others in the acquisition of virtue), Vishnu, O son of Pandu,\nnever extends his grace to them. If Vishnu be not pleased, the happiness\nof all men in heaven, the merit arising from the duties laid down for the\nfour orders, the declarations of the Vedas, all kinds of sacrifices, and\nall other religious acts of men, and all the duties in respect of the\nseveral modes of life, become lost.\n\n\"'\"Listen now, O son of Pandu, to those duties that should be observed in\nthe four modes of life. These should be known by the Kshatriya who\ndesires the members of the three (other) orders (in his kingdom) to\nstrictly adhere to the respective duties of those modes. For a Sudra who\nis desirous of hearing (such scriptures as are not forbidden in his\ncase),[198] who has accomplished his duties, who has begotten a son,\nbetween whom and the superior orders there is not much difference in\nconsequence of the purity of his conduct, all the modes of life have been\nlaid down excepting the observance of universal peacefulness and\nself-restraint (which are not necessary for him). For a Sudra practising\nall these duties as also for a Vaisya, O king, and a Kshatriya, the\nBhikshu mode of life has been laid down. Having discharged the duties of\nhis order, and having also served the kin, a Vaisya of venerable years,\nwith the king's permission, may betake himself to another mode of life.\nHaving studied the Vedas duly and the treatises on the duties of kings, O\nsinless one, having begotten children and performed other acts of a like\nnature, having quaffed the Soma and ruled over and protected all his\nsubjects righteously, O foremost of speakers, having performed the\nRajasuya, the horse sacrifice, and other great sacrifices, having invited\nlearned Brahmanas for reciting the scriptures and made presents unto them\naccording to their desires, having obtained victories small or great in\nbattle, having placed on his throne the son of his loins or some\nKshatriya of good birth for the protection of subjects, having worshipped\nthe Pitris by performing with due rites the sacrifices laid down for\nhonouring them, having attentively worshipped the gods by performing\nsacrifices and the Rishis by studying the Vedas, the Kshatriya, who in\nold age desires another mode of life, may, O king, adopt it by leaving\nthat one which immediately precedes it, and by that means he is sure to\nobtain (ascetic) success. A Kshatriya, for leading the life of a Rishi, O\nking, may adopt the Bhikshu mode of life; but he should never do so for\nthe sake of enjoying the pleasures of the world. Having left the domestic\nmode of life, he may adopt the life of mendicancy by begging, what would\nbarely support his life. A life of mendicancy is not obligatory upon the\nthree orders (viz. Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, and Sudras), O giver of profuse\npresents! Inasmuch, however, as they can adopt it if they choose, this\nmode of life, therefore, is open to the four orders. Amongst men, the\nhighest duties are those which are practised by Kshatriyas. The whole\nworld is subject to the might of their arms. All the duties, principal\nand subordinate, of the three other orders, are dependent (for their\nobservance) upon the duties of the Kshatriya. The Vedas have declared\nthis. Know that as the footprints of all other animals are engulfed in\nthose of the elephant, even so all the duties of the other orders, under\nevery circumstance, are engulfed, in those of the Kshatriya. Men\nconversant with the scriptures say that the duties of the other three\norders afford small relief or protection, and produce small rewards. The\nlearned have said that the duties of the Kshatriya afford great relief\nand produce great rewards. All duties have kingly duties for their\nforemost. All the orders are protected by them. Every kind of\nrenunciation occurs in kingly duties, O monarch, and renunciation has\nbeen said to be in eternal virtue and the foremost of all.[199] If the\nscience of chastisement disappears, the Vedas will disappear. All those\nscriptures also that inculcate the duties of men become lost. Indeed, if\nthese ancient duties belonging to the Kshatriyas be abandoned, all the\nduties in respect of all the modes of life, become lost. All kinds of\nrenunciation are seen in kingly duties; all kinds of initiation occur in\nthem; all kinds of learning are connected with them; and all kinds of\nworldly behaviour enter into them. As animals, if slaughtered by the\nvulgar, become the means of destroying the virtue and the religious acts\nof the slaughterers, even so all other duties, if deprived of the\nprotection given by kingly duties, become liable to attack and\ndestruction, and men, full of anxiety, disregard the practices laid down\nfor them.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXIV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The duties in respect of all the four modes of life,\nthose of yatis, O son of Pandu, and the customs relating to the conduct\nof men in general, are all included in kingly duties. All these acts, O\nchief of the Bharatas, occur in Kshatriya duties. If the functions of\nroyalty are disturbed, all creatures are overtaken by evil. The duties of\nmen are not obvious. They have, again, many outlets.[200] Led by many\n(false) systems, their eternal nature is sometimes offended against.\nOthers who pin their faith to the conclusions arrived at by men, without\nreally knowing anything about the truths of duties (as declared in the\nscriptures), find themselves at last landed and confounded on faiths\nwhose ultimate ends are unknown. The duties imposed upon Kshatriyas are\nplain, productive of great happiness, evident in respect of their\nresults, free from deceit, and beneficial to the whole world. As the\nduties of the three orders, as also of Brahmanas and of those that have\nretired from the world, O Yudhishthira, have before this been said to be\nall included within those of that sacred mode of life (called\nGarhasthya), even so, the whole world, with all good actions, are subject\nto kingly duties. I have told thee, O monarch, how many brave kings had,\nin days of old, repaired to that lord of all creatures, viz., the divine\nand puissant Vishnu of great prowess, for resolving their doubts about\nthe science of chastisement. Those kings, mindful of the declarations of\nthe scriptures enforced by examples, waited in days of old upon Narayana,\nafter having weighed each of their acts against the duties of each of the\nmodes of life.[201] Those deities, viz., the Sadhyas, the Vasus, the\nAswins, the Rudras, the Viswas, the Maruts, and the Siddhas, created in\ndays of old by the first of gods, are all observant of Kshatriya duties.\nI shall now recite to thee a history fraught with the conclusions of both\nmorality and profit. In days of old when the Danavas had multiplied and\nswept away all barriers and distinctions[202] the powerful Mandhatri, O\nmonarch, became king. That ruler of the earth, viz., king Mandhatri,\nperformed a great sacrifice from desire of beholding the puissant\nNarayana, that god of gods, without beginning, middle, and end. In that\nsacrifice he worshipped with humility the great Vishnu.[203] The Supreme\nLord, assuming the form of Indra, showed himself unto him. Accompanied by\nmany good kings he offered his adorations to that puissant deity. The\nhigh discourse took place between that lion among kings and that\nillustrious god in the form of Indra, touching Vishnu of great\neffulgence.\n\n\"'\"Indra said, 'What is your object, O foremost of virtuous persons, in\nthus seeking to behold that Ancient and First of gods, viz., Narayana, of\ninconceivable energy, and infinite illusions? Neither myself, nor Brahman\nhimself, can obtain a sight of that god of universal form. I shall grant\nthee what other objects may be in thy heart, for thou art the foremost of\nmortals. Thy soul abides in peace; thou art devoted to righteousness;\nthou hast thy senses under control; and thou art possessed of heroism.\nThou seekest unflinchingly to do what is agreeable to the gods. For the\nsake also of thy intelligence, devotion, and high faith, I shall grant\nthee whatsoever boons may be desired by thee.'\n\n\"'\"Mandhatri said, 'I bend my head for gratifying thee. Without doubt,\nhowever, I desire to see the first of gods, O divine Lord! Casting off\nall (earthly) desires, I wish to earn religious merit, and to lead the\nforemost mode of life, that path of the good, highly regarded by all. By\nexercising the high duties of a Kshatriya, I have earned many regions of\ninexhaustible merit in the other world, and I have also, through those\nduties, spread my fame. I do not, however, know how to discharge those\nduties, the foremost in the world, that have flowed from the first of\ngods.'\n\n\"'\"Indra said, 'They that are not kings, however observant they may be of\ntheir duties, cannot easily attain the highest rewards of duty. Kingly\nduties first flowed from the original god. Other duties flowed afterwards\nfrom his body. Infinite were the other duties, with those of the\nVanaprastha mode of life, that were created afterwards. The fruits of all\nthose are exhaustible. Kingly duties, however, are distinguished above\nthem. In them are included all other duties. For this reason Kshatriya\nduties are said to be the foremost of all. In days of old, Vishnu, by\nacting according to Kshatriya duties, forcibly suppressed and destroyed\nhis foes and thereby afforded relief to the gods and the Rishis of\nimmeasurable energy. If the divine Vishnu of inconceivable energy had not\nslain all his foes among the Asuras, then the Brahmanas, and (Brahman)\nthe Creator of the worlds and Kshatriya duties, and the duties that first\nflowed from the Supreme deity, would all have been destroyed. If that\nfirst and foremost of gods had not, by putting forth his prowess,\nsubjugated the earth with all her Asuras, then all the duties, of the\nfour orders and all the duties in respect of the four modes of life would\nall have been destroyed in consequence of the destruction of Brahmanas.\nThe eternal duties (of men) had all suffered destruction. It was by the\nexercise of Kshatriya duties that they were revived.[204] In every Yuga,\nthe duties of Brahmanas in respect of attaining to Brahma first set in.\nThese, however, are all protected by kingly duties. The latter, on this\naccount, are regarded as the foremost. Casting away life in battle,\ncompassion for all creatures, knowledge of the affairs of the world,\nprotection of men, rescuing them from danger, relieving the distressed\nand the oppressed, all these occur among Kshatriya duties practised by\nKings. Persons that do not regard wholesome restraints and that are\ngoverned by lust and wrath, do not commit overt acts of sin from fear of\nkings. Others that are docile and of righteous behaviour succeed, in\nconsequence of the same influence, in performing all their duties. For\nthis reason Kshatriya duties are regarded to be righteous. Without doubt,\nall creatures live happily in the world, protected by kings exercising\nKshatriya duties like children protected by their parents. Kshatriya\nduties are the foremost of all duties. Those eternal duties, regarded as\nthe first in the world, embrace the protection of every creature.\nThemselves eternal, they lead to eternal emancipation.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXV\n\n\"'\"Indra said, 'Kshatriya duties, O king, which are possessed of such\nenergy, which include in their exercise all other duties, and which are\nthe foremost of all duties, should be observed by persons that are, like\nthee, so high-souled and so employed in seeking the good of the world. If\nthose duties are not properly discharged, all creatures would be\novertaken by ruin. The kings possessed of compassion for all creatures,\nshould regard these to be the foremost of his duties, reclaiming the land\nfor cultivation and fertilizing it, performance of great sacrifices for\ncleansing himself, a disregard for begging, and protection of subjects.\nAbandonment (gift) is said by the sages to be the foremost of virtues. Of\nall kinds of abandonment, again, that of the body in battle, is the\nforemost. Thou hast seen with thy eyes how the rulers of the earth, ever\nobservant of Kshatriya duties, having duly waited upon their preceptors\nand acquired great learning, at last cast off their bodies, engaged in\nbattle with one another. The Kshatriya, desirous of acquiring religious\nmerit, should, after having gone through the Brahmacharya mode, should\nlead a life of domesticity which is always meritorious. In adjudicating\nupon ordinary questions of right (between his subjects), he should be\nthoroughly impartial. For causing all the orders to be observant of their\nrespective duties, for the protection they afford to all, for the diverse\ncontrivances and means and the prowess and exertion (with which they seek\nthe accomplishment of their objects), Kshatriya duties, which include all\nother duties within their scope, are said to be the foremost. The other\norders are able to observe their respective duties in consequence of\nkingly duties. For this reason the former are said to be dependent upon\nthe latter in respect of the merit they produce.[205] Those men who\ndisregard all wholesome restraints and who are too much attached to the\npursuit of worldly objects are said to be of the nature of brutes. They\nare compelled to act with justice by the exercise of kingly duties. Those\nduties, therefore, are said to be the foremost of all. That course of\nconduct which has been prescribed for Brahmanas who follow the three\nVedas, and those modes of life that have been laid down for Brahmanas,\nshould, before everything else, be observed by every Brahmana. If a\nBrahmana acts otherwise, he should be punished like a Sudra. The duties\nof the four modes of life and the ritual prescribed in the Vedas, O king,\nshould ever be followed by a Brahmana. Know that he has no other duties.\nFor a Brahmana acting otherwise, a Kshatriya should not make any\narrangement for sustenance. His religious merit grows in consequence of\nhis acts. A Brahmana, indeed, is like Dharma's self. That Brahmana who is\nemployed in acts that are not laid down for him, deserves no respect. If\nnot engaged in his proper acts, he should not be trusted. These are the\nduties that appertain to the several orders. Kshatriyas should take care\nof them so that their observance may be improved. Even these are the\nduties of Kshatriyas. For these reasons also, kingly duties and no other,\nare the foremost of all. They are, as I believe, the duties of heroes,\nand they that are heroes are foremost in practising them.'\n\n\"'\"Mandhatri said, 'What duties should be performed by the Yavanas, the\nKiratas, the Gandharvas, the Chinas, the Savaras, the Barbaras, the\nSakas, the Tusharas, the Kankas, the Pathavas, the Andhras, the Madrakas,\nthe Paundras, the Pulindas, the Ramathas, the Kamvojas, the several\ncastes that have sprung up from Brahmanas and Kshatriyas, the Vaisyas,\nand the Sudras, that reside in the dominions of (Arya) kings? What are\nthose duties again to the observance of which kings like ourselves should\nforce those tribes that subsist by robbery? I desire to hear all this. O\nillustrious god, instruct me. O chief of all the deities, thou art the\nfriend of us Kshatriyas.'\n\n\"'\"Indra said, 'All the robber tribes should serve their mothers and\nfathers, their preceptors and other seniors, and recluses living in the\nwoods. All the robber tribes should also serve their kings. The duties\nand rites inculcated in the Vedas should also be followed by them. They\nshould perform sacrifices in honour of the Pitris, dig wells, (and\ndedicate them to universal service), give water to thirsty travellers,\ngive away beds and make other seasonable presents unto Brahmanas.\nAbstention from injury, truth, suppression of wrath, supporting Brahmanas\nand kinsmen by giving them their dues, maintenance of wives and children,\npurity, peacefulness, making presents to Brahmanas at sacrifices of every\nkind, are duties that should be practised by every person of this class\nwho desire his own prosperity. Such a person should also perform all\nkinds of Paka-yajnas with costly presents of food and wealth. These and\nsimilar duties, O sinless one, were laid down in olden days for persons\nof this class. All these acts which have been laid down for all others\nshould be done by persons of also the robber class, O king.'\n\n\"'\"Mandhatri said, 'In the world of men, such wicked men may be seen living\nin disguise among all the four orders and in all the four modes of life.'\n\n\"'\"Indra said, 'Upon the disappearance of kingly duties and of the science\nof chastisement, all creatures became exceedingly afflicted, O sinless\none, in consequence of the tyranny of kings. After the expiry of this the\nKrita age, a confusion will set in, regarding the different modes of\nlife, and innumerable Bhikshus will appear with sectarian marks of\ndifferent kinds. Disregarding the Puranas and the high truths of\nreligion, men, urged by lust and wrath, will deviate into wrong paths.\nWhen sinful men are restrained (from wicked acts) by high-souled persons\nwith the aid of the science of chastisement, then religion, which is\nsuperior to everything and eternal, and which is the source of everything\ngood, becomes firmly established. The gifts, and libations, and offerings\nto the Pitris of the man that disregards the king who is superior to\nevery one, become fruitless. The very gods do not disregard a virtuous\nking who is truly an eternal god. The divine Lord of all creatures,\nhaving created the universe, intended the Kshatriya to rule men regarding\ntheir inclinations and disinclinations in respect of duties. I respect\nand worship that person who, aided by his understanding, watches the\ncourse of the duties performed by men. Upon such supervision rest\nKshatriya duties.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Having said these words, the divine and puissant\nNarayana in the form of Indra, accompanied by the Maruts, repaired to his\neternal abode of inexhaustible felicity. When, O sinless one, duties as\npractised by the good had such a course in days of old, what man of\ncleansed soul and learning is there that would disregard the Kshatriya?\nLike blind men lost on the way, creatures acting and abstaining\nunrighteously meet with destruction. O tiger among men, do thou adhere to\nthat circle (of duties) that was first set agoing and to which the\nancients had recourse. I know, O sinless one, that thou art quite\ncompetent to do this.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXVI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou hast spoken to me about the four modes of human\nlife. I desire to know more of them. Do thou discourse on them in detail.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"O Yudhishthira of mighty arms, all the duties that are\npractised in this world by the righteous are known to thee as they are\nknown to me. O foremost of virtuous persons, listen now to me about what\nthou askest, viz. the merit (that a king acquires) in consequence of the\nduties practised by others leading other modes of life.[206] All the\nmerits, O son of Kunti, that belong to persons practising the duties of\nthe four modes of life, attach, O foremost of men, to righteous kings. A\nking who is not governed by lust and hate, who rules with the aid of the\nscience of chastisement, and who looks equally on all creatures, O\nYudhishthira, attains to the object of the Bhaikshya mode of life.[207]\nThat king who is possessed of knowledge, who makes gifts to deserving\npersons on proper occasions, who knows how to favour and punish, who\nconducts himself in all things according to the injunctions of the\nscriptures, and who has tranquillity of soul, attains to the object of\nthe Garhasthya mode of life. That king who always worships those that are\ndeserving of worship by giving them their due, completely attains, O son\nof Kunti, to the object of the Bhaikshya mode of life. That king, O\nYudhishthira, who rescues from distress, to the best of his power, his\nkinsmen and relatives and friends, attains to the object of the\nVanaprastha mode of life. That king who on every occasion honours those\nthat are foremost among men and those that are foremost among Yatis,\nattains, O son of Kunti, to the object of the Vanaprastha mode of life.\nThat king, O Partha, who daily makes offerings unto the Pitris and large\nofferings unto all living creatures including men, attains to the object\nof the same mode of life. That king, O tiger among men, who grinds the\nkingdoms of others for protecting the righteous, attains to the object of\nthe same mode of life. In consequence of the protection of all creatures\nas also of the proper protection of his own kingdom, a king earns the\nmerit of as many sacrifices as the number of creatures protected, and\naccordingly attains to the object of the Sannyasa mode of life. Study of\nthe Vedas every day, forgiveness, and worship of preceptors, and services\nrendered to one's own teacher, lead to the attainment of the object of\nBrahmacharya. That king who silently recites his mantras every day and\nwho always worships the gods according to the ordinance, attains, O tiger\namong men, to the object of the Garhasthya mode of life. That king who\nengages in battle with the resolve of protecting his kingdom or meeting\nwith death, attains to the object of the Vanaprastha mode of life. That\nking who gives unto persons leading a Vanaprastha mode of life and unto\nBrahmanas versed in the three Vedas attains to the object of the\nVanaprastha mode of life. That king who displays compassion towards all\ncreatures and abstains entirely from cruelty, attains to the objects of\nall the modes of life. That king, O Yudhishthira, who shows compassion to\nthe young and the old, O son of Kunti, under every circumstance, attains\nto the objects of every mode of life. That king, O perpetuator of Kuru's\nrace, who affords relief to all oppressed people that seek his\nprotection, attains to the object of the Garhasthya mode of life. That\nking who protects all creatures mobile and immobile, and honours them as\nthey deserve, attains to the object of the Garhasthya mode of life.\nBestowing favours and inflicting punishments upon the wives and brothers,\nelder and younger, and upon their sons and grandsons, are the domestic\nduties of a king and these constitute his best penances. By honouring\nthose that are righteous and deserving of worship and protecting those\nthat have (by their penances) acquired knowledge of self, a king, O\ntiger among men, attains to the object of the Garhasthya mode of life.\nInviting to this home, O Bharata, persons that have betaken themselves to\nthat Vanaprastha and other modes of life, and treating them with food,\nconstitute the domestic duties of a king. That king who duly adheres to\nthe duties laid down by the Creator, obtains the blessed merits of all\nthe modes of life. That king, O son of Kunti, in whom no virtue is\nwanting, that foremost of men, O Yudhishthira, is said by the learned to\nbe a person in the observance of the Vanaprastha and all the other modes\nof life. That king who duly honours the office or rank which deserves\nhonour, the race or family which deserves honour, and those old men that\ndeserve honour is said, O Yudhishthira, to live in all the modes of\nlife.[208] A king, O son of Kunti, by observing the duties of his country\nand those of his family, acquires, O tiger among men, the merits of all\nthe modes of life. That king who at proper seasons bestows upon righteous\npersons affluence or gifts of value, earns the merits, O king, of all the\nmodes of life. That king, O son of Kunti, who while overcome with danger\nand fear still keeps his eye on the duties of all men,[209] earns the\nmerits of all the modes of life. The king obtains a share of the merits\nearned under his protection by righteous people in his dominions. On the\nother hand, if kings, O tiger among men, do not protect the righteous\npeople within their dominions, they then take the sins of the latter (of\nomission and commission). Those men also, O Yudhishthira, who assist\nkings (in protecting their subjects), become equally entitled, O sinless\none, to a share of the merits earned by others (in consequence of that\nprotection). The learned say that the Garhasthya, which we have adopted,\nis superior to all the other modes of life. The conclusions in respect of\nit are very clear. It is certainly sacred, O tiger among men. That man\nwho regards all creatures to be like his own self, who never does any\nharm and has his wrath under control, obtains great happiness both here\nand hereafter.[210] A king can easily cross the ocean of the world, with\nkingly duties as his boat passed of great speed, urged on by the breeze\nof gifts, having the scriptures for its tackle and intelligence for the\nstrength of its helmsman, and kept afloat by the power of righteousness.\nWhen the principle of desire in his heart is withdrawn from every earthly\nobject, he is then regarded as one resting on his understanding alone. In\nthis state he soon attains to Brahma.[211] Becoming cheerful by\nmeditation and by restraining desire and other passions of the heart, O\ntiger among men, a king, engaged in discharging the duty of protection,\nsucceeds in obtaining great merit. Do thou, therefore, O Yudhishthira,\nexert thyself carefully in protecting Brahmanas of pious deeds and\ndevoted to the study of the Vedas, as also all other men. By exercising\nthe duty of protection only, O Bharata, the king earns merit that is a\nhundred times greater than what is earned by recluses in their asylums\nwithin the wood.\n\n\"'\"I have now described, O eldest son of Pandu, the diverse duties of men.\nDo thou adhere to kingly duties that are eternal and that have been\npractised by great men since days of old. If thou employest thyself with\nconcentrated attention to the duty of protecting (thy subjects), O tiger\namong men, thou mayst then, O son of Pandu, obtain the merits of all the\nfour modes of life and of all the four orders of men!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXVII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou hast said what the duties are of the four modes\nof life and the four orders. Tell me now, O grandsire, what are the\nprincipal duties of a kingdom.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The (election and) coronation of a king is the first duty\nof a kingdom. A kingdom in which anarchy prevails becomes weak and is\nsoon afflicted by robbers.[212] In kingdoms torn by anarchy,\nrighteousness cannot dwell. The inhabitants devour one another. An\nanarchy is the worst possible of states. The Srutis declare that in\ncrowning a king, it is Indra that is crowned (in the person of the king).\nA person who is desirous of prosperity should worship the king as he\nshould worship Indra himself. No one should dwell in kingdoms torn by\nanarchy. Agni does not convey (to the gods) the libations that are poured\nupon him in kingdoms where anarchy prevails. If a powerful king\napproaches kingdoms weakened by anarchy, from desire of annexing them to\nhis dominions, the people should go forward and receive the invader with\nrespect. Some conduct would be consistent with wise counsels. There is no\nevil greater than anarchy. If the powerful invader be inclined to equity,\neverything will be right. If, on the other hand, he be engaged, he may\nexterminate all. That cow which cannot be easily milked has to suffer\nmuch torture. On the other hand, that cow which is capable of being\neasily milked, has not to suffer any torture whatever. The wood that\nbends easily does not require to be heated. The tree that bends easily,\nhas not to suffer any torture (at the hands of the gardener). Guided by\nthese instances, O hero, men should bend before those that are powerful.\nThe man that bends his head to a powerful person really bends his head to\nIndra. For these reasons, men desirous of prosperity should (elect and)\ncrown some person as their king. They who live in countries where anarchy\nprevails cannot enjoy their wealth and wives. During times of anarchy,\nthe sinful man derive great pleasure by robbing the wealth of other\npeople. When, however, his (ill-got) wealth is snatched by others, he\nwishes for a king. It is evident, therefore, that in times of anarchy the\nvery wicked even cannot be happy. The wealth of one is snatched away by\ntwo. That of those two is snatched away by many acting together. He who\nis not a slave is made a slave. Women, again, are forcibly abducted. For\nthese reasons the gods created kings for protecting the people. If there\nwere no king on earth for wielding the rod of chastisement, the strong\nwould then have preyed on the weak after the manner of fishes in the\nwater. It hath been heard by us that men, in days of old, in consequence\nof anarchy, met with destruction, devouring one another like stronger\nfishes devouring the weaker ones in the water. It hath been heard by us\nthat a few amongst them then, assembling together, made certain compacts,\nsaying, 'He who becomes harsh in speech, or violent in temper, he who\nseduces or abducts other people's wives or robs the wealth that belongs\nto others, should be cast off by us.' For inspiring confidence among all\nclasses of the people, they made such a compact and lived for some time.\nAssembling after some time they proceeded in affliction to the Grandsire,\nsaying, 'Without a king, O divine lord, we are going to destruction.\nAppoint some one as our king. All of us shall worship him and he shall\nprotect us.' Thus solicited, the Grandsire asked Manu. Manu, however, did\nnot assent to the proposal.\n\n\"'\"Manu said, 'I fear all sinful acts. To govern a kingdom is exceedingly\ndifficult, especially among men who are always false and deceitful in\ntheir behaviour.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"The inhabitants of the earth then said unto him, 'Do\nnot fear. The sins that men commit will touch those only that commit them\n(without staining thee in the least). For the increase of thy treasury,\nwe will give thee a fiftieth part of our animals and precious metals and\na tenth part of our grain. When our maidens also will become desirous of\nwedding, we shall, when the question comes up, give thee the most\nbeautiful ones among them. Those amongst men who will become the foremost\nof all in the use of weapons and in riding animals and driving vehicles,\nshall proceed behind thee like the deities behind Indra. With thy\nstrength enhanced in this way, and becoming invincible and possessed of\ngreat prowess, thou wilt be our king and protect us happily like Kuvera\nprotecting the Yakshas and the Rakshasas. A fourth part of the merit\nwhich men will earn under thy protection will be thine. Strengthened by\nthat merit so easily obtained by thee, do thou protect us, O king, like\nHe of a hundred sacrifices protecting the deities. Like the Sun scorching\neverything with his rays, go out for winning victories. Crush the pride\nof foes and let righteousness always triumph (in the world).' Thus\naddressed by those inhabitants of the earth, Manu, possessed of great\nenergy, proceeded, accompanied by a large force. Of high descent, he\nseemed then to blaze with prowess. Beholding the might of Manu, like the\ngods eyeing the might of Indra, the inhabitants of the earth became\ninspired with fear and set their hearts upon their respective duties.\nManu then made his round through the world, checking everywhere all acts\nof wickedness and setting all men to their respective duties, like a\nrain-charged cloud (in its mission of beneficence).\n\n\"'\"Those, O Yudhishthira, those men on earth who desire prosperity should\nfirst elect and crown a king for the protection of all. Like disciples\nhumbling themselves in the presence of the preceptors or the gods in the\npresence of Indra, all men should humble themselves before the king. One\nthat is honoured by his own people becomes an object of regard with his\nfoes also, while one that is disregarded by his own is overridden by\nfoes. If the king be overridden by his foes, all his subjects become\nunhappy. Therefore, umbrellas and vehicles and outward ornaments, and\nviands, and drinks, and mansions, and seats, and beds, and all utensils\nfor use and show, should be assigned to the king. By such means the king\nwill succeed in discharging his duties of protection (the better) and\nbecome irresistible. He should speak with smiles. Addressed sweetly by\nothers, he should address others sweetly. Grateful (to those that serve\nhim), firmly devoted (to those that deserve his respect), and with\npassions under control, he should give unto others their due. Looked upon\nby others he should look at them mildly, sweetly, and handsomely.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXVIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Why, O bull of Bharata's race, have the Brahmanas\nsaid that the king, that ruler of men, is a god?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection, is cited the old story, O Bharata, of\nthe discourse of Vrihaspati unto Vasumanas. There was a king of Kosala\npossessed of great intelligence, named Vasumanas. On a certain occasion\nhe questioned the great sage Vrihaspati of much wisdom. Conversant with\nthe requirements of humility, king Vasumanas, ever devoted to the welfare\nof all, having observed the proper humilities and having circumambulated\nthe great sage and bowed unto him duly, enquired of the virtuous\nVrihaspati about the ordinances in respect of a kingdom, moved by the\ndesire of securing the happiness of men.\n\n\"'\"Vasumanas said, 'By what means do creatures grow and by what are they\ndestroyed? O thou of great wisdom, by adoring whom do they succeed in\nobtaining eternal happiness?' Thus questioned by the Kosala king of\nimmeasurable energy, Vrihaspati of great wisdom discoursed unto him\ncoolly about the respect that should be paid to kings.\n\n\"'\"Vrihaspati said, 'The duties of all men, O thou of great wisdom, may be\nseen to have their root in the king. It is through fear of the king only\nthat men do not devour one another. It is the king that brings peace on\nearth, through due observance of duties, by checking all disregard for\nwholesome restraints and all kinds of lust. Achieving this, he shines in\nglory. As, O king, all creatures become unable to see one another and\nsink in utter darkness if the sun and the moon do not rise, as fishes in\nshallow water and birds in a spot safe from danger dart and rove as they\nplease (for a time) and repeatedly attack and grind one another with\nforce and then meet with certain destruction, even so men sink in utter\ndarkness and meet with destruction if they have no king to protect them,\nlike a herd of cattle without the herdsman to look after them. If the\nking did not exercise the duty of protection, the strong would forcibly\nappropriate the possessions of the weak, and if the latter refused to\nsurrender them with ease, their very lives would be taken. Nobody then,\nwith reference to any article in his possession, would be able to say\n\"This is mine.\" Wives, sons, food, and other kinds of property, would not\nthen exist. Ruin would overtake everything if the king did not exercise\nthe duty of protection. Wicked men would forcibly appropriate the\nvehicles and robes and ornaments and precious stones and other kinds of\nproperty belonging to others, if the king did not protect. In the absence\nof protection by the king, diverse kinds of weapons would fall upon those\nthat are righteous in their practices, and unrighteousness would be\nadopted by all. In the absence of royal protection men would disregard or\neven injure their very mothers and fathers if aged, their very preceptors\nand guests and seniors. If the king did not protect, all persons\npossessed of wealth would have to encounter death, confinement, and\npersecution, and the very idea of property would disappear. If the king\ndid not protect, everything would be exterminated prematurely, and every\npart of the country would be overrun by robbers, and everybody would fall\ninto terrible hell. If the king did not protect, all restrictions about\nmarriage and intercourse (due to consanguinity and other kinds of\nrelationship) would cease; all affairs relating to agricultures and trade\nwould fall into confusion, morality would sink and be lost; and the three\nVedas would disappear. Sacrifices, duly completed with presents according\nto the ordinance, would no longer be performed; no marriage would take\nplace; society itself would cease to exist, if the king did not exercise\nthe duty of protection. The very bulls would not cover cows and milk-jars\nwould not be churned, and men living by rearing kine would meet with\ndestruction, if the king did not exercise the duty of protection. In the\nabsence of royal protection, all things, inspired with fear and anxiety\nand becoming senseless and uttering cries of woe, would meet with\ndestruction in no time. No sacrifices extending for a year and completed\nwith presents according to the ordinances would occur if the king did not\nexercise the duty of protection. In the absence of royal protection\nBrahmanas would never study the four Vedas or undergo austerities or be\ncleansed by knowledge and rigid vows. In the absence of royal protection,\nthe slayer of a person guilty of the slaughter of a Brahmana would not\nobtain any reward; on the other hand the person guilty of Brahmanicide\nwould enjoy perfect immunity. In the absence of royal protection, men\nwould snatch other people's wealth from their very hands, and all\nwholesome barriers would be swept away, and everybody, inspired with\nfear, would seek safety in flight. In the absence of royal protection,\nall kinds of injustice would set in; an intermixture of castes would take\nplace; and famine would ravage the kingdom. In consequence again of royal\nprotection, men can everywhere sleep fearlessly and at their ease without\nshutting their houses and doors with bolts and bars. Nobody would hear\nthe evil speeches of others, far less actual assaults, if the king did\nnot righteously protect the earth.[213] If the king exercises the duty of\nprotection, women decked with ornament may fearlessly wander everywhere\nwithout male relatives to attend upon them. Men become righteous and\nwithout injuring serve one another because the king exercises the duty of\nprotection. In consequence of royal protection the members of the three\norders are enabled to perform high sacrifices and devote themselves to\nthe acquisition of learning with attention. The world depends upon\nagriculture and trade and is protected by the Vedas. All these again are\nduly protected by the king exercising his principal duty. Since the king,\ntaking a heavy load upon himself, protects his subjects with the aid of a\nmighty force, it is for this that the people are able to live in\nhappiness. Who is there that will not worship him in whose existence the\npeople exist and in whose destruction the people are destroyed? That\nperson who does what is agreeable and beneficial to the king and who\nbears (a share of) the burden of kingly duties that strike every caste\nwith fear, conquers both this and the other world.[214] That man who even\nthinks of doing an injury to the king, without doubt meets with grief\nhere and goes to hell hereafter. No one should disregard the king by\ntaking him for a man, for he is really a high divinity in human form. The\nking assumes five different forms according to five different occasions.\nHe becomes Agni, Aditya, Mrityu, Vaisravana, and Yama. When the king,\ndeceived by falsehood, burns with his fierce energy the sinful offenders\nbefore him, he is then said to assume the form of Agni. When he observes\nthrough his spies the acts of all persons and does what is for the\ngeneral good, he is then said to assume the form of Aditya. When he\ndestroys in wrath hundreds of wicked men with their sons, grandsons, and\nrelatives, he is then said to assume the form of the Destroyer. When he\nrestrains the wicked by inflicting upon them severe punishments and\nfavours the righteous by bestowing rewards upon them, he is then said to\nassume the form of Yama. When he gratifies with profuse gifts of wealth\nthose that have rendered him valuable services, and snatches away the\nwealth and precious stones of those that have offended him, indeed, when\nhe bestows prosperity upon some and takes it away from others, he is\nthen, O king, said to assume the form of Kuvera on earth. No person who\nis possessed of cleverness, who is capable of work, who desires the\nacquisition of virtue, and who is free from malice, should ever spread\nevil reports about the king. No man, by acting against the king, can ever\nmake himself happy, even if he happens to be the king's son or brother or\ncompanion or one whom the king regards as his second self. Fire, having\nthe wind for his urger, blazing forth (among articles that are\ninflammable), may leave a remnant.[215] The wrath of the king, however,\nleaves not anything to the person that incurs it. Whatever belongs to the\nking should be avoided from distance.[216] One should turn away from what\nbelongs to the king as he would from death itself. A person by\nappropriating what belongs to the king speedily meets with destruction\nlike a deer upon touching poison. The man of intelligence should protect\nas his own what belongs to the king. They that appropriate wealth\nbelonging to the king sink senseless into a deep hell of eternal gloom\nand infamy. Who is there that will not worship the king who is adored by\nsuch terms as delighter of the people, giver of happiness, possessor of\nprosperity, the foremost of all, healer of injuries, lord of earth, and\nprotector of men? That man, therefore, who desires his own prosperity,\nwho observes all wholesome restraints, who has his soul under control,\nwho is the master of his passions, who is possessed of intelligence and\nmemory, and who is clever (in the transaction of business), should always\nbe attached to the king. The king should duly honour the minister who is\ngrateful, endued with wisdom, large-hearted, loyal, possessed of mastery\nover his senses, virtuous, and observant of the dictates of policy. The\nking should entertain the man who is loyal, grateful, virtuous, possessed\nof self-control, brave, magnanimous in his acts, and competent to\naccomplish tasks without the assistance of others. Knowledge makes men\nproud. The king makes men humble. The man who is afflicted by the king\ncan never obtain happiness. On the other hand, the man who is favoured by\nthe king becomes happy. The king is the heart of his people; he is their\ngreat refuge; he is their glory; and he is their highest happiness. Those\nmen, O monarch, who are attached to the king, succeed in conquering both\nthis and the other world. Having governed the earth with the aid of the\nqualities of self-restraint, truth, and friendship, and having adored the\ngods by great sacrifices, the king, earning great glory, obtains an\neternal abode in heaven.' That best of monarchs, viz., the heroic\nVasumanas, ruler of Kosala, thus instructed by Vrihaspati the son of\nAngiras, began thenceforth to protect his subjects.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXIX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"What other special duties remain for the king to\ndischarge? How should he protect his kingdom and how subdue his foes? How\nshould he employ his spies? How should he inspire confidence in the four\norders of his subjects, his own servants, wives, and sons, O Bharata?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Listen, O monarch, with attention to the diverse duties\nof kings,--to those acts which the king or one that is in the position of\na king should first do. The king should first subdue himself and then\nseek to subdue his foes. How should a king who has not been able to\nconquer his own self be able to conquer his foes? The conquest of these,\nviz., the aggregate of five, is regarded as the conquest of self. The\nking that has succeeded in subduing his senses is competent to resist his\nfoes. He should place bodies of foot-soldiers in his forts, frontiers,\ntowns, parks, and pleasure gardens, O delighter of the Kurus, as also in\nall places where he himself goes, and within his own palace, O tiger\namong men! He should employ as spies men looking like idiots or like\nthose that are blind and deaf. Those should all be persons who have been\nthoroughly examined (in respect of their ability), who are possessed of\nwisdom, and who are able to endure hunger and thirst. With proper\nattention, the king should set his spies upon all his counsellors and\nfriends and sons, in his city and the provinces, and in dominions of the\nchiefs under him. His spies should be so employed that they may not know\none another. He should also, O bull of Bharata's race, know the spies of\nhis foes by himself setting spies in shops and places of amusement, and\nconcourses of people, among beggars, in his pleasure gardens and parks,\nin meetings and conclaves of the learned, in the country, in public\nplaces, in places where he holds his own court, and in the houses of the\ncitizens. The king possessed of intelligence may thus ascertain the spies\ndespatched by his foes. If these be known, the king may derive much\nbenefit, O son of Pandu! When the king, by a survey of his own, finds\nhimself weak, he should then, consulting with his counsellors make peace\nwith a foe that is stronger. The king that is wise should speedily make\npeace with a foe, even when he knows that he is not weak, if any\nadvantage is to be derived from it. Engaged in protecting his kingdom\nwith righteousness, the king should make peace with those that are\npossessed of every accomplishment, capable of great exertion, virtuous,\nand honest. When the king finds himself threatened with danger and about\nto be overtaken by ruin, he should slay all offenders whom he had\noverlooked before and all such persons as are pointed at by the people. A\nking should have nothing to do with that person who can neither benefit\nnor injure him, or with one who cannot rescue himself from distress. As\nregards military operations a king who is confident of his own strength,\nshould, at the head of a large force, cheerfully and with courage give\nthe order to march, without proclaiming his destination against one\ndestitute of allies and friends or already at war with another and\n(therefore) heedless (of danger from other quarters), or one weaker than\nhimself, having first made arrangements for the protection of his own\ncapital.[217] A king should not for ever live in subjection to another\npossessed of greater prowess. Though weak, he should seek to afflict the\nstronger, and resolved upon this, continue to rule his own.[218] He\nshould afflict the kingdom of the stronger one by means of weapons, fire\nand application of poison. He should also cause dissensions amongst his\ncounsellors and servants. Vrihaspati has said that a king possessed of\nintelligence should always avoid war for acquisition of territory. The\nacquisition of dominion should be made by the three well-known means (of\nconciliation, gift, and disunion). The king that is possessed of wisdom\nshould be gratified with those acquisitions that are made by means of\nconciliation, gift, and disunion. The king, O delighter of the Kurus,\nshould take a sixth of the incomes of his subjects as tribute for meeting\nthe expenses of protecting them. He should also forcibly take away\nwealth, much or little (as the case may require), from the ten kinds of\noffenders mentioned in the scriptures, for the protection of his\nsubjects. A king should, without doubt, look upon his subjects as his own\nchildren. In determining their disputes, however, he should not show\ncompassion. For hearing the complaints and answers of disputants in\njudicial suits, the king should always appoint persons possessed of\nwisdom and a knowledge of the affairs of the world, for the state really\nrests upon a proper administration of justice. The king should set honest\nand trustworthy men over his mines, salt, grain, ferries, and elephant\ncorps. The king who always wields with propriety the rod of chastisement\nearns great merit. The proper regulation of chastisement is the high duty\nof kings and deserves great applause. The king should be conversant with\nthe Vedas and their branches, possessed of wisdom, engaged in penances,\ncharitable, and devoted to the performance of sacrifices. All these\nqualities should permanently reside in a king. If the king fails to\nadminister justice, he can neither have heaven nor fame. If a king be\nafflicted by a stronger one, the former, if possessed of intelligence,\nshould seek refuge in a fort. Assembling his friends for consultation, he\nshould devise proper means. Adopting the policy of conciliation and of\nproducing dissensions, he should devise means for waging war with the\nassailant. He should set the inhabitants of the woods on the high roads,\nand, if necessary, cause whole villages to be removed, transplanting all\nthe inhabitants to minor towns or the outskirts of great cities.\nRepeatedly assuring his wealthy subjects and the principal officers of\nthe army, he should cause the inhabitants of the open country to take\nrefuge in such forts as are well-protected. He should himself withdraw\nall stores of grain (from the open country into his forts). If that\nbecomes impossible, he should destroy them completely by fire. He should\nset men for destroying the crops on the fields of the enemy (by producing\ndisunion among the enemy's subjects). Failing to do this, he should\ndestroy those crops by means of his own troops. He should destroy all the\nbridges over the rivers in his kingdom. He should bale out the waters of\nall the tanks in his dominions, or, if incapable of baling them out,\ncause them to be poisoned. Disregarding the duty of protecting his\nfriends, he should, in view of both present and future circumstances,\nseek the protection of the ruler of another kingdom who may happen to be\nthe foe of his foe and who may be competent to deal with his foe on the\nfield of battle.[219] He should destroy all the smaller forts in his\nkingdom. He should also cut down all the smaller trees excepting those\nthat are called Chaitya.[220] He should cause the branches of all the\nlarger trees to be lopped off, but he should not touch the very leaves of\nthose called Chaitya. He should raise outer ramparts round his forts,\nwith enclosures in them, and fill his trenches with water, driving\npointed stakes at their bottom and filling them with crocodiles and\nsharks. He should keep small openings in his walls for making sallies\nfrom his fort, and carefully make arrangements for their defence like\nthat of the greater gates.[221] In all his gates he should plant\ndestructive engines. He should plant on the ramparts (of his forts)\nSataghnis and other weapons. He should store wood for fuel and dig and\nrepair wells for supply of water to the garrison. He should cause all\nhouses made of grass and straw to be plastered over with mud, and if it\nis the summer month, he should, from fear of fire, withdraw (into a place\nof safety) all the stores of grass and straw. He should order all food to\nbe cooked at night. No fire should be ignited during the day, except for\nthe daily homa. Particular care should be taken of the fires in smithies\nand lying-in rooms. Fires kept within the houses of the inhabitants\nshould be well covered. For the effectual protection of the city, it\nshould be proclaimed that condign punishment will overtake the person who\nlights fires by the day time. During such times, all beggars, eunuchs,\nlunatics, and mimes, should, O foremost of men, be driven out of the\ntown, for if they are permitted to remain, evil will follow. In places of\npublic resort, in tirthas, in assemblies, and in the houses of the\ncitizens, the king should set competent spies.[222] The king should cause\nwide roads to be constructed and order shops, and places for the\ndistribution of water, to be opened at proper stations. Depots (of\ndiverse necessaries), arsenals, camps and quarters for soldiers, stations\nfor the keeping of horses and elephants, encampments of soldiers,\ntrenches, streets and bypaths, houses and gardens for retirement and\npleasure, should be so ordered that their sites may not be known to\nothers, O Yudhishthira. A king who is afflicted by a hostile army should\ngather wealth, and store oil and fat and honey, and clarified butter, and\nmedicines of all kinds, and charcoal and munja grass, leaves, arrows,\nscribes and draftsmen, grass, fuel, poisoned arrows, weapons of every\nkind such as darts, swords, lances, and others. The king should store\nsuch articles. He should especially keep ready drugs of every kind, roots\nand fruits, the four kinds of physicians, actors and dancers, athletes,\nand persons capable of assuming diverse disguises. He should decorate his\ncapital and gladden all his subjects. The king should lose no time in\nbringing under his control such persons as may happen to inspire him with\nfear, be they his servants or counsellors or citizens or neighbouring\nmonarchs. After any task of the king has been accomplished, he should\nreward that those that have aided in its accomplishment with wealth and\nother proportionate gifts and thankful speeches. It has been laid down in\nthe scriptures, O delighter of the Kurus, that a king pays off his debt\nwhen he discomfits his foe or slays him outright.[223] A king should take\ncare of seven things. Listen to me as I recite them. They are his own\nself, his counsellors, his treasury, his machinery for awarding\npunishments, his friends, his provinces, and his capital. He should with\ncare protect his kingdom which consists of these seven limbs. That king,\nO tiger among men, who is conversant with the aggregate of six, the\ntriple aggregate, and the high aggregate of three, succeeds in winning\nthe sovereignty of the whole earth. Listen, O Yudhishthira, to what has\nbeen called the aggregate of six. These are ruling in peace after\nconcluding a treaty (with the foe), marching to battle, producing\ndisunion among the foe, concentration of forces, for inspiring the foe\nwith fear, preparedness for war with readiness for peace, and alliance\nwith others. Listen now with attention to what has been called the triple\naggregate. They are decrease, maintenance of what is, and growth. The\nhigh aggregate of three consists of Virtue, Profit and Pleasure. These\nshould be pursued judiciously. By the aid of virtue, a king succeeds in\nruling the earth for ever. Touching this matter, Angirasa's son:\nVrihaspati himself has sung two verses. Blessed be thou, O son of Devaki,\nit behoveth thee to hear them. 'Having discharged all his duties and\nhaving protected the earth, and having also protected his cities, a king\nattains to great happiness in heaven. What are penances to that king, and\nwhat need has he of sacrifices who protects his people properly? Such a\nking should be regarded as one conversant with every virtue!'\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"There is the science of chastisement, there is the\nking, and there are the subjects. Tell me, O grandsire, what advantage is\nderived by one of these from the others.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Listen to me, O king, as I describe, O Bharata, the great\nblessedness of the science of chastisement, in sacred words of grave\nimport. The science of chastisement forces all men to the observance of\nthe duties of their respective orders. Duly administered, it forces\npeople to virtuous acts.[224] When the four orders attend to their\nrespective duties, when all wholesome barriers are maintained, when peace\nand happiness are made to flow from the science of chastisement, when the\npeople become freed from all fear, and the three higher orders endeavour,\naccording to their respective duties, to maintain harmony, know that men\nbecome truly happy at such times. Whether it is the king that makes the\nage, or, it is the age that makes the king, is a question about which\nthou shouldst not entertain any doubt. The truth is that the king makes\nthe age. When the king rules with a complete and strict reliance on the\nscience of chastisement, the foremost of ages called Krita is then said\nto set in.[225] Righteousness sets in the Krita age. Nothing of\nunrighteousness exists then. The hearts of men belonging to all the four\norders do not take any pleasure in unrighteousness. Without doubt, all\nmen succeed in acquiring the objects they desire and preserving those\nthat have been acquired. All the Vedic rites become productive of merit.\nAll the seasons become delightful and free from evil. The voice,\npronunciation, and minds of all men become clear and cheerful. Diseases\ndisappear and all men become long-lived. Wives do not become widows, and\nno person becomes a miser. The earth yields crops without being tilled,\nand herbs and plants grow in luxuriance. Barks, leaves, fruits, and\nroots, become vigorous and abundant. No unrighteousness is seen. Nothing\nbut righteousness exists. Know these to be the characteristics, O\nYudhishthira, of the Krita age. When the king relies upon only three of\nthe four parts of the science of chastisement leaving out a fourth, the\nage called Treta sets in. A fourth part of unrighteousness follows in the\ntrain of such observance (of the great science) by three-fourths. The\nearth yields crops but waits for tillage. The herbs and plants grow\n(depending upon tillage). When the king observes the great science by\nonly a half, leaving out the other half, then the age that sets in is\ncalled Dwapara. A moiety of unrighteousness follows in the train of such\nobservance of the great science by half. The earth requires tillage and\nyields crops by half. When the king, abandoning the great science\ntotally, oppresses his subjects by evil means of diverse kinds, the age\nthat sets in is called Kali. During the age called Kali, unrighteousness\nbecomes full and nothing of righteousness is seen. The hearts of men, of\nall the orders, fall away from their respective duties. Sudras live by\nadopting lives of mendicancy, and Brahmanas live by serving others. Men\nfail to acquire the objects they desire and preserve those already\nacquired. Intermixture of the four orders takes place. Vedic rites fail\nto produce fruits. All the seasons cease to be delightful and become\nfraught with evil. The voice, pronunciation, and minds of men lose\nvigour. Diseases appear, and men die prematurely. Wives become widows,\nand many cruel men are seen. The clouds do not pour seasonably, and crops\nfail. All kinds of moisture also fail, when the king does not, with\nproper attention to the great science, protect the subjects. The king is\nthe creator of the Krita age, of the Treta, and of the Dwapara. The king\nis the cause of the fourth age (called Kali). If he causes the Krita age,\nhe attains to everlasting heaven. If he causes the Treta age, he acquires\nheaven for a period that is limited. If he causes the Dwapara, he attains\nto blessedness in heaven according to the measure of his merits. By\ncausing the Kali age, the king incurs a heavy load of sin. Stained by\nwickedness, he rots in hell for innumerable years, for sinking in the\nsins of his subjects, he incurs great sin and infamy himself. Keeping the\ngreat science in his view, the Kshatriya possessed of learning should\nstrive to acquire those objects which he desires and protect those that\nhave been already acquired. The science of chastisement, which\nestablishes all men in the observance of their respective duties, which\nis the groundwork of all wholesome distinctions, and which truly upholds\nthe world and sets it agoing, if properly administered, protects all men\nlike the mother and the father protecting their children. Know, O bull\namong men, that the very lives of creatures depend upon it. The highest\nmerit a king can acquire is acquaintance with the science of chastisement\nand administering it properly. Therefore, O thou of Kuru's race, protect\nthy subjects righteously, with the aid of that great science. By\nprotecting the subjects and adopting such a conduct, thou wilt surely\nattain to such blessedness in heaven as is difficult of acquisition.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"By adopting that conduct, O thou that art conversant\nwith every kind of behaviour, can a king succeed in easily acquiring,\nboth here and hereafter, objects productive of happiness in the end?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"There are these thirty-six virtues (which a king should\nobserve). They are connected with thirty-six others. A virtuous person,\nby attending to those qualities, can certainly acquire great merit. The\nking should observe his duties without wrath and malice. He should not\nabandon kindness. He should have faith. He should acquire wealth without\npersecution and cruelty. He should pursue pleasure without attachments.\nHe should, with cheerfulness, utter what is the agreeable, and be brave\nwithout brag. He should be liberal but should not make gifts to persons\nthat are unobserving. He should have prowess without cruelty. He should\nmake alliance, avoiding those that are wicked. He should not act with\nhostility towards friends. He should never employ persons not devoted to\nhim as his spies and secret agents. He should never accomplish his\nobjects by persecution. He should never disclose his purposes before\npersons that are wicked. He should speak of the merits of others but\nnever his own. He should take wealth from his subjects but never from\nthose that are good. He should never employ or take the assistance of\npersons that are wicked. He should never inflict punishment without\ncareful enquiry. He should never disclose his counsels. He should give\naway, but not to persons that are covetous. He should repose confidence\non others but never on those that have injured him. He should not cherish\nmalice. He should protect his wedded wives. He should be pure and should\nnot always be melted by compassion. He should not indulge much in female\ncompanionship. He should take food that is wholesome and never that which\nis otherwise. He should without pride pay regards to those that deserve\nthem, and serve his preceptors and seniors with sincerity. He should\nworship the gods without pride. He should seek prosperity, but never do\nanything that brings infamy. He should wait (upon his seniors) with\nhumility. He should be clever in business but should always wait for the\nproper time. He should comfort men and never send them away with empty\nspeeches. Having favoured a person, he should not abandon him. He should\nnever strike in ignorance. Having slain his foe he should never indulge\nin sorrow. He should display temper, but should never do so when there is\nno occasion. He should be mild, but never to those that have offended.\nConduct thyself thus while ruling thy kingdom if thou wishest to have\nprosperity. The king that behaves otherwise incurs great danger. That\nking who observes all these virtues that I have mentioned, reaps many\nblessings on earth and great rewards in heaven.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these words of Santanu's son, king\nYudhishthira, docile in receiving instructions, possessed of great\nintelligence, and protected by Bhima and others, then worshipped his\ngrandsire and from that time began to rule according to that teaching.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me, O grand sire, in what way should the king\nprotect his subjects so as to be able to avoid grief and so as not to\noffend against righteousness?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I shall recite, O king, those eternal duties in brief,\nfor if I were to mention them in detail, I would never attain to their\nend. Thou shouldst worship those Brahmanas that are devoted to their\nduties, possessed of learning, regular in worshipping the gods, observant\nof high vows, and endued with other accomplishments, when they come to\nthy abode, and employ them in officiating in thy sacrifices. With thy\npriest accompanying thee, thou shouldst rise up when they approach, and\ntouch and worship their feet, and do every other act that is necessary.\nDoing these acts of piety and discharging other acts that are for thy own\ngood, thou shouldst (by presents) cause those Brahmanas to utter\nbenedictions on thee for the success of thy purposes. Endued with\nsincerity, and wisdom and intelligence, O Bharata, thou shouldst adopt\ntruth and avoid lust and wrath. That foolish king who pursues Profit\nwithout driving away lust and wrath, fails to acquire virtue and\nultimately sacrifices Profit as well. Never employ those that are\ncovetous and foolish in matters connected with Pleasure and Profit. Thou\nshouldst always employ in all thy acts those that are free from\ncovetousness and possessed of intelligence. Stained with lust and wrath\nand unskilled in the transaction of business foolish persons, if vested\nwith authority in matters of Profit, always oppress the people by diverse\ncontrivances productive of mischief. With a sixth part upon fair\ncalculation, of the yield of the soil as his tribute, with fines and\nforfeitures levied upon offenders, with the imposts, according to the\nscriptures, upon merchants and traders in return for the protection\ngranted to them, a king should fill his treasury.[226] Realising this\njust tribute and governing the kingdom properly the king should, with\nheedfulness, act in such a way that his subjects may not feel the\npressure of want. Men become deeply devoted to that king who discharges\nthe duty of protection properly, who is endued with liberality, who is\nsteady in the observance of righteousness, who is vigilant, and who is\nfree from lust and hate. Never desire to fill thy treasury by acting\nunrighteously or from covetousness. That king who does not act in\naccordance with the scriptures fails to earn wealth and religious merit.\nThat king who is mindful only of the means of acquiring wealth, never\nsucceeds in acquiring both religious merit and wealth. The wealth again\nthat he acquires (by such means) is seen to be lavished on unworthy\nobjects.[227] That avaricious king who through folly oppresses his\nsubjects by levying taxes not sanctioned by the scriptures, is said to\nwrong his own self. As a person desirous of milk never obtains any by\ncutting off the udders of a cow, similarly a kingdom afflicted by\nimproper means, never yields any profit to the king.[228] He who treats a\nmilch cow with tenderness always obtains milk from it. Similarly, the\nking who rules his kingdom by the aid of proper means, reaps much fruit\nfrom it. By protecting a kingdom properly and ruling it by the aid of\njudicious means, a king, O Yudhishthira, may succeed in always obtaining\nmuch wealth. The earth, well protected by the king, yields crops and gold\n(to the ruler and the ruled) even like a gratified mother yielding milk\nto her child. Imitate the example, O king, of the flowerman and not of\nthe charcoal-maker. Becoming such and discharging the duty of\nprotection, thou mayst be able to enjoy the earth for ever.[229] If in\nattacking an enemy's kingdom thy treasury becomes exhausted, thou mayst\nrefill it by taking wealth from all except Brahmanas. Let not thy heart\nbe moved, even when thou art in great distress, upon seeing Brahmanas\npossessed of wealth. I need not speak then of what thou shouldst do when\nthou art in affluence. Thou shouldst give them wealth to the best of thy\npower and as they deserve and protect them, comforting them on all\noccasions. By conducting thyself in this way, thou mayst acquire such\nregions hereafter as are most difficult of acquisition. Adopting such\nvirtuous behaviour, do thou protect thy subjects. Thou mayst then obtain,\nO delighter of the Kurus, fame that is everlasting, high, and pure.\nProtect thy subjects righteously, O son of Pandu, for no regret or pain\nwill then be thine. Protection of the subject is the highest duty of the\nking, since compassion to all creatures and protecting them from injury\nhas been said to be the highest merit. Persons conversant with duties\nregard that to be the highest merit of the king, when, engaged in\nprotecting all creatures, the king displays compassion towards them. The\nsin a king incurs by neglecting for a single day to protect his subjects\nfrom fear is such that he does not attain to end of his sufferings (for\nit) in hell till after a thousand years. The merit a king earns by\nprotecting his subjects righteously for a single day is such that he\nenjoys its reward in heaven for ten thousand years. All those regions\nthat are acquired by persons leading duly the Garhasthya, the\nBrahmacharya, and the Vanaprastha modes of life, are soon acquired by a\nking by only protecting his subjects righteously. Do thou, O son of\nKunti, observe with great care this duty (of protection). Thou shalt then\nobtain the reward of righteousness and no grief and pain will be thine.\nThou shalt, O son of Pandu, obtain great prosperity in heaven. Merit like\nthis is impossible to be acquired by persons that are not kings. A\nperson, therefore, who is a king, and no other, can succeed in earning\nsuch reward of virtue. Possessed of intelligence, thou hast obtained a\nkingdom. Do thou protect thy subjects righteously. Gratify Indra with\nofferings of Soma and the friends and well-wishers with the objects of\ntheir wishes.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"That person, O king, who would protect the good and\npunish the wicked, should be appointed as his priest by the king. In this\nconnection is cited the old story about the discourse between Pururavas,\nthe son of Aila and Matariswan.\n\n\"'\"Pururavas said, 'Whence has the Brahmana sprung and whence the three\nother orders? For what reason also has the Brahmana become the foremost?\nIt behoveth thee to tell me all this.'\n\n\"'\"Matariswan answered, 'The Brahmana, O best of kings, has sprung from the\nmouth of Brahman. The Kshatriya has sprung from his two arms, and the\nVaisya from his two thighs. For waiting upon these three orders, O ruler\nof men, a fourth order, viz., the Sudra, sprung into life, being created\nfrom the feet (of Brahman). Originally created thus, the Brahmana takes\nbirth on earth as the lord of all creatures, his duty being the keep of\nthe Vedas and the other scriptures.[230] Then, for ruling the earth and\nwielding the rod of chastisement and protecting all creatures, the second\norder, viz., the Kshatriya was created. The Vaisya was created for\nsupporting the two other orders and himself by cultivation and trade, and\nfinally, it was ordained by Brahman that the Sudra should serve the three\norders as a menial.'\n\n\"'\"Pururavas said, 'Tell me truly, O god of Winds, to whom, this earth\nrighteously belong. Does it belong to the Brahmana or to the Kshatriya?'\n\n\"'\"The god of Winds said, 'Everything that exists in the universe belongs\nto the Brahmana in consequence of his birth and precedence. Persons\nconversant with morality say this. What the Brahmana eats is his own. The\nplace he inhabits is his own. What he gives away is his own. He deserves\nthe veneration of all the (other) orders. He is the first-born and the\nforemost. As a woman, in the absence of her husband, accepts his younger\nbrother for him, even so the earth, in consequence of the refusal of the\nBrahmana, has accepted his next-born, viz., the Kshatriya, for her lord.\nThis is the first rule. In times, however, of distress, there is an\nexception of this. If thou seekest to discharge the duties of the order\nand wishest to obtain the highest place in heaven, then give unto the\nBrahmana all the land thou mayst succeed in conquering, unto him that is\npossessed of learning and virtuous conduct, that is conversant with\nduties and observant of penances, that is satisfied with the duties of\nhis order and not covetous of wealth. The well-born Brahmana, possessed\nof wisdom and humility, guides the king in every matter by his own great\nintelligence. By means of sound counsels he causes the king to earn\nprosperity. The Brahmana points out to the king the duties the latter is\nto observe. As long as a wise king, observant of the duties of his order,\nand bereft of pride, is desirous of listening to the instructions of the\nBrahmana, so long is he honoured and so long does he enjoy fame. The\npriest of the king, therefore, has a share in the merit that the king\nacquires. When the king behaves himself thus, all his subjects, relying\nupon him, become virtuous in their behaviour, attentive to their duties,\nand freed from every fear. The king obtains a fourth part of those\nrighteous acts which his subjects, properly protected by him, perform in\nhis kingdom. The gods, men, Pitris, Gandharvas, Uragas, and Rakshasas,\nall depend upon sacrifices for their support. In a country destitute of a\nking, there can be no sacrifice. The gods and the Pitris subsist on the\nofferings made in sacrifices. Sacrifice, however, depends upon the king.\nIn the season of summer, men desire comfort from the shade of trees, cool\nwater, and cool breezes. In the season of winter they derive comfort from\nfire, warm clothes, and the sun. The heart of man may find pleasure in\nsound, touch, taste, vision, and scent. The man, however, who is inspired\nwith fear, finds no pleasure in all these things. That person who dispels\nthe fears of men obtains great merit. There is no gift so valuable in the\nthree worlds as the gift of life. The king is Indra. The king is Yama.\nThe king is Dharma. The king assumes different forms. The king sustains\nand supports everything.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXIII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The king, with an eye to both religious merit and profit\nwhose considerations are often very intricate, should, without delay,\nappoint a priest possessed of learning and intimate acquaintance with the\nVedas and the (other) scriptures. Those kings that have priests possessed\nof virtuous souls and conversant with policy, and that are themselves\npossessed of such attributes, enjoy prosperity in every direction. Both\nthe priest and the king should have such qualities as are worthy of\nregard and should be observant of vows and penances. They would then\nsucceed in supporting and aggrandising the subjects and the deities, the\nPitris and the children.[231] It is laid down that they should be\npossessed of similar hearts and should be each other's friends. In\nconsequence of such friendship between Brahmana and Kshatriya, the\nsubjects become happy. If they do not regard each other, destruction\nwould overtake the people. The Brahmana and the Kshatriya are said to be\nthe progenitors of all men. In this connection is cited the old story\nabout the discourse between Aila's son and Kasyapa. Listen to it, O\nYudhishthira.\n\n\"'\"Aila said, 'When the Brahmana forsakes the Kshatriya or the Kshatriya\nforsakes the Brahmana, who amongst them should be regarded superior and\nupon whom do the other orders rely and maintain themselves?'\n\n\"'\"Kasyapa said, 'Ruin overtakes the kingdom of the Kshatriya when the\nBrahmana and Kshatriya contend with each other. Robbers infest that\nkingdom in which confusion prevails, and all good men regard the ruler to\nbe a Mlechcha. Their oxen do not thrive, nor their children. Their pots\n(of milk) are not churned, and no sacrifices are performed there. The\nchildren do not study the Vedas in kingdoms where Brahmanas abandon\nKshatriyas. In their houses wealth does not increase. Their children do\nnot become good and do not study the scriptures and perform sacrifices.\nThose Kshatriyas that abandon Brahmanas become impure in blood and assume\nthe nature of robbers. The Brahmana and the Kshatriya are connected with\neach other naturally, and each protects the other. The Kshatriya is the\ncause of the Brahmana's growth and the Brahmana is the cause of the\nKshatriya's growth. When each helps the other, both attain to great\nprosperity. If their friendship, existing from days of old, breaks, a\nconfusion sets over everything. No person desirous of crossing the ocean\nof life succeeds in his task even as a small boat floating on the bosom\nof the sea. The four orders of men become confounded and destruction\novertakes all. If the Brahmana, who is like a tree is protected, gold and\nhoney are showered. If, on the other hand, he is not protected, it then\ntears and sins are showered. When Brahmanas fall away from the Vedas and\n(in the absence of a Kshatriya ruler) seek protection from the\nscriptures, then Indra does not pour rain seasonably and diverse kinds of\ncalamities ceaselessly afflict the kingdom. When a sinful wretch having\nslain a woman or a Brahmana does not incur obloquy in assemblies of\nfellowmen and has not to stand in fear of the king, then danger threatens\nthe Kshatriya ruler. In consequence of the sins perpetrated by sinful\nmen, the god Rudra appears in the kingdom. Indeed, the sinful by their\nsins bring upon them that god of vengeance. He then destroys all, the\nhonest and the wicked alike (without making any distinction).'\n\n\"'\"Aila said, 'Whence does Rudra spring? What also is his form? Creatures\nare seen to be destroyed by creatures. Tell me all this, O Kasyapa!\nWhence does the god Rudra spring?'\n\n\"'\"Kasyapa said, 'Rudra exists in the hearts of men. He destroys the bodies\nthemselves in which he dwells as also the bodies of others. Rudra has\nbeen said to be like atmospheric visitations and his form is like that of\nthe wind-gods.'\n\n\"'\"Aila said, 'The Wind does not, by blowing, visibly destroy men on all\noccasions, nor does the deity of the clouds do so by pouring rain. On the\nother hand, it is seen among men that they lose their senses and are\nslain through lust and malice.'\n\n\"'\"Kasyapa said, 'Fire, blazing forth in one house, burneth a whole quarter\nor an entire village. Similarly, this deity stupefies the senses of some\none and then that stupefaction touches all, the honest and the wicked\nalike, without any distinction.'\n\n\"'\"Aila said, 'If chastisement touches all viz., the honest and the wicked\nalike, in consequence of the sins perpetrated by the sinful, why should\nmen, in that case, do acts that are good? Indeed, why should they not\nperform wicked acts?'\n\n\"'\"Kasyapa said, 'By avoiding all connection with the sinful, one becomes\npure and stainless. In consequence, however, of their being mixed with\nthe sinful, the sinless are overtaken by chastisement. Wood that is wet,\nif mixed with wood that is dry, is consumed by fire in consequence of\nsuch co-existence. The sinless, therefore, should never mingle with the\nsinful.'\n\n\"'\"Aila said, 'The earth holds the honest and the wicked. The sun warms the\nhonest and the wicked. The wind blows equally for them. Water cleanses\nthem equally.'\n\n\"'\"Kasyapa said, 'Such, indeed, is the course of this world, O prince! It\nis not so, however, hereafter. In the other world, there is great\ndifference of condition between the person that acts righteously and him\nthat acts sinfully. The regions that meritorious men acquire are full of\nhoney and possessed of the splendour of gold or of a fire upon which\nclarified butter has been poured. Those regions also are likened to the\nnavel of ambrosia. The meritorious person enjoys great felicity there.\nDeath, decrepitude, and sorrow, are not there. The region for the sinful\nis hell. Darkness and ceaseless pain are there, and it is full of sorrow.\nSinking in infamy, the man of sinful deeds wrung with remorse there for\nmany years. In consequence of a disunion between Brahmanas and\nKshatriyas, unbearable griefs afflict the people. Knowing this, a king\nshould appoint a (Brahmana) priest possessed of experience and wide\nknowledge. A king should first install the priest in his office, and then\ncause his own coronation. This has been laid down in the ordinance. The\nordinances declare that the Brahmana is the foremost of all creatures.\nMen acquainted with the Vedas say that the Brahmana was created first. In\nconsequence of the precedence of his birth, all things that are good in\nthis world are vested in him. The rightful owner of all the best things\nthat have flowed from the Creator, the Brahmana is also, for such\nprecedence, worthy of the respect and the worship of all creatures. A\nking, however powerful, should, according to the dictates of the\nscriptures, bestow upon the Brahmana whatever is best and distinguished\nabove others. The Brahmana contributes to the aggrandisement of the\nKshatriya, and the Kshatriya to the aggrandisement of the Brahmana.\nBrahmanas should, therefore, be especially and always worshipped by\nkings.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXIV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"It is said that the preservation and growth of the\nkingdom rest upon the king. The preservation and growth of the king rest\nupon the king's priest. That kingdom enjoys true felicity where the\ninvisible fears of the subjects are dispelled by the Brahmana and all\nvisible fears are dispelled by the king with the might of his arms. In\nthis connection is cited the old narrative of the discourse between king\nMuchukunda and Vaisravana. King Muchukunda, having subjugated the whole\nearth, repaired to the lord of Alaka for testing his strength. King\nVaisravana created (by ascetic power) a large force of Rakshasas. These\nground the forces led by Muchukunda. Beholding the slaughter of his army,\nking Muchukunda, O chastiser of foes, began to rebuke his own learned\npriest (Vasishtha). Thereupon that foremost of righteous persons viz.,\nVasishtha, underwent very severe penances and, causing those Rakshasas to\nbe slain, ascertained the true course upon which Muchukunda was bent.\nWhen king Vaisravana's troops were being slaughtered, he showed himself\nunto Muchukunda and said these words.\n\n\"'\"The Lord of treasures said, 'Many kings of old, more powerful than thou\nart, aided by their priests, had never approached me thus. All of them\nwere skilled in weapons and all of them were possessed of might.\nRegarding me as the grantor of weal and woe, they approached me for\noffering worship. In truth, if thou hast might of arms, it behoves thee\nto display it. Why dost thou act so proudly, aided by Brahmana might?'\nEnraged at these words, Muchukunda, without pride and fear, said unto the\nlord of treasures these words fraught with reason and justice, 'The\nself-born Brahman created the Brahmana and the Kshatriya. They have a\ncommon origin. If they apply their forces separately, they would never be\nable to uphold the world. The power of penances and mantras was bestowed\nupon Brahmanas; the might of arms and of weapons was bestowed upon\nKshatriyas. Aggrandised by both kinds of might, kings should protect\ntheir subjects. I am acting in that way. Why dost thou, O lord of Alaka,\nrebuke me then?' Thus addressed, Vaisravana said unto Muchukunda and his\npriest, 'I never, without being ordered by the (self-created) bestow\nsovereignty upon any one. Nor do I ever, without being ordered, take it\naway from any one. Know this, O king! Do thou rule then the whole earth\nwithout bounds.' Thus addressed, king Muchukunda replied, saying, 'I do\nnot, O king, desire to enjoy sovereignty obtained as gift from thee! I\ndesire to enjoy sovereignty obtained by the might of my own arms.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"At these words of Muchukunda, Vaisravana, seeing the\nking fearless in the observance of Kshatriya duties, became filled with\nsurprise. King Muchukunda, devoted to Kshatriya duties, continued to rule\nthe entire earth obtained by the might of his own arms. That virtuous\nking who rules his kingdom, aided by and yielding precedence to the\nBrahmana, succeeds in subjugating the whole earth and achieving great\nfame. The Brahmana should every day perform his religious rites and the\nKshatriya should always be armed with weapons. Between them they are the\nrightful owners of everything in the universe.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me, O grandsire, that conduct by which a king\nsucceeds in aggrandising his subjects and earning regions of felicity in\nthe other world.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The king should be liberal and should perform sacrifices,\nO Bharata! He should be observant of vows and penances, and should be\ndevoted to the duty of protecting his subjects. Righteously protecting\nall his subjects, he should honour all righteous persons by standing up\nwhen they come and by making gifts unto them. If the king regards it,\nrighteousness becomes regarded everywhere. Whatever acts and things are\nliked by the king are liked by his subjects. Unto his foes the king\nshould always be like Death, with the rod of chastisement uplifted in his\nhands. He should exterminate robbers everywhere in his kingdom and never\npardon any one from caprice. The king, O Bharata, earns a fourth part of\nthe merit that his subjects earn under his protection. By only protecting\nhis subjects the king acquires a fourth part of the merit that his\nsubjects acquire by study, by gifts, by pouring libations, and by\nworshipping the gods. The king acquires a fourth part also of the sin\nthat his subjects commit in consequence of any distress in the kingdom\narising from the king's neglect in discharging the duty of protection.\nSome say that the king earns a moiety, and some say the full measure, of\nwhatever sin is caused by his becoming cruel and untruthful in speech.\nListen now to the means by which the king may be cleansed of such sins.\nIf the king fails to restore to a subject the wealth that has been stolen\naway by thieves, he should then compensate the injured from his own\ntreasury, or, in case of inability, with wealth obtained from his\ndependents. All the orders should protect the wealth of a Brahmana even\nas they should the Brahmana's boy or life. The person that offends\nagainst Brahmanas should be exiled from the kingdom. Everything is\nprotected by protecting the Brahmana's wealth. Through the grace of the\nBrahmana, which may thus be secured, the king becomes crowned with\nsuccess. Men seek the protection of a competent king like creatures\nseeking relief from the clouds or birds seeking refuge in a large tree. A\ncruel and covetous king, with lustful soul and ever seeking the\ngratification of his desire never succeeds in protecting his subjects.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"I do not, for a moment, desire the happiness that\nsovereignty bestows or sovereignty itself for its own sake. I desire it,\nhowever, for the sake of the merit one may acquire from it. It seems to\nme that no merit is attached to it. No need for sovereignty then by which\nno merit can be acquired. I shall, therefore, retire into the woods from\ndesire of earning merit. Laying aside the rod of chastisement, and\nsubduing my senses, I shall go to the woods which are sacred and seek to\nacquire the merit of righteousness by becoming an ascetic subsisting upon\nfruit and roots.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I know, O Yudhishthira, what the nature of thy heart is,\nand how inoffensive is thy disposition. Thou wilt not, however, by\ninoffensiveness alone, succeed in ruling thy kingdom. Thy heart is\ninclined to mildness, thou art compassionate, and thou art exceedingly\nrighteous. Thou art without energy, and thou art virtuous and full of\nmercy. People, therefore, do not regard thee much. Follow the conduct of\nthy sire and grandsire. Kings should never adopt that conduct which thou\ndesirest to adopt. Never be touched by such anxiety (after doing thy\nduty), and never adopt such inoffensiveness of conduct. By becoming so,\nthou wouldst not succeed in earning that merit of righteousness which\narises from protecting subjects. The behaviour thou wishest to adopt,\nimpelled by thy own intelligence and wisdom, is not consistent with those\nblessings which thy sire Pandu or thy mother Kunti used to solicit for\nthee. Thy sire always solicited for thee courage, might, and truth. Kunti\nalways solicited for thee high-mindedness and liberality. The offerings\nwith Swaha and Swadha in Sraddhas and sacrifices are always asked from\nchildren by the Pitris and the deities. Whether gifts and study and\nsacrifices and the protection of subjects be meritorious or sinful, thou\nhast been born to practise and perform them. The fame, O son of Kunti, is\nnever tarnished of men that even fail in bearing the burdens which are\nplaced on them and unto which they are yoked in life. Even a horse, if\nproperly trained, succeeds in bearing, without falling down, a burden.\n(What need then be said of thee that art a human being?) One incurs no\ncensure if only one's acts and words be proper, for success is said to\ndepend upon acts (and words). No person, be he a man virtuously following\nthe domestic mode of life, or be he a king, or be he a Brahmacharin, has\never succeeded in conducting himself without tripping. It is better to do\nan act which is good and in which there is small merit than to totally\nabstain from all acts, for total abstention from acts is very sinful.\nWhen a high-born and righteous person succeeds in obtaining affluence,\nthe king then succeeds in obtaining prosperity in all his affairs. A\nvirtuous king, having obtained a kingdom, should seek to subdue some by\ngifts, some by force, and some by sweet words. There is no one more\nvirtuous than he upon whom high-born and learned persons rely from fear\nof losing their means of sustenance and depending upon whom they live in\ncontentment.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"What acts, O sire, are conductive to heaven? What is\nthe nature of the great felicity that is derived from them? What also is\nthe high prosperity that may be obtained thence? Tell me all this, if\nthou knowest.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"That man from whom a person afflicted with fear obtains\nrelief even for a moment, is the most worthy of heaven amongst us. This\nthat I tell thee is very true. Be thou cheerfully the king of the Kurus,\nO foremost one of Kuru's race, acquire heaven, protect the good and slay\nthe wicked. Let thy friends, together with all honest men, derive their\nsupport from thee, like all creatures from the deity of the clouds and\nlike birds from a large tree with delicious fruits. Men seek the\nprotection of that person who is dignified, courageous, capable of\nsmiting, compassionate, with senses under control, affectionate towards\nall, and equitable, and just.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXVI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O grandsire, amongst Brahmanas some are engaged in\nthe duties proper to their order, while others are engaged in other\nduties. Tell me the difference between these two classes!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Those Brahmanas, O king, that are possessed of learning\nand beneficent features, and that look upon all creatures with an equal\neye, are said to be equal to Brahma. They that are conversant with the\nRiches, the Yajuses and the Samans, and who are devoted to the practices\nof their order, are, O king, equal to the very gods. Those, however,\namongst them that are not well-born and not devoted to the duties of\ntheir order, and are besides wedded to evil practices, are like Sudras.\nA virtuous king should realise tribute from and impress without pay into\nthe public service those Brahmanas that are not possessed of Vedic lore\nand that have not their own fires to worship. They that are employed in\ncourts of justice for summoning people, they that perform worship for\nothers for a fee, they that perform the sacrifices of Vaisyas and Sudras,\nthey that officiate in sacrifices on behalf of a whole village, and they\nthat make voyages on the ocean,--these five are regarded as Chandalas\namong Brahmanas.[232] They amongst them that become Ritwikas, Purohitas,\ncounsellors, envoys, and messengers, become, O king, equal to\nKshatriyas.[233] They amongst them that ride horses or elephants or cars\nor become foot-soldiers, become, O king, equal to Vaisyas. If the king's\ntreasury is not full, he may realise tribute from these. In realising\ntribute, the king, however, should exclude those Brahmanas that are (for\ntheir conduct) equal to the gods or Brahma. The Vedas say that the king\nis the lord of the wealth belonging to all the orders except Brahmanas.\nHe can take the wealth of those Brahmanas also that have fallen away from\ntheir legitimate duties. The king should never be indifferent towards\nthose Brahmanas that are not observant of their duties. For the sake of\nmaking his people virtuous, he should punish and separate them from their\nsuperiors. That king, O monarch, in whose territories a Brahmana becomes\na thief, is regarded by the learned to be the author of that misdeed.\nPersons conversant with the Vedas declare that if a Brahmana versed in\nthe Vedas and observant of vows becomes, through want of sustenance, a\nthief, it is the duty of the king to provide for his support. If, after\nprovision has been made for his support, he does not abstain from theft\nhe should then, O scorcher of foes be banished from the kingdom with all\nhis kinsmen.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXVII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Of whose wealth, O bull of Bharata's race, is the\nking regarded to be the lord? And what conduct also should the king\nadopt? Discourse to me on this, O grandsire.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The Vedas declare that the king is the lord of the wealth\nthat belongs to all persons except Brahmanas, as also of those Brahmanas\nthat are not observant of their proper duties. The king should not spare\nthose Brahmanas that are not observant of their duties. The righteous say\nthat this is the ancient custom of kings. That king, O monarch, in whose\ndominion a Brahmana becomes a thief, is regarded to be the author of that\nmisdeed. It is the king that becomes sinful on that account. In\nconsequence of such a circumstance, kings regard themselves to be worthy\nof reproach. All righteous kings, therefore, provide Brahmanas with the\nmeans of support. In this connection is cited the old narrative of the\nspeech made by the king of the Kaikeyas unto a Rakshasa while the latter\nwas about to abduct him away. Of rigid vows and possessed of Vedic lore,\nthe king of the Kaikeyas, O monarch, while living in the woods, was\nforcibly seized on a certain occasion by a Rakshasa.\n\n\"'\"The king said, 'There is no thief in my territories, nor any person of\nwicked behaviour, nor any one that drinks alcohol. There is no one in my\ndominions who has not his sacred fire or who does not perform sacrifices.\nHow then hast thou been able to possess my heart? There is no Brahmana in\nmy dominions who is not possessed of learning or who is not observant of\nvows or who has not drunk Soma. There is no one who has not his sacred\nfire or who does not perform sacrifices. How then hast thou been able to\npossess my soul? In my dominions no sacrifice has been performed without\ncompleting it by Dakshina. No one in my dominions studies the Vedas who\nis not observant of vows. How then hast thou been able to possess my\nsoul? The Brahmanas in my kingdom teach, study, sacrifice, officiate at\nother's sacrifices, give, and receive gifts. All of them are observant of\nthose six acts. The Brahmanas in my kingdom are all devoted to the\nperformance of the duties of their order. Worshipped and provided for,\nthey are mild, and truthful in speech. How then hast thou been able to\npossess my soul? The Kshatriyas in my kingdom are all devoted to the\nduties of their order. They never beg but give, and are conversant with\ntruth and virtue. They never teach but study, and perform sacrifices but\nnever officiate at the sacrifices of others. They protect the Brahmanas\nand never fly from battle. How then hast thou been able to possess my\nsoul? The Vaisyas in my dominion are all observant of the duties of their\norder. With simplicity and without deceit they derive their sustenance\nfrom agriculture, cattle-keeping, and trade. They are all heedful,\nobservant of religious rites and excellent vows, and truthful in speech.\nThey give to guests what is their due, and self-restrained, and pure, and\nattached to their relative and kinsmen. How then hast thou been able to\npossess my heart? The Sudras in my kingdom, observant of the duties of\ntheir order, humbly and duly serve and wait upon the other three orders\nwithout entertaining any malice towards them. How then hast thou been\nable to possess my heart? I support the helpless and the old, the weak,\nthe ill, and women (without guardians), by supplying them with all their\nnecessaries. How then hast thou been able to possess my heart? I am never\nan exterminator of the special customs of families and of countries\nexisting duly from days of old. How then hast thou been able to possess\nmy heart? The ascetics in my kingdom are protected and worshipped. They\nare always honoured and entertained with food. How then hast thou been\nable to possess my heart? I never eat without feeding others from my\ndishes. I never go to other people's wives. I never sport or recreate\nalone. How then hast thou been able to possess my heart? No one in my\nkingdom who is not a Brahmacharin begs his food, and no one who leads the\nBhikshu mode of life desires to be a Brahmacharin. No one who is not a\nRitwij pours libations (of clarified butter) upon the sacrificial fire.\nHow then hast thou been able to possess my soul? I never disregard the\nlearned or the old or those that are engaged in penances. When the whole\npopulation sleeps, I keep myself awake (for watching and protecting). How\nthen hast thou been able to possess my heart? My priest possesses\nknowledge of self. He is given to penances, and is conversant with all\nduties. Possessed of great intelligence, he has the fullest power over my\nkingdom. By gifts I desire to acquire knowledge, and by truth and the\nprotection of Brahmanas, I desire to attain regions of blessedness in\nheaven. By service I attach myself to my preceptors. I have no fear of\nRakshasas. In my kingdom there are no widows, no wicked Brahmanas, no\nBrahmana that has fallen away from his duties, no deceitful person, no\nthief, no Brahmana that officiates in the sacrifices of people for whom\nhe should never officiate, and no perpetrator of sinful deeds. I have no\nfear of Rakshasas. There is no space in my body, of even two fingers'\nbreadth, that does not bear the scar of a weapon-wound. I always fight\nfor the sake of righteousness. How hast thou been able to possess my\nheart? The people of my kingdom always invoke blessings upon me in order\nthat I may always be able to protect kine and Brahmanas and perform\nsacrifices. How then hast thou been able to possess me?'\n\n\"'\"The Rakshasa said, 'Since thou art observant of the duties under all\ncircumstances, therefore, O king of the Kaikeyas, go back to thy abode.\nBlessed be thou, I leave thee. They, O king of the Kaikeyas, who protect\nkine and Brahmanas and all their subjects, have nothing to fear from\nRakshasas, and much less from sinful persons. Those kings that give the\nlead to Brahmanas and whose might depends upon that of the Brahmanas, and\nwhose subjects discharge the duties of hospitality, always succeeds in\nacquiring heaven.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thou shouldst, therefore, protect the Brahmanas.\nProtected by thee, they will protect thee in return. Their blessings, O\nking, would surely descend upon kings of righteous behaviour. For the\nsake of righteousness, those Brahmanas that are not observant of the\nduties of their order should be chastised and separated (into a distinct\nclass) from their superiors. A king who conducts himself in this way\ntowards the people of his city and the provinces, obtains prosperity here\nand residence in heaven with Indra.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXVIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"It has been said that in seasons of distress a\nBrahmana may support himself by the practice of Kshatriya duties. Can he,\nhowever, at any time, support himself by the practice of the duties laid\ndown for the Vaisyas?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"When a Brahmana loses his means of support and falls into\ndistress, he may certainly betake himself to the practices of a Vaisya\nand derive his support by agriculture and keeping cattle, if, of course,\nhe is incompetent for Kshatriya duties.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"If a Brahmana, O bull of Bharata's race, betakes\nhimself to the duties of a Vaisya, what articles may he sell without\nlosing his prospect of heaven?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Wines, salt, sesamum seeds, animals having manes, bulls,\nhoney, meat, and cooked food, O Yudhishthira, under all circumstances, a\nBrahmana should avoid. A Brahmana, by selling these, would sink into\nhell. A Brahmana, by selling a goat, incurs the sin of selling the god of\nfire; by selling a sheep, the sin of selling the god of water; by selling\na horse, the sin of selling the god of the sun; by selling cooked food,\nthe sin of selling land; and by selling a cow, the sin of selling\nsacrifice and the Soma juice. These, therefore, should not be sold (by a\nBrahmana). They that are good do not applaud the purchase of uncooked\nfood by giving cooked food in exchange. Uncooked food, however, may be\ngiven for procuring cooked food, O Bharata![234] 'We will eat this cooked\nfood of thine. Thou mayst cook these raw things (that we give in\nexchange).'--In a compact of this kind there is no sin. Listen, O\nYudhishthira, I shall speak to thee of the eternal practice, existing\nfrom days of old, of persons conducting themselves according to approved\nusages. 'I give thee this. Give me this other thing in return.' Exchange\nby such agreement is righteous. To take things by force, however, is\nsinful. Even such is the course of the usage followed by the Rishis and\nothers. Without doubt, this is righteous.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"When, O sire, all the orders, giving up their\nrespective duties, take up arms against the king, then, of course, the\npower of the king decreases.--By what means should the king then become\nthe protector and refuge of the people? Resolve this doubt of mine, O\nking, by speaking to me in detail.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"By gifts, by penances, by sacrifices, by peacefulness,\nand by self-restraint, all the orders headed by the Brahmanas should, on\nsuch occasions, seek their own good. Those amongst them that are endued\nwith Vedic strength, should rise up on every side and like the gods\nstrengthening Indra contribute (by Vedic rites) to enhancing the strength\nof the king. Brahmanas are said to be the refuge of the king while his\npower suffers decay. A wise king seeks the enhancement of his power by\nmeans of the power of the Brahmanas. When the king, crowned with victory,\nseeks the re-establishment of peace, all the orders then betake\nthemselves to their respective duties. When robbers, breaking through all\nrestraints, spread devastation around, all the orders may take up arms.\nBy so doing they incur no sin, O Yudhishthira!\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"If all the Kshatriyas become hostile towards the\nBrahmanas, who then will protect the Brahmanas and their Vedas? What then\nshould be the duty of the Brahmanas and who will be their refuge?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"By penances, by Brahmacharya, by weapons, and by\n(physical) might, applied with or without the aid of deceit, the\nKshatriyas should be subjugated. If the Kshatriya misconducts himself,\nespecially towards Brahmanas, the Vedas themselves will subjugate them.\nThe Kshatriyas have sprung from the Brahmanas. Fire has sprung from\nwater; the Kshatriya from the Brahmana; and iron from stone. The energy\nof fire, the Kshatriya, and iron, are irresistible. But when these come\ninto contact with the sources of their origin, their force becomes\nneutralised. When iron strikes stone, or fire battles with water, or the\nKshatriya becomes hostile to the Brahmana, then the strength of each of\nthose three becomes destroyed. Thus, O Yudhishthira, the energy and\nmight, howsoever great and irresistible, of Kshatriyas become quelled as\nsoon as they are directed against the Brahmanas. When the energy of the\nBrahmanas becomes mild, when Kshatriya energy becomes weak, when all men\nmisbehave themselves towards the Brahmanas, they that engage in battle\nthen, casting off all fear of death, for protecting the Brahmanas,\nmorality, and their own selves,--those persons, moved by righteous\nindignation and possessed of great strength of mind, succeed in winning\nhigh regions of bliss hereafter. All persons should take up arms for the\nsake of Brahmanas. Those brave persons that fight for Brahmanas attain to\nthose felicitous regions in heaven that are reserved for persons that have\nalways studied the Vedas with attention, that have performed the\nausterest of penances, and that have, after fasting, cast off their\nbodies into blazing fires. The Brahmana, by taking up arms for the three\norders, does not incur sin. People say that there is no higher duty than\ncasting off life under such circumstances. I bow to them and blessed be\nthey that thus lay down their lives in seeking to chastise the enemies of\nBrahmanas. Let us attain to that region which is intended for them. Manu\nhimself has said that those heroes repair to the region of Brahman. As\npersons become cleansed of all their sins by undergoing the final bath on\na horse-sacrifice even so they that die at the edge of weapons while\nfighting wicked people, become cleansed of their sins. Righteousness\nbecomes unrighteousness, and unrighteousness becomes righteousness,\naccording to place and time. Such is the power of place and time (in\ndetermining the character of human acts). The friends of humanity, by\ndoing even acts of cruelty, have attained to high heaven. Righteous\nKshatriyas, by doing even sinful acts, have attained to blessed\nends.[235] The Brahmana, by taking up arms on these three occasions, does\nnot incur sin, viz., for protecting himself, for compelling the other\norders to betake themselves to their duties, and for chastising robbers.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"If when robbers raise their heads and an\ninter-mixture of the orders begins to take place in consequence of\nconfusion, and Kshatriyas become incompetent, some powerful person other\nthan a Kshatriya seeks to subdue those robbers for the sake of protecting\nthe people,[236] indeed, O best of kings, if that powerful person happens\nto be a Brahmana or a Vaisya or a Sudra, and if he succeeds in protecting\nthe people by righteously wielding the rod of chastisement is he\njustified in doing what he does or is he restrained by the ordinances\nfrom accomplishing that duty? It seems that others, when the Kshatriyas\nprove so wretched, should take up weapons.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Be he a Sudra or be he the member of any other orders, he\nthat becomes a raft on a raftless current, or a means of crossing where\nmeans there are none, certainly deserves respect in every way. That\nperson, O king, relying upon whom helpless men, oppressed and made\nmiserable by robbers, live happily, deserves to be lovingly worshipped by\nall as if he were a near kinsman. The person, O thou of Kuru's race, that\ndispels the fears of others, always deserves respect. What use is there\nof bulls that would not bear burthens, or of kine that would not yield\nmilk, or of a wife that is barren? Similarly, what need is there for a\nking that is not competent to grant protection? As an elephant made of\nwood, or a deer made of leather, as a person without wealth, or one that\nis a eunuch, or a field that is sterile, even so is a Brahmana that is\nvoid of Vedic lore and a king incapable of granting protection. Both of\nthem are like a cloud that does not pour rain. That person who always\nprotects the good and restrains the wicked deserves to become a king and\nto govern the world.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXIX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"What, O grandsire, should be the acts and what the\nbehaviour of persons employed as priests in our sacrifices? What sort of\npersons should they be, O king? Tell me all this, O foremost of speakers.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"It is laid down from those Brahmanas that are eligible as\npriests that they should be conversant with the Chhandas including the\nSamans, and all the rites inculcated in the Srutis, and that they should\nbe able to perform all such religious acts as lead to the prosperity of\nthe king. They should be devotedly loyal and utter agreeable speeches in\naddressing kings. They should also be friendly towards one another, and\ncast equal eyes on all. They should be devoid of cruelty, and truthful in\nspeech. They should never be usurers, and should always be simple and\nsincere. One that is peaceful in temper, destitute of vanity, modest,\ncharitable, self-restrained, and contented, possessed of intelligence,\ntruthful, observant of vows, and harmless to all creatures, without lust\nand malice, and endued with the three excellent qualities, devoid of envy\nand possessed of knowledge, deserves the seat of Brahman himself. Persons\nwith such qualities, O sire, are the best of priests and deserve every\nrespect.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"There are Vedic texts about the gift of Dakshina in\nsacrifices. There is no ordinance, however, which lays down that so much\nshould be given. This ordinance (about the gift of Dakshina) has not\nproceeded from motives connected with the distribution of wealth. The\ncommand of the ordinance, in consequence of the provision in cases of\nincapacity, is terrible. That command is blind to the competence of the\nsacrificer.[237] The audition occurs in the Vedas that a person should,\nwith devotion, perform a sacrifice. But what can devotion do when the\nsacrificer is stained by falsehood?\"[238]\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"No man acquires blessedness or merit by disregarding the\nVedas or by deceit or falsehood. Never think that it is otherwise.\nDakshina constitutes one of the limbs of sacrifice and conduces to the\nnourishment of the Vedas. A sacrifice without Dakshina can never lead to\nsalvation. The efficacy, however, of a single Purnapatra is equal to that\nof any Dakshina, however rich. Therefore, O sire, everyone belonging to\nthe three orders should perform sacrifices.[239] The Vedas have settled\nthat Soma is as the king himself to the Brahmanas. Yet they desire to\nsell it for the sake of performing sacrifices, though they never wish to\nsell it for gaining a livelihood. Rishis of righteous behaviour have\ndeclared, agreeably to the dictates of morality, that a sacrifice\nperformed with the proceeds of the sale of Soma serves to extend\nsacrifices.[240] These three, viz., a person, a sacrifice and Soma, must\nbe of good character. A person that is of bad character is neither for\nthis nor for the other world. This audition has been heard by us that the\nsacrifice which high-souled Brahmanas perform by wealth earned by\nexcessive physical labour, is not productive of great merit. There is a\ndeclaration in the Vedas that penances are higher than sacrifices. I\nshall now speak to thee of penances. O learned prince, listen to me.\nAbstention from injury, truthfulness of speech, benevolence,\ncompassion,--these are regarded as penances by the wise and not the\nemaciation of the body. Disregard of the Vedas, disobedience to the\ndictates of the scriptures, and violation of all wholesome restraints,\nare productive of self-destruction. Listen, O son of Pritha, to what has\nbeen laid down by those that pour ten libations upon the fire at ten\ntimes of the day.--For them that perform the sacrifice of penance, the\nYoga they endeavour to effect with Brahma is their ladle; the heart is\ntheir clarified butter; and high knowledge constitutes their\nPavitra.[241] All kinds of crookedness mean death, and all kinds of\nsincerity are called Brahma. This constitutes the subject of knowledge.\nThe rhapsodies of system-builders cannot affect this.--\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"The most trifling act, O grandsire, cannot be\naccomplished by any man if unaided. What then need be said of the king\n(who has to govern a kingdom)? What should be the behaviour and what the\nacts of the king's minister? Upon whom should the king repose confidence\nand upon whom should he not?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Kings, O monarch, have four kinds of friends. They are he\nthat has the same object, he that is devoted, he that is related by\nbirth, and he that has been won over (by gifts and kindness). A person of\nrighteous soul, who would serve one and not both sides, is the fifth in\nthe enumeration of the king's friends. Such a person adopts that side on\nwhich righteousness is, and accordingly acts righteously. With respect to\nsuch a person, the king should never disclose such purposes of his as\nwould not enlist his sympathy. Kings desirous of success are obliged to\nadopt both kinds of paths, righteous and unrighteous. Of the four kinds\nof friends, the second and the third are superior, while the first and\nthe fourth should ever be regarded with suspicion. In view, however, of\nthose acts which the king should do in person, he should always regard\nwith suspicion all the four. The king should never act heedlessly in the\nmatter of watching his friends. A king that is heedless is always\noverpowered by others. A wicked man assumes the garb of honesty, and he\nthat is honest becomes otherwise. A foe may become a friend and a friend\nmay become a foe. A man cannot always be of the same mind. Who is there\nthat would trust him completely? All the chief acts, therefore, of a king\nhe should accomplish in his own presence. A complete reliance (on his\nministers) is destructive of both morality and profit. A want of trust\nagain in respect of all is worse than death. Trustfulness is premature\ndeath. One incurs danger by truthfulness. If one trusts another\ncompletely, he is said to live by the sufferance of the trusted person.\nFor this reason every one should be trusted as also mistrusted. This\neternal rule of policy, O sire, should be kept in view. One should always\nmistrust that person who would, upon one's desire, obtain one's wealth.\nThe wise declare such a person to be one's enemy. A person whose joy\nknows no bounds upon beholding the aggrandisement of the king and who\nfeels miserable upon seeing the king's decay, furnishes the indications\nof one of the best friends of the king. He whose fall would be brought\nabout by thy fall, should be trusted by thee completely even as thou\nshouldst trust thy sire. Thou shouldst, to the best of thy power,\naggrandise him as thou winnest aggrandisement for thyself. One who, in\neven thy religious rites, seeks to rescue thee from harm, would seek to\nrescue thee from harm's way in every other business. Such a one should be\nregarded as thy best friend. They, on the other hand, that wish one harm\nare one's foes. That friend is said to be like thy own self who is\ninspired with fear when calamity overtakes thee and with joy when\nprosperity shines on thee. A person possessed of beauty, fair complexion,\nexcellent voice, liberality, benevolence, and good birth, cannot be such\na friend. That person who is possessed of intelligence and memory, who is\nclever in the transaction of business, who is naturally averse from\ncruelty, who never indulges in wrath, and who, whether regarded or\ndisregarded is never dissatisfied, be he thy priest or preceptor or\nhonoured friend should always receive thy worship if he accepts the\noffice of thy counsellor and resides in thy abode. Such a person may be\ninformed of thy most secret counsels and the true state of all thy\naffairs religious or pertaining to matters of profit. Thou mayst confide\nin him as in thy own sire. One person should be appointed to one task,\nand not two or three. Those may not tolerate each other. It is always\nseen that several persons, if set to one task, disagree with one another.\nThat person who achieves celebrity, who observes all restraints, who\nnever feels jealous of others that are able and competent, who never does\nany evil act, who never abandons righteousness from lust or fear or\ncovetousness or wrath, who is clever in the transaction of business, and\nwho is possessed of wise and weighty speech, should be thy foremost of\nministers. Persons possessed of good birth and good behaviour, who are\nliberal and who never indulge in brag, who are brave and respectable, and\nlearned and full of resources, should be appointed as ministers for\nsupervising all thy affairs. Honoured by thee and gratified with wealth,\nthey would act for thy good and be of great help to thee. Appointed to\noffices connected with profit and other important matters they always\nbring about great prosperity. Moved by a feeling of healthy rivalry, they\ndischarge all duties connected with profit, holding consultations with\none another when necessary. Thou shouldst fear thy kinsmen as thou\nshouldst death itself. A kinsman can never bear a kinsman's prosperity\neven as a feudatory chief cannot bear to see the prosperity of his\noverlord. None but a kinsman can feel joy at the destruction of a kinsman\nadorned with sincerity, mildness, liberality, modesty, and truthfulness\nof speech. They, again, that have no kinsmen, cannot be happy. No men can\nbe more contemptible than they that are destitute of kinsmen. A person\nthat has no kinsmen is easily overridden by foes. Kinsmen constitute the\nrefuge of one that is afflicted by other men, for kinsmen can never bear\nto see a kinsman afflicted by other people. When a kinsman is persecuted\nby even his friends, every kinsman of the persecuted regards the injury\nto be inflicted upon himself. In kinsmen, therefore, there are both\nmerits and faults. A person destitute of kinsmen never shows favours to\nany one nor humbles himself to any one. In kinsmen, therefore both merit\nand demerit may be marked. One should, for this reason, always honour and\nworship his kinsmen in words and acts, and do them agreeable offices\nwithout injuring them at any time. Mistrusting them at heart, one should\nbehave towards them as if he trusted them completely. Reflecting upon\ntheir nature, it seems that they have neither faults nor merits. A person\nwho heedfully conducts himself in this way finds his very foes disarmed\nof hostility and converted into friends. One who always conducts himself\nin this way amid kinsmen and relatives and bears himself thus towards\nfriends and foes, succeeds in winning everlasting fame.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"If one does not succeed in winning over one's\nkinsmen and relatives (by this course), they that are intended for\nbecoming friends become foes. How should one, then, conduct one's self so\nthat the hearts of both friends and foes may be won?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the old history of a\ndiscourse between Vasudeva and the celestial sage Narada. On a certain\noccasion Vasudeva said, 'Neither an illiterate and foolish friend, nor a\nlearned friend of fickle soul, deserves, O Narada, to know one's secret\ncounsels. Relying on thy friendship for me, I shall say something to\nthee, O sage! O thou that canst go to heaven at thy pleasure, one should\nspeak to another if one be convinced of the intelligence of that other. I\nnever behave with slavish obsequiousness towards my kinsmen by flattering\nspeeches about their prosperity. I give them half of what I have, and\nforgive their evil speeches. As a fire-stick is grinded by a person\ndesirous of obtaining fire, even so my heart is ground by my kinsmen with\ntheir cruel speeches. Indeed, O celestial Rishi, those cruel speeches\nburn my heart every day. Might resides in Sankarshana; mildness in Gada;\nand as regards Pradyumna, he surpasses even myself in beauty of person.\n(Although I have all these on my side) yet I am helpless, O Narada! Many\nothers among the Andhakas and the Vrishnis are possessed of great\nprosperity and might, and daring courage and constant perseverance. He on\nwhose side they do not range themselves meets with destruction. He, on\nthe other hand, on whose side they do range themselves, achieves\neverything. Dissuaded (in turns) by both (viz., Ahuka and Akrura,) I do\nnot side either of them. What can be more painful for a person than to\nhave both Ahuka and Akrura on his side? What, again, can be more painful\nfor one than not to have both of them on his side?[242] I am like the\nmother of two brothers gambling against each other, invoking victory to\nboth. I am thus, O Narada, afflicted by both. It behoveth thee to tell me\nthat which is for the good of both myself and my kinsmen.'\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'Calamities, O Krishna, are of two kinds, viz., external\nand internal. They arise, O thou of Vrishni's race, from one's own acts\nor from the acts of others. The calamity that has now overtaken thee is\nan internal one and is born of thy own acts. Valadeva and others of the\nBhoja race are partisans of Akrura, and have taken up his side either for\nthe sake of wealth, or mere caprice, or moved by words or by hate. As\nregards thyself, thou hast given away wealth obtained by thee to another.\nThough possessed of men who should be your friends, thou hast, however,\nby thy own act, brought calamity over thy head. Thou canst not take back\nthat wealth, even as one cannot swallow again the food that he has\nvomited himself. The kingdom cannot be taken back from Babhu and Ugrasena\n(unto whom it has been given). Thyself, O Krishna, cannot, in particular,\ntake it back (from them) from fear of producing intestine dissensions.\nSupposing the endeavour succeeds, it will do so after much trouble and\nafter the accomplishment of the most difficult feats. A great slaughter\nand a great loss of wealth will ensue, perhaps, even total destruction.\nUse then a weapon that is not made of steel, that is very mild and yet\ncapable of piercing all hearts. Sharpening and resharpening that weapon\ncorrect the tongues of thy kinsmen.'\n\n\"'\"Vasudeva said, 'What is that weapon, O sage, which is not made of steel,\nwhich is mild, which still pierces all hearts, and which I must use for\ncorrecting the tongues of my kinsmen?'\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'The giving of food to the best of thy power, forgiveness,\nsincerity, mildness, and honour to whom honour is due, these constitute a\nweapon that is not made of steel. With soft words alone turn away the\nanger of kinsmen about the utter cruel speeches, and mollify their hearts\nand minds and slanderous tongues. None who is not a great man with\ncleansed soul and possessed of accomplishments and friends can bear a\nheavy burthen. Take up this great weight (of governing the Vrishnis) and\nbear it on thy shoulders. All oxen can bear heavy burthens on a level\nroad. The stronger ones only among them can bear such burthens on a\ndifficult road. From disunion destruction will spring and overtake all\nthe Bhojas and the Vrishnis. Thou, O Kesava, art the foremost one among\nthem. Do thou act in such a manner that the Bhojas and the Vrishnis may\nnot meet with destruction. Nothing but intelligence and forgiveness,\nrestraint of the senses, and liberality are present in a person of\nwisdom. Advancing one's own race is always praiseworthy and glorious and\nconducive to long life. Do thou, O Krishna, act in such a way that\ndestruction may not overtake thy kinsmen. There is nothing unknown to\nthee in respect of policy and the art of war, O Lord! The Yadavas, the\nKukuras, the Bhojas, the Andhakas, and the Vrishnis, are all dependent on\nthee even as all the worlds and all the regents of those worlds, O\nmighty-armed one! The Rishis, O Madhava, always pray for thy advancement.\nThou art the lord of all creatures. Thou knowest the past, the present,\nand the future. Thou art the foremost one among all the Yadavas. Relying\non thee, they expect to live in happiness.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"This that I have told thee constitutes the first means.\nListen now, O Bharata to the second means. That man who seeks to advance\nthe interests of the king should always be protected by the king. If a\nperson, O Yudhishthira, that is paid or unpaid, comes to thee for telling\nthee of the damage done to thy treasury when its resources are being\nembezzled by a minister, thou shouldst grant him an audience in private\nand protect him also from the (impeached) minister. The ministers guilty\nof peculation seek, O Bharata, to slay such informants. They who plunder\nthe royal treasury combine together for opposing the person who seeks to\nprotect it, and if the latter be left unprotected, he is sure to be\nruined. In this connection also an old story is cited of what the sage\nKalakavrikshiya had said unto the king of Kosala. It hath been heard by\nus that once on a time the sage Kalakavrikshiya came to Kshemadarsin who\nhad ascended the throne of the kingdom of Kosala. Desirous of examining\nthe conduct of all the officers of Kshemadarsin, the sage, with a crow\nkept within a cage in his hand, repeatedly travelled through every part\nof that king's dominions. And he spoke unto all the men and said, 'Study,\nye the corvine science. The crows tell me the present, the past, and the\nfuture.' Proclaiming this in the kingdom, the sage, accompanied by a\nlarge number of men, began to observe the misdeeds of all the officers of\nthe king. Having ascertained all the affairs in respect of that kingdom,\nand having learnt that all the officers appointed by the king were guilty\nof malversation, the sage, with his crow, came to see the king. Of rigid\nvows, he said unto the king, 'I know everything (about thy kingdom).'\nArrived at the presence of the king, he said unto his minister adorned\nwith the insignia of his office that he had been informed by his crow\nthat the minister had done such a misdeed in such a place, and that such\nand such persons know that he had plundered the royal treasury. 'My crow\ntells me this. Admit or prove the falsehood of the accusation quickly.'\nThe sage then proclaimed the names of other officers who had similarly\nbeen guilty of embezzlement, adding, 'My crow never says anything that is\nfalse.' Thus accused and injured by the sage, all the officers of the\nking, O thou of Kuru's race, (united together and) pierced his crow,\nwhile the sage slept, at night. Beholding his crow pierced with a shaft\nwithin the cage, the regenerate Rishi, repairing to Kshemadarsin in the\nmorning said unto him, 'O king, I seek thy protection. Thou art\nall-powerful and thou art the master of the lives and wealth of all. If I\nreceive thy command I can then say what is for thy good. Grieved on\naccount of thee whom I regard as a friend have come to thee, impelled by\nmy devotion and ready to serve thee with my whole heart. Thou art being\nrobbed of thy wealth, I have come to thee for disclosing it without\nshowing any consideration for the robbers. Like a driver that urges a\ngood steed, I have come hither for awakening thee whom I regard as a\nfriend. A friend who is alive to his own interests and desirous of his\nown prosperity and aggrandisement, should forgive a friend that intrudes\nhimself forcibly, impelled by devotion and wrath, for doing what is\nbeneficial.' The king replied unto him, saying, 'Why should I not bear\nanything thou wilt say, since I am not blind to what is for my good? I\ngrant thee permission, O regenerate one! Tell me what thou pleasest, I\nshall certainly obey the instructions thou wilt give me, O Brahman.'\n\n\"'\"The sage said, 'Ascertaining the merits and faults of thy servants, as\nalso the dangers thou incurrest at their hands, I have come to thee,\nimpelled by my devotion, for representing everything to thee. The\nteachers (of mankind) have of old declared what the curses are, O king,\nof those that serve others. The lot of those that serve the king is very\npainful and wretched. He who has any connection with kings is to have\nconnection with snakes of virulent poison. Kings have many friends as\nalso many enemies. They that serve kings have to fear all of them. Every\nmoment, again, they have fear from the king himself, O monarch. A person\nserving the king cannot (with impunity) be guilty of heedlessness in\ndoing the king's work. Indeed, a servant who desires to win prosperity\nshould never display heedlessness in the discharge of his duties. His\nheedlessness may move the king to wrath, and such wrath may bring down\ndestruction (on the servant). Carefully learning how to behave himself,\none should sit in the presence of the king as he should in the presence\nof a blazing fire. Prepared to lay down life itself at every moment, one\nshould serve the king attentively, for the king is all-powerful and\nmaster of the lives and the wealth of all, and therefore, like unto a\nsnake of virulent poison. He should always fear to indulge in evil\nspeeches before the king, or to sit cheerlessly or in irreverent\npostures, or to wait in attitudes of disrespect or to walk disdainfully\nor display insolent gestures and disrespectful motions of the limbs. If\nthe king becomes gratified, he can shower prosperity like god. If he\nbecomes enraged, he can consume to the very roots like a blazing fire.\nThis, O king, was said by Yama. Its truth is seen in the affairs of the\nworld. I shall now (acting according to these precepts) do that which\nwould enhance thy prosperity. Friends like ourselves can give unto\nfriends like thee the aid of their intelligence in seasons of peril. This\ncrow of mine, O king, has been slain for doing thy business. I cannot,\nhowever, blame thee for this. Thou art not loved by those (that have\nslain this bird). Ascertain who are thy friends and who thy foes. Do\neverything thyself without surrendering thy intelligence to others. They\nwho are on thy establishment are all peculators. They do not desire the\ngood of thy subjects. I have incurred their hostility. Conspiring with\nthose servants that have constant access to thee they covet the kingdom\nafter thee by compassing thy destruction. Their plans, however, do not\nsucceed in consequence of unforeseen circumstances. Through fear of those\nmen, O king, I shall leave this kingdom for some other asylum. I have no\nworldly desire, yet those persons of deceitful intentions have shot this\nshaft at my crow, and have, O lord, despatched the bird to Yama's abode.\nI have seen this, O king, with eyes whose vision has been improved by\npenances. With the assistance of this single crow I have crossed this\nkingdom of thine that is like a river abounding with alligators and\nsharks and crocodiles and whales. Indeed, with the assistance of that\nbird, I have passed through thy dominions like unto a Himalayan valley,\nimpenetrable and inaccessible in consequence of trunks of (fallen) trees\nand scattered rocks and thorny shrubs and lions and tigers and other\nbeasts of prey. The learned say that a region inaccessible in consequence\nof gloom can be passed through with the aid of a light, and a river that\nis unfordable can be crossed by means of a boat. No means, however, exist\nfor penetrating or passing through the labyrinth of kingly affairs. Thy\nkingdom is like an inaccessible forest enveloped with gloom. Thou (that\nart the lord of it) canst not trust it. How then can I? Good and evil are\nregarded here in the same light. Residence here cannot, therefore, be\nsafe. Here a person of righteous deeds meets with death, while one of\nunrighteous deeds incurs no danger. According to the requirements of\njustice, a person of unrighteous deeds should be slain but never one who\nis righteous in his acts. It is not proper, therefore, for one to stay in\nthis kingdom long. A man of sense should leave this country soon. There\nis a river, O king, of the name of Sita. Boats sink in it. This thy\nkingdom is like that river. An all-destructive net seems to have been\ncast around it. Thou art like the fall that awaits collectors of honey,\nor like attractive food containing poison. Thy nature now resembles that\nof dishonest men and not that of the good. Thou art like a pit, O king,\nabounding with snakes of virulent poison. Thou resemblest, O king, a\nriver full of sweet water but exceedingly difficult of access, with steep\nbanks overgrown with Kariras and thorny canes. Thou art like a swan in\nthe midst of dogs, vultures and jackals. Grassy parasites, deriving their\nsustenance from a mighty tree, swell into luxuriant growth, and at last\ncovering the tree itself overshadow it completely. A forest conflagration\nsets in, and catching those grassy plants first, consumes the lordly tree\nwith them. Thy ministers, O king, resemble those grassy parasites of\nwhich I speak. Do thou check and correct them. They have been nourished\nby thee. But conspiring against thee, they are destroying thy prosperity.\nConcealing (from thee) the faults of thy servants, I am living in thy\nabode in constant dread of danger, even like a person living in a room\nwith a snake within it or like the lover of a hero's wife. My object is\nto ascertain the behaviour of the king who is my fellow-lodger. I wish to\nknow whether the king has his passions under control, whether his\nservants are obedient to him, whether he is loved by them, and whether he\nloves his subjects. For the object of ascertaining all these points, O\nbest of kings, I have come to thee. Like food to a hungry person, thou\nhast become dear to me. I dislike thy ministers, however, as a person\nwhose thirst has been slaked dislikes drink. They have found fault with\nme because I seek thy good. I have no doubt that there is no other cause\nfor that hostility of theirs to me. I do not cherish any hostile\nintentions towards them. I am engaged in only marking their faults. As\none should fear a wounded snake, every one should fear a foe of wicked\nheart!'[243]\n\n\"'\"The king said, 'Reside in my palace, O Brahmana! I shall always treat\nthee with respect and honour, and always worship thee. They that will\ndislike thee shall not dwell with me. Do thou thyself do what should be\ndone next unto those persons (of whom thou hast spoken). Do thou see, O\nholy one, that the rod of chastisement is wielded properly and that\neverything is done well in my kingdom. Reflecting upon everything, do\nthou guide me in such a way that I may obtain prosperity.'\n\n\"'\"The sage said, 'Shutting thy eyes in the first instance to this offence\nof theirs (viz., the slaughter of the crow), do thou weaken them one by\none. Prove their faults then and strike them one after another. When many\npersons become guilty of the same offence, they can, by acting together,\nsoften the very points of thorns. Lest thy ministers (being suspected,\nact against thee and) disclose thy secret counsels, I advise thee to\nproceed with such caution. As regards ourselves, we are Brahmanas,\nnaturally compassionate and unwilling to give pain to any one. We desire\nthy good as also the good of others, even as we wish the good of\nourselves. I speak of myself, O king! I am thy friend. I am known as the\nsage Kalakavrikshiya. I always adhere to truth. Thy sire regarded me\nlovingly as his friend. When distress overtook this kingdom during the\nreign of thy sire, O king, I performed many penances (for driving it\noff), abandoning every other business. From my affection for thee I say\nthis unto thee so that thou mayst not again commit the fault (of reposing\nconfidence on undeserving persons). Thou hast obtained a kingdom without\ntrouble. Reflect upon everything connected with its weal and woe. Thou\nhast ministers in thy kingdom. But why, O king, shouldst thou be guilty\nof heedlessness?' After this, the king of Kosala took a minister from the\nKshatriya order, and appointed that bull among Brahmanas (viz., the sage\nKalakavrikshiya) as his Purohita. After these changes had been effected,\nthe king of Kosala subjugated the whole earth and acquired great fame.\nThe sage Kalakavrikshiya worshipped the gods in many grand sacrifices\nperformed for the king. Having listened to his beneficial counsels, the\nking of Kosala conquered the whole earth and conducted himself in every\nrespect as the sage directed.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"What should be the characteristics, O grandsire, of\nthe legislators, the ministers of war, the courtiers, the generalissimos,\nand the counsellors of a king?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Such persons as are possessed of modesty, self-restraint,\ntruth, sincerity, and courage to say what is proper, should be thy\nlegislators. They that are always by thy side, that are possessed of\ngreat courage, that are of the regenerate caste, possessed of great\nlearning, well pleased with thee, and endued with perseverance in all\nacts, should, O son of Kunti, be desired by thee for becoming thy\nministers of war at all seasons of distress, O Bharata! One who is of\nhigh descent, who, treated with honour by thee, always exerts his powers\nto the utmost on thy behalf, and who will never abandon thee in weal or\nwoe, illness or death, should be entertained by thee as a courtier. They\nthat are of high birth, that are born in thy kingdom, that have wisdom,\nbeauty of form and features, great learning, and dignity of behaviour,\nand that are, besides, devoted to thee, should be employed as officers of\nthy army. Persons of low descent and covetous dispositions, who are cruel\nand shameless would court thee, O sire, as long as their hands would\nremain wet.[244] They that are of good birth and good behaviour, that can\nread all signs and gestures, that are destitute of cruelty, that know\nwhat the requirements are of place and time, that always seek the good of\ntheir master in all acts, should be appointed as ministers by the king in\nall his affairs. They that have been won over with gifts of wealth,\nhonours, regardful receptions, and means of procuring felicity, and who\non that account may be regarded by thee as persons inclined to benefit\nthee in all thy affairs, should always be made sharers of thy happiness.\nThey that are unchangeable in conduct, possessed of learning and good\nbehaviour, observant of excellent vows, large-hearted, and truthful in\nspeech, will always be attentive to thy affairs and will never abandon\nthee. They, on the other hand, that are disrespectable, that are not\nobservant of restraints, that are of wicked souls, and that have fallen\naway from good practices, should always be compelled by thee to observe\nall wholesome restraints. When the question is which of two sides should\nbe adopted, thou shouldst not abandon the many for adopting the side of\none. When, however, that one person transcends the many in consequence of\nthe possession of many accomplishments, then thou shouldst, for that one,\nabandon the many. These are regarded as marks of superiority, viz.,\nprowess, devotion to pursuits that bring fame, and observance of\nwholesome restraints. He, again, that honours all persons possessed of\nability, that never indulges in feelings of rivalry with persons\npossessed of no merit, that never abandons righteousness from lust or\nfear or wrath or covetousness, that is adorned with humility, that is\ntruthful in speech and forgiving in temper, that has his soul under\ncontrol, that has a sense of dignity, and that has been tried in every\nsituation, should be employed by thee as thy counsellor. High descent,\npurity of blood, forgiveness, cleverness, and purity of soul, bravery,\ngratefulness, and truth, are, O son of Pritha, marks of superiority and\ngoodness. A wise man who conducts himself in this way,[245] succeeds in\ndisarming his very foes of their hostility and converting them into\nfriends. A king that has his soul under restraint, that is possessed of\nwisdom, and that is desirous of prosperity, should carefully examine the\nmerits and demerits of his ministers. A king desirous of prosperity and\nof shining in the midst of his contemporaries, should have for ministers\npersons connected with his trusted friends, possessed of high birth born\nin his own kingdom, incapable of being corrupted, unstained by adultery\nand similar vices, well tested, belonging to good families, possessed of\nlearning, sprung from sires and grandsires that held similar offices, and\nadorned with humility. The king should employ five such persons to look\nafter his affairs as are possessed of intelligence unstained by pride, a\ndisposition that is good, energy, patience, forgiveness, purity, loyalty,\nfirmness, and courage, whose merits and faults have been well tested, who\nare of mature years, who are capable of bearing burthens, and who are\nfree from deceit. Men that are wise in speech, that are possessed of\nheroism, that are full of resources under difficulties, that are of high\nbirth, that are truthful, that can read signs, that are free from\ncruelty, that are conversant with the requirements of place and time, and\nthat desire the good of their masters, should be employed by the king as\nhis ministers in all affairs of the kingdom. One who is bereft of energy\nand who has been abandoned by friends can never work with perseverance.\nSuch a man, if employed, fails in almost every business. A minister\npossessed of little learning, even if blessed with high birth and\nattentive to virtue, profit, and pleasure, becomes incompetent in\nchoosing proper courses of action. Similarly, a person of low descent,\neven if possessed of great learning, always errs, like a blind man\nwithout a guide, in all acts requiring dexterity and foresight. A person,\nagain, who is of infirm purposes, even if possessed of intelligence and\nlearning, and even if conversant with means, cannot long act with\nsuccess. A man of wicked heart and possessed of no learning may set his\nhand to work but he fails to ascertain what the results will be of his\nwork. A king should never repose trust on a minister that is not devoted\nto him. He should, therefore, never disclose his counsels to a minister\nthat is not devoted to him. Such a wicked minister, combining with the\nother ministers of the king, may ruin his master, like a fire consuming a\ntree by entering its entrails through the holes in its body with the aid\nof the wind. Giving way to wrath, a master may one day pull down a\nservant from his office or reprove him, from rage, in harsh words, and\nrestore him to power again. None but a servant devoted to the master can\nbear and forgive such treatment. Ministers also become sometime highly\noffended with their royal masters. That one, however, amongst them, who\nsubdues his wrath from desire of doing good to his master,--that person\nwho is a sharer with the king of his weal and woe,--should be consulted\nby the king in all his affairs. A person who is of crooked heart, even if\nhe be devoted to his master and possessed of wisdom and adorned with\nnumerous virtues, should never be consulted by the king. One who is\nallied with foes and who does not regard the interests of the king's\nsubjects, should be known as an enemy. The king should never consult with\nhim. One who is possessed of no learning, who is not pure, who is stained\nwith pride, who pays court to the king's enemies, who indulges in brag,\nwho is unfriendly, wrathful, and covetous should not be consulted by the\nking. One who is a stranger, even if he be devoted to the king and\npossessed of great learning, may be honoured by the king and gratified\nwith assignment of the means of sustenance, but the king should never\nconsult him in his affairs. A person whose sire was unjustly banished by\nroyal edict should not be consulted by the king even if the king may have\nsubsequently bestowed honours upon him and assigned to him the means of\nsustenance. A well-wisher whose property was once confiscated for a\nslight transgression, even if he be possessed of every accomplishment\nshould not still be consulted by the king. A person possessed of wisdom,\nintelligence, and learning, who is born within the kingdom, who is pure\nand righteous in all his acts, deserves to be consulted by the king. One\nwho is endued with knowledge and wisdom, who is acquainted with the\ndispositions of his friends and foes, who is such a friend of the king as\nto be his second self, deserves to be consulted. One who is truthful in\nspeech and modest and mild and who is a hereditary servant of the king,\ndeserves to be consulted. One who is contented and honoured, who is\ntruthful and dignified, who hates wickedness and wicked men, who is\nconversant with policy and the requirements of time, and who is\ncourageous, deserves to be consulted by the king. One who is competent to\nwin over all men by conciliation should be consulted, O monarch, by the\nking that is desirous of ruling according to the dictates of the science\nof chastisement. One upon whom the inhabitants of both the capital and\nthe provinces repose confidence for his righteous conduct, who is\ncompetent to fight and conversant with the rules of policy, deserves to\nbe consulted by the king. Therefore, men possessed of such qualities, men\nconversant with the dispositions of all and desirous of achieving high\nacts, should be honoured by the king and made his ministers. Their number\nalso should not be less than three.[246] Ministers should be employed in\nobserving the laches of their masters, of themselves, of the subjects,\nand of the foes of their master. The kingdom has its root in the counsels\nof policy that flow from ministers, and its growth proceeds from the same\nsource. Ministers should act in such a way that the enemies of their\nmaster may not be able to detect his laches. On the other hand, when\ntheir laches become visible, they should then be assailed. Like the\ntortoise protecting its limbs by withdrawing them within its shell,\nministers should protect their own counsels. They should, even thus,\nconceal their own laches. Those ministers of a kingdom that succeed in\nconcealing their counsels are said to be possessed of wisdom. Counsels\nconstitute the armour of a king, and the limbs of his subjects and\nofficers. A kingdom is said to have its roots in spies and secret agents,\nand its strength is said to lie in counsels of policy. If masters and\nministers follow each other for deriving support from each other,\nsubduing pride and wrath, and vanity and envy, they may then both become\nhappy. A king should also consult with such ministers as are free from\nthe five kinds of deceit. Ascertaining well, in the first instance, the\ndifferent opinions of the three amongst them whom he has consulted, the\nking should, for subsequent deliberation, repair to his preceptor for\ninforming him of those opinions and his own. His preceptor should be a\nBrahmana well versed in all matters of virtue, profit, and pleasure.\nRepairing, for such subsequent deliberation, to him, the king should,\nwith collected mind, ask his opinion. When a decision is arrived at after\ndeliberation with him, the king should then, without attachment, carry it\nout into practice. They that are conversant with the conclusions of the\nscience of consultation say that kings should always hold consultation in\nthis way. Having settled counsels in this way, they should then be\nreduced to practice, for then they will be able to win over all the\nsubjects. There should be no dwarfs, no humpbacked persons, no one of an\nemaciated constitution, no one who is lame or blind, no one who is an\nidiot, no woman, and no eunuch, at the spot where the king holds his\nconsultations. Nothing should move there before or behind, above or\nbelow, or in transverse directions. Getting up on a boat, or repairing to\nan open space destitute of grass or grassy bushes and whence the\nsurrounding land may be clearly seen, the king should hold consultations\nat the proper time, avoiding faults of speech and gestures.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXIV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection, O Yudhishthira, the old account of a\nconversation between Vrihaspati and Sakra is cited.\n\n\"'\"Sakra said, 'What is that one act, O regenerate one, by accomplishing\nwhich with care, a person may become the object of regard with all\ncreatures and acquire great celebrity?'\n\n\"'\"Vrihaspati said, 'Agreeableness of speech, O Sakra, is the one thing by\npractising which a person may become an object of regard with all\ncreatures and acquire great celebrity. This is the one thing, O Sakra,\nwhich gives happiness to all. By practising it, one may always obtain the\nlove of all creatures. The person who does not speak a word and whose\nface is always furrowed with frowns, becomes an object of hatred with all\ncreatures. Abstention from agreeable speeches makes him so. That person\nwho, upon beholding others, addresses them first and does so with smiles\nsucceeds in making everyone gratified with him. Even gifts, if not made\nwith agreeable speeches, do not delight the recipients, like rice without\ncurry. If even the possessions of men, O Sakra, be taken away with sweet\nspeeches, such sweetness of behaviour succeeds in reconciling the robbed.\nA king, therefore, that is desirous of even inflicting chastisement\nshould utter sweet words. Sweetness of speech never fails of its purpose,\nwhile, at the same time it never pains any heart. A person of good acts\nand good, agreeable, and sweet speeches, has no equal.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed by his priest, Sakra began to act\naccording to those instructions. Do thou also, O son of Kunti, practise\nthis virtue.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O foremost of kings, what is that method by which a\nking ruling his subjects may, in consequence of it, obtain great\nblessedness and eternal fame?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"A king of cleansed soul and attentive to the duty of\nprotecting his subjects earns merit and fame, both here and hereafter, by\nconducting himself righteously.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"With whom should the king behave in what way? Asked\nby me, O thou of great wisdom, it behoveth thee to tell me everything\nduly. Those virtues of which thou hast already spoken with respect to a\nperson, cannot, it is my belief, be found to exist in any single\nindividual.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Thou art endued with great intelligence, O Yudhishthira!\nIt is even so as thou sayest. The person is very rare who is possessed of\nall those good qualities. To be brief, conduct like this (viz., the\npresence of all the virtues spoken of), is very difficult to be met with\neven upon careful search. I shall, however, tell thee what kinds of\nministers should be appointed by thee. Four Brahmanas, learned in the\nVedas, possessed of a sense of dignity, belonging to the Snataka order,\nand of pure behaviour, and eight Kshatriyas, all of whom should be\npossessed of physical strength and capable of wielding weapons, and one\nand twenty Vaisyas, all of whom should be possessed of wealth, and three\nSudras, every one of whom should be humble and of pure conduct and devoted\nto his daily duties, and one man of the Suta caste, possessed of a\nknowledge of the Puranas and the eight cardinal virtues, should be thy\nministers. Every one of them should be fifty years of age, possessed of a\nsense of dignity, free from envy, conversant with the Srutis and the\nSmritis, humble, impartial, competent to readily decide in the midst of\ndisputants urging different courses of action, free from covetousness,\nand from the seven dreadful vices called Vyasanas. The king should\nconsult with those eight ministers and hold the lead among them. He\nshould then publish in his kingdom, for the information of his subjects,\nthe results of such deliberation. Thou shouldst always, adopting such a\nconduct, watch over thy people. Thou shouldst never confiscate what is\ndeposited with thee or appropriate as thine the thing about whose\nownership two persons may dispute. Conduct such as this would spoil the\nadministration of justice. If the administration of justice be thus\ninjured, sin will afflict thee, and afflict thy kingdom as well, and\ninspire thy people with fear as little birds at the sight of the hawk.\nThy kingdom will then melt away like a boat wrecked on the sea. If a king\ngoverns his subjects with unrighteousness, fear takes possession of his\nheart and the door of heaven is closed against him. A kingdom, O bull\namong men, has its root in righteousness. That minister, or king's son,\nwho acts unrighteously, occupying the seat of justice, and those officers\nwho having accepted the charge of affairs, act unjustly, moved by\nself-interest, all sink in hell along with the king himself. Those\nhelpless men who are oppressed by the powerful and who indulge on that\naccount in piteous and copious lamentations, have their protector in the\nking. In cases of dispute between two parties the decision should be\nbased upon the evidence of witnesses. If one of the disputants has no\nwitnesses and is helpless, the king should give the case his best\nconsideration. The king should cause chastisement to be meted out to\noffenders according to the measure of their offences. They that are\nwealthy should be punished with fines and confiscations; they that are\npoor, with loss of liberty. Those that are of very wicked conduct should\nbe chastised by the king with even corporal inflictions. The king should\ncherish all good men with agreeable speeches and gifts of wealth. He who\nseeks to compass the death of the king should be punished with death to\nbe effected by diverse means. The same should be the punishment of one\nwho becomes guilty of arson or theft or such co-habitation with women as\nmay lead to a confusion of castes. A king, O monarch, who inflicts\npunishments duly and conformably to the dictates of the science of\nchastisement, incurs no sin by the act. On the other hand, he earns merit\nthat is eternal. That foolish king who inflicts punishments capriciously,\nearns infamy here and sinks into hell hereafter. One should not be\npunished for the fault of another. Reflecting well upon the (criminal)\ncode, a person should be convicted or acquitted. A king should never slay\nan envoy under any circumstances. That king who slays an envoy sinks\ninto hell with all his ministers. That king observant of Kshatriya\npractices who slays an envoy that faithfully utters the message with\nwhich he is charged, causes the manes of his deceased ancestors to be\nstained with the sin of killing a foetus. An envoy should possess these\nseven accomplishments, viz., he should be high-born, of a good family,\neloquent, clever, sweet-speeched, faithful in delivering the message with\nwhich he is charged, and endued with a good memory. The aid-de-camp of\nthe king that protects his person should be endued with similar\nqualities. The officer also that guards his capital or citadel should\npossess the same accomplishments. The king's minister should be\nconversant with the conclusions of the scriptures and competent in\ndirecting wars and making treaties. He should, further, be intelligent,\npossessed of courage, modest, and capable of keeping secrets. He should\nalso be of high birth endued with strength of mind, and pure in conduct.\nIf possessed of these qualities, he should be regarded worthy. The\ncommander of the king's forces should be possessed of similar\naccomplishments. He should also be conversant with the different kinds of\nbattle array and with the uses of engines and weapons. He should be able\nto bear exposure to rain, cold, heat, and wind, and watchful of the\nlaches of foes. The king, O monarch, should be able to lull his foes into\na sense of security. He should not, however, himself trust anyone. The\nreposing of confidence on even his own son is not to be approved of. I\nhave now, O sinless one, declared to thee what the conclusions of the\nscriptures are. Refusal to trust anyone has been said to be one of the\nhighest mysteries of king-craft.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXVI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"What should be the kind of city within which the\nking should himself dwell? Should he select one already made or should he\ncause one to be especially constructed? Tell me this O grandsire!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"It is proper, O Bharata, to enquire about the conduct\nthat should be followed and the defences that should be adopted with\nrespect to the city in which, O son of Kunti, a king should reside. I\nshall, therefore, discourse to thee on the subject, referring especially\nto the defences of citadels. Having listened to me, thou shouldst make\nthe arrangements required and conduct thyself attentively as directed.\nKeeping his eye on the six different kinds of citadels, the king should\nbuild his cities containing every kind of affluence and every other\narticle of use in abundance. Those six varieties are water-citadels,\nearth-citadels, hill-citadels, human-citadels, mud-citadels, and\nforest-citadels.[247] The king, with his ministers and the army\nthoroughly loyal to him, should reside in that city which is defended by\na citadel which contains an abundant stock of rice and weapons,--which is\nprotected with impenetrable walls and a trench, which teems with\nelephants and steeds and cars, which is inhabited by men possessed of\nlearning and versed in the mechanical arts, where provisions of every\nkind have been well stored, whose population is virtuous in conduct and\nclever in business and consists of strong and energetic men and animals,\nwhich is adorned with many open squares and rows of shops, where the\nbehaviour of all persons is righteous, where peace prevails, where no\ndanger exists, which blazes with beauty and resounds with music and\nsongs, where the houses are all spacious, where the residents number among\nthem many brave and wealthy individuals, which echoes with the chant of\nVedic hymns, where festivities and rejoicings frequently take place, and\nwhere the deities are always worshipped.[248] Residing there, the king\nshould be employed in filling his treasury, increasing his forces,\nenhancing the number of his friends, and establishing courts of justice.\nHe should check all abuses and evils in both his cities and his\nprovinces. He should be employed in collecting provisions of every kind\nand in filling his arsenals with care. He should also increase his stores\nof rice and other grain, and strengthen his counsels (with wisdom). He\nshould further, enhance his stores of fuel, iron, chaff, charcoal,\ntimber, horns, bones, bamboos, marrow, oils and ghee, fat, honey,\nmedicines, flax, resinous exudations, rice, weapons, shafts, leather\ncatgut (for bow-strings), caries, and strings and cords made of munja\ngrass and other plants and creepers. He should also increase the number\nof tanks and wells containing large quantities of water, and should\nprotect all juicy trees.[249] He should entertain with honour and\nattention preceptors (of different sciences), Ritwijas, and priests,\nmighty bowmen, persons skilled in architecture, astronomers and\nastrologers, and physicians, as also all men possessed of wisdom and\nintelligence and self-restraint and cleverness and courage and learning\nand high birth and energy of mind, and capable of close application to\nall kinds of work. The king should honour the righteous and chastise the\nunrighteous. He should, acting with resolution, set the several orders to\ntheir respective duties. Ascertaining properly, by means of spies, the\noutward behaviour and the state of mind of the inhabitants of his city\nand provinces, he should adopt those measures that may be required. The\nking should himself supervise his spies and counsels, his treasury, and\nthe agencies for inflicting chastisements. Upon these everything may be\nsaid to depend. With spies constituting his sight, the king should\nascertain all the acts and intentions of his foes, friends, and neutrals.\nHe should then, with heedfulness, devise his own measures, honouring\nthose that are loyal to him and punishing those that are hostile. The\nking should always adore the gods in sacrifices and make gifts without\ngiving pain to anybody. He should protect his subjects, never doing\nanything that may obstruct or thwart righteousness. He should always\nmaintain and protect the helpless, the masterless, and the old, and women\nthat are widows. The king should always honour the ascetics and make unto\nthem gifts, at proper seasons of cloths and vessels and food. The king\nshould, with attentive care, inform the ascetics (within his dominions)\nof the state of his own self, of all his measures, and of the kingdom,\nand should always behave with humility in their presence. When he sees\nascetics of high birth and great learning that have abandoned all earthly\nobjects, he should honour them with gifts of beds and seats and food.\nWhatever the nature of the distress into which he may fall, he should\nconfide in an ascetic. The very robbers repose confidence upon persons of\nthat character. The king should place his wealth in charge of an ascetic\nand should take wisdom from him. He should not, however, always wait upon\nthem or worship them on all occasions.[250] From among those residing in\nhis own kingdom, he should select one for friendship. Similarly, he\nshould select another from among those that reside in the kingdom of his\nfoe. He should select a third from among those residing in the forests,\nand a fourth from among those dwelling in the kingdoms paying tribute to\nhim. He should show hospitality towards and bestow honours upon them and\nassign them the means of sustenance. He should behave towards the\nascetics dwelling in the kingdoms of foes and in the forests in the same\nway as towards those that reside in his own kingdom. Engaged in penances\nand of rigid vows they would, if calamity overtakes the king and if he\nsolicits protection, grant him what he wants. I have now told thee in\nbrief the indications of the city in which the king should reside.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXVII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"How, O king, may a kingdom be consolidated, and how\nshould it be protected? I desire to know this. Tell me all this, O bull\nof Bharata's race!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Listen to me with concentrated attention. I shall tell\nthee how a kingdom may be consolidated, and how also it may be protected.\nA headman should be selected for each village. Over ten villages (or ten\nheadmen) there should be one superintendent. Over two such\nsuperintendents there should be one officer (having the control,\ntherefore, of twenty villages). Above the latter should be appointed\npersons under each of whom should be a century of villages; and above the\nlast kind of officers, should be appointed men each of whom should have a\nthousand villages under his control. The headman should ascertain the\ncharacteristics of every person in the village and all the faults also\nthat need correction. He should report everything to the officer (who is\nabove him and is) in charge of ten villages. The latter, again, should\nreport the same to the officer (who is above him and is) in charge of\ntwenty villages. The latter, in his turn, should report the conduct of\nall the persons within his dominion to the officer (who is above him and\nis) in charge of a hundred villages. The village headman should have\ncontrol over all the produce and the possessions of the village. Every\nheadman should contribute his share for maintaining the lord of ten\nvillages, and the latter should do the same for supporting the lord of\ntwenty villages. The lord of a hundred villages should receive every\nhonour from the king and should have for his support a large village, O\nchief of the Bharatas, populous and teeming with wealth. Such a village,\nso assigned to a lord of hundred villages, should be, however, within the\ncontrol of the lord of a thousand villages. That high officer, again,\nviz., the lord of a thousand villages, should have a minor town for his\nsupport. He should enjoy the grain and gold and other possessions\nderivable from it. He should perform all the duties of its wars and other\ninternal affairs pertaining to it. Some virtuous minister, with\nwrathfulness should exercise supervision over the administration affairs\nand mutual relations of those officers. In every town, again, there\nshould be an officer for attending to every matter relating to his\njurisdiction. Like some planet of dreadful form moving above all the\nasterisms below, the officer (with plenary powers) mentioned last should\nmove and act above all the officers subordinate to him. Such an officer\nshould ascertain the conduct of those under him through his spies. Such\nhigh officers should protect the people from all persons of murderous\ndisposition, all men of wicked deeds, all who rob other people of their\nwealth, and all who are full of deceit, and all of whom are regarded to\nbe possessed by the devil. Taking note of the sales and the purchases,\nthe state of the roads, the food and dress, and the stocks and profits of\nthose that are engaged in trade, the king should levy taxes on them.\nAscertaining on all occasions the extent of the manufactures, the\nreceipts and expenses of those that are engaged in them, and the state of\nthe arts, the king should levy taxes upon the artisans in respect of the\narts they follow. The king, O Yudhishthira, may take high taxes, but he\nshould never levy such taxes as would emasculate his people. No tax\nshould be levied without ascertaining the outturn and the amount of\nlabour that has been necessary to produce it. Nobody would work or seek\nfor outturns without sufficient cause.[251] The king should, after\nreflection, levy taxes in such a way that he and the person who labours\nto produce the article taxed may both share the value. The king should\nnot, by his thirst, destroy his own foundations as also those of others.\nHe should always avoid those acts in consequence of which he may become\nan object of hatred to his people. Indeed, by acting in this way he may\nsucceed in winning popularity. The subjects hate that king who earns a\nnotoriety for voraciousness of appetite (in the matter of taxes and\nimposts). Whence can a king who becomes an object of hatred have\nprosperity? Such a king can never acquire what is for his good. A king\nwho is possessed of sound intelligence should milk his kingdom after the\nanalogy of (men acting in the matter of) calves. If the calf be permitted\nto suck, it grows strong, O Bharata, and bears heavy burthens. If, on the\nother hand, O Yudhishthira, the cow be milked too much, the calf becomes\nlean and fails to do much service to the owner. Similarly, if the kingdom\nbe drained much, the subjects fail to achieve any act that is great. That\nking who protects his kingdom himself and shows favour to his subjects\n(in the matter of taxes and imposts) and supports himself upon what is\neasily obtained, succeeds in earning many grand results. Does not the\nking then obtain wealth sufficient for enabling him to cope with his\nwants?[252] The entire kingdom, in that case, becomes to him his\ntreasury, while that which is his treasury becomes his bed chamber. If\nthe inhabitants of the cities and the provinces be poor, the king should,\nwhether they depend upon him immediately or mediately, show them\ncompassion to the best of his power. Chastising all robbers that infest\nthe outskirts, the king should protect the people of his villages and\nmake them happy. The subjects, in the case, becoming sharers of the\nking's weal and woe, feel exceedingly gratified with him. Thinking, in\nthe first instance, of collecting wealth, the king should repair to the\nchief centres of his kingdom one after another and endeavour to inspire\nhis people with fright. He should say unto them, 'Here, calamity\nthreatens us. A great danger has arisen in consequence of the acts of the\nfoe. There is every reason, however, to hope that the danger will pass\naway, for the enemy, like a bamboo that has flowered, will very soon meet\nwith destruction. Many foes of mine, having risen up and combined with a\nlarge number of robbers, desire to put our kingdom into difficulties, for\nmeeting with destruction themselves. In view of this great calamity\nfraught with dreadful danger, I solicit your wealth for devising the\nmeans of your protection. When the danger passes away, I will give you\nwhat I now take. Our foes, however, will not give back what they (if\nunopposed) will take from you by force. On the other hand (if unopposed),\nthey will even slay all your relatives beginning with your very spouses.\nYou certainly desire wealth for the sake of your children and wives. I am\nglad at your prosperity, and I beseech you as I would my own children. I\nshall take from you what it may be within your power to give me. I do not\nwish to give pain to any one. In seasons of calamity, you should, like\nstrong bulls, bear such burthens. In seasons of distress, wealth should\nnot be so dear to you.' A king conversant with the considerations relating\nto Time should, with such agreeable, sweet, and complimentary words, send\nhis agents and collect imposts from his people. Pointing out to them the\nnecessity of repairing his fortifications and of defraying the expenses\nof his establishment and other heads, inspiring them with the fear of\nforeign invasion, and impressing them with the necessity that exists for\nprotecting them and enabling them to ensure the means of living in peace,\nthe king should levy imposts upon the Vaisyas of his realm. If the king\ndisregards the Vaisyas, they become lost to him, and abandoning his\ndominions remove themselves to the woods. The king should, therefore,\nbehave with leniency towards them. The king, O son of Pritha, should\nalways conciliate and protect the Vaisyas, adopt measures for inspiring\nthem with a sense of security and for ensuring them in the enjoyment of\nwhat they possess, and always do what is agreeable to them. The king, O\nBharata, should always act in such a way towards the Vaisyas that their\nproductive powers may be enhanced. The Vaisyas increase the strength of a\nkingdom, improve its agriculture, and develop its trade. A wise king,\ntherefore, should always gratify them. Acting with heedfulness and\nleniency, he should levy mild imposts upon them. It is always easy to\nbehave with goodness towards the Vaisyas. There is nothing productive of\ngreater good to a kingdom, O Yudhishthira, then the adoption of such\nbehaviour towards the Vaisyas of the realm.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXVIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said: \"Tell me, O grandsire, how should the king\nbehave if, notwithstanding his great wealth, he desires for more.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"A king, desirous of earning religious merit, should\ndevote himself to the good of his subjects and protect them according to\nconsiderations of place and time and to the best of his intelligence and\npower. He should, in his dominions, adopt all such measures as would in\nhis estimation secure their good as also his own. A king should milk his\nkingdom like a bee gathering honey from plants.[253] He should act like\nthe keeper of a cow who draws milk from her without boring her udders and\nwithout starving the calf. The king should (in the matter of taxes) act\nlike the leech drawing blood mildly. He should conduct himself towards\nhis subjects like a tigress in the matter of carrying her cubs, touching\nthem with her teeth but never piercing them therewith. He should behave\nlike a mouse which though possessed of sharp and pointed teeth still cuts\nthe feet of sleeping animals in such a manner that they do not at all\nbecome conscious of it. A little by little should be taken from a growing\nsubject and by this means should he be shorn. The demand should then be\nincreased gradually till what is taken assumes a fair proportion. The\nking should enhance the burthens of his subjects gradually like a person\ngradually increasing the burthens of a young bullock. Acting with care\nand mildness, he should at last put the reins on them. If the reins are\nthus put, they would not become intractable. Indeed, adequate measures\nshould be employed for making them obedient. Mere entreaties to reduce\nthem to subjection would not do. It is impossible to behave equally\ntowards all men. Conciliating those that are foremost, the common people\nshould be reduced to obedience. Producing disunion (through the agency of\ntheir leaders) among the common people who are to bear the burthens, the\nking should himself come forward to conciliate them and then enjoy in\nhappiness what he will succeed in drawing from them. The king should\nnever impose taxes unseasonably and on persons unable to bear them. He\nshould impose them gradually and with conciliation, in proper season and\naccording to due forms. These contrivances that I declare unto thee are\nlegitimate means of king-craft. They are not reckoned as methods fraught\nwith deceit. One who seeks to govern steeds by improper methods only\nmakes them furious. Drinking-shops, public women, pimps, actors, gamblers\nand keepers of gaining houses, and other persons of this kind, who are\nsources of disorder to the state, should all be checked. Residing within\nthe realm, these afflict and injure the better classes of the subjects.\nNobody should ask anything of anyone when there is no distress. Manu\nhimself in days of old has laid down this injunction in respect of all\nmen.[254] If all men were to live by asking or begging and abstain from\nwork, the world would doubtless come to an end. The king alone is\ncompetent to restrain and check. That king who does not restrain his\nsubjects (from sin) earns a fourth part of the sins committed by his\npeople (in consequence of the absence of royal protection). This is the\ndeclaration of the Srutis. Since the king shares the sins of his subjects\nlike their merits, he should, therefore, O monarch, restrain those\nsubjects of his that are sinful. The king that neglects to restrain them\nbecomes himself sinful. He earns (as already said) a fourth part of their\nsins as he does a fourth part of their merits. The following faults of\nwhich I speak should be checked. They are such as impoverish everyone.\nWhat wicked act is there that a person governed by passion would not do?\nA person governed by passion indulges in stimulants and meat, and\nappropriates the wives and the wealth of other people, and sets a bad\nexample (for imitation by others). They that do not live upon alms may\nbeg in seasons of distress. The king should, observant of righteousness,\nmake gifts unto them from compassion but not from fear. Let there be no\nbeggars in thy kingdom, nor robbers. It is the robbers (and not virtuous\nmen) that give unto beggars. Such givers are not real benefactors of men.\nLet such men reside in thy dominions as advance the interests of others\nand do them good, but not such as exterminate others. Those officers, O\nking, that take from the subjects more than what is due should be\npunished. Thou shouldst then appoint others so that these will take only\nwhat is due. Agriculture, rearing of cattle, trade and other acts of a\nsimilar nature, should be caused to be carried on by many persons on the\nprinciple of division of labour.[255] If a person engaged in agriculture,\ncattle-rearing, or trade, becomes inspired with a sense of insecurity (in\nconsequence of thieves and tyrannical officers), the king, as a\nconsequence, incurs infamy. The king should always honour those subjects\nof his that are rich and should say unto them, 'Do ye, with me, advance\nthe interest of the people.' In every kingdom, they that are wealthy\nconstitute an estate in the realm. Without doubt, a wealthy person is the\nforemost of men.[256] He that is wise, or courageous, or wealthy or\ninfluential, or righteous, or engaged in penances, or truthful in speech,\nor gifted with intelligence, assists in protecting (his fellow subjects).\n\n\"'\"For these reasons, O monarch, do thou love all creatures, and display\nthe qualities of truth, sincerity, absence of wrath, and abstention from\ninjury! Thou shouldst thus wield the rod of chastisement, and enhance thy\ntreasury and support thy friends and consolidate thy kingdom thus,\npractising the qualities of truthfulness and sincerity and supported by\nthy friends, treasury and forces!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXIX\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Let not such trees as yield edible fruits be cut down in\nthy dominions. Fruits and roots constitute the property of the Brahmanas.\nThe sages have declared this to be an ordinance of religion. The surplus,\nafter supporting the Brahmanas, should go to the support of other people.\nNobody should take anything by doing an injury to the Brahmanas.[257] If\na Brahmana, afflicted for want of support, desires to abandon a kingdom\nfor obtaining livelihood (elsewhere), the king, O monarch, should, with\naffection and respect, assign unto him the means of sustenance. If he\ndoes not still abstain (from leaving the kingdom), the king should repair\nto an assembly of Brahmanas and say, 'Such a Brahmana is leaving the\nkingdom. In whom shall my people then find an authority for guiding\nthem?'[258] If after this, he does not give up his intention of leaving,\nand says anything, the king should say unto him, 'Forget the past.' This,\nO son of Kunti, is the eternal way of royal duty.[259] The king should\nfurther say unto him, 'Indeed, O Brahmana, people say that that only\nshould be assigned to a Brahmana which would be just sufficient for\nmaintaining him. I, however, do not accept that opinion. On the other\nhand, I think that if a Brahmana seeks to leave a kingdom for the king's\nneglect in providing him with means of support, such means should be\nassigned to him, and, further, if he intends to take that step for\nprocuring the means of luxury, he should still be requested to stay and\nsupplied with ever those means.'[260] Agriculture, cattle-rearing, and\ntrade, provide all men with the means of living. A knowledge of the\nVedas, however, provide them with the means of obtaining heaven. They,\ntherefore, that obstruct the study of the Vedas and the cause of Vedic\npractices, are to be regarded as enemies of society.[261] It is for the\nextermination of these that Brahman created Kshatriyas. Subdue thy foes,\nprotect thy subjects, worship the deities in sacrifices, and fight\nbattles with courage, O delighter of the Kurus! A king should protect\nthose that deserve protection. The king who does this is the best of\nrulers. Those kings that do not exercise the duty of protection live a\nvain life. For the benefit of all his subjects the king should always\nseek to ascertain the acts and thoughts of all, O Yudhishthira; and for\nthat reason he should set spies and secret agents.[262] Protecting\nothers from thy own, and thy own from others, as also others from others,\nand thy own from thy own, do thou always cherish thy people. Protecting\nhis own self first from every one, the king should protect the earth. Men\nof knowledge have said that everything has its root in self. The king\nshould always reflect upon these, viz., What are his laches, to what evil\nhabits he is addicted, what are the sources of his weakness, and what are\nthe sources of his faults. The king should cause secret and trusted\nagents to wander through the kingdom for ascertaining whether his conduct\nas displayed on the previous day has or has not met with the approbation\nof the people. Indeed, he should ascertain whether his conduct is or is\nnot generally praised, or, is or is not acceptable to the people of the\nprovinces, and whether he has or has not succeeded in earning a good name\nin his kingdom. Amongst those that are virtuous and possessed of wisdom,\nthose that never retreat from battle, and those that do not reside in thy\nkingdom, those that are dependent on thee, and those that are thy\nministers, as well as those that are independent of party, they that\npraise or blame thee should never be objects of disregard with thee, O\nYudhishthira![263] No man, O sire, can succeed in earning the good\nopinion of all persons in the world. All persons have friends, foes, and\nneutrals, O Bharata!\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Among persons all of whom are equal in might of arms\nand accomplishments, whence does one acquire superiority over all the\nrest, and whence does that one succeed in ruling over them?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Creatures that are mobile devour things that are\nimmobile; animals again that have teeth devour those that have no teeth;\nwrathful snakes of virulent poison devour smaller ones of their own\nspecies. (Upon this principle), among human beings also, the king, who is\nstrong, preys upon those that are weak. The king, O Yudhishthira, should\nalways be heedful of his subjects as also of his foes. If he becomes\nheedless, they fall upon him like vultures (on carrion). Take care, O\nking, that the traders in thy kingdom who purchase articles at prices\nhigh and low (for sale), and who in course of their journeys have to\nsleep or take rest in forest and inaccessible regions,[264] be not\nafflicted by the imposition of heavy taxes. Let not the agriculturists in\nthy kingdom leave it through oppression; they, who bear the burthens of\nthe king, support the other residents also of the kingdom.[265] The gifts\nmade by thee in this world support the gods, Pitris, men, Nagas,\nRakshasas, birds, and animals. These, O Bharata, are the means of\ngoverning a kingdom and protecting its rulers. I shall again discourse to\nthee on the subject, O son of Pandu!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XC\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"That foremost of all persons conversant with the Vedas,\nviz., Utathya of Angirasa's race, discoursed cheerfully (on former\noccasion) unto Yuvanaswa's son Mandhatri. I shall now, O Yudhishthira,\nrecite to thee everything that Utathya, that foremost of all persons\nconversant with the Vedas, had said unto that king.\"\n\n\"'\"Utathya said, 'One becomes a king for acting in the interests of\nrighteousness and not for conducting himself capriciously. Know this, O\nMandhatri; the king is, indeed, the protector of the world. If the king\nacts righteously, he attains to the position of a god.[266] On the other\nhand, if he acts unrighteously, he sinks into hell. All creatures rest\nupon righteousness. Righteousness, in its turn, rests upon the king. That\nking, therefore, who upholds righteousness, is truly a king. That king\nwho is endued with a righteous soul and with every kind of grace is said\nto be an embodiment of virtue. If a king fails to chastise\nunrighteousness, the gods desert his mansion and he incurs obloquy among\nmen. The efforts of men who are observant of their own duties are always\ncrowned with success. For this reason all men seek to obey the dictates\nof righteousness which are productive of prosperity. When sinfulness is\nnot restrained, righteous behaviour comes to an end and unrighteous\nbehaviour increases greatly. When sinfulness is not restrained, no one\ncan, according to the rights of property as laid down in the scriptures,\nsay, \"This thing is mine and this is not mine.\" When sinfulness prevails\nin the world, men cannot own and enjoy their own wives and animals and\nfields and houses. The deities receive no worship, the Pitris no\nofferings in Sraddhas, and guests no hospitality, when sinfulness is not\nrestrained. The regenerate classes do not study the Vedas, or observe\nhigh vows, or spread out sacrifices, when sinfulness is not restrained.\nThe minds of men, O king, become weak and confounded like those of\npersons wounded with weapons, when sinfulness is not restrained. Casting\ntheir eyes on both the worlds, the Rishis made the king, that superior\nbeing, intending that he should be the embodiment of righteousness on\nearth.[267] He is called Rajan in whom righteousness shines. That king,\nagain in whom there is no righteousness, is called a Vrishala.[268] The\ndivine Dharma (righteousness) has another name, viz., Vrisha. He who\nweakens Vrisha is called by the name of Vrishala. A king should,\ntherefore, advance the cause of righteousness. All creatures grow in the\ngrowth of righteousness, and decay with its decay. Righteousness,\ntherefore, should never be permitted to decay. Righteousness is called\nDharma because it aids the acquisition and preservation of wealth\n(Dhana). The sages, O king, have declared that Dharma restrains and sets\nbounds to all evil acts of men. The self-born (Brahman) created Dharma\nfor the advancement and growth of creatures. For this reason, a king\nshould act according to the dictates of Dharma for benefiting his\nsubjects. For this reason also, O tiger among kings, Dharma has been said\nto be the foremost of all things. That foremost of men who rules his\nsubjects righteously is called a king. Disregarding lust and wrath,\nobserve thou the dictates of righteousness. Among all things, O chief of\nBharata's race, that conduce to the prosperity of kings, righteousness is\nthe foremost. Dharma, again, has sprung from the Brahmana. For this\nreason, the Brahmana should always be worshipped. Thou shouldst, O\nMandhatri, gratify with humility the wishes of Brahmanas. By neglecting\nto gratify the wishes of Brahmanas, the king brings danger on himself. In\nconsequence of such neglect, he fails to obtain any accession of friends\nwhile his foes increase in number. In consequence of malice towards the\nBrahmanas springing from his folly, the goddess of prosperity who had\nformerly dwelt with him became enraged and deserted the Asura Vali, the\nson of Virochana. Deserting the Asura she repaired to Indra, the chief of\nthe deities. Beholding the goddess living with Purandara, Vali indulged\nin many vain regrets. This, O puissant one, is the result of malice and\npride. Be thou awakened, O Mandhatri, so that the goddess of prosperity\nmay not in wrath desert thee. The Srutis declare that Unrighteousness\nbegat a son named Pride upon the goddess of prosperity. This Pride, O\nking, led many among the gods and the Asuras to ruin. Many royal sages\nalso have suffered destruction on his account. Do thou, therefore,\nawaken, O king! He who succeeds in conquering him becomes a king. He, on\nthe other hand, who suffers himself to be conquered by him, becomes a\nslave. If, O Mandhatri, thou wishest for an eternal life (of felicity),\nlive as a king should that does not indulge in these two, viz., Pride and\nUnrighteousness! Abstain from companionship with him that is intoxicated\n(with pride), him that is heedless (of the dictates of honesty), him that\nis a scoffer of religion, him that is insensate, and forbear to pay court\nto all of them when united. Keep thyself aloof from the company of\nministers whom thou hast once punished and especially of women, as also\nfrom mountains and uneven lands and inaccessible fastnesses and elephants\nand horses and (noxious) reptiles. Thou shouldst also give up wandering\nin the night, and avoid the faults of stinginess and vanity and\nboastfulness and wrath. Thou shouldst never have intercourse with unknown\nwomen, or those of equivocal sex, or those that are lewd, or those that\nare the wives of other men, or those that are virgins. When the king does\nnot restrain vice, a confusion of castes follows, and sinful Rakshasas,\nand persons of neutral sex, and children destitute of limbs or possessed\nof thick tongues, and idiots, begin to take birth in even respectable\nfamilies. Therefore, the king should take particular care to act\nrighteously, for the benefit of his subjects. If a king acts heedlessly,\na great evil becomes the consequence. Unrighteousness increases causing a\nconfusion of castes. Cold sets in during the summer months, and\ndisappears when its proper season comes. Drought and flood and pestilence\nafflict the people. Ominous stars arise and awful comets appear on such\noccasions. Diverse other portents, indicating destruction of the kingdom,\nmake their appearance. If the king does not take measures for his own\nsafety and does not protect his subjects, the latter first meet with\ndestruction and then destruction seizes the king himself. Two persons\ncombining together snatch the wealth of one, and many acting in concert\nrob the two. Maidens are deflowered. Such a state of things is said to\narise from the king's faults. All rights of property come to an end among\nmen, when the king, abandoning righteousness, acts heedlessly.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCI\n\n\"'\"Utathya said, 'If the deity of the clouds pours rain seasonably and the\nking acts virtuously, the prosperity that ensues maintain the subjects in\nfelicity. That washerman who does not know how to wash away the filth of\ncloth without taking away its dye, is very unskilful in his profession.\nThat person among Brahmanas or Kshatriyas or Vaisyas who, having fallen\naway from the proper duties of his order, has become a Sudra, is truly to\nbe compared to such a washerman. Menial service attaches to the Sudra;\nagriculture to the Vaisya; the science of chastisement to the Kshatriya,\nand Brahmacharya, penances, mantras, and truth, attach to the Brahmana.\nThat Kshatriya who knows how to correct the faults of behaviour of the\nother orders and to wash them clean like a washerman is really their\nfather and deserves to be their king. The respective ages called Krita,\nTreta, Dwapara and Kali, O bull of Bharata's race, are all dependent on\nthe conduct of the king. It is the king who constitutes  the age.[269]\nThe four orders, the Vedas and the duties in respect of the four modes of\nlife, all become confused and weakened when the king becomes heedless.\nThe three kinds of Fire, the three Vedas, and sacrifices with Dakshina,\nall become lost when the king becomes heedless. The king is the creator\nof all creatures, and the king is their destroyer. That king who is of\nrighteous soul is regarded as the creator, while he that is sinful is\nregarded as the destroyer. The king's wives, sons, kinsmen, and friends,\nall become unhappy and grieve when the king becomes heedless. Elephants\nand steeds and kine and camels and mules and asses and other animals all\nlose their vigour when the king becomes unrighteous. It is said, O\nMandhatri, that the Creator created Power (represented by the king) for\nthe object of protecting Weakness. Weakness is, indeed, a great being,\nfor everything depends upon it.[270] All creatures worship the king. All\ncreatures are the children of the king. If, therefore, O monarch, the\nking becomes unrighteous, all creatures come to grief. The eyes of the\nweak, of the Muni, and of the snake of virulent poison, should be\nregarded as unbearable. Do not, therefore, come into (hostile) contact\nwith the weak. Thou shouldst regard the weak as always subject to\nhumiliation. Take care that the eyes of the weak do not burn thee with\nthy kinsmen. In a race scorched by the eyes of the weak, no children take\nbirth. Such eyes burn the race to its very roots. Do not, therefore, come\ninto (hostile) contact with the weak. Weakness is more powerful than even\nthe greatest Power, for that Power which is scorched by Weakness becomes\ntotally exterminated. If a person, who has been humiliated or struck,\nfails, while shrieking for assistance, to obtain a protector, divine\nchastisement overtakes the king and brings about his destruction. Do not,\nO sire, while in enjoyment of Power, take wealth from those that are\nWeak. Take care that that the eyes of the Weak do not burn thee like a\nblazing fire. The tears shed by weeping men afflicted with falsehood slay\nthe children and animals of those that have uttered those falsehoods.\nLike a cow a sinful act perpetrated does not produce immediate\nfruits.[271] If the fruit is not seen in the perpetrator himself, it is\nseen in his son or in his son's son, or daughter's son. When a weak\nperson fails to find a rescuer, the great rod of divine chastisement\nfalls (upon the king). When all subjects of a king (are obliged by\ndistress to) live like Brahmanas, by mendicancy, such mendicancy brings\ndestruction upon the king. When all the officers of the king posted in\nthe provinces unite together and act with injustice, the king is then\nsaid to bring about a state of unmixed evil upon his kingdom. When the\nofficers of the king extort wealth, by unjust means or acting from lust\nor avarice, from persons piteously soliciting mercy, a great destruction\nthen is sure to overtake the king. A mighty tree, first starting into\nlife, grows into large proportions. Numerous creatures then come and seek\nits shelter. When, however, it is cut down or consumed in a\nconflagration, those that had recourse to it for shelter all become\nhomeless.[272] When the residents of a kingdom perform acts of\nrighteousness and all religious rites, and applaud the good qualities of\nthe king, the latter reaps an accession of affluence. When, on the other\nhand, the residents, moved by ignorance, abandon righteousness and act\nunrighteously, the king becomes overtaken by misery. When sinful men\nwhose acts are known are allowed to move among the righteous (without\nbeing punished for their misdeeds), Kali then overtakes the rulers of\nthose realms.[273] When the king causes chastisement to overtake all\nwicked people, his kingdom thrives in prosperity. The kingdom of that\nking certainly thrives who pays proper honours to his ministers and\nemploys them in measures of policy and in battles. Such a ruler enjoys\nthe wide earth for ever. That king who duly honours all good acts and\ngood speeches succeeds in earning great merit. The enjoyment of good\nthings after sharing them with others, paying proper honours to the\nministers, and subjugation or persons intoxicated with strength, are said\nto constitute the great duty of a king. Protecting all men by words,\nbody, and deeds, and never forgiving his son himself (if he has\noffended), constitute the great duty of the king. The maintenance of\nthose that are weak by sharing with them the things he has, and thereby\nincreasing their strength constitute the duty of the king. Protection of\nthe kingdom, extermination of robbers, and conquering in battle,\nconstitute the duty of the king. Never to forgive a person however dear,\nif he has committed an offence by act or word, constitutes the duty of\nthe king. Protecting those that solicit shelter, as he would protect his\nown children, and never depriving one of the honours to which he is\nentitled constitute the duty of the king.[274] Adoring the deities, with\na devoted heart, in sacrifices completed by presents, and subduing lust\nand envy, constitute the duty of the king. Wiping the tears of the\ndistressed, the helpless, and the old, and inspiring them with joy,\nconstitute the duty of the king. Aggrandising friends, weakening foes,\nand honouring the good, constitute the duty of the king. Cheerfully\nobserving the obligations of truth, always making gifts of land,\nentertaining guests, and supporting dependents, constitute the duty of\nthe king. That king who favours those that deserve favours and chastises\nthose that deserve chastisement earns great merit both here and\nhereafter. The king is Yama himself. He is, O Mandhatri, the god\n(incarnate) unto all that are righteous. By subduing his senses he\nsucceeds in acquiring great affluence. By not subduing them he incurs\nsin.[275] Paying proper honours unto Ritwijas and priests and preceptors,\nand doing good offices unto them constitute the duty of the king. Yama\ngoverns all creatures without observing distinctions. The king should\nimitate him in his behaviour by restraining all his subjects duly. The\nking is said to resemble the Thousand-eyed (Indra) in every respect.\nThat, O bull among men, should be regarded as righteousness which is\nregarded as such by him. Thou shouldst, without being heedless, cultivate\nforgiveness, intelligence, patience, and the love of all creatures. Thou\nshouldst also ascertain the strength and weakness of all men and learn to\ndistinguish between right and wrong. Thou shouldst conduct thyself with\npropriety towards all creatures, make gifts, and utter agreeable and\nsweet words. Thou shouldst maintain the residents of thy city and the\nprovinces in happiness. A king who is not clever, never succeeds in\nprotecting his subjects. Sovereignty, O sire, is a very happy burthen to\nbear. Only that king who is possessed of wisdom and courage, and who is\nconversant with the science of chastisement, can protect a kingdom. He,\non the other hand, who is without energy and intelligence, and who is not\nversed in the great science, is incompetent to bear the burthen of\nsovereignty. Aided by ministers of handsome features and good birth,\nclever in business, devoted to their master, and possessed of great\nlearning, thou shouldst examine the hearts and acts of all men including\nthe very ascetics in the forests. Conducting thyself thus, thou wilt be\nable to learn the duties of all orders of men. That will aid thee in\nobserving thy own duties, whether when thou art in thy country or when\nthou repairest to other realms. Amongst these three objects, viz.,\nVirtue, Profit, and Pleasure, Virtue is the foremost. He that is of\nvirtuous soul obtains great happiness both here and hereafter. If men be\ntreated with honour, they can abandon (for the sake of the honour thou\nmayst give them) their very wives and sons. By attaching good men to\nhimself (by doing good offices unto them), by gifts, sweet words,\nheedfulness and purity of behaviour, a king may win great prosperity. Do\nnot, therefore, O Mandhatri, be heedless to these qualities and acts. The\nking should never be heedless in looking after his own laches, as also\nafter those of his foes. He should act in such a way that his foes may\nnot be able to detect his laches, and he should himself assail them when\ntheirs are visible. This is the way in which Vasava, and Yama, and\nVaruna, and all the great royal sages have acted. Do thou observe the\nsame conduct. Do thou, O great king, adopt this behaviour which was\nfollowed by those royal sages. Do thou soon, O bull of Bharata's race,\nadept this heavenly road. The gods, the Rishis, the Pitris, and the\nGandharvas, possessed of great energy, sing the praises, both here and\nhereafter, of that king whose conduct is righteous.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed by Utathya, O Bharata, Mandhatri\nunhesitatingly did as he was directed, and became the sole lord of the\nwide earth. Do thou also, O king, act righteously like Mandhatri. Thou\nwilt then, after ruling the earth, obtain an abode in heaven.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"How should a righteous king, who is desirous of\nadhering to a course of righteousness, behave? I ask thee this, O\nforemost of men! Answer me, O Grandsire!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the old story of what\nVamadeva gifted with great intelligence and acquainted with the true\nimport of everything sang in ancient time. Once upon a time, king\nVasumanas, possessed of knowledge and fortitude and purity of behaviour,\nasked the great Rishi Vamadeva of high ascetic merit, saying, 'Instruct\nme, O holy one, in words fraught with righteousness and of grave import,\nas to the conduct to be observed by me so that I may not fall away from\nthe duties prescribed for me.' Unto him of a golden complexion and seated\nat his ease like Yayati, son of Nahusha, that foremost of ascetics, viz.,\nVamadeva, of great energy, said as follows:\n\n\"'\"Vamadeva said, 'Do thou act righteously. There is nothing superior to\nrighteousness. Those kings that are observant of righteousness, succeed\nin conquering the whole earth. That king who regards righteousness to be\nthe most efficacious means for accomplishing his objects, and who acts\naccording to the counsels of those that are righteous, blazes forth with\nrighteousness. That king who disregards righteousness and desires to act\nwith brute force, soon falls away from righteousness and loses both\nRighteousness and Profit. That king who acts according to the counsels of\na vicious and sinful minister becomes a destroyer of righteousness and\ndeserves to be slain by his subjects with all his family. Indeed, he very\nsoon meets with destruction. That king who is incompetent to discharge\nthe duties of state-craft, who is governed by caprice in all his acts,\nand who indulges in brag, soon meets with destruction even if he happens\nto be ruler of the whole earth. That king, on the other hand, who is\ndesirous of prosperity, who is free from malice, who has his senses under\ncontrol, and who is gifted with intelligence, thrives in affluence like\nthe ocean swelling with the waters discharged into it by a hundred\nstreams. He should never consider himself to have a sufficiency of\nvirtue, enjoyments, wealth, intelligence, and friends. Upon these depends\nthe conduct of the world. By listening to these counsels, a king obtains\nfame, achievements, prosperity, and subjects. Devoted to virtue, that\nking who seeks the acquisition of virtue and wealth by such means, and\nwho begins all his measures after reflecting upon their objects, succeeds\nin obtaining great prosperity. That king who is illiberal, and without\naffection, who afflicts his subjects by undue chastisements, and who is\nrash in his acts, soon meets with destruction. That king who is not\ngifted with intelligence fails to see his own faults. Covered with infamy\nhere, he sinks into hell hereafter. If the king gives proper honour to\nthem that deserve it, makes gifts, and recognises the value of sweet\nspeeches by himself uttering them on all occasions, his subjects then\ndispel the calamities that overtake him, as if these had fallen upon\nthemselves. That king who has no instructor in the ways of righteousness\nand who never asks others for counsels, and who seeks to acquire wealth\nby means that caprice suggests, never succeeds in enjoying happiness\nlong. That king, on the other hand, who listens to the instructions of\nhis preceptors in matters connected with virtue, who supervises the\naffairs of his kingdom himself, and who in all his acquisitions is guided\nby considerations of virtue, succeeds in enjoying happiness for a long\ntime.'\"'\"[276]\n\n\n\nSECTION XCIII\n\n\"'\"Vamadeva continued, 'When the king, who is powerful, acts unrighteously\ntowards the weak, they who take their birth in his race imitate the same\nconduct. Others, again, imitate that wretch who sets sin agoing. Such\nimitation of the man ungoverned by restraints soon brings destruction\nupon the kingdom. The conduct of a king who is observant of his proper\nduties, is accepted by men in general as a model for imitation. The\nconduct, however, of a king who falls away from his duties, is not\ntolerated by his very kinsfolk. That rash king who, disregarding the\ninjunctions laid down in the scriptures, acts with highhandedness in his\nkingdom, very soon meets with destruction. That Kshatriya who does not\nfollow the conduct observed from days of old by other Kshatriyas,\nconquered or unconquered, is said to fall away from Kshatriya duties.\nHaving seized in battle a royal foe that did some good to the conqueror\non a former occasion, that king who does not, actuated by malice, pay him\nhonours, is said to fall away from Kshatriya duties. The king should\ndisplay his power, live cheerfully, and do what is necessary in seasons\nof danger. Such a ruler becomes the beloved of all creatures and never\nfalls away from prosperity. If thou doest disservice to any person, thou\nshouldst, when the turn comes, do him service. One who is not loved\nbecomes an object of love, if he does what is agreeable. Untruthful\nspeeches should be avoided. Thou shouldst do good to others without being\nsolicited. Thou shouldst never abandon righteousness from lust or wrath\nor malice. Do not give harsh answers when questioned by anybody. Do not\nutter undignified speeches. Never be in a hurry to do anything. Never\nindulge in malice. By such means is a foe won over. Do not give way to\nexclusive joy when anything agreeable occurs, nor suffer thyself to be\noverwhelmed with sorrow when anything disagreeable occurs. Never indulge\nin grief when thy pecuniary resources are exhausted, and always remember\nthe duty of doing good to thy subjects. That king who always does what is\nagreeable by virtue of his disposition achieves success in all his\nmeasures and is never shorn of prosperity. The king should always, with\nheedfulness, cherish that devoted servant who abstains from doing what is\ninjurious to his master and who always does what is for his good. He\nshould appoint in all great affairs persons that have subjugated their\nsenses, that are devotedly loyal and of pure behaviour, and that are\npossessed of ability. That person, who by the possession of such\nqualifications pleases the king and who is never heedless in taking care\nof the interests of his master should be appointed by the king in the\naffairs of his kingdom. On the other hand, the king becomes divested of\nprosperity by appointing to important offices men that are fools and\nslaves of their senses, that are covetous and of disrespectable conduct,\nthat are deceitful and hypocritical, that are malicious, wicked-souled,\nand ignorant, that are low-minded, and addicted to drink, gambling,\nwomen, and hunting. That king, who, first protecting his own self,\nprotects others that deserve protection, feels the satisfaction of\nfinding his subjects growing in prosperity. Such a king succeeds also in\nobtaining greatness. A king should, by secret agents that are devoted to\nhim, watch the conduct and acts of other kings. By such means can he\nobtain superiority. Having injured a powerful king, one should not\ncomfort himself with the thought that he (the injurer) lives at a great\ndistance from the injured. Such a king when injured falls upon the\ninjurer like the hawk swooping down upon its prey, in moments of\nheedlessness. A king whose power has been consolidated and who is\nconfident of his own strength, should assail a neighbour who is weaker\nthan himself but never one that is stronger. A king who is devoted to\nvirtue, having acquired the sovereignty of the earth by prowess, should\nprotect his subjects righteously and slaughter foes in battle. Everything\nbelonging to this world is destined to destruction. Nothing here is\ndurable. For this reason, the king, adhering to righteousness, should\nprotect his subjects righteously. The defence of forts, battle,\nadministration of justice, consultations on questions of policy, and\nkeeping the subjects in happiness, these five acts contribute to enlarge\nthe dominions of a king. That king who takes proper care of these is\nregarded to be the best of kings. By always attending to these, a king\nsucceeds in protecting his kingdom. It is impossible, however, for one\nman to supervise all these matters at all times. Making over such\nsupervision to his ministers, a king may govern the earth for ever.[277]\nThe people make such a person their king who is liberal, who shares all\nobjects of enjoyment with others, who is possessed of a mild disposition,\nwho is of pure behaviour, and who will never abandon his subjects. He is\nobeyed in the world who, having listened to counsels of wisdom, accepts\nthem, abandoning his own opinions. That king who does not tolerate the\ncounsels of a well-wisher in consequence of their opposition to his own\nviews, who listens with inattention to what is said unto him in\nopposition to his views, and who does not always follow the conduct of\nhigh and noble persons conquered or unconquered, is said to fall away\nfrom the duties of Kshatriyas. From ministers that have once been\nchastised, from women in especial, from mountains and inaccessible\nregions, from elephants and horses and reptiles, the king should always,\nwith heedfulness, protect his own self.[278] That king who, abandoning\nhis chief ministers, makes favourites of low persons, soon falls into\ndistress, and never succeeds in compassing the (intended) ends of his\nmeasures. That king of infirm soul, who, yielding to the influence of\nwrath and malice, does not love and honour those amongst his kinsmen that\nare possessed of good qualities, is said to live on the very verge of\ndestruction. That king, who attaches to himself accomplished persons by\ndoing good to them even though he may not like them at heart, succeeds in\nenjoying fame for ever. Thou shouldst never impose taxes unseasonably.\nThou shouldst not be grieved at the occurrence of anything disagreeable,\nnor rejoice exceedingly at anything agreeable. Thou shouldst always set\nthyself to the accomplishment of good acts. Who amongst the dependent\nkings is truly devoted to thee, and who is loyal to thee from fear, and\nwho amongst them has faults, should always be ascertained by thee. The\nking, even if he be powerful, should trust them that are weak, for in\nmoments of heedlessness the weak may assail the powerful like a flock of\nvultures seizing their prey. A man of sinful soul seeks to injure his\nmaster even if the latter be sweet-speeched and possessed of every\naccomplishment. Do not, therefore, place thy confidence upon such men.\nNahusha's son Yayati, in declaring the mysteries of king-craft, said that\na person engaged in ruling men should slay even foes that are\ncontemptible.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCIV\n\n\"'\"Vamadeva said, 'The king should win victories without battles. Victories\nachieved by battles are not spoken of highly, O monarch, by the wise.\nWhen the sovereign's own power has not been confirmed, he should not seek\nto make new acquisitions. It is not proper that a king whose power has\nnot been consolidated should seek to make such acquisitions. The power of\nthat king whose dominions are wide and abound with wealth, whose subjects\nare loyal and contented, and who has a large number of officers, is said\nto be confirmed. That king whose soldiery are contented, gratified (with\npay and prize), and competent to deceive foes can with even a small force\nsubjugate the whole earth. The power of that king whose subjects, whether\nbelonging to the cities or the provinces, have compassion for all\ncreatures, and possessed of wealth and grain, is said to be confirmed.\nWhen the king thinks that his power is greater than that of a foe, he\nshould then, aided by his intelligence, seek to acquire the latter's\nterritories and wealth. A king whose resources are increasing, who is\ncompassionate unto all creatures, who never loses any time by\nprocrastination, and who is careful in protecting his own self, succeeds\nin earning advancement. That king who behaves deceitfully towards his own\npeople that have not been guilty of any fault, shears his own self like a\nperson cutting down a forest with an axe. If the king does not always\nattend to the task of slaying his foes, the latter do not diminish. That\nking, again, who knows how to kill his own temper finds no enemies. If\nthe king be possessed of wisdom, he would never do any act that is\ndisapproved by good men. He would, on the other hand, always engage\nhimself in such acts as would lead to his own benefit and that of others.\nThat king who, having accomplished all his duties, becomes happy in the\napprobation of his own conscience, has never to incur the reproach of\nothers and indulge in regrets. That king who observes such conduct\ntowards men succeeds in subjugating both the worlds and enjoy the fruits\nof victory.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed by Vamadeva, king Vasumana did as he\nwas directed. Without doubt, thyself also, following these counsels,\nshalt succeed in conquering both the worlds.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"If a Kshatriya desires to subjugate another\nKshatriya in battle, how should the former act in the matter of that\nvictory? Questioned by me, do thou answer it.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The king, with or without an army at his back, entering\nthe dominions of the king he would subjugate, should say unto all the\npeople, 'I am your king. I shall always protect you. Give me the just\ntribute or encounter me in battle.' If the people accept him for their\nking, there need not be any fighting. If, without being Kshatriyas by\nbirth, they show signs of hostility, they should then, observant as they\nare of practices not laid down for them, be sought to be restrained by\nevery means. People of the other orders do take up arms (for resisting\nthe invader) if they behold the Kshatriya unarmed for fight, incapable of\nprotecting himself, and making too much of the enemy.\"[279]\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me, O grandsire, how that Kshatriya king should\nconduct himself in fight who advances against another Kshatriya king.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"A Kshatriya must not put on armour for fighting a\nKshatriya unclad in mail. One should fight one, and abandon the opponent\nwhen the latter becomes disabled.[280] If the enemy comes clad in mail,\nhis opponent also should put on mail. If the enemy advances backed by an\narmy, one should, backed by an army, challenge him to battle. If the\nenemy fights aided by deceit, he should be met with the aid of deceit.\nIf, on the other hand, he fights fairly, he should be resisted with fair\nmeans. One should not on horseback proceed against a car-warrior. A\ncar-warrior should proceed against a car-warrior. When an antagonist has\nfallen into distress, he should not be struck; nor should one that has\nbeen frightened, nor one that has been vanquished.[281] Neither poisoned\nnor barbed arrows should be used. These are the weapons of the wicked.\nOne should fight righteously, without yielding to wrath or desiring to\nslay. A weak or wounded man should not be slain, or one that is sonless;\nor one whose weapon has been broken; or one that has fallen into\ndistress; or one whose bow-string has been cut; or one that has lost his\nvehicle. A wounded opponent should either be sent to his own home, or, if\nbrought to the victor's quarters, should have his wounds attended to by\nskilful surgeons. When in consequence of a quarrel between righteous\nkings, a righteous warrior falls into distress, (his wounds should be\nattended to and) when cured he should be set at liberty. This is the\neternal duty. Manu himself, the son of the Self-born (Brahman), has said\nthat battles should be fought fairly. The righteous should always act\nrighteously towards those that are righteous. They should adhere to\nrighteousness without destroying it. If a Kshatriya, whose duty it is to\nfight righteously, wins a victory by unrighteous means, he becomes\nsinful. Of deceitful conduct, such a person is said to slay his own self.\nSuch is the practice of those that are wicked. Even he that is wicked\nshould be subdued by fair means. It is better to lay down life itself in\nthe observance of righteousness than to win victory by sinful means. Like\na cow, O king, perpetrated sin does not immediately produce its fruits.\nThat sin overwhelms the perpetrator after consuming his roots and\nbranches. A sinful person, acquiring wealth by sinful means, rejoices\ngreatly. But the sinner, gaining advancement by sinful ways, becomes\nwedded to sin. Thinking that virtue has no efficacy, he jeers at men of\nrighteous behaviour. Disbelieving in virtue, he at last meets with\ndestruction. Though enmeshed in the noose of Varuna, he still regards\nhimself immortal. Like unto a large leathern bag puffed up with wind, the\nsinner dissociates himself entirely from virtue. Soon, however, he\ndisappears like a tree on the riverside washed away with its very roots.\nThen people, beholding him resemble an earthen pot broken on a stony\nsurface, speak of him as he deserves. The king should, therefore, seek\nboth victory and the enhancement of his resources, by righteous means.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCVI\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"A king should never desire to subjugate the earth by\nunrighteous means, even if such subjugation would make him the sovereign\nof the whole earth. What king is there that would rejoice after obtaining\nvictory by unfair means? A victory stained by unrighteousness is\nuncertain and never leads to heaven. Such a victory, O bull of Bharata's\nrace, weakens both the king and the earth. A warrior whose armour has\nfallen off, or who begs for quarter, saying, 'I am thine' or joining his\nhands, or who has laid aside his weapon, may simply be seized but never\nslain. If a hostile king be vanquished by the troops of the invader, the\nlatter should not himself fight his vanquished foe. On the other hand, he\nshould bring him to his palace and persuade him for a whole year to say,\n'I am thy slave!' Whether he says or does not say this, the vanquished\nfoe, by living for a year in the house of his victor, gains a new lease\nof life.[282] If a king succeeds in bringing by force a maiden from the\nhouse of his vanquished foe, he should keep her for a year and ask her\nwhether she would wed him or any one else. If she does not agree, she\nshould then be sent back. He should behave similarly in respect of all\nother kinds of wealth (such as slaves) that are acquired by force. The\nking should never appropriate the wealth confiscated from thieves and\nothers awaiting execution. The kine taken from the enemy by force should\nbe given away to the Brahmanas so that they may drink the milk of those\nanimals. The bulls taken from the enemy should be set to agriculture work\nor returned to the enemy.[283] It is laid down that a king should fight\none that is a king. One that is not a king should never strike one that\nis a king. If a Brahmana, desirous of peace, fearlessly goes between two\ncontending armies, both should immediately abstain from fight. He would\nbreak an eternal rule that would slay or wound a Brahmana. If any\nKshatriya breaks that rule, he would become a wretch of his order. In\naddition to this, that Kshatriya who destroys righteousness and\ntransgresses all wholesome barriers does not deserve to be reckoned as a\nKshatriya and should be driven from society. A king desirous of obtaining\nvictory should never follow such conduct. What gain can be greater than\nvictory won righteously? The excitable classes (of a kingdom recently\nconquered) should, without delay, be conciliated with soothing speeches\nand gifts. This is a good policy for the king to adopt. If instead of\ndoing this, these men be sought to be governed with impolicy, they would\nthen leave the kingdom and side with (the victor's) foes and wait for the\naccession of calamities (in order that they may then make head against\nthe victor). Discontented men, watching for the calamities of the king,\npromptly side with the latter's foes, O monarch, in times of danger. An\nenemy should not be deceived by unfair means, nor should be wounded\nmortally. For, if struck mortally, his very life may pass away.[284] If a\nking possessed of little resources be gratified therewith, he would\nregard life alone to be much.[285] That king whose dominions are\nextensive and full of wealth, whose subjects are loyal, whose servants\nand officers are all contented, is said to have his roots firm. That king\nwhose Ritwijas and priests and preceptors and others about him that are\nwell-versed in all scriptures and deserving of honours are duly\nrespected, is said to be conversant with the ways of the world. It was by\nsuch behaviour that Indra got the sovereignty of the world. It is by this\nbehaviour that earthly kings succeed in obtaining the status of Indra.\nKing Pratardana, subjugating his foes in a great battle, took all their\nwealth, including their very grain and medicinal herbs, but left their\nland untouched. King Divodasa, after subjugating his foes, brought away\nthe very remnants of their sacrificial fires, their clarified butter\n(intended for libations), and their food. For this reason he was deprived\nof the merit of his conquests.[286] King Nabhaga (after his conquests)\ngave away whole kingdoms with their rulers as sacrificial presents unto\nthe Brahmanas, excepting the wealth of learned Brahmanas and ascetics.\nThe behaviour, O Yudhishthira, of all the righteous kings of old, was\nexcellent, and I approve of it wholly. That king who desires his own\nprosperity should seek for conquests by the aid of every kind of\nexcellence but never with that of deceit or with pride.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCVII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"There are no practices, O king, more sinful than\nthose of the Kshatriyas. In marching or in battle, the king slays large\nmultitudes.[287] By what acts then does the king win regions of felicity?\nO bull of Bharata's race, tell this, O learned one, unto me that desire\nto know.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"By chastising the wicked, by attaching and cherishing the\ngood, by sacrifices and gifts, kings become pure and cleansed. It is\ntrue, kings desirous of victory afflict many creatures, but after victory\nthey advance and aggrandise all. By the power of gifts, sacrifices, and\npenances, they destroy their sins, and their merit increases in order\nthat they may be able to do good to all creatures. The reclaimer of a\nfield, for reclaiming it, takes up both paddy-blades and weeds. His\naction, however, instead of destroying the blades or paddy, makes them\ngrow more vigorously. They that wield weapons, destroy many that deserve\ndestruction. Such extensive destruction, however, causes the growth and\nadvancement of those that remain. He who protects people from plunder,\nslaughter, and affliction, in consequence of thus protecting their lives\nfrom robbers, comes to be regarded as the giver of wealth, of life, and\nof food. The king, therefore, by thus adoring the deities by means of a\nunion of all sacrifices whose Dakshina is the dispelling of everybody's\nfear, enjoys every kind of felicity here and attains to a residence in\nIndra's heaven hereafter.[288] That king who, going out, fights his foes\nin battles that have arisen for the sake of Brahmanas and lays down his\nlife, comes to be regarded as the embodiment of a sacrifice with\nillimitable presents. If a king, with his quivers full of shafts, shoots\nthem fearlessly at his foes, the very gods do not see anyone on earth\nthat is superior to him. In such a case, equal to the number of shafts\nwith which he pierces the bodies of his enemies, is the number of regions\nthat he enjoys, eternal and capable of granting every wish. The blood\nthat flows from his body cleanses him of all his sins along with the very\npain that he feels on the occasion. Persons conversant with the\nscriptures say that the pains a Kshatriya suffers in battle operate as\npenances for enhancing his merit. Righteous persons, inspired with fear,\nstay in the rear, soliciting life from heroes that have rushed to battle,\neven as men solicit rain from the clouds. If those heroes, without\npermitting the beseechers to incur the dangers of battle, keep them in\nthe rear by themselves facing those dangers and defend them at that time\nof fear, great becomes their merit. If, again, those timid persons,\nappreciating that deed of bravery, always respect those defenders, they\ndo what is proper and just. By acting otherwise they cannot free\nthemselves from fear. There is great difference between men apparently\nequal. Some rush to battle, amid its terrible din, against armed ranks of\nfoes. Indeed, the hero rushes against crowds of foes, adopting the road\nto heaven. He, however, who is inspired with dastardly fear, seeks safety\nin flight, deserting his comrades in danger. Let not such wretches among\nmen be born in thy race. The very gods with Indra at their head send\ncalamities unto them that desert their comrades in battle and come with\nunwounded limbs. He who desires to save his own life-breaths by deserting\nhis comrades, should be slain with sticks or stones or rolled in a mat of\ndry grass for being burnt to death. Those amongst the Kshatriyas that\nwould be guilty of such conduct should be killed after the manner of\nkilling animals.[289] Death on a bed of repose, after ejecting phlegm and\nurine and uttering piteous cries, is sinful for a Kshatriya. Persons\nacquainted with the scriptures do not applaud the death which a Kshatriya\nencounters with unwounded body. The death of a Kshatriya, O sire, at home\nis not praiseworthy. They are heroes. Any unheroic act of theirs is\nsinful and inglorious. In disease, one may be heard to cry, saying, 'What\nsorrow! How painful! I must be a great sinner.' With face emaciated and\nstench issuing from in his body and clothes, the sick man plunges his\nrelatives into grief. Coveting the condition of those that are hale, such\na man (amidst his tortures) repeatedly desires for death itself. One that\nis a hero, having dignity and pride, does not deserve such an inglorious\ndeath. Surrounded by kinsmen and slaughtering his foes in battle, a\nKshatriya should die at the edge of keen weapons. Moved by desire of\nenjoyment and filled with rage, a hero fights furiously and does not feel\nthe wounds inflicted on his limbs by foes. Encountering death in battle,\nhe earns that high merit fraught with fame and respect of the world which\nbelongs to his order and ultimately obtains a residence in Indra's\nheaven. The hero, by not showing his back in fight and contending by\nevery means in his power, in utter recklessness of life itself, at the\nvan of battle, obtains the companionship of Indra. Wherever the hero\nencountered death in the midst of foes without displaying ignoble fear\nor cheerlessness, he has succeeded in earning regions hereafter of\neternal bliss.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCVIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me, O grand-sire, what regions are earned by\nunreturning heroes by encountering death in battle.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection, O Yudhishthira, is cited the old\nstory of the discourse between Amvarisha and Indra. Amvarisha, the son of\nNabhaga, having repaired to heaven that is so difficult of acquisition,\nbeheld his own generalissimo in those celestial regions in the company of\nIndra. The king saw his puissant general blazing with every kind of\nenergy, endued with celestial form, seated on a very beautiful car, and\njourneying (in that vehicle) up and up towards still higher regions.\nBeholding the prosperity of his general Sudeva, and observing how he\ntraversed regions that were still higher, the high-souled Amvarisha,\nfilled with surprise, addressed Vasava, in the following words.\n\n\"'\"Amvarisha said, 'Having duly governed the whole earth bounded by the\nseas, having from desire of earning religious merit practised all those\nduties that are common to the four orders as declared by the scriptures,\nhaving practised with rigid austerity all the duties of the Brahmacharya\nmode, having waited with dutiful obedience upon my preceptors and other\nreverend seniors, having studied with due observances the Vedas and the\nscriptures on kingly duties, having gratified guests with food and drink,\nthe Pitris with offerings in Sraddhas, the Rishis with attentive study of\nthe scriptures and with initiation (under proper forms into the mysteries\nof religion), and the gods with many excellent and high sacrifices,\nhaving duly observed Kshatriya duties according to the injunctions of the\nscriptures, having cast my eyes fearlessly upon hostile troops, I won\nmany victories in battle, O Vasava! This Sudeva, O chief of the deities,\nwas formerly the generalissimo of my forces. It is true. He was a warrior\nof tranquil soul. For what reason, however, has he succeeded in\ntranscending me? He never worshipped the gods in high and great\nsacrifices. He never gratified the Brahmanas (by frequent and costly\npresents) according to the ordinance. For what reason, then, has he\nsucceeded in transcending me?'\n\n\"'\"Indra said, 'Regarding this Sudeva, O sire, the great sacrifice of\nbattle had often been spread out by him. The same becomes the case with\nevery other man that engages in fight. Every warrior accoutred in armour,\nby advancing against foes in battle array, becomes installed in that\nsacrifice. Indeed, it is a settled conclusion that such a person, by\nacting in this way, comes to be regarded as the performer of the\nsacrifice of battle.'\n\n\"'\"Amvarisha said, 'What constitutes the libations in that sacrifice? What\nconstitutes its liquid offerings? What is its Dakshina? Who, again, are\nregarded its Ritwijas? Tell me all this, O performer of a hundred\nsacrifices.'\n\n\"'\"Indra said, 'Elephants constitute the Ritwijas of that sacrifice, and\nsteeds are its Audharyus. The flesh of foes constitutes its libations,\nand blood is its liquid offering.[290] Jackals and vultures and ravens,\nas also winged shafts, constitute its Sadasyas. These drink the remnants\nleft of the liquid offering in this sacrifice and eat the remnants of its\nlibations. Heaps of lances and spears, of swords and darts and axes,\nblazing, sharp, and well-tempered, constitute the ladles of the\nsacrificer. Straight, sharp, and well-tempered arrows, with keen points\nand capable of piercing the bodies of foes, impelled from well-stretched\nbows, constitute its large double-mouthed ladles. Sheathed in scabbards\nmade of tiger-skin and equipped with handles made of ivory, and capable\nof cutting off the elephant's trunk, the swords form the Sphises of this\nsacrifice.[291] The strokes inflicted with blazing and keen lances and\ndarts and swords and axes, all made of hard iron, constitute its profuse\nwealth procured from the respectable people by agreement in respect of\nthe amount and period. The blood that runs over the field in consequence\nof the fury of the attack, constitutes the final libation, fraught with\ngreat merit and capable of granting every wish, in the Homa of this\nsacrifice. Cut, Pierce, and such other sounds, that are heard in the\nfront ranks of the array, constitute the Samans sung by its Vedic\nchanters in the abode of Yama. The front ranks of the enemy's array\nconstitute the vessel for the keep of its libations. The crowd of\nelephants and steeds and men equipped with shields are regarded to\nconstitute the Syenachit fire of that sacrifice. The headless trunks that\nrise up after thousands have been slaughtered constitute the octagonal\nstake, made of Khadira wood, for the hero who performs that sacrifice.\nThe shrieks that elephants utter when urged on with hooks, constitute its\nIda mantras. The kettle-drums, with the slaps of palms forming the\nVashats, O king, are its Trisaman Udgatri. When the property of a\nBrahmana is being taken away, he who casts off his body that is so dear\nfor protecting that property, does, by that act of self-devotion, acquire\nthe merit of a sacrifice with infinite presents. That hero who, for the\nsake of his master, displays prowess at the van of the array and shows\nnot his back through fear, earns those regions of felicity that are mine.\nHe who strews the altar of the sacrifice constituted by battle, with\nswords cased in blue scabbards and severed arms resembling heavy\nbludgeons, succeeds in winning regions of felicity like mine. That\nwarrior who, resolved upon obtaining victory, penetrates into the midst\nof the enemy's ranks without waiting for any assistance, succeeds in\nwinning regions of felicity like mine. That warrior who in battle, causes\na river of blood to flow, terrible and difficult to cross, having\nkettle-drums for its frogs and tortoises, the bones of heroes for its\nsands, blood and flesh for its mire, swords and shields for its rafts,\nthe hair of slain warriors for its floating weeds and moss, the crowds of\nsteeds and elephants and cars for its bridges, standards and banners for\nits bushes of cane, the bodies of slain elephants for its boats and huge\nalligators, swords and scimitars for its larger vessels, vultures and\nKankas and ravens for the rafts that float upon it, that warrior who\ncauses such a river, difficult of being crossed by even those that are\npossessed of courage and power and which inspires all timid men with\ndread, is said to complete the sacrifice by performing the final\nablutions. That hero whose altar (in such a sacrifice) is strewn over\nwith the (severed) heads of foes, of steeds, and of elephants, obtains\nregions of felicity like mine. The sages have said that that warrior who\nregards the van of the hostile army as the chambers of his wives, who\nlooks upon the van of his own army as the vessel for the keep of\nsacrificial offering, who takes the combatants standing to his south for\nhis Sadasyas and those to his north as his Agnidhras, and who looks upon\nthe hostile forces as his wedded wife, succeeds in winning all regions of\nfelicity.[292] The open space lying between two hosts drawn up for fight\nconstitutes the altar of such a sacrificer, and the three Vedas are his\nthree sacrificial fires. Upon that altar, aided by the recollection of\nthe Vedas, he performs his sacrifice. The inglorious warrior who, turning\naway from the fight in fear, is slain by foes, sinks into hell. There is\nno doubt in this. That warrior, on the other hand, whose blood drenches\nthe sacrificial altar already strewn with hair and flesh and bones,\ncertainly succeeds in attaining a high end. That powerful warrior who,\nhaving slain the commander of the hostile army, mounts the vehicle of his\nfallen antagonist, comes to be regarded as possessed of the prowess of\nVishnu himself and the intelligence of Vrihaspati, the preceptor of the\ncelestials. That warrior who can seize alive the commander of the\nhostile army or his son or some other respected leader, succeeds in\nwinning regions of felicity like mine. One should never grieve for a hero\nslain in battle. A slain hero, if nobody grieves for him, goes to heaven\nand earns the respect of its denizens. Men do not desire to dedicate (for\nhis salvation) food and drink. Nor do they bathe (after receiving the\nintelligence), nor go into mourning for him. Listen to me as I enumerate\nthe felicity that is in store for such a person. Foremost of Apsaras,\nnumbering by thousands, go out with great speed (for receiving the spirit\nof the slain hero) coveting him for their lord. That Kshatriya who duly\nobserves his duty in battle, acquires by that act the merit of penances\nand of righteousness. Indeed, such conduct on his part conforms with the\neternal path of duty. Such a man obtains the merits of all the four modes\nof life. The aged and the children should not be slain; nor one that is a\nwoman; not one that is flying away; nor one that holds a straw in his\nlips[293]; nor one that says, \"I am thine.\" Having slain in battle\nJambha, Vritra, Vala, Paka, Satamaya, Virochana, the irresistible\nNamuchi, Samvara of innumerable illusions, Viprachitti,--all these sons\nof Diti and Danu, as also Prahlada, I myself have become the chief of the\ncelestials.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Hearing these words of Sakra and approving of them,\nking Amvarisha comprehended how warriors succeed, (by battle as their\nmeans) in compassing success for themselves (in respect of winning\nregions of beatitude in heaven).\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCIX\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the old story of the battle\nbetween Pratardana and the ruler of Mithila. The ruler of Mithila, viz.,\nJanaka, after installation in the sacrifice of battle, gladdened all his\ntroops (on the eve of fight). Listen to me, as I recite the story.\nJanaka, the high souled king of Mithila, conversant with the truth of\neverything, showed both heaven and hell unto his own warriors. He\naddressed them, saying, 'Behold, these are the regions, endued with great\nsplendour, for those that fight fearlessly. Full of Gandharva girls,\nthose regions are eternal and capable of granting every wish. There, on\nthe other side, are the regions of hell, intended for those that fly away\nfrom battle. They would have to rot there for eternity in everlasting\ningloriousness. Resolved upon casting away your very lives, do ye conquer\nyour foes. Do not fall into inglorious hell. The laying down of life, (in\nbattle) constitutes, in respect of heroes, their happy door of heaven.'\nThus addressed by their king, O subjugator of hostile towns, the warriors\nof Mithila, gladdening their rulers, vanquished their foes in battle.\nThey that are of firm souls should take their stand in the van of battle.\nThe car-warriors should be placed in the midst of elephants. Behind the\ncar-warriors should stand the horsemen. Behind the last should be placed\nthe foot-soldiers all accoutred in mail. That king who forms his array in\nthis manner always succeeds in vanquishing his foes. Therefore, O\nYudhishthira, the array of battle should always be thus formed. Filled\nwith rage, heroes desire to win blessedness in heaven by fighting\nfairly. Like Makaras agitating the ocean, they agitate the ranks of the\nfoe. Assuring one another, they should gladden those (amongst them) that\nare cheerless. The victor should protect the land newly conquered (from\nacts of aggression). He should not cause his troops to pursue too much\nthe routed foe. The onset is irresistible of persons that rally after the\nrout and that, despairing of safety, assail their pursuers. For this\nreason, O king, thou shouldst not cause thy troops to pursue too much the\nrouted foe. Warriors of courage do not wish to strike them that run away\nwith speed. That is another reason why the routed foe should not be\npursued hotly. Things that are immobile are devoured by those that are\nmobile; creatures that are toothless are devoured by those that have\nteeth; water is drunk by the thirsty; cowards are devoured by heroes.\nCowards sustain defeat though they have, like the victors, similar backs\nand stomachs and arms and legs. They that are afflicted with fear bend\ntheir heads and joining their hands stay before those that are possessed\nof courage. This world rests on the arms of heroes like a son on those of\nhis sire. He, therefore, that is a hero deserves respect under every\ncircumstance. There is nothing higher in the three worlds than heroism.\nThe hero protects and cherishes all, and all things depend upon the\nhero.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION C\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me, O grandsire, how kings desirous of victory\nshould, O bull of Bharata's race, lead their troops to battle even by\noffending slightly against the rules of righteousness!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Some say that righteousness is made stable by truth;\nsome, by reasoning; some, by good behaviour; and some, by the\napplication of means and contrivances.[294] I shall presently tell thee\nwhat the means and contrivances, productive of immediate fruit, are.\nRobbers, transgressing all wholesome bounds, very often become destroyers\nof property and religious merit. For resisting and restraining them, I\nshall tell thee what the contrivances are, as indicated in the\nscriptures. Listen to me as I speak of those means for the success of all\nacts. Both kinds of wisdom, straight and crooked, should be within call\nof the king. Though acquainted with it, he should not, however, apply\nthat wisdom which is crooked (for injuring others). He may use it for\nresisting the dangers that may overtake him. Enemies frequently injure a\nking by producing disunion (among his ministers or troops or allies or\nsubjects). The king, conversant with deceit, may, by the aid of deceit,\ncounteract those enemies. Leathern armour for protecting the bodies of\nelephants, armour of the same material for bovine bulls, bones, thorns,\nand keen-pointed weapons made of iron, coats of mail, yak-tails, sharp\nand well-tempered weapons, all kinds of armour, yellow and red, banners\nand standards of diverse hues, swords, and lances and scimitars of great\nsharpness and battle-axes, and spears and shields, should be manufactured\nand stored in abundance. The weapons should all be properly whetted. The\nsoldiers should be inspired with courage and resolution. It is proper to\nset the troops in motion in the month of Chaitra or Agrahayana. The crops\nripen about that time and water also does not become scarce. That time of\nthe year, O Bharata, is neither very cold nor very hot. Troops should,\ntherefore, be moved at that time. If the enemy, however, be overtaken by\ndistress, troops should immediately be set in motion (without waiting for\nsuch a favourable time). These (two) are the best occasions for the\nmotion of troops with a view to subjugate foes. That road which has\nabundance of water and grass along it, which is level and easy of march,\nshould be adopted (in moving the troops). The regions lying near the road\n(on both its sides) should previously be well ascertained through spies\npossessed of skill and having an intimate knowledge of the woods. The\ntroops must not, like animals, be marched through woody regions. Kings\ndesirous of victory should, therefore, adopt good roads for marching\ntheir troops. In the van should be placed a division of brave men, endued\nwith strength and high birth. As regards forts, that which has walls and\na trench full of water on every side and only one entrance, is worthy of\npraise. In respect of invading foes, resistance may be offered from\nwithin it. In pitching the camp, a region lying near the woods is\nregarded as much better than one under the open sky by men conversant\nwith war and possessed of military accomplishments. The camp should be\npitched for the troops not far from such a wood. Pitching the camp at\nsuch a place, planting the foot-soldiers in a position of safety, and\ncollision with the foe as soon as he comes, are the means for warding off\ndanger and distress. Keeping the constellation called Ursa Major[295]\nbehind them, the troops should fight taking up their stand like hills. By\nthis means, one may vanquish even foes that are irresistible. The troops\nshould be placed in such a position that the wind, the sun, and the\nplanet Sukra[296] should blow and shine from behind them. As means for\nensuing victory the wind is superior to the Sun, and the Sun is superior\nto Sukra, O Yudhishthira. Men conversant with war approve of a region\nthat is not miry, not watery, not uneven, and not abounding with bricks\nand stone, as well-fitted for the operations of cavalry. A field that is\nfree from mire and holes is fitted for car-warriors. A region that is\novergrown with bushes and large trees and that is under water is fitted\nfor elephant-warriors. A region that has many inaccessible spots, that is\novergrown with large trees and topes of cane bushes, as also a\nmountainous or woody tract, is well-fitted for the operations of\ninfantry. An army, O Bharata, which has a large infantry force, is\nregarded very strong. An army in which cars and horsemen predominate is\nregarded to be very effective in a clear (unrainy) day. An army, again,\nin which foot-soldiers and elephants predominate becomes effective in the\nrainy season. Having attended to these points (about the characters of\nthe different kinds of forces and the manner of marching, quartering, and\nleading them), the king should turn his attention to the characteristics\nof place and time. That king, who having attended to all these\nconsiderations, sets out under a proper constellation and on an\nauspicious lunation, always succeeds in obtaining victory by properly\nleading his troops. No one should slay those that are asleep or thirsty\nor fatigued, or those whose accoutrements have fallen away, or one that\nhas set his heart on final emancipation,[297] or one that is flying away,\nor one that is walking (unprepared) along a road, or one engaged in\ndrinking or eating, or one that is mad, or one that is insane, or one\nthat has been wounded mortally, or one that has been exceedingly weakened\nby his wounds, or one that is staying trustfully, or one that has begun\nany task without having been able to complete it,[298] or one that is\nskilled in some especial art (as mining, etc.), or one that is in grief,\nor one that goes out of the camp for procuring forage or fodder, or men\nwho set up camps or are camp-followers, or those that wait at the gates\nof the king or of his ministers, or those that do menial services (unto\nthe chiefs of the army), or those that are chiefs of such servants. Those\namongst thy warriors that break the rank of foes, or rally thy retreating\ntroops, should have their pay doubled and should be honoured by thee with\nfood, drink, and seats equal to thy own. Those amongst such that are\nchiefs of ten soldiers should be made chiefs of a hundred. That heedful\nhero again (amongst them) who is the chief of a hundred soldiers should\nbe made the chief of a thousand. Collecting together the principal\nwarriors, they should be addressed, thus: 'Let us swear to conquer, and\nnever to desert one another. Let those that are inspired with fear stay\nhere. Let those also stay here that would cause their chiefs to be slain\nby themselves neglecting to act heroically in the press of battle. Let\nsuch men come as would never break away from battle or cause their own\ncomrades to be slain. Protecting their own selves as also their comrades,\nthey are certain to slay the enemy in fight. The consequence of flying\naway from battle are loss of wealth, death, infamy, and reproach.'\nDisagreeable and cutting speeches have to be heard by that man who flies\naway from battle, who loses his lips and teeth,[299] who throws away all\nhis weapons, or who suffers himself to be taken as a captive by the foe.\nLet such evil consequences always overtake the warriors of our foes.\nThose that fly away from battle are wretches among men. They simply swell\nthe tale of human beings on earth. For true manhood, however, they are\nneither here nor hereafter. Victorious foes, O sire, proceed cheerfully,\ntheir praises recited the while by bards, in pursuit of the flying\ncombatants. When enemies, coming to battle tarnish the fame of a person,\nthe misery the latter feels is more poignant, I think, than that of death\nitself. Know that victory is the root of religious merit and of every\nkind of happiness. That which is regarded as the highest misery by\ncowards is cheerfully borne by those that are heroes.[300] Resolved upon\nacquiring heaven, we should fight, regardless of life itself, and\ndetermined to conquer or die, attain a blessed end in heaven. Having\ntaken such an oath, and prepared to throw away life itself, heroes should\ncourageously rush against the enemy's ranks. In the van should be placed\na division of men armed with swords and shields. In the rear should be\nplaced the car-division. In the space intervening should be placed other\nclasses of combatants. This should be the arrangement made for assailing\nthe foe. Those combatants in the army that are veterans should fight in\nthe van. They would protect their comrades behind them. Those amongst the\narmy that would be regarded as foremost for strength and courage, should\nbe placed in the van. The others should stand behind them. They that are\ninspired with fear should, with care, be comforted and encouraged. These\nweaker combatants should be placed on the field (without being withdrawn)\nfor at least showing the number of the army (to the foe).[301] If the\ntroops are few, they should be drawn close together for the fight. At\ntimes, if their leader wishes, the close array may be extended wide. When\na small number of troops is to fight with a great army, the array called\nSuchimukha should be formed.[302] When a small force is engaged with a\nlarge one, the leader of the former may shake hands with his men and\nutter loud cries to effect, 'The enemy has broken! The enemy has broken!'\nThose among them that are endued with strength should resist the enemy,\nloudly unto their comrades, 'Fresh friends have arrived! Fearlessly\nstrike at your foes!' Those that are in advance of the rest should utter\nloud shouts and make diverse kinds of noises, and should blow and beat\nKrakachas, cow-horns, drums, cymbals, and kettle-drums.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Of what disposition, of what behaviour, of what\nform, how accoutred, and how armed should the combatants be in order that\nthey may be competent for battle?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"It is proper that those weapons and vehicles should be\nadopted (by particular bodies of combatants) with which they have become\nfamiliar by use. Brave soldiers, adopting those weapons and vehicles,\nengage in battle. The Gandharas, the Sindhus, and the Sauviras fight\nbest with their nails and lances. They are brave and endued with great\nstrength. Their armies are capable of vanquishing all forces. The\nUsinaras are possessed of great strength and skilled in all kinds of\nweapons. The Easterners are skilled in fighting from the backs of\nelephants and are conversant with all the ways of unfair fight. The\nYavanas, the Kamvojas, and those that dwell around Mathura are well\nskilled in fighting with bare arms. The Southerners are skilled in\nfighting sword in hand. It is well-known that persons possessed of great\nstrength and great courage are born in almost every country. Listen to me\nas I describe their indications. They that have voices and eyes like\nthose of the lion or the tiger, they that have a gait like that of the\nlion and the tiger, and they that have eyes like those of the pigeon or\nthe snake, are all heroes capable of grinding hostile ranks.[303] They\nthat have a voice like deer, and eyes like those of the leopard or the\nbull, are possessed of great activity. They whose voice resembles that of\nbulls, are excitable, wicked, and wrathful. They that have a voice deep\nas that of the clouds, that have wrathful face, or faces like those of\ncamels, they that have hooked noses and tongues, are possessed of great\nspeed and can shoot or hurl their weapons to a great distance. They that\nhave bodies curved like that of the cat, and thin hair and thin skin,\nbecome endued with great speed and restlessness and almost invincible in\nbattle. Some that are possessed of eyes closed like those of the iguana,\ndisposition that is mild, and speed and voice like the horses, are\ncompetent to fight all foes. They that are of well-knit and handsome and\nsymmetrical frames, and broad chests, that become angry upon hearing the\nenemy's drum or trumpet, that take delight in affrays of every kind, that\nhave eyes indicative of gravity, or eyes that seem to shoot out, or eyes\nthat are green, they that have faces darkened with frowns, or eyes like\nthose of the mongoose, are all brave and capable of casting away their\nlives in battle. They that have crooked eyes and broad foreheads and\ncheek-bones not covered with flesh and arms strong as thunder-bolts and\nfingers bearing circular marks, and that are lean with arteries and\nnerves that are visible, rush with great speed when the collision of\nbattle takes place. Resembling infuriated elephants, they become\nirresistible. They that have greenish hair ending in curls, that have\nflanks, cheeks, and faces fat and full of flesh, that have elevated\nshoulders and broad necks, that have fearful visages and fat calves, that\nare fiery like (Vasudeva's horse) Sugriva or like the offspring of\nGaruda, the son of Vinata, that have round heads, large mouths, faces\nlike those of cats, shrill voice and wrathful temper, that rush to\nbattle, guided by its din, that are wicked in behaviour and full of\nhaughtiness, that are of terrible countenances, and that live in the\noutlying districts, are all reckless of their lives and never fly away\nfrom battle. Such troops should always be placed in the van. They always\nslay their foes in fight and suffer themselves to be slain without\nretreating. Of wicked behaviour and outlandish manners, they regard soft\nspeeches as indications of defeat. If treated with mildness, they always\nexhibit wrath against their sovereign.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said. \"What are the well-known indications, O bull of\nBharata's race, of the (future) success of an army? I desire to know\nthem.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I shall tell thee, O bull of Bharata's race, all the\nwell-known indications of the (future) success of an army. When the gods\nbecome angry and men are urged by fate, persons of learning, beholding\neverything with the eye of heavenly knowledge, perform diverse auspicious\nacts and expiatory rites including homa and the silent recitation of\nmantras, and thus allay all evils.[304] That army in which the troops and\nthe animals are all undepressed and cheerful, O Bharata, is sure to win a\ndecided victory. The wind blows favourably from behind such troops.\nRainbows appear in the sky. The clouds cast their shadows upon them and\nat times the sun shines upon them. The jackals become auspicious to them,\nand ravens and vultures as well. When these show such regard to the army,\nhigh success is sure to be won by it. Their (sacrificial) fires blaze up\nwith a pure splendour, the light going upwards and the smokeless flames\nslightly bending towards the south. The libations poured thereon emit an\nagreeable fragrance. These have been said to be the indications of future\nsuccess. The conchs and drums, blown and beat, send forth loud and deep\npeals. The combatants become filled with alacrity. These have been said\nto be the indications of future success. If deer and other quadrupeds be\nseen behind or to the left of those that have already set out for battle\nor of those that are about to set out, they are regarded auspicious. If\nthey appear to the right of the warriors while about to engage in\nslaughter, that is regarded as an indication of success. If, however,\nthey make their appearance in the van of such persons, they indicate\ndisaster and defeat. If these birds, viz., swans and cranes and\nSatapatras and Chashas utter auspicious cries, and all the able-bodied\ncombatants become cheerful, these are regarded as indications of future\nsuccess. They whose array blazes forth with splendour and becomes\nterrible to look at in consequence of the sheen of their weapons,\nmachines, armour, and standards as also of the radiant complexion of the\nfaces of the vigorous men that stand within it, always succeed in\nvanquishing their foes. If the combatants of a host be of pure behaviour\nand modest deportment and attend to one another in loving-kindness, that\nis regarded as an indication of future success. If agreeable sounds and\nodors and sensations of touch prevail, and if the combatants become\ninspired with gratitude and patience, that is regarded as the root of\nsuccess. The crow on the left of a person engaged in battle and on the\nright of him who is about to engage in it, is regarded auspicious.\nAppearing at the back, it indicates non-fulfilment of the objects in\nview, while its appearance in the front forebodes danger. Even after\nenlisting a large army consisting of the four kinds of forces, thou\nshouldst, O Yudhishthira, first behave peacefully. If thy endeavours\nafter peace fail, then mayst thou engage in battle. The victory, O\nBharata, that one acquired by battle is very inferior. Victory in battle,\nit seems, is dependent on caprice or destiny. When a large army breaks\nand the troops begin to fly away, it is exceedingly difficult to check\ntheir flight. The impetuosity of the flight resembles that of a mighty\ncurrent of water or of a frightened herd of deer. Some have broken. For\nthis, without adequate cause, others break, even they that are brave and\nskilled in fight. A large army, consisting of even brave soldiers, is\nlike a large herd of Ruru deer.[305] Sometimes again it may be seen that\neven fifty men, resolute and relying upon one another, cheerful and\nprepared to lay down their lives, succeed in grinding enemies numerically\nmuch superior. Sometimes even five, or six, or seven men, resolute and\nstanding close together, of high descent and enjoying the esteem of those\nthat know them, vanquish foes much superior to them in number. The\ncollision of battle is not desirable as long as it can be avoided. The\npolicy of conciliation, or producing disunion, and making gifts should\nfirst be tried, the battle, it is said, should come after these. At the\nvery sight of a (hostile) force, fear paralyses the timid, even as at the\nsight of the blazing bolt of heaven they ask, 'Oh, upon what would it\nfall?'[306] Having ascertained that a battle is raging, the limbs of\nthose that go to join it, as also of him that is conquering, perspire\nprofusely.[307] The entire country, O king, (that is the seat of war),\nbecomes agitated and afflicted with all its mobile and immobile\npopulation. The very marrow of embodied creatures scorched with the heat\nof weapons, languishes with pain. A king should, therefore, on all\noccasions, apply the arts of conciliation, mixing them with measures of\nseverity. When people are afflicted by foes, they always show a\ndisposition to come to terms.[308] Secret agents should be sent for\nproducing disunion amongst the allies of the foe. Having produced\ndisunion, it is very desirable that peace should then be made with that\nking who happens to be more powerful than the foe (sought to be crushed).\nIf the invader does not proceed in the way, he can never succeed in\ncompletely crushing his foe. In dealing with the foe, care should be\ntaken for hemming him in from all sides. Forgiveness always comes to\nthose that are good. It never comes to those that are bad. Listen now, O\nPartha, to the uses of forgiveness and of severity. The fame of a king\nwho displays forgiveness after conquest spreads more widely. The very\nfoes of a person that is of a forgiving disposition trust him even when\nhe becomes guilty of a grave transgression. Samvara has said that having\nafflicted a foe first, forgiveness should be shown afterwards, for a\nwooden pole, if made straight without the application of heat in the\nfirst instance, very soon assumes its former state. Persons skilled in\nthe scriptures do not, however, applaud this. Nor do they regard this as\nan indication of a good king. On the other hand, they say that a foe\nshould be subdued and checked, like a sire subduing and checking a son,\nwithout anger and without destroying him. If, O Yudhishthira, a king\nbecomes severe, he becomes an object of hatred with all creatures. If, on\nthe other hand, he becomes mild, he becomes disregarded by all. Do thou,\ntherefore, practise both severity and mildness. Before smiting, O\nBharata, and while smiting, utter sweet words; and having smitten, show\nthem compassion and let them understand that thou art grieving and\nweeping for them. Having vanquished an army, the king should address the\nsurvivors saying, 'I am not at all glad that so many have been slain by\nmy troops. Alas, the latter, though repeatedly dissuaded by me, have not\nobeyed my direction. I wish they (that are slain) were all alive. They\ndo not deserve such death. They were all good men and true, and\nunretreating from battle. Such men, indeed, are rare. He that has slain\nsuch a hero in battle, has surely done that which is not agreeable to\nme.' Having uttered such speeches before the survivors of the vanquished\nfoe, the king should in secret honour those amongst his own troops that\nhave bravely slain the foe. For soothing the wounded slayers for their\nsufferings at the hand of the foe, the king, desirous of attaching them\nto himself, should even weep, seizing their hands affectionately. The\nking should thus, under all circumstances, behave with conciliation. A\nking that is fearless and virtuous, becomes the beloved of all creatures.\nAll creatures, also, O Bharata, trust such a ruler. Winning their trust,\nhe succeeds in enjoying the earth as he pleases. The king should,\ntherefore, by abandoning deceitfulness, seek to obtain the trust of all\ncreatures. He should also seek to protect his subjects from all fears if\nhe seek to enjoy the earth.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me, O grandsire, how a king should behave\ntowards foe that is mild, towards one that is fierce, and towards one\nthat has many allies and a large force.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited, O Yudhishthira. the old\nnarrative of the discourse between Vrihaspati and Indra. Once on a time,\nthat slayer of hostile heroes, viz., Vasava, the chief of the celestials,\njoining his palms, approached Vrihaspati, and saluting him, said these\nwords.\"\n\n\"'\"Indra said, 'How, O regenerate one, should I behave towards my foes? How\nshould I subdue them by means of contrivances, without exterminating\nthem? In a collision between two armies, victory may be won by either\nside. In what way should I behave so that this blazing prosperity that I\nhave won and that scorches all my enemies may not desert me?' Thus\naddressed, Vrihaspati, skilled in Virtue, Profit, and Pleasure, possessed\nof a knowledge of kingly duties, and endued with great intelligence,\nanswered Indra in the following words.\"\n\n\"'\"Vrihaspati said, 'One should never wish to subdue one's foes by quarrel.\nExcited with wrath and bereft of forgiveness, boys only seek quarrel. One\nthat desires the destruction of a foe should not put that foe on his\nguard. On the other hand, one should never exhibit one's ire or fear or\njoy. He should conceal these within his own bosom. Without trusting one's\nfoe in reality, one should behave towards him as if one trusted him\ncompletely. One should always speak sweet words unto one's foes and never\ndo anything that is disagreeable. One should abstain from fruitless acts\nof hostility as also from insolence of speech. As a fowler, carefully\nuttering cries similar to those of the birds he wishes to seize or kill,\ncaptures and brings them under his power, even so should a king, O\nPurandara, bring his foes under subjection and then slay them if he\nlikes. Having overcome one's foes, one should not sleep at ease. A foe\nthat is wicked raises his head again like a fire carelessly put out making\nits appearance again. When victory may be won by either side, a hostile\ncollision of arms should be avoided. Having lulled a foe into security,\none should reduce him into subjection and gain one's object. Having\nconsulted with his ministers and with intelligent persons conversant with\npolicy, a foe that is disregarded and neglected, being all along\nunsubdued at heart, smites at the proper season, especially when the\nenemy makes a false step. By employing trusted agents of his own, such a\nfoe would also render the other's forces inefficient by producing\ndisunion. Ascertaining the beginning, the middle and the end of his\nfoes,[309] a king should in secret cherish feelings of hostility towards\nthem. He should corrupt the forces of his foe, ascertaining everything by\npositive proof, using the arts of producing disunion, making gifts, and\napplying poison. A king should never live in companionship with his foes.\nA king should wait long and then slay his foes. Indeed, he should wait,\nexpecting the opportunity, so that he might come down upon his foe at a\ntime when the latter would not expect him in the least. A king should\nnever slay a large number of the troops of his foe, although he should\ncertainly do that which would make his victory decisive. The king should\nnever do such an injury to his foe as would rankle in the latter's\nheart.[310] Nor should he cause wounds by wordy darts and shafts. If the\nopportunity comes, he should strike at him, without letting it slip.\nSuch, O chief of the gods, should be the conduct of a king desirous of\nslaying his foes towards those that are his foes. If an opportunity, with\nrespect to the man who waits for it, once passes away, it can never be\nhad again by the person desirous of acting. Acting according to the\nopinions of the wise, a king should only break the strength of his foe.\nHe should never, when the opportunity is not favourable, seek to\naccomplish his objects. Nor should he, when the opportunity is at hand,\npersecute his foe.[311] Giving up lust and wrath and pride, the king\nshould, acting with heedfulness, continually watch for the laches of his\nfoes. His own mildness, the severity of his punishments, his inactivity\nand heedlessness, O chief of the gods, and the deceitful contrivances\nwell applied (by his foes), ruin a foolish ruler. That king who can\nconquer these four faults and counteract the deceitful contrivances of\nhis enemies succeeds, without doubt, in smiting them all. When only one\nminister (without needing any help) is competent to accomplish a secret\nobject (of the king), the king should consult with that one minister only\nin respect of such object. Many ministers, if consulted, endeavour to\nthrow the burden of the task upon one another's shoulders and even give\npublicity to that object which should be kept secret. If consultation\nwith one be not proper, then only should the king consult with many. When\nfoes are unseen, divine chastisement should be invoked upon them; when\nseen, the army, consisting of four kinds of forces, should be moved.[312]\nThe king should first use the arts of producing disunion, as also those\nof conciliation. When the time for each particular means comes, that\nparticular means should be applied. At times, the king should even\nprostrate himself before a powerful foe. It is again desirable that\nacting heedfully himself, he should seek to compass the victor's\ndestruction when the latter becomes heedless. By prostrating one's self,\nby gift of tribute, by uttering sweet words, one should humble one's self\nbefore a more powerful king. One should (when the occasion for such acts\ncomes) never do anything that may arouse the suspicions of one's powerful\nfoe. The weaker ruler should, under such circumstances, carefully avoid\nevery act that may awaken suspicion. A victorious king, again, should not\ntrust his vanquished foes, for they that are vanquished always remain\nwakeful. There is nothing, O best of deities, that is more difficult of\naccomplishment than the acquisition of prosperity, O ruler of the\nimmortals, by persons of a restless disposition. The very existence of\npersons of restless disposition is fraught with danger. Kings should,\ntherefore, with close attention, ascertain their friends and foes. If a\nking becomes mild, he is disregarded. If he becomes fierce, he inspires\npeople with dread. Therefore, do not be fierce. Do not, again, be mild.\nBut be both fierce and mild. As a rapid current ceaselessly eats away the\nhigh bank and causes large landslips, even so heedlessness and error\ncause a kingdom to be ruined. Never attack many foes at the same time. By\napplying the arts of conciliation, or gift, or production of disunion, O\nPurandara, they should be ground one by one. As regards the remnant,\n(being few in number,) the victor may behave peacefully towards them. An\nintelligent king, even if competent for it, should not begin to crush all\n(his foes) at once.[313] When a king happens to have a large army\nconsisting of sixfold forces[314] and teeming with horse, elephants,\ncars, foot, and engines, all devoted to him, when he thinks himself\nsuperior to his foe in many respects upon a fair comparison, then should\nhe openly smite the foe without hesitation. If the foe be strong, the\nadoption of a policy of conciliation (towards him) is not worthy of\napprobation. On the other hand, chastisement by secret means is the\npolicy that should be adopted. Nor should mildness of behaviour be\nadopted towards such foes, nor repeated expedition, for loss of crops,\npoisoning of wells and tanks, and suspicion in respect of the seven\nbranches of administration, should be avoided.[315] The king should, on\nsuch occasions, apply diverse kinds of deception, diverse contrivances\nfor setting his foes against one another, and different kinds of\nhypocritical behaviour. He should also, through trusted agents, ascertain\nthe doings of his foes in their cities and provinces. Kings, O slayer of\nVala and Vritra, pursuing their foes and entering their towers, seize and\nappropriate the best things that are obtainable there, and devise proper\nmeasures of policy in their own cities and dominions. Making gifts of\nwealth unto them in private, and confiscating their possessions publicly,\nwithout, however, injuring them materially, and proclaiming that they are\nall wicked men that have suffered for their own misdeeds, kings should\nsend their agents to the cities and provinces of their foes. At the same\ntime, in their own cities, they should, through other persons conversant\nwith the scriptures, adorned with every accomplishment, acquainted with\nthe ordinances of the sacred books and possessed of learning cause\nincantations and foe-killing rites to be performed.'\n\n\"'\"Indra said, 'What are the indications, O best of regenerate ones, of a\nwicked person? Questioned by me, tell me how I am to know who is wicked.'\n\n\"'\"Vrihaspati said, 'A wicked person is he who proclaims the faults of\nothers at their back, who is inspired with envy at the accomplishments of\nothers, and who remains silent when the merits of other people are\nproclaimed in his presence, feeling a reluctance to join in the chorus.\nMere silence on such occasions is no indication of wickedness. A wicked\nperson, however, at such times breathes heavily, bites his lips, and\nshakes his head. Such a person always mixes in society and speaks\nirrelevantly.[316] Such a man never does what he promises, when the eye\nof the person to whom he has given the assurance is not upon him. When\nthe eye of the person assured is on him, the wicked man does not even\nallude to the subject. The wicked man eats by himself (and not with\nothers on the same board), and finds fault with the food placed before\nhim, saying, \"All is not right today as on other days.\" His disposition\nshows itself in the circumstances connected with his sitting, lying, and\nriding. Sorrowing on occasions of sorrow and rejoicing on occasions of\njoy, are the indications of a friend. An opposite behaviour furnishes the\nindications of an enemy. Keep in thy heart these sayings, O ruler of the\ngods! The disposition of wicked men can never be concealed. I have now\ntold thee, O foremost of deities, what the indications of a wicked person\nare. Having listened to the truths laid down in the scriptures, follow\nthem duly, O ruler of the celestials!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Having heard these words of Vrihaspati, Purandara,\nemployed in subduing his foes, acted strictly according to them. Bent\nupon victory, that slayer of foes, when the opportunity came, obeyed\nthese instructions and reduced all his enemies to subjection.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CIV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"How should a righteous king, who is opposed by his\nown officers, whose treasury and army are no longer under his control,\nand who has no wealth, conduct himself for acquiring happiness?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection, the story of Kshemadarsin is often\nrecited. I shall narrate that story to thee. Listen to it, O\nYudhishthira! It has been heard by us that in days of old, when prince\nKshemadarsin became weak in strength and fell into great distress, he\nrepaired to the sage Kalakavrikshiya, and saluting him humbly, said unto\nhim these words.[317]\n\n\"'\"The king said, 'What should a person like me who deserves wealth but who\nhas, after repeated efforts, failed to recover his kingdom, do, O\nBrahmana, excepting suicide, thieving and robbery, acceptance of refuge\nwith others, and other acts of meanness of a similar kind? O best of men,\ntell me this. One like thee that is conversant with morality and full of\ngratefulness is the refuge of a person afflicted by disease either mental\nor physical. Man should cast off his desires. By acting in that way, by\nabandoning joy and sorrow, and earning the wealth of knowledge, he\nsucceeds in obtaining felicity.[318] I grieve for them that adhere to\nworldly happiness as dependent on wealth. All that, however, vanishes\nlike a dream. They that can abandon vast wealth achieve a very difficult\nfeat. As regards ourselves we are unable to abandon that wealth which is\neven no longer existent.[319] I am divested of prosperity and have fallen\ninto a miserable and joyless plight. Instruct me, O Brahmana, what\nhappiness I may yet strive for.' Thus addressed by the intelligent prince\nof Kosala, the sage Kalakavrikshiya of great splendour made the following\nanswer.\n\n\"'\"The sage said, 'Thou hast, it seems, already understood it. Possessed of\nknowledge as thou art, thou shouldst act as thou thinkest. Thy belief is\nright, viz., \"All this that I see is unstable, myself as also everything\nthat I have.\" Know, O prince, that those things which thou regardest as\nexisting are in reality non-existent. The man of wisdom knows this, and\naccordingly is never pained whatever the distress that may overwhelm him.\nWhatever has taken place and whatever will take place are all unreal.\nWhen thou wilt know this which should be known by all, thou shalt be\nfreed from unrighteousness. Whatever things had been earned and acquired\nby those that came before, and whatever was earned and acquired by those\nthat succeeded them, have all perished. Reflecting on this, who is there\nthat will yield to grief? Things that were, are no more. Things that are,\nwill again be (no more). Grief has no power to restore them. One should\nnot, therefore, indulge in grief. Where, O king, is thy sire to-day, and\nwhere thy grandsire? Thou seest them not today, nor do they see thee now.\nReflecting on thy own instability, why dost thou grieve for them? Reflect\nwith the aid of thy intelligence, and thou wilt understand that verily\nthou shalt cease to be. Myself, thyself, O king, thy friends, and thy\nfoes, shall, without doubt, cease to be. Indeed, everything will cease to\nbe. Those men that are now of twenty or thirty years of age will, without\ndoubt, all die within the next hundred years. If a man cannot have the\nheart to give up his vast possessions, he should then endeavour to think\nhis possessions are not his own and by that means seek to do good to\nhimself.[320] Acquisitions that are future should be regarded by one as\nnot one's own. Acquisitions that have disappeared, should also be\nregarded by one as not one's own. Destiny should be regarded as all\npowerful. They that think in this strain are said to be possessed of\nwisdom. Such a habit of looking at things is an attribute of the good.\nMany persons who are equal or superior to thee in intelligence and\nexertion, though deprived of wealth, are not only alive but are never\nruling kingdoms. They are not, like thee. They do not indulge in grief\nlike thee. Therefore, cease thou to grieve in this way. Art thou not\nsuperior to those men, or at least equal to them in intelligence and\nexertion?' The king said, 'I regard the kingdom which I had with all its\nappendages to have been won by me without any exertion. All-powerful\nTime, however, O regenerate one, has swept it away. The consequence,\nhowever, that I see, of my kingdom having been swept away by Time as by a\nstream, is that I am obliged to support upon whatever I obtain (by\ncharity).'\n\n\"'\"The sage said, 'Moved by the knowledge of what is true (in life) one\nshould never grieve for either the past or the future. Be thou of such a\nframe of mind, O prince of Kosala, in respect of every affair that may\nengage thy attention. Desiring to obtain only that which is obtainable\nand not that which is unobtainable, do thou enjoy thy present possessions\nand never grieve for that which is absent. Be thou delighted, O prince\nof Kosala, with whatever thou succeedest in winning with ease. Even if\ndivested of prosperity, do not grieve for it but seek to preserve a pure\ndisposition. Only an unfortunate man who is of a foolish understanding,\nwhen deprived of former prosperity, censures the supreme Ordainer,\nwithout being contented with his present possessions. Such a person\nregards others, however undeserving, as men blessed with prosperity. For\nthis reason, they that are possessed of malice and vanity and filled with\na sense of their own importance, suffer more misery still. Thou however,\nO king, art not stained by such vices. Endure the prosperity of others\nalthough thou art thyself divested of prosperity. They that are possessed\nof dexterity succeed in enjoying that prosperity which is vested in\nothers.[321] Prosperity leaves the person that hates others. Men\npossessed of righteous behaviour and wisdom and conversant with the\nduties of Yoga renounce prosperity and sons and grandsons of their own\naccord. Others, regarding earthly wealth to be exceedingly unstable and\nunattainable, dependent as it is upon ceaseless action and effort, are\nalso seen to renounce it.[322] Thou seemest to be possessed of wisdom.\nWhy dost thou then grieve so piteously, desiring things that should not\nbe desired, that are unstable, and that are dependent on others? Thou\ndesirest to enquire after that particular frame of mind (which would\nenable thee to enjoy felicity notwithstanding the loss of thy\npossessions). The advice I give thee is to renounce all those objects of\ndesire. Objects that should be avoided appear in the guise of those that\nshould be striven for, while those that should be striven for appear in\nthe guise of objects that should be avoided. Some lose their wealth in\nthe pursuit of wealth. Others regard wealth as the root of infinite\nhappiness, and therefore pursue it eagerly. Some again, delighted with\nwealth, think that there is nothing superior to it. In his eager desire\nfor the acquisition of wealth, such a person loses all other objects of\nlife. If, O prince of Kosala, a person loses that wealth which had been\nearned with difficulty and which had been proportionate to his desires,\nhe then, overcome by the inactivity of despair, gives up all desire of\nwealth. Some persons of righteous souls and high birth betake themselves\nto the acquisition of virtue. These renounce every kind of worldly\nhappiness from desire of winning felicity in the other world. Some\npersons lay down life itself, moved by the desire of acquiring wealth.\nThese do not think that life has any use if dissociated from wealth.\nBehold their pitiable condition. Behold their foolishness. When life is\nso short and uncertain, these men, moved by ignorance, set their eyes on\nwealth. Who is there that would set his heart upon hoarding when\ndestruction is its end, upon life when death is its end, and upon union\nwhen separation is its end? Sometimes man renounces wealth, and sometimes\nwealth renounces man. What man possessed of knowledge is there that would\nfeel grieved at the loss of wealth? There are many other persons in the\nworld that lose wealth and friends. Behold, O king, with thy\nintelligence, and thou wilt understand that the calamities which overtake\nmen are all due to the conduct of men themselves. Do thou, therefore, (as\na remedy), restrain thy senses and mind and speech. For, if those become\nweak and productive of evil there is no man who can keep himself free\nfrom temptation of external objects by which he is always surrounded. As\nno one can form an adequate idea of the past nor can foresee the future,\nthere being many intervals of time and place, a person like thee who is\npossessed of such wisdom and such prowess, never indulges in grief for\nunion and separation, for good or evil. A person of such mildness of\ndisposition, well-restrained soul, and settled conclusions, and observant\nof Brahmacharya vows, never indulges in grief and never becomes restless\nfrom desire of acquiring or fear of losing anything of small value. It is\nnot fit that such a man should adopt a deceitful life of mendicancy, a\nlife that is sinful and wicked and cruel and worthy of only a wretch\namong men. Do thou repair to the great forest and lead a life of\nhappiness there, all alone and subsisting upon fruit and roots,\nrestraining speech and soul, and filled with compassion for all\ncreatures. He that cheerfully leads such a life in the forest, with\nlarge-tusked elephants for companions, with no human being by his side,\nand contented with the produce of the wilderness, is said to act after\nthe manner of the wise. A large lake when it becomes turbid, resumes its\ntranquillity of itself. Similarly, a man of wisdom, when disturbed in\nsuch matters, becomes tranquil of himself. I see that a person that has\nfallen into such a plight as thine may live happily even thus. When thy\nprosperity is almost impossible to recover, and when thou art without\nministers and counsellors, such a course is open to thee. Dost thou hope\nto reap any benefit by depending upon destiny?'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CV\n\n\"'\"The sage said, 'If, on the other hand, O Kshatriya, thou thinkest that\nthou hast any prowess still, I shall discourse to thee about that line of\npolicy which thou mayst adopt for recovering thy kingdom. If thou canst\nfollow that line of policy and seek to exert thyself, thou canst still\nrecover thy prosperity. Listen attentively to all that I say unto thee in\ndetail. If thou canst act according to those counsels, thou mayst yet\nobtain vast wealth, indeed, thy kingdom and kingly power and great\nprosperity. If thou likest it, O king, tell me, for then I shall speak to\nthee of that policy.'\n\n\"'\"The king said, 'Tell me, O holy one, what thou wishest to say. I am\nwilling to hear and act according to thy counsels. Let this my meeting\nwith thee today be fruitful of consequences (to myself).'\n\n\"'\"The sage said, 'Renouncing pride and desire and ire and joy and fear,\nwait upon thy very foes, humbling thyself and joining thy hands. Do thou\nserve Janaka the ruler of Mithila, always performing good and pure deeds.\nFirmly devoted to truth, the king of Videha will certainly give thee\ngreat wealth. Thou shalt then become the right arm of that king and\nobtain the trust of all persons. As a consequence of this, thou shalt\nthen succeed in obtaining many allies possessed of courage and\nperseverance, pure in behaviour, and free from the seven principal\nfaults. A person of restrained soul and having his senses under control,\nby adhering to his duties, succeeds in raising himself and gladdening\nothers. Honoured by Janaka possessed of intelligence and prosperity, thou\nshalt certainly become the right arm of that ruler and enjoy the\nconfidence of all. Having then mustered a large force and held\nconsultations with good ministers, do thou cause disunion among thy foes\nand, setting them against one another, break them all like a person\nbreaking a vilwa with a vilwa. Or, making peace with the foes of thy foe,\ndestroy the latter's power.[323] Thou shalt then cause thy foe to be\nattached to such good things as are not easily attainable, to beautiful\nwomen and cloths, beds and seats and vehicles, all of very costly kinds,\nand houses, and birds and animals of diverse species, and juices and\nperfumes and fruits, so that thy foe may be ruined of himself.[324] If\none's foe be thus managed, or if indifference is to be shown towards him,\none that is desirous of acting according to good policy, should never\nsuffer that foe to know it at all. Following the behaviour that is\napproved by the wise, do thou enjoy every kind of pleasure in the\ndominions of thy foe, and imitating the conduct of the dog, the deer, and\nthe crow, behave, with apparent friendship, towards thy enemies. Cause\nthem to undertake achievements that are mighty and difficult to\naccomplish. See also that they engage in hostilities with powerful\nenemies. Drawing their attention to pleasant gardens and costly beds and\nseats, do thou, by offering such objects of enjoyment, drain thy enemy's\ntreasury. Advising thy enemy to perform sacrifices and make gifts, do\nthou gratify the Brahmanas. The latter, (having received those presents\nthrough thy hands), will do good to thee in return (by performing\npenances and Vedic rites), and devour thy enemy like wolves. Without\ndoubt, a person of righteous deeds obtains a high end. By such deeds men\nsucceed in earning regions of the most felicity in heaven. If the\ntreasury of thy foes be exhausted (by either righteous or unrighteous\ndeeds), every one of them, O prince of Kosala, may be reduced to\nsubjection. The treasury is the root of felicity in heaven and victory on\nearth. It is in consequence of their treasuries that the foes enjoy such\nhappiness. The treasury, therefore, should by every means be drained. Do\nnot applaud Exertion in the presence of thy foe but speak highly of\nDestiny. Without doubt, the man who relies too much on acts appertaining\nto the worship of the gods soon meets with destruction. Cause thy enemy\nto perform the great sacrifice called Viswajit and divest him by that\nmeans of all his possessions. Through this thy object will be fulfilled.\nThou mayst then inform thy enemy of the fact that the best men in his\nkingdom are being oppressed (with exactions for refilling the exhausted\ntreasury), and indicate some eminent ascetic conversant with the duties\nof Yoga (who will wean thy foe from all earthly possessions). The enemy\nwill then desire to adopt renunciation and retire into the woods,\nsolicitous of salvation. Thou shall then, with the aid of drugs prepared\nby boiling highly efficacious herbs and plants, and of artificial salts,\ndestroy the elephants and steeds and men (of thy enemy's dominions).\nThese and many other well-devised schemes are available, all connected\nwith fraud. An intelligent person can thus destroy the population of a\nhostile kingdom with poison.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CVI\n\n\"'\"The king said, 'I do not desire, O Brahmana, to support life by deceit\nor fraud. I do not desire wealth, however great, which is to be earned by\nunrighteous means. At the very outset of our present discourse I excepted\nthese means. By the adoption of only such means as would not lead to\ncensure, of such means as would benefit me in every respect, by\npractising only such acts as are not harmful in their consequences, I\ndesire to live in this world. I am incapable of adopting these ways that\nthou pointest out to me. Indeed, these instructions do not become thee.'\n\n\"'\"The sage said, 'These words, O Kshatriya, that thou speakest indicate\nthee to be possessed of righteous feelings. Indeed, thou art righteous in\ndisposition and understanding, O thou of great experience. I shall strive\nfor the good of you both, viz., for thyself and him.[325] I shall cause a\nunion, eternal and incapable of breach, to be brought about between thee\nand that king. Who is there that would not like to have a minister like\nthee that art born of noble race, that abstainest from all acts of\nunrighteousness and cruelty, that art possessed of great learning, and\nthat art well versed in the art of government and of conciliating all\npersons? I say this because, O Kshatriya, though divested of kingdom and\nplunged into great misery, thou still desirest to live adopting a\nbehaviour that is righteous. The ruler of the Videhas, firmly adhering to\ntruth, will come to my abode soon. Without doubt, he will do what I will\nurge to do.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"The sage, after this, inviting the ruler of the\nVidehas, said these words unto him: 'This personage is of royal birth. I\nknow his very heart. His soul is as pure as the surface of mirror or the\ndisc of the autumnal moon. He has been examined by me in every way. I do\nnot see any fault in him. Let there be friendship between him and thee.\nDo thou repose confidence on him as on myself. A king who is without a\n(competent) minister cannot govern his kingdom even for three days. The\nminister should be courageous as also possessed of great intelligence. By\nthese two qualities one may conquer both the worlds. Behold, O king,\nthese two qualities are necessary for ruling a kingdom. Righteous kings\nhave no such refuge as a minister possessed of such attributes. The\nhigh-souled person is of royal descent. He walketh along the path of the\nrighteous. This one who always keeps righteousness in view has been a\nvaluable acquisition. If treated by thee with honour, he will reduce all\nthy foes to subjection. If he engages in battle with thee, he will do\nwhat as a Kshatriya he should do. Indeed, if after the manner of his\nsires and grandsires he fights for conquering thee, it will be thy duty\nto fight him, observant as thou art of the Kshatriya duty of conquering\nantagonists. Without engaging in battle, however, do thou, at my command,\nemploy him under thee from desire of benefiting thyself. Cast thy eyes on\nrighteousness, giving up covetousness that is improper. It behoveth thee\nnot to abandon the duties of thy order from lust or desire of battle.\nVictory, O sire, is not certain. Defeat also is not certain. Remembering\nthis, peace should be made with an enemy by giving him food and other\narticles of enjoyment. One may see victory and defeat in his own case.\nThey that seek to exterminate a foe are sometimes exterminated themselves\nin course of their efforts.' Thus addressed, king Janaka, properly\nsaluting and honouring that bull among Brahmanas who deserved every\nhonour, replied unto him, saying, 'Thou art of great learning and great\nwisdom. That which thou hast said from desire of benefiting us, is\ncertainly advantageous for both of us. Such a course of conduct is highly\nbeneficial (to us). I have no hesitation in saying this.' The ruler of\nVideha then, addressing the prince of Kosala, said these words: 'In\nobservance of Kshatriya duties as also with aid of Policy, I have\nconquered the world. I have, however, O best of kings, been conquered by\nthee with thy good qualities. Without cherishing any sense of humiliation\n(if thou remainest by my side), live thou with me as a victor.[326] I\nhonour thy intelligence, and I honour thy prowess. I do not disregard\nthee, saying that I have conquered thee. On the other hand, live thou\nwith me as a victor. Honoured duly by me, O king, thou wilt go to my\nabode.' Both the kings then worshipped that Brahmana, and trusting each\nother, proceeded to the capital of Mithila. The ruler of the Videhas,\ncausing the prince of Kosala to enter his abode, honoured him, who\ndeserved every honour, with offerings of water to wash his feet, honey\nand curds and the usual articles. King Janaka also bestowed upon his\nguest his own daughter and diverse kinds of gems and jewels. This (the\nestablishment of peace) is the high duty of kings; victory and defeat are\nboth uncertain.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CVII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou hast, O scorcher of foes, described the course\nof duties, the general conduct, the means of livelihood, with their\nresults, of Brahmanas and Kshatriyas and Vaisyas and Sudras. Thou hast\ndiscoursed also on the duties of kings, the subject of their treasuries,\nthe means of filling them, and the topic of conquest and victory. Thou\nhast spoken also of the characteristics of ministers, the measures that\nlead to the advancement of the subjects, the characteristics of the\nsixfold limbs of a kingdom, the qualities of armies, the means of\ndistinguishing the wicked, and the marks of those that are good, the\nattributes of those that are equal, those that are inferior, and those\nthat are superior, the behaviour which a king desirous of advancement\nshould adopt towards the masses, and the manner in which the weak should\nbe protected and cherished. Thou hast discoursed on all these subjects, O\nBharata, laying down instructions that are plain according to what has\nbeen inculcated in sacred treatises. Thou hast spoken also of the\nbehaviour that should be adopted by kings desirous of conquering their\nfoes. I desire now, O foremost of intelligent men, to listen to the\nbehaviour that one should observe towards the multitude of courageous men\nthat assemble round a king![327] I desire to hear how these may grow, how\nthey may be attached to the king, O Bharata, how may they succeed in\nsubjugating their foes and in acquiring friends. It seems to me that\ndisunion alone can bring about their destruction. I think it is always\ndifficult to keep counsels secret when many are concerned. I desire to\nhear all this in detail, O scorcher of foes! Tell me also, O king, the\nmeans by which they may be prevented from falling out with the king.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Between the aristocracy on the one side and the kings on\nthe other, avarice and wrath, O monarch, are the causes that produce\nenmity.[328] One of these parties (viz., the king,) yields to avarice. As\na consequence, wrath takes possession of the other (the aristocracy).\nEach intent upon weakening and wasting the other, they both meet with\ndestruction. By employing spies, contrivances of policy, and physical\nforce, and adopting the arts of conciliation, gifts, and disunion and\napplying other methods for producing weakness, waste, and fear, the\nparties assail each other. The aristocracy of a kingdom, having the\ncharacteristics of a compact body, become dissociated from the king if\nthe latter seeks to take too much from them. Dissociated from the king,\nall of them become dissatisfied, and acting from fear, side with the\nenemies of their ruler. If again the aristocracy of a kingdom be\ndisunited amongst themselves, they meet with destruction. Disunited, they\nfall an easy prey to foes. The nobles, therefore, should always act in\nconcert. If they be united together, they may earn acquisitions of value\nby means of their strength and prowess. Indeed, when they are thus\nunited, many outsiders seek their alliance. Men of knowledge applaud\nthose nobles that art united with one another in bonds of love. If united\nin purpose, all of them can be happy. They can (by their example)\nestablish righteous courses of conduct. By behaving properly, they\nadvance in prosperity. By restraining their sons and brothers and\nteaching them their duties, and by behaving kindly towards all persons\nwhose pride has been quelled by knowledge,[329] the aristocracy advance\nin prosperity. By always attending to the duties of setting spies and\ndevising means of policy, as also to the matter of filling their\ntreasuries, the aristocracy, O thou of mighty arms, advance in\nprosperity. By showing proper reverence for them that are possessed of\nwisdom and courage and perseverance and that display steady prowess in\nall kinds of work, the aristocracy advance in prosperity. Possessed of\nwealth and resources, of knowledge of the scriptures and all arts and\nsciences, the aristocracy rescue the ignorant masses from every kind of\ndistress and danger. Wrath (on the of part the king), rupture,[330]\nterror, chastisement, persecution, oppression, and executions, O chief of\nthe Bharatas, speedily cause the aristocracy to fall away from the king\nand side with the king's enemies. They, therefore, that are the leaders\nof the aristocracy should be honoured by the king. The affairs of the\nkingdom, O king, depend to a great extent upon them. Consultations should\nbe held with only those that are the leaders of the aristocracy, and\nsecret agents should be placed, O crusher of foes, with them only. The\nking should not, O Bharata, consult with every member of the aristocracy.\nThe king, acting in concert with the leaders, should do what is for the\ngood of the whole order. When, however, the aristocracy becomes separated\nand disunited and destitute of leaders, other courses of action should be\nfollowed. If the members of the aristocracy quarrel with one another and\nact, each according to his own resources, without combination, their\nprosperity dwindles away and diverse kinds of evil occur. Those amongst\nthem that are possessed of learning and wisdom should tread down a\ndispute as soon as it happens. Indeed, if the seniors of a race look on\nwith indifference, quarrels break out amongst the members. Such quarrels\nbring about the destruction of a race and produce disunion among the\n(entire order of the) nobles. Protect thyself, O king, from all fears\nthat arise from within. Fears, however, that arise from outside are of\nlittle consequence. The first kind of fear, O king, may cut thy roots in\na single day. Persons that are equal to one another in family and blood,\ninfluenced by wrath or folly or covetousness arising from their very\nnatures, cease to speak with one another. This is an indication of\ndefeat. It is not by courage, nor by intelligence, nor by beauty, nor by\nwealth, that enemies succeed in destroying the aristocracy. It is only by\ndisunion and gifts that it can be reduced to subjugation. For this\nreason, combination has been said to be the great refuge of the\naristocracy.\"'\"[331]\n\n\n\nSECTION CVIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"The path of duty is long. It has also, O Bharata,\nmany branches. What, however, according to thee, are those duties that\nmost deserve to be practised? What acts, according to thee, are the most\nimportant among all duties, by the practice of which I may earn the\nhighest merit both here and hereafter?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The worship of mother, father, and preceptor is most\nimportant according to me. The man who attends to that duty here,\nsucceeds in acquiring great fame and many regions of felicity. Worshipped\nwith respect by thee, whatever they will command thee, be it consistent\nwith righteousness or inconsistent with it, should be done\nunhesitatingly, O Yudhishthira! One should never do what they forbid.\nWithout doubt, that which they command should always be done.[332] They\nare the three worlds. They are the three modes of life. They are the\nthree Vedas. They are the three sacred fires. The father is said to be\nthe Garhapatya fire, the mother, the Dakshina fire, and the preceptor is\nthat fire upon which libations are poured. These three fires are, of\ncourse, the most eminent. If thou attendest with heedfulness to these\nthree fires, thou wilt succeed in conquering the three worlds. By serving\nthe father with regularity, one may cross this world. By serving the\nmother in the same way, one may attain to regions of felicity in the\nnext. By serving the preceptor with regularity one may obtain the region\nof Brahma. Behave properly towards these three, O Bharata, thou shalt\nthen obtain great fame in the three worlds, and blessed be thou, great\nwill be thy merit and reward. Never transgress them in any act. Never eat\nbefore they eat, nor eat anything that is better than what thy eat. Never\nimpute any fault to them. One should always serve them with humility.\nThat is an act of high merit. By acting in that way, O best of kings,\nthou mayst obtain fame, merit, honour, and regions of felicity hereafter.\nHe who honours these three is honoured in all the worlds. He, on the\nother hand, who disregards these three, fails to obtain any merit from\nany of his acts. Such a man, O scorcher of foes, acquires merit neither\nin this world nor in the next. He who always disregards these three\nseniors never obtains fame either here or hereafter. Such a man never\nearns any good in the next world. All that I have given away in honour of\nthose three has become a hundredfold or a thousandfold of its actual\nmeasure. It is in consequence of that merit that even now, O\nYudhishthira, the three worlds are clearly before my eyes. One Acharya is\nsuperior to ten Brahmanas learned in the Vedas. One Upadhyaya is again\nsuperior to ten Acharyas. The father, again, is superior to ten\nUpadhyayas. The mother again, is superior to ten fathers, or perhaps, the\nwhole world, in importance. There is no one that deserves such reverence\nas the mother. In my opinion, however, the preceptor is worthy of greater\nreverence than the father or even the mother. The father and the mother\nare authors of one's being. The father and the mother, O Bharata, only\ncreate the body. The life, on the other hand, that one obtains from one's\npreceptor, is heavenly. That life is subject to no decay and is immortal.\nThe father and the mother, however much they may offend, should never be\nslain. By not punishing a father and a mother, (even if they deserve\npunishment), one does not incur sin. Indeed, such reverend persons, by\nenjoying impunity, do not stain the king. The gods and the Rishis do not\nwithhold their favours from such persons as strive to cherish even their\nsinful fathers with reverence. He who favours a person by imparting to\nhim true instruction, by communicating the Vedas, and giving knowledge\nwhich is immortal, should be regarded as both a father and a mother. The\ndisciple, in grateful recognition of what the instructor has done, should\nnever do anything that would injure the latter. They that do not\nreverence their preceptors after receiving instruction from them by\nobeying them dutifully in thought and deed, incur the sin of killing a\nfoetus. There is no sinner in this world like them.[333] Preceptors\nalways show great affection for their disciples. The latter should,\ntherefore, show their preceptors commensurate reverence. He, therefore,\nthat wishes to earn that high merit which has existed from ancient days,\nshould worship and adore his preceptors and cheerfully share with them\nevery object of enjoyment. With him who pleases his father is pleased\nPrajapati himself. He who pleases his mother gratifies the earth herself.\nHe who pleases his preceptor gratifies Brahma by his act. For this\nreason, the preceptor is worthy of greater reverence than either the\nfather or the mother. If preceptors are worshipped, the very Rishis, and\nthe gods, together with the Pitris, are all pleased. Therefore, the\npreceptor is worthy of the highest reverence. The preceptor should never\nbe disregarded in any manner by the disciple. Neither the mother nor the\nfather deserves such regard as the preceptor. The father, the mother, and\nthe preceptor, should never be insulted. No act of theirs should be found\nfault with. The gods and the great Rishis are pleased with him that\nbehaves with reverence towards his preceptors. They that injure in\nthought and deed their preceptors, or fathers, or mothers, incur the sin\nof killing a foetus. There is no sinner in the world equal to them. That\nson of the sire's loins and the mother's womb, who, being brought up by\nthem and when he comes to age, does not support them in his turn, incurs\nthe sin of killing a foetus. There is no sinner in the world like unto\nhim. We have never heard that these four, viz., he who injures a friend,\nhe who is ungrateful, he who slays a woman, and he who slays a preceptor,\never succeed in cleansing themselves. I have now told thee generally all\nthat a person should do in this world. Besides those duties that I have\nindicated, there is nothing productive of greater felicity. Thinking of\nall duties, I have told thee their essence.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CIX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"How, O Bharata, should a person act who desires to\nadhere to virtue? O bull of Bharata's race, possessed as thou art of\nlearning, tell me this, questioned by me. Truth and falsehood exist,\ncovering all the worlds. Which of these two, O king, should a person\nadopt that is firm in virtue? What again is truth? What is falsehood?\nWhat, again, is eternal virtue? On what occasions should a person tell\nthe truth, and on what occasions should he tell an untruth?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"To tell the truth is consistent with righteousness. There\nis nothing higher than truth. I shall now, O Bharata, say unto thee that\nwhich is not generally known to men. There where falsehood would assume\nthe aspect of truth, truth should not be said. There, again, where truth\nwould assume the aspect of falsehood, even falsehood should be said. That\nignorant person incurs sin who says truth which is dissociated from\nrighteousness. That person is said to be conversant with duties who can\ndistinguish truth from falsehood.[334] Even a person that is\ndisrespectable, that is of uncleansed soul, and that is very cruel, may\nsucceed in earning great merit as the hunter Valaka by slaying the blind\nbeast (that threatened to destroy all creatures).[335] How extraordinary\nit is that a person of foolish understanding, though desirous of\nacquiring merit (by austere penances) still committed a sinful act![336]\nAn owl again, on the banks of the Ganges, (by doing an unrighteous deed)\nobtained great merit.[337] The question thou hast asked me is a difficult\none, since it is difficult to say what righteousness is. It is not easy\nto indicate it. No one in discoursing upon righteousness, can indicate it\naccurately. Righteousness was declared (by Brahman) for the advancement\nand growth of all creatures. Therefore, that which leads to advancement\nand growth is righteousness. Righteousness was declared for restraining\ncreatures from injuring one another. Therefore, that is Righteousness\nwhich prevents injury to creatures. Righteousness (Dharma) is so called\nbecause it upholds all creatures. In fact, all creatures are upheld by\nrighteousness. Therefore, that is righteousness which is capable of\nupholding all creatures. Some say that righteousness consists in what has\nbeen inculcated in the Srutis. Others do not agree to this. I would not\ncensure them that say so. Everything, again, has not been laid down in\nthe Srutis.[338] Sometimes men (robbers), desirous of obtaining the\nwealth of some one, make enquiries (for facilitating the act of plunder).\nOne should never answer such enquiries. That is a settled duty. If by\nmaintaining silence, one succeeds in escaping, one should remain silent.\nIf, on the other hand, one's silence at a time when one must speak rouses\nsuspicion, it would be better on such an occasion to say what is untrue\nthan what is true. This is a settled conclusion. If one can escape from\nsinful men by even a (false) oath, one may take it without incurring sin.\nOne should not, even if one be able, give away his wealth to sinful men.\nWealth given to sinful men afflicts even the giver. If a creditor desires\nto make his debtor pay off the loan by rendering bodily service, the\nwitnesses would all be liars, if, summoned by the creditor for\nestablishing the truth of the contract, they did not say what should be\nsaid. When life is at risk, or on occasion of marriage, one may say an\nuntruth. One that seeks for virtue, does not commit a sin by saying an\nuntruth, if that untruth be said to save the wealth and prosperity of\nothers or for the religious purposes. Having promised to pay, one becomes\nbound to fulfil his promise. Upon failure, let the self-appropriator be\nforcibly enslaved. If a person without fulfilling a righteous engagement\nacts with impropriety, he should certainly be afflicted with the rod of\nchastisement for having adopted such behaviour.[339] A deceitful person,\nfalling away from all duties and abandoning those of his own order,\nalways wishes to betake himself to the practices of Asuras for supporting\nlife. Such a sinful wretch living by deceit should be slain by every\nmeans. Such sinful men think that there is nothing in this world higher\nthan wealth. Such men should never be tolerated. No one should eat with\nthem. They should be regarded to have fallen down in consequence of their\nsins. Indeed, fallen away from the condition of humanity and shut out\nfrom the grace of the gods, they are even like evil genii. Without\nsacrifices and without penances as they are, forbear from their\ncompanionship. If their wealth be lost, they commit even suicide which is\nexceedingly pitiable. Among those sinful men there is no one to whom thou\ncanst say, 'This is thy duty. Let thy heart turn to it.' Their settled\nconvictions are that there is nothing in this world that is equal to\nwealth. The person that would slay such a creature would incur no sin. He\nwho kills him kills one that has been already killed by his own acts. If\nslain, it is the dead that is slain. He who vows to destroy those persons\nof lost senses should keep his vows.[340] Such sinners are, like the crow\nand the vulture, dependent on deceit for their living. After the\ndissolution of their (human) bodies, they take rebirth as crows and\nvultures. One should, in any matter, behave towards another as that other\nbehaves in that matter. He who practises deceit should be resisted with\ndeceit while one that is honest should be treated with honesty.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Creatures are seen to be afflicted by diverse means\nand almost continually. Tell me, O grandsire, in what way can one\novercome all those difficulties.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Those members of the regenerate class that duly practise,\nwith restrained souls, the duties that have been laid down in the\nscriptures for the several modes of life, succeed in overcoming all these\ndifficulties. They that never practise deceit, they whose behaviour is\nrestrained by salutary restrictions, and they that control all worldly\ndesires, succeed in overcoming all difficulties. They that do not speak\nwhen addressed in evil language, they that do not injure others when\nthemselves injured, they that give but do not take, succeed in overcoming\nall difficulties. They that always give hospitable shelter to guests,\nthey that do not indulge in malice, they that are constantly engaged in\nthe study of the Vedas, succeed in overcoming all difficulties. Those\npersons who, being conversant with duties, adopt that behaviour towards\nparents which they should, they that abstain from sleeping during the\nday, succeed in overcoming all difficulties. They that do not commit any\nkind of sin in thought, word, and deed, they that never injure any\ncreature, succeed in overcoming all difficulties. Those kings that do\nnot, under the influence of passion and covetousness, levy oppressive\ntaxes, and those that protect their own dominions, succeed in overcoming\nall difficulties. They that go to their own wedded wives in season\nwithout seeking the companionship of other women, they that are honest\nand attentive to their Agni-hotras, succeed in overcoming all\ndifficulties. They that are possessed of courage and that, casting away\nall fear of death, engage in battle, desirous of victory by fair means,\nsucceed in overcoming all difficulties. They that always speak truth in\nthis world even when life is at stake, and that are exemplars for all\ncreatures to imitate succeed in overcoming all difficulties. They whose\nacts never deceive, whose words are always agreeable, and whose wealth is\nalways well spent, succeed in overcoming all difficulties. Those\nBrahmanas that never study the Vedas at hours not intended for study, and\nthat practise penances with devotion, succeed in overcoming all\ndifficulties. Those Brahmanas that betake themselves to a life of\ncelibacy and Brahmacharya, that perform penances, and that are cleansed\nby learning, Vedic knowledge, and proper vows, succeed in overcoming all\ndifficulties. They that have checked all the qualities that appertain to\nPassion and Darkness, that are possessed of high souls, and that practise\nthe qualities that are called Good, succeed in overcoming all\ndifficulties. They of whom no creature stands in fear and those that do\nnot fear any creature themselves, they that look upon all creatures as\ntheir own selves, succeed in overcoming all difficulties. Those bulls\namong men that are good, that are never inspired with grief at the sight\nof other people's prosperity, and that abstain from all kinds of ignoble\nbehaviour, succeed in overcoming all difficulties. They that bow to all\nthe gods, that listen to the doctrines of all creeds, that have faith,\nand that are endued with tranquil souls, succeed in overcoming all\ndifficulties. They that do not desire honour for themselves, that give\nhonours unto others, that bow down unto those that deserve their worship,\nsucceed in overcoming all difficulties. They that perform Sraddhas on the\nproper lunar days, with pure minds, from desire of offspring, succeed in\novercoming all difficulties. They that restrain their own wrath and\npacify the wrath of others, and that never get angry with any creature,\nsucceed in overcoming all difficulties. They that abstain, from their\nbirth, from honey and meat and intoxicating drinks, succeed in overcoming\nall difficulties. They that eat for only supporting life, that seek the\ncompanionship of women for the sake only of offspring and that open their\nlips for only speaking what is true, succeed in overcoming all\ndifficulties. They that worship with devotion the god Narayana, that\nSupreme Lord of all creatures, that origin and destruction of the\nuniverse, succeed in overcoming all difficulties. This Krishna here, of\neyes red as the lotus, clad in yellow robes, endued with mighty\narms,--this Krishna who is our well-wisher, brother, friend, and\nrelative,--is Narayana of unfading glory. He covers all the worlds like a\nleathern case, at his own pleasure. He is the puissant Lord, of\ninconceivable soul. He is Govinda, the foremost of all beings. This\nKrishna who is ever engaged in doing what is agreeable and beneficial to\nJishnu, as also to thee, O king, is that foremost of all beings, that\nirresistible one, that abode of eternal felicity. They that with devotion\nseek the refuge of this Narayana, called also Hari, succeed in overcoming\nall difficulties. They that read these verses about the overcoming of\ndifficulties, that recite them to others, and that speak of them unto\nBrahmanas, succeed in overcoming all difficulties. I have now, O sinless\none, told thee all those acts by which men may overcome all difficulties\nboth here and hereafter.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Many persons here that are not really of tranquil\nsouls appear in outward form as men of tranquil souls. There are again\nothers that are really of tranquil souls but that appear to be otherwise.\nHow, O sire, shall we succeed in knowing these people?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is recited the old story of the\ndiscourse between a tiger and a jackal. Listen to it, O Yudhishthira! In\nancient times, in a city called Purika, full of affluence, there was a\nking named Paurika. That worst of beings was exceedingly cruel and took\ndelight in injuring others. On the expiry of the period of his life he\nobtained an undesirable end. In fact, stained by the evil acts of his\nhuman life, he was reborn as a jackal. Remembering his former prosperity,\nhe became filled with grief and abstained from meat even when brought\nbefore him by others. And he became compassionate unto all creatures, and\ntruthful in speech, and firm in the observance of austere vows. At the\nappointed time he took food which consisted of fruit that had dropped\nfrom the trees. That jackal dwelt in a vast crematorium and liked to\ndwell there. And as it was his birth place, he never wished to change it\nfor a finer locality. Unable to endure the purity of his behaviour, the\nother members of his species, endeavoured to make him alter his resolve\nby addressing him in the following words fraught with humility: 'Though\nresiding in this terrible crematorium, thou desirest yet to live in such\npurity of behaviour. Is not this a perversity of understanding on thy\npart, since thou art by nature an eater of carrion? Be thou our like. All\nof us will give thee food. Eat that which ought always to be thy food,\nabandoning such purity of conduct.' Hearing these words of theirs, the\njackal replied unto them, with rapt attention, in these sweet words\nfraught with reason and inculcating harmlessness to all: 'My birth has\nbeen low. It is conduct, however, that determines the race.[341] I desire\nto behave in such a way that my fame may spread. Although my habitation\nis this crematorium, yet listen to my vows in respect of behaviour. One's\nown self is the cause of one's acts. The mode of life to which one may\nbetake oneself is not the cause of one's religious acts. If one, while in\nthe observance of a particular mode of life, slays a Brahmana, will not\nthe sin of Brahmanicide attach to him? If, on the other hand, one gives\naway a cow while one is not in the observance of any particular mode of\nlife, will that pious gift produce no merit? Moved by the desire of\ngetting what is agreeable, ye are engaged in only filling your stomachs.\nStupefied by folly ye do not see the three faults that are in the end. I\ndo not like to adopt the life led by you, fraught as it is with evil both\nhere and hereafter, and characterised as it is by such censurable loss of\nvirtue occasioned by discontentment and temptation.' A tiger, celebrated\nfor prowess, happened to overhear this conversation, and accordingly,\ntaking the jackal for a learned person of pure behaviour, offered him\nsuch respectful worship as was suited to his own self and then expressed\na wish for appointing him his minister.\n\n\"'\"The tiger said, 'O righteous personage, I know what thou art. Do thou\nattend to the duties of government with myself. Enjoy whatever articles\nmay be desired by thee, abandoning whatever may not suit thy taste.[342]\nAs regards ourselves, we are known to be of a fierce disposition. We\ninform thee beforehand of this. If thou behavest with mildness, thou wilt\nbe benefited and reap advantages for thyself.'--Honouring these words of\nthat high-souled lord of all animals, the jackal, hanging down his head a\nlittle, said these words fraught with humility.\n\n\"'\"The jackal said, 'O king of beasts, these words of thine with reference\nto myself are such as befit thee. It is also worthy of thee that thou\nshouldst seek for ministers of pure behaviour and conversant with duties\nand worldly affairs. Thou canst not maintain thy greatness without a\npious minister, O hero, or with a wicked minister that is on the look-out\nfor putting an end to thy very life. Thou shouldst, O highly blessed one,\nregard those amongst thy ministers that are devoted to thee, that are\nconversant with policy, that are independent of one another, desirous of\ncrowning thee with victory, unstained by covetousness, free from deceit,\npossessed of wisdom, ever engaged in thy good, and endued with great\nmental vigour, even as thou regardest thy preceptors or parents. But, O\nking of beasts, as I am perfectly contented with my present position, I\ndo not desire to change it for anything else. I do not covet luxurious\nenjoyments or the happiness that arises from them. My conduct, again, may\nnot agree with that of thy old servants. If they happen to be of wicked\nconduct, they will produce disunion between thee and me. Dependence upon\nanother, even if that other happens to be possessed of splendour, is not\ndesirable or praiseworthy. I am of cleansed soul. I am highly blessed. I\nam incapable of showing severity to even sinners. I am of great\nforesight. I have capacity for great exertion. I do not look at small\nthings. I am possessed of great strength. I am successful in acts. I\nnever act fruitlessly. I am adorned with every object of enjoyment. I am\nnever satisfied with a little. I have never served another. I am,\nbesides, unskilled in serving. I live according to my pleasure in the\nwoods. All who live by the side of kings have to endure great pain in\nconsequence of evil speeches against themselves. Those, however, that\nreside in the woods pass their days, fearlessly and without anxiety, in\nthe observance of vows. The fear that arises in the heart of a person who\nis summoned by the king is unknown to persons passing their days\ncontentedly in the woods, supporting life upon fruits and roots. Simple\nfood and drink obtained without effort, and luxurious food procured with\nfear, widely differ from each other. Reflecting upon these two, I am of\nopinion that there is happiness where there is no anxiety. A few only\namongst those that serve kings are justly punished for their offences. A\nlarge number of them, however, suffer death under false accusations. If,\nnotwithstanding all this, thou appointest me, O king of beasts, as thy\nminister, I wish to make a compact with thee in respect of the behaviour\nthou shouldst always adopt towards me. Those words that I shall speak for\nthy good should be listened to and regarded by thee. The provision which\nthou wilt make for me shall not be interfered with by thee. I shall never\nconsult with thy other ministers. If I do, desirous of superiority as\nthey are they will then impute diverse kinds of faults to me. Meeting\nwith thee alone and in secret I shall say what is for thy good. In all\nmatters connected with thy kinsmen, thou shalt not ask me what is for thy\ngood or what is otherwise. Having consulted with me thou shalt not punish\nthy other ministers afterwards, yielding to rage thou shalt not punish my\nfollowers and dependants.' Thus addressed by the jackal, the king of\nbeasts answered him, saying, 'Let it be so,' and showed him every honour.\nThe jackal then accepted the ministership of the tiger. Beholding the\njackal treated with respect and honoured in all his acts, the old\nservants of the king, conspiring together, began ceaselessly to display\ntheir hatred towards him. Those wicked persons at first strove to gratify\nand win him over with friendly behaviour and make him tolerate the\ndiverse abuses that existed in the waste. Despoilers of other people's\nproperty, they had long lived in the enjoyment of their perquisites. Now,\nhowever, being ruled by the jackal, they were unable to appropriate\nanything belonging to others. Desirous of advancement and prosperity,\nthey began to tempt him with sweet speeches. Indeed, large bribes even\nwere offered to allure his heart. Possessed of great wisdom, the jackal\nshowed no signs of yielding to those temptations. Then some amongst them,\nmaking a compact amongst themselves for effecting his destruction, took\naway the well-dressed meat that was intended for and much desired by the\nking of beasts, and placed it secretly in the house of the jackal. The\njackal knew who had stolen the meat and who had conspired to do it. But\nthough he knew everything, he tolerated it for a particular object. He\nhad made a compact with the king at the time of his accepting the\nministership, saying, 'Thou desirest my friendship, but thou shalt not, O\nmonarch, mistrust me without cause.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"When the king of beasts, feeling hungry, came to\neat, he saw not the meat that was to have been kept ready for his dinner.\nThe king then ordered, 'Let the thief be found out.' His deceitful\nministers represented unto him that the meat kept for him had been stolen\naway by his learned minister, the jackal, that was so proud of his own\nwisdom. Hearing of this injudicious act on the part of the jackal, the\ntiger became filled with rage. Indeed, the king, giving way to his wrath,\nordered his minister to be slain. Beholding the opportunity, the former\nministers addressed the king, saying, 'The jackal is ever ready to take\naway from all of us the means of sustenance.' Having represented this\nthey once more spoke of the jackal's act of robbing the king of his food.\nAnd they said, 'Such then is his act! What is there that he would not\nventure to do? He is not as thou hadst heard. He is righteous in speech\nbut his real disposition is sinful. A wretch in reality, he has disguised\nhimself by putting on a garb of virtue. His behaviour is really sinful.\nFor serving his own ends he had practised austerities in the matter of\ndiet and of vows. If thou disbelievest this, we will give thee ocular\nproof.' Having said this, they immediately caused that meat to be\ndiscovered by entering the jackal's abode. Ascertaining that the meat was\nbrought back from the jackal's house and hearing all those\nrepresentations of his old servants, the king ordered, saying, 'Let the\njackal be slain.' Hearing these words of the tiger, his mother came to\nthat spot for awakening son's good sense with beneficial counsels. The\nvenerable dame said, 'O son, thou shouldst not accept this accusation\nfraught with deceit. Wicked individuals impute faults to even an honest\nperson, moved by envy and rivalry. Enemies desirous of a quarrel cannot\nendure the elevation of an enemy brought about by his high feats. Faults\nare ascribed to even a person of pure soul engaged in penances. With\nrespect to even an ascetic living in the woods and employed in his own\n(harmless) acts, are raised three parties, viz., friends, neutrals, and\nfoes. They that are rapacious hate them that are pure. The idle hate the\nactive. The unlearned hate the learned. The poor hate the rich. The\nunrighteous hate the righteous. The ugly hate the beautiful. Many amongst\nthe learned, the unlearned, the rapacious, and the deceitful, would\nfalsely accuse an innocent person even if the latter happens to be\npossessed of the virtues and intelligence of Vrihaspati himself. If meat\nhad really been stolen from thy house in thy absence, remember, the\njackal refuses to take any meat that is even given to him. Let this fact\nbe well considered (in finding out the thief). Wicked persons sometimes\nput on the semblance of the good, and they that are good sometimes wear\nthe semblance of the wicked. Diverse kinds of aspect are noticeable in\ncreatures. It is, therefore, necessary to examine which is which. The\nfirmament seems to be like the solid base of a vessel. The fire-fly seems\nto be like the actual spark of fire. In reality, however, the sky has no\nbase and there is no fire in the fire-fly. You see, there is necessity,\ntherefore, for scrutiny in respect of even such things as are addressed\nto the eye. If a person ascertains everything after scrutiny, he is never\ncalled upon to indulge in any kind of regret afterwards. It is not at all\ndifficult, O son, for a master to put his servant to death. Forgiveness,\nhowever, in persons possessed of power, is always praiseworthy and\nproductive of renown. Thou hadst made the jackal thy first minister. In\nconsequence of that act, thou hadst earned great fame among all\nneighbouring chiefs. A good minister cannot be obtained easily. The\njackal is thy well-wisher. Let him, therefore, be supported. The king who\nregards a really innocent person falsely accused by his enemies to be\nguilty, soon meets the destruction in consequence of the wicked ministers\nthat lead him to that conviction.' After the tiger's mother had concluded\nher speech, a righteous agent of the jackal, stepping out of that phalanx\nof his foes, discovered everything about the manner in which that false\naccusation had been made. The jackal's innocence being made manifest, he\nwas acquitted and honoured by his master. The king of beasts\naffectionately embraced him again and again. The jackal, however, who was\nconversant with the science of policy, burning with grief, saluted the\nking of beasts and solicited his permission for throwing away his life by\nobserving the Praya vow. The tiger, casting upon the virtuous jackal his\neyes expanded with affection and honouring him with reverential worship,\nsought to dissuade him from the accomplishment of his wishes. The jackal,\nbeholding his master agitated with affection, bowed down to him and in a\nvoice choked with tears said these words: 'Honoured by thee first, I have\nafterwards been insulted by thee. Thy behaviour towards me is calculated\nto make me an enemy of thine. It is not proper therefore, that I should\nany longer dwell with thee. Servants that are discontented, that have\nbeen driven from their offices, or degraded from the honours that were\ntheirs, that have brought destitution upon themselves, or have been\nruined by their enemies (through the wrath of their master), that have\nbeen weakened, that are rapacious, or enraged, or alarmed, or deceived\n(in respect of their employers), that have suffered confiscation, that\nare proud and desirous of achieving great feats but deprived of the means\nof earning wealth, and that burn with grief or rage in consequence of any\ninjury done to them, always wait for calamities to overtake their\nmasters. Deceived, they leave their masters and become effective\ninstruments in the hands of foes.[343] I have been insulted by thee and\npulled down from my place. How wilt thou trust me again? How shall I (on\nmy part) continue to dwell with thee? Thinking me to be competent thou\ntookest me, and having examined me thou hadst placed me in office.\nViolating the compact then made (between us) thou hast insulted me. If\none speaks of a certain person before others as possessed of righteous\nbehaviour, one should not, if desirous of maintaining one's consistency,\nafterwards describe the same person as wicked. I who have thus been\ndisregarded by thee cannot any longer enjoy thy confidence. On my part,\nwhen I shall see thee withdraw thy confidence from me, I shalt be filled\nwith alarm and anxiety. Thyself suspicious and myself in alarm, our\nenemies will be on the look-out for opportunities for injuring us. Thy\nsubjects will, as a consequence, become anxious and discontented. Such a\nstate of things has many faults. The wise do not regard that situation\nhappy in which there is honour first and dishonour afterwards. It is\ndifficult to reunite the two that have been separated, as, indeed, it is\ndifficult to separate the two that are united. If persons reunited after\nseparation approach one another again, their behaviour cannot be\naffectionate. No servant is to be seen who is moved (in what he does) by\nonly the desire of benefiting his master. Service proceeds from the\nmotive of doing good to the master as also one's own self. All acts are\nundertaken from selfish motives. Unselfish acts or motives are very rare.\nThose kings whose hearts are restless and unquiet cannot acquire a true\nknowledge of men. Only one in a hundred can be found who is either able\nor fearless. The prosperity of men, as also their fall, comes of itself.\nProsperity and adversity, and greatness, all proceed from weakness of\nunderstanding.'\"[344]\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Having said these conciliatory words fraught with\nvirtue, pleasure, and profit, and having gratified the king, the jackal\nretired to the forest. Without listening to the entreaties of the king of\nbeasts, the intelligent jackal cast off his body by sitting in praya and\nproceeded to heaven (as the reward of his good deeds on earth).\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"What acts should be done by a king, and what are\nthose acts by doing which a king may become happy? Tell me this in\ndetail, O thou that art the foremost of all persons acquainted with\nduties.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I shall tell thee what thou wishest to know. Listen to\nthe settled truth about what should be done in this world by a king and\nwhat those acts are by doing which a king may become happy. A king should\nnot behave after the manner disclosed in the high history of a camel of\nwhich we have heard. Listen to that history then, O Yudhishthira! There\nwas, in the Krita age, a huge camel who had recollection of all the acts\nof his former life. Observing the most rigid vows, that camel practised\nvery severe austerities in the forest. Towards the conclusion of his\npenances, the puissant Brahman became gratified with him. The Grandsire,\ntherefore, desired to grant him boons.\n\n\"'\"The camel said, 'Let my neck, O holy one, become long through thy grace,\nso that, O puissant lord, I may be able to seize any food that may lie\neven at the end of even a hundred Yojanas.' The high-souled giver of\nboons said, 'Let it be so.' The camel then, having obtained the boon,\nreturned to his own forest. The foolish animal, from the day of obtaining\nthe boon, became idle. Indeed, the wretch, stupefied by fate, did not\nfrom that day go out for grazing. One day, while extending his long neck\nof a hundred Yojanas, the animal was engaged in picking his food without\nany labour, a great storm arose. The camel, placing his head and a\nportion of the neck within the cave of a mountain, resolved to wait till\nthe storm would be over. Meanwhile it began to pour in torrents, deluging\nthe whole earth. A jackal, with his wife, drenched by the rain and\nshivering with cold, dragged himself with difficulty towards that very\ncave and entered it quickly for shelter. Living as he did upon meat, and\nexceedingly hungry and tired as he was, O bull of Bharata's race, the\njackal, seeing the camel's neck, began to eat as much of it as he could.\nThe camel, when he perceived that his neck was being eaten, strove in\nsorrow to shorten it. But as he moved it up and down, the jackal and his\nwife, without losing their hold of it, continued to eat it away. Within a\nshort time the camel was deprived of life. The jackal then, having (thus)\nslain and eaten the camel, came out of the cave after the storm and\nshower had ceased. Thus did that foolish camel meet with his death.\nBehold, what a great evil followed in the train of idleness. As regards\nthyself, avoiding idleness and restraining thy senses, do everything in\nthe world with proper means. Manu himself has said that victory depends\nupon intelligence. All acts that are accomplished with the aid of\nintelligence are regarded as the foremost, those achieved with the aid of\narms are middling, those achieved with the aid of feet are inferior,\nwhile those done by carrying loads are the lowest. If the king is clever\nin the transaction of business and restrains his senses, his kingdom\nendures. Manu himself has said that it is with the aid of the\nintelligence that an ambitious person succeeds in achieving victories. In\nthis world, O Yudhishthira, they who listen to wise counsels that are not\ngenerally known, that are, O sinless one, possessed of allies, and that\nact after proper scrutiny, succeed in achieving all their objects. A\nperson possessed of such aids succeeds in ruling the entire earth. O thou\nthat art possessed of prowess like that of Indra himself, this has been\nsaid by wise men of ancient times conversant with the ordinances laid\ndown in the scriptures. I, also, with sight directed to the scriptures,\nhave said the same to thee. Exercising thy intelligence, do thou act in\nthis world, O king!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me, O bull of Bharata's race, how a king,\nwithout the usual aids, having obtained a kingdom that is so precious a\npossession, behave himself towards a powerful foe.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the old story of the discourse\nbetween the Ocean and the Rivers. In days of old, eternal Ocean, that\nlord of Rivers, that refuge of the foes of the celestials, asked all the\nRivers for resolving this doubt that had arisen in his mind.\n\n\"'\"The Ocean said, 'Ye Rivers, I see that all of you, with your full\ncurrents, bring away trees of large trunks, tearing them off with their\nroots and branches. Ye do not, however, ever bring to me a cane. The\ncanes that grow on your banks are of mean stems and destitute of\nstrength. Do you refuse to wash them down through contempt, or are they\nof any use to you? I desire, therefore, to hear what the motive is that\ninspires all of you. Indeed, why is it that canes are not washed down by\nany of you, uprooted from the banks where they grow?' Thus addressed, the\nRiver Ganga, replied unto Ocean, that lord of all Rivers, in these words\nof grave import, fraught with reason, and, therefore, acceptable to all.\n\n\"'\"Ganga said, 'Trees stand in one and the same place and are unyielding in\nrespect of the spot where they stand. In consequence of this disposition\nof theirs to resist our currents, they are obliged to leave the place of\ntheir growth. Canes, however, act differently. The cane, beholding the\nadvancing current, bends to it. The others do not act in that way. After\nthe current has passed away, the cane resumes its former posture. The\ncane knows the virtues of Time and opportunity. It is docile and\nobedient. It is yielding, without being stiff. For these reasons, it\nstands where it grows, without having to come with us. Those plants,\ntrees, and creepers that bend and rise before the force of wind and\nwater, have never to suffer discomfiture (by being taken up by the\nroots).'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"That person who does not yield to the power of a foe\nthat has advanced in might and that is competent to imprison or kill,\nsoon meets with destruction.[345] That man of wisdom who acts after\nascertaining fully the strength and weakness, the might and energy, of\nhimself and his foe, has never to suffer discomfiture. An intelligent\nman, therefore, when he sees his enemy to be more powerful than himself,\nshould adopt the behaviour of the cane. That is an indication of wisdom.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXIV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"How, O Bharata, should a learned man adorned with\nmodesty behave, O chastiser of foes, when assailed with harsh speeches in\nthe midst of assemblies by an ignorant person swelling with conceit?\"[346]\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Listen, O lord of earth, how the subject has been treated\nof (in the scriptures), how a person of good soul should endure in this\nworld the abusive speeches of persons of little intelligence. If a\nperson, when abused by another, do not yield to wrath, he is then sure to\ntake away (the merit of) all the good deeds that have been done by the\nabuser. The endurer, in such a case, communicates the demerit of all his\nown bad acts to the person who under the influence of wrath indulges in\nabuse. An intelligent man should disregard an abusive language who\nresembles, after all, only a Tittibha uttering dissonant cries.[347] One\nwho yields to hate is said to live in vain. A fool may often be heard to\nsay, 'Such a respectable man was addressed by me in such words amid such\nan assembly of men,' and to even boast of that wicked act. He would add,\n'Abused by me, the man remained silent as if dead with shame.' Even thus\ndoes a shameless man boast of an act about which no one should boast.\nSuch a wretch among men should carefully be disregarded. The man of\nwisdom should endure everything that such a person of little intelligence\nmay say. What can a vulgar fellow do by either his praise or his blame?\nHe is even like a crow that caws uselessly in the woods. If those who\naccuse others by only their words could establish those accusations by\nsuch means, then, perhaps, their words would have been regarded to be of\nsome value. As a fact, however, these words are as effective as those\nuttered by fools invoking death upon them with whom they quarrel.[348]\nThat man simply proclaims his bastardy who indulges in such conduct and\nwords. Indeed, he is even like a peacock that dances while showing such a\npart of his body as should be ever concealed from the view.[349] A person\nof pure conduct should never even speak with that wight of sinful conduct\nwho does not scruple to utter anything or do anything. That man who speaks\nof one's merits when one's eye is upon him and who speaks ill of one when\none's eye is withdrawn from him, is really like a dog. Such a person\nloses all his regions in heaven and the fruits of any knowledge and\nvirtue that he may have.[350] The man who speaks ill of one when one's\neye is not upon him, loses without delay the fruits of all his libations\non fire and of the gifts he may make unto even a hundred persons. A man\nof wisdom, therefore, should unhesitatingly avoid a person of such sinful\nheart who deserves to be avoided by all honest men, as he would avoid the\nflesh of the dog. That wicked-souled wretch who proclaims the faults of a\nhigh-souled person, really publishes (by that act) his own evil nature\neven as a snake displays his hood (when interfered with by others). The\nman of sense who seeks to counteract such a back-biter ever engaged in an\noccupation congenial to himself, finds himself in the painful condition\nof a stupid ass sunk in a heap of ashes. A man who is ever engaged in\nspeaking ill of others should be avoided like a furious wolf, or an\ninfuriated elephant roaring in madness, or a fierce dog. Fie on that\nsinful wretch who has betaken himself to the path of the foolish and has\nfallen away from all wholesome restraints and modesty, who is always\nengaged in doing what is injurious to others, and who is regardless of\nhis own prosperity. If an honest man wishes to exchange words with such\nwretches when they seek to humiliate him, he should be counselled in\nthese words: Do not suffer thyself to be afflicted. A wordy encounter\nbetween a high and a low person is always disapproved by persons of\ntranquil intelligence. A slanderous wretch, when enraged, may strike\nanother with his palms, or throw dust or chaff at another, or frighten\nanother by showing or grinding his teeth. All this is well known. That\nman who endures the reproaches and slanders of wicked-souled wights\nuttered in assemblies, or who reads frequently these instructions, never\nsuffers any pain occasioned by speech.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O grandsire, O thou that art possessed of great\nwisdom, I have one great doubt that perplexes me. Thou shouldst, O king,\nresolve it. Thou art an advancer of our family. Thou hast discoursed to\nus upon the slanderous speeches uttered by wicked-souled wretches of bad\nconduct. I desire, however, to question thee further. That which is\nbeneficial to a kingdom, that which is productive of the happiness of the\nroyal line, that which is productive of good and advancement in the\nfuture and the present, that which is good in respect of food and drink\nand as regards also the body, are topics upon which I wish thee to\ndiscourse. How should a king who has been placed on the throne and who\ncontinues to occupy it, surrounded by friends, ministers, and servants\ngratify his people. That king who, led away by his affections and\npredilections, becomes devoted to evil associates, and who pays court to\nwicked men in consequence of his being enthralled by his senses, finds\nall servants of good birth and blood disaffected towards him. Such a king\nnever succeeds in obtaining those objects the accomplishment of which\ndepends upon one's having a number of good servants about him. It\nbehoveth thee that art equal to Vrihaspati himself in intelligence to\ndiscourse to me upon these duties of kings which are difficult to be\nascertained and thereby remove my doubts. Thou, O tiger among men, art\never engaged in accomplishing the good of our race. For this reason thou\nalways discoursest to us on the duties of king-craft. Kshatri (Vidura)\nalso, possessed of great wisdom, always gives us valuable instruction.\nHearing instructions from thee that are productive of good to our race\nand kingdom, I shall be able to pass my days in happiness like a person\ngratified with having quaffed the deathless Amrita. What classes of\nservants are to be regarded as inferior and what is possessed of every\naccomplishment? Aided by what class of servants or by servants of what\nkind of birth, is it advisable to discharge the duties of ruling? If the\nking choose to act alone and without servants, he can never succeed in\nprotecting his people. All persons, however, of high birth covet the\nacquisition of sovereignty.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The king, O Bharata, cannot alone rule his kingdom.\nWithout servants to aid him, he cannot succeed in accomplishing any\nobject. Even if he succeeds in gaining any object, he cannot (if alone),\nretain it. That king whose servants are all possessed of knowledge and\nwisdom, who are all devoted to the good of their master, and who are of\nhigh birth and tranquil disposition, succeeds in enjoying the happiness\nconnected with sovereignty. That king whose ministers are all well born,\nincapable of being weaned away from him (by means of bribes and other\ninfluences), who always live with him, who are engaged in giving advice\nto their master, who are possessed of wisdom and goodness, who have a\nknowledge of the relations of things, who can provide for future events\nand contingencies, who have a good knowledge of the virtues of time, and\nwho never grieve for what is past, succeeds in enjoying the happiness\nthat attaches to sovereignty. That king whose servants share with him his\ngriefs and joys, who always do what is agreeable to him, who always\ndirect their attention to the accomplishment of their master's objects,\nand all of whom are faithful, succeeds in enjoying the happiness that\nattaches to sovereignty. The king whose subjects are always cheerful, and\nhigh minded, and who always tread in the path of the righteousness,\nsucceeds in enjoying the happiness attached to sovereignty. He is the\nbest of kings all the sources of whose income are managed and supervised\nby contented and trustworthy men well acquainted with the means of\nincreasing the finances. That king succeeds in obtaining affluence and\ngreat merit whose repositories and barns are supervised by incorruptible,\ntrust-worthy, devoted, and uncovetous servants always bent upon\ngathering. That king in whose city justice is administered properly with\nthe result of such administration leading to the well known results of\nfining the plaintiff or the defendant if his case is untrue, and in which\ncriminal laws are administered even after the manner of Sankha and\nLikhita, succeeds in earning the merit that attaches to sovereignty. That\nking who attaches his subjects to himself by kindness, who is conversant\nwith the duties of kings, and who attends to the aggregate of six,\nsucceeds in earning the merit that attaches to sovereignty.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXVI\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the following history of\nolden times. That history is regarded as a high precedent amongst good\nand wise men. That history has connection with the present topic. I heard\nit in the hermitage of Rama, the son of Jamadagni, recited by many\nforemost of Rishis. In a certain large forest uninhabited by human\nbeings, there lived an ascetic upon fruit and roots observing rigid vows,\nand with his senses under control. Observant also of stringent\nregulations and self-restraint, of tranquil and pure soul, always\nattentive to Vedic recitations, and of heart cleansed by fasts, he\nadopted a life of goodness towards all creatures. Possessed of great\nintelligence, as he sat on his seat, the goodness of his behaviour having\nbeen known to all the creatures that lived in that forest, they used to\napproach him with affection. Fierce lions and tigers, infuriated\nelephants of huge size, leopards, rhinoceroses, bears, and other animals\nof fierce aspect, subsisting upon blood, used to come to the Rishi and\naddress him the usual questions of polite enquiry. Indeed, all of them\nbehaved towards him like disciples and slaves and always did unto him\nwhat was agreeable. Coming to him they addressed the usual enquiries, and\nthen went away to their respective quarters. One domestic animal,\nhowever, lived there permanently, never leaving the Muni at any time. He\nwas devoted to the sage and exceedingly attached to him. Weak and\nemaciated with fasts, he subsisted upon fruit and roots and water, and\nwas tranquil and of inoffensive aspect. Lying at the feet of that\nhigh-souled Rishi as the latter sat, the dog, with a heart like that of a\nhuman being, became exceedingly attached to him in consequence of the\naffection with which he was treated. One day a leopard of great strength\ncame there, subsisting upon blood. Of a cruel disposition and always\nfilled with delight at the prospect of prey, the fierce animal looked\nlike a second Yama. Licking the corners of his mouth with the tongue, and\nlashing his tail furiously, the leopard came there, hungry and thirsty,\nwith wide open jaws, desirous of seizing the dog as his prey. Beholding\nthat fierce beast coming, O king, the dog, in fear of his life, addressed\nthe Muni in these words. Listen unto them, O monarch! 'O holy one, this\nleopard is a foe of the dogs. It wishes to slay me. O great sage, do thou\nact in such a way that all my fears from this animal may be dispelled\nthrough thy grace. O thou of mighty arms, without doubt thou art\npossessed of omniscience.' Acquainted with the thoughts of all creatures,\nthe sage felt that the dog had ample cause for fear. Possessed of the six\nattributes and capable of reading the voices of all animals, the sage\nsaid the following words.\n\n\"'\"The sage said, 'Thou shalt have no fear of death from leopards any\nlonger. Let thy natural form disappear and be thou a leopard, O son!' At\nthese words, the dog was transformed into a leopard with skin bright as\ngold. With stripes on his body and with large teeth, thenceforth he began\nto live in that forest fearlessly. Meanwhile, the leopard, seeing before\nhim an animal of his own species, immediately forsook all feelings of\nanimosity towards it. Some time after, there came into the hermitage a\nfierce and hungry tiger with open mouth. Licking the corners of his mouth\nwith the tongue, and eagerly desirous of drinking blood, that tiger began\nto approach towards the animal that had been transformed into a leopard.\nBeholding the hungry tiger of terrible teeth approach that forest, the\n(transformed) leopard sought the Rishi's protection for saving his life.\nThe sage, who showed great affection for the leopard in consequence of\nthe latter's living in the same place with him, forthwith transformed his\nleopard into a tiger powerful for all foes. The tiger seeing a beast of\nhis own species did him no injury, O king. The dog, having in course of\ntime been transformed into a powerful tiger subsisting upon flesh and\nblood, abstained from his former food which had consisted of fruit and\nroots. Indeed, from that time, O monarch, the transformed tiger lived,\nsubsisting upon the other animals of the forest, like a true king of\nbeasts.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXVII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The dog transformed into a tiger, gratified with the\nflesh of slain beasts, slept at his ease. One day as he lay on the yard\nof the hermitage, an infuriated elephant came there, looking like a risen\ncloud. Of huge stature, with rent cheeks, having signs of the lotus on\nhis body, and with broad frontal globes, the animal had long tusks and a\nvoice deep as that of the clouds. Beholding that infuriated elephant,\nproud of his strength, approaching towards him, the tiger agitated with\nfear, sought the protection of the Rishi. That best of sages thereupon\ntransformed the tiger into an elephant. The real elephant, seeing an\nindividual of his own species, huge as mass of clouds, became terrified.\nThe Rishi's elephant then, freckled with the dust of lotus filaments,\ndived delightfully into lakes overgrown with lotuses and wandered by\ntheir banks indented with rabbit holes. A considerable time elapsed in\nthis way. One day as the elephant was cheerfully striding along the\nvicinity of the hermitage, there came before him unto that spot a maned\nlion born in a mountain cave and accustomed to slay elephants. Beholding\nthe lion coming, the Rishi's elephant, from fear of life, began to\ntremble and sought the protection of the sage. The sage thereupon\ntransformed that prince of elephants into a lion. As the wild lion was an\nanimal of same species with himself, the Rishi's lion no longer feared\nhim. On the other hand, the wild lion seeing a stronger beast of his own\nspecies before him, became terrified. The Rishi's lion began to dwell in\nthat hermitage within the forest. Through fear of that animal, the other\nanimals no longer ventured to approach the hermitage. Indeed, they all\nseemed to be inspired with fear about the safety of their lives. Some\ntime after one day, a slayer of all animals, possessed of great strength\ninspiring all creatures with fright, having eight legs and eyes on the\nforehead, viz., a Sarabha, came to that spot. Indeed he came to that very\nhermitage for the object of slaying the Rishi's lion. Seeing this, the\nsage transformed his lion into a Sarabha of great strength. The wild\nSarabha, beholding the Rishi's Sarabha before him to be fiercer and more\npowerful, quickly fled away, from that forest. Having been thus\ntransformed into a Sarabha by the sage, the animal lived happily by the\nside of his transformer. All the animals then that dwelt in the vicinity\nbecame inspired with the fear of that Sarabha. Their fear and the desire\nof saving their lives led them all to fly away from that forest. Filled\nwith delight, the Sarabha continued every day to slay animals for his\nfood. Transformed into a carnivorous beast, he no longer affected fruit\nand roots upon which he had formerly lived. One day that ungrateful beast\nwho had first been a dog but who was now transformed into a Sarabha,\neagerly thirsting for blood, wished to slay the sage. The latter, by\nascetic power, saw it all by his spiritual knowledge. Possessed of great\nwisdom, the sage, having ascertained the intentions of the beast,\naddressed him in these words.\n\n\"'\"The sage said, 'O dog, thou wert first transformed into a leopard. From\na leopard thou wert then made a tiger. From a tiger thou wert next\ntransformed into an elephant with the temporal juice trickling down thy\ncheeks. Thy next transformation was into a lion. From a mighty lion thou\nwert then transformed into a Sarabha. Filled with affection for thee, it\nwas I that transformed thee into these diverse shapes. Thou didst not,\nand dost not, belong by birth, to any of those species. Since, however, O\nsinful wretch, thou desirest to slay me who have done thee no injury,\nthou shalt return to thy own species and be a dog again.' After this,\nthat mean and foolish animal of wicked soul, transformed into a Sarabha\nonce more assumed, in consequence of the Rishi's curse, his own proper\nform of a dog.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXVIII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Having once more assumed his proper form, the dog became\nvery cheerless. The Rishi, reproving him, drove the sinful creature from\nhis hermitage. An intelligent king should, guided by this precedent,\nappoint servants, each fit for the office assigned to him, and exercise\nproper supervision over them, having first ascertained their\nqualifications in respect of truthfulness and purity, sincerity, general\ndisposition, knowledge of the scripture, conduct, birth, self-restraint,\ncompassion, strength, energy, dignity, and forgiveness. A king should\nnever take a minister without first having examined him. If a king\ngathers round him persons of low birth, he can never be happy. A person\nof high birth, even if persecuted without any fault by his royal master,\nnever sets his heart, in consequence of the respectability of his blood,\nupon injuring his master. An individual, however, that is mean and of low\nbirth, having obtained even great affluence from his connection with some\nhonest man, becomes an enemy of the latter if only he is reproached in\nwords.[351] A minister should be possessed of high birth and strength; he\nshould be forgiving and self-restrained, and have all his sense under\ncontrol; he should be free from the vice of rapacity, contented with his\njust acquisitions, delighted with the prosperity of his master and\nfriends, conversant with the requirements of place and time, ever\nemployed in attaching men to himself or his master by doing good offices\nto them, always attentive to his duties, desiring the good of his master,\nalways heedful, faithful in the discharge of his own duties, a thorough\nmaster of the art of war and peace, conversant with the king's\nrequirements in respect of the great aggregate of three, beloved by both\nthe citizens and the inhabitants of the provinces, acquainted with all\nkinds of battle-array for piercing and breaking the enemy's ranks,\ncompetent to inspire the forces of his master with cheerfulness and joy,\ncapable of reading signs and gestures, acquainted with all requirements\nin respect of march, skilled in the art of training elephants, free from\npride, confident of his own powers, clever in the transaction of\nbusiness, always doing what is right, of righteous conduct, surrounded by\nrighteous friends, of sweet speech, possessed of agreeable features,\ncapable of leading men, well-versed in policy, possessed of\naccomplishments, energetic in action, active, possessed of ingenuity, of\na sweet temper, modest in address, patient, brave, rich, and capable of\nadapting his measures to the requirement of place and time. That king who\nsucceeds in obtaining such a minister can never be humiliated or\noverpowered by any one. Indeed, his kingdom gradually spreads over the\nearth like the light of the moon. A king, again, who is conversant with\nthe scriptures, who regards righteousness to be superior to everything,\nwho is always engaged in protecting his subjects, and who is possessed of\nthe following virtues, obtains the love of all. He should be patient,\nforgiving, pure in conduct, severe when the occasion requires it,\nacquainted with the efficacy of exertion, respectful in his behaviour\ntowards all his seniors, possessed of a knowledge of the scriptures,\nready to listen to the instructions and counsels of those that are\ncompetent to instruct and give counsel, capable of judging correctly amid\ndifferent or opposite courses of action suggested to him, intelligent, of\na retentive memory, ready to do what is just, self-restrained, always\nsweet-speeched, forgiving even unto enemies, practising charity\npersonally, possessed of faith, of agreeable features, ready to extend\nthe hand of succour to persons plunged in distress, possessed of\nministers that always seek his good, free from the fault of egoism, never\nwithout a wife,[352] and undisposed to do anything with haste. He should\nalways reward his ministers when they achieve anything signal. He should\nlove those that are devoted to him. Avoiding idleness, he should always\nattract men to himself by doing good to them. His face should always be\ncheerful. He should always be attentive to the wants of his servants and\nnever give way to wrath. He should, besides, be magnanimous. Without\nlaying aside the rod of chastisement, he should wield it with propriety.\nHe should make all men about him act righteously. Having spies for his\neyes, he should always supervise the concerns of his subjects, and should\nbe conversant in all matters connected with virtue and wealth. A king\nthat is possessed of these hundred qualifications earns the love of all.\nEvery ruler should strive to be such. The king should also, O monarch,\nsearch for good warriors (to enlist in his army) that should all be\npossessed of the necessary qualifications, for aiding him in protecting\nhis kingdom. A king that desires his own advancement should never\ndisregard his army. That king whose soldiers are brave in battle,\ngrateful, and versed in the scriptures, whose army consists of\nfoot-soldiers conversant with the treatises on religion and duty, whose\nelephant-warriors are fearless, whose car-warriors are skilled in their\nown mode of fighting and well-versed in shooting arrows and in wielding\nother weapons, succeeds in subjugating the whole earth. That king who is\nalways employed in attaching all men to himself, who is ready for\nexertion, who is rich in friends and allies, becomes the foremost of\nrulers. A king who has succeeded in attaching all men unto himself, may,\nO Bharata, with the aid of even a thousand horsemen of courage, succeed\nin conquering the whole earth.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXIX\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"That king who, guided by the lesson to be drawn from the\nstory of the dog, appoints his servants to offices for which each is fit,\nsucceeds in enjoying the happiness that is attached to sovereignty. A dog\nshould not, with honours, be placed in a position above that for which he\nis fit. If a dog be placed above the situation which is fit for him, he\nbecomes intoxicated with pride. Ministers should be appointed to offices\nfor which they are fit and should possess such qualifications as are\nneeded for their respective occupations. Appointments of unfit persons\nare not at all approved. That king who confers on his servants offices\nfor which each is fit, succeeds, in consequence of such merit, to enjoy\nthe happiness attaching to sovereignty. A Sarabha should occupy the\nposition of a Sarabha; a lion should swell with the might of a lion; a\ntiger should be placed in the position of a tiger; and a leopard should\nbe placed as a leopard. Servants should, according to the ordinance, be\nappointed to offices for which each is fit. If thou wishest to achieve\nsuccess, thou shouldst never appoint servants in situations higher than\nwhat they deserve. That foolish king who, transgressing precedent,\nappoints servants to offices for which they are not fit, fails to gratify\nhis people. A king that desires to possess accomplished servants should\nnever appoint persons that are destitute of intelligence, that are\nlow-minded, that are without wisdom, that are not masters of their\nsenses, and that are not of high birth. Men that are honest, possessed of\nhigh birth, brave, learned, destitute of malice and envy, high-minded,\npure in behaviour, and clever in the transaction of business, deserve to\nbe appointed as ministers. Persons that are possessed of humility, ready\nin the performance of their duties, tranquil in disposition, pure in\nmind, adorned with diverse other gifts of nature, and are never the\nobjects of calumny in respect of the offices they hold, should be the\nintimate associates of the king. A lion should always make a companion of\na lion. If one that is not a lion becomes the companion of a lion, one\nearns all the advantages that belong to a lion. That lion however who,\nwhile engaged in discharging the duties of a lion, has a pack of dogs\nonly for his associates, never succeeds in consequence of such\ncompanionship, in accomplishing those duties. Even thus, O ruler of men,\nmay a king succeed in subjugating the whole earth if he has for his\nministers men possessed of courage, wisdom, great learning, and high\nbirth. O foremost of royal masters, kings should never entertain a\nservant that is destitute of learning and sincerity and wisdom and great\nwealth. These men that are devoted to the services of their master are\nnever stopped by any impediments. Kings should always speak in soothing\nterms unto those servants that are always engaged in doing good to their\nmasters. Kings should always, with great care, look after their\ntreasuries. Indeed, kings have their roots in their treasuries. A king\nshould always seek to swell his treasury. Let thy barns, O king, be\nfilled with corn. And let their keep be entrusted to honest servants. Do\nthou seek to increase thy wealth and corn. Let thy servants, skilled in\nbattle, be always attentive to their duties. It is desirable that they\nshould be skilful in the management of steeds. O delighter of the Kurus,\nattend to the wants of thy kinsmen and friends. Be thou surrounded with\nfriends and relatives. Seek thou the good of thy city. By citing the\nprecedent of the dog I have instructed thee about the duties thou\nshouldst adopt towards thy subjects. What further dost thou wish to\nhear?\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou hast, O Bharata, discoursed upon the many\nduties of king-craft that were observed and laid down in days of old by\npersons of ancient times conversant with kingly duties. Thou hast,\nindeed, spoken in detail of those duties as approved by the wise. Do\nthou, however, O bull of Bharata's race, speak of them in such a way that\none may succeed in retaining them in memory.\"[353]\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The protection of all creatures is regarded as the\nhighest duty of the Kshatriya. Listen now to me, O king, as to how the\nduty of protection is to be exercised. A king conversant with his duties\nshould assume many forms even as the peacock puts forth plumes of diverse\nhues. Keenness, crookedness, truth, and sincerity, are the qualities that\nshould be present in him. With thorough impartiality, he should practise\nthe qualities of goodness if he is to earn felicity. He must assume that\nparticular hue or form which is beneficial in view of the particular\nobject which he seeks to accomplish.[354] A king who can assume diverse\nforms succeeds in accomplishing even the most subtle objects. Dumb like\nthe peacock in autumn, he should conceal his counsel. He should speak\nlittle, and the little he speaks should be sweet. He should be of good\nfeatures and well versed in the scriptures. He should always be heedful\nin respect of those gates through which dangers may come and overtake\nhim, like men taking care of breaks in embankments through which the\nwaters of large tanks may rush and flood their fields and houses. He\nshould seek the refuge of Brahmanas crowned with ascetic success even as\nmen seek the refuge of lordly rivers generated by the rain-water\ncollected within mountain lakes. That king who desires to amass wealth\nshould act like religious hypocrites in the matter of keeping a coronal\nlock.[355] The king should always have the rod of chastisement uplifted\nin his hands. He should always act heedfully (in the matter of levying\nhis taxes) after examining the incomes and expenses of his subjects like\nmen repairing to a full-grown palmyra for drawing its juice.[356] He\nshould act equitably towards his own subjects; cause the crops of his\nenemies to be crushed by the tread of his cavalry; march against foes\nwhen his own wings have become strong; and observe all the sources of his\nown weakness. He should proclaim the faults of his foes; crush those that\nare their partisans; and collect wealth from outside like a person\nplucking flowers from the woods. He should destroy those foremost of\nmonarchs that swell with might and stand with uplifted heads like\nmountains, by seeking the shelter of unknown shades[357] and by\nambuscades and sudden attacks. Like the peacock in the season of rains,\nhe should enter his nightly quarters alone and unseen. Indeed, he should\nenjoy, after the manner of the peacock, within his inner apartments, the\ncompanionship of his wives. He should not put off his mail. He should\nhimself protect his own self, and avoid the nets spread out for him by\nthe spies and secret agents of his foes. He should also win over the\naffections of the spies of his enemies, but extirpate them when\nopportunity occurs. Like the peacocks the king should kill his powerful\nand angry foes of crooked policy, and destroy their force and drive them\naway from home. The king should also like the peacock do what is good to\nhim, and glean wisdom from everywhere as they collect insects even from\nthe forest. A wise and peacock-like king should thus rule his kingdom and\nadopt a policy which is beneficial to him. By exercising his own\nintelligence, he should settle what he is to do. By consulting with\nothers he should either abandon or confirm such resolution. Aided by that\nintelligence which is sharpened by the scriptures, one can settle his\ncourses of action. In this consists the usefulness of the scriptures. By\npractising the arts of conciliation, he should inspire confidence in the\nhearts of his enemies. He should display his own strength. By judging of\ndifferent courses of action in his own mind he should, by exercising his\nown intelligence, arrive at conclusions. The king should be well-versed\nin the arts of conciliatory policy, he should be possessed of wisdom; and\nshould be able to do what should be done and avoid what should not. A\nperson of wisdom and deep intelligence does not stand in need of counsels\nor instruction. A wise man who is possessed of intelligence like\nVrihaspati, if he incurs obloquy, soon regains his disposition like\nheated iron dipped in water. A king should accomplish all objects, of his\nown or of others, according to the means laid down in the scriptures. A\nking conversant with the ways of acquiring wealth should always employ in\nhis acts such men as are mild indisposition, possessed of wisdom and\ncourage and great strength. Beholding his servants employed in acts for\nwhich each is fit, the king should act in conformity with all of them\nlike the strings of a musical instrument, stretched to proper tension,\naccording with their intended notes. The king should do good to all\npersons without transgressing the dictates of righteousness. That king\nstands immovable as a hill whom everybody regards--'He is mine.' Having\nset himself to the task of adjudicating between litigants, the king,\nwithout making any difference between persons that are liked and those\nthat are disliked by him, should uphold justice. The king should appoint\nin all his offices such men as are conversant with the characteristics of\nparticular families, of the masses of the people, and of different\ncountries; as are mild in speech; as are of middle age; as have no\nfaults; as are devoted to good act; as are never heedless; as are free\nfrom rapacity; as are possessed of learning and self-restraint; as are\nfirm in virtue and always prepared to uphold the interests of both virtue\nand profit. In this way, having ascertained the course of actions and\ntheir final objects the king should accomplish them heedfully; and\ninstructed in all matters by his spies, he may live in cheerfulness. The\nking who never gives way to wrath and joy without sufficient cause, who\nsupervises all his acts himself, and who looks after his income and\nexpenditure with his own eyes, succeeds in obtaining great wealth from\nthe earth. That king is said to be conversant with the duties of\nking-craft who rewards his officers and subjects publicly (for any good\nthey do), who chastises those that deserve chastisement, who protects his\nown self, and who protects his kingdom from every evil. Like the Sun\nshedding his rays upon everything below, the king should always look\nafter his kingdom himself, and aided by his intelligence he should\nsupervise all his spies and officers. The king should take wealth from\nhis subjects at the proper time. He should never proclaim what he does.\nLike an intelligent man milking his cow every day, the king should milk\nhis kingdom every day. As the bee collects honey from flowers gradually,\nthe king should draw wealth gradually from his kingdom for storing it.\nHaving kept apart a sufficient portion, that which remains should be\nspent upon acquisition of religious merit and the gratification of the\ndesire for pleasure. That king who is acquainted with duties and who is\npossessed of intelligence should never waste what has been stored. The\nking should never disregard any wealth for its littleness; he should\nnever disregard foes for their powerlessness; he should, by exercising\nhis own intelligence, examine his own self; he should never repose\nconfidence upon persons destitute of intelligence. Steadiness,\ncleverness, self-restraint, intelligence, health, patience, bravery, and\nattention to the requirements of time and place,--these eight qualities\nlead to the increase of wealth, be it small or be it much. A little fire,\nfed with clarified butter, may blaze forth into a conflagration. A single\nseed may produce a thousand trees. A king, therefore, even when he hears\nthat his income and expenditure are great, should not disregard the\nsmaller items. A foe, whether he happens to be a child, a young man, or\nan aged one, succeeds in slaying a person who is heedless. An\ninsignificant foe, when he becomes powerful, may exterminate a king. A\nking, therefore, who is conversant with the requirements of time is the\nforemost of all rulers. A foe, strong or weak, guided by malice, may very\nsoon destroy the fame of a king, obstruct the acquisition of religious\nmerit by him, and deprive him of even his energy. Therefore, a king that\nis of regulated mind should never be heedless when he has a foe. If a\nking possessed of intelligence desire affluence and victory, he should,\nafter surveying his expenditure, income, savings, and administration,\nmake either peace or war. For this reason the king should seek the aid of\nan intelligent minister. Blazing intelligence weakens even a mighty\nperson; by intelligence may power that is growing be protected; a growing\nfoe is weakened by the aid of intelligence; therefore, every act that is\nundertaken conformably to the dictates of intelligence is deserving of\npraise. A king possessed of patience and without any fault, may, if he\nlikes, obtain the fruition of all his wishes, with the aid of even a\nsmall force. That king, however, who wishes to be surrounded by a train\nof self-seeking flatterers,[358] never succeeds in winning even the\nsmallest benefit. For these reasons, the king should act with mildness\nin taking wealth from his subjects. If a king continually oppresses his\npeople, he meets with extinction like a flash of lightening that blazes\nforth only for a second. Learning, penances, vast wealth, indeed,\neverything, can be earned by exertion. Exertion, as it occurs in embodied\ncreatures, is governed by intelligence. Exertion, therefore, should be\nregarded as the foremost of all things. The human body is the residence\nof many intelligent creatures of great energy, of Sakra, of Vishnu, of\nSaraswati, and of other beings. A man of knowledge, therefore, should\nnever disregard the body.[359] A covetous man should be subjugated by\nconstant gifts. He that is covetous is never satiated with appropriating\nother people's wealth. Every one, however, becomes covetous in the matter\nof enjoying happiness. If a person, therefore, becomes destitute of\nwealth, he becomes destitute of virtue and pleasure (which are objects\nattainable by wealth). A covetous man seeks to appropriate the wealth,\nthe enjoyments, the sons and daughters, and the affluence of others. In\ncovetous men every kind of fault may be seen. The king, therefore, should\nnever take a covetous man for his minister or officer. A king (in the\nabsence of proper agents) should despatch even a low person for\nascertaining the disposition and acts of foes. A ruler possessed of\nwisdom should frustrate all the endeavours and objects of his enemies.\nThat trustful and high-born king who seeks instruction from learned and\nvirtuous Brahmanas and who is protected by his ministers, succeeds in\nkeeping all his tributary chiefs under proper control. O prince of men, I\nhave briefly discoursed to thee of all the duties laid down in the\nscriptures. Attend to them, aided by thy intelligence. That king who, in\nobedience to his preceptor, attends to these, succeeds in ruling the\nwhole earth. That king who disregards the happiness that is derivable\nfrom policy and seeks for that which chance may bring, never succeeds in\nenjoying the happiness that attaches to sovereignty or in winning regions\nof bliss hereafter.[360] A king that is heedful, by properly attending to\nthe requirements of war and peace, succeeds in slaying even such foes as\nare eminent for wealth, worshipped for intelligence and good conduct,\npossessed of accomplishments, brave in battle, and ready for exertion.\nThe king should discover those means which are furnished by different\nkinds of acts and measures. He should never depend upon destiny. One that\nsees faults in faultless persons never succeeds in winning prosperity and\nfame. When two friends engage in accomplishing one and the same act, a\nwise man always applauds him among the two that takes upon himself the\nheavier share of the work. Do thou practise these duties of kings that I\nhave told thee. Set thy heart upon the duty of protecting men. Thou mayst\nthen easily obtain the reward of virtue. All the regions of felicity\nhereafter are dependent upon merit!\"'\"[361]\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O grandsire, thou hast now finished thy discourse\nupon the duties of kings. From what thou hast said it seems that\nChastisement occupies a high position and is the lord of everything for\neverything depends upon Chastisement. It seems, O puissant one, that\nChastisement, which is possessed of great energy and which is present\neverywhere, is the foremost of all beings among either gods and Rishis\nand high-souled Pitris and Yakshas and Rakshasas and Pisachas and\nSadhyas, or living beings in this world including beasts and birds. Thou\nhast said that the entire universe, mobile and immobile, including gods,\nAsuras, and men, may be seen to depend upon Chastisement. I now desire, O\nbull of Bharata's race, to know truly who Chastisement is. Of what kind\nis he? What is his form? What is his disposition? Of what is he made?\nWhence is his origin? What are his features? What is his splendour? How\ndoes he remain wakeful among living creatures so heedfully? Who is he\nthat remains eternally wakeful, protecting this universe? Who is he that\nis known to be the foremost of all things? Who, indeed, is that high\npersonage called Chastisement? What is that upon which Chastisement\ndepends? And what is his course?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Listen, O descendent of Kuru, who Chastisement is and why\nhe is called also Vyavahara! That upon whom all things depend is called\nChastisement. Chastisement is that by which righteousness is kept up. He\nis sometimes called Vyavahara. In order that the righteousness of a king\nthat is heedfully awake may not suffer extinction (Chastisement has come\nto be called by that name). It is for this reason that the name Vyavahara\nbecomes applicable to it.[362] In olden days Manu, O king, declared first\nof all this truth, viz.,--'He who protects all creatures, the loved and\nthe odious equally, by impartially wielding the rod of Chastisement, is\nsaid to be the embodiment of righteousness.'--These words that I have\nsaid were, O king, first uttered in days of old by Manu. They represent\nthe high words of Brahman. And because these words were spoken first,\ntherefore, they are known as the first words. And since it is by\nChastisement that the misappropriation of other people's possessions is\nstopped, therefore Chastisement has come to be called by the name of\nVyavahara. The aggregate of three always rests on well applied\nChastisement. Chastisement is a great god. In form he looks like a\nblazing fire. His complexion is dark like that of the petals of the blue\nlotus. He is equipt with four teeth, has four arms and eight legs and\nmany eyes. His ears are pointed like shafts and his hair stands upright.\nHe has matted locks and two tongues. His face has the hue of copper, and\nhe is clad in a lion's skin.[363] That irresistible deity assumes such a\nfierce shape. Assuming again the form of the sword, the bow, the mace,\nthe dart, the trident, the mallet, the arrow, the thick and short club,\nthe battle-axe, the discus, the noose, the heavy bludgeon, the rapier,\nthe lance, and in fact of every kind of weapon that exists on earth,\nChastisement moves in the world. Indeed, Chastisement moves on earth,\npiercing and cutting and afflicting and lopping off and dividing and\nstriking and slaying and rushing against its victims. These, O\nYudhishthira, are some of the names which Chastisement bears, viz.,\nSword, Sabre, Righteousness, Fury, the Irresistible, the Parent of\nprosperity, Victory, Punisher, Checker, the Eternal, the Scriptures,\nBrahmana, Mantra, Avenger, the Foremost of first Legislators, Judge, the\nUndecaying, God, the individual whose course is irresistible, the\nEver-agoing, the First born, the individual without affections, the Soul\nof Rudra, the eldest Manu and the great Benefactor. Chastisement is the\nholy Vishnu. He is the puissant Narayana. And because he always assumes a\nterrible form, therefore he is called Mahapurusha. His wife Morality is\nalso known by the names of Brahmana's Daughter, Lakshmi, Vriti,\nSaraswati, and Mother of the universe. Chastisement thus has many forms.\nBlessings and curse, pleasure and pain, righteousness and\nunrighteousness, strength and weakness, fortune and misfortune, merit and\ndemerit, virtue and vice, desire and aversion, season and month, night\nand day, and hour, heedfulness and heedlessness, joy and anger, peace and\nself-restraint, destiny and exertion, salvation and condemnation, fear\nand fearlessness, injury and abstention from injury, penances and\nsacrifice and rigid abstinence, poison and healthy food, the beginning,\nthe middle, and the end, the result of all murderous acts, insolence,\ninsanity, arrogance, pride, patience, policy, impolicy, powerlessness and\npower, respect, disrespect, decay and stability, humility, charity,\nfitness of time and unfitness of time, falsehood, wisdom, truth, belief,\ndisbelief, impotence, trade, profit, loss, success, defeat, fierceness,\nmildness, death, acquisition and non-acquisition, agreement and\ndisagreement, that which should be done and that which should not be\ndone, strength and weakness, malice and goodwill, righteousness and\nunrighteousness, shame and shamelessness, modesty, prosperity and\nadversity, energy, acts, learning, eloquence, keenness of\nunderstanding,--all these, O Yudhishthira, are forms of Chastisement in\nthis world. Hence, Chastisement is exceedingly multiform. If Chastisement\nhad not existed, all creatures would have ground one another. Through\nfear of Chastisement, O Yudhishthira, living creatures do not slay one\nanother. The subjects, O king, always protected by Chastisement, enhance\nthe might of their ruler. It is for this that Chastisement is regarded as\nthe foremost refuge of all. Chastisement, O king, quickly sets the world\non the path of righteousness. Dependent upon truth, righteousness exists\nin the Brahmanas. Endued with righteousness, foremost of Brahmanas became\nattached to the Vedas. From the Vedas the sacrifices flow. Sacrifices\ngratify the deities. The deities, being gratified, commend the denizens\nof the earth to Indra. For benefiting the denizens of the earth, Indra\ngives them food (in the form of rain without which crops and vegetation\nwould fail). The life of all creatures depends upon food. From food\ncreatures derive their support and growth. Chastisement (in the form of\nthe Kshatriya ruler) remains wakeful amongst them. For serving this\nobject, Chastisement assumes the form of a Kshatriya among men.\nProtecting men, he remains awake, always heedful and never decaying.\nChastisement has again these other eight names, viz., God, Man, Life,\nPower, Heart, the Lord of all creatures, the Soul of all things, and the\nLiving creature. God gave both affluence and the rod of chastisement to\nthe king who is possessed of strength (in the form of military forces)\nand who is a combination of five ingredients.[364] Nobility of blood,\nministers of great wealth, knowledge, the different kinds of forces (such\nas strength of body, energy of mind, etc.), with the eight objects\nmentioned below, and the other force (viz., that which depends upon a\nwell-filled treasury), should be sought for the king, O Yudhishthira.\nThose eight objects are elephants, horses, cars, foot soldiers, boats,\nimpressed labourers (for following the camp and doing other work),\nincrease of population, and cattle (such as sheep, etc.). Of the army\nequipped in mail and with other accoutrements, car-warriors,\nelephant-warriors, cavalry, infantry, officers, and surgeons constitute\nthe limbs. Beggars, principal judges, astrologers, performers of\npropitiatory and Atharvan rites, treasury, allies, grain, and all other\nrequisites, constitute the body, composed of seven attributes and eight\nlimbs, of a kingdom. Chastisement is another powerful limb of a kingdom.\nChastisement (in the form of an army) is the author of a kingdom. God\nhimself has, with great care, sent Chastisement for the use of the\nKshatriya. This eternal universe is impartial Chastisement's self. There\nis nothing more worthy of respect by kings than Chastisement by which the\nways of Righteousness are pointed out. Brahman himself, for the\nprotection of the world and for establishing the duties of different\nindividuals, sent down (or created) Chastisement. There is another kind\nof Vyavahara arising out of the dispute of litigants which also has\nsprung from Brahman. Principally characterised by a belief in either of\nthe two parties, that Vyavahara is seen to be productive of good. There\nis another kind of Vyavahara which has the Veda for its soul. It is also\nsaid to have the Veda for its cause. There is, O tiger among kings, a\n(third) kind of Vyavahara which is connected with family customs but\nwhich is consistent with the scriptures.[365] That Vyavahara which has,\nas above, been said to be characterised by a belief in either of two\nlitigant parties, should be known by us as inhering in the king. It\nshould be also known by the name of Chastisement, as also by the name of\nEvidence. Although Chastisement is seen to be regulated by Evidence, yet\nit has been said to have its soul in Vyavahara. That which has been\ncalled Vyavahara is really based upon Vedic precepts. That Vyavahara\nwhich has been indicated to have the Vedas for its soul is Morality or\nduty. It is also productive of good unto persons believing in duty and\nmorality, men of cleansed souls have spoken of that Vyavahara as they\nhave done of ordinary law.[366] The third kind of Vyavahara is also a\npreceptor of men, and it has also its roots in the Veda, O Yudhishthira!\nIt upholds the three worlds. It has Truth for its soul and it is\nproductive of prosperity. That which is Chastisement has been seen by us\nto be eternal Vyavahara. That which has been said to be Vyavahara is\nverily the Veda. That which is the Veda is morality, duty. That which is\nmorality and duty is the path of Righteousness. This last it was which in\nthe beginning had been Grandsire Brahman, that Lord of all creatures.\nBrahman is the Creator of the entire universe with the gods and Asuras and\nRakshasas and human beings and snakes, and of every other thing. Hence\nthat Vyavahara which is characterised by a belief in either of two\nlitigant parties has also flowed from him. For this reason He has laid\ndown the following in respect of Vyavahara: Neither mother, nor father,\nnor brother, nor wife, nor priest, is unpunishable with that king who\nrules agreeably to his duty.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the old story that follows.\nThere was among the Angas a king of great splendour, called Vasuhoma.\nThat king was always engaged in acts of piety, and accompanied by his\nspouse he always practiced the most rigid penances. He repaired to the\nspot called Munjaprishtha held in high esteem by the Pitris and the\ncelestial Rishis. There, on that peak of Himavat, near the golden\nmountains of Merit, (the great Brahmana here) Rama, sitting under the\nshade of a well-known banian, had tied his matted locks together.[367]\nFrom that time, O monarch, the spot, which is a favourite haunt of Rudra,\ncame to be called Munjaprishtha by Rishis of rigid vows. King Vasuhoma,\nresiding in that spot, acquired many pious attributes and, having gained\nthe esteem of the Brahmanas, came to be regarded as a celestial Rishi in\nholiness. One day, that crusher of foes, that friend of Sakra, viz., king\nMandhatri of great soul, came to Vasuhoma on his mountain retreat.\nArrived there, Mandhatri, beholding king Vasuhoma of austere penances\nstood before the latter in an attitude of humility. Vasuhoma offered unto\nhis guest water to wash his feet, and the Arghya consisting of the usual\narticles, and enquired of him about the well-being or otherwise of his\nkingdom consisting of seven limbs. After this, Vasuhoma addressed his\nroyal guest who faithfully followed the practices of the righteous men of\nold, saying, 'What, O king, shall I do for thee?' Thus addressed, O\ndelighter of the Kurus, Mandhatri, that best of kings, highly gratified,\nanswered Vasuhoma of great wisdom seated at his ease, in the following\nwords.\n\n\"'\"Mandhatri said, 'Thou hast, O king, studied all the doctrines of\nVrihaspati. O best of men, the doctrines laid down by Usanas also are\nknown to thee. I desire to know what is the origin of Chastisement. What\nwas awake before Chastisement? What also is said to be its end? How came\nChastisement to depend upon the Kshatriya? Tell me all this, O thou of\ngreat wisdom! I come to thee as a disciple ready to give thee the\ntutorial fee.'[368]\n\n\"'\"Vasuhoma said, 'Listen, O king, as to how Chastisement, that upholder of\nthe world, arose. The soul of righteousness, it is eternal, and was\ncreated for maintaining the due government of all creatures. It hath been\nheard by us that once upon a time, the Grandsire of all the worlds, viz.,\nthe divine Brahman desiring to perform a sacrifice, failed to find a\npriest possessed of qualifications like himself. For this reason he\nconceived in his brain and held the foetus there for many long years.\nAfter a thousand years had passed away, the great god sneezed. In that\nact, the foetus fell from his head. The divine being, O chastiser of\nfoes, that thus took birth from Brahman was called by the name of Kshupa.\nPossessed of great powers, he became a lord of creatures. That Kshupa\nbecame the priest, O king, in the sacrifice of the high-souled Grandsire.\nUpon the commencement of that sacrifice of Brahman, O best of kings,\nChastisement disappeared in consequence of the visible form that the\nGrandsire was then obliged to assume.[369] Chastisement having\ndisappeared, a great confusion set in among all creatures. There was no\nlonger any distinction between what should be done and what should not.\nAll distinction, again, between clean and unclean food ceased. Men ceased\nto distinguish between what drink was allowable and what drink was\notherwise. All creatures began to injure one another. There were no\nrestraints in the matter of the union of the sexes. All idea of property\nceased. All creatures began to rob, and snatching meat from one another.\nThe strong began to slay the weak. Nobody cherished the slightest\nconsideration for his neighbour. The Grandsire then, having worshipped\nthe divine and eternal Vishnu, addressed that great boon-giving god,\nsaying, \"It behoveth thee, O Kesava, to show mercy on the present\noccasion. Let it be so ordained by thee that the confusion that has\noccurred may disappear.\" Thus addressed, that foremost of deities, armed\nwith an enormous Sula,[370] having reflected long, created his ownself\ninto the form of Chastisement. From that form, having Righteousness for\nits legs, the goddess Saraswati created Danda-niti (Science of\nChastisement) which very soon became celebrated over the world. After\nthis the great god armed with the enormous Sula, having again reflected\nfor some time, appointed a few among the gods as the lords or rulers of\ntheir respective classes. It was then that he made the divine Indra of a\nthousand eyes the ruler of the deities. Yama the son of Vivaswat was made\nthe lord of the Pitris. Kuvera was made the lord of treasures and of all\nthe Rakshasas. Meru was made the king of the mountains, and Ocean was\nmade the lord of the rivers. The puissant Varuna was installed into the\nsovereignty of the waters and the Asuras. Death was made the lord of life\nand all living things, and Fire was appointed as the lord of all things\npossessed of energy. The puissant Isana the high-souled and eternal\nMahadeva, of three eyes, was made the lord of the Rudras. Vasishtha was\nmade the lord of the Brahmanas, and Jatavedas was made the chief of the\nVasus. Surya was made the lord of all luminous bodies, and Chandramas was\nmade the king of Stars and constellations. Ansumat was made the lord of\nall herbs, and the puissant and foremost of deities, viz., Kumara or\nSkanda, of twelve arms, was made the chief of all the spirits and ghostly\nbeings (that wait upon Mahadeva). Time, possessing the seeds of both\ndestruction and growth, was made the sovereign of all creatures as also\nof the four portions of Death (viz., weapons, diseases, Yama, and acts)\nand lastly of grief and joy. The Srutis declare that the supreme god\nMahadeva, that lord of lords, O king, armed with Sula, is the chief of\nthe Rudras. The rod of chastisement was given to Brahmana's son of\nsubsequent birth, viz., Kshupa, that lord of all creatures and the\nforemost one of all virtuous persons. Upon the completion of that\nsacrifice according to due rites, Mahadeva, after doing proper reverence\nmade over Chastisement, that protector of Righteousness, unto\nVishnu.[371] Vishnu gave it to Angiras; and Angiras, that foremost of\nascetics, made it over to Indra and Marichi. Marichi gave it to Bhrigu.\nBhrigu gave that rod intended for the protection of righteousness, unto\nall the Rishis. The Rishis gave it unto the Regents of the world, and the\nRegents made it over again to Kshupa. Kshupa then made it over to Manu\nthe son of Surya. The deity of Sraddhas (viz., Manu), gave it unto his\nsons for the sake of true righteousness and wealth. Chastisement should\nbe inflicted with discrimination, guided by righteousness and not by\ncaprice. It is intended for restraining the wicked. Fines and forfeitures\nare intended for striking alarm, and not for filling the king's treasury.\nThe maiming of one's body or the infliction of death should not proceed\nfrom trivial causes. The infliction of physical pain by diverse means,\nhurling from tops of mountains, and banishment also, should not proceed\nfrom similar causes. Surya's son Manu gave the rod of chastisement (to\nhis sons) for the protection of the world. Chastisement, in the hands of\nsuccessive holders, remains awake, protecting all creatures. At the top\nof the scale, the divine Indra is awake (with the rod of chastisement);\nafter him, Agni of blazing flames; after him, Varuna; after Varuna,\nPrajapati; after Prajapati, Righteousness whose essence consists of\nrestraint;[372] after Righteousness the son of Brahman, viz., the eternal\nLaw; after Law, Energy is awake, employed in the act of protection; after\nEnergy, the herbs (offered in sacrifices for supporting the gods and used\nas food and medicines); after the herbs, the mountains; after the\nmountains, all kinds of juices and their attributes; after these, the\ngoddess Niriti; after Niriti, the planets and the luminous bodies in\nheaven; after these, the Vedas; after the Vedas, the puissant form of\nVishnu with equine head; after him, the almighty and eternal Grandsire,\nviz., Brahman; after the Grandsire, the divine and blessed Mahadeva;\nafter Mahadeva, the Viswedevas; after them, the great Rishis; after the\nRishis the divine Soma; after Soma, the deities who are all eternal;\nafter the deities, know that the Brahmanas are awake. After the\nBrahmanas, the Kshatriyas are righteously protecting all creatures. The\neternal universe, consisting of mobile and immobile creatures, is kept\nawake by the Kshatriyas. Creatures are kept awake in this world, and\nChastisement is awake among them. Possessed of splendour resembling that\nof the Grandsire himself, Chastisement keeps together and upholds\neverything.[373] Time, O Bharata, is always awake, in the beginning, the\nmiddle, and the end. The master of all the worlds, the lord of all\ncreatures, the puissant and blessed Mahadeva, the god of gods, is always\nawake. He is called by these names also, viz., Kapardin, Sankara, Rudra,\nBhava, Sthanu and the lord of Uma. Thus Chastisement also keeps awake in\nthe beginning, the middle, and the end. A virtuous king should rule\nproperly, guided by Chastisement.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"That person who listens to this teaching of\nVasuhoma, and having listened to it conducts himself according to its\ntenure, is sure to obtain the fruition of all his wishes. I have now, O\nbull among men, told thee everything as to who Chastisement is, that\nrestrainer of the universe which is governed by righteousness.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"I wish, O sire, to hear the settled conclusions on\nthe subject of Virtue, Wealth, and Pleasure. Depending upon which of\nthese does the course of life proceed? What are the respective roots of\nVirtue, Wealth, and Pleasure? What are again the results of those three?\nThey are sometimes seen to mingle with one another, and sometimes to\nexist separately and independently of one another.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"When men in this world endeavour with good hearts to\nachieve Wealth with the aid of Virtue, then those three, viz., Virtue,\nWealth, and Pleasure, may be seen to co-exist in a state of union in\nrespect of time, cause, and action.[374] Wealth has its root in Virtue,\nand Pleasure is said to be the fruit of Wealth. All the three again have\ntheir root in Will. Will is concerned with objects. All objects, again,\nin their entirety, exist for gratifying the desire of enjoyment. Upon\nthese then does the aggregate of three depend. Entire abstraction from\nall objects is Emancipation. It is said that Virtue is sought for the\nprotection of the body, and Wealth is for the acquisition of Virtue.\nPleasure is only the gratification of the senses. All the three have,\ntherefore, the quality of Passion.[375] Virtue, Wealth, and Pleasure,\nwhen sought for the sake of heaven or such other rewards, are said to be\nremote because the rewards themselves are remote. When sought, however,\nfor the sake of Knowledge of Self, they are said to be proximate. One\nshould seek them when they are of such a character.[376] One should not\ncast them off even mentally. If Virtue, Wealth, and Pleasure are to be\nabandoned, one should abandon them when one has freed one's self by\nascetic penances.[377] The aim of the triple aggregate is towards\nemancipation. Would that man could obtain it! One's acts, undertaken and\ncompleted with even the aid of intelligence may or may not lead to the\nexpected results. Virtue is not always the root of Wealth, for other\nthings than Virtue lead to Wealth (such as service, agriculture, &c).\nThere is again a contrary opinion (for some say that Wealth is earned\nthrough chance or birth or like causes). In some instances, Wealth\nacquired has been productive of evil. Other things again than Wealth\n(such as fasts and vows) have led to the acquisition of Virtue. As\nregards this topic, therefore, a dullard whose understanding has been\ndebased by ignorance, never succeeds in acquiring the highest aim of\nVirtue and Wealth, viz., Emancipation. Virtue's dross consists in the\ndesire of reward; the dross of Wealth consists in hoarding it; when\npurged of these impurities, they are productive of great results. In this\nconnection is cited the narrative of the discourse that look place in\ndays of old between Kamandaka and Angaristha. One day, king Angaristha,\nhaving waited for the opportunity, saluted the Rishi Kamandaka as he was\nseated at his ease and asked him the following questions, 'If a king,\nforced by lust and folly, commits sin for which he afterwards repents, by\nwhat acts, O Rishi, can those sins be destroyed? If again a man impelled\nby ignorance, does what is sinful in the belief that he is acting\nrighteously, how shall the king put a stop to that sin come into vogue\namong men?'\n\n\"'\"Kamandaka said, 'That man who, abandoning Virtue and Wealth pursues only\nPleasure, reaps as the consequence of such conduct the destruction of his\nintelligence. The destruction of intelligence is followed by heedlessness\nthat is at once destructive of both Virtue and Wealth. From such\nheedlessness proceed dire atheism and systematic wickedness of conduct.\nIf the king does not restrain those wicked men of sinful conduct, all\ngood subjects then live in fear of him like the inmate of a room within\nwhich a snake has concealed itself. The subjects do not follow such a\nking. Brahmanas and all pious persons also act in the same way. As a\nconsequence the king incurs great danger, and ultimately the risk of\ndestruction itself. Overtaken by infamy and insult, he has to drag on a\nmiserable existence. A life of infamy, however, is equal to death. Men\nlearned in the scriptures have indicated the following means for checking\nsin. The king should always devote himself to the study of the three\nVedas. He should respect the Brahmanas and do good offices unto them. He\nshould be devoted to righteousness. He should make alliance (of marriage)\nwith high families. He should wait upon high-minded Brahmanas adorned\nwith the virtue of forgiveness. He should perform ablutions and recite\nsacred mantras and thus pass his time happily. Banishing all wicked\nsubjects from himself and his kingdom, he should seek the companionship\nof virtuous men. He should gratify all persons by speeches or good acts.\nHe should say unto all--\"I am yours,\"--proclaim the virtues of even his\nfoes. By pursuing such conduct he may soon cleanse himself of his sins\nand win the high regard of all. Without doubt, by conduct such as this\nall his sins will be destroyed. Thou shouldst accomplish all those high\nduties which thy seniors and preceptors would indicate. Thou art sure to\nobtain great blessing through the grace of thy seniors and preceptors.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXIV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"All persons on earth, O foremost of men, applaud\nvirtuous behaviour. I have, however, great doubts with respect to this\nobject of their praise. If the topic be capable of being understood by\nus, O foremost of virtuous men, I desire to hear everything about the way\nin which virtuous behaviour can be acquired. How indeed, is that\nbehaviour acquired, O Bharata! I desire to hear it. Tell me also, O\nforemost of speakers, what has been said to be the characteristics of\nthat behaviour.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Formerly, O giver of honours, Duryodhana while burning\nwith grief at sight of that well-known prosperity belonging to thee and\nthy brothers at Indraprastha and for the jeers he received in consequence\nof his mistakes at the grand mansion, had asked his father Dhritarashtra\nthe same question. Listen to what transpired on that occasion, O Bharata!\nHaving seen that grand mansion of thine and that high prosperity of which\nthou wert master, Duryodhana, while sitting before his father, spake of\nwhat he had seen to the latter. Having heard the words of Duryodhana,\nDhritarashtra, addressing his son and Karna, replied unto him as follows.\n\n\"'\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Why dost thou grieve, O son! I desire to hear the\ncause in detail. If after ascertaining the reasons they appear to be\nadequate, I shall then endeavour to instruct thee. O subjugator of\nhostile towns, thou too hast obtained great affluence. All thy brothers\nare ever obedient to thee, as also all thy friends and relatives. Thou\ncoverest thy limbs with the best robes. Thou eatest the richest\nfood.[378] Steeds of the best kind bear thee. Why then hast thou become\npale and emaciated?'\n\n\"'\"Duryodhana said, 'Ten thousands of high-souled Snataka Brahmanas daily\neat at Yudhishthira's palace off plates of gold. Beholding his excellent\nmansion adorned with excellent flowers and fruit, his steeds of the\nTittiri and the Kalmasha breeds, his robes of diverse kinds, indeed,\nbeholding that high prosperity of my enemies viz., the sons of Pandu, a\nprosperity that resembles the high affluence of Vaisravana himself, I am\nburning with grief, O Bharata!'\n\n\"'\"Dhritarashtra said, 'If thou wishest, O sire, to win prosperity like\nthat of Yudhishthira or that which is even superior to it, do thou then, O\nson, endeavour to be of virtuous behaviour. Without doubt, one may, by\nbehaviour alone, conquer the three worlds. There is nothing impossible of\nattainment by persons of virtuous behaviour. Mandhatri conquered the\nwhole world in course of only one night, Janamejaya, in course of three,\nand Nabhaga, in course of seven. All these kings were possessed of\ncompassion and of virtuous behaviour. For this reason the earth came to\nthem of their own accord, won over by their virtue.'\n\n\"'\"Duryodhana said, 'I desire to hear, O Bharata, how that behaviour may be\nacquired, that behaviour, viz., in consequence of which the earth was won\nso speedily (by the kings named by thee).'\n\n\"'\"Dhritarashtra said, 'In this connection, the following old narrative is\ncited. It was formerly recited by Narada on the subject of virtuous\nbehaviour. In days of yore, the Daitya Prahlada, by the merit of his\nbehaviour, snatched from the high-souled Indra his sovereignty and\nreduced the three worlds to subjection. Sukra then, with joined hands,\napproached Vrihaspati. Possessed of great wisdom, the chief of the\ncelestials addressed the great preceptor, saying, \"I desire thee to tell\nme what is the source of felicity.\" Thus addressed, Vrihaspati said unto\nhim that Knowledge (leading to emancipation) is the source of the highest\nfelicity. Indeed, Vrihaspati indicated Knowledge to be the source of\nsupreme felicity. Indra, however, once more asked him as to whether there\nwas anything higher than that.\n\n\"'\"'Vrihaspati said, \"There is something, O son, that is still higher. The\nhigh-souled Bhargava (Usanas) will instruct thee better. Repair to him,\nblessed be thou, and enquire of him, O chief of the celestials!\"\nPossessed of great ascetic merit and endued with great splendour, the\nchief of the celestials then repaired to Bhargava and obtained from him\nwith a gratified heart, a knowledge of what was for his great good.\nObtaining the permission of the high-souled Bhargava, the performer of a\nhundred sacrifices once more asked the sage as to whether there was\nanything higher (as the means for the acquisition of felicity) than what\nthe sage had already told him. The omniscient Bhargava said, \"The\nhigh-souled Prahlada has better knowledge.\" Learning this, Indra became\nhighly delighted. The chastiser of Paka, possessed of great intelligence,\nassumed the form of a Brahmana, and repairing to Prahlada, asked him,\nsaying, \"I desire to hear what conduces to felicity.\" Prahlada answered\nthe Brahmana, saying, \"O chief of regenerate ones, I have no time, being\nwholly occupied in the task of ruling the three worlds, I cannot,\ntherefore, instruct thee.\" The Brahmana said, \"O king, when thou mayst\nhave leisure, I desire to listen to thy instructions about what course of\nconduct is productive of good.\" At this answer, king Prahlada became\ndelighted with that utterer of Brahma. Saying, \"So be it!\" he availed of\na favourable opportunity for imparting to the Brahmana the truths of\nknowledge. The Brahmana duly observed towards Prahlada the conduct which\na disciple should observe towards his preceptor, and began with his whole\nheart to do what Prahlada desired. Many a time the Brahmana enquired,\nsaying, \"O chastiser of foes, by what means hast thou been able to win\nthe sovereignty of the three worlds? Tell me, O righteous king, what\nthose means are.\" Prahlada, O monarch, answered the question the Brahmana\nasked.\n\n\"'\"'Prahlada said, \"I do not, O regenerate one, feel any pride in\nconsequence of my being a king, nor do I cherish any hostile feelings\ntowards the Brahmanas. On the other hand, I accept and follow the\ncounsels of policy they declare unto me based upon the teachings of\nSukra. In complete trustfulness they say unto me what they wish to say,\nand restrain me from courses that are unrighteous or improper. I am ever\nobedient to the teachings of Sukra. I wait upon and serve the Brahmanas\nand my seniors. I bear no malice. I am of righteous soul. I have\nconquered wrath. I am self-restrained, and all my senses are under my\ncontrol. These regenerate ones that are my instructors pour beneficial\ninstructions upon me like bees dropping honey into the cells of their\ncomb. I taste the nectar dropped by those learned men, and like the Moon\namong the constellations I live among the members of my race.[379] Even\nthis is nectar on earth, even this is the clearest eye, viz., listening\nto the teaching of Sukra from the lips of Brahmanas and acting according\nto them. In these consists the good of a man.\" Thus said Prahlada unto\nthat utterer of Brahma. Served dutifully by him, the chief of the Daityas\nonce more said, \"O foremost of regenerate ones, I am exceedingly\ngratified with thee in consequence of thy dutiful behaviour towards me.\nAsk of me the boon thou desirest, blessed be thou, for verily I shall\ngrant thee what thou wilt ask.\" The Brahmana answered the chief of the\nDaityas saying, \"Very well. I will obey thee.\" Prahlada, gratified with\nhim, said, \"Take what thou wishest.\"\n\n\"'\"'The Brahmana said, \"If, O king, thou hast been gratified with me and\nif thou wishest to do what is agreeable to me, I desire then to acquire\nthy behaviour. Even this is the boon that I solicit.\"[380] At this, though\ndelighted, Prahlada became filled with a great fear. Indeed, when this\nboon was indicated by the Brahmana, the Daitya chief thought the\nsolicitor could not be a person of ordinary energy. Wondering much,\nPrahlada at last said, \"Let it be so.\" Having, however, granted the boon,\nthe Daitya chief became filled with grief. The Brahmana, having received\nthe boon, went away, but Prahlada, O king, became penetrated by a deep\nanxiety and knew not what to do. While the Daitya chief sat brooding over\nthe matter, a flame of light issued out of his body. It had a shadowy\nform of great splendour and huge proportions. Prahlada asked the form,\nsaying, \"Who art thou?\" The form answered, saying, \"I am the embodiment\nof thy Behaviour. Cast off by thee I am going away. I shall henceforth, O\nking, dwell in that faultless and foremost of Brahmanas who had become\nthy devoted disciple.\" Having said these words, the form disappeared and\nsoon after entered the body of Sakra. After the disappearance of that\nform, another of similar shape issued out of Prahlada's body. The Daitya\nchief addressed it, saying, \"Who art thou?\" The form answered, saying,\n\"Know me, O Prahlada, for the embodiment of Righteousness. I shall go\nthere where that foremost of Brahmanas is, for, O chief of the Daityas, I\nreside there where Behaviour dwells.\" Upon the disappearance of\nRighteousness, a third form, O monarch, blazing with splendour, issued\nout of the body of the high souled Prahlada. Asked by Prahlada as to who\nhe was, that form possessed of great effulgence answered, saying, \"Know,\nO chief of the Daityas, that I am Truth. I shall leave thee, following\nthe way of Righteousness.\" After Truth had left Prahlada, following in\nthe wake of Righteousness, another great person issued out of Prahlada's\nbody. Asked by the Daitya's king, the mighty being answered, \"I am the\nembodiment of Good deeds. Know, O Prahlada, that I live there where Truth\nlives.\" After this one had left Prahlada, another being came out,\nuttering loud and deep cries. Addressed by Prahlada, he answered, \"Know\nthat I am Might. I dwell there where Good deeds are.\" Having said these\nwords, Might went away to that place whither Good deeds had gone. After\nthis, a goddess of great effulgence issued out of Prahlada's body. The\nDaitya chief asked her and she answered him saying that she was the\nembodiment of Prosperity, adding, \"I dwelt in thee, O hero, O thou of\nprowess incapable of being baffled! Cast off by thee, I shall follow in\nthe wake of Might.\" The high-souled Prahlada, penetrated with great\nfear, once more asked the goddess, saying, \"Where dost thou go, O\ngoddess, O thou that dwellest amid lotuses? Thou art ever devoted to\ntruth, O goddess, and thou art the first of deities. Who is that foremost\nof Brahmanas (who was my disciple)? I desire to know the truth.\"\n\n\"'\"'The goddess of Prosperity said, \"Devoted to the vow of Brahmacharya,\nthat Brahmana who was instructed by thee was Sakra. O puissant one, he\nrobbed thee of that sovereignty which thou hadst over the three worlds. O\nrighteous one, it was by thy behaviour that thou hadst reduced the three\nworlds to subjection. Knowing this, the chief of the celestials robbed\nthee of thy behaviour. Righteousness and Truth and Good deeds and Might\nand myself, O thou of great wisdom, all have our root verily in\nBehaviour.\"'\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Having said these words, the goddess of Prosperity\nwent away, as also all the rest, O Yudhishthira! Duryodhana, once more\naddressing his father, said these words: 'O delighter of the Kurus, I\nwish to know the truth about Behaviour. Tell me the means by which it may\nbe acquired.'\n\n\"'\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Those means were indicated by the high-souled\nPrahlada while discoursing unto Indra. Listen, however, O ruler of men,\nas how in brief Behaviour may be acquired. Abstention from injury, by\nact, thought, and word, in respect of all creatures, compassion, and\ngift, constitute behaviour that is worthy of praise. That act or exertion\nby which others are not benefited, or that act in consequence of which\none has to feel shame, should never be done. That act, on the other hand,\nshould be done in consequence of which one may win praise in society. O\nbest of the Kurus, I have now told thee in brief as to what Behaviour is.\nIf O king, persons of wicked behaviour do ever win prosperity, they do\nnot enjoy it long, O son, and are seen to be exterminated by the root.'\n\n\"'\"Dhritarashtra continued, 'Knowing all this truly, do thou, O son, be of\ngood behaviour, if thou desirest to obtain prosperity greater than that\nof Yudhishthira.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Even this was what king Dhritarashtra said unto his\nson. Do thou act according to these instructions, O son of Kunti, and\nthou wilt then surely obtain their fruit.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou hast said, O grandsire, that behaviour is the\nfirst (of requisites for a man). Whence, however, does Hope arise? Tell\nme what it is. This great doubt has taken possession of my mind. There is\nno other person than thee, O subjugator of hostile towns, who can remove\nit. O grandsire, I had great hope in respect of Suyodhana that when a\nbattle was about to ensue (in consequence of his own obstinacy), he\nwould, O lord, do what was proper. In every man hope is great. When that\nhope is destroyed, great is the grief that succeeds, and which, without\ndoubt, is equal to almost death itself. Fool that I am, Dhritarashtra's\nwicked-souled son, Duryodhana, destroyed the hope I had cherished.\nBehold, O king, the foolishness of my mind! I think that hope is vaster\nthan a mountain with all its trees. Or, perhaps, it is vaster than the\nfirmament itself. Or, perhaps, O king, it is really immeasurable. Hope, O\nchief of the Kurus, is exceedingly difficult of being understood and\nequally difficult of being subdued. Beholding this last attribute of\nHope, I ask, what else is so unconquerable as this?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I shall narrate to thee, O Yudhishthira, in this\nconnection, the discourse between Sumitra and Rishabha that took place in\nolden times. Listen to it. A royal sage of the Haihaya race, Sumitra by\nname, went out a hunting. He pursued a deer, having pierced it with a\nstraight shaft. Possessed of great strength, the deer ran ahead, with the\narrow sticking to him. The king was possessed of great strength, and\naccordingly pursued with great speed his prey. The animal, endued with\nfleetness, quickly cleared a low ground and then a level plain. The king,\nyoung, active and strong, and armed with bow and sword and cased in mail,\nstill pursued it. Unaccompanied by anybody, in chasing the animal through\nthe forest the king crossed many rivers and streams and lakes and copses.\nEndued with great speed, the animal, at its will, showing itself now and\nthen to the king, ran on with great speed. Pierced with many shafts by\nthe king, that denizen of wilderness, O monarch, as if in sport,\nrepeatedly lessened the distance between itself and the pursuer.\nRepeatedly putting forth its speed and traversing one forest after\nanother, it now and then showed itself to the king at a near point. At\nlast that crusher of foes, taking a very superior shaft, sharp, terrible,\nand capable of penetrating into the very vitals, fixed it on his\nbowstring. The animal then, of huge proportions, as if laughing at the\npursuer's efforts suddenly distanced him by reaching a point full four\nmiles ahead of the range of the shaft. That arrow of blazing splendour\naccordingly fell on the ground. The deer entered a large forest but the\nking still continued the chase.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXVI\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The king, having entered that large forest, came upon an\nasylum of ascetics. Fatigued with the toil he had undergone, he sat\nhimself down for rest. Beholding him armed with bow, worn out with toil,\nand hungry, the ascetics approached him and honoured him in due form.\nAccepting the honours offered by the Rishis, the king enquired of them\nabout the progress and advancement of their penances. Having duly\nanswered the enquiries of the king, those Rishis endued with wealth of\nasceticism asked that tiger among rulers about the reason that led his\nsteps to that retreat. And they said, 'Blessed be thou, in pursuit of\nwhat delightful object hast thou, O king, come to this asylum, walking on\nfoot and armed with sword and bow and arrows? We wish to hear whence thou\nart coming, O giver of honours. Tell us also in what race thou art born\nand what thy name is.' Thus addressed, O bull among men, the king\nproceeded to duly give unto all those Brahmanas an account of himself, O\nBharata, saying, 'I am born in the race of the Haihayas. By name I am\nSumitra, and I am the son of Mitra. I chase herds of deer, slaying them\nin thousands with my arrows. Accompanied by a large force and my\nministers and the ladies of my household, I came out on a hunting\nexpedition. I pierced a deer with an arrow, but the animal with the shaft\nsticking to his body ran with great speed. In chasing it I have, without\na set purpose, arrived at this forest and find myself in your presence,\nshorn of splendour, toil-worn, and with hope disappointed. What can be\nmore pitiable than this, viz., that I have arrived at this asylum, spent\nwith fatigue, shorn of the signs of royalty, and disappointed of my\nhopes. I am not at all sorry, ye ascetics, at my being now shorn of the\nsigns of royalty or at my being now at a distance from my capital. I\nfeel, however, a poignant grief in consequence of my hope having been\ndisappointed. The prince of mountains, viz., Himavat, and that vast\nreceptacle of waters, viz., the ocean, cannot, for its vastness, measure\nthe extent of the firmament. Ye ascetics, similarly, I also cannot\ndiscern the limit of hope. Ye that are endued with wealth of penances are\nomniscient. There is nothing unknown to you. You are also highly blessed.\nI therefore solicit you for resolving my doubt. Hope as cherished by\nman, and the wide firmament, which of these two appears vaster to you? I\ndesire to hear in detail what is so unconquerable to hope. If the topic\nbe one upon which it is not improper for ye to discourse, then tell me\nall about it without delay. I do not wish, ye foremost of regenerate\nones, to hear anything from you that may be a mystery improper to\ndiscourse upon. If again the discourse be injurious to your penances, I\nwould not wish you to speak. If the question asked by me be a worthy\ntopic of discourse, I would then wish to hear the cause in detail.\nDevoted to penances as ye are, do ye all instruct me on the subject.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXVII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Then that best of Rishis, viz., the regenerate Rishabha,\nsitting in the midst of all those Rishis, smiled a little and said these\nwords: 'Formerly, O tiger among kings, while travelling among sacred\nplaces, I arrived, O lord, at the beautiful asylum of Nara and Narayana.\nThere lies the delightful spot called Vadri, and there also is that lake\nin the firmament (whence the sacred Ganga takes her rise).[381] There the\nsage Aswasiras, O king, (always) reads the eternal Vedas. Having\nperformed my ablutions in that lake and offered with due rites oblations\nof water unto the Pitris and the dogs, I entered the asylum. Within that\nretreat the Rishis Nara and Narayana always pass their time in true\npleasure.[382] Not far from that spot I repaired to another retreat for\ntaking up my abode. While seated there I beheld a very tall and emaciated\nRishi, clad in rags and skins, approaching towards me. Possessed of the\nwealth of penances, he was named Tanu. Compared, O mighty-armed one, with\nother men, his height seemed to be eight times greater. As regards his\nleanness, O royal sage, I can say that I have never beheld its like. His\nbody, O king, was as thin as one's little finger. His neck and arms and\nlegs and hair were all of extra-ordinary aspect. His head was\nproportionate to his body, and his ears and eyes also were the same. His\nspeech, O best of kings, and his movements were exceedingly feeble.\nBeholding that exceedingly emaciated Brahmana I became very cheerless and\nfrightened. Saluting his feet, I stood before him with joined hands.\nHaving informed him of my name and family, and having told him also the\nname of my father, O bull among men, I slowly sat myself down on a seat\nthat was indicated by him. Then, O monarch, that foremost of virtuous\nmen, viz., Tanu, began to discourse in the midst of the Rishis dwelling\nin that asylum upon topics connected with Righteousness and Profit. While\nengaged in discourse, a king, possessed of eyes like lotus petals and\naccompanied by his forces and the ladies of his household, came to that\nspot on a car drawn by fleet steeds. The name of that king was\nViradyumna. Of handsome features, he was possessed of great fame. His\nson's name was Bhuridyumna. The child had been missing, and the sire,\nexceedingly cheerless, came there in course of his wanderings amid the\nforest in pursuit of the missing one. \"I shall find my son here!\" \"I\nshall find my son here!\" Dragged on by hope in this way, the king\nwandered through that forest in those days. Addressing the emaciated\nRishi he said, \"Without doubt that highly virtuous son of mine is\nexceedingly difficult to be traced by me. Alas he was my only child. He\nis lost and can nowhere be found! Though incapable of being found out, my\nhope, however, of finding him is very great. Filled with that hope (which\nis being constantly disappointed), I am verily on the point of death.\"\nHearing these words of the king, that foremost of Munis, viz., the holy\nTanu, remained for a short while with head hanging down and himself\nburied in contemplation. Beholding him buried in contemplation, the king\nbecame exceedingly cheerless. In great grief he began to say slowly and\nsoftly, \"What, O celestial Rishi, is unconquerable and what is greater\nthan hope? O holy one, tell me this if I may hear it without impropriety.\"\n\n\"'\"'The Muni said, \"A holy and great Rishi had been insulted by thy son. He\nhad done it through ill-luck, moved by his foolish understanding. The\nRishi had asked thy son for a golden jar and vegetable barks. Thy son\ncontemptuously refused to gratify the ascetic. Thus treated by thy son,\nthe great sage became disappointed.\" Thus addressed, the king worshipped\nthat ascetic who was worshipped by all the world. Of virtuous soul,\nViradyumna sat there, spent with fatigue even as thou, O best of men, now\nart. The great Rishi, in return, offered the king according to the rites\nobserved by the dwellers of the forests water to wash his feet and the\nusual ingredients that make up the Arghya. Then all the Rishis, O tiger\namong kings, sat there, surrounding that bull among men like the stars of\nthe constellation of Ursa Major surrounding the Pole star. And they asked\nthe unvanquished king as to the cause of his arrival at that asylum.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXVIII\n\n\"'\"'The king said, \"I am a king called by the name of Viradyumna. My fame\nhas spread in all directions. My son Bhuridyumna hath been lost. It is in\nquest of him that I have come to this forest. Ye foremost of Brahmanas,\nthat child was my only son and, ye sinless ones, he is of very tender\nyears. He cannot, however, be found here. I am wandering everywhere for\nfinding him out.\"'\n\n\"'\"Rishabha continued, 'After the king had said these words, the ascetic\nTanu hung down his head. He remained perfectly silent, without uttering a\nsingle word in answer. In former days that Brahmana had not been much\nhonoured by the king. In disappointment, O monarch, he had for that\nreason practised austere penances for a long time, resolving in his mind\nthat he should never accept anything in gift from either kings or members\nof any other order. And he said to himself, \"Hope agitates every man of\nfoolish understanding. I shall drive away hope from my mind.\" Even such\nhad been his determination. Viradyumna once more questioned that foremost\nof ascetics in these words:\n\n\"'\"'The king said, \"What is the measure of the thinness of Hope? What on\nearth is exceedingly difficult of acquisition? Tell me this, O holy one,\nfor thou art well conversant with morality and profit.\"\n\n\"'\"Rishabha continued, 'Himself recollecting all the past incidents (about\nhis own disregard at the hands of the king) and calling them back to the\nrecollection of the king also, that holy Brahmana of emaciated body\naddressed the king and said the following words:\n\n\"'\"'The sage said, \"There is nothing, O king, that equals Hope in\nslenderness. I had solicited many kings and found that nothing is so\ndifficult of acquisition as an image that Hope sets before the mind.\"\n\n\"'\"'The king said, \"At thy words, O Brahmana, I understand what is slender\nand what is not so.[383] I understand also how difficult of acquisition\nare the images set by Hope before the mind. I regard these words of thine\nas utterances of Sruti. O thou of great wisdom, one doubt, however, has\narisen in my mind. It behoveth thee, O sage, to explain it in detail unto\nme that ask thee. What is more slender than thy body? Tell me this, O\nholy one, if, of course, O best of sages, the topic be one which may be\ndiscoursed upon without impropriety.\"\n\n\"'\"'The emaciated sage said, \"A contented applicant is exceedingly\ndifficult to meet with. Perhaps, there is none such in the world. Something\nrarer still, O sire, is the person that never disregards an applicant. The\nhope that rests upon such persons as do not, after passing their promises,\ndo good to others according to the best of their powers and according as\nthe applicants deserve, is slenderer than even my body.[384] The hope that\nrests upon an ungrateful man, or upon one that is cruel, or one that is\nidle, or one that injures others, is slenderer than even my body.[384]\nThe hope cherished by a sire that has but one son, of once more seeing\nthat son after he has been lost or missed, is slenderer than even my\nbody. The hope that old women entertain of bringing forth sons, O king,\nand that is cherished by rich men, is slenderer than even my body. The\nhope that springs up in the hearts of grown up maidens of marriage when\nthey hear anybody only talk of it in their presence, is slenderer than\neven my body.\"[385] Hearing these words, O monarch, king Viradyumna, and\nthe ladies of his household, prostrated themselves before that bull among\nBrahmanas and touched his feet with their bent heads.\n\n\"'\"'The king said, \"I beg thy grace, O holy one! I wish to meet with my\nchild. What thou hast said, O best of Brahmanas, is very true. There is\nno doubt of the truth of thy utterances.\"'\n\n\"'\"Rishabha continued, 'The holy Tanu, that foremost of virtuous persons,\nsmiling, caused, by means of his learning and his penances the king's son\nto be brought to that spot. Having caused the prince to be brought\nthither, the sage rebuked the king (his father).[386] That foremost of\nvirtuous persons then displayed himself to be the god of righteousness.\nIndeed, having displayed his own wonderful and celestial form, he entered\nan adjacent forest, with heart freed from wrath and the desire of\nrevenge. I saw all this, O king, and heard the words I have said. Drive\noff thy hope, that is even slenderer (than any of those which the sage\nindicated).'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed, O monarch, by the high-souled\nRishabha, king Sumitra speedily cast off the hope that was in his heart\nand which was slenderer (than any of the kinds of hope indicated by the\nemaciated Rishi). Do thou also, O son of Kunti, hearing these words of\nmine, be calm and collected like Himavat. Overcome with distress,[387]\nthou hast questioned me and heard my answer. Having heard it, O monarch,\nit behoves thee to dispel these regrets of thine!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXIX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Like one that drinks nectar I am never satiated with\nlistening to thee as thou speakest. As a person possessing a knowledge of\nself is never satiated with meditation, even so I am never satiated with\nhearing thee. Do thou, therefore, O grandsire, discourse once more upon\nmorality. I am never satiated with drinking the nectar of thy discourse\nupon morality.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the old narrative of the\ndiscourse between Gotama and the illustrious Yama. Gotama owned a wide\nretreat on the Paripatra hills. Listen to me as to how many years he\ndwelt in that abode. For sixty thousand years that sage underwent ascetic\nausterities in that asylum. One day, the Regent of the world, Yama, O\ntiger among men, repaired to that great sage of cleansed soul while he\nwas engaged in the severest austerities. Yama beheld the great ascetic\nGotama of rigid penances. The regenerate sage understanding that it was\nYama who had come, speedily saluted him and sat with joined hands in an\nattentive attitude (waiting for his commands). The royal Dharma,\nbeholding that bull among Brahmanas, duly saluted him (in return) and\naddressing him asked what he was to do for him.\n\n\"'\"Gotama said, 'By doing what acts does one liberate one's self from the\ndebt one owes to one's mother and father? How also does one succeed in\nwinning regions of pure bliss that are so difficult of attainment?'\n\n\"'\"Yama said, 'Devoting one's self to the duty of truth, and practising\npurity and penances one should ceaselessly worship one's mother and\nfather. One should also perform Horse-sacrifices with presents in\nprofusion unto the Brahmanas. By such acts one wins many regions (of\nfelicity) of wonderful aspect.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"What course of conduct should be adopted by a king\nshorn of friends, having many enemies, possessed of an exhausted\ntreasury, and destitute of troops, O Bharata! What, indeed, should be his\nconduct when he is surrounded by wicked ministers, when his counsels are\nall divulged, when he does not see his way clearly before him, when he\nassails another kingdom, when he is engaged in grinding a hostile\nkingdom, and when though weak he is at war with a stronger ruler? What,\nindeed, should be the conduct of a king the affairs of whose kingdom are\nill-regulated, and who disregards the requirements of place and time, who\nis unable, in consequence of his oppressions, to bring about peace and\ncause disunion among his foes? Should he seek the acquisition of wealth\nby evil means, or should he lay down his life without seeking wealth?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Conversant as thou art with duties, thou hast, O bull of\nBharata's race, asked me a question relating to mystery (in connection\nwith duties).[388] Without being questioned, O Yudhishthira, I could not\nventure to discourse upon this duly. Morality is very subtle. One\nunderstands it, O bull of Bharata's race, by the aid of the texts of\nscriptures. By remembering what one has heard and by practising good\nacts, some one in some place may become a righteous person. By acting\nwith intelligence the king may or may not succeed in acquiring\nwealth.[389] Aided by thy own intelligence do thou think what answer\nshould be given to thy question on this head. Listen, O Bharata, to the\nmeans, fraught with great merit, by which kings may conduct themselves\n(during seasons of distress). For the sake of true morality, however, I\nwould not call those means righteous. If the treasury be filled by\noppression, conduct like this brings the king to the verge of\ndestruction. Even this is the conclusion of all intelligent men who have\nthought upon the subject. The kind of scriptures or science which one\nalways studies gives him the kind of knowledge which it is capable of\ngiving. Such Knowledge verily becomes agreeable to him. Ignorance leads\nto barrenness of invention in respect of means. Contrivance of means,\nagain, through the aid of knowledge, becomes the source of great\nfelicity. Without entertaining any scruples and any malice,[390] listen\nto these instructions. Through the decrease of the treasury, the king's\nforces are decreased. The king should, therefore, fill his treasury (by\nany means) like to one creating water in a wilderness which is without\nwater. Agreeably to this code of quasi-morality practised by the\nancients, the king should, when the time for it comes,[391] show\ncompassion to his people. This is eternal duty. For men that are able and\ncompetent,[392] the duties are of one kind. In seasons of distress,\nhowever, one's duties are of a different kind. Without wealth a king may\n(by penances and the like) acquire religious merit. Life, however, is\nmuch more important than religious merit. (And as life cannot be\nsupported without wealth, no such merit should be sought which stands in\nthe way of the acquisition of wealth). A king that is weak, by acquiring\nonly religious merit, never succeeds in obtaining just and proper means\nfor sustenance; and since he cannot, by even his best exertions, acquire\npower by the aid of only religious merit, therefore the practices in\nseasons of distress are sometimes regarded as not inconsistent with\nmorality. The learned, however, are of opinion that those practices lead\nto sinfulness. After the season of distress is over, what should the\nKshatriya do? He should (at such a time) conduct himself in such a way\nthat his merit may not be destroyed. He should also act in such a way\nthat he may not have to succumb to his enemies.[393] Even these have been\ndeclared to be his duties. He should not sink in despondency. He should\nnot (in times of distress) seek to rescue (from the peril of destruction)\nthe merit of others or of himself. On the other hand, he should rescue\nhis own self. This is the settled conclusion.[394] There is this Sruti,\nviz., that it is settled that Brahmanas, who are conversant with duties,\nshould have proficiency in respect of duties. Similarly, as regards the\nKshatriya, his proficiency should consist in exertion, since might of\narms is his great possession. When a Kshatriya's means of support are\ngone, what should he not take excepting what belongs to ascetics and what\nis owned by Brahmanas? Even as a Brahmana in a season of distress may\nofficiate at the sacrifice of a person for whom he should never officiate\n(at other and ordinary times) and eat forbidden food, so there is no\ndoubt that a Kshatriya (in distress) may take wealth from every one\nexcept ascetics and Brahmanas. For one afflicted (by an enemy and seeking\nthe means of escape) what can be an improper outlet? For a person immured\n(within a dungeon and seeking escape) what can be an improper path? When\na person becomes afflicted, he escapes by even an improper outlet. For a\nKshatriya that has, in consequence of the weakness of his treasury and\narmy, become exceedingly humiliated, neither a life of mendicancy nor the\nprofession of a Vaisya or that of a Sudra has been laid down. The\nprofession ordained for a Kshatriya is the acquisition of wealth by\nbattle and victory. He should never beg of a member of his own order. The\nperson who supports himself at ordinary times by following the practices\nprimarily laid for him, may in seasons of distress support himself by\nfollowing the practices laid down in the alternative. In a season of\ndistress, when ordinary practices cannot be followed, a Kshatriya may\nlive by even unjust and improper means. The very Brahmanas, it is seen,\ndo the same when their means of living are destroyed. When the Brahmanas\n(at such times) conduct themselves thus, what doubt is there in respect\nof Kshatriyas? This is, indeed, settled. Without sinking into despondency\nand yielding to destruction, a Kshatriya may (by force) take what he can\nfrom persons that are rich. Know that the Kshatriya is the protector and\nthe destroyer of the people. Therefore, a Kshatriya in distress should\ntake (by force) what he can, with a view to (ultimately) protect the\npeople. No person in this world, O king, can support life without\ninjuring other creatures. The very ascetic leading a solitary life in the\ndepths of the forest is no exception. A Kshatriya should not live,\nrelying upon destiny,[395] especially he, O chief of the Kurus, who is\ndesirous of ruling. The king and the kingdom should always mutually\nprotect each other. This is an eternal duty. As the king protects, by\nspending all his possessions, the kingdom when it sinks into distress,\neven so should the kingdom protect the king when he sinks into distress.\nThe king even at the extremity of distress, should never give up[396] his\ntreasury, his machinery for chastising the wicked, his army, his friends\nand allies and other necessary institutions and the chiefs existing in\nhis kingdom. Men conversant with duty say that one must keep one's seeds,\ndeducting them from one's very food. This is a truth cited from the\ntreatise of Samvara well-known for his great powers of illusion. Fie on\nthe life of that king whose kingdom languishes. Fie on the life of that\nman who from want of means goes to a foreign country for a living. The\nking's roots are his treasury and army. His army, again, has its roots in\nhis treasury. His army is the root of all his religious merits. His\nreligious merits, again are the root of his subjects. The treasury can\nnever be filled without oppressing others. How then can the army be kept\nwithout oppression? The king, therefore, in seasons of distress, incurs\nno fault by oppressing his subjects for filling the treasury. For\nperforming sacrifices many improper acts are done. For this reason a king\nincurs no fault by doing improper acts (when the object is to fill his\ntreasury in a season of distress). For the sake of wealth practices other\nthan those which are proper are followed (in seasons of distress). If (at\nsuch times) such improper practices be not adopted, evil is certain to\nresult. All those institutions that are kept up for working destruction\nand misery exist for the sake of collecting wealth.[397] Guided by such\nconsiderations, an intelligent king should settle his course (at such\ntimes). As animals and other things are necessary for sacrifices, as\nsacrifices are for purifying the heart, and as animals, sacrifices, and\npurity of the heart are all for final emancipation, even so policy and\nchastisement exist for the treasury, the treasury exists for the army,\nand policy and treasury and army all the three exist for vanquishing foes\nand protecting or enlarging the kingdom. I shall here cite an example\nillustrating the true ways of morality. A large tree is cut down for\nmaking of it a sacrificial stake. In cutting it, other trees that stand\nin its way have also to be cut down. These also, in falling down, kill\nothers standing on the spot. Even so they that stand in the way of making\na well-filled treasury must have to be slain. I do not see how else\nsuccess can be had. By wealth, both the worlds, viz., this and the other,\ncan be had, as also Truth and religious merit. A person without wealth is\nmore dead than alive. Wealth for the performance of sacrifices should be\nacquired by every means. The demerit that attaches to an act done in a\nseason of distress is not equal to that which attaches to the same act if\ndone at other times, O Bharata! The acquisition of wealth and its\nabandonment cannot both be possibly seen in the same person, O king! I do\nnot see a rich man in the forest. With respect to every wealth that is\nseen in this world, every one contends with every one else, saying, 'This\nshall be mine,' 'This shall be mine!' This is nothing, O scorcher of\nfoes, that is so meritorious for a king as the possession of a kingdom.\nIt is sinful for a king to oppress his subjects with heavy impositions at\nordinary times. In a season, however, of distress, it is quite different.\nSome acquire wealth by gifts and sacrifices; some who have a liking for\npenances acquire wealth by penances; some acquire it by the aid of their\nintelligence and cleverness. A person without wealth is said to be weak,\nwhile he that has wealth becomes powerful. A man of wealth may acquire\neverything. A king that has well-filled treasury succeeds in\naccomplishing everything. By his treasury a king may earn religious\nmerit, gratify his desire for pleasure, obtain the next world, and this\nalso. The treasury, however, should be filled by the aid of righteousness\nand never by unrighteous practices, such, that is, as pass for righteous\nin times of distress.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXI\n\n(Apaddharmanusasana Parva)\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"What, besides this, should be done by a king that is\nweak and procrastinating, that does not engage in battle from anxiety for\nthe lives of his friends, that is always under the influence of fear, and\nthat cannot keep his counsels secret? What, indeed, should that king do\nwhose cities and kingdom have been partitioned and appropriated by foes,\nwho is divested of wealth, who is incapable (through such poverty) of\nhonouring his friends and attaching them to himself, whose ministers are\ndisunited or bought over by his enemies, who is obliged to stand in the\nface of foes, whose army has dwindled away, and whose heart has been\nagitated by some strong enemy?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"If the invading enemy be of pure heart and if he be\nconversant with both morality and profit, a king of the kind you have\nindicated should, with no loss of time, make peace with the invader and\nbring about the restoration of those portions of the kingdom that have\nalready been conquered. If, again, the invader be strong and sinful and\nseek to obtain victory by unrighteous means, the king should make peace\nwith him, too, by abandoning a portion of his territories. If the invader\nbe unwilling to make peace, the king should then abandon his very capital\nand all his possessions for escaping from danger. If he can save his life\nhe may hope for similar acquisitions in future. What man conversant with\nmorality is there that would sacrifice his own self, which is a more\nvaluable possession, for encountering that danger from which escape can\nbe had by the abandonment of his treasury and army? A king should protect\nthe ladies of his household. If these fall into the hands of the enemy,\nhe should not show any compassion for them (by incurring the risk of his\nown arrest in delivering them). As long as it is in his power, he should\nnever surrender his own self to the enemy.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"When his own people are dissatisfied with him, when\nhe is oppressed by invaders, when his treasury is exhausted, and when his\ncounsels are divulged, what should the king then do?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"A king, under such circumstances, should (if his enemy be\nrighteous) seek to make peace with him. If the enemy be unrighteous, he\nshould then put forth his valour. He should, by such means, seek to cause\nthe foe to withdraw from his kingdom; or fighting bravely, he should lay\ndown his life and ascend to heaven. A king can conquer the whole earth\nwith the help of even a small force if that force be loyal, cheerful, and\ndevoted to his good. If slain in battle, he is sure to ascend to heaven.\nIf he succeeds in slaying (his enemies), he is sure to enjoy the earth.\nBy laying down one's life in battle, one obtains the companionship of\nIndra himself.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"When practices fraught with high morality and\nbeneficial to the world, (viz., those that appertain to righteous rule)\ndisappear, when all the means and resources for the support of life fall\ninto the hands of robbers, when, indeed, such a calamitous time sets in,\nby what means should a Brahmana, O grandsire, who from affection is\nunable to desert his sons and grandsons, subsist?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"When such a time sets in, the Brahmana should live by the\naid of knowledge. Everything in this world is for them that are good.\nNothing here is for them that are wicked. He who making himself an\ninstrument of acquisition, takes wealth from the wicked and gives it unto\nthem that are good, is said to be conversant with the morality of\nadversity. Desirous of maintaining his rule, the king, O monarch, without\ndriving his subjects to indignation and rebellion, may take what is not\nfreely given by the owner, saying, 'This is mine!' That wise man who,\ncleansed by the possession of knowledge and might and of righteous\nconduct at other times, acts censurably in such season, does not really\ndeserve to be censured. They who always support themselves by putting\nforth their might never like any other method of living. They that are\nendued with might, O Yudhishthira, always live by the aid of prowess. The\nordinary scriptures, that exist (for seasons of distress) without\nexceptions of any kind, should be practised by a king (at such times). A\nking, however, that is endued with intelligence, while following those\nscriptures, would do something more.[398] At such times, however, the\nking should not oppress Ritwijas, and Purohitas and preceptors and\nBrahmanas, all of whom are honoured and held in high esteem. By\noppressing them, even at such times, he incurs reproach and sin. This\nthat I tell thee is regarded as an authority in the world. Indeed, this\nis the eternal eye (by which practices in seasons of distress are to be\nviewed). One should be guided by this authority. By this is to be judged\nwhether a king is to be called good or wicked. It is seen that many\npersons residing in villages and towns, actuated by jealousy and wrath,\naccuse one another. The king should never, at their words, honour or\npunish anybody. Slander should never be spoken. If spoken, it should\nnever be heard. When slanderous converse goes on, one should close one's\nears or leave the place outright. Slanderous converse is the\ncharacteristic of wicked men. It is an indication of depravity. They, on\nthe other hand, O king, who speak of the virtues of others in assemblies\nof the good, are good men. As a pair of sweet-tempered bulls governable\nand well-broken and used to bear burthens, put their necks to the yoke\nand drag the cart willingly, even so should the king bear his burthens\n(in seasons of distress). Others say that a king (at such times) should\nconduct himself in such a way that he may succeed in gaining a large\nnumber of allies. Some regard ancient usage as the highest indication of\nrighteousness. Others, viz., they that are in favour of the conduct\npursued by Sankha, towards Likhita, do not hold this opinion. They do not\nadvance such an opinion through either malice or covetousness[399].\nExamples are seen of even great Rishis who have laid down that even\npreceptors, if addicted to evil practices, should be punished. But\napprovable authority there is none for such a proposition. The gods may\nbe left to punish such men when they happen to be vile and guilty of\nwicked practices. The king who fills his treasury by having recourse to\nfraudulent devices, certainly falls away from righteousness. The code of\nmorality which is honoured in every respect by those that are good and in\naffluent circumstances, and which is approved by every honest heart,\nshould be followed. He is said to be conversant with duty who knows duty\nas depending on all the four foundations. It is difficult to find out the\nreasons on which duties stand even as it is difficult to find out the\nlegs of the snake.[400] As a hunter of beasts discovers the track of a\nshaft-struck deer by observing spots of blood on the ground, even so\nshould one seek to discover the reasons of duties. Thus should a man\ntread with humility along the path trod by the good. Such, indeed, was\nthe conduct of the great royal sages of old, O Yudhishthira!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXIII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The king should, by drawing wealth from his own kingdom\nas also from the kingdoms of his foes, fill his treasury. From the\ntreasury springs his religious merit, O son of Kunti, and it is in\nconsequence of the treasury that the roots of his kingdom extend. For\nthese reasons the treasury must be filled; and when filled it should be\ncarefully protected (by putting a stop to all useless expenditure), and\neven sought to be increased. This is the eternal practice. The treasury\ncannot be filled by (acting with) purity and righteousness, nor by\n(acting with) heartless cruelty. It should be filled by adopting a middle\ncourse. How can a weak king have a treasury? How again can a king who has\nno treasury have strength? How can a weak man have kingdom? Whence again\ncan one without a kingdom obtain prosperity? For a person of high rank,\nadversity is like death. For this reason the king should always increase\nhis treasury, and army, and allies and friends. All men disregard a king\nwith an empty treasury. Without being gratified with the little that such\na king can give, his servants never express any alacrity in his business.\nIn consequence of his affluence, the king succeeds in obtaining great\nhonours. Indeed, affluence conceals his very sins, like robes concealing\nsuch parts of a feminine form as should not be exposed to the view. Those\nwith whom the king has formerly quarrelled become filled with grief at\nthe sight of his new affluence. Like dogs they once more take service\nunder him, and though they wait only for an opportunity to slay him, he\ntakes to them as if nothing has happened. How, O Bharata, can such a king\nobtain happiness? The king should always exert for acquiring greatness.\nHe should never bend down in humility.[401] Exertion is manliness. He\nshould rather break at an unfavourable opportunity than bend before any\none. He should rather repair to the forest and live there with the wild\nanimals. But he should not still live in the midst of ministers and\nofficers who have like robbers broken through all restraints. Even the\nrobbers of the forest may furnish a large number of soldiers for the\naccomplishment of the fiercest of deeds, O Bharata! If the king\ntransgresses all wholesome restraints, all people become filled with\nalarm. The very robbers who know not what compassion is, dread such a\nking.[402] For this reason, the king should always establish rules and\nrestraints for gladdening the hearts of his people. Rules in respect of\neven very trivial matters are hailed with delight by the people. There\nare men who think that this world is nothing and the future also is a\nmyth. He that is an atheist of this type, though his heart is agitated by\nsecret fears, should never be trusted. If the robbers of the forest,\nwhile observing other virtues, commit depredations in respect only of\nproperty, those depredations may be regarded as harmless. The lives of\nthousands of creatures are protected in consequence of robbers observing\nsuch restraints. Slaying an enemy who is flying away from battle,\nravishment of wives, ingratitude, plundering the property of a Brahmana,\ndepriving a person of the whole of his property, violation of maidens,\ncontinued occupation of villages and towns as their lawful lords, and\nadulterous congress with other people's wives--these are regarded as\nwicked acts among even robbers, and robbers should always abstain from\nthem. It is again certain that those kings who strive (by making peace)\nto inspire confidence upon themselves in the hearts of the robbers,\nsucceed, after watching all their ins and outs, in exterminating them.\nFor this reason, in dealing with robbers, it is necessary that they\nshould not be exterminated outright.[403] They should be sought to be\nbrought under the king's sway. The king should never behave with cruelty\ntowards them, thinking that he is more powerful than they. Those kings\nthat do not exterminate them outright have no fear of extermination to\nthemselves. They, however, that do exterminate them have always to live\nin fear in consequence of that act.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXIV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection, persons acquainted with the\nscriptures declare this text in respect of duty, viz., for a Kshatriya\npossessed of intelligence and knowledge, (the earning of) religious merit\nand (the acquisition of) wealth, constitute his obvious duties. He should\nnot, by subtle discussions on duty and unseen consequences in respect of\na future world, abstain from accomplishing those two duties. As it is\nuseless to argue, upon seeing certain foot-prints on the ground, whether\nthey are wolf's or not, even so is all discussion upon the nature of\nrighteousness and the reverse. Nobody in this world ever sees the fruits\nof righteousness and unrighteousness. A Kshatriya, therefore, should seek\nthe acquisition of power. He that is powerful is master of everything.\nWealth leads to the possession of an army. He that is powerful[404]\nobtains intelligent advisers. He that is without wealth is truly fallen.\nA little (of anything in the world) is regarded as the dirty remnant of a\nfeast.[405] If a strong man does even many bad acts, nobody, through\nfear, says or does anything (for censuring or checking him). If\nRighteousness and Power be associated with Truth, they can then rescue\nmen from great perils. If, however, the two be compared, Power will\nappear to be superior to Righteousness. It is from Power that\nRighteousness springs. Righteousness rests upon Power as all immobile\nthings upon the earth. As smoke depends upon the wind (for its motion),\neven so Righteousness depends upon Power. Righteousness which is the\nweaker of the two depends for its support upon a tree. Righteousness is\ndependent on them that are powerful even as pleasure is dependent upon\nthem that are given to enjoyment. There is nothing that powerful men\ncannot do. Everything is pure with them that are powerful. A powerless\nman, by committing evil acts can never escape. Men feel alarmed at his\nconduct even as they are alarmed at the appearance of a wolf. One fallen\naway from a state of affluence leads a life of humiliation and sorrow. A\nlife of humiliation and reproach is like death itself. The learned have\nsaid that when in consequence of one's sinful conduct one is cast off by\nfriends and companions, one is pierced repeatedly by the wordy darts of\nothers and one has to burn with grief on that account. Professors of\nscriptures have said with respect to the expiation of sinfulness that one\nshould (if stained with sinfulness) study the three Vedas, wait upon and\nworship the Brahmanas, gratify all men by looks, words, and acts, cast\noff all meanness, marry in high families, proclaim the praises of others\nwhile confessing one's own worthlessness, recite mantras, perform the\nusual water-rites, assume a mildness of behaviour, and abstain from\nspeaking much, and perform austere penances, seek the refuge of Brahmanas\nand Kshatriyas. Indeed, one who has committed many evil acts, should do\nall this, without being angry at the reproaches uttered by men. By\nconducting one's self in this way, one may soon become cleansed of all\nhis sins and regain the regard of the world. Indeed, one wins great\nrespect in this world and great rewards in the next, and enjoys diverse\nkinds of happiness here by following such conduct and by sharing his\nwealth with others.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the old story of a robber who\nhaving in this would been observant of restraints did not meet with\ndestruction in the next. There was a robber of the name of Kayavya, born\nof a Kshatriya father and a Nishada mother. Kayavya was a practiser of\nKshatriya duties. Capable of smiting, possessed of intelligence and\ncourage, conversant with the scriptures, destitute of cruelty, devoted to\nthe Brahmanas, and worshipping his seniors and preceptors with reverence,\nhe protected the ascetics in the observance of their practices. Though a\nrobber, he still succeeded in winning felicity in heaven. Morning and\nevening he used to excite the wrath of the deer by chasing them. He was\nwell conversant with all the practices of the Nishadas as also of all\nanimals living in the forest. Well acquainted with the requirements of\ntime and place, he roved over the mountains. Acquainted as he was with\nthe habits of all animals, his arrows never missed their aim, and his\nweapons were strong. Alone, he could vanquish many hundreds of troops. He\nworshipped his old, blind, and deaf parents in the forest every day. With\nhoney and flesh and fruits and roots and other kinds of excellent food,\nhe hospitably entertained all persons deserving of honour and did them\nmany good offices. He showed great respect for those Brahmanas that had\nretired from the world for taking up their residence in the woods.\nKilling the deer, he often took flesh to them. As regards those that were\nunwilling, from fear of others, to accept gifts from him because of the\nprofession he followed, he used to go to their abodes before dawn and\nleave flesh at their doors.[406] One day many thousands of robbers,\ndestitute of compassion in their conduct and regardless of all\nrestraints, desired to elect him as their leader.\n\n\"'\"The robbers said, 'Thou art acquainted with the requirements of place\nand time. Thou hast wisdom and courage. Thy firmness also is great in\neverything thou undertakest. Be thou our foremost of leaders, respected\nby us all. We will do as thou wilt direct. Protect us duly, even as a\nfather or mother.'\n\n\"'\"Kayavya said, 'Never kill ye a woman, or one that from fear keeps away\nfrom the fight, or one that is a child, or one that is an ascetic. One\nthat abstains from fight should never be slain, nor should women be\nseized or brought away with force. None of you should ever slay a woman\namongst all creatures. Let Brahmanas be always blessed and you should\nalways fight for their good. Truth should never be sacrificed. The\nmarriages of men should never be obstructed. No injury should be\ninflicted on those houses in which the deities, the Pitris, and guests\nare worshipped. Amongst creatures, Brahmanas deserve to be exempted by\nyou in your plundering excursions. By giving away even your all, you\nshould worship them. He who incurs the wrath of the Brahmanas, he for\nwhose discomfiture they wish, fails to find a rescuer in the three\nworlds. He who speaks ill of the Brahmanas and wishes for their\ndestruction, himself meets with destruction like darkness at sunrise.\nResiding here, ye shall acquire the fruits of your valour. Troops shall\nbe sent against those that will refuse to give us our dues. The rod of\nchastisement is intended for the wicked. It is not intended for\nself-aggrandisement. They who oppress the god deserve death, it is said.\nThey who seek to aggrandise their fortunes by afflicting kingdoms in\nunscrupulous ways, very soon come to be regarded as vermin in a dead\nbody. Those robbers again that would conduct themselves by conforming to\nthese restraints of the scriptures, would soon win salvation although\nleading a plundering life.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Those robbers, thus addressed, obeyed all the\ncommands of Kayavya. By desisting from sin, they obtained great\nprosperity. By behaving himself in such a way by thus doing good to the\nhonest and by thus restraining the robbers from bad practices, Kayavya\nwon great success (in the next world). He who always thinks of this\nnarrative of Kayavya will not have any fear from the denizens of the\nforest, in fact, from any earthly creature. Such a man will have no fear\nfrom any creature, O Bharata! He will have no fear from wicked men. If\nsuch a man goes to the forest, he will be able to live there with the\nsecurity of a king.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXVI\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection, viz., the method by which a king\nshould fill his treasury, persons acquainted with the scriptures of olden\ndays cite the following verses sung by Brahman himself. The wealth of\npersons who are given to the performance of sacrifices, as also the\nwealth dedicated to the deities, should never be taken. A Kshatriya\nshould take the wealth of such persons as never perform religious rites\nand sacrifices as are on that account regarded to be equal to robbers.\nAll the creatures that inhabit the earth and all the enjoyments that\nappertain to sovereignty, O Bharata, belong to the Kshatriyas. All the\nwealth of the earth belongs to the Kshatriya, and not to any person else.\nThat wealth the Kshatriya should use for keeping up his army and for the\nperformance of sacrifice. Tearing up such creepers and plants as are not\nof any use, men burn them for cooking such vegetables as serve for\nfood.[407] Men conversant with duty have said that his wealth is useless\nwho does not, with libations of clarified butter, feed the gods, the\nPitris, and men. A virtuous ruler, O king, should take away such wealth.\nBy that wealth a large number of good people can be gratified. He should\nnot, however, hoard that wealth in his treasury. He who makes himself an\ninstrument of acquisition and taking away wealth from the wicked gives\nthem to those that are good is said to be conversant with the whole\nscience of morality. A king should extend his conquests in the next world\naccording to the measure of his power, and as gradually as vegetable\nproducts are seen to grow. As some ants are seen to grow from no adequate\ncause, even so sacrifice spring from no adequate cause.[408] As flies and\ngnats and ants are driven off from the bodies of kine and other domestic\ncattle (at the time of milking them), even so should persons who are\naverse to the performance of sacrifices should be similarly driven off\nfrom the kingdom. This is consistent with morality. As the dust that lies\non the earth, if pounded between two stones, becomes finer and finer,\neven so questions of morality, the more they are reflected upon and\ndiscussed, become finer and finer.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXVII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"These two, viz., one that provides for the future, and\none possessed of presence of mind, always enjoy happiness. The man of\nprocrastination, however, is lost. In this connection, listen attentively\nto the following excellent story of a procrastinating person in the\nmatter of settling his course of action. In a lake that was not very deep\nand which abounded with fishes, there lived three Sakula fishes that were\nfriends and constant companions. Amongst those three one had much\nforethought and always liked to provide for what was coming. Another was\npossessed of great presence of mind. The third was procrastinating. One\nday certain fishermen coming to that lake began to bale out its waters to\na lower ground through diverse outlets. Beholding the water of the lake\ngradually decreasing, the fish that had much foresight, addressing his\ntwo companions on that occasion of danger, said, 'A great danger is about\nto overtake all the aquatic creatures living in this lake. Let us\nspeedily go to some other place before our path becomes obstructed. He\nthat resists future evil by the aid of good policy, never incurs serious\ndanger. Let my counsels prevail with you. Let us all leave this place.'\nThat one amongst the three who was procrastinating then answered, 'It is\nwell said. There is, however, no need of such haste. This is my\ndeliberate opinion.' Then the other fish, who was noted for presence of\nmind, addressed his procrastinating companion and said, 'When the time\nfor anything comes, I never fail to provide for it according to policy.'\nHearing the answers of his two companions, he of great forethought and\nconsiderable intelligence immediately set out by a current and reached\nanother deep lake. The fishermen, seeing that all the water had been\nbaled out, shut in the fishes that remained, by diverse means. Then they\nbegan to agitate the little water that remained, and as they began to\ncatch the fish, the procrastinating Sakula was caught with many others.\nWhen the fisherman began to tie to a long string the fishes they had\ncaught, the Sakula who was noted for presence of mind thrust himself into\nthe company of those that had been so tied and remained quietly among\nthem, biting the string, for he thought that he should do it to give the\nappearance of being caught. The fishermen believed that all the fishes\nattached to the string had been caught. They then removed them to a place\nof deep water for washing them. Just at that time the Sakula noted for\npresence of mind, leaving the string, quickly escaped. That fish,\nhowever, who had been procrastinating, foolish and senseless and without\nintelligence as he was, and, therefore, unable to escape, met with death.\n\n\"'\"Thus every one meets with destruction, like the procrastinating fish,\nwho from want of intelligence cannot divine the hour of danger. That man,\nagain, who regarding himself clever does not seek his own good in proper\ntime, incurs great danger like the Sakula who had presence of mind. Hence\nthese two only, viz., he that has much forethought and he that has\npresence of mind, succeed in obtaining happiness. He, however, that is\nprocrastinating meets with destruction. Diverse are the divisions of\ntime, such as Kashtha, Kala, Muhurta, day, night, Lava, month, fortnight,\nthe six seasons, Kalpa, year. The divisions of the earth are called\nplace. Time cannot be seen. As regards the success of any object or\npurpose, it is achieved or not achieved according to the manner in which\nthe mind is set to think of it. These two, viz., the person of\nforethought and the person of presence of mind, have been declared by the\nRishis to be the foremost of men in all treatises on morality and profit\nand in those dealing with emancipation. One, however, that does\neverything after reflection and scrutiny, one that avails oneself of\nproper means for the accomplishment of one's objects, always succeeds in\nachieving much. Those again that act with due regard to time and place\nsucceed in winning results better than the mere man of foresight and the\nman of presence of mind.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXVIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou hast, O bull of Bharata's race, said that that\nintelligence which provides against the future, as well as that which can\nmeet present emergencies, is everywhere superior, while procrastination\nbrings about destruction. I desire, O grandsire, to hear of that superior\nintelligence aided by which a king, conversant with the scriptures and\nwell versed with morality and profit, may not be stupefied even when\nsurrounded by many foes. I ask thee this, O chief of Kuru's race! It\nbehoveth thee to discourse to me on this. I desire to hear everything,\ncomfortable to what has been laid down in the scriptures, about the\nmanner in which a king should conduct himself when he is assailed by many\nfoes. When a king falls into distress, a large number of foes, provoked\nby his past acts, range themselves against him and seek to vanquish him.\nHow may a king, weak and alone, succeed in holding up his head when he\nis challenged on all sides by many powerful kings leagued together? How\ndoes a king at such times make friends and foes? How should he, O bull of\nBharata's race, behave at such a time towards both friends and foes? When\nthose that have indications of friends really become his foes, what\nshould the king then do if he is to obtain happiness? With whom should he\nmake war and with whom should he make peace? Even if he be strong, how\nshould he behave in the midst of foes? O scorcher of foes, this I regard\nto be the highest of all questions connected with the discharge of kingly\nduties. There are few men for listening to the answer of this question\nand none to answer it save Santanu's son, Bhishma, firmly wedded to truth\nand having all his senses under control. O thou that art highly blessed\nreflect upon it and discourse to me on it!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"O Yudhishthira, this question is certainly worthy of\nthee. Its answer is fraught with great happiness. Listen to me, O son, as\nI declare to thee, O Bharata, all the duties generally known that should\nbe practised in seasons of distress. A foe becomes a friend and a friend\nalso becomes a foe. The course of human actions, through the combination\nof circumstances, becomes very uncertain. As regards, therefore, what\nshould be done and what should not, it is necessary that paying heed to\nthe requirements of time and place, one should either trust one's foes or\nmake war. One should, even exerting one's self to one's best, make\nfriends with men of intelligence and knowledge that desire one's welfare.\nOne should make peace with even one's foes, when, O Bharata, one's life\ncannot otherwise be saved. That foolish man who never makes peace with\nfoes, never succeeds in winning any gain or acquiring any of those fruits\nfor which others endeavour. He again who makes peace with foes and\nquarrels with even friends after a full consideration of circumstances,\nsucceeds in obtaining great fruits. In this connection is cited the old\nstory of the discourse between a cat and a mouse at the foot of a banian.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"There was a large banian in the midst of an\nextensive forest. Covered with many kinds of creepers, it was the resort\nof diverse kinds of birds. It had a large trunk from which numerous\nbranches extended in all directions. Delightful to look at, the shade it\nafforded was very refreshing. It stood in the midst of the forest, and\nanimals of diverse species lived on it. A mouse of great wisdom, named\nPalita, lived at the foot of that tree, having made a hole there with a\nhundred outlets. On the branches of the tree there lived a cat, of the\nname of Lomasa, in great happiness, daily devouring a large number of\nbirds. Some time after, a Chandala came into the forest and built a hut\nfor himself. Every evening after sunset he spread his traps. Indeed,\nspreading his nets made of leathern strings he went back to his hut, and\nhappily passing the night in sleep, returned to the spot at the dawn of\nday. Diverse kinds of animals fell into his traps every night. And it so\nhappened that one day the cat, in a moment of heedlessness, was caught in\nthe snare. O thou of great wisdom, when his foe the cat who was at all\ntimes an enemy of the mouse species was thus caught in the net, the mouse\nPalita came out of his hole and began to rove about fearlessly. While\ntrustfully roving through the forest in search of food, the mouse after a\nlittle while saw the meat (that the Chandala had spread there as lure).\nGetting upon the trap, the little animal began to eat the flesh. Laughing\nmentally, he even got upon his enemy entangled helplessly in the net.\nIntent on eating the flesh, he did not mark his own danger, for as he\nsuddenly cast his eyes he saw a terrible foe of his arrived at that spot.\nThat foe was none else than a restless mongoose of coppery eyes, of the\nname of Harita. Living in underground holes, its body resembled the\nflower of a reed. Allured to that spot by the scent of the mouse, the\nanimal came there with great speed for devouring his prey. And he stood\non his haunches, with head upraised, licking the corners of his mouth\nwith his tongue. The mouse beheld at the same time another foe living in\nthe trees, then sitting on the branch of the banian. It was a\nnight-prowling owl of the name of Chandraka of sharp beaks. Having become\nan object of sight with both the mongoose and the owl, the mouse, in\ngreat alarm, began to think in this strain: 'At such a season of great\ndanger, when death itself is staring me in the face, when there is fear\non every side, how should one act that wishes for one's good?' Encompassed\non all sides by danger, seeing fear in every direction, the mouse, filled\nwith alarm for his safety, made a high resolution. 'Warding off even\ninnumerable dangers by hundreds of means, one should always save one's\nlife. Danger, at the present moment, encompasses me on every side. If I\nwere to descend from this trap on the ground, without adequate\nprecautions, the mongoose will surely seize and devour me. If I remain on\nthis trap, the owl will surely seize me. If, again, that cat succeeds in\ndisentangling himself from the net, he also is certain to devour me. It\nis not proper, however, that a person of our intelligence should lose his\nwits. I shall, therefore, strive my best to save my life, aided by proper\nmeans and intelligence. A person possessed of intelligence and wisdom and\nconversant with the science of policy never sinks, however great and\nterrible the danger that threatens him. At present, however, I do not\nbehold any other refuge than this cat. He is an enemy. But he is in\ndistress. The service that I can do him is very great. Sought to be made\na prey by three foes, how should I now act for saving my life? I should\nnow seek the protection of one of those foes, viz., the cat. Taking the\naid of the science of policy, let me counsel the cat for his good, so\nthat I may, with my intelligence, escape from all the three. The cat is\nmy great foe, but the distress into which he has fallen is very great.\nLet me try whether I can succeed in making this foolish creature\nunderstand his own interests. Having fallen into such distress, he may\nmake peace with me. A person when afflicted by a stronger one should make\npeace with even an enemy. Professors of the science of policy say that\neven this should be the conduct of one who having fallen into distress\nseeks the safety of his life. It is better to have a learned person for\nan enemy than a fool for a friend. As regards myself, my life now rests\nentirely in the hands of my enemy the cat. I shall now address the cat on\nthe subject of his own liberation. Perhaps, at this moment, it would not\nbe wrong to take the cat for an intelligent and learned foe.' Even thus\ndid that mouse, surrounded by foes, pursue his reflections. Having\nreflected in this strain, the mouse, conversant with the science of\nProfit and well acquainted with occasions when war should be declared and\npeace made, gently addressed the cat, saying, 'I address thee in\nfriendship, O cat! Art thou alive? I wish thee to live! I desire the good\nof us both. O amiable one, thou hast no cause for fear. Thou shalt live\nin happiness. I shall rescue thee, if, indeed, thou dost not slay me.\nThere is an excellent expedient in this case, which suggests itself to\nme, and by which you may obtain your escape and I may obtain great\nbenefit. By reflecting earnestly I have hit upon that expedient for thy\nsake and for my sake, for it will benefit both of us. There are the\nmongoose and the owl, both waiting with evil intent. Only so long, O cat,\nas they do not attack me, is my life safe. There that wretched owl with\nrestless glances and horrid cries is eyeing me from the branch of that\ntree. I am exceedingly frightened by it. Friendship, as regards the good,\nis seven-paced.[409] Possessed of wisdom as thou art, thou art my friend.\nI shall act towards thee as a friend. Thou needst have no fear now.\nWithout my help, O cat, thou wilt not succeed in tearing the net. I,\nhowever, shall cut the net for serving thee, if thou abstain from killing\nme. Thou hast lived on this tree and I have lived at its foot. Both of us\nhave dwelt here for many long years. All this is known to thee. He upon\nwhom nobody places his trust, and he who never trusts another, are never\napplauded by the wise. Both of them are unhappy. For this reason, let our\nlove for each other increase, and let there be union amongst us two. Men\nof wisdom never applaud the endeavour to do an act when its opportunity\nhas passed away. Know that this is the proper time for such an\nunderstanding amongst us. I wish that thou shouldst live, and thou also\nwishest that I should live. A man crosses a deep and large river by a\npiece of wood. It is seen that the man takes the piece of wood to the\nother side, and the piece of wood also takes the man to the other side.\nLike this, our compact, also will bring happiness to both of us. I will\nrescue thee, and thou also wilt rescue me.' Having said these words that\nwere beneficial to both of them, that were fraught with reason and on\nthat account highly acceptable, the mouse Palita waited in expectation of\nan answer.\n\n\"'\"Hearing these well-chosen words, fraught with reason and highly\nacceptable, that the mouse said, the mouse's foe possessed of judgment\nand forethought, viz., the cat spoke in reply. Endued with great\nintelligence, and possessed of eloquence, the cat, reflecting upon his\nown state, praised the words of the speaker and honoured him by gentle\nwords in return. Possessed of sharp foreteeth and having eyes that\nresembled the stones called lapis lazuli, the cat called Lomasa, gently\neyeing the mouse, answered as follows: 'I am delighted with thee, O\namiable one! Blessed be thou that wishest me to live! Do that, without\nhesitation, which thou thinkest to be of beneficial consequences. I am\ncertainly in great distress. Thou art, if possible, in greater distress\nstill. Let there be a compact between us without delay. I will do that\nwhich is opportune and necessary for the accomplishment of our business,\nO puissant one! If thou rescuest me, thy service will go for nothing. I\nplace myself in thy hands. I am devoted to thee. I shall wait upon and\nserve thee like a disciple. I seek thy protection and shall always obey\nthy behests.' Thus addressed, the mouse Palita, addressing in return the\ncat who was completely under his control, said these words of grave\nimport and high wisdom: 'Thou hast spoken most magnanimously. It could\nscarcely be unexpected from one like thee. Listen to me as I disclose the\nexpedient I have hit upon for benefiting both of us. I will crouch myself\nbeneath thy body. I am exceedingly frightened at the mongoose. Do thou\nsave me. Kill me not. I am competent to rescue thee. Protect me also from\nthe owl, for that wretch too wishes to seize me for his prey. I shall cut\nthe noose that entangles thee. I swear by Truth, O friend!' Hearing these\njudicious words fraught with reason, Lomasa, filled with delight, cast\nhis eyes upon Palita and applauded him with exclamations of welcome.\nHaving applauded Palita, the cat, disposed to friendliness, reflected for\na moment, and gladly said without losing any time, 'Come quickly to me!\nBlessed be thou, thou art, indeed, a friend dear to me as life. O thou of\ngreat wisdom, through thy grace I have almost got back my life.\nWhatever it is in my power to do for thee now, tell me and I shall do it.\nLet there be peace between us, O friend! Liberated from this danger, I\nshall, with all my friends and relatives, do all that may be agreeable\nand beneficial to thee. O amiable one, freed from this distress, I shall\ncertainly seek to gladden thee, and worship and honour thee on every\noccasion in return for thy services. A person by doing even abundant\nservices in return never becomes equal to the person that did him good in\nthe first instance. The former does those services for the sake of\nservices received. The latter, however, should be held to have acted\nwithout any such motive.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"The mouse, having thus made the cat understand his\nown interests, trustfully crouched beneath his enemy's body. Possessed of\nlearning, and thus assured by the cat, the mouse trustfully laid himself\nthus under the breast of the cat as if it were the lap of his father or\nmother. Beholding him thus ensconced within the body of the cat, the\nmongoose and the owl both became hopeless of seizing their prey. Indeed,\nseeing that close intimacy between the mouse and the cat, both Harita and\nChandraka became alarmed and filled with wonder. Both of them had\nstrength and intelligence. Clever in seizing their prey, though near, the\nmongoose and the owl felt unable to wean the mouse and the cat from that\ncompact. Indeed, beholding the cat and the mouse make that covenant for\naccomplishing their mutual ends, the mongoose and the owl both left that\nspot and went away to their respective abodes. After this, the mouse\nPalita, conversant with the requirements of time and place, began, as he\nlay under the body of the cat, to cut strings of the noose slowly,\nwaiting for the proper time to finish his work. Distressed by the strings\nthat entangled him, the cat became impatient upon seeing the mouse slowly\ncutting away the noose. Beholding the mouse employed so slowly in the\nwork, the cat wishing to expedite him in the task, said: 'How is it, O\namiable one, that thou dost not proceed with haste in thy work? Dost thou\ndisregard me now, having thyself succeeded in thy object? O slayer of\nfoes, do thou cut these strings quickly. The hunter will soon come here.'\nThus addressed by the cat who had become impatient, the mouse possessed\nof intelligence said these beneficial words fraught with his own good\nunto the cat who did not seem to possess much wisdom: 'Wait in silence, O\namiable one! Expedition is not necessary. Drive all thy fears. We know\nthe requirements of time. We are not wasting time. When an act is begun\nat an improper time, it never becomes profitable when accomplished. That\nact, on the other hand, which is begun at the proper time, always\nproduces splendid fruits. If thou be freed at an improper time, I shall\nhave to stand in great fear of thee. Therefore, do thou wait for the\nproper time. Do not be impatient, O friend! When I shall see the hunter\napproach towards this spot armed with weapons, I shall cut the strings at\nthat moment of fear to both of us. Freed then, thou wilt ascend the tree.\nAt that time thou wilt not think of anything else save the safety of thy\nlife. And when thou, O Lomasa, wilt fly away in fear, I shall enter my\nhole and thou wilt get upon the tree.' Thus addressed by the mouse in\nwords that were beneficial to him, the cat, possessed of intelligence and\neloquence, and impatient of saving his life, replied unto the mouse in\nthe following words. Indeed, the cat, who had quickly and properly done\nhis own part of the covenant, addressing the mouse who was not\nexpeditious in discharging his part, said, 'I rescued thee from a great\ndanger with considerable promptness. Alas! honest persons never do the\nbusiness of their friends in this way. Filled with delight while doing\nit, they do it otherwise. Thou shouldst do what is for my good with\ngreater expedition. O thou of great wisdom, do thou exert a little so\nthat good may be done to both of us. If, on the other hand, remembering\nour former hostility thou art only suffering the time to slip away, know,\nO wicked wight, that the consequence of this act of thine will surely be\nto lessen the duration of thy own life![410] If I have ever, before this,\nunconsciously done thee any wrong, thou shouldst not bear it in\nremembrance. I beg thy forgiveness. Be gratified with me.' After the cat\nhad said these words, the mouse, possessed of intelligence and wisdom and\nknowledge of the scriptures, said these excellent words unto him: 'I\nhave, O cat, heard what thou hast said in furtherance of thy own object.\nListen, however, to me as I tell thee what is consistent with my own\nobjects. That friendship in which there is fear and which cannot be kept\nup without fear, should be maintained with great caution like the hand\n(of the snake-charmer) from the snake's fangs. The person that does not\nprotect himself after having made a covenant with a stronger individual,\nfinds that covenant to be productive of injury instead of benefit. Nobody\nis anybody's friend; nobody is anybody's well-wisher; persons become\nfriends or foes only from motives of interest. Interest enlists interest\neven as tame elephants catch wild individuals of their species. After,\nagain, an act has been accomplished, the doer is scarcely regarded. For\nthis reason, all acts should be so done that something may remain to be\ndone. When I shall set thee free, thou wilt, afflicted by the fear of the\nhunter, fly away for thy life without ever thinking of seizing me.\nBehold, all the strings of this net have been cut by me. Only one remains\nto be cut. I will cut that also with haste. Be comforted, O Lomasa!'\nWhile the mouse and the cat were thus talking with each other, both in\nserious danger, the night gradually wore away. A great fear, however,\npenetrated the heart of the cat. When at last morning came, the Chandala,\nwhose name was Parigha, appeared on the scene. His visage was frightful.\nHis hair was black and tawny. His hips were very large and his aspect\nwas very fierce. Of a large mouth that extended from ear to ear, and\nexceedingly filthy, his ears were very long. Armed with weapons and\naccompanied by a pack of dogs, the grim-looking man appeared on the\nscene. Beholding the individual who resembled a messenger of Yama, the\ncat became filled with fear. Penetrated with fright, he addressed Palita\nand said, 'What shalt thou do now?' The mouse very quickly cut the\nremaining string that held fast the cat. Freed from the noose, the cat\nran with speed and got upon the banian. Palita also, freed from that\nsituation of danger and from the presence of a terrible foe, quickly fled\nand entered his hole. Lomasa meanwhile had climbed the high tree. The\nhunter, seeing everything, took up his net. His hopes frustrated, he\nalso quickly left that spot. Indeed, O bull of Bharata's race, the\nChandala returned to his abode. Liberated from that great peril, and\nhaving obtained back his life which is so very valuable, the cat from the\nbranches of that tree addressed the mouse Palita then staying within the\nhole, and said, 'Without having conversed with me, thou hast suddenly run\naway. I hope thou dost not suspect me of any evil intent. I am certainly\ngrateful and thou hast done me a great service. Having inspired me with\ntrustfulness and having given me my life, why dost thou not approach me\nat a time when friends should enjoy the sweetness of friendship? Having\nmade friends, he that forgets them afterwards, is regarded a wicked\nperson and never succeeds in obtaining friends at times of danger and\nneed. I have been, O friend, honoured and served by thee to the best of\nthy power. It behoveth thee to enjoy the company of my poor self who has\nbecome thy friend. Like disciples worshipping their preceptor, all the\nfriends I have, all my relatives and kinsmen, will honour and worship\nthee. I myself too shall worship thee with all thy friends and kinsmen.\nWhat grateful person is there that will not worship the giver of his\nlife? Be thou the lord of both my body and home. Be thou the disposer of\nall my wealth and possessions. Be thou my honoured counsellor and do thou\nrule me like a father. I swear by my life that thou hast no fear from us.\nIn intelligence thou art Usanas himself. By the power of thy\nunderstanding thou hast conquered us. Possessed of the strength of\npolicy, thou hast given us our life.' Addressed in such soothing words by\nthe cat, the mouse, conversant with all that is productive of the highest\ngood, replied in these sweet words that were beneficial to himself: 'I\nhave heard, O Lomasa, all that thou hast said. Listen now as I say what\nappears to me. Friends should be well examined. Foes also should be well\nstudied. In this world, a task like this is regarded by even the learned\nas a difficult one depending upon acute intelligence. Friends assume the\nguise of foes, and foes assume the guise of friends. When compacts of\nfriendship are formed, it is difficult for the parties to understand\nwhether the other parties are really moved by lust and wrath. There is no\nsuch thing as a foe. There is no such thing in existence as a friend. It\nis force of circumstances that creates friends and foes. He who regards\nhis own interests ensured as long as another person lives and thinks them\nendangered when that other person will cease to live, takes that other\nperson for a friend and considers him so as long as those interests of\nhis are not clashed against. There is no condition that deserves\npermanently the name either of friendship or hostility. Both friends and\nfoes arise from considerations of interest and gain. Friendship becomes\nchanged into enmity in the course of time. A foe also becomes a friend.\nSelf-interest is very powerful. He who reposes blind trust on friends and\nalways behaves with mistrust towards foes without paying any regard to\nconsiderations of policy, finds his life to be unsafe. He who,\ndisregarding all considerations of policy, sets his heart upon an\naffectionate union with either friends or foes, comes to be regarded as a\nperson whose understanding has been unhinged. One should not repose trust\nupon a person undeserving of trust, nor should one trust too much a\nperson deserving of trust. The danger that arises from blind reposing of\nconfidence is such that it cuts the very roots (of the person that\nreposes such confidence). The father, the mother, the son, the maternal\nuncle, the sister's son, other relatives and kinsmen, are all guided by\nconsiderations of interest and profit. Father and mother may be seen to\ndiscard the dear son if fallen.[411] People take care of their own\nselves. Behold the efficacy of self-interest. O thou that art possessed\nof great wisdom, his escape is very difficult who immediately after he is\nfreed from danger seeks the means of his enemy's happiness. Thou camest\ndown from the tree-top to this very spot. Thou couldst not, from levity\nof understanding, ascertain that a net had been spread here. A person,\npossessed of levity of understanding, fails to protect his own self. How\ncan he protect others? Such a person, without doubt, ruins all his acts.\nThou tellest me in sweet words that I am very dear to thee. Hear me,\nhowever, O friend, the reasons that exist on my side. One becomes dear\nfrom an adequate cause. One becomes a foe from an adequate cause. This\nwhole world of creatures is moved by the desire of gain (in some form or\nother). One never becomes dear to another (without cause). The friendship\nbetween two uterine brothers, the love between husband and wife, depends\nupon interest. I do not know any kind of affection between any persons\nthat does not rest upon some motive of self-interest. If, as is sometimes\nseen, uterine brothers or husband and wife having quarrelled reunite\ntogether from a natural affection, such a thing is not to be seen in\npersons unconnected with one another. One becomes dear for one's\nliberality. Another becomes dear for his sweet words. A third becomes so\nin consequence of his religious acts. Generally, a person becomes dear\nfor the purpose he serves. The affection between us arose from a\nsufficient cause. That cause exists no longer. On the other hand, from\nadequate reason, that affection between us has come to an end. What is\nthat reason, I ask, for which I have become so dear to thee, besides thy\ndesire of making me thy prey? Thou shouldst know that I am not forgetful\nof this. Time spoils reasons. Thou seekest thy own interests. Others,\nhowever, possessed of wisdom, understand their own interests. The world\nrests upon the example of the wise. Thou shouldst not address such words\nto a person possessed of learning and competent to understand his own\ninterests. Thou art powerful. The reason of this affection that thou\nshowest for me now is ill-timed. Guided, however, by my own interests, I\nmyself am firm in peace and war that are themselves very unstable. The\ncircumstances under which peace is to be made or war declared are changed\nas quickly as the clouds change their form. This very day thou wert my\nfoe. This very day, again, thou wert my friend. This very day thou hast\nonce more become my enemy. Behold the levity of the considerations that\nmove living creatures. There was friendship between us as long as there\nwas reason for its existence. That reason, dependant upon time, has\npassed away. Without it, that friendship also has passed away. Thou art\nby nature my foe. From circumstances thou becomest my friend. That state\nof things has passed away. The old state of enmity that is natural has\ncome back. Thoroughly conversant as I am with the dictates of policy that\nhave been thus laid down, tell me, why I should enter today, for thy\nsake, the net that is spread for me. Through thy power I was freed from a\ngreat danger. Through my power thou hast been freed from a similar\ndanger. Each of us has served the other. There is no need of uniting\nourselves again in friendly intercourse. O amiable one, the object thou\nhadst hath been accomplished. The object I had has also been\naccomplished. Thou hast now no use for me except to make me your meal. I\nam thy food. Thou art the eater. I am weak. Thou art strong. There cannot\nbe a friendly union between us when we are situated so unequally. I\nunderstand thy wisdom. Having been rescued from the net, thou applaudest\nme so that thou mayst succeed in easily making a meal of me. Thou wert\nentangled in the net for the sake of food. Thou hast been freed from it.\nThou feelest now the pangs of hunger. Having recourse to that wisdom\nwhich arises from a study of the scriptures, thou seekest verily to eat\nme up today. I know that thou art hungry. I know that this is thy hour\nfor taking food. Thou art seeking for thy prey, with thy eyes directed\ntowards me. Thou hast sons and wives. Thou seekest still friendly union\nwith me and wishest to treat me with affection and do me services. O\nfriend, I am incapable of acceding to this proposal. Seeing me with thee,\nwhy will not thy dear spouse and thy loving children cheerfully eat me\nup? I shall not, therefore, unite with thee in friendship. The reason no\nlonger exists for such a union. If, indeed, thou dost not forget my good\noffices, think of what will be beneficial to me and be comfortable. What\nperson is there possessed of any wisdom that will place himself under the\npower of a foe that is not distinguished for righteousness, that is in\npangs of hunger, and that is on the look-out for a prey? Be happy then, I\nwill presently leave thee. I am filled with alarm even if I behold thee\nfrom a distance. I shall not mingle with thee, cease in thy attempts, O\nLomasa! If thou thinkest that I have done thee a service, follow then the\ndictates of friendship when I may happen to rove trustfully or\nheedlessly. Even that will be gratitude in thee. A residence near a\nperson possessed of strength and power is never applauded, even if the\ndanger that existed be regarded to have passed away. I should always\nstand in fear of one more powerful than myself. If thou dost not seek thy\nown interests (of the kind indicated), tell me then what is there that I\nshould do for thee. I shall certainly give thee everything except my\nlife. For protecting one's own self one should give up one's very\nchildren, and kingdom, and jewels, and wealth. One should sacrifice one's\nall for protecting one's own self. If a person lives he can recover all\nthe affluence that he may have to give unto foes for protecting his life.\nIt is not desirable to give up life like one's wealth. Indeed, one's own\nself should always be protected by, as I have already said, giving up\none's wives and wealth. Persons who are mindful of protecting their own\nselves and who do all their acts after a proper consideration and survey,\nnever incur danger as the consequence of their acts. They that are weak\nalways know him for a foe who is possessed of greater strength. Their\nunderstanding, firm in the truths of the scriptures, never loses its\nsteadiness.'\n\n\"'\"Thus rebuked soundly by the mouse Palita, the cat, blushing with shame,\naddressed the mouse and said the following words.\n\n\"'\"Lomasa said, 'Truly I swear by thee that to injure a friend is in my\nestimation very censurable. I know thy wisdom. I know also that thou art\ndevoted to my good. Guided by the science of Profit, thou said that there\nis cause for a breach between thee and me. It doth not behove thee,\nhowever, O good friend, to take me for what I am not. I cherish a great\nfriendship for thee in consequence of thy having granted me my life. I\nam, again, acquainted with duties. I am an appreciator of other people's\nmerits. I am very grateful for services received. I am devoted to the\nservice of friends. I am, again, especially devoted to thee. For these\nreasons, O good friend, it behoveth thee to reunite thyself with me. If I\nam commanded by thee, I can, with all my kinsmen and relatives, lay down\nmy very life. They that are possessed of learning and wisdom see ample\nreason for placing their trust in persons of such mental disposition as\nourselves. O thou that art acquainted with the truths of morality, it\nbehoveth thee not to cherish any suspicion in respect of me.' Thus\naddressed by the cat, the mouse reflecting a little, said these words of\ngrave import unto the former, 'Thou art exceedingly good. I have heard\nall that thou hast said and am glad to hear thee. For all that, however,\nI cannot trust thee. It is impossible for thee, by such eulogies or by\ngifts of great wealth, to induce me to unite with thee again. I tell\nthee, O friend, that they who are possessed of wisdom never place\nthemselves, when there is not sufficient reason, under the power of a\nfoe. A weak person having made a compact with a stronger one when both\nare threatened by foes, should (when that common danger passes away)\nconduct himself heedfully and by considerations of policy. Having gained\nhis object, the weaker of the two parties should not again repose\nconfidence on the stronger. One should never trust a person who does not\ndeserve to be trusted. Nor should one repose blind confidence upon a\nperson deserving of trust. One should always endeavour to inspire others\nwith confidence in himself. One should not, however, himself repose\nconfidence in foes. For these reasons one should, under all\ncircumstances, protect his own self. One's possessions and children and\neverything are so long valuable as one is alive. In brief, the highest\ntruth of all treatises on policy is mistrust. For this reason, mistrust\nof all is productive of the greatest good. However weak people may be, if\nthey mistrust their foes, the latter, even if strong, never succeed in\ngetting them under power. O cat, one like myself should always guard one's\nlife from persons like thee. Do thou also protect thy own life from the\nChandala whose rage has been excited.'[412] While the mouse thus spake,\nthe cat, frightened at the mention of the hunter, hastily leaving the\nbranch of the tree, ran away with great speed. Having thus displayed his\npower of understanding, the mouse Palita also, conversant with the truths\nof scripture and possessed of wisdom, entered another hole.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Even thus the mouse Palita, possessed of wisdom,\nthough weak and alone, succeeded in baffling many powerful foes. One\npossessed of intelligence and learning should make peace with a powerful\nfoe. The mouse and the cat owed their escape to their reliance upon each\nother's services. I have thus pointed out to thee the course of Kshatriya\nduties at great length. Listen now to me in brief. When two persons who\nwere once engaged in hostilities make peace with each other, it is\ncertain that each of them has it in his heart to over-reach the other. In\nsuch a case he that is possessed of wisdom succeeds by the power of his\nunderstanding in over-reaching the other. He, on the other hand, who is\ndestitute of wisdom suffers himself, in consequence of his heedlessness,\nto be over-reached by the wise. It is necessary, therefore, that, in fear\none should seem to be fearless, and while really mistrusting others one\nshould seem to be trustful. One who acts with such heedfulness never\ntrips, or tripping, is never ruined. When the time comes for it, one\nshould make peace with an enemy; and when the time comes, one should wage\nwar with even a friend. Even thus should one conduct oneself, O king, as\nthey have said that are conversant with the considerations of peace (and\nwar). Knowing this, O monarch, and bearing the truths of scripture in\nmind, one should, with all his senses about one and without heedfulness,\nact like a person in fear before the cause of fear actually presents\nitself. One should, before the cause of fear has actually come, act like\na person in fear, and make peace with foes. Such fear and heedfulness\nlead to keenness of understanding. If one acts like a man in fear before\nthe cause of fear is at hand, one is never filled with fear when that\ncause is actually present. From the fear, however, of a person who always\nacts with fearlessness, very great fear is seen to arise.[413] 'Never\ncherish fear'--such a counsel should never be given to any one. The\nperson that cherishes fear moved by a consciousness of his weakness,\nalways seeks the counsel of wise and experienced men. For these reasons,\none should, when in fear, seem to be fearless, and when mistrusting\n(others) should seem to be trustful. One should not, in view of even the\ngravest acts, behave towards others with falsehood. Thus have I recited\nto thee, O Yudhishthira, the old story (of the mouse and the cat). Having\nlistened to it, do thou act duly in the midst of thy friends and kinsmen.\nDeriving from that story a high understanding, and learning the\ndifference between friend and foe and the proper time for war and peace,\nthou wilt discover means of escape when overwhelmed with danger. Making\npeace, at a time of common danger, with one that is powerful, thou\nshouldst act with proper consideration in the matter of uniting thyself\nwith the foe (when the common danger has passed away). Indeed, having\ngained thy object, thou shouldst not trust the foe again. This path of\npolicy is consistent with the aggregate of three (viz., Virtue, Profit,\nand Pleasure), O king! Guided by this Sruti, do thou win prosperity by\nonce more protecting thy subjects. O son of Pandu, always seek the\ncompanionship of Brahmanas in all thy acts. Brahmans constitute the great\nsource of benefit both in this world and the next. They are teachers of\nduty and morality. They are always grateful, O puissant one! If\nworshipped, they are sure to do thee good. Therefore, O king, thou\nshouldst always worship them. Thou wilt then, O king, duly obtain\nkingdom, great good, fame, achievement's and progeny in their proper\norder. With eyes directed to this history of peace and war between the\nmouse and the cat, this history couched in excellent words and capable of\nsharpening the intelligence, a king should always conduct himself in the\nmidst of his foes.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXIX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou hast laid it down, O mighty one, that no trust\nshould be placed upon foes. But how would the king maintain himself if he\nwere not to trust anybody? From trust, O king, thou hast said, great\ndanger arises to kings. But how, O monarch, can a king, without trusting\nothers, conquer his foes? Kindly remove this doubt of mine. My mind has\nbecome confused, O grandsire, at what I have heard thee say on the\nsubject of mistrust.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Listen, O king, to what happened at the abode of\nBrahmadatta, viz., the conversation between Pujani and king Brahmadatta.\nThere was a bird named Pujani who lived for a long time with king\nBrahmadatta in the inner apartments of his palace at Kampilya. Like the\nbird Jivajivaka, Pujani could mimic the cries of all animals. Though a\nbird by birth, she had great knowledge and was conversant with every\ntruth. While living there, she brought forth an offspring of great\nsplendour. At the very same time the king also got by his queen a son.\nPujani, who was grateful for the shelter of the king's roof, used every\nday to go to the shores of the ocean and bring a couple of fruits for the\nnourishment of her own young one and the infant prince. One of those\nfruits she gave to her own child and the other she gave to the prince.\nThe fruits she brought were sweet as nectar, and capable of increasing\nstrength and energy. Every day she brought them and everyday she disposed\nof them in the same way. The infant prince derived great strength from\nthe fruit of Pujani's giving that he ate. One day the infant prince,\nwhile borne on the arms of his nurse, saw the little offspring of Pujani.\nGetting down from the nurse's arms, the child ran towards the bird, and\nmoved by childish impulse, began to play with it, relishing the sport\nhighly. At length, raising the bird which was of the same age with\nhimself in his hands, the prince pressed out its young life and then came\nback to his nurse. The dam, O king, who had been out in her search after\nthe accustomed fruits, returning to the palace, beheld her young one\nlying on the ground, killed by the prince. Beholding her son deprived of\nlife, Pujani, with tears gushing down her cheeks, and heart burning with\ngrief, wept bitterly and said, 'Alas, nobody should live with a Kshatriya\nor make friends with him or take delight in any intercourse with him.\nWhen they have any object to serve, they behave with courtesy. When that\nobject has been served they cast off the instrument. The Kshatriyas do\nevil unto all. They should never be trusted. Even after doing an injury\nthey always seek to soothe and assure the injured for nothing. I shall\ncertainly take due vengeance, for this act of hostility, upon this cruel\nand ungrateful betrayer of confidence. He has been guilty of a triple sin\nin taking the life of one that was born on the same day with him and that\nwas being reared with him in the same place, that used to eat with him,\nand that was dependent on him for protection.' Having said these words\nunto herself, Pujani, with her talons, pierced the eyes of the prince,\nand deriving some comfort from that act of vengeance, once more said, 'A\nsinful act, perpetrated deliberately, assails the doer without any loss\nof time. They, on the other hand, who avenge themselves of an injury,\nnever lose their merit by such conduct. If the consequence of a sinful\nact be not seen in the perpetrator himself, they would certainly be seen,\nO king, in his sons or son's sons or daughter's sons.' Brahmadatta,\nbeholding his son blinded by Pujani and regarding the act to have been a\nproper vengeance for what his son had done, said these words unto Pujani.\n\n\"'\"Brahmadatta said, 'An injury was done by us to thee. Thou hast avenged\nit by doing an injury in return. The account has been squared. Do not\nleave thy present abode. On the other hand, continue to dwell here, O\nPujani.'\n\n\"'\"Pujani said, 'If a person having once injured another continues to\nreside with that other, they that are possessed of learning never applaud\nhis conduct. Under such circumstances it is always better for the injurer\nto leave his old place. One should never place one's trust upon the\nsoothing assurances received from an injured party. The fool that trusts\nsuch assurances soon meets with destruction. Animosity is not quickly\ncooled. The very sons and grandsons of persons that have injured each\nother meet with destruction (in consequence of the quarrel descending\nlike an inheritance). In consequence again of such destruction of their\noffspring, they lose the next world also. Amongst men that have injured\none another, mistrust would be productive of happiness. One that has\nbetrayed confidence should never be trusted in the least. One who is not\ndeserving of trust should not be trusted; nor should too much trust be\nplaced upon a person deserving of trust. The danger that arises from\nblind confidence brings about a destruction that is complete. One should\nseek to inspire others with confidence in one's self. One, however,\nshould never repose confidence on others. The father and the mother only\nare the foremost of friends. The wife is merely a vessel for drawing the\nseeds. The son is only one's seed. The brother is a foe. The friend or\ncompanion requires to have his palms oiled if he is to remain so. One's\nown self it is that enjoys or suffers one's happiness or misery. Amongst\npersons that have injured one another, it is not advisable there should\nbe (real) peace. The reasons no longer exist for which I lived here. The\nmind of a person who has once injured another becomes naturally filled\nwith mistrust, if he sees the injured person worshipping him with gifts\nand honours. Such conduct, especially when displayed by those that are\nstrong, always fills the weak with alarm. A person possessed of\nintelligence should leave that place where he first meets with honour in\norder to meet only with dishonour and injury next. In spite of any\nsubsequent honour that he might obtain from his enemy, he should behave\nin this way. I have dwelt in thy abode for a long time, all along honoured\nby thee. A cause of enmity, however, has at last arisen. I should,\ntherefore, leave this place without any hesitation.'\n\n\"'\"Brahmadatta said, 'One who does an injury in return for an injury\nreceived is never regarded as offending. Indeed, the avenger squares his\naccount by such conduct. Therefore, O Pujani, continue to reside here\nwithout leaving this place.'\n\n\"'\"Pujani said, 'No friendship can once more be cemented between a person\nthat has injured and him that has inflicted an injury in return. The\nhearts of neither can forget what has happened.'\n\n\"'\"Brahmadatta said, 'It is necessary that a union should take place\nbetween an injurer and the avenger of that injury. Mutual animosity, upon\nsuch a union, has been seen to cool. No fresh injury also has followed in\nsuch cases.'\n\n\"'\"Pujani said, 'Animosity (springing from mutual injuries) can never die.\nThe person injured should never trust his foes, thinking, \"O, I have been\nsoothed with assurances of goodwill.\" In this world, men frequently meet\nwith destruction in consequence of (misplaced) confidence. For this\nreason it is necessary that we should no longer meet each other. They who\ncannot be reduced to subjection by the application of even force and\nsharp weapons, can be conquered by (insincere) conciliation like (wild)\nelephants through a (tame) she-elephant.'\n\n\"'\"Brahmadatta said, 'From the fact of two persons residing together, even\nif one inflicts upon the other deadly injury, an affection arises\nnaturally between them, as also mutual trust as in the case, of the\nChandala and the dog. Amongst persons that have injured one another,\nco-residence blunts the keenness of animosity. Indeed, that animosity\ndoes not last long, but disappears quickly like water poured upon the\nleaf of a lotus.'\n\n\"'\"Pujani said, 'Hostility springs from five causes. Persons possessed of\nlearning know it. Those five causes are woman, land, harsh words, natural\nincompatibility, and injury.[414] When the person with whom hostility\noccurs happens to be a man of liberality, he should never be slain,\nparticularly by a Kshatriya, openly or by covert means. In such a case,\nthe man's fault should be properly weighed.[415] When hostility has\narisen with even a friend, no further confidence should be reposed upon\nhim. Feelings of animosity lie hid like fire in wood. Like the Aurvya\nfire within the waters of the ocean, the fire of animosity can never be\nextinguished by gifts of wealth, by display of prowess, by conciliation,\nor by scriptural learning. The fire of animosity, once ignited, the\nresult of an injury once inflicted, is never extinguished, O king,\nwithout consuming outright one of the parties. One, having injured a\nperson, should never trust him again as one's friend, even though one\nmight have (after the infliction of the injury) worshipped him with\nwealth and honours. The fact of the injury inflicted fills the injurer\nwith fear. I never injured thee. Thou also didst never do me an injury.\nFor this reason I dwelt in thy abode. All that is changed, and at present\nI cannot trust thee.'\n\n\"'\"Brahmadatta said, 'It is Time that does every act. Acts are of diverse\nkinds, and all of them proceed from Time. Who, therefore, injures\nwhom?[416] Birth and Death happen in the same way. Creatures act (i.e.,\ntake birth and live) in consequence of Time, and it is in consequence\nalso of Time that they cease to live. Some are seen to die at once. Some\ndie one at a time. Some are seen to live for long periods. Like fire\nconsuming the fuel, Time consumes all creatures. O blessed lady, I am,\ntherefore, not the cause of your sorrow, nor art thou the cause of mine.\nIt is Time that always ordains the weal and woe of embodied creatures. Do\nthou then continue to dwell here according to thy pleasure, with\naffection for me and without fear of any injury from me. What thou hast\ndone has been forgiven by me. Do thou also forgive me, O Pujani!'\n\n\"'\"Pujani said, 'If Time, according to thee, be the cause of all acts, then\nof course nobody can cherish feelings of animosity towards anybody on\nearth. I ask, however, why friends and kinsmen, seek to avenge themselves\nthe slain. Why also did the gods and the Asuras in days of yore smite\neach other in battle? If it is Time that causes weal and woe and birth\nand death, why do physicians then seek to administer medicines to the\nsick? If it is Time that is moulding everything, what need is there of\nmedicines? Why do people, deprived of their senses by grief, indulge in\nsuch delirious rhapsodies? If Time, according to thee, be the cause of\nacts, how can religious merit be acquired by persons performing religious\nacts? Thy son killed my child. I have injured him for that. I have by\nthat act, O king, become liable to be slain by thee. Moved by grief for\nmy son, I have done this injury to thy son. Listen now to the reason why\nI have become liable to be killed by thee. Men wish for birds either to\nkill them for food or to keep them in cages for sport. There is no third\nreason besides such slaughter or immurement for which men would seek\nindividuals of our species. Birds, again, from fear of being either\nkilled or immured by men seek safety in flight. Persons conversant with\nthe Vedas have said that death and immurement are both painful. Life is\ndear unto all. All creatures are made miserable by grief and pain. All\ncreatures wish for happiness. Misery arises from various sources.\nDecrepitude, O Brahmadatta, is misery. The loss of wealth is misery. The\nadjacence of anything disagreeable or evil is misery. Separation or\ndissociation from friends and agreeable objects is misery. Misery arises\nfrom death and immurement. Misery arises from causes connected with women\nand from other natural causes. The misery that arises from the death of\nchildren alters and afflicts all creatures very greatly. Some foolish\npersons say that there is no misery in others' misery.[417] Only he who\nhas not felt any misery himself can say so in the midst of men. He,\nhowever, that has felt sorrow and misery, would never venture to say so.\nOne that has felt the pangs of every kind of misery feels the misery of\nothers as one's own. What I have done to thee, O king, and what thou has\ndone to me, cannot be washed away by even a hundred years. After what we\nhave done to each other, there cannot be a reconciliation. As often as\nthou wilt happen to think of thy son, thy animosity towards me will\nbecome fresh. If a person after avenging oneself of an injury, desires to\nmake peace with the injured, the parties cannot be properly reunited even\nlike the fragments of an earthen vessel. Men conversant with scriptures\nhave laid it down that trust never produces happiness. Usanas himself sang\ntwo verses unto Prahlada in days of old. He who trusts the words, true or\nfalse, of a foe, meets with destruction like a seeker of honey, in a pit\ncovered with dry grass.[418] Animosities are seen to survive the very\ndeath of enemies, for persons would speak of the previous quarrels of\ntheir deceased sires before their surviving children. Kings extinguish\nanimosities by having recourse to conciliation but, when the opportunity\ncomes, break their foes into pieces like earthen jars full of water\ndashed upon stone. If the king does injury to any one, he should never\ntrust him again. By trusting a person who has been injured, one has to\nsuffer great misery.'\n\n\"'\"Brahmadatta said, 'No man can obtain the fruition of any object by\nwithholding his trust (from others). By cherishing fear one is always\nobliged to live as a dead person.'\n\n\"'\"Pujani said, 'He whose feet have become sore, certainly meets with a\nfall if he seeks to move, move he may howsoever cautiously. A man who has\ngot sore eyes, by opening them against the wind, finds them exceedingly\npained by the wind. He who, without knowing his own strength, sets foot\non a wicked path and persists in walking along it, soon loses his very\nlife as the consequence. The man who, destitute of exertion, tills his\nland, disregarding the season of rain, never succeeds in obtaining a\nharvest. He who takes every day food that is nutritive, be it bitter or\nastringent or palatable or sweet, enjoys a long life. He, on the other\nhand, who disregards wholesome food and takes that which is injurious\nwithout an eye to consequences, soon meets with death. Destiny and\nexertion exist, depending upon each other. They that are of high souls\nachieve good and great feats, while eunuchs only pay court to Destiny. Be\nit harsh or mild, an act that is beneficial should be done. The\nunfortunate man of inaction, however, is always overwhelmed by all sorts\nof calamity. Therefore, abandoning everything else, one should put forth\nhis energy. Indeed, disregarding everything, men should do what is\nproductive of good to themselves. Knowledge, courage, cleverness,\nstrength, and patience are said to be one's natural friends. They that\nare possessed of wisdom pass their lives in this world with the aid of\nthese five. Houses, precious metals, land, wife, and friends,--these are\nsaid by the learned to be secondary sources of good. A man may obtain\nthem everywhere. A person possessed of wisdom may be delighted\neverywhere. Such a man shines everywhere. He never inspires anybody with\nfear. If sought to be frightened, he never yields to fear himself. The\nwealth, however little, that is possessed at any time by an intelligent\nman is certain to increase. Such a man does every act with cleverness. In\nconsequence of self-restraint, he succeeds in winning great fame.\nHome-keeping men of little understanding have to put up with termagant\nwives that eat up their flesh like the progeny of a crab eating up their\ndam. There are men who through loss of understanding become very\ncheerless at the prospect of leaving home. They say unto\nthemselves,--These are our friends! This is our country! Alas, how shall\nwe leave these?--One should certainly leave the country of one's birth,\nif it be afflicted by plague or famine. One should live in one's own\ncountry, respected by all, or repair to a foreign country for living\nthere. I shall, for this reason, repair to some other region. I do not\nventure to live any longer in this place, for I have done a great wrong\nto thy child. O king, one should from a distance abandon a bad wife, a\nbad son, a bad king, a bad friend, a bad alliance, and a bad country. One\nshould not place any trust on a bad son. What joy can one have in a bad\nwife? There cannot be any happiness in a bad kingdom. In a bad country\none cannot hope to obtain a livelihood. There can be no lasting\ncompanionship with a bad friend whose attachment is very uncertain. In a\nbad alliance, when there is no necessity for it, there is disgrace. She\nindeed, is a wife who speaks only what is agreeable. He is a son who\nmakes the sire happy. He is a friend in whom one can trust. That indeed,\nis one's country where one earns one's living. He is a king of strict\nrule who does not oppress, who cherishes the poor and in whose\nterritories there is no fear. Wife, country, friends, son, kinsmen, and\nrelatives, all these one can have if the king happens to be possessed of\naccomplishments and virtuous eyes. If the king happens to be sinful, his\nsubjects, inconsequence of his oppressions, meet with destruction. The\nking is the root of one's triple aggregate (i.e., Virtue, Wealth, and\nPleasure). He should protect his subjects with heedfulness. Taking from\nhis subjects a sixth share of their wealth, he should protect them all.\nThat king who does not protect his subjects is truly a thief. That king\nwho, after giving assurances of protection, does not, from rapacity,\nfulfil them,--that ruler of sinful soul,--takes upon himself the sins of\nall his subjects and ultimately sinks into hell. That king, on the other\nhand, who, having given assurances of protection, fulfils them, comes to\nbe regarded as a universal benefactor in consequence of protecting all\nhis subjects. The lord of all creatures, viz., Manu, has said that the\nking has seven attributes: he is mother, father, preceptor, protector,\nfire, Vaisravana and Yama. The king by behaving with compassion towards\nhis people is called their father. The subject that behaves falsely\ntowards him takes birth in his next life as an animal or a bird. By doing\ngood to them and by cherishing the poor, the king becomes a mother unto\nhis people. By scorching the wicked he comes to be regarded as fire, and\nby restraining the sinful he comes to be called Yama. By making gifts of\nwealth unto those that are dear to him, the king comes to be regarded as\nKuvera, the grantor of wishes. By giving instruction in morality and\nvirtue, he becomes a preceptor, and by exercising the duty of protection\nhe becomes the protector. That king who delights the people of his cities\nand provinces by means of his accomplishments, is never divested of his\nkingdom in consequence of such observance of duty. That king who knows\nhow to honour his subjects never suffers misery either here or hereafter.\nThat king whose subjects are always filled with anxiety or overburdened\nwith taxes, and overwhelmed by evils of every kind, meets with defeat at\nthe hands of his enemies. That king, on the other hand, whose subjects\ngrow like a large lotus in a lake succeeds in obtaining every reward here\nand at last meets with honour in heaven. Hostility with a person that is\npowerful is, O king, never applauded. That king who has incurred the\nhostility of one more powerful than himself, loses both kingdom and\nhappiness.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"The bird, having said these words, O monarch, unto\nking Brahmadatta, took the king's leave and proceeded to the region she\nchose. I have thus recited to thee, O foremost of kings, the discourse\nbetween Brahmadatta and Pujani. What else dost thou wish to hear?\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXL\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"When both righteousness and men, O Bharata, decay in\nconsequence of the gradual lapse of Yuga, and when the world becomes\nafflicted by robbers, how, O Grandsire, should a king then behave?\"[419]\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I shall tell thee, O Bharata, the policy the king should\npursue at such distressful times. I shall tell thee how he should bear\nhimself at such a time, casting off compassion. In this connection is\ncited the old story of the discourse between Bharadwaja and king\nSatrunjaya. There was a king named Satrunjaya among the Sauviras. He was\na great car-warrior. Repairing to Bharadwaja, he asked the Rishi about\nthe truths of the science of Profit,--saying,--How can an unacquired\nobject be acquired? How again, when acquired, can it be increased? How\nalso, when increased, can it be protected? And how, when protected,\nshould it be used?--Thus questioned about the truths of the science of\nProfit, the regenerate Rishi said the following words fraught with\nexcellent reason unto that ruler for explaining those truths.\n\n\"'\"The Rishi said, 'The king should always stay with the rod of\nchastisement uplifted in his hand. He should always display his prowess.\nHimself without laches, he should mark the laches of his foes. Indeed,\nhis eyes should ever be used for that purpose. At the sight of a king who\nhas the rod of chastisement ever uplifted in his hand, every one is\nstruck with fear. For this reason, the king should rule all creatures\nwith the rod of chastisement. Men possessed of learning and knowledge of\ntruth applaud Chastisement. Hence, of the four requisites of rule, viz.,\nConciliation, Gift, Disunion, and Chastisement, Chastisement is said to\nbe the foremost. When the foundation of that which serves for a refuge is\ncut away, all the refugees perish. When the roots of a tree are cut away,\nhow would the branches live? A king possessed of wisdom should cut away\nthe very roots of his foe. He should then win over and bring under his\nsway the allies and partisans of that foe. When calamities overtake the\nking, he should without losing time, counsel wisely, display his prowess\nproperly, fight with ability, and even retreat with wisdom. In speech\nonly should the king exhibit his humility, but at heart he should be\nsharp as a razor. He should cast off lust and wrath, and speak sweetly\nand mildly. When the occasion comes for intercourse with an enemy, a king\npossessed of foresight should make peace, without reposing blind trust on\nhim. When the business is over, he should quickly turn away from the new\nally. One should conciliate a foe with sweet assurances as if he were a\nfriend. One, however, should always stand in fear of that foe as living\nin a room within which there is a snake. He whose understanding is to be\ndominated by thee (with the aid of thine intellect) should be comforted\nby assurances given in the past. He who is of wicked understanding should\nbe assured by promises of future good. The person, however, that is\npossessed of wisdom, should be assured by present services. The person\nwho is desirous of achieving prosperity should join hands, swear, use\nsweet words, worship by bending down his head, and shed tears.[420] One\nshould bear one's foe on one's shoulders as long as time is unfavourable.\nWhen however, the opportunity has come, one should break him into\nfragments like an earthen jar on a stone. It is better, O monarch that a\nking should blaze up for a moment like charcoal of ebony-wood than that\nhe should smoulder and smoke like chaff for many years. A man who has\nmany purposes to serve should not scruple to deal with even an ungrateful\nperson. If successful, one can enjoy happiness. If unsuccessful, one\nloses esteem. Therefore in accomplishing the acts of such persons, one\nshould, without doing them completely, always keep something unfinished.\nA king should do what is for his good, imitating a cuckoo, a boar, the\nmountains of Meru, an empty chamber, an actor, and a devoted friend.[421]\nThe king should frequently, with heedful application, repair to the\nhouses of his foes, and even if calamities befall them, ask them about\ntheir good. They that are idle never win affluence; nor they that are\ndestitute of manliness and exertion; nor they that are stained by vanity;\nnor they that fear unpopularity; nor they that are always\nprocrastinating. The king should act in such a way that his foe may not\nsucceed in detecting his laches. He should, however, himself mark the\nlaches of his foes. He should imitate the tortoise which conceals its\nlimbs. Indeed, he should always conceal his own holes. He should think of\nall matters connected with finance like a crane.[422] He should put forth\nhis prowess like a lion. He should lie in wait like a wolf and fall upon\nand pierce his foes like a shaft. Drink, dice, women, hunting, and\nmusic,--these he should enjoy judiciously. Addiction to these is\nproductive of evil. He should make bows with bamboos, etc.; he should\nsleep cautiously like the deer; he should be blind when it is necessary\nthat he should be so, or he should even be deaf when it is necessary to\nbe deaf. The king possessed of wisdom should put forth his prowess,\nregardful of time and place. If these are not favourable, prowess becomes\nfutile. Marking timeliness and untimeliness reflecting upon his own\nstrength and weakness, and improving his own strength by comparing it\nwith that of the enemy, the king should address himself to action. That\nking who does not crush a foe reduced to subjection by military force,\nprovides for his own death like the crab when she conceives. A tree with\nbeautiful blossoms may be lacking in strength. A tree carrying fruits may\nbe difficult of climbing; and sometimes trees with unripe fruits look\nlike trees with ripe fruits. Seeing all these facts a king should not\nallow himself to be depressed. If he conducts himself in such a way, then\nhe would succeed in upholding himself against all foes. The king should\nfirst strengthen the hopes (of those that approach him as suitors). He\nshould then put obstacles in the way of the fulfilment of those hopes. He\nshould say that those obstacles are merely due to occasion. He should\nnext represent that those occasions are really the results of grave\ncauses. As long as the cause of fear does not actually come, the king\nshould make all his arrangements like a person inspired with fear. When,\nhowever, the cause of fear comes upon him, he should smite fearlessly. No\nman can reap good without incurring danger. If, again, he succeeds in\npreserving his life amid danger, he is sure to earn great benefits.[423]\nA king should ascertain all future dangers; when they are present, he\nshould conquer them; and lest they grow again, he should, even after\nconquering them, think them to be unconquered. The abandonment of present\nhappiness and the pursuit of that which is future, is never the policy of\na person possessed of intelligence. The king who having made peace with a\nfoe sleeps happily in truthfulness is like a man who sleeping on the top\nof a tree awakes after a fall. When one falls into distress, one should\nraise one's self by all means in one's power, mild or stern; and after\nsuch rise, when competent, one should practise righteousness. The king\nshould always honour the foes of his foes. He should take his own spies\nas agents employed by his foes. The king should see that his own spies\nare not recognised by his foe. He should make spies of atheists and\nascetics and send them to the territories of his enemies. Sinful thieves,\nwho offend against the laws of righteousness and who are thorns in the\nside of every person, enter gardens and places of amusement and houses\nset up for giving drinking water to thirsty travellers and public inns\nand drinking spots and houses of ill fame and holy places and public\nassemblies. These should be recognised and arrested and put down. The\nking should not trust the person that does not deserve to be trusted nor\nshould he trust too much the person that is deserving of trust. Danger\nsprings from trust. Trust should never be placed without previous\nexamination. Having by plausible reasons inspired confidence in the\nenemy, the king should smite him when he makes a false step. The king\nshould fear him, from whom there is no fear; he should also always fear\nthem that should be feared. Fear that arises from an unfeared one may\nlead to total extermination. By attention (to the acquisition of\nreligious merit), by taciturnity, by the reddish garb of ascetics, and\nwearing matted locks and skins, one should inspire confidence in one's\nfoe, and then (when the opportunity comes) one should jump upon him like\nthe wolf. A king desirous of prosperity should not scruple to slay son or\nbrother or father or friend, if any of these seek to thwart his objects.\nThe very preceptor, if he happens to be arrogant, ignorant of what should\nbe done and what should not, and a treader of unrighteous paths,\ndeserves to be restrained by chastisement. Even as certain insects of\nsharp stings cut off all flowers and fruits of the trees on which they\nsit, the king should, after having inspired confidence in his foe by\nhonours and salutations and gifts, turn against him and shear him of\neverything. Without piercing the very vitals of others, without\naccomplishing many stern deeds, without slaughtering living creatures\nafter the manner of the fisherman, one cannot acquire great prosperity.\nThere is no separate species of creatures called foes or friends. Persons\nbecome friends or foes according to the force of circumstances. The king\nshould never allow his foe to escape even if the foe should indulge\npiteous lamentations. He should never be moved by these; on the other\nhand, it is his duty to destroy the person that has done him an injury. A\nking desirous of prosperity should take care to attach to himself as many\nmen as he can, and to do them good. In behaving towards his subjects he\nshould always be free from malice. He should also, with great care,\npunish and check the wicked and disaffected. When he intends to take\nwealth, he should say what is agreeable. Having taken wealth, he should\nsay similar things. Having struck off one's head with his sword, he\nshould grieve and shed tears. A king desirous of prosperity should draw\nothers unto himself by means of sweet words, honours, and gifts. Even\nthus should he bind men unto his service. The king should never engage in\nfruitless disputes. He should never cross a river with the aid only of\nhis two arms. To eat cow-horns is fruitless and never invigorating. By,\neating them one's teeth are broken while the taste is not gratified. The\ntriple aggregate has three disadvantages with three inseparable adjuncts.\nCarefully considering those adjuncts, the disadvantages should be\navoided.[424] The unpaid balance of a debt, the unquenched remnant of a\nfire, and the unslain remnant of foes, repeatedly grow and increase.\nTherefore, all those should be completely extinguished and exterminated.\nDebt, which always grows, is certain to remain unless wholly\nextinguished. The same is the cause with defeated foes and neglected\nmaladies. These always produce great feats. (One should, therefore, always\neradicate them). Every act should be done thoroughly. One should be always\nheedful. Such a minute thing as a thorn, if extracted badly, leads to\nobstinate gangrene. By slaughtering its population, by tearing up its\nroads and otherwise injuring them, and by burning and pulling down its\nhouses, a king should destroy a hostile kingdom. A kings should be\nfar-sighted like the vulture, motionless like a crane, vigilant like a\ndog, valiant like a lion, fearful like a crow, and penetrate the\nterritories of his foes like a snake with ease and without anxiety. A\nking should win over a hero by joining his palms, a coward by inspiring\nhim with fear, and a covetous man by gifts of wealth while with an equal\nhe should wage war. He should be mindful of producing disunion among the\nleaders of sects and of conciliating those that are dear to him. He\nshould protect his ministers from disunion and destructions. If the king\nbecomes mild, the people disregard him. If he becomes stern, the people\nfeel it as an affliction. The rule is that he should be stern when the\noccasion requires sternness, and mild when the occasion requires\nmildness. By mildness should the mild be cut. By mildness one may destroy\nthat which is fierce. There is nothing that mildness cannot effect. For\nthis reason, mildness is said to be sharper than fierceness. That king\nwho becomes mild when the occasion requires mildness and who becomes\nstern when sternness is required, succeeds in accomplishing all his\nobjects, and in putting down his foes. Having incurred the animosity of a\nperson possessed of knowledge and wisdom, one should not draw comfort\nfrom the conviction that one is at a distance (from one's foe).\nFar-reaching are the arms of an intelligent man by which he injures when\ninjured. That should not be sought to be crossed which is really\nuncrossable. That should not be snatched from the foe which the foe would\nbe able to recover. One should not seek to dig at all if by digging one\nwould not succeed in getting at the root of the thing for which one digs.\nOne should never strike him whose head one would not cut off. A king\nshould not always act in this way. This course of conduct that I have\nlaid down should be pursued only in seasons of distress. Inspired by the\nmotive of doing thee good I have said this for instructing thee as to how\nthou shouldst bear thyself when assailed by foes.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"The ruler of the kingdom of the Sauviras, hearing\nthese words spoken by that Brahmana inspired with the desire of doing him\ngood, obeyed those instructions cheerfully and obtained with his kinsmen\nand friends blazing prosperity.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"When the high righteousness suffers decay and is\ntransgressed by all, when unrighteousness becomes righteousness, and\nrighteousness assumes the form of its reverse, when all wholesome\nrestraints disappear, and all truths in respect of righteousness are\ndisturbed and confounded, when people are oppressed by kings and robbers,\nwhen men of all the four modes of life become stupefied in respect of\ntheir duties, and all acts lose their merit, when men see causes of fear\non every direction in consequence of lust and covetousness and folly,\nwhen all creatures cease to trust one another, when they slay one another\nby deceitful means and deceive one another in their mutual dealings, when\nhouses are burnt down throughout the country, when the Brahmanas become\nexceedingly afflicted, when the clouds do not pour a drop of rain, when\nevery one's hand is turned against every one's neighbour, when all the\nnecessaries of life fall under the power of robbers, when, indeed, such a\nseason of terrible distress sets in, by what means should a Brahmana live\nwho is unwilling to cast off compassion and his children? How, indeed,\nshould a Brahmana maintain himself at such a time? Tell me this, O\ngrandsire! How also should the king live at such a time when sinfulness\novertakes the world? How, O scorcher of foes, should the king live so\nthat he might not fall away from both righteousness and profit?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"O mighty-armed one, the peace and prosperity of\nsubjects,[425] sufficiency and seasonableness of rain, disease, death and\nother fears, are all dependent on the king.[426] I have no doubt also in\nthis. O bull of Bharata's race, that Krita, Treta, Dwapara, and Kali, as\nregards their setting in, are all dependent on the king's conduct. When\nsuch a season of misery as has been described by thee sets in, the\nrighteous should support life by the aid of judgment. In this connection\nis cited the old story of the discourse between Viswamitra and the\nChandala in a hamlet inhabited by Chandalas. Towards the end of Treta and\nthe beginning of Dwapara, a frightful drought occurred, extending over\ntwelve years, in consequence of what the gods had ordained. At that time\nwhich was the end of Treta and the commencement of Dwapara, when the\nperiod came for many creatures superannuated by age to lay down their\nlives, the thousand-eyed deity of heaven poured no rain. The planet\nVrihaspati began to move in a retrograde course, and Soma abandoning his\nown orbit, receded towards the south. Not even could a dew-drop be seen,\nwhat need then be said of clouds gathering together? The rivers all\nshrank into narrow streamlets. Everywhere lakes and wells and springs\ndisappeared and lost their beauty in consequence of that order of things\nwhich the gods brought about. Water having become scarce, the places set\nup by charity for its distribution became desolate.[427] The Brahmanas\nabstained from sacrifices and recitation of the Vedas. They no longer\nuttered Vashats and performed other propitiatory rites. Agriculture and\nkeep of cattle were given up. Markets and shops were abandoned. Stakes\nfor tethering sacrificial animals disappeared. People no longer collected\ndiverse kinds of articles for sacrifices. All festivals and amusements\nperished. Everywhere heaps of bones were visible and every place\nresounded with the shrill cries and yells of fierce creatures.[428] The\ncities and towns of the earth became empty of inhabitants. Villages and\nhamlets were burnt down. Some afflicted by robbers, some by weapons, and\nsome by bad kings, and in fear of one another, began to fly away. Temples\nand places of worship became desolate. They that were aged were forcibly\nturned out of their houses. Kine and goats and sheep and buffaloes fought\n(for food) and perished in large numbers. The Brahmanas began to die on\nall sides. Protection was at an end. Herbs and plants were dried up. The\nearth became shorn of all her beauty and exceedingly awful like the trees\nin a crematorium. In that period of terror, when righteousness was\nnowhere, O Yudhishthira, men in hunger lost their senses and began to eat\none another. The very Rishis, giving up their vows and abandoning their\nfires and deities, and deserting their retreats in woods, began to wander\nhither and thither (in search of food). The holy and great Rishi\nViswamitra, possessed of great intelligence, wandered homeless and\nafflicted with hunger. Leaving his wife and son in some place of shelter,\nthe Rishi wandered, fireless[429] and homeless, and regardless of food\nclean and unclean. One day he came upon a hamlet, in the midst of a\nforest, inhabited by cruel hunters addicted to the slaughter of living\ncreatures. The little hamlet abounded with broken jars and pots made of\nearth. Dog-skins were spread here and there. Bones and skulls, gathered\nin heaps, of boars and asses, lay in different places. Cloths stripped\nfrom the dead lay here and there, and the huts were adorned with garlands\nof used up flowers.[430] Many of the habitations again were filled with\nsloughs cast off by snakes. The place resounded with the loud crowing of\ncocks and hens and the dissonant bray of asses. Here and there the\ninhabitants disputed with one another, uttering harsh words in shrill\nvoices. Here and there were temples of gods bearing devices of owls and\nother birds. Resounding with the tinkle of iron bells, the hamlet\nabounded with canine packs standing or lying on every side. The great\nRishi Viswamitra, urged by pangs of hunger and engaged in search after\nfood, entered that hamlet and endeavoured his best to find something to\neat. Though the son of Kusika begged repeatedly, yet he failed to obtain\nany meat or rice or fruit or root or any other kind of food. He then,\nexclaiming, 'Alas, great is the distress that has overtaken me!' fell\ndown from weakness in that hamlet of the Chandalas. The sage began to\nreflect, saying to himself, 'What is best for me to do now?' Indeed, O\nbest of kings, the thought that occupied him was of the means by which he\ncould avoid immediate death. He beheld, O king, a large piece of flesh,\nof a dog that had recently been slain with a weapon, spread on the floor\nof a Chandala's hut. The sage reflected and arrived at the conclusion\nthat he should steal that meat. And he said unto himself, 'I have no\nmeans now of sustaining life. Theft is allowable in a season of distress\nfor even an eminent person. It will not detract from his glory. Even a\nBrahmana for saving his life may do it. This is certain. In the first\nplace one should steal from a low person. Failing such a person one may\nsteal from one's equal. Failing an equal, one may steal from even an\neminent and righteous man. I shall then, at this time when my life itself\nis ebbing away, steal this meat. I do not see demerit in such theft. I\nshall, therefore, rob this haunch of dog's meat.' Having formed this\nresolution, the great sage Viswamitra laid himself down for sleep in that\nplace where the Chandala was. Seeing some time after that the night had\nadvanced and that the whole Chandala hamlet had fallen asleep, the holy\nViswamitra, quietly rising up, entered that hut. The Chandala who owned\nit, with eyes covered with phlegm, was lying like one asleep. Of\ndisagreeable visage, he said these harsh words in a broken and dissonant\nvoice.\n\n\"'\"The Chandala said, 'Who is there, engaged in undoing the latch? The\nwhole Chandala hamlet is asleep. I, however, am awake and not asleep.\nWhoever thou art, thou art about to be slain.' These were the harsh words\nthat greeted the sage's ears. Filled with fear, his face crimson with\nblushes of shame, and his heart agitated by anxiety caused by that act of\ntheft which he had attempted, he answered, saying, 'O thou that art blest\nwith a long life, I am Viswamitra. I have come here oppressed by the\npangs of hunger. O thou of righteous understanding, do not slay me, if\nthy sight be clear.' Hearing these words of that great Rishi of cleansed\nsoul, the Chandala rose up in terror from his bed and approached the\nsage. Joining his palms from reverence and with eyes bathed in tears, he\naddressed Kusika's son, saying, 'What do you seek here in the night, O\nBrahmana?' Conciliating the Chandala, Viswamitra said, 'I am exceedingly\nhungry and about to die of starvation. I desire to take away that haunch\nof dog's meat. Being hungry, I have become sinful. One solicitous of food\nhas no shame. It is hunger that is urging me to this misdeed. It is for\nthis that I desire to take away that haunch of dog's meat. My\nlife-breaths are languishing. Hunger has destroyed my Vedic lore. I am\nweak and have lost my senses. I have no scruple about clean or unclean\nfood. Although I know that it is sinful, still I wish to take away that\nhaunch of dog's meat. After I had failed to obtain any alms, having\nwandered from house to house in this your hamlet, I set my heart upon\nthis sinful act of taking away this haunch of dog's meat. Fire is the\nmouth of the gods. He is also their priest. He should, therefore, take\nnothing save things that are pure and clean. At times, however, that\ngreat god becomes a consumer of everything. Know that I have now become\neven like him in that respect.' Hearing these words of the great Rishi,\nthe Chandala answered him, saying, 'Listen to me. Having heard the words\nof truth that I say, act in such a way that thy religious merit may not\nperish. Hear, O regenerate Rishi, what I say unto thee about thy duty.\nThe wise say that a dog is less clean than a jackal. The haunch, again,\nof a dog is a much worse part than other parts of his body. This was not\nwisely resolved by thee, therefore, O great Rishi, this act that is\ninconsistent with righteousness, this theft of what belongs to a\nChandala, this theft, besides, of food that is unclean. Blessed be thou,\ndo thou look for some other means for preserving thy life. O great sage,\nlet not thy penances suffer destruction in consequence of this thy strong\ndesire for dog's meat. Knowing as thou dost the duties laid down in the\nscriptures, thou shouldst not do an act whose consequence is a confusion\nof duties.[431] Do not cast off righteousness, for thou art the foremost\nof all persons observant of righteousness.' Thus addressed, O king, the\ngreat Rishi Viswamitra, afflicted by hunger, O bull of Bharata's race,\nonce more said, 'A long time has passed away without my having taken any\nfood. I do not see any means again for preserving my life. One should,\nwhen one is dying, preserve one's life by any means in one's power\nwithout judging of their character. Afterwards, when competent, one\nshould seek the acquisition of merit. The Kshatriyas should observe the\npractices of Indra. It is the duty of the Brahmanas to behave like Agni.\nThe Vedas are fire. They constitute my strength. I shall, therefore, eat\neven this unclean food for appeasing my hunger. That by which life may be\npreserved should certainly be accomplished without scruple. Life is\nbetter than death. Living, one may acquire virtue. Solicitous of\npreserving my life, I desire, with the full exercise of my understanding,\nto eat this unclean food. Let me receive thy permission. Continuing to\nlive I shall seek the acquisition of virtue and shall destroy by penances\nand by knowledge the calamities consequent on my present conduct, like\nthe luminaries of the firmament destroying even the thickest gloom.'\n\n\"'\"The Chandala said, 'By eating this food one (like thee) cannot obtain\nlong life. Nor can one (like thee) obtain strength (from such food), nor\nthat gratification which ambrosia offers. Do thou seek for some other\nkind of alms. Let not thy heart incline towards eating dog's meat. The\ndog is certainly an unclean food to members of the regenerate classes.'\n\n\"'\"Viswamitra said, 'Any other kind of meat is not to be easily had during\na famine like this. Besides, O Chandala, I have no wealth (wherewith to\nbuy food). I am exceedingly hungry. I cannot move any longer. I am\nutterly hopeless. I think that all the six kinds of taste are to be found\nin that piece of dog's meat.'\n\n\"'\"The Chandala said, 'Only the five kinds of five-clawed animals are clean\nfood for Brahmanas and Kshatriyas and Vaisyas, as laid down in the\nscriptures. Do not set thy heart upon what is unclean (for thee).'\n\n\"'\"Viswamitra said, 'The great Rishi Agastya, while hungry, ate up the\nAsura named Vatapi. I am fallen into distress. I am hungry. I shall\ntherefore, eat that haunch of dog's meat.'\n\n\"'\"The Chandala said, 'Do thou seek some other alms. It behoves thee not to\ndo such a thing. Verily, such an act should never be done by thee. If\nhowever, it pleases thee, thou mayst take away this piece of dog's meat.'\n\n\"'\"Viswamitra said, 'They that are called good are authorities in matters\nof duty. I am following their example. I now regard this dog's haunch to\nbe better food than anything that is highly pure.'\n\n\"'\"The Chandala said, 'That which is the act of an unrighteous person can\nnever be regarded as an eternal practice. That which is an improper act\ncan never be a proper one. Do not commit a sinful act by deception.'\n\n\"'\"Viswamitra said, 'A man who is a Rishi cannot do what is sinful.[432] In\nthe present case, deer and dog, I think, are same (both being animals). I\nshall, therefore, eat this dog's haunch.'\n\n\"'\"The Chandala said, 'Solicited by the Brahmanas, the Rishi (Agastya) did\nthat act. Under the circumstances it could not be a sin. That is\nrighteousness in which there is no sin. Besides, the Brahmanas, who are\nthe preceptors of three other orders, should be protected and preserved\nby every means.'\n\n\"'\"Viswamitra said, 'I am a Brahmana. This my body is a friend of mine. It\nis very dear to me and is worthy of the highest reverence from me. It is\nfrom the desire of sustaining the body that the wish is entertained by me\nof taking away that dog's haunch. So eager have I become that I have no\nlonger any fear of thee and thy fierce brethren.'\n\n\"'\"The Chandala said, 'Men lay down their lives but they still do not set\ntheir hearts on food that is unclean. They obtain the fruition of all\ntheir wishes even in this world by conquering hunger. Do thou also\nconquer thy hunger and obtain those rewards.'\n\n\"'\"Viswamitra said, 'As regards myself, I am observant of rigid vows and my\nheart is set on peace. For preserving the root of all religious merit, I\nshall eat food that is unclean. It is evident that such an act would be\nregarded as righteous in a person of cleansed soul. To a person, however,\nof uncleansed soul, the eating of dog's flesh would appear sinful. Even\nif the conclusion to which I have arrived be wrong, (and if I eat this\ndog's meat) I shall not, for that act, become one like thee.'\n\n\"'\"The Chandala said, 'It is my settled conclusion that I should endeavour\nmy best to restrain thee from this sin. A Brahmana by doing a wicked act\nfalls off from his high state. It is for this that I am reproving thee.'\n\n\"'\"Viswamitra said, 'Kine continue to drink, regardless of the croaking of\nthe frogs. Thou canst lay no claim to what constitutes righteousness (and\nwhat not). Do not be a self-eulogiser.'\n\n\"'\"The Chandala said, 'I have become thy friend. For this reason only I am\npreaching to thee. Do what is beneficial. Do not, from temptation, do\nwhat is sinful.'\n\n\"'\"Viswamitra said, 'If thou be a friend desirous of my happiness, do thou\nthen raise me up from this distress. In that case, relinquishing this\ndog's haunch, I may consider myself saved by the aid of righteousness\n(and not by that of sinfulness).'\n\n\"'\"The Chandala said, 'I dare not make a present of this piece of meat to\nthee, nor can I quietly suffer thee to rob me of my own food. If I give\nthee this meat and if thou take it, thyself being a Brahmana, both of us\nwill become liable to sink in regions of woe in the next world.'\n\n\"'\"Viswamitra said, 'By committing this sinful act today I shall certainly\nsave my life which is very sacred. Having saved my life, I shall\nafterwards practise virtue and cleanse my soul. Tell me which of these\ntwo is preferable (to die without food, or save my life by taking this\nfood that is unclean).'\n\n\"'\"The Chandala said, 'In discharging the duties that appertain to one's\norder or race, one's own self is the best judge (of its propriety or\nimpropriety). Thou thyself knowest which of those two acts is sinful. He\nwho would regard dog's meat as clean food, I think, would in matters of\nfood abstain from nothing!'\n\n\"'\"Viswamitra said, 'In accepting (an unclean present) or in eating\n(unclean food) there is sin. When one's life, however, is in danger there\nis no sin in accepting such a present or eating such food. Besides, the\neating of unclean food, when unaccompanied by slaughter and deception and\nwhen the act will provoke only mild rebuke, is not matter of much\nconsequence.'\n\n\"'\"The Chandala said, 'If this be thy reason for eating unclean food, it is\nthen clear thou dost not regard the Veda and Arya morality. Taught by\nwhat thou art going to do, I see, O foremost of Brahmanas, that there is\nno sin in disregarding the distinction between food that is clean and\nfood that is unclean.'\n\n\"'\"Viswamitra said, 'It is not seen that a person incurs a grave sin by\neating (forbidden food). That one becomes fallen by drinking wine is only\na wordy precept (for restraining men from drinking). The other forbidden\nacts (of the same species), whatever they be, in fact, every sin, cannot\ndestroy one's merit.'\n\n\"'\"The Chandala said, 'That learned person who takes away dog's meat from\nan unworthy place (like this), from an unclean wretch (like me), from one\nwho (like me) leads such a wicked life, commits an act that is opposed to\nthe behaviour of those that are called good. In consequence, again, of\nhis connection with such a deed, he is certain to suffer the pangs of\nrepentance.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"The Chandala, having said these words unto Kusika's\nson, became silent. Viswamitra then, of cultivated understanding, took\naway that haunch of dog's meat. The great ascetic having possessed\nhimself of that piece of dog's meat for saving his life, took it away\ninto the woods and wished with his wife to eat it. He resolved that\nhaving first gratified the deities according to due rites, he should then\neat that haunch of dog's meat at his pleasure. Igniting a fire according\nto the Brahma rites, the ascetic, agreeably to those rites that go by the\nname of Aindragneya, began himself to cook that meat into sacrificial\nCharu. He then, O Bharata, began the ceremonies in honour of the gods and\nthe Pitris, by dividing that Charu into as many portions as were\nnecessary, according to the injunctions of the scriptures, and by\ninvoking the gods with Indra at their head (for accepting their shares).\nMeanwhile, the chief of the celestials began to pour copiously. Reviving\nall creatures by those showers, he caused plants and herbs to grow once\nmore. Viswamitra, however, having completed the rites in honour of the\ngods and the Pitris and having gratified them duly, himself ate that\nmeat. Burning all his sins afterwards by his penances, the sage, after a\nlong time, acquired the most wonderful (ascetic) success. Even thus, when\nthe end in view is the preservation of life itself, should a high-souled\nperson possessed of learning and acquainted with means rescue his own\ncheerless self, when fallen into distress, by all means in his power. By\nhaving recourse to such understanding one should always preserve one's\nlife. A person, if alive, can win religious merit and enjoy happiness and\nprosperity. For this reason, O son of Kunti, a person of cleansed soul\nand possessed of learning should live and act in this world, relying upon\nhis own intelligence in discriminating between righteousness and its\nreverse.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"If that which is so horrible and which like\nfalsehood should never be an object of regard, be cited (as duty), then\nwhat act is there from which I should forbear? Why also should not\nrobbers then be respected? I am stupefied! My heart is pained! All the\nties that bind me to morality are loosened! I cannot tranquillise my mind\nand venture to act in the way suggested by you.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I do not instruct thee in respect of duty, taught by what\nI have heard from the Vedas alone. What I have told thee is the result of\nwisdom and experience. This is the honey that the learned have gathered.\nKings should gather wisdom from various sources. One cannot accomplish\nhis course through the world with the aid of a morality that is\none-sided. Duty must spring from the understanding; and the practices of\nthose that are good should always be ascertained, O son of Kuru! Attend\nto these words of mine. Only kings that are possessed of superior\nintelligence can rule, expecting victory. A king should provide for the\nobservance of morality by the aid of his understanding and guided by\nknowledge derived from various sources. The duties of a king can never be\ndischarged by rules drawn from a morality that is one-sided. A\nweak-minded king can never display wisdom (in the discharge of his\nduties) in consequence of his not having drawn any wisdom from the\nexamples before him. Righteousness sometimes takes the shape of\nunrighteousness. The latter also sometimes takes the shape of the former.\nHe who does not know this, becomes confounded when confronted by an\nactual instance of the kind. Before the occasion comes, one should, O\nBharata, comprehend the circumstances under which righteousness and its\nreverse become confused. Having acquired this knowledge, a wise king\nshould, when the occasion comes, act accordingly, aided by his judgment.\nThe acts he does at such a time are misunderstood by ordinary people.\nSome persons are possessed of true knowledge. Some persons have false\nknowledge. Truly ascertaining the nature of each kind of knowledge, a\nwise king derives knowledge from them that are regarded as good. They\nthat are really breakers of morality find fault with the scriptures. They\nthat have themselves no wealth proclaim the inconsistencies of the\ntreatises on the acquisition of wealth. Those who seek to acquire\nknowledge for the object only of carrying their sustenance by it, O king,\nare sinful besides being enemies of morality. Wicked men, of immature\nunderstandings, can never know things truly, even as persons unconversant\nwith scriptures are unable in all their acts to be guided by reason. With\neyes directed to the faults of the scriptures, they decry the scriptures.\nEven if they understand the true meaning of the scriptures, they are\nstill in the habit of proclaiming that scriptural injunctions are\nunsound. Such men, by decrying the knowledge of others proclaim the\nsuperiority of their own knowledge. They have words for their weapons and\nwords for their arrows and speak as if they are real masters of their\nsciences. Know, O Bharata, that they are traders in learning and\nRakshasas among men. By the aid of mere pretexts they cast off that\nmorality which has been established by good and wise men. It has been\nheard by us that the texts of morality are not to be understood by either\ndiscussion or one's own intelligence. Indra himself has said that this\nis the opinion of the sage Vrihaspati. Some are of opinion that no\nscriptural text has been laid down without a reason. Others again, even\nif they properly understand the scriptures, never act according to them.\nOne class of wise men declare that morality is nothing else than the\napproved course of the world. The man of true knowledge should find out\nfor himself the morality laid down for the good. If even a wise man\nspeaks of morality under the influence of wrath or confusion of\nunderstanding or ignorance, his deliverances go for nothing. Discourses\non morality made with the aid of an intelligence that is derived from the\ntrue letter and spirit of the scriptures, are worthy of praise and not\nthose which are made with the help of anything else. Even the words heard\nfrom an ignorant person, if in themselves they be fraught with sense,\ncome to be regarded as pious and wise. In days of old, Usanas said unto\nthe Daityas this truth, which should remove all doubts, that scriptures\nare no scriptures if they cannot stand the test of reason. The possession\nor absence of knowledge that is mixed with doubts is the same thing. It\nbehoves thee to drive off such knowledge after tearing it up by the\nroots. He who does not listen to these words of mine is to be regarded as\none that has suffered himself to be misled. Dost thou not see that thou\nwert created for the accomplishment of fierce deeds? Behold me, O dear\nchild, how, by betaking myself, to the duties of the order of my birth, I\nhave despatched innumerable Kshatriyas to heaven! There are some that are\nnot delighted with me for this. The goat, the horse and the Kshatriya\nwere created by Brahman for a similar purpose (viz., for being useful to\neverybody). A Kshatriya, therefore, should incessantly seek the happiness\nof all creatures. The sin that attaches to killing a person that should\nnot be killed is equal to that which is incurred by not killing one who\ndeserves to be killed. Even such is the established order of things which\na weak-minded king thinks of never attending to. Therefore, a king should\ndisplay severity in making all his subjects observe their respective\nduties. If this is not done, they will prowl like wolves, devouring one\nanother. He is a wretch among Kshatriyas in whose territories robbers go\nabout plundering the property of other people like crows taking little\nfishes from water. Appointing high-born men possessed of Vedic knowledge\nas thy ministers, do thou govern the earth, protecting thy subjects\nrighteously. That Kshatriya who, ignorant of the established customs and\ncontrivances, improperly levies taxes upon his people, is regarded as a\neunuch of his order. A king should be neither severe nor mild. If he\nrules righteously he deserves praise. A king should not cast off both the\nqualities; on the other hand, becoming severe (on occasions demanding\nseverity), he should be mild when it is necessary to be so. Painful is\nthe observance of Kshatriya duties. I bear a great love for thee. Thou\nart created for the accomplishment of severe acts. Therefore, do thou\nrule thy kingdom. Sakra possessed of great intelligence has said that in\ntimes of distress the great duty of a king is chastising the wicked and\nprotecting the good.\"'\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Is there any such rule (in respect of kingly duties)\nwhich should, under no circumstances, be violated? I ask thee this, O\nforemost of virtuous persons! Tell me, O grandsire!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"One should always worship Brahmanas venerable for\nlearning, devoted to penances, and rich in conduct conformable to the\ninjunctions of the Vedas. This indeed, is a high and sacred duty. Let thy\nconduct towards the Brahmanas be always that which thou observest towards\nthe gods. The Brahmanas, if enraged, can inflict diverse kinds of wrong,\nO king. If they be gratified, high fame will be thy share. If otherwise,\ngreat will be thy fear. If gratified, the Brahmanas become like nectar.\nIf enraged, they become like poison.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O grandsire, O thou of great wisdom, O thou that are\nconversant with every kind of scripture, tell me what the merit is of one\nwho cherishes a suppliant that craves for protection.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Great is the merit, O monarch, in cherishing a suppliant.\nThou art worthy, O best of the Bharatas, of asking such a question. Those\nhigh-souled kings of old, viz., Sivi and others, O king, attained to\ngreat bliss in heaven by having protected suppliants. It is heard that a\npigeon received with respect a suppliant foe according to due rites and\neven fed him with his own flesh.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"How, indeed, did a pigeon in days of old feed a\nsuppliant foe with his own flesh? What also was the end, O Bharata, that\nhe won by such conduct?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Listen, O king, to this excellent story that cleanses the\nhearer of every sin, the story, viz., that Bhrigu's son (Rama) had\nrecited to king Muchukunda. This very question, O son of Pritha had been\nput to Bhrigu's son by Muchukunda with due humility. Unto him desirous of\nlistening with humility the son of Bhrigu narrated this story of how a\npigeon, O monarch, won success (entitling him to the highest heavenly\nbliss).\n\n\"'The sage said, \"O mighty-armed monarch, listen to me as I narrate to\nthee this story that is fraught with truths connected with Virtue,\nProfit, and Pleasure. A wicked and terrible fowler, resembling the\nDestroyer himself, used in days of old to wander through the great\nforest. He was black as a raven and his eyes were of a bloody hue. He\nlooked like Yama himself. His legs were long, his feet short, his mouth\nlarge, and his cheeks protruding. He had no friend, no relative, no\nkinsman. He had been cast off by them all for the exceedingly cruel life\nhe led. Indeed, a man of wicked conduct should be renounced from a\ndistance by the wise, for he who injures his own self cannot be expected\nto do good to others. Those cruel and wicked-souled men that take the\nlives of other creatures are always like poisonous snakes, a source of\ntrouble to all creatures. Taking his nets with him, and killing birds in\nthe woods, he used to sell the meat of those winged creatures, O king\n(for livelihood). Following such conduct, the wicked-souled wretch lived\nfor many long years without ever understanding the sinfulness of his\nlife. Accustomed for many long years to sport with his wife in the forest\nin the pursuit of this profession, and stupefied by destiny, no other\nprofession was liked by him. One day as he was wandering through the\nforest intent on his business, a great storm arose that shook the trees\nand seemed about to uproot them. In a moment dense clouds appeared on the\nsky, with flashes of lightning playing amidst them, presenting the aspect\nof a sea covered with merchants' boats and vessels. He of a hundred\nsacrifices having entered the clouds with a large supply of rain, in a\nmoment the earth became flooded with water. While yet the rain fell to\ntorrents, the fowler lost his senses through fear. Trembling with cold\nand agitated with fear, he roved through the forest. The killer of birds\nfailed to find any high spot (which was not under water). The paths of\nthe forest were all submerged. Inconsequence of the force of the shower,\nmany birds were deprived of life or dropped down on the ground. Lions and\nbears and other animals, availing themselves of some high spots they had\nfound, lay down to rest. All the denizens of the forest were filled with\nfear in consequence of that frightful storm and shower. Frightened and\nhungry they roamed through the woods in packs, small and large. The\nfowler, however, with limbs stiffened by cold, could neither stop where\nhe was nor move. While in this state he eyed a she-pigeon lying on the\nground, stiffened with cold. The sinful wight, though himself in the same\npredicament, beholding the bird, picked her up and immured her in a cage.\nHimself overwhelmed with affliction, he scrupled not to overwhelm a\nfellow-creature with affliction. Indeed, the wretch, through force of\nhabit alone, committed that sin even at such a time. He then beheld in\nthe midst of that forest a lordly tree, blue as the clouds. It was the\nresort of myriads of birds desirous of shade and shelter. It seemed to\nhave been placed there by the Creator for the good of all creatures like\na good man in the world. Soon the sky cleared and became spangled with\nmyriads of stars, presenting the aspect of a magnificent lake smiling\nwith blooming lilies. Turning his eyes towards the clear firmament rich\nwith stars, the fowler began to advance, still trembling with cold.\nBeholding the sky cleared of clouds, he cast his eyes on all sides and\nseeing that night was already upon him, he began to think, 'My home is at\ngreat distance from where I am.' He then resolved to pass the night under\nthe shade of that tree. Bowing down to it with joined hands, he addressed\nthat monarch of the forest, saying, 'I am a suppliant for the shelter\nunto all the deities that have this tree for their resort.' Having said\nthese words, he spread some leaves for a bed, and laid himself down on\nit, resting his head on a stone. Though overwhelmed with affliction, the\nman soon fell asleep.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLIV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In one of the branches of that tree, a pigeon with\nbeautiful feathers, O king, lived for many years with his family. That\nmorning his wife had gone out in search of food but had not yet returned.\nSeeing the night had come and his wife still unreturned, the bird began\nto indulge in lamentations: 'Oh, great has been the storm and painful the\nshower that came today! Alas, thou has not yet returned, O dear wife! Woe\nis on me, what can be the cause that she has not yet come back to us? Is\nevery thing right with that dear spouse of mine in the forest? Separated\nfrom her, this my home appears to me empty! A house-holder's home, even\nif filled with sons and grandsons and daughters-in-law and servants, is\nregarded empty if destitute of the housewife. One's house is not one's\nhome; one's wife only is one's home. A house without the wife is as\ndesolate as the wilderness. If that dear wife of mine, of eyes fringed\nwith red, of variegated plumes, and of sweet voice, does not come back\ntoday, my life itself will cease to be of any value. Of excellent vows,\nshe never eats before I eat, and never bathes before I bathe. She never\nsits before I sit down, and never lies before I lie down. She rejoices if\nI rejoice, and becomes sorry when I am sorry. When I am away she becomes\ncheerless, and when I am angry she ceases not to speak sweetly. Ever\ndevoted to her lord and ever relying upon her lord, she was ever employed\nin doing what was agreeable to and beneficial for her lord. Worthy of\npraise is that person on earth who owns such a spouse. That amiable\ncreature knows that I am fatigued and hungry. Devoted to me and constant\nin her love, my famous spouse is exceedingly sweet-tempered and worships\nme devoutly. Even the foot of a tree is one's home if one lives there\nwith one's spouse as a companion. Without one's spouse, a very palace is\ntruly a desolate wilderness. One's spouse is one's associate in all one's\nacts of Virtue, Profit and Pleasure. When one sets out for a strange land\none's wife is one's trusted companion. It is said that the wife is the\nrichest possession of her lord. In this world the wife is the only\nassociate of her lord in all the concerns of life.[433] The wife is ever\nthe best of medicines that one can have in sickness and woe. There is no\nfriend like unto the wife. There is no refuge better than the wife. There\nis no better ally in the world than the wife in acts undertaken for the\nacquisition of religious merit. He that has not in his house a wife that\nis chaste and of agreeable speech, should go to the woods. For such a man\nthere is no difference between home and wilderness.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Hearing those piteous lamentations of the pigeon on the\ntree, the she-pigeon seized by the fowler began to say to herself as\nfollows.\n\n\"'\"The she-pigeon said, 'Whether I have any merit or not, verily there is\nno limit to any good fortune when my dear lord thus speaks of me. She is\nno wife with whom her lord is not content. In the case of women, if their\nlords be gratified with them all the deities also become so. Since the\nmarriage union takes place in the presence of fire, the husband is the\nwife's highest deity. That wife with whom her husband is not pleased\nbecomes consumed into ashes, even like a creeper adorned with bunches of\nflowers in a forest conflagration.' Having reflected thus, the\nshe-pigeon, afflicted with woe, and immured by the fowler within his\ncage, thus spoke unto her woe-stricken lord, 'I shall say what is now\nbeneficial for thee. Hearing me follow thou my counsel. O dear lord, be\nthou the rescuer of a suppliant. This fowler lies here by thy abode,\nafflicted with cold and hunger. Do him the duties of hospitality. The sin\nthat a person commits by slaying a Brahmana or that mother of the world,\nviz., a cow, is equal to that which one incurs by suffering a suppliant\nto perish (from want of help). Thou art possessed of knowledge of self.\nIt ever behoves one like thee, therefore, to follow that course which has\nbeen ordained for us as pigeons by the order of our birth.[434] It has\nbeen heard by us that the householder who practises virtue according to\nthe measure of his abilities, wins hereafter inexhaustible regions of\nbliss. Thou hast sons. Thou hast progeny. O bird, casting off all\nkindness for thy own body, therefore, and for winning virtue and profit,\noffer worship to this fowler so that his heart may be pleased. Do not, O\nbird, indulge in any grief on my account. (See, how unimportant I am!)\nThou mayst continue to live, taking other wives!' The amiable she-pigeon,\novercome with sorrow, and casting her eyes upon her lord from the\nfowler's cage within which she had been immured, said these words unto\nhim.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLVI\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Hearing these words fraught with morality and reason that\nwere spoken by his wife, the pigeon became filled with great delight and\nhis eyes were bathed in tears of joy. Beholding that fowler whose\navocation was the slaughter of birds, the pigeon honoured him\nscrupulously according to the rites laid down in the ordinance.\nAddressing him, he said, 'Thou art welcome today. Tell me, what I shall\ndo for thee. Thou shouldst not repine. This is thy home.[435] Tell me\nquickly what I am to do and what is thy pleasure. I ask thee this in\naffection, for thou hast solicited shelter at our hands. Hospitality\nshould be shown to even one's foe when he comes to one's house. The tree\nwithdraws not its shade from even the person that approaches it for\ncutting it down. One should, with scrupulous care, do the duties of\nhospitality towards a person that craves for shelter. Indeed, one is\nespecially bound to do so if one happens to lead a life of domesticity\nthat consists of the five sacrifices. If one, while leading a life of\ndomesticity, does not, from want of judgment, perform the five\nsacrifices, one loses, according to the scriptures, both this and the\nnext world. Tell me then trustfully and in intelligible words what thy,\nwishes are. I will accomplish them all. Do not set thy heart on grief.'\nHearing these words of the bird, the fowler replied unto him, saying, 'I\nam stiff with cold. Let provision be made for warming me.' Thus\naddressed, the bird gathered together a number of dry leaves on the\nground, and taking a single leaf in his beak speedily went away for\nfetching fire. Proceeding to a spot where fire is kept, he obtained a\nlittle fire and came back to the spot. He then set fire to those dry\nleaves, and when they blazed forth into vigorous flames, he addressed his\nguest, saying, 'Do thou trustfully and without fear warm thy limbs.' Thus\naddressed, the fowler said, 'So be it.' And he set himself to warm his\nstiffened limbs. Recovering (as it were) his life-breaths the fowler\nsaid unto his winged host, 'Hunger is afflicting me. I wish thee to give\nme some food.' Hearing his words the bird said, 'I have no stores by\nwhich to appease thy hunger. We, denizens of the woods, always live upon\nwhat we get every day. Like the ascetics of the forest we never hoard for\nthe morrow.' Having said these words, the bird's face became pale (from\nshame). He began to reflect silently as to what he should do and mentally\ndeprecated his own method of living. Soon, however, his mind became\nclear. Addressing the slaughterer of his species, the bird said, 'I shall\ngratify thee. Wait for a moment.' Saying these words, he ignited a fire\nwith the help of some dry leaves, and filled with joy, said, 'I heard in\nformer days from high-souled Rishis and gods and Pitris that there is\ngreat merit in honouring a guest. O amiable one, be kind to me. I tell\nthee truly that my heart is set upon honouring thee that art my guest.'\nHaving formed this resolution, the high-souled bird with a smiling face,\nthrice circumambulated that fire and then entered its flames. Beholding\nthe bird enter that fire, the fowler began to think, and asked himself,\n'What have I done? Alas, dark and terrible will be my sin, without doubt\nin consequence of my own acts! I am exceedingly cruel and worthy of\nreprobation.' Indeed, observing the bird lay down his life, the fowler,\ndeprecating his own acts, began to indulge in copious lamentations like\nthee.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLVII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The fowler, seeing the pigeon fall into the fire, became\nfilled with compassion and once more said, 'Alas, cruel and senseless\nthat I am, what have I done! I am certainly a mean wretch! Great will be\nmy sin for everlasting years!' Indulging in such self-reproaches he began\nto say, repeatedly, 'I am unworthy of credit. My understanding is wicked.\nI am ever sinful in my resolves. Alas, abandoning all kinds of honourable\noccupation, I have become a fowler. A cruel wretch that I am, without\ndoubt, this high-souled pigeon, by laying down his own life, has read me\na grave lesson. Abandoning wives and sons, I shall certainly cast off my\nvery life-breaths that are so dear. The high-souled pigeon has taught me\nthat duty. From this day, denying every comfort to my body, I shall wear\nit out even as a shallow tank in the season of summer. Capable of bearing\nhunger, thirst, and penances, reduced to emaciation, and covered with\nvisible veins all over, I shall, by diverse kinds of practise such vows\nas have a reference to the other world. Alas, by giving up his body, the\npigeon has shown the worship that should be paid to a guest. Taught by\nhis example, I shall henceforth practise righteousness. Righteousness is\nthe highest refuge (of all creatures). Indeed, I shall practise such\nrighteousness as has been seen in the righteous pigeon, that foremost of\nall winged creatures.' Having formed such a resolution and said these\nwords, that fowler, once of fierce deeds, proceeded to make an\nunreturning tour of the world,[436] observing for the while the most\nrigid vows. He threw away his stout staff, his sharp-pointed iron-stick,\nhis nets and springs, and his iron cage, and set at liberty the\nshe-pigeon that he had seized and immured.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLVIII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"After the fowler had left that spot, the she-pigeon,\nremembering her husband and afflicted with grief on his account, wept\ncopiously and indulged in these lamentations, 'I cannot, O dear lord,\nrecollect a single instance of thy having done me an injury! Widows, even\nif mothers of many children, are still miserable! Bereft of her husband,\na woman becomes helpless and an object of pity with her friends. I was\nalways cherished by thee, and in consequence of the great respect thou\nhadst for me I was always honoured by thee with sweet, agreeable,\ncharming, and delightful words. I sported with thee in valleys, in\nsprings of rivers, and on delightful tops of trees. I was also made happy\nby thee while roving with thee through the skies. I used to sport with\nthee before, O dear lord, but where are those joys now? Limited are the\ngifts of the father, of the brother, and of the son to a woman. The gifts\nthat her husband alone makes to her are unlimited. What woman is there\nthat would not, therefore, adore her lord? A woman has no protector like\nher lord, and no happiness like her lord. Abandoning all her wealth and\npossessions, a woman should take to her lord as her only refuge. Life\nhere is of no use to me, O lord, now that I am separated from thee. What\nchaste woman is there that would, when deprived of her lord, venture to\nbear the burden of life?' Filled with sorrow and indulging in such\npiteous lamentations, the she-pigeon, devoted to her lord, cast herself\non the blazing fire. She then beheld her (deceased) husband adorned with\nbracelets, seated on a (celestial) car, and adored by many high-souled\nand meritorious beings standing around him. Indeed, there he was in the\nfirmament, decked with fine garlands and attired in excellent robes, and\nadorned with every ornament. Around him were innumerable celestial cars\nridden by beings who had acted meritoriously while in this world. Seated\non his own celestial car, the bird ascended to heaven, and obtaining\nproper honours for his deeds in this world, continued to sport in joy,\naccompanied by his wife.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLIX\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The fowler, O king, happened to see that pair while\nseated on their celestial car. Beholding the couple he became filled with\nsorrow (at the thought of his own misfortune) and began to reflect upon\nthe means of obtaining the same end. And he said to himself, 'I must, by\nausterities like those of the pigeon, attain to such a high end!' Having\nformed this resolution, the fowler, who had lived by the slaughter of\nbirds, set out on an unreturning journey. Without any endeavour (for\nobtaining food) and living upon air alone, he cast off all affections\nfrom desire of acquiring heaven. After he had proceeded for some\ndistance, he saw an extensive and delightful lake full of cool and pure\nwater, and adorned with lotuses and teeming with diverse kinds of\nwater-fowl. Without doubt, the very sight of such a lake is capable of\nslaking the desire for drink of a thirsty person. Emaciated with fasts,\nthe fowler, however, O king, without casting his eyes upon it, gladly\npenetrated a forest inhabited by beasts of prey, having ascertained\npreviously its wide extent. After he had entered the forest he became\nmuch afflicted by sharp pointed thorns. Lacerated and torn by prickles,\nand covered all over with blood, he began to wander in that forest\ndestitute of men but abounding with animals of diverse species. Sometime\nafter, in consequence of the friction of some mighty trees caused by a\npowerful wind, a widespread bush fire arose. The raging element,\ndisplaying a splendour like to what it assumes at the end of the Yuga,\nbegan to consume that large forest teeming with tall trees and thick\nbushes and creepers. Indeed, with flames fanned by the wind and myriads\nof sparks flying about in all directions, the all-consuming deity began\nto burn that dense forest abounding with birds and beasts. The fowler,\ndesirous of casting off his body, ran with a delighted heart towards that\nspreading conflagration. Consumed by that fire the fowler became cleansed\nof all his sins and attained, O best of the Bharatas, to high success.\nThe fever of his heart dispelled, he at last beheld himself in heaven,\nshining in splendour like Indra in the midst of Yakshas and Gandharvas\nand persons crowned with ascetic success. Thus, indeed, the pigeon and\nhis devoted spouse, with the fowler, ascended to heaven for their\nmeritorious acts, The woman who thus follows her lord speedily ascends to\nheaven and shines in splendour there like the she-pigeon of whom I have\nspoken. Even thus is the old history of the high-souled fowler and the\npigeon. Even thus did they earn a highly meritorious end by their\nrighteous acts. No evil befalls the person who listens every day to this\nstory or who recites it every day, even if error invades his mind.[437] O\nYudhishthira, O foremost of all righteous persons, the protection of a\nsuppliant is truly a high act of merit. Even the slayer of a cow, by\npractising this duty, maybe cleansed of sin. That man, however, will\nnever be cleansed who slays a suppliant. By listening to this sacred and\nsin-cleansing story one becomes freed from distress and attains to heaven\nat last.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CL\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O best of the Bharatas, when a person commits sin\nfrom want of judgment, how may he be cleansed from it? Tell me everything\nabout it.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I shall in this connection recite to thee the old\nnarrative, applauded by the Rishis, of what the regenerate Indrota, the\nson of Sunaka, said unto Janamejaya. There was in days of yore, a king\npossessed of great energy, called Janamejaya, who was the son of\nParikshit. That lord of earth on one occasion, from want of judgment\nbecame guilty of killing a Brahmana. Upon this, all the Brahmanas\ntogether with his priests abandoned him. Burning day and night with\nregret, the king retired into the woods. Deserted by his subjects too, he\ntook this step for achieving high merit. Consumed by repentance, the\nmonarch underwent the most rigid austerities. For washing himself of the\nsin of Brahmanicide he interrogated many Brahmanas, and wandered from\ncountry to country over the whole earth. I shall now tell thee the story\nof his expiation. Burning with the remembrance of his sinful act,\nJanamejaya wandered about. One day, in course of his wanderings, he met\nIndrota, the son of Sunaka, of rigid vows, and approaching him touched\nhis feet. The sage, beholding the king before him, reproved him gravely,\nsaying, 'Thou hast committed a great sin. Thou hast been guilty of\nfoeticide. Why has thou come here? What business hast thou with us? Do\nnot touch me by any means! Go, go away! Thy presence does not give us\npleasure. Thy person smells like blood. Thy appearance is like that of a\ncorpse. Though impure, thou seemest to be pure, and though dead thou\nmovest like a living! Dead within, thou art of impure soul, for thou art\never intent upon sin. Though thou sleepest and wakest, thy life, however,\nis passed in great misery. Thy life, O king, is useless. Thou livest most\nmiserably. Thou hast been created for ignoble and sinful deeds. Sires\nwish for sons from desire of obtaining diverse kinds of blessings, and\nhoping they perform penances and sacrifices, worship the gods, and\npractise renunciation.[438] Behold, the whole race of thy ancestors has\nfallen into hell in consequence of thy acts. All the hopes thy sires had\nplaced upon thee have become fruitless. Thou livest in vain, for thou art\nalways inspired with hatred and malice towards the Brahmanas--them, that\nis, by worshipping whom other men obtain long life, fame, and heaven.\nLeaving this world (when the time comes), thou shalt have to fall (into\nhell) with head downwards and remain in that posture for innumerable\nyears in consequence of thy sinful deeds. There thou shalt be tortured by\nvultures and peacocks having iron beaks. Returning thence into this\nworld, thou shalt have to take birth in a wretched order of creatures. If\nthou thinkest, O king, that this world is nothing and that the next world\nis the shadow of a shadow, the myrmidons of Yama in the infernal regions\nwill convince thee, dispelling thy unbelief.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLI\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Thus addressed, Janamejaya replied unto the sage, saying,\n'Thou rebukest one that deserves to be rebuked. Thou censurest one that\nis deserving of censure. Thou upbraidest me and my acts. I implore thee\nto be graceful towards me. All my acts have been sinful. I burn, however,\nwith repentance as if I am in the midst of blazing fire! My mind, in\nremembrance of my deeds, is exceedingly cheerless. Verily, I am much\nafraid of Yama. How can I bear to live without extracting that dart from\nmy heart? O Saunaka, suppressing all thy wrath, instruct me now. Formerly\nI used to show regard for Brahmanas. I solemnly declare that I shall once\nmore show the same regard for thee. Let not my line be extinct. Let not\nthe race in which I am born sink into the dust. It is not proper that\nthey who have wronged Brahmanas and have for that, in consequence of the\ninjunctions of the Vedas, forfeited all claim to the respect of the world\nand to social intercourse with their fellowmen, should have any bearer of\ntheir names for continuing their races. I am overwhelmed with despair. I,\ntherefore, repeat my resolves (about mending my conduct). I pray you to\nprotect me like sages that do not accept gifts protecting the poor.\nSinful wights abstaining from sacrifices never attain to heaven.[439]\nLeaving (this world), they have to pass their time in the pits of hell\nlike Pullindas and Khasas.[440] Ignorant that I am, give me wisdom like a\nlearned preceptor to his pupil or like a sire to his son. Be gratified\nwith me, O Saunaka!'\n\n\"'\"Saunaka said, 'What wonder is there that a person destitute of wisdom\nshould do many improper acts? Knowing this, a person of real wisdom is\nnever angry with creatures (when they become guilty of folly). By\nascending upon the top of wisdom's palace, one grieves for others, one's\nown self being then too pure for becoming an object of other people's\ngrief. In consequence of one's wisdom one surveys all creatures in the\nworld like a person on a mountain-top surveying people below. The person\nwho becomes an object of censure with good men, who hates good men and\nwho hides himself from their view, never succeeds in obtaining any\nblessing and never understands the propriety of acts. Thou knowest what\nthe energy and the nobility of the Brahmana is as laid down in the Vedas\nand other scriptures. Act now in such a way that tranquillity of heart\nmay be thine and let Brahmanas be thy refuge. If the Brahmanas cease to\nbe angry with thee, that will ensure thy felicity in heaven. If, again,\nthou repentest in sin, thy sight will be clear and thou wilt succeed in\nbeholding righteousness.'\n\n\"'\"Janamejaya said, 'I am repenting of my sins. I will never again seek to\nextinguish virtue. I desire to obtain blessedness. Be thou gratified with\nme.'\n\n\"'\"Saunaka said, 'Dispelling arrogance and pride, O king, I wish thee to\nshow regard for me![441] Employ thyself in the good of all creatures,\never remembering the mandates of righteousness. I am not reproving thee\nfrom fear or narrowness of mind or covetousness. Listen now, with these\nBrahmanas here, to the words of truth I utter. I do not ask for anything.\nI shall, however, instruct thee in the ways of righteousness. All persons\nwill croak and bray and cry fie on me (for what I am going to do). They\nwill even call me sinful. My kinsmen and friends will discard me.[442]\nWithout doubt, however, my kinsmen and friends, hearing the words I\nspeak, will succeed in vigorously crossing the difficulties of life. Some\nthat are possessed of great wisdom will understand (my motives) rightly.\nKnow, O child, what my views are, O Bharata, in respect of the Brahmanas.\nDo thou (after listening to me) act in such a way that they may, through\nmy efforts, obtain every blessing. Do thou also, O king, pledge thy word\nthat thou wilt not again injure the Brahmanas.'\n\n\"'\"Janamejaya said, 'I swear, touching even thy feet, that I shall never\nagain, in thought, word, or deed, injure the Brahmanas.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLII\n\n\"'\"Saunaka said, 'I shall for these reasons discourse to thee of\nrighteousness, to thee whose heart has been exceedingly agitated.\nPossessed of knowledge and great strength, and with a contented heart,\nthou seekest righteousness of thy own will. A king, first becoming\nexceedingly stern, then shows compassion and does good to all creatures\nby his acts. This is certainly very wonderful. People say that that king\nwho commences with sternness burns the whole world. Thou wert stern\nbefore. But thou turnest thy eyes on righteousness now. Forsaking\nluxurious food and all articles of enjoyment, thou hast betaken thyself\nfor a long time to rigid penances. All this, O Janamejaya, is certain to\nappear wonderful to those kings that are sunk in sin. That he who has\naffluence should become liberal, or that he who is endued with wealth of\nasceticism should become reluctant to spend it, is not at all wonderful.\nIt has been said that the one does not live at a distance from the\nother.[443] That which is ill-judged produces misery in abundance. That\non the other hand, which is accomplished with the aid of sound judgment\nleads to excellent results.[444] Sacrifice, gift, compassions, the Vedas,\nand truth, O lord of the earth--these five--are cleansing. The sixth is\npenance well-performed. This last, O Janamejaya, is highly cleansing for\nkings. By betaking thyself to it properly, thou art certain to earn great\nmerit and blessedness. Visiting sacred spots has also been said to be\nhighly cleansing. In this connection are cited the following verses sung\nby Yayati: \"That mortal who would earn life and longevity should, after\nhaving performed sacrifices with devotion, renounce them (in old age) and\npractise penances.\" The field of Kuru has been said to be sacred. The\nriver Saraswati has been said to be more so. The tirthas of the Saraswati\nare more sacred than the Saraswati herself; and the tirtha called\nPrithudaka is more sacred than all the tirthas of the Saraswati. One that\nhas bathed in Prithudaka. and drunk its waters will not have to grieve\nfor a premature death. Thou shouldst go to Mahasaras, to all the tirthas\ndesignated by the name of Pushkara, to Prabhasa, to the northern lake\nManasa, and to Kalodaka. Thou shalt then regain life and acquire\nlongevity. Lake Manasa is on the spot where the Saraswati and the\nDrisadwati mingle with each other. A person possessed of Vedic knowledge\nshould bathe in these places. Manu has said that liberality is the best\nof all duties and that renunciation is better than liberality. In this\nconnection is cited the following verse composed by Satyavat. (One should\nact) as a child full of simplicity and destitute of either merit or sin.\nAs regards all creatures there is in this world neither misery nor\nhappiness. (That which is called misery and that which is called\nhappiness are the results of a distraught imagination.) Even this is the\ntrue nature of all living creatures. Of all creatures, their lives are\nsuperior who have betaken themselves to renunciation and abstained from\nacts both meritorious and sinful. I shall now tell thee those acts which\nare best for a king. By putting forth thy might and liberality do thou\nconquer heaven, O king! That man who possesses the attributes of might\nand energy succeeds in attaining to righteousness.[445] Do thou rule the\nearth, O king, for the sake of the Brahmanas and for the sake of\nhappiness. Thou usedst formerly to condemn the Brahmanas. Do thou gratify\nthem now. Though they have cried fie on thee and though they have\ndeserted thee, do thou still, guided by knowledge of self, solemnly\npledge thyself never to injure them. Engaged in acts proper for thee,\nseek what is for thy highest good. Amongst rulers some one becomes as\ncool as snow; some one, as fierce as fire; some one becomes like a plough\n(uprooting all enemies); and some one, again, becomes like a thunder-bolt\n(suddenly scorching his foes). He who wishes to prevent self-destruction\nshould never mix with wicked wights for general or special reasons. From\na sinful act committed only once, one may cleanse one's self by repenting\nof it. From a sinful act committed twice, one may cleanse one's self by\nvowing never to commit it again. From such an act committed thrice, one\nmay cleanse one's self by the resolution to bear one's self righteously\never afterwards. By committing such an act repeatedly, one may cleanse\none's self by a trip to sacred places. One who is desirous of obtaining\nprosperity should do all that results in blessedness. They who live\namidst fragrant odours themselves become fragrant in consequence. They,\non the other hand, who live in the midst of foul stench themselves become\nfoul. One devoted to the practice of ascetic penances is soon cleansed of\nall one's sins. By worshipping the (homa) fire for a year, one stained by\ndiverse sins becomes purified. One guilty of foeticide is cleansed by\nworshipping the fire for three years. One guilty of foeticide becomes\ncleansed at even a hundred Yojanas from Mahasaras, or the tirthas called\nPushkara, or Prabhasa, or Manasa on the north, if only one gets out for\nany of them.[446] A slayer of creatures is cleansed of his sins by saving\nfrom imminent peril as many creatures of that particular species as have\nbeen slain by him. Manu has said that by diving in water after thrice\nreciting the Aghamarshana mantras, one reaps the fruits of the final bath\nin a Horse-sacrifice.[447] Such an act very soon cleanses one of all\none's sins, and one regains in consequence the esteem of the world. All\ncreatures become obedient to such a person like helpless idiots (obedient\nto those that surround them). The gods and Asuras, in days of yore,\napproaching the celestial preceptor Vrihaspati, O king, humbly enquired\nof him, saying, \"Thou knowest, O great Rishi, the fruits of virtue, as\nalso the fruits of those other acts that lead to hell in the next world.\nDoes not that person succeed in liberating himself from both merit and\nsin with whom the two (weal and woe) are equal? Tell us, O great Rishi,\nwhat the fruits of righteousness are, and how does a righteous person\ndispels his sins.\"\n\n\"'\"Vrihaspati answered, 'If having committed sin through folly, one does\nmeritorious acts understanding their nature, one succeeds, by such\nrighteousness, in cleansing one's self from sin even as a piece of dirty\ncloth is washed clean by means of some saline substance. One should not\nboast after having committed sin. By having recourse to faith and by\nfreeing one's self from malice, one succeeds in obtaining blessedness.\nThat person who covers the faults, even when exposed, of good men,\nobtains blessedness even after committing faults. As the sun rising at\nmorn dispels darkness, one dispels all ones sins by acting righteously.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Indrota, the son of Sunaka, having said these words\nunto king Janamejaya, assisted him, by his ministrations, in the\nperformance of the horse-sacrifice. The king, cleansed of his sins and\nregaining blessedness, shone with splendour like a blazing fire, and that\nslayer of foes then entered his kingdom like Soma in his full form\nentering heaven.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Hast thou, O grandsire, ever seen or heard of any\nmortal restored to life after having succumbed to death?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Listen, O king, to this story of the discourse between a\nvulture and a jackal as happened of old. Indeed, the occurrence took\nplace in the forest of Naimisha. Once upon a time a Brahmana had, after\ngreat difficulties, obtained a son of large expansive eyes. The child\ndied of infantile convulsions. Some (amongst his kinsmen), exceedingly\nagitated by grief and indulging in loud lamentations, took up the boy of\ntender years, that sole wealth of his family. Taking the deceased child\nthey proceeded in the direction of the crematorium. Arrived there, they\nbegan to take the child from one another's breast and cry more bitterly\nin grief. Recollecting with heavy hearts the former speeches of their\ndarling again and again, they were unable to return home casting the body\non the bare ground. Summoned by their cries, a vulture came there and\nsaid these words: 'Go ye away and do not tarry, ye that have to cast off\nbut one child. Kinsmen always go away leaving on this spot thousands of\nmen and thousands of women brought here in course of time. Behold, the\nwhole universe is subject to weal and woe. Union and disunion may be seen\nin turns. They that have come to the crematorium bringing with them the\ndead bodies of kinsmen, and they that sit by those bodies (from\naffection), themselves disappear from the world in consequence of their\nown acts when the allotted periods of their own lives run out. There is\nno need of your lingering in the crematorium, this horrible place, that\nis full of vultures and jackals and that abounds with skeletons and\ninspires every creature with dread. Whether friend or foe, no one ever\ncomes back to life having once succumbed to the power of Time. Such,\nindeed, is the fate of all creatures. In this world of mortals, every one\nthat is born is sure to die. Who shalt restore to life one that is dead\nand gone on the way ordained by the Destroyer? At this hour when men are\nabout to close their daily toil, the Sun is retiring to the Asta hills.\nGo ye to your homes, casting off this affection for the child.' Hearing\nthese words of the vulture, the grief of the kinsmen seemed to abate, and\nplacing the child on the bare ground they prepared to go away. Assuring\nthemselves of the fact that the child had died and despairing of seeing\nhim again, they began to retrace their steps, indulging in loud\nlamentations. Assured beyond doubt, and despairing of restoring the dead\nto life, they cast off that offspring of their race, and prepared to turn\nback from that spot. At this time a jackal, black as a raven, issued out\nof his hole and addressed those departing kinsmen, saying, 'Surely, ye\nthat are kinsmen of that deceased child have no affection. There the sun\nstill shineth in the sky, ye fools! Indulge your feelings, without fear.\nMultifarious are the virtues of the hour. This one may come back to life!\nSpreading a few blades of Kusa grass on the ground and abandoning that\ndear child on the crematorium, why do ye go away with hearts of steel and\ncasting off every affection for the darling? Surely, ye have no affection\nfor that sweet-speeched child of tender years, whose words, as soon as\nthey left his lips, used to gladden you greatly. Behold the affection\nthat even birds and beasts bear towards their offspring. Theirs is no\nreturn for bringing up their young ones. Like the sacrifices of the\nRishis (that are never undertaken from desire of fruit or rewards) the\naffection of quadrupeds of birds and insects, bears no reward in heaven.\nThough delighting in their children, they are never seen to derive any\nbenefit from the latter either here or hereafter. Yet they cherish their\nyoung ones with affection. Their children, growing up, never cherish them\nin age. Yet are not they grieved when they do not behold their little\nones? Where, indeed, is affection to be seen in human beings that they\nwould own the influence of grief?[448] Where would you go leaving here\nthis child who is the perpetuator of his race? Do you shed tears for him\nfor some time, and do you look at him a little longer with affection?\nObjects so dear are, indeed, difficult to abandon. It is friends and not\nothers that wait by the side of him that is weak, of him that is\nprosecuted in a court of law, of him that is borne towards the\ncrematorium. Life-breaths are dear unto all, and all feel the influence\nof affection. Behold the affection that is cherished by even those that\nbelong to the intermediate species![449] How, indeed, can you go away,\ncasting off this boy of eyes large as the petals of the lotus, and\nhandsome as a newly-married youth washed clean and adorned with floral\ngarlands?' Hearing these words of the jackal that had been indulging in\nsuch expressions of touching grief, the men turned back for the sake of\nthe corpse.\n\n\"'\"The vulture said, 'Alas, ye men destitute of strength of mind, why do ye\nturn back at the bidding of a cruel and mean jackal of little\nintelligence? Why do you mourn for that compound of five elements\ndeserted by their presiding deities, no longer tenanted (by the soul),\nmotionless, and stiff as a piece of wood? Why do you not grieve for your\nown selves? Do you practise austere penances by which you will succeed in\ncleansing yourselves from sin? Everything may be had by means of\npenances. What will lamentations do? Ill-luck is born with the body.[450]\nIt is in consequence of that ill-luck that this boy has departed,\nplunging you into infinite grief. Wealth, kine, gold, precious gems,\nchildren, all have their root in penances. Penances again are the results\nof yoga (union of the soul with Godhead). Amongst creatures, the measure\nof weal or woe is dependent on the acts of a previous life. Indeed, every\ncreature comes into the world taking with him his own measure of weal and\nwoe. The son is not bound by the acts of the sire, or the sire by those\nof the son. Bound by their own acts, good and bad, all have to travel by\nthis common road. Duly practise all the duties, and abstain from acts of\nunrighteousness. Reverentially wait, according to the directions of the\nscriptures, upon the gods and the Brahmanas. Cast off sorrow and\ncheerlessness, and abstain from parental affection. Leave the child on\nthis exposed ground, and go ye away without delay. The actor alone enjoys\nthe fruit of acts, good or bad, that he does. What concern have kinsmen\nwith them? Casting off a (deceased) kinsman, however dear, kinsmen leave\nthis spot. With eyes bathed in tears, they go away, ceasing to display\naffection for the dead. Wise or ignorant, rich or poor, every one\nsuccumbs to Time, endued with acts, good and bad. What will you do by\nmourning? Why do you grieve for one that is dead? Time is the lord of\nall, and in obedience to his very nature he casts an equal eye on all\nthings. In pride of youth or in helpless infancy bearing the weight of\nyears or lying in the mother's womb, every one is subject to be assailed\nby Death. Such indeed, is the course of the world.'\n\n\"'\"The jackal said, 'Alas, the affection cherished by your weeping selves\nthat are overwhelmed with grief for your deceased child has been lessened\nby that light-brained vulture. Even this must be the case, since in\nconsequence of his well-applied words fraught with tranquillity and\ncapable of producing conviction, there that one goes back to the town,\ncasting off affection that is so difficult to abandon. Alas, I had\nsupposed that great is the grief felt by men indulging in loud\nlamentations for the death of a child and for the corpse on a\ncrematorium, like that of kine bereft of calves. Today, however, I\nunderstand what the measure of grief is of human beings on earth.\nWitnessing their great affection I had shed tears myself. (It seems\nhowever, that their affection is not strong)! One should always exert\noneself. Thence does one succeed through destiny. Exertion and destiny,\njoining together, produce fruit. One should always exert oneself with\nhopefulness. How can happiness be had from despondency? Objects of desire\nmay be won by resolution. Why then do you go back so heartlessly? Where\ndo you go, abandoning in the wilderness this son of your own loins, this\nperpetuator of the race of his sires? Stay here till the sun sets and the\nevening twilight comes. You may then take away this boy with yourselves\nor stay with him.'\n\n\"'\"The vulture said, 'I am, ye men, a full thousand years of age today, but\nI have never seen a dead creature, male or female or of ambiguous sex,\nrevive after death. Some die in the womb; some die soon after birth; some\ndie (in infancy) while crawling (on all fours); some die in youth; and\nsome in old age. The fortunes of all creatures, including even beasts and\nbirds, are unstable. The periods of life of all mobile and immobile\ncreatures are fixed beforehand. Bereaved of spouses and dear ones and\nfilled with sorrow for (the death of) children, men leave this spot every\nday with agonised hearts for returning home. Leaving on this spot both\nfriends and foes numbering by thousands, kinsmen afflicted with grief go\nback to their homes. Cast off this lifeless body with no longer any\nanimal heat in it and which is as stiff as a piece of wood! Why then do\nyou not go away, leaving the body of this child which has become like a\npiece of wood and whose life has entered a new body? This affection\n(which ye are displaying) is unmeaning and this hugging of the child is\nfruitless. He does not see with his eyes or hear with his ears. Leaving\nhim here, go ye away without delay. Thus addressed by me in words which\nare apparently cruel but which in reality are fraught with reason and\nhave a direct bearing with the high religion of emancipation, go ye back\nto your respective homes.' Addressed thus by the vulture endued with\nwisdom and knowledge and capable of imparting intelligence and awakening\nthe understanding, those men prepared themselves to turn their backs upon\nthe crematorium. Grief, indeed, increaseth to twice its measure at sight\nof its object and at the remembrance of the acts of that object (in\nlife). Having heard these words of the vulture, the men resolved to leave\nthe spot. Just at that time the jackal, coming thither with quick steps,\ncast his eyes on the child lying in the sleep of death.\n\n\"'\"The jackal said, 'Why, indeed, do you leave, at the vulture's bidding,\nthis child of golden complexion, adorned with ornaments, and capable of\ngiving the obsequial cake to his ancestors? If you abandon him, your\naffection will not come to an end, nor these piteous lamentations. On the\nother hand, your grief will certainly be greater. It is heard that a\nSudra named Samvuka having been slain and righteousness having been\nupheld by Rama of true prowess, a (dead) Brahmana child was restored to\nlife.[451] Similarly, the son of the royal sage Sweta died (prematurely).\nBut the monarch, devoted to virtue, succeeded in reviving his dead child.\nAfter the same manner, in your case also, some sage or deity may be\nwilling to grant your desire and show compassion to you that are crying\nso piteously.' Thus addressed by the jackal, the men, afflicted with\ngrief and full of affection for the child, retraced their steps, and\nplacing the child's head on their laps one after another, began to\nindulge in copious lamentations. Summoned by their cries, the vulture,\ncoming to that spot, spoke unto them as follows.'\n\n\"'\"The vulture said, 'Why are you bathing this child with your tears? Why\nare you pressing him in this fashion with the touch of your palms? At the\ncommand of the grim king of justice the child has been sent to that sleep\nwhich knows no waking. Those that are endued with the merit of penances,\nthose that are possessed of wealth, those that have great intelligence,\nin fact, all succumb to death. Even this is the place intended for the\ndead. It is always to be seen that kinsmen casting off thousands of\nkinsmen young and old, pass their nights and days in grief, rolling on\nthe bare ground. Cease this ardour in putting on the trappings of woe.\nThat this child would come back to life is what passes belief. He will\nnot get back his life at the bidding of the jackal. If a person once dies\nand takes leave of his body, his body never regains animation. Hundreds\nof jackals, by laying down their own lives,[452] will not succeed in\nreviving this child in hundreds of years. If, however, Rudra, or Kumara,\nor Brahman, or Vishnu, grant him a boon, then only may this child come\nback to life. Neither the shedding of tears, nor the drawing of long\nsighs, nor copious lamentations, will bring back this one to life.\nMyself, the jackal, you all, and all the kinsmen of this one, with all\nour merits and sins, are on the same road (that this one has taken). For\nthis reason one possessed of wisdom should, from a distance, avoid\nbehaviour that displeases others, harsh speeches, the infliction of\ninjury on others, the enjoyment of other people's wives, and sin and\nfalsehood. Carefully seek righteousness, truth, the good of others,\njustice, compassion for all creatures, sincerity, and honesty. They\nincur sin who, while living, do not cast their eyes upon their mothers\nand fathers and kinsmen and friends. What will you do, by crying for him\nafter death, that sees not with his eyes and that stirs not in the\nleast?' Thus addressed, the men, overwhelmed with sorrow and burning with\ngrief on account of their affection for the child, departed for their\nhomes, leaving the body (on the crematorium).\n\n\"'\"The jackal said, 'Alas, terrible is the world of mortals! Here no\ncreature can escape. Every creature's period of life, again, is short.\nBeloved friends are always departing. It abounds with vanities and\nfalsehoods, with accusations and evil reports. Beholding again this\nincident that enhances pain and grief, I do not for a moment like this\nworld of men. Alas, fie on you, ye men, that thus turn back, like foolish\npersons, at the vulture's bidding, though you are burning with grief on\naccount of the death of this child. Ye cruel wights, how can you go away,\ncasting off parental affection upon hearing the words of a sinful vulture\nof uncleansed soul? Happiness is followed by misery, and misery by\nhappiness. In this world which is enveloped by both happiness and misery,\nnone of these two exists uninterruptedly. Ye men of little understanding,\nwhither would ye go, casting off on the bare ground this child of so much\nbeauty, this son that is an ornament of your race. Verily, I cannot\ndispel the idea from my mind that this child endued with comeliness and\nyouth and blazing with beauty is alive. It is not meet that he should\ndie.[453] It seems that ye are sure to obtain happiness. Ye that are\nafflicted with grief on account of the death of this child will surely\nhave good luck today. Anticipating the probability of inconvenience and\npain (if you remain here for the night) and fixing your hearts on your\nown comfort, whither would you, like persons of little intelligence, go,\nleaving this darling?'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Even thus, O king, the kinsmen of the deceased\nchild, unable to decide upon what they should do, were, for\naccomplishment of his own purpose, induced by that sinful jackal who\nuttered agreeable falsehoods, that denizen of the crematorium who\nwandered every night in quest of food, to stay in that place.\n\n\"'\"The vulture said, 'Dreadful is this spot, this wilderness, that resounds\nwith the screech of owls and teems with spirits and Yakshas and\nRakshasas. Terrible and awful, its aspect is like that of a mass of blue\nclouds. Casting off the dead body, finish the funeral rites. Indeed,\nthrowing away the body, accomplish those rites before the sun sets and\nbefore the points of the horizon become enveloped in gloom. The hawks are\nuttering their harsh cries. Jackals are howling fiercely. Lions are\nroaring. The sun is setting. The trees on the crematorium are assuming a\ndark hue in consequence of the blue smoke of the funeral pyres. The\ncarnivorous denizens of this place, afflicted with hunger, are yelling in\nrage. All those creatures of horrible forms that live in this frightful\nplace, all those carnivorous animals of grim features that haunt this\ndesert, will soon assail you. This wilderness is certainly frightful.\nDanger will overtake you. Indeed, if you listen to these false and\nfruitless words of the jackal against your own good sense, verily, all of\nyou are sure to be destroyed.'\n\n\"'\"The jackal said, 'Stay where you are! There is no fear even in this\ndesert as long as the sun shines. Till the god of day sets, do ye remain\nhere hopefully, induced by parental affection. Without any fear,\nindulging in lamentations as ye please, continue to look at this child\nwith eyes of affection. Frightful though this wilderness be, no danger\nwill overtake you. In reality this wilderness presents an aspect of quiet\nand peace. It is here that the Pitris by thousands took leave of the\nworld. Wait as long as the sun shines. What are this vulture's words to\nyou? If with stupefied understandings ye accept the cruel and harsh\nspeeches of the vulture, then your child will never come back to life!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"The vulture then addressed those men, saying that\nthe sun had set. The jackal said that it was not so. Both the vulture and\nthe jackal felt the pangs of hunger and thus addressed the kinsmen of the\ndead child. Both of them had girded up their loins for accomplishing\ntheir respective purposes. Exhausted with hunger and thirst, they thus\ndisputed, having recourse to the scriptures. Moved (alternately) by these\nwords, sweet as nectar, of those two creatures, viz., the bird and the\nbeast, both of whom were endued with the wisdom of knowledge, the kinsmen\nat one time wished to go away and at another to stay there. At last,\nmoved by grief and cheerlessness, they waited there, indulging in bitter\nlamentations. They did not know that the beast and the bird, skilled in\naccomplishing their own purposes, had only stupefied them (by their\naddresses). While the bird and the beast, both possessed of wisdom, were\nthus disputing and while the kinsmen of the deceased child sat listening\nto them, the great god Sankara, urged by his divine spouse (Uma), came\nthere with eyes bathed in tears of compassion. Addressing the kinsmen of\nthe deceased child, the god said, 'I am Sankara the giver of boons.' With\nhearts heavy with grief, those men prostrated themselves before the great\ndeity and said unto him in reply, 'Bereft of this one who was our only\nchild, all of us are at the point of death. It behoveth thee to grant us\nlife by granting life to this our son.' Thus solicited, the illustrious\ndeity, taking up a quantity of water in his hands granted unto that dead\nchild life extending for a hundred years. Ever employed in the good of\nall creatures, the illustrious wielder of Pinaka granted a boon unto both\nthe jackal and the vulture in consequence of which their hunger was\nappeased. Filled with delight and having achieved great prosperity, the\nmen bowed unto the god. Crowned with success, they then, O king, left\nthat spot in great joy. Through persistent hopefulness and firm\nresolution and the grace of the great god, the fruits of one's acts are\nobtained without delay. Behold, the combination of circumstances and the\nresolution of those kinsmen. While they were crying with agonised hearts,\ntheir tears were wiped and dried up. Behold, how within only a short\ntime, through their steadiness of resolution, they obtained the grace of\nSankara, and their afflictions dispelled, they were made happy. Indeed,\nthrough Sankara's grace, O chief of the Bharatas, those sorrowing kinsmen\nwere filled with amazement and delight at the restoration of their child\nto life. Then, O king, casting off that grief of which their child had\nbeen the cause, those Brahmanas, filled with delight, quickly went back\nto their town taking the restored child with them. Behaviour like this\nhas been laid down for all the four orders. By frequently listening to\nthis auspicious story fraught with virtue, profit, and salvation, a man\nobtains happiness both here and hereafter.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLIV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"If a person, weak, worthless, and light-hearted, O\ngrandsire, doth from folly provoke, by means of unbecoming and boastful\nspeeches, a powerful foe always residing in his vicinity, competent to do\ngood (when pleased) and chastise (when displeased), and always ready for\naction, how should the former, relying on his own strength, act when the\nlatter advances against him in anger and from desire of exterminating\nhim?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited, O chief of the Bharatas, the\nold story of the discourse between Salmali and Pavana. There was a lordly\n(Salmali) tree on one of the heights of Himavat. Having grown for many\ncenturies, he had spread out his branches wide around. His trunk also was\nhuge and his twigs and leaves were innumerable. Under his shade toil-worn\nelephants in rut, bathed in sweat, used to rest, and many animals of\nother species also. The girth of his trunk was four hundred cubits, and\ndense was the shade of his branches and leaves. Loaded with flowers and\nfruits, it was the abode of innumerable parrots, male and female. In\ntravelling along their routes, caravans of merchants and traders, and\nascetics, residing in the woods, used to rest under the shade of that\ndelightful monarch of the forest. One day, the sage Narada, O bull of\nBharata's race, seeing the wide-extending and innumerable branches of\nthat tree and the circumference of his trunk, approached and addressed\nhim, saying, 'O thou art delightful! O thou art charming! O foremost of\ntrees, O Salmali, I am always delighted at thy sight! O charming tree,\ndelightful birds of diverse kinds, and elephants and other animals,\ncheerfully live on thy branches and under their shade. Thy branches, O\nwide-branched monarch of the forest, and thy trunk are gigantic. I never\nsee any of them broken by the god of the wind. Is it, O child, the case\nthat Pavana is pleased with thee and is thy friend so that he protects\nthee always in these woods? The illustrious Pavana possessed of great\nspeed and force moveth from their sites the tallest and strongest trees,\nand even mountain summits. That sacred bearer of perfumes, blowing (when\nhe wills) drieth up rivers and lakes and seas, including the very nether\nregion. Without doubt, Pavana protects thee through friendship. It is for\nthis reason that, though possessed of innumerable branches, thou art\nstill graced with leaves and flowers. O monarch of the forest, this thy\nverdure is delightful since these winged creatures, O child, filled with\njoy, sport on thy twigs and branches. During the season when thou puttest\nforth thy blossoms, the sweet notes of all these denizens of thy branches\nare heard separately when they indulge in their melodious songs. Then,\nagain, O Salmali, these elephants that are the ornaments of their\nspecies, bathed in sweat and indulging in cries (of delight), approach\nthee and find happiness here. Similarly, diverse other species of animals\ninhabiting the woods, contribute to adorn thee. Indeed, O tree, thou\nlookest beautiful even like the mountains of Meru peopled by creatures of\nevery kind. Resorted to also by Brahmanas crowned with ascetic success,\nby others engaged in penances, and by Yatis devoted to contemplation,[454]\nthis thy region, I think, resembles heaven itself.'\"'\n\n\n\nSECTION CLV\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'Without doubt, O Salmali, the terrible and irresistible\ngod of the wind always protects thee from friendliness or amity. It\nseems, O Salmali, that a close intimacy has come to subsist between thee\nand the Wind. It seems thou hast said unto him these words, viz., \"I am\nthine,\" and it is for this reason that the Wind-god protects thee. I do\nnot see the tree or mountain or mansion in this world that may not, I\nthink, be broken by the Wind. Without doubt thou standest here with all\nthy branches and twigs and leaves, simply because, O Salmali, thou art\nprotected by the Wind for some reason or reasons (unknown to us).'\n\n\"'\"The Salmali said, 'The Wind, O regenerate one, is neither my friend nor\nmate nor well-wisher. Indeed, he is neither my great Ordainer that he\nshould protect me. My fierce energy and might, O Narada, are greater than\nthe Wind's. In truth, the strength of the Wind comes up to about only an\neighteenth part of mine. When the Wind comes in rage, tearing up trees\nand mountains and other things, I curb his strength by putting forth\nmine. Indeed, the Wind that breaks many things has himself been\nrepeatedly broken by me. For this reason, O Celestial Rishi, I am not\nafraid of him even when he comes in wrath.'\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'O Salmali, thy protection seems to be thoroughly perverse.\nThere is no doubt in this. There is no created thing which is equal to\nthe Wind in strength. Even Indra, or Yama, or Vaisravana, the lord of the\nwaters, is not equal to the god of the wind in might. What need,\ntherefore, be said of thee that art only a tree? Whatever creature in\nthis world, O Salmali, does whatever act, the illustrious Wind-god it is\nthat is at all times the cause of that act, since it is he that is the\ngiver of life. When that god exerts himself with propriety, he makes all\nliving creatures live at their ease. When, however, he exerts improperly,\ncalamities overtake the creatures of the world. What else can it be than\nweakness of understanding which induces thee to thus withhold thy worship\nfrom the god of wind, that foremost of creatures in the universe, that\nbeing deserving of worship? Thou art worthless and of a wicked\nunderstanding. Indeed, thou indulgest only in unmeaning brag. Thy\nintelligence being confounded by wrath and other evil passions, thou\nspeakest only untruths, O Salmali! I am certainly angry with thee for thy\nindulging in such speeches. I shall myself report to the god of the wind\nall these derogatory words of thine. Chandanas, and Syandanas, and Salas,\nand Saralas and Devadarus and Vetavas and Dhanwanas and other trees of\ngood souls that are far stronger than thou art, have never, O thou of\nwicked understanding, uttered such invectives against the Wind. All of\nthem know the might of the Wind as also the might that is possessed by\neach of them. For these reasons those foremost of trees bow down their\nheads in respect to that deity. Thou, however, through folly, knowest not\nthe infinite might of the Wind. I shall, therefore, repair to the\npresence of that god (for apprising him of thy contempt for him).'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLVI\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Having said these words unto the Salmali, that\nforemost of all persons conversant with Brahma, viz., Narada, represented\nunto the god of the wind all that the Salmali had said about him.\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'There is a certain Salmali on the breast of Himavat,\nadorned with branches and leaves. His roots extend deep into the earth\nand his branches spread wide around. That tree, O god of the wind\ndisregards thee. He spoke many words fraught with abuse of thyself. It is\nnot proper, O Wind, that I should repeat them in thy hearing. I know, O\nWind, that thou art the foremost of all created things. I know too that\nthou art a very superior and very mighty being, and that in wrath thou\nresemblest the Destroyer himself.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Hearing these words of Narada, the god of wind,\nwending to that Salmali, addressed him in rage and said as follows.\n\n\"'\"The Wind-god said, 'O Salmali, thou hast spoken in derogation of me\nbefore Narada. Know that I am the god of the wind. I shall certainly show\nthee my power and might. I know thee well. Thou art no stranger to me.\nThe puissant Grandsire, while engaged in creating the world, had for a\ntime rested under thee. It is in consequence of this incident that I have\nhitherto shown thee grace. O worst of trees, it is for this that thou\nstandest unharmed, and not in consequence of thy own might. Thou\nregardest me lightly as if I were a vulgar thing. I shall show myself\nunto thee in such a way that thou mayst not again disregard me.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed, the Salmali laughed in derision and\nreplied, saying, 'O god of the wind, thou art angry with me. Do not\nforbear showing the extent of thy might. Do thou vomit all thy wrath upon\nme. By giving way to thy wrath, what wilt thou do to me? Even if thy\nmight had been thy own (instead of being derived), I would not still\nhave been afraid of thee. I am superior to thee in might. I should not be\nafraid of thee. They are really strong in understanding. They, on the\nother hand, are not to be regarded strong that are possessed of only\nphysical strength.' Thus addressed, the Wind-god said, 'Tomorrow I shall\ntest thy strength.' After this, night came. The Salmali, concluding\nmentally what the extent is of the Wind's might and beholding his own\nself to be inferior to the god, began to say to himself, 'All that I said\nto Narada is false. I am certainly inferior in might to the Wind. Verily,\nhe is strong in his strength. The Wind, as Narada said, is always mighty.\nWithout doubt, I am weaker than other trees. But in intelligence no tree\nis my equal. Therefore, relying upon my intelligence I shall look at this\nfear that arises from the Wind. If the other trees in the forest all rely\nupon the same kind of intelligence, then, verily, no injury can result to\nthem from the god of the Wind when he becomes angry. All of them.\nhowever, are destitute of understanding, and, therefore, they do not\nknow, as I know, why or how the Wind succeeds in shaking and tearing them\nup.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLVII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Having settled this in his mind, the Salmali, in sorrow,\nhimself caused all his branches, principal and subsidiary, to be cut off.\nCasting off his branches and leaves and flowers, at morn the tree looked\nsteadily at the Wind, as he came towards him. Filled with rage and\nbreathing hard, the Wind advanced, felling large trees, towards that spot\nwhere the Salmali stood. Beholding him divested of top and branches and\nleaves and flowers, the Wind, filled with joy, smilingly addressed that\nlord of the forest which had before such a gigantic appearance, these\nwords.\n\n\"'\"The Wind said, 'Filled with rage, O Salmali, I would have done to thee\nprecisely what thou hast done to thyself by lopping off all thy branches.\nThou art now divested of thy proud top and flowers, and thou art now\nwithout thy shoots and leaves. In consequence of thy own evil counsels,\nthou hast been brought under my power.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Hearing these words of the Wind, the Salmali felt\ngreat shame. Remembering also the words that Narada had said, he began to\nrepent greatly for his folly. Even in this way, O tiger among kings, a\nweak and foolish person, by provoking the enmity of a powerful one, is at\nlast obliged to repent like the Salmali in fable. Even when possessed of\nequal might, people do not suddenly wage hostilities with those that have\ninjured them. On the other hand, they display their might gradually, O\nking! A person of foolish understanding should never provoke the\nhostility of one that is possessed of intelligence. In such cases the\nintelligence of the intelligent man penetrates (the subject upon which it\nis employed) like fire penetrating a heap of dry grass. Intelligence is\nthe most precious possession that a person can have. Similarly, O king,\na man can have nothing here more valuable than might. One should,\ntherefore, overlook the wrongs inflicted by a person possessed of\nsuperior strength, even as one should overlook (from compassion) the acts\nof a child, an idiot, or one that is blind or deaf. The wisdom of this\nsaying is witnessed in thy case, O slayer of foes. The eleven Akshauhinis\n(of Duryodhana), O thou of great splendour, and the seven (collected by\nthyself), were not in might equal to the single-handed Arjuna of high\nsoul. All the troops (of Duryodhana), therefore, were routed and slain by\nthat illustrious Pandava, that son of Paka's chastiser, as he coursed on\nthe field of battle, relying on his own strength. I have. O Bharata,\ndiscoursed to thee of the duties of kings and the morality of duties in\ndetail. What else, O king, dost thou wish to hear?\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLVIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"I desire, O bull of Bharata's race, to hear in\ndetail the source from which sin proceeds and the foundation upon which\nit rests.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Hear, O King, what the foundation is of sin. Covetousness\nalone is a great destroyer (of merit and goodness). From covetousness\nproceeds sin. It is from this source that sin and irreligiousness flow,\ntogether with great misery. This covetousness is the spring of also all\nthe cunning and hypocrisy in the world. It is covetousness that makes men\ncommit sin. From covetousness proceeds wrath, from covetousness flows\nlust, and it is from covetousness that loss of judgment, deception,\npride, arrogance, and malice, as also vindictiveness, shamelessness, loss\nof prosperity, loss of virtue, anxiety, and infamy spring, miserliness,\ncupidity, desire for every kind of improper act, pride of birth, pride of\nlearning, pride of beauty, pride of wealth, pitilessness for all\ncreatures, malevolence towards all, mistrust in respect of all,\ninsincerity towards all, appropriation of other people's wealth,\nravishment of other people's wives, harshness of speech, anxiety,\npropensity to speak ill of others, violent craving for the indulgence of\nlust, gluttony, liability to premature death, violent propensity towards\nmalice, irresistible liking for falsehood, unconquerable appetite for\nindulging in the passions, insatiable desire for indulging the ear,\nevil-speaking, boastfulness, arrogance, non-doing of duties, rashness,\nand perpetration of every kind of evil act,--all these proceed from\ncovetousness. In life, men are unable, whether infants or youth or\nadults, to abandon covetousness. Such is the nature of covetousness that\nit never decays even with the decay of life. Like the ocean that can\nnever be filled by the constant discharge of even innumerable rivers of\nimmeasurable depths, covetousness is incapable of being gratified by\nacquisitions to any extent. The covetousness, however, which is never\ngratified by acquisitions and satiated by the accomplishment of desires,\nthat which is not known in its real nature by the gods, the Gandharvas,\nthe Asuras, the great snakes, and, in fact, by all classes of beings,\nthat irresistible passion, along with that folly which invites the heart\nto the unrealities of the world, should ever be conquered by a person of\ncleansed soul. Pride, malice, slander, crookedness, and incapacity to\nhear other people's good, are vices, O descendant of Kuru, that are to be\nseen in persons of uncleansed soul under the domination of covetousness.\nEven persons of great learning who bear in their minds all the voluminous\nscriptures, and who are competent to dispel the doubts of others, show\nthemselves in this respect to be of weak understanding and feel great\nmisery in consequence of this passion. Covetous men are wedded to envy\nand anger. They are outside the pale of good behaviour. Of crooked\nhearts, the speeches they utter are sweet. They resemble, therefore, dark\npits whose mouths are covered with grass. They attire themselves in the\nhypocritical cloak of religion. Of low minds, they rob the world, setting\nup (if need be) the standard of religion and virtue. Relying upon the\nstrength of apparent reasons, they create diverse kinds of schisms in\nreligion. Intent upon accomplishing the purposes of cupidity, they\ndestroy the ways of righteousness. When wicked-souled persons under the\ndomination of covetousness apparently practise the duties of\nrighteousness, the consequence that results is that the desecrations\ncommitted by them soon become current among men. Pride, anger, arrogance,\ninsensibility, paroxysms of joy and sorrow, and self-importance, all\nthese, O descendant of Kuru, are to be seen in persons swayed by\ncovetousness. Know that they who are always under the influence of\ncovetousness are wicked. I shall now tell thee of those about whom thou\naskest, viz., those who are called good and whose practices are pure.\nThey who have no fear of an obligation to return to this world (after\ndeath), they who have no fear of the next world, they who are not\naddicted to animal food and who have no liking for what is agreeable and\nno dislike for what is otherwise, they to whom good behaviour is ever\ndear, they in whom there is self-restraint, they to whom pleasure and\npain are equal, they who have truth for their high refuge, they who give\nbut not take, they who have compassion, they who worship Pitris, gods and\nguests, they who are always ready to exert themselves (for the good of\nothers), they who are universal benefactors, they who are possessed of\ngreat courage (of mind), they who observe all the duties laid down in the\nscriptures, they who are devoted to the good of all, they who can give\ntheir all and lay down their very lives for others, are regarded as good\nand virtuous, O Bharata! Those promoters of righteousness are incapable\nof being forced away from the path of virtue. Their conduct, conformable\nto the model set by the righteous men of old, can never be otherwise.\nThey are perfectly fearless, they are tranquil, they are mild, and they\nalways adhere to the right path. Full of compassion, they are always\nworshipped by the good. They are free from lust and anger. They are not\nattached to any worldly object. They have no pride. They are observant of\nexcellent vows. They are always objects of regard. Do thou, therefore,\nalways wait upon them and seek instruction from them. They never acquire\nvirtue, O Yudhishthira, for the sake of wealth or of fame. They acquire\nit on the other hand, because it is a duty like that of cherishing the\nbody. Fear, wrath, restlessness, and sorrow do not dwell in them. There\nis not the outward garb of religion for misleading their fellow men. There\nis no mystery with them. They are perfectly contented. There is no error\nof judgment arising from covetousness. They are always devoted to truth\nand sincerity. Their hearts never fall from righteousness. Thou shouldst\nshow thy regard for them always, O son of Kunti! They are never delighted\nat any acquisition or pained at any loss. Without attachment to anything,\nand freed from pride, they are wedded to the quality of goodness, and\nthey cast an equal eye on all. Gain and loss, weal and woe, the agreeable\nand the disagreeable, life and death, are equal in the eyes of those men\nof firm tread, engaged in the pursuit of (divine) knowledge, and devoted\nto the path of tranquillity and righteousness. Keeping thy senses under\nrestraint and without yielding to heedlessness, thou shouldst always\nworship those high-souled persons who bear such love for virtue. O\nblessed one, one's words become productive of good only through the\nfavour of the gods. Under other circumstances, words produce evil\nconsequence.\"'\"[455]\n\n\n\nSECTION CLIX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou hast said, O grandsire, that the foundation of\nall evils is covetousness. I wish, O sire, to hear of ignorance in\ndetail.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The person who commits sin through ignorance, who does\nnot know that his end is at hand, and who always hates those that are of\ngood behaviour, soon incurs infamy in the world. In consequence of\nignorance one sinks into hell. Ignorance is the spring of misery. Through\nignorance one suffers afflictions and incurs great danger.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"I desire, O king, to hear in detail the origin, the\nplace, the growth, the decay, the rise, the root, the inseparable\nattribute, the course, the time, the cause, and the consequence, of\nignorance. The misery that is felt here is all born of ignorance.\"[456]\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Attachment, hate, loss of judgment, joy, sorrow, vanity,\nlust, anger, pride, procrastination, idleness, desire, aversion,\njealousy, and all other sinful acts are all known by the common name of\nignorance.[457] Hear now, O king, in detail, about its tendency, growth\nand other features after which thou enquirest. These two viz., ignorance\nand covetousness, know, O king, are the same (in substance). Both are\nproductive of the same fruits and same faults, O Bharata! Ignorance has\nits origin in covetousness. As covetousness grows, ignorance also grows.\nIgnorance exists there where covetousness exists. As covetousness\ndecreases, ignorance also decreases. It rises with the rise of\ncovetousness. Manifold again is the course that it takes. The root of\ncovetousness is loss of judgment. Loss of judgment, again, is its\ninseparable attribute. Eternity is ignorance's course. The time when\nignorance appears is when objects of covetousness are not won. From one's\nignorance proceeds covetousness, and from the latter proceeds ignorance.\n(Covetousness, therefore, is both the cause and consequence of\nignorance). Covetousness is productive of all. For these reasons, every\none should avoid covetousness. Janaka, and Yuvanaswa, and Vrishadarbhi,\nand Prasenajit, and other kings acquired heaven in consequence of their\nhaving repressed covetousness. Do thou also in the sight of all persons,\navoid covetousness by a strong resolution, O chief of the Kurus! Avoiding\ncovetousness thou shalt obtain happiness both here and in the next\nworld.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O grandsire, O thou of virtuous soul, what, indeed,\nis said to be productive of great merit[458] for a person attentively\nengaged in the study of the Vedas and desirous of acquiring virtue? That\nwhich is regarded in this world as productive of high merit is of diverse\nkinds as set forth in the scriptures. Tell me, O grandsire, about that\nwhich is regarded as such both here and hereafter. The path of duty is\nlong and has innumerable branches, O Bharata! Amongst those duties what\nare those few that should, according to thee, be preferred to all others\nfor observance? Tell me, O king, in detail, about that which is so\ncomprehensive and which is so many-branched.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I shall speak to thee of that by which thou mayst attain\nto high merit. Possessed as thou art of wisdom, thou shalt be gratified\nwith the knowledge I will impart to thee, like a person gratified with\nhaving quaffed nectar. The rules of duty that have been uttered by the\ngreat Rishis, each relying upon his own wisdom, are many. The highest\namong them all is self-restraint. Those amongst the ancients that were\nacquainted with truth said that self-restraint leads to the highest\nmerit. As regards the Brahmana in particular, self-restraint is his\neternal duty. It is from self-restraint that he obtains the due fruition\nof his acts. Self-restraint, in his case, surpasses (in merit) charity\nand sacrifice and study of the Vedas. Self-restraint enhances (his)\nenergy. Self-restraint is highly sacred. Through self-restraint a man\nbecomes cleansed of all his sins and endued with energy, and as a\nconsequence, attains to the highest blessedness. We have not heard that\nthere is any other duty in all the worlds that can equal self-restraint.\nSelf-restraint, according to all virtuous persons, is the highest of\nvirtues in this world. Through self-restraint, O foremost of men, a\nperson acquires the highest happiness both here and hereafter. Endued\nwith self-restraint, one acquires great virtue. The self-restrained man\nsleeps in felicity and awakes in felicity, and moves through the world in\nfelicity. His mind is always cheerful. The man who is without\nself-restraint always suffers misery. Such a man brings upon himself many\ncalamities all born of his own faults. It has been said that in all the\nfour modes of life self-restraint is the best of vows. I shall now tell\nthee those indications whose sum total is called self-restraint.\nForgiveness, patience, abstention from injury, impartiality, truth,\nsincerity, conquest of the senses, cleverness, mildness, modesty,\nsteadiness, liberality, freedom from wrath, contentment, sweetness of\nspeech, benevolence, freedom from malice,--the union of all these is\nself-restraint. It also consists, O son of Kuru, of veneration for the\npreceptor and universal compassion. The self-restrained man avoids both\nadulation and slander. Depravity, infamy, false speech, lust,\ncovetousness, pride, arrogance, self-glorification, fear, envy and\ndisrespect, are all avoided by the self-restrained man. He never incurs\nobloquy. He is free from envy. He is never gratified with small\nacquisitions (in the form of earthly happiness of any kind.) He is even\nlike the ocean which can never be filled.[459] The man of self-restraint\nis never bound by the attachments that arise from earthly connections\nlike to those involved in sentiments like these, 'I am thine, Thou art\nthine, They are in me, and I am in them.' Such a man, who adopts the\npractices of either cities or the woods, and who never indulges in\nslander or adulation, attains to emancipation. Practising universal\nfriendliness, and possessed of virtuous behaviour, of cheerful soul and\nendued with knowledge of soul, and liberated from the diverse attachments\nof the earth, great is the reward that such a person obtains in the world\nto be. Of excellent conduct and observant of duties, of cheerful soul and\npossessed of learning and knowledge of self, such a man wins esteem while\nhere and attains to a high end hereafter. All acts that are regarded as\ngood on earth, all those acts that are practised by the righteous,\nconstitute the path of the ascetic possessed of knowledge. A person that\nis good never deviates from that path. Retiring from the world and\nbetaking himself to a life in the woods, that learned person having a\ncomplete control over the senses who treads in that path, in quiet\nexpectation of his decease, is sure to attain to the state of Brahma. He\nwho has no fear of any creature and of whom no creature is afraid, has,\nafter the dissolution of his body, no fear to encounter.[460] He who\nexhausts his merits (by actual enjoyment) without seeking to store them\nup, who casts an equal eye upon all creatures and practises a course of\nuniversal friendliness, attains to Brahma. As the track of birds along\nthe sky or of fowl over the surface of water cannot be discerned, even so\nthe track of such a person (on earth) does not attract notice. For him, O\nking, who abandoning home adopts the religion of emancipation, many\nbright worlds wait to be enjoyed for eternity. If, abandoning all acts,\nabandoning penances in due course, abandoning the diverse branches of\nstudy, in fact, abandoning all things (upon which worldly men set their\nhearts), one becomes pure in his desires, liberated from all\nrestraints,[461] of cheerful soul, conversant with self, and of pure\nheart, one then wins esteem in this world and at last attains to heaven.\nThat eternal region of the Grandsire which springs from Vedic penances,\nand which is concealed in a cave, can be won by only self-restraint.[462]\nHe who takes pleasure in true knowledge, who has become enlightened, and\nwho never injures any creature, has no fear of coming back to this world,\nfar less, any fear in respect of the others.[463] There is only one fault\nin self-control. No second fault is noticeable in it. A person who has\nself-control is regarded by men as weak and imbecile. O thou of great\nwisdom, this attribute has only one fault. Its merits are many. By\nforgiveness (which is only another form of self-control), the man of\nself-control may easily acquire innumerable worlds. What need has a man\nof self-control for a forest? Similarly, O Bharata, of what use is the\nforest to him that has no self-control? That is a forest where the man of\nself-control dwells, and that is even a sacred asylum.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these words of Bhishma, Yudhishthira\nbecame highly gratified as if he had quaffed nectar. Again the king asked\nthat foremost of virtuous men. That perpetuator of Kuru's race\n(questioned by his grandson) once more began to discourse cheerfully (on\nthe topic raised).'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXI\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"They that are possessed of knowledge say that everything\nhas penance for its root. That foolish person who has not undergone\npenances does not meet with the rewards of even his own acts. The\npuissant Creator created all this universe with the aid of penances.\nAfter the same manner, the Rishis acquired the Vedas through the power of\npenances. It was by the aid of penances that the Grandsire created food,\nfruit and roots. It is by penances that persons crowned with ascetic\nsuccess behold the three worlds, with rapt souls. Medicines and all\nantidotes to injurious substances, and the diverse acts (seen here),\nproduce their intended results through the aid of penance. The\naccomplishment of all purposes depends upon penance. Whatever things\nthere are that are apparently unattainable are sure to be won by the aid\nof penance. Without doubt, the Rishis obtained their sixfold divine\nattributes through penance. A person that drinks alcoholic stimulants,\none that appropriates the possessions of others without their consent,\none guilty of foeticide, one that violates one's preceptor's bed, are all\ncleansed by penance properly practised. Penances are of many kinds. They\nexhibit themselves through various outlets. Of all kinds of penances,\nhowever, that one may practise after abstaining from pleasure and\nenjoyment, abstention from food is the highest and best. The penance\ninvolved in abstention from food is superior, O king, to even compassion,\ntruthfulness of speech, gifts, and restraining the senses. There is no\nact more difficult to accomplish than gift. There is no mode of life that\nis superior to serving one's mother. There is no creature superior to\nthose that are conversant with the three Vedas. Similarly, renunciation\nconstitutes the highest penance. People keep their senses under control\nfor taking care of their virtue and heaven. In respect of such control\nover the senses as also in the acquisition of virtue, there is no penance\nhigher than abstention from food. The Rishis, the gods, human beings,\nbeasts, birds, and whatever other creatures there are, mobile or\nimmobile, are all devoted to penances, and whatever success they win is\nwon through penance. Thus it was through penance that the gods acquired\ntheir superiority These (luminaries in the firmament) that have got their\nshares of felicity, are always the results of penance. Without doubt,\nthrough penance the very status of godhead may be acquired.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Brahmanas and Rishis and Pitris and the gods all\napplaud the duty of truth. I desire to hear of truth. Discourse to me\nupon it, O grandsire! What are the indications, O king, of truth? How may\nit be acquired? What is gained by practising truth, and how? Tell me all\nthis.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"A confusion of the duties of the four orders is never\napplauded. That which is called Truth always exists in a pure and\nunmingled state in every one of those four orders. With those that are\ngood, Truth is always a duty. Indeed, Truth is an eternal duty. One\nshould reverentially bow unto Truth. Truth is the highest refuge (of\nall). Truth is duty; Truth is penance; Truth is Yoga; and Truth is the\neternal Brahma. Truth has been said to be Sacrifice of a high order.[464]\nEverything rests upon Truth. I shall now tell thee the forms of Truths\none after another, and its indications also in due order. It behoveth\nthee to hear also as to how Truth may be acquired. Truth, O Bharata, as\nit exists in all the world, is of thirteen kinds. The forms that Truth\nassumes are impartiality, self control, forgiveness, modesty, endurance,\ngoodness, renunciation, contemplation, dignity, fortitude, compassion,\nand abstention from injury. These, O great monarch, are the thirteen\nforms of Truth. Truth is immutable, eternal, and unchangeable. It may be\nacquired through practices which do not militate against any of the other\nvirtues. It may also be acquired through Yoga. When desire and aversion,\nas also lust and wrath, are destroyed, that attribute in consequence of\nwhich one is able to look upon one's own self and one's foe, upon one's\ngood and one's evil, with an unchanging eye, is called impartiality.\nSelf-control consists in never wishing for another man's possessions, in\ngravity and patience and capacity to allay the fears of others in respect\nto one's own self, and immunity from disease. It may be acquired through\nknowledge. Devotion to the practice of liberality and the observance of\nall duties are regarded by the wise as constituting goodwill. One comes\nto acquire universal goodwill by constant devotion to truth. As regards\nnon-forgiveness and forgiveness, it should be stated that the attribute\nthrough which an esteemed and good man endures both what is agreeable and\ndisagreeable, is said to be forgiveness. This virtue may well be acquired\nthrough the practice of truthfulness. That virtue in consequence of which\nan intelligent man, contented in mind and speech, achieves many good\ndeeds and never incurs the censure of others, is called modesty. It is\nacquired through the aid of righteousness. That virtue which forgives for\nthe sake of virtue and profit is called endurance. It is a form of\nforgiveness. It is acquired through patience, and its purpose is to\nattach people to one's self. The casting off of affection as also of all\nearthly possessions, is called renunciation. Renunciation can never be\nacquired except by one who is divested of anger and malice. That virtue\nin consequence of which one does good, with watchfulness and care, to all\ncreatures is called goodness. It hath no particular shape and consists in\nthe divestment of all selfish attachments. That virtue owing to which one\nremains unchanged in happiness and misery is called fortitude. That wise\nman who desires his own good always practises this virtue. One should\nalways practise forgiveness and devotedness to truth. That man of wisdom\nwho succeeds in casting off joy and fear and wrath, succeeds in acquiring\nfortitude. Abstention from injury as regards all creatures in thought,\nword, and deed, kindness, and gift, are the eternal duties of those who\nare good. These thirteen attributes, though apparently distinct from one\nanother, have but one and the same form, viz., Truth. All these, O\nBharata, support Truth and strengthen it. It is impossible, O monarch, to\nexhaust the merits of Truth. It is for these reasons that the Brahmanas,\nthe Pitris, and the gods, applaud Truth. There is no duty which is higher\nthan Truth, and no sin more heinous than untruth. Indeed, Truth is the\nvery foundation of righteousness. For this reason, one should never\ndestroy Truth. From Truth proceed gifts, and sacrifice with presents, as\nwell as the threefold Agnihotras, the Vedas, and everything else that\nleads to righteousness. Once on a time a thousand horse-sacrifices and\nTruth were weighed against each other in the balance. Truth weighed\nheavier than a thousand horse-sacrifices.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me, O thou of great wisdom, everything about\nthat from which spring wrath and lust, O bull of Bharata's race, and\nsorrow and loss of judgment, and inclination to do (evil to others), and\njealousy and malice and pride, and envy, and slander, and incapacity to\nbear the good of others, and unkindness, and fear. Tell me everything\ntruly and in detail about all these.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"These thirteen vices are regarded as very powerful foes\nof all creatures. These, O Monarch, approach and tempt men from every\nside. They goad and afflict a heedless man or one that is insensate.\nIndeed, as soon as they see a person, they assail him powerfully like\nwolves jumping upon their prey. From these proceed all kinds of grief.\nFrom these proceed all kinds of sin. Every mortal, O foremost of men,\nshould always know this. I shall now speak to thee of their origin, of\nthe objects upon which they rest, and of the means of their destruction,\nO lord of the earth! Listen, first, O king, with undivided attention, to\nthe origin of wrath truly and in detail. Anger springs from covetousness.\nIt is strengthened by the faults of others. Through forgiveness it\nremains dormant, and through forgiveness it disappears. As regards lust,\nit springs from resolution. Indulgence strengthens it. When the man of\nwisdom resolutely turns away from it, it disappears and dies. Envy of\nothers proceeds from between wrath and covetousness. It disappears in\nconsequence of compassion and knowledge of self. In consequence of\ncompassion for all creatures, and of that disregard for all worldly\nobjects (that knowledge brings in its train), it disappears. It also\narises from seeing the faults of other people. But in men of intelligence\nit quickly disappears in consequence of true knowledge.[465] Loss of\njudgment has its origin in ignorance and proceeds from sinfulness of\nhabit. When the man whom this fault assails begins to take delight in\n(the company and counsels of) wise men, the vice at once and immediately\nhides its head. Men, O thou of Kuru's race, see conflicting scriptures.\nFrom that circumstance springs the desire for diverse kinds of action.\nWhen true knowledge has been gained, that desire is allayed. The grief of\nan embodied creature proceeds from affection which is awakened by\nseparation. When, however, one learns that the dead do not return\n(whatever the grief one may feel for them), it subsides. Incapacity to\nbear other people's good proceeds from wrath and covetousness. Through\ncompassion for every creature and in consequence of a disregard for all\nearthly objects, it is extinguished. Malice proceeds from the abandonment\nof truth and indulgence in wickedness. This vice, O child, disappears in\nconsequence of one's waiting upon the wise and good. Pride, in men,\nsprings from birth, learning, and prosperity. When those three, however,\nare truly known, that vice instantly disappears. Jealousy springs from\nlust and delight in low and vulgar people. In consequence of wisdom it is\ndestroyed. From errors (of conduct) inconsistent with the ordinary course\nof men, and through disagreeable speeches expressive of aversion, slander\ntakes its rise. It disappears, O king, upon a survey of the whole world.\nWhen the person that injures is powerful and the injured one is unable to\navenge the injury, hate shows itself. It subsides, however, through\nkindliness. Compassion proceeds from a sight of the helpless and\nmiserable persons with whom the world abounds. That sentiment disappears\nwhen one understands the strength of virtue.[466] Covetousness in all\ncreatures spring from ignorance. Beholding the instability of all objects\nof enjoyment, it suffers destruction. It has been said that tranquillity\nof soul can alone subdue all these thirteen faults. All these thirteen\nfaults stained the sons of Dhritarashtra. Thyself, always desirous of\ntruth, hast conquered all of those vices in consequence of thy regard for\nseniors.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXIV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"I know what benevolence is, in consequence of my\nobservation of persons that are good. I do not, however, know them that\nare malevolent, nor the nature of their acts, O Bharata. Indeed, people\navoid malevolent persons of cruel deeds even as they avoid thorns and\npitfalls and fire. It is evident, O Bharata, that he who is malevolent is\nsure to burn (with misery) both here and hereafter. Therefore, O thou of\nKuru's race, tell me what, in truth, the acts of such a person are.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Malevolent persons always do wicked acts and feel an\nirresistible inclination for doing them. They slander others and incur\nobloquy themselves. They always regard themselves as cheated of what is\ntheir due. A malevolent person brags of his own acts of charity. He sees\nothers with malicious eyes. He is very mean. He is deceitful, and full of\ncunning. He never gives others their dues. He is arrogant. He keeps evil\ncompany and is always boastful. He fears and suspects all with whom he\ncomes into contact. He is of foolish understanding. He practises\nmiserliness. He praises his associates. He cherishes an inordinate\naversion and hatred for all recluses who have retired into the woods. He\ntakes delight in injuring others. He is utterly regardless of\ndistinguishing the merits and faults of others. He is full of lies. He is\ndiscontented. He is exceedingly covetous, and always acts cruelly. Such a\nperson regards a virtuous and accomplished man as a pest, and thinking\neverybody else to be like himself never trusts any one. Such a person\nproclaims the faults of other people however unsuspected those faults\nmight be. With regard to such faults, however, as similar to those that\nstain his own self, he does not refer to them even remotely, for the sake\nof the advantage he reaps from them. He regards the person that does him\ngood as a simpleton whom he has cleverly deceived. He is filled with\nregret for having at any time made any gift of wealth even unto a\nbenefactor. Know him for a malevolent and wicked person who quietly and\nalone takes comestibles and drinks and other kinds of food that are\nregarded choice, even when persons are standing by with wishful eyes. He\non the other hand, who dedicates the first portion to Brahmanas and takes\nwhat remains, dividing it with friends and kinsmen, attains to great\nfelicity in the next world and infinite happiness here. I have now, O\nchief of the Bharatas, said unto thee what the indications are of the\nwicked and malevolent man. Such a person should always be avoided by a\nman of wisdom.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"For enabling such pious and impoverished Brahmanas as\nhave been robbed of their wealth (by thieves), as are engaged in the\nperformance of sacrifices, as are well conversant with all the Vedas, and\nas are desirous of acquiring the merit of righteousness, to discharge\ntheir obligations to preceptors and the Pitris, and pass their days in\nreciting and studying the scriptures, wealth and knowledge, O Bharata,\nshould be given.[467] Unto those Brahmanas that are not poor, only the\nDakshina,[468] O best of the Bharatas, should be given. As regards those\nthat have fallen away (in consequence of their sinful deeds) from the\nstatus of Brahman, uncooked food should be given to them outside the\nlimits of the sacrificial altar.[469] The Brahmanas are the Vedas\nthemselves and all the Sacrifices with large presents. Desirous of\nexcelling one another, they always perform sacrifices, impelled by their\nvirtuous inclinations. The king should, therefore, make presents of\ndiverse kinds of valuable wealth unto them. That Brahmana who hath a\nsufficiency of stores for feeding his family for three or more years,\ndeserves to drink the Soma.[470] If not withstanding the presence of a\nvirtuous king on the throne, the sacrifice begun by anybody, especially\nby a Brahmana, cannot be completed for want of only a fourth part of the\nestimated expenses, then the king should, for the completion of that\nsacrifice, take away from his kinsmen the wealth of a Vaisya that is\npossessed of a large flock of cattle but that is averse from sacrifices\nand abstains from quaffing Soma. The Sudra has no competence for\nperforming a sacrifice. The king should, therefore, take away (wealth for\nsuch a purpose) from a Sudra house of ours.[471] The king should also,\nwithout any scruple, take away from the kinsmen the wealth of him who\ndoes not perform sacrifices though possessed of a hundred kine and also\nof him who abstains from sacrifices though possessed of a thousand kine.\nThe king should always publicly take away the wealth of such a person as\ndoes not practise charity, by acting in this way the king earns great\nmerit. Listen again to me. That Brahmana who has been forced by want to\ngo without six meals,[472] may take away without permission, according to\nthe rule of a person that cares only for today without any thought of the\nmorrow, only what is necessary for a single meal, from the husking tub or\nthe field or the garden or any other place of even a man of low pursuits.\nHe should, however, whether asked or unasked, inform the king of his\nact.[473] If the king be conversant with duty he should not inflict any\npunishment upon such a Brahmana. He should remember that a Brahmana\nbecomes afflicted with hunger only through the fault of the\nKshatriya.[474] Having ascertained a Brahmana's learning and behaviour,\nthe king should make a provision for him, and protect him as a father\nprotects the son of his own loins. On the expiry of every year, one\nshould perform the Vaisvanara sacrifice (if he is unable to perform any\nanimal or Soma sacrifice). They who are conversant with religion say that\nthe practice of an act laid down in the alternative, is not destructive\nof virtue. The Viswedevas, the Sadhyas, the Brahmanas, and great Rishis,\nfearing death in seasons of distress, do not scruple to have recourse to\nsuch provisions in the scriptures as have been laid down in the\nalternative. That man, however, who while able to live according to the\nprimary provision, betakes himself to the alternative, comes to be\nregarded as a wicked person and never succeeds in winning any felicity in\nheaven. A Brahmana conversant with the Vedas should never speak of his\nenergy and knowledge to the king. (It is the duty of the king to\nascertain it himself.) Comparing again the energy of a Brahmana with that\nof the king, the former will always be found to be superior to the\nlatter. For this reason the energy of the Brahmanas can scarcely be borne\nor resisted by a king. The Brahmana is said to be creator, ruler,\nordainer, and god. No word of abuse, no dry speeches, should be addressed\nto a Brahmana. The Kshatriya should cross all his difficulties by the aid\nof the might of his arms. The Vaisya and the Sudra should conquer their\ndifficulties by wealth; the Brahmana should do so by Mantras and homa.\nNone of these, viz., a maiden, a youthful woman, a person unacquainted\nwith mantras, an ignorant guy, or one that is impure, is competent to\npour libations on the sacrificial fire. If any of these do so, he or she\nis sure to fall into hell, with him for whom they act. For this reason,\nnone but a Brahmana, conversant with the Vedas and skilled in all\nsacrifices should become the pourer of sacrificial libations. They who\nare conversant with the scriptures say that the man who, having kindled\nthe sacrificial fire, does not give away the dedicated food as Dakshina,\nis not the kindler of a sacrificial fire. A person should, with his\nsenses under control, and with proper devotion, do all the acts of merit\n(indicated in the scriptures). One should never worship the deities in\nsacrifices in which no Dakshina is given. A sacrifice not completed with\nDakshina, (instead of producing merit) brings about the destruction of\none's children, animals, and heaven. Such a sacrifice destroys also the\nsenses, the fame, the achievements and the very span of life, that one\nhas. Those Brahmanas that lie with women in their season, or who never\nperform sacrifices, or whose families have no members conversant with the\nVedas, are regarded as Sudras in act. That Brahmana who, having married a\nSudra girl, resides for twelve continuous years in a village has only a\nwell for its water supply, becomes a Sudra in act. That Brahmana who\nsummons to his bed an unmarried maiden, or suffers a Sudra, thinking him\nworthy of respect, to sit upon the same carpet with him, should sit on a\nbed of dry grass behind some Kshatriya or Vaisya and give him respect in\nthat fashion.[475] It is in this manner that he can be cleansed. Listen,\nO king, to my words on this subject. The sin that a Brahmana commits in a\nsingle night by respectfully serving a member of a lower order or by\nsporting with him in the same spot or on the same bed, is cleansed by\nobserving the practice of sitting behind a Kshatriya or a Vaisya on a bed\nof dry grass for three continuous years. A falsehood spoken in jest is\nnot sinful; nor one that is spoken to a woman, O king, nor one that is\nspoken on an occasion of marriage; nor one spoken for benefiting one's\npreceptor; nor one spoken for saving one's own life. These five kinds of\nfalsehood in speech, it has been said, are not sinful. One may acquire\nuseful knowledge from even a person of low pursuits, with devotion and\nreverence. One may take up gold, without any scruple, from even an\nunclean place. A woman that is the ornament of her sex may be taken (for\nwife) from even a vile race. Amrita, if extracted from poison, may be\nquaffed; women, jewels and other valuables, and water, can never,\naccording to the scriptures, be impure or unclean. For the benefit of\nBrahmanas and kine, and on occasions of transfusion of castes, even a\nVaisya may take up weapons for his own safety. Drinking alcoholic\nliquors, killing a Brahmana, and the violation of the preceptor's bed,\nare sins that, if committed consciously, have no expiation. The only\nexpiation laid down for them is death. The same may be said of stealing\ngold and the theft of a Brahmana's property. By drinking alcoholic\nliquors, by having congress with one with whom congress is prohibited, by\nmingling with a fallen person, and (a person of any of the other three\norders) by having congress with a Brahmani, one becomes inevitably\nfallen. By mixing with a fallen person for one whole year in such matters\nas officiation in sacrifices and teaching sexual congress, one becomes\nfallen. One, however, does not become so by mixing with a fallen person\nin such matters as riding on the same vehicle, sitting on the same seat,\nand eating in the same line. Excluding the five grave sins that have been\nmentioned above, all other sins have expiations provided for them.\nExpiating those sins according to the ordinances laid down for them, one\nshould not again indulge in them. In the case of those who have been\nguilty of the first three of these five sins, (viz., drinking alcoholic\nliquors, killing a Brahmana, and violation of the preceptor's bed), there\nis no restriction for their (surviving) kinsmen about taking food and\nwearing ornaments, even if their funeral rites remain unperformed when\nthey die. The surviving kinsmen should make no scruple about such things\non such occasions. A virtuous man should, in the observance of his\nduties, discard his very friends and reverend seniors. In fact, until\nthey perform expiation, they that are virtuous should not even talk with\nthose sinners. A man that has acted sinfully destroys his sin by acting\nvirtuously afterwards and by penances. By calling a thief a thief, one\nincurs the sin of theft. By calling a person a thief who, however, is not\na thief one incurs a sin just double the sin of theft. The maiden who\nsuffers her virginity to be deflowered incurs three-fourths of the sin of\nBrahmanicide, while the man that deflowers her incurs a sin equal to a\nfourth part of that of Brahmanicide. By slandering Brahmanas or by\nstriking them, one sinks in infamy for a hundred years. By killing a\nBrahmana one sinks into hell for a thousand years. No one, therefore,\nshould speak ill of a Brahmana or slay him. If a person strikes a\nBrahmana with a weapon, he will have to live in hell for as many years as\nthe grains of dust that are soaked by the blood flowing from the wounded.\nOne guilty of foeticide becomes cleansed if he dies of wounds received in\nbattle fought for the sake of kine and Brahmanas. He may also be cleansed\nby casting his person on a blazing fire.[476] A drinker of alcoholic\nliquors becomes cleansed by drinking hot alcohol. His body being burnt\nwith that hot drink, he is cleansed through death in the other\nworld.[477] A Brahmana stained by such a sin obtains regions of felicity\nby such a course and not by any other. For violating the bed of a\npreceptor, the wicked-souled and sinful wretch becomes cleansed by the\ndeath that results from embracing a heated female figure of iron. Or,\ncutting off his organ and testicles and bearing them in his hands, he\nshould go on in a straight course towards the south-west and then cast\noff his life. Or, by meeting with death for the sake of benefiting a\nBrahmana, he may wash off his sin. Or, after performing a horse-sacrifice\nor a cow-sacrifice or an Agnishtoma, he may regain esteem both here and\nhereafter. The slayer of a Brahmana should practise the vow of\nBrahmacharya for twelve years and devoting himself to penances, wander,\nholding in his hands the skull of the slain all the time and proclaiming\nhis sin unto all. He should even adopt such a course, devoted to penance\nand leading the life of an ascetic. Even such is the expiation provided\nfor one who slays a woman quick with child, knowing her condition. The\nman who knowingly slays such a woman incurs double the sin that follows\nfrom Brahmanicide. A drinker of alcoholic liquor should live on frugal\nfare, practising Brahmacharya vows, and sleep on the bare ground, and\nperform, for more than three years the sacrifice next to the Agnishtoma.\nHe should then make a present of a thousand kine with one bull (unto a\ngood Brahmana). Doing all this, he would regain his purity. Having slain\na Vaisya one should perform such a sacrifice for two years and make a\npresent of a hundred kine with one bull. Having slain a Sudra, one should\nperform such a sacrifice for one year and make a present of a hundred\nkine with one bull. Having slain a dog or bear or camel, one should\nperform the same penance that is laid down for the slaughter of a Sudra.\nFor slaying a cat, a chasa, a frog, a crow, a reptile, or a rat, it has\nbeen said, one incurs the sin of animal slaughter, O king! I shall now\ntell thee of other kinds of expiations in their order. For all minor sins\none should repent or practise some vow for one year. For congress with\nthe wife of a Brahmana conversant with the Vedas, one should for three\nyears practise the vow of Brahmacharya, taking a little food at the\nfourth part of the day. For congress with any other woman (who is not\none's wife), one should practise similar penance for two years. For\ntaking delight in a woman's company by sitting with her on the same spot\nor on the same seat, one should live only on water for three days. By\ndoing this he may cleanse himself of his sin. The same is laid down for\none who befouls a blazing fire (by throwing impure things on it). He who\nwithout adequate cause, casts off his sire or mother or preceptor, surely\nbecomes fallen, O thou of Kuru's race, as the conclusion is of the\nscriptures. Only food and clothes should be given, as the injunction is,\nunto a wife guilty of adultery or one confined in a prison. Indeed, the\nvows that are laid down for a male person guilty of adultery should be\ncaused to be observed by also a woman who is guilty of the same. That\nwoman who abandoning a husband of a superior caste, has congress with a\nvile person (of a lower order), should be caused by the king to be\ndevoured by dogs in a public place in the midst of a large concourse of\nspectators.[478] A wise king should cause the male person committing\nadultery under such circumstances to be placed upon a heated bed of iron\nand then, placing faggots underneath, burn the sinner thereon. The same\npunishment, O king, is provided for the woman that is guilty of adultery.\nThe wicked sinner who does not perform expiation within a year of the\ncommission of the sin incurs demerit that is double of what attaches to\nthe original sin. One who associates with such a person for two years\nmust wander over the earth, devoting himself to penances and living upon\neleemosynary charity. One associating with a sinner for four years should\nadopt such a mode of life for five years. If a younger brother weds\nbefore his elder brother, then the younger brother, the elder brother and\nthe woman that is married, all three, in consequence of such wedding,\nbecome fallen. All of them should observe the vows prescribed for a\nperson who has neglected his sacrificial fire, or practise the vow of\nChandrayana for a month, or some other painful vow, for cleansing\nthemselves of their sin. The younger brother, wedding, should give his\nwife unto his unmarried elder brother. Afterwards, having obtained the\npermission of the elder brother, the younger brother may take back his\nwife. By such means may all three be cleansed of their sin. By slaying\nanimals save a cow, the slayer is not stained. The learned know that man\nhas dominion over all the lower animals. A sinner, holding in his hand a\nyak-tail and an earthen pot, should go about, proclaiming his sin. He\nshould every day beg of only seven families, and live upon what may be\nthus obtained. By doing this for twelve days he may be cleansed of his\nsin. He who becomes unable to bear in his hand the yak-tail while\npractising this vow, should observe the vow of mendicancy (as stated\nabove) for one whole year. Amongst men such expiation is the best. For\nthose that are able to practise charity, the practice of charity has been\nlaid down in all such cases. Those who have faith and virtue may cleanse\nthemselves by giving away only one cow. One who eats or drinks the flesh,\nordure, or urine, of a dog, a boar, a man, a cock, or a camel must have\nhis investiture of the sacred thread re-performed. If a Soma-drinking\nBrahmana inhales the scent of alcohol from the mouth of one that has\ndrunk it, he should drink warm water for three days or warm milk for the\nsame period. Or, drinking warm water for three days he should live for\nthat period upon air alone. These are the eternal injunctions laid down\nfor the expiation of sin, especially for a Brahmana who has committed\nthese sins through ignorance and want of judgment.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXVI\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Upon the completion of this discourse, Nakula who\nwas an accomplished swordsman thus questioned the Kuru grandsire lying on\nhis bed of arrows.'\n\n\"'Nakula said, \"The bow, O grandsire, is regarded as the foremost of\nweapons in this world. My mind, however, inclines towards the sword,\nsince when the bow, O king, is cut off or broken, when steeds are dead or\nweakened, a good warrior, well trained in the sword, can protect himself\nby means of his sword.[479] A hero armed with the sword can, single\nhanded, withstand many bowmen, and many antagonists armed with maces and\ndarts. I have this doubt, and I feel curious to know the truth. Which, O\nking, is really the foremost of weapons in all battles? How was the sword\nfirst created and for what purpose? Who also was the first preceptor in\nthe weapon? Tell me all this, O grandsire.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these words of the intelligent son of\nMadri, the virtuous Bhishma, the complete master of the science of the\nbow, stretched upon his bed of arrows, made this answer fraught with many\nrefined words of delightful import, melodious with vowels properly\nplaced, and displaying considerable skill, unto the high-souled Nakula,\nthat disciple of Drona, endued with skilful training.\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Hear the truth, O son of Madri, about what thou hast\nasked me. I am excited by this question of thine, like a hill of\nred-chalk.[480] In ancient times the universe was one vast expanse of\nwater, motionless and skyless, and without this earth occupying any space\nin it. Enveloped in darkness, and intangible, its aspect was exceedingly\nawful. Utter silence reigning all over, it was immeasurable in extent. In\nhis own proper time the Grandsire (of the universe) took his birth. He\nthen created the wind and fire, and the sun also of great energy. He also\ncreated the sky, the heavens, the nether regions, earth, the directions,\nthe firmament with the moon and the stars, the constellations, the\nplanets, the year, the seasons, the months, the two fortnights (lighted\nand dark) and the smaller divisions of time. The divine Grandsire then,\nassuming a visible form, begot (by power of his will) some sons possessed\nof great energy. They are the sages Marichi, Atri, Pulastya, Pulaha,\nKratu, Vasishtha, Angiras, and the mighty and puissant lord Rudra, and\nPrachetas. The last begat Daksha, who in his turn, begat sixty daughters.\nAll those daughters were taken by regenerate sages for the object of\nbegetting children upon them. From them sprang all the creatures of the\nuniverse, including the gods, Pitris, Gandharvas, Apsaras, diverse kinds\nof Rakshasas, birds and animals and fishes, monkeys, great snakes, and\ndiverse species of fowl that range the air or sport on the water, and\nvegetables, and all beings that are oviparous or viviparous or born of\nfilth. In this way the whole universe consisting of mobile and immobile\ncreatures sprang into existence. The universal Grandsire, having thus\nevoked into existence all mobile and immobile creatures, then promulgated\nthe eternal religion laid down in the Vedas. That religion was accepted\nby the gods, with their preceptors, priests, the Adityas, the Vasus, the\nRudras, the Sadhyas, the Maruts, the Aswins, Bhrigu, Atri, Angiras, the\nSiddhas, Kasyapa rich in penances, Vasishtha, Gautama, Agastya, Narada,\nParvata, the Valikhilya Rishis, those other Rishis known under the names\nof Prabhasas, the Sikatas, the Ghritapas, the Somavayavyas, the\nVaiswanaras, Marichipas, the Akrishtas, the Hansas, those born of Fire,\nthe Vanaprasthas, and the Prasnis. All of them lived in obedience to\nBrahman. The foremost of the Danavas, however, setting at light the\ncommands of the Grandsire, and yielding to wrath and covetousness, began\nto cause the destruction of righteousness. They were Hiranyakasipu, and\nHiranyaksha, and Virochana, and Samvara, and Viprachitti, and Prahlada,\nand Namuchi, and Vali. These and many other Daityas and Danavas,\ntranscending all restraints of duty and religion, sported and took\ndelight in all kinds of wicked acts. Regarding themselves equal in point\nof birth with the gods, they began to challenge them and the sages of\npure behaviour. They never did any good to the other creatures of the\nuniverse or showed compassion for any of them. Disregarding the three\nwell-known means, they began to persecute and afflict all creatures by\nwielding only the rod of chastisement. Indeed, those foremost of Asuras,\nfilled with pride, forsook every friendly intercourse with other\ncreatures. Then the divine Brahman, accompanied by the regenerate sages,\nproceeded to a delightful summit of Himavat, extending for a hundred\nYojanas in area, adorned with diverse kinds of jewels and gems, and upon\nwhose surface the stars seemed to rest like so many lotuses on a lake. On\nthat prince of mountains, O sire, overgrown with forests of flowering\ntrees, that foremost of the gods, viz., Brahman, stayed for some time for\naccomplishing the business of the world. After the lapse of a thousand\nyears, the puissant lord made arrangements for a grand sacrifice\naccording to the ordinances laid down in the scriptures. The sacrificial\naltar became adorned with Rishis skilled in sacrifice and competent to\nperform all acts appertaining thereto, with faggots of sacrificial fuel,\nand with blazing fires. And it looked exceedingly beautiful in\nconsequence of the sacrificial plates and vessels all made of gold. All\nthe foremost ones among the gods took their seats on it. The platform was\nfurther adorned with Sadasyas all of whom were high regenerate Rishis. I\nhave heard from the Rishis that soon something very awful occurred in\nthat sacrifice. It is heard that a creature sprang (from the sacrificial\nfire) scattering the flames around him, and whose splendour equalled that\nof the Moon himself when he rises in the firmament spangled with stars.\nHis complexion was dark like that of the petals of the blue lotus. His\nteeth were keen. His stomach was lean. His stature was tall. He seemed to\nbe irresistible and possessed of exceeding energy. Upon the appearance of\nthat being, the earth trembled. The Ocean became agitated with high\nbillows and awful eddies. Meteors foreboding great disasters shot through\nthe sky. The branches of trees began to fall down. All the points of the\ncompass became unquiet. Inauspicious winds began to blow. All creatures\nbegan to quake with fear every moment. Beholding that awful agitation of\nthe universe and that Being sprung from the sacrificial fire, the\nGrandsire said these words unto the great Rishis, the gods, and the\nGandharvas. 'This Being was thought of by me. Possessed of great energy,\nhis name is Asi (sword or scimitar). For the protection of the world and\nthe destruction of the enemies of the gods, I have created him.' That\nbeing then, abandoning the form he had first assumed, took the shape of a\nsword of great splendour, highly polished, sharp-edged, risen like the\nall-destructive Being at the end of the Yuga. Then Brahman made over that\nsharp weapon to the blue-throated Rudra who has for the device on his\nbanner the foremost of bulls, for enabling him to put down irreligion and\nsin. At this, the divine Rudra of immeasurable soul, praised by the great\nRishis, took up that sword and assumed a different shape. Putting forth\nfour arms, he became so tall that though standing on the earth he touched\nthe very sun with his head. With eyes turned upwards and with every limb\nextended wide, he began to vomit flames of fire from his mouth. Assuming\ndiverse complexions such as blue and white and red, wearing a black\ndeer-skin studded with stars of gold, he bore on his forehead a third eye\nthat resembled the sun in splendour. His two other eyes, one of which was\nblack and the other tawny, shone very brightly. The divine Mahadeva, the\nbearer of the Sula, the tearer of Bhaga's eyes, taking up the sword whose\nsplendour resembled that of the all-destructive Yuga fire, and wielding a\nlarge shield with three high bosses which looked like a mass of dark\nclouds adorned with flashes of lightning, began to perform diverse kinds\nof evolutions. Possessed of great prowess, he began to whirl the sword in\nthe sky, desirous of an encounter. Loud were the roars he uttered, and\nawful the sound of his laughter. Indeed, O Bharata, the form then assumed\nby Rudra was exceedingly terrible. Hearing that Rudra had assumed that\nform for achieving fierce deeds, the Danavas, filled with joy, began to\ncome towards him with great speed, showering huge rocks upon him as they\ncame, and blazing brands of wood, and diverse kinds of terrible weapons\nmade of iron and each endued with the sharpness of a razor. The Danava\nhost, however, beholding that foremost of all beings, the indestructible\nRudra, swelling with might, became stupefied and began to tremble.\nAlthough Rudra was alone and single-handed, yet so quickly did he move on\nthe field of battle with the sword in his arm that the Asuras thought\nthere were a thousand similar Rudras battling with them. Tearing and\npiercing and afflicting and cutting and lopping off and grinding down,\nthe great god moved with celerity among the thick masses of his foes like\nforest conflagration amid heaps of dry grass spread around. The mighty\nAsuras, broken by the god with the whirls of his sword, with arms and\nthighs and chests cut off and pierced, and with heads severed from their\ntrunks, began to fall down on the earth. Others among the Danavas,\nafflicted with strokes of the sword, broke and fled in all directions,\ncheering one another as they fled. Some penetrated into the bowels of the\nearth; others got under the cover of mountains. Some went upwards; others\nentered the depths of the sea. During the progress of that dreadful and\nfierce battle, the earth became miry with flesh and blood and horrible\nsights presented themselves on every side. Strewn with the fallen bodies\nof Danavas covered with blood, the earth looked as if overspread with\nmountain summits overgrown with Kinsukas. Drenched with gore, the earth\nlooked exceedingly beautiful, like a fair-complexioned lady intoxicated\nwith alcohol and attired in crimson robes. Having slain the Danavas and\nre-established Righteousness on earth, the auspicious Rudra cast off his\nawful form and assumed his own beneficent shape. Then all the Rishis and\nall the celestials adored that god of gods with loud acclamations wishing\nhim victory. The divine Rudra, after this, gave the sword, that protector\nof religion, dyed with the blood of Danavas, unto Vishnu with due\nadorations. Vishnu gave it unto Marichi. The divine Marichi gave it unto\nall the great Rishis. The latter gave it to Vasava. Vasava gave it to the\nRegents of the world. The Regents, O son, gave that large sword to Manu\nthe son of Surya. At the time, of giving it unto Manu, they said, 'Thou\nart the lord of all men. Protect all creatures with this sword containing\nreligion within its womb. Duly meting out chastisement unto those that\nhave transgressed the barriers of virtue for the sake of the body or the\nmind, they should be protected conformably to the ordinances but never\naccording to caprice. Some should be punished with wordy rebukes, and\nwith fines and forfeitures. Loss of limb or death should never be\ninflicted for slight reasons. These punishments, consisting of wordy\nrebukes as their first, are regarded as so many forms of the sword. These\nare the shapes that the sword assumes in consequence of the\ntransgressions of persons under the protection (of the king).'[481] In\ntime Manu installed his own son Kshupa in the sovereignty of all\ncreatures, and gave him the sword for their protection. From Kshupa it\nwas taken by Ikshvaku, and from Ikshvaku by Pururavas. From Pururavas it\nwas taken by Ayus, and from Ayus by Nahusha. From Nahusha it was taken by\nYayati, and from Yayati by Puru. From Puru it was taken by Amurtarya.\nFrom Amurtarya it descended to the royal Bhumisaya. From Bhumisaya it was\ntaken by Dushmanta's son Bharata. From Bharata, O monarch, it was taken\nby the righteous Ailavila. From Ailavila it was taken by king Dhundumara.\nFrom Dhundumara it was taken by Kamvoja, and from Kamvoja it was taken by\nMuchukunda. From Muchukunda it was taken by Marutta, and from Marutta by\nRaivata. From Raivata it was taken by Yuvanaswa, and from Yuvanaswa by\nRaghu. From Raghu it was taken by the valiant Harinaswa. From Harinaswa\nthe sword was taken by Sunaka and from Sunaka by the righteous-souled\nUsinara. From the last it was taken by the Bhojas and the Yadavas. From\nthe Yadus it was taken by Sivi. From Sivi it descended to Pratardana.\nFrom Pratardana it was received by Ashtaka, and from Ashtaka by\nPrishadaswa. From Prishadaswa it was received by Bharadwaja, and from the\nlast by Drona. After Drona it was taken by Kripa. From Kripa that best of\nswords has been obtained by thee with thy brothers. The constellation\nunder which the sword was born is Krittika. Agni is its deity, and Rohini\nis its Gotra.[482] Rudra is its high preceptor. The sword has eight names\nwhich are not generally known. Listen to me as I mention them to you. If\none mentions these, O son of Pandu, one may always win victory. Those\nnames then are Asi, Vaisasana, Khadga, sharp-edged, difficult of\nacquisition, Sirgarbha, victory, and protector of righteousness. Of all\nweapons, O son of Madravati, the sword is the foremost. The Puranas truly\ndeclare that it was first wielded by Mahadeva. As regards the bow, again,\nO chastiser of foes, it was Prithu who first created it. It was with the\naid of this weapon that that son of Vena, while he governed the earth\nvirtuously for many years, milked her of crops and grain in profusion. It\nbehoveth thee, O son of Madri, to regard what the Rishis have said, as\nconclusive proof. All persons skilled in battle should worship the sword.\nI have now told thee truly the first portion of thy query, in detail,\nabout the origin and creation of the sword, O bull of Bharata's race! By\nlistening to this excellent story of the origin of the sword, a man\nsucceeds in winning fame in this world and eternal felicity in the next.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXVII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'When Bhishma, after having said this, became silent,\nYudhishthira (and the others) returned home. The king addressing his\nbrothers with Vidura forming the fifth, said, \"The course of the world\nrests upon Virtue, Wealth, and Desire. Amongst these three, which is the\nforemost, which the second, and which the last, in point of importance?\nFor subduing the triple aggregate (viz., lust, wrath, and covetousness),\nupon which of the first three (viz., Virtue, Wealth, and Desire) should\nthe mind be fixed? It behoveth you all to cheerfully answer this question\nin words that are true.\" Thus addressed by the Kuru chief, Vidura, who\nwas conversant with the science of Profit, with the course of the world,\nand with truth (that concerns the real nature of things), and possessed\nof great brilliancy of intellect, spoke first these words, recollecting\nthe contents of the scriptures.'\n\n\"'Vidura said, \"Study of the various scriptures, asceticism, gift, faith,\nperformance of sacrifices, forgiveness, sincerity of disposition,\ncompassion, truth, self-restraint, these constitute possessions of\nVirtue. Do thou adopt Virtue. Let not thy heart ever turn away from it.\nBoth Virtue and Profit have their roots in these. I think that all these\nare capable of being included in one term. It is by Virtue that the\nRishis have crossed (the world with all its difficulties). It is upon\nVirtue, that all the worlds depend (for their existence). It is by Virtue\nthat the gods attained to their position of superiority. It is upon\nVirtue that Profit or Wealth rests. Virtue, O king, is foremost in point\nof merit. Profit is said to be middling. Desire, it is said by the wise,\nis the lowest of the three. For this reason, one should live with\nrestrained soul, giving his attention to Virtue most. One should also\nbehave towards all creatures as he should towards himself.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'After Vidura had finished what he had to say,\nPritha's son Arjuna, well skilled in the science of Profit, and\nconversant also with the truths of both Virtue and Profit, urged on (by\nthe drift of Yudhishthira's question), said these words.'\n\n\"'Arjuna said, \"This world, O king, is the field of action. Action,\ntherefore, is applauded here. Agriculture, trade, keep of cattle, and\ndiverse kinds of arts, constitute what is called Profit. Profit, again,\nis the end of all such acts. Without Profit or Wealth, both Virtue and\n(the objects of) Desire cannot be won. This is the declaration of the\nSruti. Even persons of uncleansed souls, if possessed of diverse kinds of\nWealth, are able to perform the highest acts of virtue and gratify\ndesires that are apparently difficult of being gratified. Virtue and\nDesire are the limbs of Wealth as the Sruti declares. With the\nacquisition of Wealth, both Virtue and the objects of Desire may be won.\nLike all creatures worshipping Brahman, even persons of superior birth\nworship a man possessed of Wealth. Even they that are attired in\ndeer-skins and bear matted locks on their heads, that are self-restrained,\nthat smear their bodies with mire, that have their senses under\ncomplete control, even they that have bald heads and that are devoted\nBrahmacharins, and that live separated from one another, cherish a desire\nfor Wealth. Others attired in yellow robes, bearing long beards, graced\nwith modesty, possessed of learning, contented, and freed from all\nattachments, become desirous of Wealth. Others, following the practices\nof their ancestors, and observant of their respective duties, and others\ndesirous of heaven, do the same. Believers and unbelievers and those that\nare rigid practisers of the highest Yoga--all certify to the excellence\nof Wealth.[483] He is said to be truly possessed of Wealth who cherishes\nhis dependants with objects of enjoyment, and afflicts his foes with\npunishments. Even this O foremost of intelligent men, is truly my\nopinion. Listen, however, now to these two (viz., Nakula and Sahadeva)\nwho are about to speak.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'After Arjuna had ceased, the two sons of Madri,\nviz., Nakula and Sahadeva, said these words of high import.'\n\n\"'Nakula and Sahadeva said, \"Sitting or lying, walking and standing, one\nshould strive after the acquisition of Wealth even by the most vigorous\nof means. If Wealth, which is difficult of acquisition and highly\nagreeable, be earned, the person that has earned it, without doubt, is\nseen to obtain all the objects of Desire. That Wealth which is connected\nwith Virtue, as also that Virtue which is connected with Wealth, is\ncertainly like nectar.[484] For this reason, our opinions are as follows.\nA person without wealth cannot gratify any desire; similarly, there can\nbe no Wealth in one that is destitute of Virtue. He, therefore, who is\noutside the pale of both Virtue and Wealth, is an object of fear unto the\nworld. For this reason, one should seek the acquisition of Wealth with a\ndevoted mind, without disregarding the requirements of Virtue. They who\nbelieve in (the wisdom of) this saying succeed in acquiring whatever they\ndesire. One should first practise Virtue; next acquire Wealth without\nsacrificing Virtue; and then seek the gratification of Desire, for this\nshould be the last act of one who has been successful in acquiring\nWealth.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'The twin sons of the Aswins, after having said\nthese words, remained silent. Then Bhimasena began to say the following.'\n\n\"'Bhimasena said, \"One without Desire never wishes for Wealth. One without\nDesire never wishes for Virtue. One who is destitute of Desire can never\nfeel any wish. For this reason, Desire is the foremost of all the three.\nIt is under the influence of Desire that the very Rishis devote\nthemselves to penances subsisting upon fruits, of living upon roots or\nair only. Others possessed of Vedic lore are engaged upon the Vedas and\ntheir branches or upon rites of faith and sacrificial acts, or upon\nmaking gifts or accepting them. Traders, agriculturists, keepers of\ncattle, artists and artisans, and those who are employed in rites of\npropitiation, all act from Desire. Some there are that dive unto the\ndepths of the ocean, induced by Desire. Desire, indeed, takes various\nforms. Everything is pervaded by the principle of Desire. A man outside\nthe pale of Desire never is, was, or will be, seen in this world. This, O\nking, is the truth. Both Virtue and Wealth are based upon Desire. As\nbutter represents the essence of curds, even so is Desire the essence of\nProfit and Virtue. Oil is better than oil-seeds. Ghee is better than sour\nmilk. Flowers and fruits are better than wood. Similarly, Desire is\nbetter than Virtue and Profit. As honeyed juice is extracted from\nflowers, so is Desire said to be extracted from these two. Desire is the\nparent of Virtue and Profit. Desire is the soul of these two. Without\nDesire the Brahmanas would never give either sweets or wealth unto\nBrahmanas. Without Desire the diverse kinds of action that are seen in\nthe world would never have been seen. For these reasons, Desire is seen\nto be the foremost of the triple aggregate. Approaching beautiful damsels\nattired in excellent robes, adorned with every ornament, and exhilarated\nwith sweet wines, do thou sport with them. Desire, O king, should be the\nforemost of the three with us. Reflecting upon the question to its very\nroots, I have come to this conclusion. Do not hesitate to accept this\nconclusion, O son of Dharma! These words of mine are not of hollow\nimport. Fraught with righteousness as they are they will be acceptable to\nall good men. Virtue, Profit, and Desire should all be equally attended\nto. That man who devotes himself to only one of them is certainly not a\nsuperior person. He is said to be middling who devotes himself to only\ntwo of them. He, on the other hand, is the best of his species who\nattends to all the three.\" Having said these words in brief as also in\ndetail, unto those heroes, Bhima possessed of wisdom, surrounded by\nfriends, smeared with sandal-paste, and adorned with excellent garlands\nand ornaments, remained silent.[485] Then king Yudhishthira the just,\nthat foremost of virtuous men, possessed of great learning, properly\nreflecting for a while upon the words spoken by all of them, and thinking\nall those speeches to be false philosophy, himself spoke as follows.\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Without doubt, all of you have settled conclusions\nin respect of the scriptures, and all of you are conversant with\nauthorities. These words fraught with certainty that you have spoken have\nbeen heard by me. Listen now, with concentrated attention, to what I say\nunto you. He who is not employed in merit or in sin, he who does not\nattend to Profit, or Virtue, or Desire, who is above all faults, who\nregards gold and a brick-bat with equal eyes, becomes liberated from\npleasure and pain and the necessity of accomplishing his purposes. All\ncreatures are subject to birth and death. All are liable to waste and\nchange. Awakened repeatedly by the diverse benefits and evils of life,\nall of them applaud Emancipation. We do not know, however, what\nEmancipation is. The self-born and divine Brahman has said that there is\nno Emancipation for him who is bound with ties of attachment and\naffection. They, however, that are possessed of learning seek Extinction.\nFor this reason, one should never regard anything as either agreeable or\ndisagreeable.[486] This view seems to be the best. No one in this world\ncan act as he pleases. I act precisely as I am made (by a superior power)\nto act. The great Ordainer makes all creatures proceed as He wills. The\nOrdainer is Supreme. Know this, all of you.[487] No one can, by his acts,\nobtain what is unobtainable. That which is to be, takes place. Know this.\nAnd since he who has withdrawn himself from the triple aggregate may\nsucceed in winning Emancipation, it seems, therefore, that Emancipation\nis productive of the highest good.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having listened to all these foremost words\nfraught with reason and acceptable to the heart, Bhima and others were\nfilled with delight and joining their hands, bowed unto that prince of\nKuru's race. Indeed, those foremost of men, O king, having heard that\nspeech of the monarch, well adorned with sweet letters and syllables,\nacceptable to the heart, and divested of dissonant sounds and words,\nbegan to applaud Yudhishthira highly. The high-souled son of Dharma, in\nreturn, possessed of great energy, praised his convinced auditors; and\nonce more the king addressed the son of the foremost of rivers, possessed\nof a high soul, for enquiring about duties.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXVIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O grandsire, O thou that art possessed of great\nwisdom, I shall ask thee a question. It behoveth thee, O enhancer of the\nhappiness of the Kurus, to discourse to me fully upon it. What kind of\nmen are said to be of gentle disposition? With whom may the most\ndelightful friendship exist? Tell us also who are able to do good in the\npresent time and in the end. I am of opinion that neither swelling\nwealth, nor relatives, nor kinsmen, occupy that place which well-wishing\nfriends occupy. A friend capable of listening to beneficial counsels, and\nalso of doing good, is exceedingly rare. It behoveth thee, O foremost of\nvirtuous men, to discourse fully on these topics.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Listen to me, O Yudhishthira, as I speak to thee, in\ndetail, of those men with whom friendships may be formed and those with\nwhom friendships may not be formed. One that is covetous, one that is\npitiless, one that has renounced the duties of his order, one that is\ndishonest, one that is a knave, one that is mean, one that is of sinful\npractices, one that is suspicious of all, one that is idle, one that is\nprocrastinating, one that is of a crooked disposition, one that is an\nobject of universal obloquy, one that dishonours the life of his\npreceptor, one that is addicted to the seven well-known vices, one that\ncasts off distressed friends, one possessed of a wicked soul, one that is\nshameless, one whose sight is ever directed towards sin, one that is an\natheist, one that is a slanderer of the Vedas, one whose senses are not\nrestrained, one that gives free indulgence to lust, one that is\nuntruthful, one that is deserted by all, one that transgresses all\nrestraints, one that is deceitful, one that is destitute of wisdom, one\nthat is envious, one that is wedded to sin, one whose conduct is bad, one\nwhose soul has not been cleansed, one that is cruel, one that is a\ngambler, one that always seeks to injure friends, one that covets wealth\nbelonging to others, that wicked-souled wight who never expresses\nsatisfaction with what another may give him according to the extent of\nhis means, one that is never pleased with his friends, O bull among men,\none that becomes angry on occasions that do not justify anger, one that\nis of restless mind, one that quarrels without cause, that sinful bloke\nwho feels no scruple in deserting well-meaning friends, that wretch who\nis always mindful of his own interests and who, O king, quarrels with\nfriends when those do him a very slight injury or inflict on him a wrong\nunconsciously, one who acts like a foe but speaks like a friend, one who\nis of perverse perceptions, one who is blind (to his own good), one who\nnever takes delight in what is good for himself or others, should be\navoided. One who drinks alcoholic liquors, one who hates others, one who\nis wrathful, one who is destitute of compassion, one who is pained at the\nsights of other's happiness, one who injures friends, one who is always\nengaged in taking the lives of living creatures, one who is ungrateful,\none who is vile, should be avoided. Alliances (of friendship) should\nnever be formed with any of them. Similarly, no alliance (of friendship)\nshould be formed with him who is ever intent upon marking the faults of\nothers. Listen now to me as I indicate the persons with whom alliances\n(of friendship) may be formed. They that are well-born, they that are\npossessed of eloquence and politeness of speech, they that are endued\nwith knowledge and science, they that are possessed of merit and other\naccomplishments, they that are free from covetousness, they that are\nnever exhausted by labour, they that are good to their friends, they that\nare grateful, they that are possessed of varied information and\nknowledge, they that are destitute of avarice, they that are possessed of\nagreeable qualities, they that are firm in truth, they that have subdued\ntheir senses, they that are devoted to athletic and other exercises, they\nthat are of good families, they that are perpetuators of their\nraces,[488] they that are destitute of faults, they that are possessed of\nfame, should be accepted by kings for forming alliances (of friendship)\nwith them. They, again, O monarch, who become pleased and contented if\none behaves with them according to the best of one's powers, they who\nnever get angry on occasions that do not justify anger, they who never\nbecome displeased without sufficient cause, those persons who are well\nconversant with the science of Profit and who, even when annoyed, succeed\nin keeping their minds tranquil, they who devote themselves to the\nservice of friends at personal sacrifice, they who are never estranged\nfrom friends but who continue unchanged (in their attachment) like a red\nblanket made of wool (which does not easily change its colour),[489] they\nwho never disregard, from anger, those that are poor, they who never\ndishonour youthful women by yielding to lust and loss of judgment, they\nwho never point out wrong paths to friends, they who are trustworthy,\nthey who are devoted to the practice of righteousness, they who regard\ngold and brick-bats with an equal eye, they that adhere with firmness to\nfriends and well-wishers, they who muster their own people and seek the\naccomplishment of the business of friends regardless of their own dignity\nand casting off all the marks of their own respectability, should be\nregarded as persons with whom alliances (of friendship) should be made.\nIndeed, the dominions of that king spread on every direction, like the\nlight of the lord of the stars, who makes alliances of friendship with\nsuch superior men. Alliances should be formed with men that are\nwell-practised in weapons, that have completely subdued their anger, that\nare always strong in battle and possessed of high birth, good behaviour,\nand varied accomplishments. Amongst those vicious men, O sinless one,\nthat I have mentioned, the vilest, O king, are those that are ungrateful\nand that injure friends. Those persons of wicked behaviour should be\navoided by all. This, indeed, is a settled conclusion.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"I desire to hear in detail this description. Tell me\nwho they are that are called injurers of friends and ungrateful persons.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I shall recite to thee an old story whose incidents\noccurred in the country, O monarch, of the Mlecchas that lies to the\nnorth. There was a certain Brahmana belonging to the middle country. He\nwas destitute of Vedic learning. (One day), beholding a prosperous\nvillage, the man entered it from desire of obtaining charity.[490] In\nthat village lived a robber possessed of great wealth, conversant with\nthe distinctive features of all the orders (of men), devoted to the\nBrahmanas, firm in truth, and always engaged in making gifts. Repairing\nto the abode of that robber, the Brahmana begged for alms. Indeed, he\nsolicited a house to live in and such necessaries of life as would last\nfor one year. Thus solicited by the Brahmana, the robber gave him a piece\nof new cloth with its ends complete,[491] and a widowed woman possessed\nof youth. Obtaining all those things from the robber, the Brahmana became\nfilled with delight. Indeed, Gautama began to live happily in that\ncommodious house which the robber assigned to him. He began to hold the\nrelatives and kinsmen of the female slave he had got from the robber\nchief. In this way he lived for many years in that prosperous village of\nhunters. He began to practise with great devotion the art of archery.\nEvery day, like the other robbers residing there, Gautama, O king, went\ninto the woods and slaughtered wild cranes in abundance. Always engaged\nin slaughtering living creatures, he became well-skilled in that act and\nsoon bade farewell to compassion. In consequence of his intimacy with\nrobbers he became like one of them. As he lived happily in that robber\nvillage for many months, large was the number of wild cranes that he\nslew. One day another Brahmana came to that village. He was dressed in\nrags and deer-skins and bore matted locks on his head. Of highly pure\nbehaviour, he was devoted to the study of the Vedas. Of a humble\ndisposition, frugal in fare, devoted to the Brahmanas, thoroughly\nconversant with the Vedas, and observant of Brahmacharya vows, that\nBrahmana had been a dear friend of Gautama and belonged to that part of\nthe country from which Gautama had emigrated. In course of his\nwanderings, as already said, the Brahmana came to that robber village\nwhere Gautama had taken up his abode. He never accepted any food if given\nby a Sudra and, therefore, began to search for the house of a Brahmana\nthere (for accepting the duties of hospitality).[492] Accordingly he\nwandered in every direction in that village teeming with robber-families.\nAt last that foremost of Brahmanas came to the house owned by Gautama. It\nso happened that just at that time Gautama also, returning from the\nwoods, was entering his abode. The two friends met. Armed with bow and\nsword, he bore on shoulders a load of slaughtered cranes, and his body\nwas smeared with the blood that trickled down from the bag on his\nshoulders. Beholding that man who then resembled a cannibal and who had\nfallen away from the pure practices of the order of his birth, entering\nhis house, the newly-arrived guest, recognising him, O king, said these\nwords: 'What is this that thou art doing here through folly? Thou art a\nBrahmana, and the perpetuator of a Brahmana family. Born in a respectable\nfamily belonging to the middle country, how is it that thou becomest like\na robber in thy practices? Recollect, O regenerate one, thy famous\nkinsmen of former times, all of whom were well-versed in the Vedas. Born\nin their race, alas, thou hast become a stigma to it. Awake thyself by\nthy own exertions. Recollecting the energy, the behaviour, the learning,\nthe self-restraint, the compassion (that are thine by the order of thy\nbirth), leave this thy present abode, O regenerate one!' Thus addressed\nby that well-meaning friend of his, O king, Gautama answered him in great\naffliction of heart, saying, 'O foremost of regenerate ones, I am poor. I\nam destitute also of a knowledge of the Vedas. Know, O best of Brahmanas,\nthat I have taken up my abode here for the sake of wealth alone. At thy\nsight, however, I am blest today. We shall together set out of this place\ntomorrow. Do thou pass the night here with me. Thus addressed, the\nnewly-arrived Brahmana, full of compassion as he was, passed the night\nthere, refraining to touch anything. Indeed, though hungry and requested\nrepeatedly the guest refused to touch any food in that house.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXIX\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"After that night had passed away and that best of\nBrahmanas had left the house, Gautama, issuing from his abode, began to\nproceed towards the sea, O Bharata! On the way he beheld some merchants\nthat used to make voyages on the sea. With that caravan of merchants he\nproceeded towards the ocean. It so happened however, O king, that that\nlarge caravan was assailed, while passing through a valley, by an\ninfuriated elephant. Almost all the persons were killed. Somehow escaping\nfrom that great danger, the Brahmana fled towards the north for saving\nhis life not knowing whither he proceeded. Separated from the caravan and\nled far away from that spot, he began to wander alone in a forest, like\nKimpurusha.[493] At last coming upon a road that led towards the ocean he\njourneyed on till he reached a delightful and heavenly forest abounding\nin flowering trees. It was adorned with mango trees that put forth\nflowers and fruits throughout the year. It resembled the very woods of\nNandana (in heaven) and was inhabited by Yakshas and Kinnaras. It was\nalso adorned with Salas and palmyras and Tamalas, with clusters of black\naloes, and many large sandal trees. Upon the delightful tablelands that\nhe saw there, fragrant with perfumes of diverse kinds, birds of the\nforemost species were always heard to pour forth their melodies. Other\nwinged denizens of the air, called Bharundas, and having faces resembling\nthose of human beings, and those called Bhulingas, and others belonging\nto mountainous regions and to the sea, warbled sweetly there. Gautama\nproceeded through that forest, listening, as he went, to those delightful\nand charming strains of nature's choristers. On his way he beheld a very\ndelightful and level spot of land covered with golden sands and\nresembling heaven itself, O king, for its beauty. On that plot stood a\nlarge and beautiful banian with a spherical top. Possessed of many\nbranches that corresponded with the parent tree in beauty and size, that\nbanian looked like an umbrella set over the plain. The spot underneath\nthat magnificent tree was drenched with water perfumed with the most\nfragrant sandal. Endued with great beauty and abounding in delicious\nflowers all around, the spot looked like the court of the Grandsire\nhimself. Beholding that charming and unrivalled spot, abounding with\nflowering trees, sacred, and looking like the abode of a very celestial,\nGautama became very much delighted. Arrived there, he sat himself down\nwith a well-pleased heart. As he sat there, O son of Kunti, a delicious,\ncharming, and auspicious breeze, bearing the perfume of many kinds of\nflowers, began to blow softly, cooling the limbs of Gautama and filling\nhim with celestial pleasure, O monarch! Fanned by that perfumed breeze\nthe Brahmana became refreshed, and in consequence of the pleasure he felt\nhe soon fell asleep. Meanwhile the sun set behind the Asta hills. When\nthe resplendent luminary entered his chambers in the west and the evening\ntwilight came, a bird that was the foremost of his species, returned to\nthat spot, which was his home, from the regions of Brahman. His name was\nNadijangha and he was a dear friend of the creator. He was a prince of\nCranes, possessed of great wisdom, and a son of (the sage) Kasyapa. He\nwas also known extensively on earth by the name of Rajadharman. Indeed,\nhe surpassed everyone on earth in fame and wisdom. The child of a\ncelestial maiden, possessed of great beauty and learning, he resembled a\ncelestial in splendour. Adorned with the many ornaments that he wore and\nthat were as brilliant as the sun himself, that child of a celestial girl\nseemed to blaze with beauty. Beholding that bird arrived at that spot,\nGautama became filled with wonder. Exhausted with hunger and thirst, the\nBrahmana began to cast his eyes on the bird from desire of slaying him.\n\n\"'\"Rajadharman said, 'Welcome, O Brahmana! By good luck have I got thee\ntoday in my abode. The sun is set. The evening twilight is come. Having\ncome to my abode, thou art today my dear and excellent guest. Having\nreceived my worship according to the rites laid down in the scriptures,\nthou mayst go whither thou wilt tomorrow morning.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXX\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Hearing these sweet words, Gautama became filled with\nwonder. Feeling at the same time a great curiosity, he eyed Rajadharman\nwithout being able to withdraw his gaze from him.\n\n\"'\"Rajadharman said, 'O Brahmana, I am the son of Kasyapa by one of the\ndaughters of (the sage) Daksha. Possessed of great merits, thou art my\nguest today. Thou art welcome, O foremost of Brahmanas!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Having offered him hospitality according to the\nrites laid down in the scriptures, the crane made an excellent bed of the\nSala flowers that lay all around. He also offered him several large\nfishes caught from the deep waters of the Bhagirathi. Indeed, the son of\nKasyapa offered, for the acceptance of his guest Gautama a blazing fire\nand certain large fishes. After the Brahmana had eaten and became\ngratified, the bird possessing wealth of penances began to fan him with\nhis wings for driving off his fatigue. Seeing his guest seated at his\nease, he asked him about his pedigree. The man answered, saying, 'I am a\nBrahmana known by the name of Gautama,' and then remained silent. The\nbird gave his guest a soft bed made of leaves and perfumed with many\nfragrant flowers. Gautama laid himself down on it, and felt great\nhappiness. When Gautama had laid himself down, the eloquent son of\nKasyapa, who resembled Yama himself in his knowledge of duties, asked him\nabout the cause of his arrival there. Gautama answered him, saying, 'I\nam, O large-souled one, very poor. For earning wealth[494] I am desirous\nof going to the sea.' The son of Kasyapa cheerfully told him: 'It\nbehoveth thee not to feel any anxiety. Thou shalt succeed, O foremost of\nBrahmanas, and shalt return home with property. The sage Vrihaspati hath\nspoken of four kinds of means for the acquisition of wealth, viz.,\ninheritance, sudden accession due to luck or the favour of the gods,\nacquisition by labour, and acquisition through the aid or kindness of\nfriends. I have become thy friend. I cherish good feelings towards thee.\nI shall, therefore, exert myself in such a way that thou mayst succeed in\nacquiring wealth.' The night passed away and morning came. Seeing his\nguest rise cheerfully from bed, the bird addressed him, saying, 'Go, O\namiable one, along this very route and thou art sure to succeed. At the\ndistance of about three Yojanas from this place, there is a mighty king\nof the Rakshasas. Possessed of great strength, his name is Virupaksha,\nand he is a friend of mine. Go to him, O foremost of Brahmanas! That\nchief, induced by my request, will, without doubt, give thee as much\nwealth as thou desirest.' Thus addressed, O king, Gautama cheerfully set\nout from that place, eating on the way, to his fill, fruits sweet as\nambrosia. Beholding the sandal and aloe and birch trees that stood along\nthe road, and enjoying their refreshing shade, the Brahmana proceeded\nquickly. He then reached the city known by the name of Meruvraja. It had\nlarge porches made of stone, and high walls of the same material. It was\nalso surrounded on every side with a trench, and large pieces of rock and\nengines of many kinds were kept ready on the ramparts. He soon became\nknown to the Rakshasa chief of great intelligence, O king, as a dear\nguest sent unto him by the chief's friend (the crane). The chief received\nGautama very gladly. The king of the Rakshasas then, O Yudhishthira,\ncommanded his attendants, saying, 'Let Gautama be soon brought hither\nfrom the gate.' At the command of the king, certain persons, quick as\nhawks, issued from the splendid palace of their ruler, and proceeding to\nthe gate accosted Gautama. The royal messengers, O monarch, said unto\nthat Brahmana, 'Come quickly, the king desires to see thee. Thou mayst\nhave heard of the king of the Rakshasas, Virupaksha, by name, possessed\nof great courage. Even he is impatient of seeing thee. Come quickly and\ntarry not.' Thus addressed, the Brahmana, forgetting his toil in his\nsurprise, ran with the messengers. Beholding the great affluence of the\ncity, he became filled with wonder. Soon he entered the king's palace in\nthe company of the messengers solicitous of obtaining a sight of the king\nof the Rakshasas.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXI\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Led into a spacious apartment, Gautama was introduced to\nthe king of the Rakshasas. Worshipped by the latter (with the usual\nofferings), he took his seat on an excellent seat. The king asked him\nabout the race of his birth and his practices, his study of the Vedas and\nhis observance of the Brahmacharya vow. The Brahmana, however, without\nanswering the other queries, only stated his name and race. The king\nhaving ascertained only the name and the race of his guest, and seeing\nthat he was destitute of Brahmanic splendour and Vedic studies, next\nenquired about the country of his residence.\n\n\"'\"The Rakshasa said, 'Where is thy residence, O blessed one, and to what\nrace does thy wife belong? Tell us truly, do not fear. Trust us without\nanxiety.'\n\n\"'\"Gautama said, 'I belong by birth to the Middle country. I live in a\nvillage of hunters. I have married a Sudra spouse who had been a widow.\nAll this that I tell you is the truth.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"The king then began to reflect as to what he should\ndo. Indeed, the king began to think how he might succeed in acquiring\nmerit. He said unto himself. 'This man is by birth a Brahmana. He is,\nagain a friend of the high-souled Rajadharman. He has been sent to me by\nthat son of Kasyapa. I must do what is agreeable to my friend. He is very\nintimate with me. Indeed, he is my brother, and a dear relative. He is\ntruly a friend of my heart. On this day of the month of Kartika, a\nthousand Brahmanas of the foremost order are to be entertained in my\nhouse. This Gautama also shall be entertained with them and I shall give\nwealth unto him too. This is a sacred day. Gautama has come hither as a\nguest. The wealth that is to be given away (unto the Brahmanas) is ready.\nWhat is there then to think of?' Just about this time a thousand\nBrahmanas, possessed of great learning, with persons purified by baths\nand adorned (with sandalpaste and flowers) and attired in long robes of\nlinen, came to the palace. The Rakshasa king Virupaksha, O monarch,\nreceived the guests, as they came, duly and according to the rites laid\ndown in the scriptures. At the command of the king, skins were spread out\nfor them. The royal servants then, O best of the Bharatas, placed mats of\nKusa grass on the ground.[495] Those foremost of Brahmanas, having been\nduly worshipped by the king sat down on those seats. The Rakshasa chief\nonce more worshipped his guests, as provided by the ordinance, with\nsesame seeds, green blades of grass, and water. Some amongst them were\nselected for representing the Viswedevas, the Pitris, and the deities of\nfire. These were smeared with sandal-paste, and flowers were offered unto\nthem. They were also adored with other kinds of costly offerings. After\nsuch worship, every one of them looked as effulgent as the moon in the\nfirmament. Then bright and polished plates of gold, adorned with\nengravings, and filled with excellent food prepared with ghee and honey,\nwere given unto those Brahmanas. Every year (on the days of full moon) of\nthe months of Ashadha and Magha, a large number of Brahmanas used to\nreceive from the Rakshasa chief, after proper honours, the best kinds of\nfood that they desired. Especially, on the day of full moon in the month\nof Kartika, after the expiry of autumn, the king used to give unto the\nBrahmanas much wealth of diverse kinds, including gold, silver, jewels,\ngems, pearls, diamonds of great value, stones of the lapis lazuli\nvariety, deer-skins, and skins of the Ranku deer. Indeed, O Bharata,\nthrowing a heap of wealth of many kinds for giving it away as Dakshina\n(unto his regenerate guests), the mighty Virupaksha, addressing those\nforemast of Brahmanas, said unto them, 'Take from these jewels and gems\nas much as ye wish and can hope to bear away.' And he also used to say\nunto them, O Bharata, these words: 'Taking those plates of gold and\nvessels which you have used for your dinner, go ye away, O foremost of\nBrahmanas.' When these words were uttered by the high-souled Rakshasa\nking (on the occasion of that particular feast), those bulls among\nBrahmanas took as much wealth as each desired. Worshipped with those\ncostly jewels and gems, those best of Brahmanas, attired in excellent\nrobes, became filled with delight. Once more, the Rakshasa king, having\nrestrained the Rakshasas that had come to his palace from diverse lands,\naddressed those Brahmanas and said, 'This one day, ye regenerate ones, ye\nneed have no fear from the Rakshasas here. Sport ye as ye wish, and then\ngo away with speed.' The Brahmanas then, leaving that spot, went away in\nall directions with great speed. Gautama also, having taken up a heavy\nquantity of gold without any loss of time, went away. Carrying the\nburthen with difficulty, he reached that same banian (under which he had\nmet the crane). He sat himself down, fatigued, toil worn, and hungry.\nWhile Gautama was resting there, that best of birds viz., Rajadharman, O\nking, came there. Devoted to friends, he gladdened Gautama by bidding him\nwelcome. By flapping his wings he began to fan his guest and dispel his\nfatigue. Possessed of great intelligence, he worshipped Gautama, and made\narrangements for his food. Having eaten and refreshed himself, Gautama\nbegan to think, 'Heavy is this load that I have taken of bright gold,\nmoved by covetousness and folly. I have a long way to travel. I have no\nfood by which to support life on my way. What should I do for supporting\nlife?' Even these were his thoughts then. It so happened that even upon\nmuch thinking he failed to see any food which he could eat on the way.\nUngrateful as he was, O tiger among men, even this was the thought that\nhe then conceived, 'This prince of cranes, so large and containing a heap\nof flesh, stayeth by my side. Staying and bagging him, I shall leave this\nspot and go along with great speed.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"There, under that banian, for the protection of his\nguest, the prince of birds had kindled and kept up a fire with high and\nblazing flames.[496] On one side of the fire, the bird slept trustfully.\nThe ungrateful and wicked-souled wretch prepared to slay his sleeping\nhost. With the aid of that blazing fire he killed the trustful bird, and\nhaving despatched him, became filled with delight, never thinking there\nwas sin in what he did. Peeling off the feathers and the down, he roasted\nthe flesh on that fire. Then taking it up with the gold he had brought,\nthe Brahmana fled quickly from that spot. The next day, the Rakshasa king,\nVirupaksha, addressing his son, said, 'Alas, O son, I do not behold\nRajadharman, that best of birds, today. Every morning he repairs to the\nregions of Brahman for adoring the Grandsire. While returning, he never\ngoes home without paying me a visit. These two mornings and two nights\nhave passed away without his having come to my abode. My mind, therefore,\nis not in peace. Let my friend be enquired after. Gautama, who came here,\nis without Vedic studies and destitute of Brahmanic splendour. He has\nfound his way to the abode of my friend. I greatly fear, that worst of\nBrahmanas has slain Rajadharman. Of evil practices and wicked\nunderstanding, I read him through by the signs he showed. Without\ncompassion, of cruel and grim visage, and wicked, that vilest of men is\nlike a robber. That Gautama has gone to the abode of my friend. For this\nreason, my heart has become extremely anxious. O son, proceeding hence\nwith great speed to the abode of Rajadharman, ascertain whether that\npure-souled bird is still alive. Do not tarry.' Thus addressed by his\nsire, the prince, accompanied by other Rakshasas, proceeded with great\nspeed. Arrived at the foot of that banian, he saw the remains of\nRajadharman. Weeping with grief, the son of the intelligent king of the\nRakshasas, ran with great speed and to the utmost of his power, for\nseizing Gautama. The Rakshasas had not to go far when they succeeded in\ncatching the Brahmana and discovering the body of Rajadharman destitute\nof wings, bones, and feet. Taking the captive with them, the Rakshasas\nreturned with great speed to Meruvraja, and showed the king the mutilated\nbody of Rajadharman, and that ungrateful and sinning wretch, viz.,\nGautama. Beholding the remains of his friend the king, with his\ncounsellors and priest, began to weep aloud. Indeed, loud was the voice\nof lamentation that was heard in his abode. The entire city of the\nRakshasa king, men, women, and children, became plunged in woe. The king\nthen addressed his son saying, 'Let this sinful wretch be slain. Let\nthese Rakshasas here feast merrily on his flesh. Of sinful deeds, of\nsinful habits, of sinful soul, and inured to sin, this wretch, I think,\nshould be slain by you.' Thus addressed by the Rakshasa king, many\nRakshasas of terrible prowess expressed their unwillingness to eat the\nflesh of that sinner. Indeed, those wanderers of the night, addressing\ntheir king, said, 'Let this vilest of men be given away to the robbers.'\nBending their heads to their king, they told him so, adding, 'It behoveth\nthee not to give us this sinful wretch for our food.' The king said unto\nthem, 'Let it be so! Let this ungrateful wight be given to the robbers\nthen without delay.' Thus addressed by him, the Rakshasas armed with\nlances and battle-axes, hacked that vile wretch into pieces and gave them\naway to the robbers. It so happened, however, that the very robbers\nrefused to eat the flesh of that vile man. Though cannibals, O monarch,\nthey would not eat an ungrateful person. For one that slays a Brahmana,\nfor one that drinks alcohol, for one that steals, for one that has fallen\naway from a vow, there is expiation, O king. But there is no expiation\nfor an ungrateful person. That cruel and vile man who injures a friend\nand becomes ungrateful, is not eaten by the very cannibals nor by the\nworms that feed on carrion.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXIII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The Rakshasa king then caused a funeral pyre to be made\nfor that prince of cranes and adorned it with jewels and gems, and\nperfumes, and costly robes. Setting fire to it with the body of that\nprince of birds, the mighty chief of the Rakshasas caused the obsequial\nrites of his friend to be performed according to the ordinance. At that\ntime, the auspicious goddess Surabhi, the daughter of Daksha, appeared in\nthe sky above the place where the pyre had been set up. Her breasts were\nfull of milk.[497] From her mouth, O sinless monarch, froth mixed with\nmilk fell upon the funeral pyre of Rajadharman. At this, the prince of\ncranes became revived. Rising up, he approached his friend Virupaksha,\nthe king of the Rakshasas. At this time, the chief of the celestials\nhimself came to the city of Virupaksha. Addressing the Rakshasa king,\nIndra said, 'By good luck, thou hast revived the prince of cranes.' The\nchief of the deities further recited to Virupaksha the old story of the\ncurse denounced by the Grandsire upon that best of birds named\nRajadharman. Addressing the king he said, 'Once on a time, O monarch,\nthis prince of cranes absented himself from the region of Brahman (when\nhis presence was expected). In wrath the Grandsire said unto this prince\nof birds, \"Since this vile crane hath not presented himself today in my\nassembly, therefore, that wicked-souled one shall not soon die (so as to\nbe able to leave the earth).\" In consequence of these words of the\nGrandsire, the prince of cranes, though slain by Gautama, has come back\nto life, through the virtue of the nectar with which his body was\ndrenched.' After Indra had become silent, Rajadharman, having bowed unto\nthe chief of the celestials, said 'O first of gods, if thy heart be\ninclined towards me for grace, then let my dear friend Gautama be\nrestored to life!' Hearing these words of his, Vasava, O foremost of men,\nsprinkled nectar over the Brahmana Gautama and restored him to life. The\nprince of cranes, approaching his friend Gautama, who still bore on his\nshoulders the load of gold (that he had got from the king of the\nRakshasas) embraced him and felt great joy. Rajadharman, that prince of\ncranes, dismissing Gautama of sinful deeds, together with his wealth,\nreturned to his own abode. At the due hour he repaired (the next day) to\nthe Grandsire's region. The latter honoured the high-souled bird with\nsuch attentions as are shown to a guest. Gautama also, returning to his\nhome in the village of the hunters, begot many sinful children upon his\nSudra wife. A heavy curse was denounced upon him by the gods to the\neffect that having begotten, within a few years,[498] upon the body of\nhis remarried wife many children that ungrateful sinner should sink into\na terrible hell for many years. All this, O Bharata, was recited to me\nformerly by Narada. Recollecting the incidents of this grave story, O\nbull of Bharata's race, I have recited to thee all its details duly.\nWhence can an ungrateful person derive fame? Where is his place? Whence\ncan he have happiness? An ungrateful person does not deserve to be\ntrusted. One that is ungrateful can never escape. No person should injure\na friend. He that injures a friend sinks into terrible and everlasting\nhell. Every one should be grateful and every one should seek to benefit\nhis friends. Everything may be obtained from a friend. Honours may be\nobtained from friends.[499] In consequence of friends one may enjoy\nvarious objects of enjoyment. Through the exertions of friends, one may\nescape from various kinds of danger and distress. He that is wise would\nhonour his friend with his best attentions. An ungrateful, shameless, and\nsinful wight should be shunned by those that are wise. One that injures\nhis friends is a wretch of his race. Such a sinful wight is the vilest of\nmen. I have thus told thee, O foremost of all virtuous men, what the\ncharacteristics are of that sinful wretch who is stained by ingratitude\nand who injures his friend. What else dost thou wish to hear?\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these words spoken by the high-souled\nBhishma, Yudhishthira, O Janamejaya, became highly gratified.'\"\n\n\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXIV\n\n(Mokshadharma Parva)\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou hast, O grandsire, discoursed upon the\nauspicious duties (of person in distress) connected with the duties of\nkings. It behoveth thee now, O king, to tell me those foremost of duties\nwhich belong to those who lead the (four) modes of life.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Religion hath many doors. The observance of (the duties\nprescribed by) religion can never be futile. Duties have been laid down\nwith respect to every mode of life. (The fruits of those duties are\ninvisible, being attainable in the next world.) The fruits, however, of\nPenance directed towards the soul are obtainable in this world.[500]\nWhatever be the object to which one devotes oneself, that object, O\nBharata, and nothing else, appears to one as the highest of acquisitions\nfraught with the greatest of blessings. When one reflects properly (one's\nheart being purified by such reflection), one comes to know that the\nthings of this world are as valueless as straw. Without doubt, one is\nthen freed from attachment in respect of those things. When the world, O\nYudhishthira, which is full of defects, is so constituted, every man of\nintelligence should strive for the attainment of the emancipation of his\nsoul.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me, O grandsire, by what frame of soul should\none kill one's grief when one loses one's wealth, or when one's wife, or\nson, or sire, dies.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"When one's wealth is lost, or one's wife or son or sire\nis dead, one certainly says to oneself 'Alas, this is a great sorrow!'\nBut then one should, by the aid of reflection, seek to kill that sorrow.\nIn this connection is cited the old story of the speech that a regenerate\nfriend of his, coming to Senajit's court, made to that king. Beholding\nthe monarch agitated with grief and burning with sorrow on account of the\ndeath of his son, the Brahmana addressed that ruler of very cheerless\nheart and said these words, 'Why art thou stupefied? Thou art without any\nintelligence. Thyself an object of grief, why dost thou grieve (for\nothers)? A few days hence others will grieve for thee, and in their turn\nthey will be grieved for by others. Thyself, myself, and others who wait\nupon thee, O king, shall all go to that place whence all of us have come.'\n\n\"'\"Senajit said, 'What is that intelligence, what is that penance, O\nlearned Brahmana, what is that concentration of mind, O thou that hast\nwealth of asceticism, what is that knowledge, and what is that learning,\nby acquiring which thou dost not yield to sorrow?'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'Behold, all creatures,--the superior, the middling,\nand the inferior,--in consequence of their respective acts, are entangled\nin grief. I do not regard even my own self to be mine. On the other hand,\nI regard the whole world to be mine. I again think that all this (which I\nsee) is as much mine as it belongs to others. Grief cannot approach me in\nconsequence of this thought. Having acquired such an understanding, I do\nnot yield either to joy or to grief. As two pieces of wood floating on\nthe ocean come together at one time and are again separated, even such is\nthe union of (living) creatures in this world. Sons, grandsons, kinsmen,\nrelatives are all of this kind. One should never feel affection for them,\nfor separation with them is certain. Thy son came from an invisible\nregion. He has departed and become invisible. He did not know thee. Thou\ndidst not know him. Who art thou and for whom dost thou grieve? Grieve\narises from the disease constituted by desire. Happiness again results\nfrom the disease of desire being cured. From joy also springs sorrow, and\nhence sorrow arises repeatedly. Sorrow comes after joy, and joy after\nsorrow. The joys and sorrows of human beings are revolving on a wheel.\nAfter happiness sorrow has come to thee. Thou shalt again have happiness.\nNo one suffers sorrow for ever, and no one enjoys happiness for ever. The\nbody is the refuge of both sorrow and happiness.[501] Whatever acts an\nembodied creature does with the aid of his body, the consequence thereof\nhe has to suffer in that body. Life springs with the springing of the\nbody into existence. The two exist together, and the two perish\ntogether.[502] Men of uncleansed souls, wedded to worldly things by\nvarious bonds, meet with destruction like embankments of sand in water.\nWoes of diverse kinds, born of ignorance, act like pressers of oil-seeds,\nfor assailing all creatures in consequence of their attachments. These\npress them like oil-seeds in the oil-making machine represented by the\nround of rebirths (to which they are subject). Man, for the sake of his\nwife (and others), commits numerous evil acts, but suffers singly diverse\nkinds of misery both in this and the next world. All men, attached to\nchildren and wives and kinsmen and relatives, sink in the miry sea of\ngrief like wild elephants, when destitute of strength, sinking in a miry\nslough. Indeed, O lord, upon loss of wealth or son or kinsmen or\nrelatives, man suffers great distress, which resembles as regards its\npower of burning, a forest conflagration. All this, viz., joy and grief,\nexistence and non-existence, is dependent upon destiny. One having\nfriends as one destitute of friends, one having foes as one destitute of\nfoes, one having wisdom as one destitute of wisdom, each and every one\namongst these, obtains happiness through destiny. Friends are not the\ncause of one's happiness. Foes are not the cause of one's misery. Wisdom\nis not competent to bring an accession of wealth; nor is wealth competent\nto bring an accession of happiness. Intelligence is not the cause of\nwealth, nor is stupidity the cause of penury. He only that is possessed\nof wisdom, and none else, understands the order of the world. Amongst the\nintelligent, the heroic, the foolish, the cowardly, the idiotic, the\nlearned, the weak, or the strong, happiness comes to him for whom it is\nordained. Among the calf, the cowherd that owns her, and the thief, the\ncow indeed belongs to him who drinks her milk.[503] They whose\nunderstanding is absolutely dormant, and they who have attained to that\nstate of the mind which lies beyond the sphere of the intellect, succeed\nin enjoying happiness. Only they that are between the two classes, suffer\nmisery.[504] They that are possessed of wisdom delight in the two\nextremes but not in the states that are intermediate. The sages have said\nthat the attainment of any of these two extremes constitutes happiness.\nMisery consists in the states that are intermediate between the two.[505]\nThey who have succeeded in attaining to real felicity (which samadhi can\nbring), and who have become free from the pleasures and pains of this\nworld, and who are destitute of envy, are never agitated by either the\naccession of wealth or its loss. They who have not succeeded in acquiring\nthat intelligence which leads to real felicity, but who have transcended\nfolly and ignorance (by the help of a knowledge of the scriptures), give\nway to excessive joy and excessive misery. Men destitute of all notions\nof right or wrong, insensate with pride and with success over others,\nyield to transports of delight like the gods in heaven.[506] Happiness\nmust end in misery. Idleness is misery; while cleverness (in action) is\nthe cause of happiness. Affluence and prosperity dwell in one possessed\nof cleverness, but not in one that is idle. Be it happiness or be it\nmisery, be it agreeable or be it disagreeable, what comes to one should\nbe enjoyed or endured with an unconquered heart. Every day a thousand\noccasions for sorrow, and hundred occasions for fear assail the man of\nignorance and folly but not the man that is possessed of wisdom. Sorrow\ncan never touch the man that is possessed of intelligence, that has\nacquired wisdom, that is mindful of listening to the instructions of his\nbetters, that is destitute of envy, and that is self-restrained. Relying\nupon such an understanding, and protecting his heart (from the influences\nof desire and the passions), the man of wisdom should conduct himself\nhere. Indeed, sorrow is unable to touch him who is conversant with that\nSupreme Self from which everything springs and unto which everything\ndisappears.[507] The very root of that for which grief, or heartburning,\nor sorrow is felt or for which one is impelled to exertion, should, even\nif it be a part of one's body, be cast off. That object, whatever it may\nbe in respect of which the idea of meum is cherished, becomes a source of\ngrief and heart-burning. Whatever objects, amongst things that are\ndesired, are cast off, become sources of happiness. The man that pursues\nobjects of desire meets with destruction in course of the pursuit.\nNeither the happiness that is derived from a gratification of the senses\nnor that great felicity which one may enjoy in heaven, approaches to even\na sixteenth part of the felicity which arises from the destruction of all\ndesires. The acts of a former life, right or wrong, visit, in their\nconsequences, the wise and the foolish, the brave and the timid. It is\neven thus that joy and sorrow, the agreeable and the disagreeable,\ncontinually revolve (as on a wheel) among living creatures. Relying upon\nsuch an understanding, the man of intelligence and wisdom lives at ease.\nA person should disregard all his desires, and never allow his wrath to\nget the better of him. This wrath springs in the heart and grows there\ninto vigour and luxuriance. This wrath that dwells in the bodies of men\nand is born in their minds, is spoken of by the wise as Death. When a\nperson succeeds in withdrawing all his desires like a tortoise\nwithdrawing all its limbs, then his soul, which is self-luminous,\nsucceeds in looking into itself.[508] That object, whatever it may be, in\nrespect of which the idea of meum is cherished, becomes a source of grief\nand heart-burning.[509] When a person himself feels no fear, and is\nfeared by no one, when he cherishes no desire and no aversion, he is then\nsaid to attain to the state of Brahma. Casting off both truth and\nfalsehood, grief and joy, fear and courage, the agreeable and the\ndisagreeable, thou mayst become of tranquil soul. When a person abstains\nfrom doing wrong to any creature, in thought, word, or deed, he is then\nsaid to attain to a state of Brahma. True happiness is his who can cast\noff that thirst which is incapable of being cast off by the misguided,\nwhich does not decay with decrepitude, and which is regarded as a fatal\ndisease. In this connection, O king, are heard the verses sung by Pingala\nabout the manner in which she had acquired eternal merit even at a time\nthat had been very unfavourable. A fallen woman of the name of Pingala,\nhaving repaired to the place of assignation, was denied the company of\nher lover through an accident. At that time of great misery, she\nsucceeded in acquiring tranquillity of soul.'\n\n\"'\"Pingala said, 'Alas, I have for many long years lived, all the while\novercome by frenzy, by the side of that Dear Self in whom there is\nnothing but tranquillity. Death has been at my door. Before this, I did\nnot, however approach that Essence of Purity. I shall cover this house of\none column and nine doors (by means of true Knowledge).[510] What woman\nis there that regards that Supreme Soul as her dear lord, even when He\ncomes near?[511] I am now awake. I have been roused from the sleep of\nignorance. I am no longer influenced by desire. Human lovers, who are\nreally the embodied forms of hell, shall no longer deceive me by\napproaching me lustfully. Evil produces good through the destiny or the\nacts of a former life. Roused (from the sleep of ignorance), I have cast\noff all desire for worldly objects. I have acquired a complete mastery\nover my senses. One freed from desire and hope sleeps in felicity.\nFreedom from every hope and desire is felicity. Having driven off desire\nand hope, Pingala sleeps in felicity.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Convinced with these and other words uttered by the\nlearned Brahmana, king Senajit (casting off his grief), experienced\ndelight and became very happy.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Time, which is destructive of every created thing,\nis passing on.[512] Tell me, O grandsire, what is that good thing which\nshould be sought.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection, O king, is cited the old narrative of\na discourse between sire and son, O Yudhishthira! A certain Brahmana, O\nPartha, who was devoted to the study of the Vedas, got a very intelligent\nson who (for this) was called Medhavin.[513] One day, the son, well\nconversant with the truths of the religion of Emancipation, and\nacquainted also with the affairs of the world, addressed his sire devoted\nto the study of the Vedas.\n\n\"'\"The son said, 'What should a wise man do, O father, seeing that the\nperiod of human life is passing away so very quickly? O father, tell me\nthe course of duties that one should perform, without omitting to mention\nthe fruits. Having listened to thee, I desire to observe those duties.'\n\n\"'\"The sire said, 'O son, observing the Brahmacharya mode of life, one\nshould first study the Vedas. He should then wish for children for\nrescuing his ancestors. Setting up his fire next, he should seek to\nperform the (prescribed) sacrifices according to due rites. At last, he\nshould enter the forest for devoting himself to contemplation.'\n\n\"'\"The son said, 'When the world is thus surrounded on all sides and is\nthus assailed, and when such irresistible things of fatal consequences\nfall upon it, how can you say these words so calmly?'\n\n\"'\"The sire said, 'How is the world assailed? What is that by which it is\nsurrounded? What, again, are those irresistible things of fatal\nconsequences that fall upon it? Why dost thou frighten me thus?'\n\n\"'\"The son said, 'Death is that by which the world is assailed. Decrepitude\nencompasses it. Those irresistible things that come and go away are the\nnights (that are continually lessening the period of human life). When I\nknow that Death tarries for none (but approaches steadily towards every\ncreature), how can I pass my time without covering myself with the garb\nof knowledge?[514] When each succeeding night passing away lessens the\nallotted period of one's existence, the man of wisdom should regard the\nday to be fruitless. (When death is approaching steadily) who is there\nthat would, like a fish in a shallow water, feel happy? Death comes to a\nman before his desires have been gratified. Death snatches away a person\nwhen he is engaged in plucking flowers and when his heart is otherwise\nset, like a tigress bearing away a ram. Do thou, this very day,\naccomplish that which is for thy good. Let not this Death come to thee.\nDeath drags its victims before their acts are accomplished. The acts of\ntomorrow should be done today, those of the afternoon in the forenoon.\nDeath does not wait to see whether the acts of its victim have all been\naccomplished or not. Who knows that Death will not come to him even\ntoday? In prime of age one should betake oneself to the practice of\nvirtue. Life is transitory. If virtue be practised, fame here and\nfelicity hereafter will be the consequences. Overwhelmed by ignorance,\none is ready to exert oneself for sons and wives. Achieving virtuous or\nvicious acts, one brings them up and aggrandises them. Like a tiger\nbearing away a sleeping deer, Death snatches away the man addicted to the\ngratification of desire and engaged in the enjoyment of sons and animals.\nBefore he has been able to pluck the flowers upon which he has set his\nheart, before he has been gratified by the acquisition of the objects of\nhis desire, Death bears him away like a tiger bearing away its prey.\nDeath overpowers a man while the latter is stilt in the midst of the\nhappiness that accrues from the gratification of desire, and while, still\nthinking, \"This has been done; this is to be done; this has been\nhalf-done.\" Death bears away the man, however designated according to his\nprofession, attached to his field, his shop, or his home, before he has\nobtained the fruit of his acts. Death bears away the weak, the strong,\nthe brave, the timid, the idiotic, and the learned, before any of these\nobtains the fruits of his acts. When death, decrepitude, disease, and\nsorrow arising from diverse causes, are all residing in thy body, how is\nit that thou livest as if thou art perfectly hale? As soon as a creature\nis born, Decrepitude and Death pursue him for (effecting) his\ndestruction. All existent things, mobile and immobile, are affected by\nthese two. The attachment which one feels for dwelling in villages and\ntowns (in the midst of fellowmen) is said to be the very mouth of Death.\nThe forest, on the other hand, is regarded as the fold within which the\nsenses may be penned. This is declared by the Srutis.[515] The attachment\na person feels for dwelling in a village or town (in the midst of men) is\nlike a cord that binds him effectually. They that are good break that\ncord and attain to emancipation, while they that are wicked do not\nsucceed in breaking them. He who never injures living creatures by\nthought, word, or deed, is never injured by such agencies as are\ndestructive of life and property.[516] Nothing can resist the messengers\n(Disease and Decrepitude) of Death when they advance except Truth which\ndevours Untruth. In Truth is immortality.[517] For these reasons one\nshould practise the vow of Truth; one should devote oneself to a union\nwith Truth; one should accept Truth for one's Veda; and restraining one's\nsenses, one should vanquish the Destroyer by Truth. Both Immortality and\nDeath are planted in the body. One comes to Death through ignorance and\nloss of judgment; while Immortality is achieved through Truth. I shall,\ntherefore, abstain from injury and seek to achieve Truth, and\ntransgressing the sway of desire and wrath, regard pleasure and pain with\nan equal eye, and attaining tranquillity, avoid Death like an immortal.\nUpon the advent of that season when the sun will progress towards the\nnorth, I shall restraining my senses, set to the performance of the\nSanti-sacrifice, the Brahma-sacrifice, the Mind-sacrifice, and the\nWork-sacrifice.[518] How can one like me worship his Maker in\nanimal-sacrifices involving cruelty, or sacrifices of the body, such as\nPisachas only can perform and such as produce fruits that are\ntransitory?[519] That person whose words, thoughts, penances,\nrenunciation, and yoga meditation, all rest on Brahma, succeeds in\nearning the highest good. There is no eye which is equal to (the eye of)\nKnowledge. There is no penance like (that involved in) Truth. There is no\nsorrow equal to (that involved in) attachment. There is no happiness\n(that which is obtainable from) renunciation. I have sprung from Brahma\nthrough Brahma. I shall devote myself to Brahma, though I am childless. I\nshall return to Brahma. I do not require a son for rescuing me. A\nBrahmana can have no wealth like to the state of being alone, the state\nin consequence of which he is capable of regarding everything with an\nequal eye, the practice of truthfulness, good behaviour, patience,\nabstention from injury, simplicity, and avoidance of all rites and\nvisible sacrifices. What use hast thou, O Brahmana, of wealth or kinsmen\nand relatives, of wives, when thou shalt have to die? Seek thy Self which\nis concealed in a cave. Where are thy grandsires and where thy sire?\"'[520]\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Do thou also, O monarch, conduct thyself in that way\nin which the sire (in this story), conducts himself, devoted to the\nreligion of Truth, after having listened to the speech of his son.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXVI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me, O grandsire, whence and how happiness and\nmisery come to those that are rich, as also those that are poor, but who\nlive in the observance of different practices and rites.\"[521]\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"In this connection is cited the old narrative of\nwhat was sung by Sampaka who had obtained tranquillity and achieved\nemancipation for himself. In former times a certain Brahmana, rendered\nmiserable by a bad wife, bad dress, and hunger, and living in the\nobservance of the vow of renunciation, told me these verses,[522]\n'Diverse kinds of sorrow and happiness overtake, from the day of birth\nthe person that is born on the earth. If he could ascribe either of them\nto the action of Destiny, he would not then feel glad when happiness came\nor miserable when sorrow overtook him. Though thy mind is divested of\ndesire, thou bearest yet a heavy load. Thou dost not seek to achieve thy\ngood (i.e., emancipation). Art thou not successful in controlling thy\nmind? If thou goest about, having renounced home and desirable\npossessions, thou shalt taste real happiness. A person divested of\neverything sleepeth in happiness, and awaketh in happiness. Complete\npoverty, in this world, is happiness. It is a good regimen, it is the\nsource of blessings, it is freedom from danger. This foeless path is\nunattainable (by persons cherishing desire) and is easily attainable (by\nthose that are freed from desire). Casting my eyes on every part of the\nthree worlds, I do not behold the person who is equal to a poor man of\npure conduct and without attachment (to worldly things). I weighed\npoverty and sovereignty in a balance. Poverty weighed heavier than\nsovereignty and seemed to possess greater merits. Between poverty and\nsovereignty there is this great distinction, viz., that the sovereign,\npossessed of affluence, is always agitated by anxiety and seems to be\nwithin the very jaws of death. As regards, however, the poor man, who in\nconsequence of the divestment of all wealth has freed himself from hopes\nand emancipated himself, neither fire, nor foe, nor death, nor robbers,\ncan get the better of him. The very gods applaud such a man who wanders\nabout according to his sweet will, who lies down on the bare ground with\nhis arm for a pillow, and who is possessed of tranquillity. Affected by\nwrath and cupidity, the man of affluence is stained by a wicked heart. He\ncasts oblique glances and makes dry speeches.--He becomes sinful, and his\nface is always darkened with frowns. Biting his lips, and excited with\nwrath, he utters harsh and cruel words. If such a man desires to even\nmake a gift of the whole world, who is there that would like even to look\nat him? Constant companionship with Prosperity stupefies a person of weak\njudgment. It drives off his judgment like the wind driving off the\nautumnal clouds. Companionship with Prosperity induces him to think,--I\nam possessed of beauty! I am possessed of wealth! I am high-born! I meet\nwith success in whatever I undertake! I am not an ordinary human\nbeing!--His heart becomes intoxicated in consequence of these three\nreasons. With heart deeply attached to worldly possessions, he wastes the\nwealth hoarded by his sires. Reduced to want, he then regards the\nappropriation of other people's wealth as blameless. At this stage, when\nhe transgresses all barriers and beings to appropriate the possessions of\nothers from every side, the rulers of men obstruct and afflict him like\nsportsmen afflicting with keen shafts a deer that is espied in the woods.\nSuch a man is then overwhelmed with many other afflictions of a similar\nkind that originate in fire and weapons. Therefore, disregarding all\nworldly propensities (such as desire for children and wives) together\nwith all fleeting unrealities (such as the body, etc.,) one should, aided\nby one's intelligence, apply proper medicine for the cure of those\npainful afflictions. Without Renunciation one can never attain to\nhappiness. Without Renunciation one can never obtain what is for one's\nhighest good. Without Renunciation one can never sleep at ease.\nTherefore, renouncing everything, make happiness thy own.' All this was\nsaid to me in past times at Hastinapur by a Brahmana about what Sampaka\nhad sung. For this reason, I regard Renunciation to be the foremost of\nthings.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXVII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"If any person, desiring to accomplish acts (of\ncharity and sacrifices), fails to find (the necessary) wealth, and thirst\nof wealth overwhelms him, what is that which he must do for obtaining\nhappiness?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"He that regards everything (viz., joy and sorrow, honour\nand insult, etc.,) with an equal eye, that never exerts himself (for\ngratifying his desire for earthly possessions), that practises\ntruthfulness of speech, that is freed from all kinds of attachment, and\nthat has no desire for action, is, O Bharata, a happy man. These five,\nthe ancients say, are the means for the acquisition of perfect\ntranquillity or emancipation. These are called Heaven. These are\nReligion. These constitute the highest happiness. In this connection is\ncited the old narrative of what Manki had sung, when freed from\nattachments. Listen to it, O Yudhishthira! Desirous of wealth, Manki\nfound that he was repeatedly doomed to disappointments. At last with a\nlittle remnant of his property he purchased a couple of young bulls with\na yoke for training them (to agricultural labour). One day the two bulls\nproperly tied to the yoke, were taken out for training (in the fields).\nShying at the sight of a camel that was lying down on the road, the\nanimals suddenly ran towards the camel, and fell upon its neck. Enraged\nat finding the bulls fall upon its neck, the camel, endued with great\nspeed, rose up and ran at a quick pace, bearing away the two helpless\ncreatures dangling on either side of its neck. Beholding his two bulls\nthus borne away by that strong camel, and seeing that they were at the\npoint of death, Manki began to say, 'If wealth be not ordained by\ndestiny, it can never be acquired by even a clever man exerting himself\nwith attention and confidence and accomplishing with skill all that is\nnecessary towards that end. I had, before this, endeavoured by diverse\nmeans and devotion to earn wealth. Behold this misfortune brought about\nby destiny to the property I had! My bulls are borne away, rising and\nfalling, as the camel is running in an uneven course. This occurrence\nseems to be an accident.[523] Alas, those dear bulls of mine are dangling\non the camel's neck like a couple of gems! This is only the result of\nDestiny. Exertion is futile in what is due to Chance. Or, if the\nexistence of anything like Exertion (as an agent in the production of\nresults) be admitted, a deeper search would discover Destiny to be at the\nbottom.[524] Hence, the person that desires happiness should renounce all\nattachment. The man without attachments, no longer cherishing any desire\nfor earning wealth, can sleep happily. So, it was well said by Suka while\ngoing to the great forest from his father's abode, renouncing\neverything![525]--Amongst these two, viz., one who obtains the fruition\nof all his wishes, and one who casts off every wish, the latter, who\nrenounces all, is superior to the former who obtains the fruition of all.\nNo one could ever attain to the end of desire.[526] Only he that is\ndestitute of knowledge and judgments feels an avidity for protecting his\nbody and life.--Forbear from every desire for action. O my Soul that art\npossessed by cupidity, adopt tranquillity by freeing thyself from all\nattachments! Repeatedly hast thou been deceived (by desire and hope). How\nis it that thou dost not still free thyself from attachments? If I am not\none that deserves destruction at thy hands, if I am one with whom thou\nshouldst sport in delight, then, O my wealth-coveting Soul, do not induce\nme towards cupidity. Thou hast repeatedly lost thy hoarded wealth. O my\nwealth-coveting and foolish Soul, when wilt thou succeed in emancipating\nthyself from the desire of wealth? Shame on my foolishness! I have become\na toy of thine! It is thus that one becomes a slave of others. No one\nborn on earth did ever attain to the end of desire, and no one that will\ntake birth will succeed in attaining to it. Casting off all acts, I have\nat last been roused from sleep. I am now awake. Without doubt, O Desire,\nthy heart is as hard as adamant, since though affected by a hundred\ndistresses, thou does not break into a hundred pieces! I know thee, O\nDesire, and all those things that are dear to thee! Seeking what is dear\nto thee, I shall feel happiness in my own Self.[527] O Desire, I know thy\nroot. Thou springest from Will.[528]--I shall, therefore, avoid Will.\nThou shalt then be destroyed with thy roots. The desire for wealth can\nnever be fraught with happiness. If acquired, great is the anxiety that\nthe acquirer feels. If lost after acquisition, that is felt as death.\nLastly, respecting acquisition itself, it is very uncertain. Wealth\ncannot be got by even the surrender of one's person. What can be more\npainful than this? When acquired, one is never gratified with its\nmeasure, but one continues to seek it. Like the sweet water of the\nGanges, wealth only increases one's hankering. It is my destruction. I am\nnow awakened. Do thou, O Desire, leave me! Let that Desire which has\ntaken refuge in this my body,--this compound of (five) elements,--go\nwhithersoever it chooses and live happily whithersoever it likes.[529] Ye\nall that are not of the Soul, I have no joy in you, for ye follow the\nlead of Desire and Cupidity! Abandoning all of you I shall take refuge in\nthe quality of Goodness.[530] Beholding all creatures in my own body and\nmy own mind, and devoting my reason to Yoga, my life to the instructions\nof the wise, and soul to Brahma, I shall happily rove through the world,\nwithout attachment and without calamities of any kinds, so that thou\nmayst not be able to plunge me again into such sorrows![531] If I\ncontinue to be agitated by thee, O Desire, I shall necessarily be without\na path (by which to effect my deliverance). Thou, O Desire, art always\nthe progenitor of thirst, of grief, and of fatigue and toil. I think the\ngrief that one feels at the loss of wealth is very keen and far greater\nthan what one feels under any other circumstances. Kinsmen and friends\ndisregard him that has lost his wealth. With various kinds of humiliation\nthat number by thousands, there are many faults in property that are more\npainful still. On the other hand, the very small happiness that resides\nin wealth is mingled with pain and sorrow.[532] Robbers slay, in the\nsight of all, the person that is possessed of wealth, or afflict him with\nvarious kinds of severity, or always fill him with fear. At last, after a\nlong time, I have understood that the desire for wealth is fraught with\nsorrow. Whatever the object, O Desire, upon which thou settest thy heart,\nthou forcest me to pursue it! Thou art without judgment. Thou art a fool.\nThou art difficult of being contented. Thou canst not be gratified. Thou\nburnest like fire. Thou dost not enquire (in pursuing an object) whether\nit is easy or difficult of attainment. Thou canst not be filled to the\nbrim, like the nether region. Thou wishest to plunge me into sorrow. From\nthis day, O Desire, I am incapable of living with thee! I who had felt\ndespair, at first, at the loss of my property, have now attained to the\nhigh state of perfect freedom from attachments. At this moment I no\nlonger think of thee and thy train. I had, before this, felt great misery\non thy account. I do not (now) regard myself as destitute of\nintelligence. Having adopted Renunciation in consequence of loss of my\nproperty, I can now rest, freed from every kind of fever. I cast thee\noff, O Desire, with all the passions of my heart. Thou shalt not again\ndwell with me or sport with me. I shall forgive them that will slander or\nspeak ill of me. I shall not injure even when injured. If anybody from\naversion speaks disagreeable words of me, disregarding those words I\nshall address him in agreeable speeches. In contentment of heart and with\nall my senses at ease, I shall always live upon what may be got by me. I\nshall not contribute to the gratification of the wishes entertained by\nthee that art my foe. Freedom from attachment, emancipation from desire,\ncontentment, tranquillity, truth, self-restraint, forgiveness, and\nuniversal compassion are the qualities that have now come to me.\nTherefore, let Desire, cupidity, thirst, miserliness avoid me. I have now\nadopted the path of Goodness. Having cast off Desire and Cupidity, great\nis my happiness now. I shall no longer yield to the influence of Cupidity\nand no longer suffer misery like a person of uncleansed soul. One is sure\nto obtain happiness according to the measure of the desires he may be\nable to cast off. Truly, he who yields himself up to Desire always\nsuffers misery. Whatever passions connected with Desire are cast off by a\nperson, all appertain to the quality of Passion. Sorrow and shamelessness\nand discontent all arise from Desire and Wealth. Like a person plunging\nin the hot season into a cool lake, I have now entered into Brahma, I\nhave abstained from work. I have freed myself from grief. Pure happiness\nhas now come to me. The felicity that results from the gratification of\nDesire, or that other purer felicity which one enjoys in heaven, does not\ncome to even a sixteenth part of that which arises upon the abandonment\nof all kinds of thirst! Killing the principle of desire, which with the\nbody makes an aggregate of seven, and which is a bitter foe, I have\nentered the immortal city of Brahma and shall pass my days there in\nhappiness like a king!' Relying upon such intelligence, Manki freed\nhimself from attachments, casting off all desires and attaining to Brahma\nthat abode of the highest felicity. Indeed, in consequence of the loss of\nhis two bulls Manki attained to immortality. Indeed, because he cut the\nvery roots of desire, he attained, through that means, to high felicity.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXVIII\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"In this connection is also cited the old narrative\nof the verses sung by Janaka the ruler of the Videhas, who had attained\nto tranquillity of soul. What the monarch said was, 'Unlimited is my\nwealth. At the same time I have nothing, if the whole of (my kingdom)\nMithila be consumed in a conflagration, I shall incur no loss.' In the\nconnection is also cited the speech of Vodhya uttered in respect of this\nvery topic, viz., freedom from attachments. Listen to it O Yudhishthira!\nOnce on a time the royal son of Nahusha (Yayati) questioned the Rishi\nVodhya who had, in consequence of the abandonment of desire, attained to\ntranquillity of soul and who had an intimate acquaintance with the\nscriptures. The monarch said, 'O thou of great wisdom, give me\ninstructions about tranquillity. What is that understanding relying upon\nwhich thou succeedest in wandering over the world in tranquillity of soul\nand disengaged from all acts?'\n\n\"'\"Vodhya said, 'I conduct myself according to the instructions of others\nbut never instruct others myself. I shall, however, mention the\nindications of those instructions (according to which my conduct is\nframed). Thou mayst catch their spirit by reflection. My six preceptors\nare Pingala, the osprey, the snake, the bee in the forest, the maker of\nshafts (in the story), and the maiden (in the story)!'\"[533]\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Hope is very powerful (in agitating the heart), O\nKing! Freedom from hope is high felicity. Reducing hope to an absence of\nexpectation, Pingala sleeps in peace.[534] Beholding an osprey with meat\nin his beaks, others, that have not found any meat, assail and destroy\nhim. A certain osprey, by altogether abstaining from meat obtained\nfelicity. To build a house for one's own self is productive of sorrow and\nnot of happiness. The snake, taking up his residence in another\ncreature's abode, lives in felicity. The ascetics live happily, betaking\nthemselves to mendicancy, without being injured by any creature, like\nbees in the forest. A certain maker of shafts, while employed at his\nwork, was so deeply attentive to it that he did not notice the king who\npassed by his side. When many are together, dispute ensues. Even when two\nreside together, they are sure to converse. I, however, wander alone like\nthe anklet made of sea-shells in the wrist of the maiden in the\nstory.\"'\"[535]\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXIX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O thou that art conversant with the conduct of men,\ntell me by what conduct a person may succeed in this world, freed from\ngrief. How also should a person act in this world so that he may attain\nto an excellent end?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the old story of the\ndiscourse between Prahlada and the sage Ajagara. Once on a time king\nPrahlada of great intelligence questioned a wandering Brahmana of great\nintelligence and a cleansed and tranquil soul.\n\n\"'\"Prahlada said, 'Freed from desire, with a cleansed soul, possessed of\nhumility and self-restraint, without desire of action, free from malice,\nagreeable in speech, endued with dignity and intelligence and wisdom,\nthou livest (in simplicity) like a child. Thou never covetest any kind of\ngain, and never grievest at any kind of loss. Thou art always contented,\nO Brahmana, and dost not seem to regard anything in the world. While all\nother creatures are being borne away in the current of desire and\npassion, thou art perfectly indifferent to all acts appertaining to\nReligion, Profit, and Pleasure. Thou seemest to be in a state of quietude\n(without the possibility of agitation). Disregarding all objects of the\nsenses, thou movest like an emancipated self, only witnessing everything\n(but never taking part in anything). What, O sage, is thy wisdom, what\nthy learning, and what thy behaviour (in consequence of which all this\nbecomes possible)? Tell me this without delay, if, O Brahmana, thou\nthinkest it will do me good!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"That intelligent Brahmana who was well-conversant\nwith the duties of the world, thus questioned by Prahlada, answered him\nin sweet words of grave import. 'Behold, O Prahlada, the origin of\ncreatures, their growth, decay, and death, are traceable to no\n(intelligible) cause. It is for this that I do not indulge in either joy\nor sorrow.[536] All the propensities (for action) that exist in the\nuniverse may be seen to flow from the very natures of the creatures (to\nwhich they inhere). All things (in the universe) are depended on their\nrespective natures. Hence, I am not delighted with anything.[537] Behold,\nO Prahlada, all kinds of union have an aptitude for disunion. All\nacquisitions are certain to end in destruction. Hence I never set my\nheart upon the acquisition of any object. All things possessed of\nattributes are certain to meet with destruction. What remains there for a\nperson then to do who (like me) is conversant with both the origin and\nthe end of things? Of all things, large or small, born in the ocean of\nwaters, the end is noticeable. I see also the death, which is manifest, O\nchief of Asuras, of all things, mobile and immobile, belonging to the\nland. O best of Danavas, death comes in season unto even the strongest of\nwinged creatures which range the sky. I see again that the luminous\nbodies, large and small, which move in the firmament, fall down when\ntheir time comes. Beholding all created things Possessed of knowledge, to\nbe thus liable to be affected by death, and thinking all things to be\npossessed of the same nature, I sleep in peace without any anxiety of\nheart. If I get without trouble a copious repast, I do not scruple to\nenjoy it. On the other hand, I pass many days, together without eating\nanything. Sometimes people feed me with costly viands in profusion,\nsometimes with a small quantity, sometimes with even less, and sometimes\nI get no food whatever. I sometimes eat only a portion of a grain;\nsometimes the dry sesame cakes from which the oil has been pressed out, I\nsometimes eat rice and other food of the richest kind. Sometimes I sleep\non an elevated bedstead of the best kind. Sometimes I sleep on the bare\nground. Sometimes my bed is made within a fine palace or mansion. I am\nsometimes clad in rags, sometimes in sackcloth, sometimes in raiments of\nfine texture, sometimes in deer-skins, sometimes in robes of the\ncostliest kind. I never reject such enjoyments as are consistent with\nvirtue and as are obtained by me without effort. I do not, at the same\ntime, strive for attaining such objects as are difficult of acquisition.\nThe rigid vow I have adopted is called Ajagara.[538] That vow can secure\nimmortality. It is auspicious and griefless. It is incomparable and pure.\nIt is consistent with the counsels of the wise. It is disapproved by\npersons of foolish understanding who never follow it. With a pure heart I\nconduct myself according to it. My mind never swerves from this vow. I\nhave not swerved from the practices of my order. I am abstemious in\neverything. I know the past and the present. Divested of fear and wrath\nand cupidity and errors of judgment, I follow this vow with a pure heart.\nThere are no restrictions in respect of food and drink and other objects\nof enjoyment for one practising this vow. As everything is dependent on\ndestiny, there is no observance of the considerations of time and place\nfor one like us. The vow I follow contributes to true happiness of the\nheart. It is never observed by those that are wicked. I follow it with a\npure heart. Induced by cupidity, men pursue different kinds of wealth. If\nbaffled in the pursuit, they become depressed by sorrow. Reflecting\nproperly upon all this by the aid of my intelligence which has penetrated\nthe truths of things, I follow this vow with a pure heart. I have seen\npersons in distress seeking, for the acquisition of wealth, the shelter\nof men, good and bad. Devoted to tranquillity, and with my passions under\ncontrol, I follow this vow with a pure heart. Beholding, by the aid of\ntruth, that happiness and misery, loss and gain, attachment and\nrenunciation, death and life, are all ordained by destiny, I follow this\nvow with a pure heart. Divested of fear and attachment and errors of\njudgment and pride, and endued with wisdom, intelligence, and\nunderstanding, and devoted to tranquillity and hearing that large snakes\nwithout moving enjoy the fruit that comes to them of itself, I follow\ntheir practice with a pure heart. Without restrictions of any kind in\nrespect of bed and food, endued by my nature with self-restraint,\nabstemiousness, pure vow, truth, and purity of conduct, and without any\ndesire to store (for future use) the rewards of action, I follow, with a\ndelighted and pure heart, this vow. All causes of sorrow have fled from\nme in consequence of my having driven off the object of desire. Having\nreceived an accession of light, I follow this vow with a pure heart, for\ncontrolling my soul which is thirsty and unrestrained but which is\ncapable (under proper culture) of depending upon itself (without the\nnecessity of external objects to keep it engaged). Without paying any\nheed to the concerns towards which my heart, mind, words would like to\nlead me, and marking that the happiness which is connected with these is\nboth difficult of acquisition and fleeting in respect of duration, I\nfollow this vow with a pure heart. Learned men possessed of great\nintelligence, desirous of proclaiming their own feats, have while\nestablishing their own theories and censuring those of others, said this\nand that on this topic which is incapable of being settled by\ndisputation. Foolish men fail to understand this vow in a proper light.\nI, however, see it to be destructive of Ignorance. Regarding it also as\nfraught with immortality and as a remedy against diverse kinds of evil, I\nwander among men, having subdued all faults and having freed myself from\nthirst (after worldly goods)!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"That high-souled person who, having freed himself\nfrom attachments and divested himself of fear, cupidity; foolishness, and\nwrath, follows this Ajagara vow, or indulges in this sport, as it may be\ncalled, certainly succeeds in passing his days in great delight.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Which of these, O grandsire, viz., kinsmen, or acts,\nor wealth, or wisdom should be the refuge of a person? Questioned by me,\nanswer me this!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Wisdom is the refuge of creatures. Wisdom is regarded as\nthe highest of acquisitions. Wisdom is the highest felicity in the world.\nWisdom is heaven in the estimation of the good and virtuous. It was\nthrough wisdom that Vali, Prahlada, Namuchi, and Manki, when they lost\ntheir (earthly) prosperity, succeeded in acquiring felicity. What is\nthere that is superior to wisdom? In this connection is cited the old\nstory of the discourse between Indra and Kasyapa. Listen to it, O\nYudhishthira! Once on a time a prosperous Vaisya, in the enjoyment of\nprosperity, and proud of his affluence, threw down, by negligently\ndriving his car, a Rishi's son of rigid vows named Kasyapa, devoted to\npenances. Prostrated on the ground, the young man, in exceeding pain,\ngave way to his wrath; and under the influence of despair resolved,\nsaying, 'I shall cast off my life. A poor man has no need of life in this\nworld.' While the Brahmana was lying in that state, silent and agitated,\ndeprived of energy and at the point of death, Indra appeared on the scene\nin the form of a jackal and addressing him, said, 'All (inferior)\ncreatures covet birth in the human race. Among men again, the status of a\nBrahmana is much desired. Thou, O Kasyapa, art a human being! Amongst\nhuman beings, thou art again a Brahmana. Among Brahmanas, thou art again\none that is conversant with the Vedas. Having obtained that which is\nattainable with very great difficulty, it behoveth thee not to give up\nlife from folly! All kinds Of (worldly) acquisitions are fraught with\npride. The declaration of the Srutis in that respect is perfectly true.\nThou lookest the picture of contentment. In forming such a resolve (which\nis so derogatory of thy own self) about casting off thy life, thou actest\nfrom cupidity! O, they are crowned with success that have hands! I\neagerly wish for the status of those creatures that have hands! We covet\nhands as eagerly as you covet riches. There is no acquisition that is\nmore valuable than the acquisition of hands. Behold, O Brahmana, I cannot\nextract this thorn that has entered my body, or crush these insects and\nworms that are biting and afflicting me greatly! They that have bestowed\nupon them two hands with ten fingers, succeed in throwing away or\ncrushing the worms (by scratching) that bite their limbs. They succeed in\nconstructing shelters for themselves from rain, cold, and heat. They\nsucceed also in enjoying excellent clothes for themselves, good food,\ncomfortable beds, and excellent habitations. Lying on this Earth, they\nthat have hands enjoy kine and other animals and cause them to carry\nburthens or drag their vehicles, and by the aid of diverse means bring\nthose animals under sway (for their own purposes). Those living creatures\nthat are without tongues, that are helpless, of little strength, and\ndestitute of hands, bear all the several kinds of misery (indicated\nabove). By good luck, O ascetic, thou art not like them. By good luck,\nthou art not a jackal, nor a worm, nor a mouse, nor a frog, nor an animal\nof any other miserable order. With this measure of gain (that thou hast\nwon), thou shouldst, O Kasyapa, be contented! How happy, again, shouldst\nthou feel at the thought that amongst living creatures thou art a\nsuperior Brahmana! These worms are biting me! For want of hands I am\nunable to drive them off. Behold this my miserable plight! I do not cast\noff life because to do so is a very sinful act, and lest, indeed, I fall\ninto a more miserable order of existence! This order of existence, viz.,\nthat of a jackal, to which I now belong is rather tolerable. Miserable as\nit is, there are many orders of existence below it that are more\nmiserable still. By birth certain classes of creatures become happier\nthan others who become subject to great woe. But I never see that there\nis any order of being which can be said to be in the possession of\nperfect happiness. Human beings, obtaining affluence, next wish for\nsovereignty. Having achieved sovereignty their next wish is for the\nstatus of gods. Having won that status they then wish for the chiefdom of\nthe celestials. If thou becomest affluent, thou wilt never succeed in\nbecoming a king (for thou art a Brahmana by birth), nor in becoming a god\n(because, in reality, thy status of Brahmanahood is equal if not superior\nto that of a god). If by any means (led away by the alluring prospect of\nheavenly bliss) thou becomest a god (instead of attaining to a superior\nposition), thou wilt then covet for the chiefdom of the gods. In no\ncondition wilt thou be contented. Contentment does not result from\nacquisition of desirable objects. Thirst is never slaked although there\nis profusion of water.[539] The thirst for acquisition only blazes up\nwith each fresh acquisition like a fire with new faggots thrown into it.\nIn thee there is grief. But joy also dwells in thee. Both happiness and\nmisery dwell in thee. Why then shouldst thou yield to grief? One should\nshut up, like birds in a cage, the very springs, viz., the understanding\nand the sense of all one's desires and acts. There can be no cutting of\na second head, nor of a third hand. That which does not exist can produce\nno fear. One that is not acquainted with the enjoyment a certain object\naffords, never feels a desire for that object. Desires arise from the\nactual experience of the pleasures that touch or sight, or hearing gives.\nThou hast no idea of the taste of the wine called Varuni or of the meat\nof the birds called Ladwaka. There is no drink and no food more delicious\nthan these. Thou hast no idea also, O Kasyapa, of every other superior\nkind of drink and food that exists among men, for thou hast never tasted\nit. Without doubt, therefore, not to taste, not to see, should be the vow\nof a man if he is to win happiness. Creatures that have hands, without\ndoubt, become strong and earn wealth. Men are reduced by men to a state\nof servitude, and are repeatedly afflicted (at the hands of their own\nspecies) with death, imprisonment, and other tortures. Although such is\ntheir condition, yet even they (without yielding to grief) laugh and\nsport and indulge in merriment. Others again, though endued with might of\narms, and possessed of knowledge and great energy of mind, follow\ncensurable, sinful, and miserable professions. They seek to change such\nprofessions for other pursuits (that are more dignified) but then they\nare bound by their own acts (of a previous life) and by the force of\nDestiny. The vilest man of the Pukkasa or the Chandala orders never\nwishes to cast off his life. He is quite contented with the order of his\nbirth. Behold the illusion in this respect! Beholding those amongst thy\nspecies that are destitute of arms, or struck with palsy, or afflicted\nwith other diseases, thou canst regard thyself as very happy and\npossessed of valuable accompaniments amongst the members of thy own\norder. If this thy regenerated body remains safe and sound, and free from\ndisease, and all thy limbs remain perfect, thou art sure of never\nincurring any reproach amongst men. It would not behove thee, O Brahmana,\nto cast off thy life even if any blame, founded on fact and capable of\nbringing about thy dismissal from caste, attached to thee! Rise, and\npractise virtue. It is not meet that thou shouldst throw away thy life!\nIf, O regenerate one, thou listen to me and place credence on my words,\nthou wilt then obtain the highest reward of the religion inculcated in\nthe Vedas. Do thou set thyself to Vedic studies, and duly maintain thy\nsacred fire, and observe truth, and self-restraint, and charity. Never\ncompare thyself boastfully with another. They who, by devoting themselves\nto the study of the Vedas, become competent for performing sacrifices for\nthemselves and others, have no need to indulge in any kind of regret or\nfear any kind of evil. They that are born under an auspicious\nconstellation on an auspicious lunation and at an auspicious hour, strive\ntheir best for performing sacrifices, practising charity, and procreating\nchildren, and desiring to pass their time cheerfully in those acts, at\nlast win very great happiness.[540] They, on the other hand, that are\nborn under evil constellations, inauspicious lunations, and at evil\nhours, become destitute of sacrifices and progeny and at last fall into\nthe Asura order.[541] In my former life I had much useless learning. I\nalways sought for reasons and had very little faith. I was a slanderer of\nthe Vedas. I was destitute of the (fourfold) objects of life, and was\ndevoted to that science of argumentation which is based upon ocular or\ntangible proofs.[542] I used to utter words based on (plausible) reasons.\nIndeed, in assemblies, I always spoke of reasons (and never faith). I\nused to speak irreverently of the declarations of the Srutis and address\nBrahmanas in domineering tones. I was an unbeliever, skeptical of\neverything, and though really ignorant, proud of my learning. This status\nof a jackal that I have obtained in this life is the consequence, O\nregenerate one, of those sins of mine! If even after hundreds of days and\nnights I that am a jackal can once again obtain the status of humanity, I\nshall then pass my life in contentment, heedful of the true objects of\nexistence, and engaged in sacrifices and gifts. I shall then know what\nshould be known, and avoid what should be avoided!' Thus addressed, the\nascetic Kasyapa, rising up, said, 'O, thou art certainly possessed of\nknowledge and great intelligence! I am really surprised at all this!'\nWith eyes whose vision was extended by knowledge, the Brahmana then\nbeheld that being who had addressed him to be Indra, chief of the gods\nand the lord of Sachi. Kasyapa then worshipped that god having the best\nof steeds for the animal that bore him. Receiving afterwards the god's\npermission, the Brahmana returned to his abode.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXXI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me, O grandsire, if gifts, sacrifices,\npenances, and dutiful services returned to preceptors, are productive of\nwisdom and high felicity.\"[543]\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"If the mind becomes affected by desire, wrath and other\nevil passions, it then runs towards sin. If one's acts are stained by\nsin, one is obliged to dwell in painful regions. Sinful men take birth in\nindigent circumstances and repeatedly suffer the pangs of famine, woe,\nfear, and death. Those that are virtuous in their acts, and possessed of\nfaith, and that have their senses under control, become born as affluent\nmen and repeatedly sport in festivities and heaven and happiness.\nUnbelievers, with their arms manacled, are sent to regions rendered\ninaccessible by carnivorous beasts and elephants and full of terrors in\nconsequence of snakes and robbers. What more need be said of them? They,\non the other hand, who have reverence for gods and guests, who are\nliberal, who are fond of good and honest men, go, in consequence of their\nacts of charity, along that happy way which belongs to persons of\ncleansed souls. They that have no reverence for virtue are as vile among\nmen as seedless grains among corn or the gnat among birds. That which is\nordained in consequence of the acts of a past life pursues the actor even\nif the latter strives his best for leaving it behind.[544] It sleeps when\nhe sleeps and does whatever else he does.[545] Like his shadow it rests\nwhen he rests, proceeds when he proceeds, and acts when he acts. Whatever\nacts a man does he has certainly to obtain the fruits thereof. Death is\ndragging all creatures who are surely destined to fall (into orders of\nexistence they deserve) and who are surely liable to enjoy or suffer\nthat which has been ordained as the consequence of their acts. The acts\nof a past life develop their consequences in their own proper time even\nas flowers and fruits, without extraneous efforts of any kind, never fail\nto appear when their proper time comes. After the consequences, as\nordained, of the acts of a past life, have been exhausted (by enjoyment\nor sufferings), honour and disgrace, gain and loss, decay and growth, no\nlonger flow or appear in respect of any one. This happens\nrepeatedly.[546] A creature while still in the mother's womb enjoys or\nsuffers the happiness or the misery that has been ordained for him in\nconsequence of his own acts. In childhood or youth or old age, at\nwhatever period of life one does an act good or bad, the consequences\nthereof are sure to visit him in his next life at precisely the same\nperiod. As a calf recognises and approaches its parent in the midst of\neven a thousand kine, even so the acts of a past life recognise and visit\nthe doer in his new life. Washed in water a (dirty) piece of cloth\nbecomes clean. Similarly, men burning in repentance obtain endless\nhappiness by proper penances.[547] Those that can take up their residence\nin the woods and by performing austerities for a long period can wash\nthemselves of their sins, succeed in obtaining the objects on which they\nset their hearts. As no one can mark the track of birds in the sky or of\nfishes in the water, similarly, the track of persons whose souls have\nbeen cleansed by knowledge cannot be marked by any.[548] There is no need\nof any more eloquence or any more reference to sinful acts. Suffice it to\nsay that one should, with proper judgment and as befits one best, do what\nis for one's good. This is the means by which wisdom and high felicity\nmay be achieved.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXXII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Whence has this universe consisting of mobile and\nimmobile creatures been created? Whom does it go to when destruction sets\nin? Tell me this, O grandsire! Indeed, by whom has this universe with its\noceans, its firmament, its mountains, its clouds, its lands, its fire,\nand its wind, been created? How were all objects created? Whence this\ndivision into separate orders of existence? Whence are their purity and\nimpurity, and the ordinances about virtue and vice? Of what kind is the\nlife of living creatures? Where also do they go who die? Tell us\neverything about this and the other world.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the old narrative of the\nsacred words that Bhrigu said in reply to the questions of Bharadwaja.\nBeholding the great Rishi Bhrigu blazing with energy and splendour,\nseated on the Kailasa summit, Bharadwaja addressed him in the following\nwords.\n\n\"'\"Bharadwaja said, 'By whom was this world with its ocean, its firmament,\nits mountains, its clouds, its lands, its fire, and its wind, created?\nHow were all creatures first created? Whence this distinction of castes?\nWhence the purity and the impurity of (behaviour), and whence the\nordinances about virtue and vice, for living creatures? Of what kind is\nthe life of living creatures? Where do they go who die? It behoveth thee\nto tell me everything about this and the other world.' Thus addressed\nabout his doubts by Bharadwaja, the illustrious and regenerate Rishi\nBhrigu who resembled Brahma itself, replied unto him, saying these words.\n\n\"'\"Bhrigu said, 'There is a Primeval Being, known to the great Rishis, of\nthe name of Manasa. He is without beginning and without end. That Divine\nBeing is incapable of being penetrated by weapons. He is without decay\nand is Immortal. He is said to be Unmanifest. He is Eternal, Undecaying,\nand Unchangeable. Through Him are creatures born and through Him they\ndie. He first created a Divine Being known by the name of Mahat.[549]\nMahat created Consciousness. That Divine Being created Space. That\npuissant Being is the holder of all created objects. From Space was born\nWater, and from Water were born Fire and Wind. Through the union of Fire\nand Wind was born the Earth. Self-born Manasa then created a divine Lotus\npregnant with Energy. From that Lotus sprang Brahman, that Ocean of\nVeda.[550] The Srutis say that as soon as born, that divine Being uttered\nthe words, \"I am He!\" For this He came to be called by the name of\nConsciousness. He has all created things for his body and He is their\nCreator.[551] These five elements that we see are that Brahman of great\nenergy. The mountains are his bones. The earth is his fat and flesh. The\noceans are his blood. Space is his stomach. The Wind is his breath. Fire\nis his energy. The rivers are his arteries and veins. Agni and Soma,\notherwise called the Sun and the Moon, are called his eyes. The firmament\nabove is his head. The earth is his two feet. The cardinal and subsidiary\npoints of the horizon are his arms. Without doubt, He is incapable of\nbeing known and His Soul is inconceivable by even persons crowned with\nascetic success. The Divine Being, who pervades the whole universe, is\nalso known by the name of Ananta (Infinite). He lives in Consciousness,\nand is incapable of being known by persons of uncleansed souls. Asked by\nthee I have now told thee of Him who created Consciousness for evoking\ninto existence all created objects, and from whom this universe has\nsprung.'\n\n\"'\"Bharadwaja said, 'What is the extent of the firmament, of the points of\nthe horizon, of the surface of this earth, and of the wind? By telling me\nthe truth, solve my doubts.'\n\n\"'\"Bhrigu said, 'The sky thou seest above is infinite. It is the abode of\npersons crowned with ascetic success and of divine beings. It is\ndelightful, and consists of various regions. Its limits cannot be\nascertained. The Sun and the Moon cannot see, above or below, beyond the\nrange of their own rays. There where the rays of the Sun and the Moon\ncannot reach are luminaries[552] which are self-effulgent and which\npossess splendour like that of the Sun or the fire. Know this, O giver of\nhonours, that possessed of far-famed splendour, even these last do not\nbehold the limits of the firmament in consequence of the inaccessibility\nand infinity of those limits. This Space which the very gods cannot\nmeasure is full of many blazing and self-luminous worlds each above the\nother. Beyond the limits of land are oceans of water. Beyond water is\ndarkness. Beyond darkness is water again, and beyond the last is fire.\nDownwards, beyond the nether regions, is water. Beyond water is the\nregion belonging to the great snakes. Beyond that is sky once more, and\nbeyond the sky is water again. Even thus there is water and sky\nalternately without end. Even such are the limits of the Divinity\nrepresented by water. The very gods are unable to ascertain limits of\nfire and wind and water. The nature of fire, wind, water, and land, is\nlike that of space. They are distinguished through want of true\nknowledge. Sages read in diverse scriptures the limits that have been\ndeclared of the three worlds and the ocean. Who is there, however, that\nwould set limits to what cannot be grasped by vision and what is\ninaccessible (in all its parts)? If even it becomes possible to ascertain\nthe limits of the firmament which is the track of the gods and beings\ncrowned with ascetic success, it can never be possible to set limits to\nthat which is limitless and known by the name of the Infinite, to that\nwhich correspond with the name by which it is known, viz., what has been\ncalled the high-souled Manasa? When again His form is sometimes\ncontracted and sometimes expanded, how can any one else except one that\nis equal to Him, be able to comprehend His limits? From the Lotus (of\nwhich I have already spoken) was first created the Omniscient lord,\nBrahman, endued with form, of essence comprised of Righteousness, and the\nCreator of all mobile and immobile things.'\n\n\"'\"Bharadwaja said, 'If Brahman sprang from the Lotus, then it is the Lotus\nthat should be regarded as the First-born and not Brahman. Why, however,\nis Brahma said to be the first? Do thou remove that doubt of mine.'\n\n\"'\"Bhrigu said, 'The Earth it is that is called the Lotus. It was created\nfor giving a seat unto that form of Manasa which became Brahman. Reaching\nup to heaven itself, the Sumeru became the pericarp of the Lotus.\nRemaining within it, the puissant Lord of the Universe created all the\nworlds.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXXIII\n\n\"'\"Bharadwaja said, 'Tell me, O best of Brahmanas, how the puissant Brahman\nresiding within Meru, created these diverse kinds of objects.'\n\n\"'\"Bhrigu said, 'The great Manasa (in his form of Brahman) created the\ndiverse kinds of objects by fiat of Will. For the protection then of all\ncreatures, he first created water. Water is the life of all creatures,\nand it is water which aids their growth. If there be no water, all\ncreatures would perish. The whole universe is pervaded by water. Earth,\nmountains, clouds, and all things which have form, should all be known as\ntransformations of water. They have all been produced by the\nsolidification of that element.'\n\n\"'\"Bharadwaja said, 'How did water spring? How Fire and Wind? How also was\nthe earth created? I have great doubts on these points.'\n\n\"'\"Bhrigu said, 'O regenerate one, in very ancient times called the\nBrahma-kalpa, the high-souled Rishis of the regenerate order, when they\nassembled together, felt this very doubt about the creation of the\nuniverse. Re-straining speech, they remained immovable, engaged in\n(ascetic) contemplation. Having given up all food, they subsisted upon\nair alone, and remained thus for a thousand celestial years. At the end\nof that period, certain words as sacred as those of the Vedas\nsimultaneously reached the ears of all. Indeed, this celestial voice was\nheard in the firmament to say, \"Formerly there was only infinite Space,\nperfectly motionless and immovable. Without sun, moon, stars, and wind,\nit seemed to be asleep. Then water sprang into existence like something\ndarker within darkness. Then from the pressure of water arose wind. As an\nempty vessel without a hole appears at first to be without any sound, but\nwhen filled with water, air appears and makes a great noise, even so when\ninfinite Space was filled with water, the wind arose with a great noise,\npenetrating through the water.[553] That wind, thus generated by the\npressure of the ocean of water, still moveth. Coming into (unobstructed)\nSpace, its motion is never stopped. Then in consequence of the friction\nof wind and water, fire possessed of great might and blazing energy,\nsprang into existence, with flames directed upwards. That fire dispelled\nthe darkness that had covered Space. Assisted by the wind, fire drew\nSpace and Water together. Indeed, combining with the wind, fire became\nsolidified. While failing from the sky, the liquid portion of fire\nsolidified again and became what is known as the earth. The earth or\nland, in which everything is born, is the origin of all kinds of taste,\nof all kinds of scent, of all kinds of liquids, and of all kinds of\nanimals.\"'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXXIV\n\n\"'\"Bharadwaja said, 'When the high-souled Brahman has created thousands of\ncreatures, why is it that only these five elements which he created\nfirst, which pervade all the universe and which are great creatures, have\ncome to have the name of creatures applied to them exclusively?'[554]\n\n\"'\"Bhrigu said, 'All things that belong to the category of the Infinite or\nthe Vast receive the appellation of Great. It is for this reason that\nthese five elements have come to be called Great creatures. Activity is\nwind. The sound that is heard is space. The heat that is within it is\nfire. The liquid juices occurring in it are water. The solidified matter,\nviz., flesh and bones, are earth. The bodies (of living creatures) are\nthus made of the five (primeval) elements. All mobile and immobile\nobjects are made of these five elements. The five senses also of living\ncreatures partake of the five elements. The ear partakes of the\nproperties of space, the nose of earth; the tongue of water; touch of\nwind; and the eyes of light (of fire).'\n\n\"'\"Bharadwaja said, 'If all mobile and immobile objects be composed of\nthese five elements, why is it that in all immobile objects those\nelements are not visible? Trees do not appear to have any heat. They do\nnot seem to have any motion. They are again made up of dense particles.\nThe five elements are not noticeable in them. Trees do not hear; they do\nnot see; they are not capable of the perceptions of scent or taste. They\nhave not also the perception of touch. How then can they be regarded as\ncomposed of the five (primeval) elements? It seems to me that in\nconsequence of the absence of any liquid material in them, of any heat,\nof any earth, of any wind, and of any empty space, trees cannot be\nregarded as compounds of the five (primeval) elements.'\n\n\"'\"Bhrigu said, 'Without doubt, though possessed of density, trees have\nspace within them. The putting forth of flowers and fruits is always\ntaking place in them. They have heat within them in consequence of which\nleaf, bark, fruit, and flower, are seen to droop. They sicken and dry up.\nThat shows they have perception of touch. Through sound of wind and fire\nand thunder, their fruits and flowers drop down. Sound is perceived\nthrough the ear. Trees have, therefore, ears and do hear. A creeper winds\nround a tree and goes about all its sides. A blind thing cannot find its\nway. For this reason it is evident that trees have vision. Then again\ntrees recover vigour and put forth flowers in consequence of odours, good\nand bad, of the sacred perfume of diverse kinds of dhupas. It is plain\nthat trees have scent.[555] They drink water by their roots. They catch\ndiseases of diverse kinds. Those diseases again are cured by different\noperations. From this it is evident that trees have perceptions of taste.\nAs one can suck up water through a bent lotus-stalk, trees also, with the\naid of the wind, drink through their roots. They are susceptible of\npleasure and pain, and grow when cut or lopped off. From these\ncircumstances I see that trees have life. They are not inanimate. Fire\nand wind cause the water thus sucked up to be digested. According, again,\nto the quantity of the water taken up, the tree advances in growth and\nbecomes humid. In the bodies of all mobile things the five elements\noccur. In each the proportions are different. It is in consequence of\nthese five elements that mobile objects can move their bodies. Skin,\nflesh, bones, marrow, and arteries and veins, that exist together in the\nbody are made of earth. Energy, wrath, eyes, internal heat, and that\nother heat which digest the food that is taken, these five, constitute\nthe fire that occurs in all embodied creatures.[556] The ears, nostrils,\nmouth, heart, and stomach, these five, constitute the element of space\nthat occurs in the bodies of living creatures. Phlegm, bile, sweat, fat,\nblood, are the five kinds of water that occur in mobile bodies. Through\nthe breath called Prana a living creature is enabled to move. Through\nthat called Vyana, they put forth strength for action. That called Apana\nmoves downwards. That called Samana resides within the heart. Through\nthat called Udana one eructates and is enabled to speak in consequence of\nits piercing through (the lungs, the throat, and the mouth). These are\nthe five kinds of wind that cause an embodied creature to live and move.\nThe properties of scent an embodied creature knows through the\nearth-element in him. From the water-element he perceives taste. From the\nfire-element represented by the eyes, he perceives forms, and from the\nwind-element he obtains the perception of touch. Scent, touch, taste,\nvision, and sound, are regarded as the (general) properties of every\nmobile and immobile object. I shall first speak of the several kinds of\nscent. They are agreeable, disagreeable, sweet, pungent, far-going,\nvaried, dry, indifferent. All these nine kinds of scent are founded upon\nthe earth-element. Light is seen by the eyes and touch through the\nwind-element. Sound, touch, vision and taste are the properties of water.\nI shall speak (in detail) now of the perception of taste. Listen to me.\nHigh-souled Rishis have spoken of diverse kinds of taste. They are sweet,\nsaltish, bitter, astringent, sour, and pungent. These are the six kinds\nof taste appertaining to the water-element. Light contributes to the\nvision of form. Form is of diverse kinds. Short, tall, thick,\nfour-cornered, round, white, black, red, blue, yellow, reddish, hard,\nbright, smooth, oily, soft, and terrible. These are the sixteen different\nkinds of form which constitute the property of light or vision. The\nproperty of the wind-element is touch. Touch is of various kinds: warm,\ncold, agreeable, disagreeable, indifferent, burning, mild, soft, light,\nand heavy. Both sound and touch are the two properties of the\nwind-element. These are the eleven properties that appertain to the wind.\nSpace has only one property. It is called sound. I shall now tell thee\nthe different kinds of sound. They are the seven original notes called\nShadja, Rishabha, Gandhara, Mahdhyama, Panchama, Dhaivata and Nishada.\nThese are the seven kinds of the property that appertains to space. Sound\ninheres like the Supreme Being in all space though attached especially to\ndrums and other instruments. Whatever sound is heard from drums small and\nlarge, and conchs, and clouds, and cars, and animate and inanimate\ncreatures, are all included in these seven kinds of sound already\nenumerated. Thus sound, which is the property of space, is of various\nkinds. The learned have said sound to be born of space. When raised by\nthe different kinds of touch, which is the property of the wind, it may\nbe heard. It cannot however, be heard, when the different kinds of touch\nare inceptive. The elements, mingling with their counterparts in the\nbody, increase and grow. Water, fire, wind are always awake in the bodies\nof living creatures. They are the roots of the body. Pervading the five\nlife-breaths (already mentioned) they reside in the body.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXXV\n\n\"'\"Bharadwaja said, 'How does bodily fire or heat, entering the body,\nreside there? How also does the wind, obtaining space for itself, cause\nthe body to move and exert itself?'\n\n\"'\"Bhrigu said, 'I shall, O regenerate one, speak to thee of the course in\nwhich the wind moves, and how, O sinless one, that mighty element causes\nthe bodies of living creatures to move and exert themselves. Heat resides\nwithin the head (brain) and protects the body (from perishing). The wind\nor breath called Prana, residing within the head and the heat that is\nthere, cause all kinds of exertion. That Prana is the living creature,\nthe universal soul, the eternal Being, and the Mind, Intellect, and\nConsciousness of all living creatures, as also all the objects of the\nsenses.[557] Thus the living creature is, in every respect, caused by\nPrana to move about and exert. Then in consequence of the other breath\ncalled Samana, every one of the senses is made to act as it does. The\nbreath called Apana, having recourse to the heat that is in the urethra\nand the abdominal intestines, moves, engaged in carrying out urine and\nfaeces. That single breath which operates in these three, is called Udana\nby those that are conversant with science. That breath which operates,\nresiding in all the joints of men's bodies, is called Vyana. There is\nheat in the bodies of living creatures which is circulated all over the\nsystem by the breath Samana. Residing thus in the body, that breath\noperates upon the different kinds of watery and other elementary\nsubstances and all bad humours. That heat, residing between Apana and\nPrana, in the region of the navel, operates, with the aid of those two\nbreaths, in digesting all food that is taken by a living creature. There\nis a duct beginning from the mouth down to the anal canal. Its extremity\nis called the anus. From this main duct numerous subsidiary ones branch\nout in the bodies of all living creatures.[558] In consequence of the\nrush of the several breaths named above (through these ducts), those\nbreaths mingle together. The heat (that dwells in Prana) is called\nUshman. It is this heat that causes digestion in all creatures possessed\nof bodies. The breath called Prana, the bearer of a current of heat,\ndescends (from the head) downwards to the extremity of the anal canal and\nthence is sent upwards once more. Coming back to its seat in the head, it\nonce more sends down the heat it bears. Below the navel is the region of\ndigested matter. Above it is that for the food which is taken. In the\nnavel are all the forces of life that sustain the body. Urged by the ten\nkinds of breaths having Prana for their first, the ducts (already\nmentioned), branching out from the heart, convey the liquid juices that\nfood yields, upwards, downwards, and in transverse directions.[559] The\nmain duct leading from the mouth to the anus is the path by which yogins,\nvanquishers of fatigue, of perfect equanimity in joy and sorrow, and\npossessed of great patience, succeed in attaining to Brahma by holding\nthe soul within the brain.[560] Even thus is heat planted in the breaths\ncalled Prana and Apana and others, of all embodied creatures. That heat\nis always burning there like a fire placed in any (visible) vessel.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXXVI\n\n\"'\"Bharadwaja said, 'If it is the wind that keeps us alive, if it is the\nwind that causes us to move and exert, if it is the wind that causes us\nto breathe and to speak, then it seems that life is worth little. If the\nanimal heat (that digests all food) be of the nature of fire, and if it\nis that fire which assists at digestion by dissolving the food we take,\nthen life is worth little. When an animal dies, that which is called its\nlife is never seen leaving it. Only the breath leaves it, and the\ninternal heat becomes extinguished. If life were nothing else than wind,\nor if life depended only on the wind, then it could have been seen like\nthe external sea of air, and when passing out it would have mingled with\nthat air. If life dependest upon air, and if it ended with the escape of\nthat air from the body, it would then mingle with another portion of air\n(that exists externally) like a portion of water escaping into the great\nocean and thereby only changing the place of its residence. If a quantity\nof water be thrown into a well, or if the flame of a lamp be thrown into\na blazing fire, either of them, entering a homogeneous element, loses its\nindependent or separate existence. If life were air, it also, when the\nanimal died, would mingle with the great ocean of air outside. How can we\nsay that there is life in this animal body which is made up of the five\n(primal) elements? If one of those elements disappear, the union of the\nother four becomes dissolved. The element of water drieth up if food be\nnot taken. The element of air disappears if the breath be restrained. The\nelement of space disappears if the excretions cease. So also the element\nof fire becomes extinguished if food does not go in. The element of earth\nbreaks in pieces in consequence of diseases, wounds, and other\nsufferings. If only one of the five becomes afflicted, the union, being\ndissolved, the five go away into five different directions. When the body\nwhich is a union of the elements, becomes separated into five\ningredients, whither doth life go? What doth it then know? What doth it\nthen hear? What doth it then say? This cow (that is given away to a holy\nBrahmana), it is said, will rescue me in the other world. The animal,\nhowever, that is given away, itself dies. Whom then will this cow rescue?\nThe taker of the cow (in gift) and the giver are both equal (in being\nboth subject to death). Both of them meet with extinction in this world.\nHow then will they meet again? How will the person that has been eaten up\nby birds, or that has been broken in pieces by a fall from a mountain\nsummit, or that has been consumed by fire, regain life? The root of a\ntree that has been cut down does not grow up again. Only the seeds put\nforth sprouts. Where is the person who having died comes back (to some\nsort of new existence)? Only seeds were originally created. All this\nuniverse is the result of seeds in succession. They that die, die to\nperish Seeds result from seeds.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXXVII\n\n\"'\"Bhrigu said, 'There is no destruction of the living creature, or of what\nis given, or of our other acts. The creature that dies only goes into\nanother form. The body alone dissolves away. The living creature, though\ndepending upon the body, does not meet with destruction when the body is\ndestroyed. It is not seen after the destruction of the physical frame\njust as fire is not seen after the consumption of the fuel with which it\nwas ignited.'\n\n\"'\"Bharadwaja said, 'If there is no destruction of the living creature like\nthat of fire, I submit, fire itself is not seen after consumption of the\nfuel (that ignited it). When the supply of fuel is stopped, the fire\nbecomes extinguished, and, as far as I know, becomes annihilated. That\nshould surely be regarded to have met with destruction which has no\nlonger any action, which furnishes no proof of its existence, and which\nno longer occupies any space.'\n\n\"'\"Bhrigu said, 'It is true that upon the consumption of fuel fire is no\nlonger seen. It mingles with space because there is no longer any visible\nobject in which to inhere, and hence it becomes incapable of perception\nby us. Similarly, upon leaving the body, the creature lives in space, and\ncannot be seen in consequence of its extreme subtility as is doubtless\nthe case with fire. It is fire or heat that sustains the breaths called\nPrana and the others. Know that that heat (thus existing) is called life\nor the living agent. That heat which is the sustainer of the breaths,\nbecomes extinguished in consequence of the suppression of breath. Upon\nthat heat in the physical frame being extinguished, the frame itself\nloses animation. Falling down, it is transformed into earth, for that is\nits ultimate destination. The breath that is in all mobile and immobile\nobjects mingles with space, and the heat that is in them follows that\nbreath. These three (viz., space, air, and fire), mingle together. The\nother two (viz., water and earth), exist together in the form of earth.\nThere is wind where space is, and there is fire where wind is. They are\nformless, it should be known, and become endued with form only in respect\nof embodied creatures.'\n\n\"'\"Bharadwaja said, 'If in the physical frames of all living creatures\nthere are heat, wind, earth, space and water, what, then, are the\nindications of living agent? Tell me these, O sinless one! I desire to\nknow the nature of the life that is in the bodies of living\nbeings,--bodies made up of the five primal elements, engaged in the five\nacts, endued with the five senses and possessed of animation. Upon the\ndissolution of the body which is a union of flesh and blood, and a mass\nof fat, sinews and bones, that which is the living agent cannot be seen.\nIf this body, composed of the five elements, be destitute of what is\ncalled life, who or what then is that which feels misery upon the\nappearance of either bodily or mental pain? The living agent hears what\nis said, with the aid of the ears. It, however, happens again, O great\nRishi, that the same agent hears not when the Mind is otherwise engaged.\nIt seems, therefore, that that which is called the living agent serves no\npurpose. The whole scene that the living agent sees with eyes acting in\nconcert with the mind, the eye beholds not, even when lying before it, if\nthe mind be otherwise engaged. Then again, when it is under the influence\nof sleep, that agent neither sees nor smells, nor hears, nor speaks, nor\nexperiences the perceptions of touch and taste. Who or what then is that\nwhich feels joy, becomes angry, gives way to sorrow, and experiences\ntribulation? What is that which wishes, thinks, feels aversion, and\nutters words?'\n\n\"'\"Bhrigu said, 'The mind also is made of the five elements in common with\nthe body. For this reason it is of no consequence with respect to the\nacts mentioned by thee. Only the one internal Soul sustaineth the body.\nIt is he that perceives smell, taste, sound, touch and form and other\nproperties (that exist in external nature). That Soul, pervading all the\nlimbs, is the witness (of the acts) of the mind endued with five\nattributes and residing within the body composed of the five elements. It\nis he who feels pleasure and pain, and when separated from him the body\nno longer experiences them. When there is no longer any perception of\nform or of touch, when there is no heat in the fire that resides within\nthe body,--indeed, when that animal heat becomes extinguished,--the body,\nin consequence of its abandonment by the Soul, meets with destruction.\nThe whole universe is composed of water. Water is the form of all\nembodied creatures. In that water is the Soul which is displayed in the\nmind. That Soul is the Creator Brahman who exists in all things. When the\nSoul becomes endued with vulgar attributes, it comes to be called\nKshetrajna. When freed from those attributes, it comes to be called\nParamatman or Supreme Soul. Know that Soul. He is inspired with universal\nbenevolence. He resides in the body like a drop of water in a lotus. Know\nwell that which is called Kshetrajna and which has universal benevolence.\nDarkness, Passion, and Goodness are the attributes of the living agent.\nThe learned say that the Soul has Consciousness and exists with the\nattributes of life. The soul exerts and causes everything to exert.\nPersons that have a knowledge of the Soul say that the Soul is different\nfrom life. It is the Supreme Soul that has created the seven worlds and\nsets them agoing. There is no destruction of the living agent when the\ndissolution of the body takes place. Men destitute of intelligence say\nthat it dies. That is certainly untrue. All that the living agent does is\nto go from one unto another body. That which is called death is only the\ndissolution of the body. It is thus that the Soul, wrapped in diverse\nforms, migrates from form to form, unseen and unnoticed by others.\nPersons possessed of true Knowledge behold the Soul by their keen and\nsubtile intelligence. The man of wisdom, living on frugal fare, and with\nheart cleansed of all sins, devoting himself to yoga meditation, succeeds\nevery night, before sleep and after sleep, in beholding his Soul by the\naid of his Soul.[561] In consequence of a contented heart, and by\nabandoning all acts good and bad, one can obtain infinite happiness by\ndepending upon one's own Soul. The king, of fiery effulgence, residing\nwithin the mind is called the living agent. It is from that Lord of\neverything that this creation has sprung. Even this is the conclusion to\nbe arrived at in the enquiry into the origin of creatures and the soul.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXXVIII\n\n\"'\"Bhrigu said, 'Brahman first created a few Brahmanas who came to be\ncalled Prajapatis (lords of creation). Possessed of splendour equal to\nthat of the fire or the Sun, they were created out of the energy of that\nFirst-born Being. The puissant Lord then created Truth, Duty, Penance,\nthe eternal Vedas, all kinds of pious acts, and Purity, for enabling\ncreatures to attain to heaven (by practising them). After this, the\nDeities and the Danavas, the Gandharvas, the Daityas, the Asuras, the\ngreat snakes, the Yakshas, the Rakshasas, the Serpents, the Pisachas, and\nhuman beings with their four divisions, viz., Brahmanas, Kshatriyas,\nVaisyas, and Sudras, O best of regenerate ones, and all the other orders\nof creatures that exist, were created. The complexion the Brahmanas\nobtained was white; that which the Kshatriyas obtained was red; that\nwhich the Vaisyas got was yellow; and that which was given to the Sudras\nwas black.'\n\n\"'\"Bharadwaja said, 'If the distinction between the four orders (of human\nbeings) be made by means only of colour (attribute), then it seems that\nall the four orders have been mingled together.[562] Lust, wrath, fear,\ncupidity, grief, anxiety, hunger, toil, possess and prevail over all men.\nHow can men be distinguished by the possession of attributes? The bodies\nof all men emit sweat, urine, faeces, phlegm, bile, and blood. How then\ncan men be distributed into classes? Of mobile objects the number is\ninfinite; the species also of immobile objects are innumerable. How,\nthen, can objects of such very great diversity be distributed into\nclasses?'\n\n\"'\"Bhrigu said, 'There is really no distinction between the different\norders. The whole world at first consisted of Brahmanas. Created (equal)\nby Brahman, men have, in consequence of their acts, become distributed\ninto different orders. They that became fond of indulging in desire and\nenjoying pleasures, possessed of the attributes of severity and wrath,\nendued with courage, and unmindful of the duties of piety and\nworship,--these Brahmanas possessing the attribute of Passion,--became\nKshatriyas. Those Brahmanas again who, without attending to the duties\nlaid down for them, became possessed of both the attributes of Goodness\nand Passion, and took to the professions of cattle-rearing and\nagriculture, became Vaisyas. Those Brahmanas again that became fond of\nuntruth and injuring other creatures, possessed of cupidity,--engaged in\nall kinds of acts for a living, and fallen away from purity of behaviour,\nand thus wedded to the attribute of Darkness, became Sudras. Separated by\nthese occupations, Brahmanas, falling away from their own order, became\nmembers of the other three orders. All the four orders, therefore, have\nalways the right to the performance of all pious duties and of\nsacrifices. Even thus were the four orders at first created equal by\nBrahman who ordained for all of them (the observances disclosed in) the\nwords of Brahma (in the Vedas). Through cupidity alone, many fell away,\nand became possessed by ignorance. The Brahmanas are always devoted to\nthe scriptures on Brahma; and mindful of vows and restraints, are capable\nof grasping the conception of Brahma. Their penances therefore, never go\nfor nothing. They amongst them are not Brahmanas that are incapable of\nunderstanding that every created thing is Supreme Brahma. These, falling\naway, became members of diverse (inferior) orders. Losing the light of\nknowledge, and betaking themselves to an unrestrained course of conduct,\nthey take birth as Pisachas and Rakshasas and Pretas and as individuals\nof diverse Mleccha species. The great Rishis who at the beginning sprang\ninto life (through Brahman's Will) subsequently created, by means of\ntheir penances, men devoted to the duties ordained for them and attached\nto the rites laid down in the Eternal Vedas. That other Creation,\nhowever, which is eternal and undecaying, which is based upon Brahma and\nhas sprung from the Primeval God, and which has its refuge upon yoga, is\na mental one.'\"'\"[563]\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXXIX\n\n\"'\"Bharadwaja said, 'By what acts does one become a Brahmana? By what, a\nKshatriya? O best of regenerate ones, by what acts again does one become\na Vaisya or a Sudra? Tell me this, O foremost of speakers.'\n\n\"'\"Bhrigu said, 'That person is called a Brahmana who has been sanctified\nby such rites as those called jata and others; who is pure in behaviour;\nwho is engaged in studying the Vedas; who is devoted to the six\nwell-known acts (of ablutions every morning and evening, silent\nrecitation of mantras, pouring libations on the sacrificial fire,\nworshipping the deities, doing the duties of hospitality to guests, and\noffering food to the Viswedevas); who is properly observant of all pious\nacts; who never takes food without having offered it duly to gods and\nguests; who is filled with reverence for his preceptor; and who is always\ndevoted to vows and truth. He is called a Brahmana in whom are truth,\ngifts, abstention from injury to others, compassion, shame,\nbenevolence,[564] and penance. He who is engaged in the profession of\nbattle, who studies the Vedas, who makes gifts (to Brahmanas) and takes\nwealth (from those he protects) is called a Kshatriya. He who earns fame\nfrom keep of cattle, who is employed in agriculture and the means of\nacquiring wealth, who is pure in behaviour and attends to the study of\nthe Vedas, is called a Vaisya.[565] He who takes pleasure in eating every\nkind of food, who is engaged in doing every kind of work, who is impure\nin behaviour, who does not study the Vedas, and whose conduct is unclean,\nis said to be a Sudra. If these characteristics be observable in a Sudra,\nand if they be not found in a Brahmana, then such a Sudra is no Sudra,\nand, such a Brahmana is no Brahmana. By every means should cupidity and\nwrath be restrained. This as also self-restraint, are the highest results\nof Knowledge. Those two passions (viz., cupidity and wrath), should, with\none's whole heart, be resisted. They make their appearance for destroying\none's highest good. One should always protect one's prosperity from one's\nwrath, one's penances from pride; one's knowledge from honour and\ndisgrace; and one's soul from error. That intelligent person, O\nregenerate one, who does all acts without desire of fruit, whose whole\nwealth exists for charity, and who performs the daily Homa, is a real\nRenouncer.[566] One should conduct oneself as a friend to all creatures,\nabstaining from all acts of injury. Rejecting the acceptance of all\ngifts, one should, by the aid of one's own intelligence, be a complete\nmaster of one's passions. One should live in one's soul where there can\nbe no grief. One would then have no fear here and attain to a fearless\nregion hereafter. One should live always devoted to penances, and with\nall passions completely restrained; observing the vow of taciturnity, and\nwith soul concentrated on itself; desirous of conquering the unconquered\nsenses, and unattached in the midst of attachments. All things that can\nbe perceived by the senses are called Manifest. All, however, that is\nUnmanifest, that is beyond the ken of the senses, that can be ascertained\nonly by the subtile senses, should be sought to be known.[567] If there\nbe no faith, one will never succeed in attaining to that subtile sense.\nTherefore, one should hold oneself in faith. The mind should be united\nwith Prana, and Prana should then be held within Brahma. By dissociating\noneself from all attachments, one may obtain absorption into Brahma.\nThere is no need of attending to any other thing. A Brahmana can easily\nattain to Brahma by the path of Renunciation. The indications of a\nBrahmana are purity, good behaviour and compassion unto all creatures.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXC\n\n\"'\"Bhrigu said, 'Truth is Brahma; Truth is Penance; it is Truth that\ncreates all creatures. It is by Truth that the whole universe is upheld;\nand it is with the aid of Truth that one goes to heaven. Untruth is only\nanother form of Darkness. It is Darkness that leads downwards. Those who\nare afflicted by Darkness and covered by it fail to behold the lighted\nregions of heaven. It has been said that Heaven is Light and that Hell is\nDarkness. The creatures that dwell in the universe may obtain both heaven\nand hell. In this world also, truth and untruth lead to opposite courses\nof conduct and opposite indications, such as Righteousness and\nUnrighteousness, light and darkness, pleasure and pain. Amongst these,\nthat which is Truth is Righteousness; that which is Righteousness is\nLight; and that which is Light is Happiness. Similarly, that which is\nUntruth is Unrighteousness; that which is Unrighteousness is Darkness;\nand that which is Darkness is Sorrow or Misery. In this respect it is\nsaid that they that are possessed of wisdom, beholding that the world of\nlire is overwhelmed with sorrow, both bodily and mental, and with\nhappiness that is sure to end in misery, never suffer themselves to be\nstupefied. He that is Wise will strive to rescue himself from sorrow. The\nhappiness of living creatures is unstable both here and hereafter.[568]\nThe happiness of creatures that are overwhelmed by Darkness disappears\nlike the splendour of the Moon when afflicted by Rahu.[569] Happiness is\nsaid to be of two kinds, viz., bodily and mental. Both in this and the\nother world, the visible and the invisible fruits (of action) are\nspecified (in the Vedas) for the sake of happiness.[570] There is nothing\nmore important than happiness and among the fruits or consequences of the\ntriple aggregate. Happiness is desirable. It is an attribute of the Soul.\nBoth Virtue and Profit are sought for its sake. Virtue is its root. This,\nindeed, is its origin. All acts have for their end the attainment of\nhappiness.'\n\n\"'\"Bharadwaja said, 'You have said that happiness is the highest object. I\ndo not comprehend this. This attribute of the soul that (you say) is so\ndesirable is not sought by the Rishis who are regarded to be engaged in\nsomething promising a higher reward. It is heard that the Creator of the\nthree worlds, viz., the puissant Brahman, lives alone, observant of the\nvow of Brahmacharya. He never devotes himself to the happiness obtainable\nfrom the gratification of desire. Also, the divine Master of the\nuniverse, the lord of Uma, reduced Kama (the deity of desire) to\nextinction. For this reason, we say that happiness is not acceptable to\nhigh-souled people. Nor does it appear to be a high attribute of the\nSoul. I cannot put faith in what thy divine self has said, viz., that\nthere is nothing higher than happiness. That there are two kinds of\nconsequences in respect of our acts, viz., the springing of happiness\nfrom good acts and of sorrow from sinful acts, is only a saying that is\ncurrent in the world.'\n\n\"'\"Bhrigu said, 'On this it is said as follows: from Untruth springs\nDarkness. They that are overwhelmed by Darkness pursue only\nUnrighteousness and not Righteousness, being overmastered by wrath,\ncovetousness, malice, falsehood, and similar evils. They never obtain\nhappiness either here or hereafter. On the other hand, they are afflicted\nby various kinds of disease and pain and trouble. They are also tortured\nby Death, imprisonment, and diverse other griefs of that kind, and by the\nsorrows, attending on hunger and thirst and toil. They are also pained by\nthe numerous bodily griefs that arise from rain and wind and burning heat\nand exceeding cold. They are also overwhelmed by numerous mental griefs\ncaused by loss of wealth and separation from friends, as also by griefs\ncaused by decrepitude and death. They that are not touched by these\ndiverse kinds of physical and mental afflictions, know what happiness is.\nThese evils are never found in heaven. There delicious breezes blow. In\nheaven there is also perpetual fragrance. In heaven there is no hunger,\nno thirst, no decrepitude, no sin. In this world there is both happiness\nand misery. In hell there is only misery. Therefore, happiness is the\nhighest object of acquisition. The Earth is the progenitrix of all\ncreatures. Females partake of her nature. The male animal is like\nPrajapati himself. The vital seed, it should be known, is the creative\nenergy. In this way did Brahman ordain in days of old that the creation\nshould go on. Each, affected by his own acts, obtains happiness or\nmisery.'\"'\"[571]\n\n\n\nSECTION CXCI\n\n\"'\"Bharadwaja said, 'What has been said to be the consequence of gift? What\nof Righteousness? What of conduct? What of Penances well-performed? What\nof the study and recitation of the Vedas? And what of pouring libations\nupon the fire?'\n\n\"'\"Bhrigu said, 'By pouring libations on the sacred fire, sin is burnt. By\nstudy of the Vedas one obtains blessed tranquillity. By gift, one obtains\npleasure and articles of enjoyment. By Penances, one acquires blessed\nheaven. Gift is said to be of two kinds: gifts for the other world, and\nthose for this. Whatever is given to the good attends the giver in the\nother world. Whatever is given to those that are not good produces\nconsequences enjoyable here. The consequences of gifts are commensurate\nwith the gifts themselves.'\n\n\"'\"Bharadwaja said, 'What course of duties should be performed by whom?\nWhat also are the characteristics of duty? How many kinds of duty are\nthere? It behoveth thee to tell me these.'[572]\n\n\"'\"Bhrigu said, 'Those wise men who are engaged in practising the duties\nlaid down for them succeed in obtaining heaven as their reward. By doing\notherwise people become guilty of folly.'\n\n\"'\"Bharadwaja said, 'It behoveth thee to tell me about the four modes of\nlife that were formerly laid down by Brahman, and the practices ordained\nfor each of them.'\n\n\"'\"Bhrigu said, 'In days of yore, the divine Brahman, for benefiting the\nworld, and for the protection of righteousness, indicated four modes of\nlife.[573] Amongst them, residence in the abode of the preceptor is\nmentioned as the first (in order of time). He who is in this mode of life\nshould have his soul cleansed by purity of conduct, by Vedic rites, and\nby restraints and vows and humility. He should worship the morning and\nevening twilights, the Sun, his own sacred fire, and the deities. He\nshould cast off procrastination and idleness. He should cleanse his soul\nby saluting his preceptor, by studying the Vedas, and by listening to his\npreceptor's instructions. He should perform his ablutions thrice (viz.,\nin the morning, noon, and evening). He should lead a life of celibacy;\nattend to his sacred fire; dutifully serve his preceptor; daily go out on\na round of mendicancy (for supporting himself); and give ungrudgingly\nunto his preceptor the whole of what is obtained in alms. Willingly\naccomplishing everything that the commands of his preceptor may indicate,\nhe should be ready to receive such Vedic instruction as his preceptor may\ngive him as a favour.[574] On this subject there is a verse: That\nBrahmana who obtains his Veda by attending with reverence upon his\npreceptor, succeeds in attaining to heaven and obtains the fruition of\nall his desires. The domestic mode of life is called the second (in point\nof time). We shall explain to you all the pious acts and indications of\nthat mode. Those who having completed their residence in the preceptor's\nabode return home, who are of pious conduct, who desire the fruits of a\nvirtuous course of behaviour with spouses in their company, have this\nmode of life ordained for them. In it Virtue, Wealth, and Pleasure, may\nall be obtained. It is (thus) suited to the cultivation of the triple\naggregate. Acquiring wealth by irreproachable acts, or with wealth of\nhigh efficacy which is obtained from recitation of the Vedas, or living\nupon such means as are utilised by the regenerate Rishis,[575] or with\nthe produce of mountains and mines, or with the wealth represented by the\nofferings made in sacrifices and on the termination of vows and other\nobservances, and those made unto deities, the householder should lead\nthis mode of life. That mode of life is regarded as the root of all the\nothers. They who are residents in the abodes of preceptors, they who lead\nlives of mendicancy, and others who live in the observance of vows and\nrestraints to which they are pledged, derive from this mode the means\nthey live upon, the offerings they make unto the Pitris and the deities,\nand, in short, their entire support. The third mode of life is called the\nForest-life. For those that lead it, there is no storing of wealth and\narticles.[576] Generally, these pious and good men, subsisting upon good\nfood, and engaged in studying the Vedas, roam ever the earth for\njourneying to tirthas and visiting diverse realms. Standing up, advancing\nforward, sweet speeches uttered in sincerity, gifts according to the\nmeasure of the giver's competence, offer of seats and beds of the best\nkind, and presents of excellent food, are some of the means for showing\nthem regard. On this subject there is a verse: If a guest turns away from\na house with expectations unfulfilled, he is supposed to take away the\nmerits of the householder and leave the latter all his misdeeds. Then\nagain in the domestic mode of life the deities are gratified by\nsacrifices and other religious rites; the Pitris by the performance of\nobsequial rites; the Rishis by cultivation of (Vedic) knowledge, by\nlistening to the instructions of preceptors, and by committing to memory\nthe scriptures; and lastly the Creator by begetting children.[577] On\nthis subject there are two verses: One in the observance of this mode of\nlife should speak upon all creatures words breathing affection and\nagreeable to the ears. To give pain, to inflict mortifications, and harsh\nwords, are all censurable. Insult, arrogance, and deceit, also should be\navoided. Abstention from injury, truth, and absence of wrath, produce the\nmerit of penances in all the (four) modes of life. In the domestic mode\nof life these are allowed, viz., the use and enjoyment of floral\ngarlands, ornaments, robes, perfumed oils and unguents; enjoyment of\npleasures derived from dancing and music, both vocal and instrumental,\nand all sights and scenes that are agreeable to the sight; the enjoyment\nof various kinds of viands and drinks belonging to the principal orders\nof edibles, viz., those that are swallowed, those that are lapped, those\nthat are quaffed, and those that are sucked; and the enjoyment of\npleasures derivable from sports and every kind of amusement and the\ngratification of desires. That man who in the observance of this mode of\nlife seeks the acquisition of the triple aggregate (viz., Religion,\nWealth, and Pleasure), with that of the great end of the three attributes\nof Goodness and Passion and Darkness,[578] enjoys great happiness here\nand at last attains to the end that is reserved for persons that are\nvirtuous and good.[579] Even that householder who observes the duties of\nhis mode of life by following the practice of picking up fallen grains of\ncorn from the cracks of fields and who abandons sensual pleasure and\nattachment to action, does not find it difficult to obtain heaven.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXCII\n\n\"'\"Bhrigu said, 'Forest recluses seeking the acquisition of virtue go to\nsacred waters and rivers and springs, and undergo penances in lone and\nsecluded woods abounding with deer and buffaloes and boars and tigers and\nwild elephants. They forsake all kinds of robes and food and enjoyments\nfor which people living in society have a taste. They subsist\nabstemiously upon wild herbs and fruits and roots and leaves of diverse\nkinds. The bare ground is their seat. They lie down on the bare earth or\nrocks or pebbles or gravel or sand or ashes. They cover their limbs with\ngrass and animal skins and barks of trees. They never shave their heads\nand beards or pare their nails. They perform their ablutions at regular\nintervals. They pour libations on the ground, as also on the sacred fire\nat the proper time without fail. They never enjoy any rest till\ncompletion of their daily gathering of the sacred fuel (for their homa\nfires) and sacred grass and flowers (for sacrifice and worship) and till\nthey have swept and rubbed clean (their sacrificial altars). They bear\nwithout the least regard cold and heat, and rain and wind, and,\ntherefore, the skin of their bodies is cracked all over; and in\nconsequence of observing and laying down for themselves various kinds of\nrites and vows and acts, their flesh and blood and skin and bones become\nemaciated.[580] Endued with great patience and fortitude, they live,\nalways practising the quality of goodness. That person who, with\nrestrained soul, observes such a course of duties originally ordained by\nregenerate Rishis, burns all his sins like fire and obtains regions of\nfelicity difficult of attainment.'\n\n\"'\"'I shall now describe the conduct of those called Parivrajakas. That is\nas follows: freeing themselves from attachment to the sacred fire,\nwealth, spouse and children, and robes, seats, beds, and such other\nobjects of enjoyment, and breaking the bonds of affection, they roam\nabout, regarding with an equal eye a clump of earth or rock and gold.\nThey never set their hearts on the acquisition or enjoyment of the triple\naggregate. They cast an equal eye on foes and friends and neutrals or\nstrangers. They never injure, in thought, word, or deed, immobile things\nor creatures that are viviparous, or oviparous or born of filth, or\ncalled vegetables. They have no homes. They roam over hills and\nmountains, upon shores of rivers or seas, under shades of trees, and\namong temples of deities. They may go to towns or villages for residence.\nIn a town, however, they should not live for more than five nights, while\nin a village their residence should never exceed one night. Entering a\ntown or a village, they should, for the support of life, repair to the\nabodes of only Brahmanas of liberal deeds.[581] They should never ask for\nany alms except what is thrown into the (wooden) bowls they carry. They\nshould free themselves from lust, wrath, pride, cupidity, delusion,\nmiserliness, deceit, slander, vanity, and injury to living creatures. On\nthis subject there are some verses: that person, who, observing the vow\nof taciturnity, roveth without giving any creature cause of fear, is\nnever inspired with any fear himself by any creature. That learned person\nwho performs the Agnihotra (not by kindling of external fire but) with\nthe aid of the fire that is his own body, indeed, who poureth libations\ninto his own mouth and upon the fire that exists in his own body,\nsucceeds in attaining to numerous regions of felicity in consequence of\nthat fire being fed with such libations obtained by a life of\neleemosynation. That person of regenerate birth who observes in the\naforesaid way this mode of life having Emancipation for its end, with a\npure heart and with an understanding freed from resolution, attains to\nBrahma after the manner of a tranquil ray of light that is not fed by any\nblazing fuel.'\n\n\"'\"Bharadwaja said, 'Beyond this region (that we inhabit) there is a region\nthat we have heard of but never seen. I desire to know all about it. It\nbehoveth thee to describe it to me.'\n\n\"'\"Bhrigu said, 'Towards the north, on the other side of Himavat, which is\nsacred and possessed of every merit, there is a region that is sacred,\nblessed, and highly desirable. That is called the other world.[582] The\nmen that inhabit that region are righteous in act, pious, of pure hearts,\nfreed from cupidity and errors of judgment, and not subject to\nafflictions of any kind. That region is, indeed, equal to heaven,\npossessed as it is of such excellent attributes. Death comes there at the\nproper season. Diseases never touch the inhabitants.[583] Nobody\ncherishes any desire for the wives of other people. Every one is devoted\nto his own wife. These people do not afflict or kill one another, or\ncovet one another's things. There no sin occurs, no doubt arises.[584]\nThere the fruits of all (religious) acts are visible. There some enjoy\nseats and drinks and viands of the best kind, and live within palaces and\nmansions. There some, adorned with ornaments of gold, surround themselves\nwith every article of enjoyment. There are, again, some that eat very\nabstemiously, for only keeping body and soul together. There some, with\ngreat toil, seek to hold the life-breaths.[585] Here (in this region that\nis inhabited by us), some men are devoted to righteousness and some to\ndeceit. Some are happy and some miserable; some are poor and some rich.\nHere toil, and fear and delusion, and painful hunger make their\nappearance. Here cupidity for wealth is also seen, a passion that\nstupefies even those that are learned amongst men. Here diverse opinions\nprevail, broached by those that do deeds which are righteous or sinful.\nThat man possessed of wisdom who knows all those opinions which may be\ndivided into two kinds, is never stained by sin. Deceit with fraud,\ntheft, slander, malice, oppression, injury, treachery, and untruth, are\nvices that detract from the merit of his penances who practises them. He,\non the other hand, possessed of learning, who avoids them, finds the\nmerit of his penances increased. Here there is much reflection about acts\nthat are righteous and those that are unrighteous. This region that we\ninhabit is the field of action. Having done good and evil here, one\nobtains good for his good acts and evil for acts that are evil.[586] Here\nthe very Creator in days of yore, and all the gods with the Rishis,\nhaving performed proper penances, become cleansed and attain to\nBrahma.[587] The northern portion of the earth is highly auspicious and\nsacred. Those belonging to this region (that we inhabit) that are doers\nof righteous deeds or that show regard for yoga, become born in that\nregion. Others (that are of a different disposition) take their births in\nthe intermediate species. Some again, when their allotted periods run\nout, become lost on earth.[588] Employed in feeding upon one another and\nstained by cupidity and delusion, these men return to this very region\nwithout being able to go (after death) to that northern region. Those men\nof wisdom who with vows and observant of Brahmacharyya listen with\nveneration to the instructions of preceptors, succeed in knowing the ends\nreserved for all classes of men. I have now told thee in brief the course\nof duties ordained by Brahman. He, indeed, is said to be possessed of\nintelligence who knows what is righteousness and what its reverse in this\nworld.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus, O king, did Bhrigu speak unto Bharadwaja of\ngreat energy. Of soul highly virtuous, the latter became filled with\nwonder and worshipped the great sage with veneration. Thus, O monarch,\nthe origin of the universe has been narrated to thee in detail. What, O\nthou of great wisdom, dost thou wish to hear after this?\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXCIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"I think, O grandsire, that thou art acquainted with\neverything, O thou that art conversant with duties. I desire to hear thee\ndiscourse to me, O sinless one, of the ordinances about conduct.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"They that are of bad conduct, of bad acts, of wicked\nunderstanding, and excessive rashness, are called evil or wicked men.\nThey, however, that are called good are distinguished by purity of\nconduct and practices. They are good men who never answer calls of nature\non the high roads, in cow-pens, or in fields overgrown with paddy. Having\nfinished the necessary acts one should perform his ablutions in\nriver-water and gratify the deities with oblations of water. This is said\nto be the duty of all men. Surya should be always worshipped. One should\nnot sleep after sunrise. Morning and evening the prayers (ordained in the\nscriptures) should be said, sitting with face turned towards the east and\ntowards the west respectively. Washing the five limbs,[589] one should\neat silently with face turned towards the east. One should never\ndisparage the food which one is to eat. One should eat food that is good\nto the taste. After eating one should wash one's hands and rise.[590] One\nshould never go to sleep at night with wet feet. The celestial Rishi\nNarada said that these are indications of good conduct. One should every\nday circumambulate a sacred spot, a bull, a sacred image, a cow-pen, a\nplace where four roads meet, a pious Brahmana, and sacred tree. One\nshould not make distinctions between one's guests and attendants and\nkinsmen in matters of food. Equality (in this respect) with servants is\napplauded. Eating (twice a day) in the morning and evening is an\nordinance of the gods. It is not laid down that one should eat (once\nmore) at any intermediate period. He who eats according to this rule\nacquires the merit of a fast.[591] At the hours ordained for Homa one\nshould pour libations on the sacred fire. Without seeking the\ncompanionship of other people's wives, the man of wisdom who seeks his\nown wife in her season acquires the merit of Brahmacharyya. The remnants\nof a Brahmana's dish are like ambrosia. They are like the lacteal\nsustenance that is yielded by the mother's breast. People highly prize\nthose remnants. The good, by eating them attain to Brahma. He who pounds\nturf to clay (for making sacrificial altars), or he who cuts grass (for\nmaking sacrificial fuel), or he who uses his nails only (and not weapons\nof any kind) for eating (sanctified meat), or he who always subsists on\nthe remnants of Brahmana's dishes, or he who acts, induced by desire for\nreward, has not to live long in the world.[592] One who has abstained\nfrom meat (under any vow) should not take meat even if it be sanctified\nwith mantras from the Yajurveda. One should also avoid the flesh about\nthe vertebral column (of any animal) and the flesh of animals not slain\nin sacrifices.[593] Whether at one's own place or in a strange land, one\nshould never cause one's guest to fast. Having obtained alms and other\nfruits of optional acts, one should offer them to one's seniors. One\nshould offer seats to one's seniors and salute them with respect. By\nworshipping one's seniors, one obtains long life, fame, and prosperity.\nOne should never behold the Sun at the moment of rising, nor should one\nturn one's gaze towards a naked woman that is another man's spouse.\nCongress with one's wife (in her season) is not sinful but it is an act\nthat should always be done in privacy. The heart of all sacred spots and\nshrines is the Preceptor. The heart of all pure and cleansing things is\nFire. All acts done by a good and pious person are good and laudable,\nincluding even the touching of the hair of a cow's tail. Every time one\nmeets with another, one should make polite enquiries. The saluting of\nBrahmanas every morning and evening is ordained. In temples of gods, amid\ncows, in performing the rites of religion laid down for Brahmanas, in\nreading the Vedas, and in eating, the right hand should be raised.[594]\nThe worship of Brahmanas, morning and evening, according to due rites,\nproduces great merit. In consequence of such worship the stock-in-trade\nof the merchant, become abundant and the produce of the agriculturist.\nGreat also becomes the yield of all kinds of corn and the supply of all\narticles that the senses can enjoy becomes copious. When giving eatables\nto another (seated at his dish), one should say, 'Is it sufficient?' When\npresenting drink, one should ask, 'Will it gratify,' and when giving\nsweetened milk and rice, or sugared gruel of barley, or milk with sesame\nor pease, one should ask 'Has it fallen?'[595] After shaving, after\nspitting, after bathing, and after eating, people should worship\nBrahmanas with reverence. Such worship is sure to bestow longevity on\nsickly men. One should not pass urine with face turned towards the sun,\nnor should one see one's own excreta. One should not lie on the same bed\nwith a woman, nor eat with her. In addressing seniors one should never\napply the pronoun you to them or take their names. Thouing or the taking\nof names is not censurable in addressing inferiors or equals in age.[596]\nThe hearts of sinful men betray the sins committed by them. Those sinful\nmen that conceal their conscious sins from good men meet with\ndestruction. Only ignorant fools seek to conceal the sins which they\ncommit consciously. It is true that human beings do not see those sins\nbut the gods see them. A sin concealed by another sin leads to fresh\nsins. An act of merit, again, if concealed by an act of merit, increases\nthe merit. The acts of a virtuous man always follow in the wake of\nvirtue. A man destitute of understanding never thinks of the sins\ncommitted by him. Those sins, however, overtake the doer that has fallen\naway from the scriptures. As Rahu comes to Chandra (at his proper time),\nthose sinful acts come to the foolish man.[597] The objects that are\nstored with expectation are scarcely enjoyed. Such storing is never\napplauded by the wise, for death waits for no one (but snatches his prey\nwhether the latter be ready or unready). The wise have said that the\nrighteousness of all creatures is an attribute of the mind. For this\nreason, one should, in one's mind, do good to all.[598] One should\npractise virtue singly. In the practice of virtue one has no need for the\nhelp of others. If one obtains only the ordinances of the scriptures,\nwhat can an associate do?[599] Righteousness is the origin of mankind.\nRighteousness is the ambrosia of the gods. After death, men enjoy,\nthrough Righteousness, eternal happiness.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXCIV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me, O grandsire, what and of what nature is\nthat which is called by the name of Adhyatma and which is laid down for\nevery person.[600] O thou that art acquainted with Brahma, whence has\nthis universe consisting of mobile and immobile things, been created?\nWhen universal destruction sets in, to whom does it go? It behoveth thee\nto discourse to me upon this topic.\"[601]\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"This Adhyatma, O son of Pritha, that thou askest me\nabout, I will presently discourse upon. It is highly agreeable and\nproductive of great felicity. Great teachers have (before this) shown the\ntruths about Creation and the Destruction (of the universe). Knowing\nthose truths, a person may obtain, even in this world, great satisfaction\nand felicity. Such knowledge may lead also to the acquisition of great\nfruits, and it is highly beneficial to all creatures. Earth, air, space,\nwater, and light numbered as the fifth, are regarded as Great Creatures.\nThese constitute both the origin and the destruction of all created\nobjects. Unto him from whom these great primal elements take their\norigin, they return repeatedly, severing themselves from all creatures\n(into whose compositions they enter), even like the waves of the ocean\n(subsiding into that from which they seem to take their rise). As the\ntortoise stretches its limbs and withdraws them again, even so the\nSupreme Soul creates all objects and again withdraws into Himself. The\nCreator places the five primal elements in all created objects in\ndifferent proportions. The living creature, however, does not see it\n(through ignorance). Sound, the organs of hearing, and all holes,--these\nthree,--spring from Space as their progenitor. Touch, action, and skin\nare the triple attributes of the Wind. Form, eye, and digestion are the\ntriple attributes of Fire or Energy. Taste, all liquid secretions, and\nthe tongue represent the three attributes of Water. Scents, the nose, and\nthe body are the triple properties of Earth. The great (primal) elements\nare five. The mind is the sixth. The senses and the mind, O Bharata, are\n(the sources of all) the perceptions of a living creature.[602] The\nseventh is called the understanding; and the eighth is the soul.[603] The\nsenses are for perceiving; the mind (unable to deal with those\nperceptions) produces uncertainty. The understanding reduces all\nperceptions to certainty. The Soul exists as a witness (without acting).\nAll that is above the two feet, all that is behind, and all that is\nabove, are seen by the Soul. Know that the Soul pervades the entire being\nwithout any space being left unoccupied. All men should know the senses,\nthe mind, and the understanding fully. The three states or qualities\ncalled Darkness, Passion, and Goodness, exist, dependent on the senses,\nthe mind, and the understanding.[604] Man, by apprehending with the aid\nof his intelligence, the manner in which creatures come and leave the\nworld, is sure to gradually attain to steadfast tranquillity. The three\nqualities (already mentioned, viz., Darkness, Passion, and Goodness),\nlead the understanding (to worldly attachments). In this respect, the\nUnderstanding (or Intelligence) is identical with the Senses and the\nMind. The Understanding, therefore, is identical with the six (the five\nsenses and the mind), and also with the objects comprehended by it. When,\nhowever, the Understanding is destroyed, the three qualities (of\nDarkness, Passion, and Goodness) are incapable of leading to action.[605]\nThis universe of immobile and mobile things consists of that\nintelligence. It is from that Intelligence that everything arises and it\nis into it that everything subsides. For this reason, the scriptures\nindicate that everything is a manifestation of Intelligence. That by\nwhich one hears is the ear. That by which one smells is called the organ\nof smell, and that by which one distinguishes the tastes is called the\ntongue. By the coat that covers the body one acquires perception of\ntouch. That which is called the Intelligence undergoes\nmodifications.[606] When the Intelligence desires anything it comes to be\ncalled Mind. The foundations upon which the Intelligence rests are five\nin number, each serving a different purpose. They are called the senses.\nThe invisible principle, viz., Intelligence rests on them. The\nIntelligence that exists in a living creature concerns itself with the\nthree states (called Passion, Darkness, and Goodness). Sometimes it\nobtains joy and sometimes misery. Sometimes it becomes divested of both\njoy and misery. Even thus the Intelligence exists in the minds of all\nmen. Sometimes the Intelligence which is made up of the triple states\n(already mentioned), transcends those three states (by yoga), like the\nlord of rivers, viz., the Ocean, with his surges, transgressing his high\ncontinents.[607] That Intelligence which transcends the three qualities\nexists in the mind in a pure state of (unmodified) existence alone. The\nquality of Darkness, however, that impels to action, soon pursues it. At\nthat time, the Intelligence sets all the senses to action. The properties\nof the three are even thus: joy dwells in Goodness; sorrow in Passion;\ndelusion in Darkness. All the states that exist (of the mind) are\nincluded in the three (that have been named). I have now, O Bharata, told\nthee about the course of the Understanding. An intelligent man should\nsubdue all his senses. The three qualities of Goodness, Passion, and\nDarkness, are always attached to living creatures. Three kinds of\nintelligence also are noticeable in every creature, viz., that which\ndepends upon Goodness, that upon Passion, and that upon Darkness, O\nBharata. The quality of Goodness brings happiness; the quality of Passion\nproduces sorrow; and if these two combine with the quality of Darkness,\nthen neither happiness nor sorrow is produced (but, instead, only\ndelusion or error). Every state of happiness that appears in the body or\nthe mind is said to be due to the quality of Goodness. A state of sorrow,\ndisagreeable to oneself, that comes, is due to nothing but the quality\nof Passion. One should never think of it with fear.[608] That state,\nagain, which is allied with delusion and error, and in consequence of\nwhich one knows not what to do, which is unascertainable and unknown,\nshould be regarded as belonging to the quality of Darkness.[609]\nGladness, satisfaction, delight, happiness, tranquillity of heart, these\nare the properties of the state of Goodness. Man sometimes obtains a\nmeasure of them. Discontent, heart-burning, grief, cupidity,\nvindictiveness are all indications of the state of Passion. They are seen\nwith or without adequate causes for producing them. Disgrace, delusion,\nerror, sleep and stupefaction, that overtake one through excess of\nill-luck, are the various properties of the state of Darkness.[610] That\nperson whose mind is far-reaching, capable of extending in all\ndirections, mistrustful in respect of winning the objects it desires, and\nwell-restrained, is happy both here and hereafter.[611] Mark the\ndistinction between these two subtile things, viz., Intelligence and\nSoul. One of these (viz., intelligence), puts forth the qualities. The\nother (viz., the Soul), does nothing of the kind. A gnat and a fig may be\nseen to be united with each other. Though united, each however is\ndistinct from the other. Similarly, Intelligence and Soul, though\ndistinguished from each other, by their respective natures, yet they may\nalways be seen to exist in a state of union. A fish and water exist in a\nstate of union. Each, however, is different from the other. The same is\nthe case with Intelligence and Soul. The qualities do not know the Soul,\nbut the Soul knows them all. The Soul is the spectator of the qualities\nand regards them all as proceeding from itself. The soul, acting through\nthe senses, the mind, and the understanding numbering as the seventh, all\nof which are inactive and have no self-consciousness, discovers the\nobjects (amid which it exists) like a (covered) lamp showing all objects\naround it by shedding its rays through an aperture in the covering. The\nunderstanding or Intelligence creates all the qualities. The Soul only\nbeholds them (as a witness). Even such is certainly the connection\nbetween the intelligence and the Soul.[612] There is no refuge on which\neither Intelligence or Soul depends. The Understanding creates the mind,\nbut never the qualities. When the soul, by means of the mind,\nsufficiently restrains the rays that emanate from the senses, it is then\nthat it becomes manifest (to the Understanding) like a lamp burning\nwithin a vessel that covers it. That person who renounces all ordinary\nacts, practises penances, devotes himself to study the Soul, taking a\ndelight therein, and regards himself as the Soul of all creatures,\nacquires a high end. As an aquatic fowl, while moving over the waters, is\nnever drenched in that element, even thus does a person of wisdom move\n(in the world) among creatures. By the aid of one's intelligence one\nshould act in the world after this fashion, without grief, without joy,\nwith an equal eye for all, and destitute of malice and envy. One living\nin this way succeeds in creating the qualities (instead of being oneself\naffected by them), like a spider creating threads.[613] The qualities\nshould, indeed, be regarded as the threads of the spider. Some say that\nthe qualities in respect of such men are not lost. Some say that they are\nall lost. Those who say that they are not lost rely upon the revealed\nscriptures (viz., the Srutis), which do not contain any declaration to\nthe contrary. They, on the other hand, who say that the qualities are all\nlost rely on the Smritis. Reflecting upon both these opinions, one should\njudge oneself as to which of them is right. One should thus get over this\nhard and knotty question which is capable of disturbing the\nunderstanding by doubt, and thereby win happiness. When that doubt will\nbe removed, one will no longer have to indulge in sorrow of any kind. Men\nof filthy hearts may by knowledge obtain success like persons plunging in\na well-filled stream purifying themselves of all filth. One who has to\ncross a broad river does not feel happy at only seeing the other shore.\nIf the case were otherwise (i.e., if by only beholding the other shore\none could reach it by a boat), then might one become happy. The matter is\notherwise with one acquainted with the Truth. The mere knowledge of Truth\nwill bring him happiness. As soon as such knowledge begins to bear\nfruits, the person may be regarded to have reached the other shore. They\nwho thus know the Soul as freed from all worldly objects and is but the\nOne, are said to obtain high and excellent knowledge.[614] A person by\nknowing the origin and the end of all creatures, which is even such, and\nby reflecting upon the matter, gradually obtains infinite happiness. He\nthat has understood the triple aggregate (viz., that it is liable to\ndestruction instead of being eternal), and reflecting upon it, casts it\naway, succeeds by yoga to behold the Truth and obtain perfect felicity.\nThe Soul is incapable of being seen unless the senses, which are employed\non diverse objects and are difficult of being controlled, be all duly\nrestrained. He that knows this is really wise. What other indication is\nthere of a wise man? Acquiring this knowledge, men possessed of\nintelligence regard themselves to be crowned with success. That which\ninspires the ignorant with fear can never inspire fear in persons of\nKnowledge. There is no higher end for anybody (than Emancipation). In\nconsequence, however, of the excess or otherwise of good qualities, the\nsages say that differences are observable in respect of the degree of\nEmancipation. A person by acting without expectation of fruits succeeds\n(by those acts) in annihilating his sinful acts of a former period. To\none possessed of wisdom, the acts of a former period (thus washed off)\nand those of this life also (which are accomplished without expectation\nof fruit), do not become productive of any disagreeable consequence (such\nas immurement in hell). But how can acts, if he continues to be engaged\nin accomplishing acts, bring about what is agreeable (viz.,\nEmancipation)?[615] People censure a person that is afflicted (with lust,\nenvy, and other evil passions). Those vices hurl the person in his next\nlife into diverse kinds of inferior orders.[616] Mark with close\nattention the vicious in this world who grieve exceedingly for the loss\nof their possessions (such as sons and wives, etc.). Behold also those\nthat are gifted with judgment and who never grieve when thrown into\nsimilar circumstances. Those that are conversant with both (i.e., with\ngradual Emancipation and immediate Emancipation), deserve to be called\ntruly wise.\"'\"[617]\n\n\n\nSECTION CXCV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I shall now, O son of Pritha, discourse to thee upon the\nfour kinds of yoga meditation. The great Rishis, obtaining a knowledge of\nthe same, attain to eternal success even here. Great Rishis gratified\nwith knowledge, with hearts set upon Emancipation, and conversant with\nyoga, act in such a way that their yoga meditation may get on properly.\nThese, O son of Pritha, being freed from the faults of the world, never\ncome back (for rebirth). Liberated from liability to rebirth, they live\nin their original Soul-state.[618] Freed from the influence of all pairs\nof opposites (such as heat and cold, joy and sorrow, etc.), ever existing\nin their own (original) state, liberated (from attachments), never\naccepting anything (in gift), they live in places free from the\ncompanionship of wives and children, without others with whom disputes\nmay arise, and favourable to perfect tranquillity of heart. There such a\nperson, restraining speech, sits like a piece of wood, crushing all the\nsenses, and with mind undividedly united by the aid of meditation (with\nthe Supreme Soul). He has no perception of sound through the ear; no\nperception of touch through the skin; no perception of form through the\neye; no perception of taste through the tongue. He has no perception also\nof scents through the organ of smell. Immersed in yoga, he would abandon\nall things, rapt in meditation. Possessed of great energy of mind, he has\nno desire for anything that excites the five senses. The wise man,\nwithdrawing his five senses into the mind, should then fix the unstable\nmind with the five senses (into the Intellect). Possessed of patience,\nthe yogin should fix his mind which always wanders (among worldly\nobjects), so that his five gates (under the influence of training) may be\nmade stable in respect of things that are themselves unstable. He should,\nin the firmament of the heart, fix his mind into the path of meditation,\nmaking it independent of the body or any other refuge. I have spoken of\nthe path of meditation as the first, since the yogin has first to crush\nhis senses and the mind (and direct them to that path). The mind, which\nconstitutes the sixth, when thus restrained, seeks to flash out like the\ncapricious and flighty lightning moving in frolic among the clouds. As a\ndrop of water on a (lotus) leaf is unstable and moves about in all\ndirections, even so becomes the yogin's mind when first fixed on the path\nof meditation. When fixed, for a while the mind stays in that path. When,\nhowever, it strays again into the path of the wind, it becomes as flighty\nas the wind. The person conversant with the ways of yoga-meditation,\nundiscouraged by this, never regarding the loss of the toil undergone,\ncasting aside idleness and malice, should again direct his mind to\nmeditation. Observing the vow of silence, when one begins to set his mind\non yoga, then discrimination, knowledge, and power to avoid evil, are\ngained by him.[619] Though feeling annoyed in consequence of the\nflightiness of his mind, he should fix it (in meditation). The yogin\nshould never despair, but seek his own good. As a heap of dust or ashes,\nor of burnt cow-dung, when drenched with water, does not seem to be\nsoaked, indeed, as it continues dry if drenched partially, and requires\nincessant drenching before it becomes thoroughly soaked, even thus should\nthe yogin gradually control all his senses. He should gradually withdraw\nthem (from all objects). The man that acts in this way succeeds in\ncontrolling them. One, O Bharata, by oneself directing one's mind and\nsenses to the path of meditation, succeeds in bringing them under perfect\ncontrol by steadfast yoga. The felicity that he feels who has succeeded\nin controlling his mind and senses is such that its like can never be\nobtained through Exertion or Destiny.[620] United with such felicity, he\ncontinues to take a pleasure in the act of meditation. Even in this way\nyogins attain to Nirvana which is highly blessed.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXCVI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou hast discoursed on the four modes of life and\ntheir duties. Thou hast also spoken of the duties of kings. Thou hast\nrecited many histories of diverse kinds and connected with diverse\ntopics. I have also heard from thee, O thou of great intelligence, many\ndiscourses connected with morality. I have, however, one doubt. It\nbehoveth thee to resolve it. I wish, O Bharata, to hear of the fruits\nthat silent Reciters of sacred mantras acquire (by their practice). What\nare the fruits that have been indicated for such men? What is that region\nto which they go after death? It behoveth thee also, O sinless one, to\ntell me all the rules that have been laid down in respect of such silent\nrecitation. When the word Reciter is uttered, what shall I understand by\nit? Is such a man to be regarded as following the ordinances of Sankhya\nor yoga or work?[621] Or, is such a man to be regarded as observing the\nordinances about (mental) sacrifices? How is the path of the Reciters to\nbe called? Thou art, as I think, of universal knowledge. Tell me all\nthis.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the old history of what\ntranspired between Yama, Time, and a certain Brahmana. Sages conversant\nwith the means of attaining to Emancipation have spoken of two methods,\nviz., the Sankhya and the yoga. Amongst these, in the former, which is\notherwise called the Vedanta, Renunciation has been preached with respect\nto silent recitation. The declarations of the Vedas preach Abstention\n(from rites), are fraught with tranquillity, and are concerned with\nBrahma.[622] Indeed, the two paths spoken of by sages bent on achieving\nwhat is for their good, viz., Sankhya and yoga, are such that they are\nboth concerned and again unconcerned (with silent recitations).[623] The\nmanner in which silent recitation is connected (with each of the two\npaths) and the cause I shall now explain. In both as in the case of\nsilent recitation, are needed the subduing of the senses and the fixing\nof the mind (after withdrawal from external objects); as also truth\nkeeping up of the (sacred) fire, residence in solitude, meditation,\npenance, self-restraint, forgiveness, benevolence, abstemiousness in\nrespect of food, withdrawal from worldly attachments, the absence of\ntalkativeness, and tranquillity. These constitute a sacrifice in acts\n(leading to the fruition of desire about heaven or felicity in next\nlife).[624] Listen now to the course that consists of abstention (from\nacts). The manner in which the acts of the Reciter observing the vow of\nBrahmacharya may cease, I will presently declare. Such a person should\nconduct himself in every way according to what has been (already) said by\nme.[625] Betaking himself to the path of abstention, he should seek to\nextinguish his dependence on both the External and the Internal. Sitting\non kusa grass, with kusa in hand, and binding his coronal locks with\nkusa, he should surround himself with kusa and have kusa for robes.\nBowing unto all earthly concerns, he should take leave of them and never\nthink of them. Assuming equability by the aid of his mind, he should fix\nhis mind on the mind itself. Reciting the highly beneficial composition\n(viz., the Gayatri), he meditates with the aid of his intellect on Brahma\nalone. Afterwards he leaves off even that, being then absorbed in\nconcentrated contemplation.[626] In consequence of his dependence on the\nstrength of the Gayatri which he recites, this concentrated contemplation\nwill come of itself. By penances he attains to purity of soul, and\nself-restraint, and cessation of aversion and desire. Freed from\nattachment and delusion, above the influence of all pairs of opposites\n(such as heat and cold, joy and sorrow, etc.), he never grieves and never\nsuffers himself to be drawn towards worldly objects. He does not regard\nhimself as the actor nor as the enjoyer or sufferer of the consequences\nof his acts. He never, through selfishness, fixes his mind on anything.\nWithout being employed in the acquisition of wealth, he abstains also\nfrom disregarding or insulting others, but not from work. The work in\nwhich he is employed is that of meditation; he is devoted to meditation,\nand seeks meditation unalterably. By meditation he succeeds in bringing\nabout concentrated contemplation, and then gradually leaves off\nmeditation itself. In that state he enjoys the felicity which attaches to\nthe abandonment of all things. Having thoroughly mastered the principle\nof desire he casts off his life-breaths and then enters into the Brahmic\nbody. Or, if he does not desire to enter into the Brahmic body, he at\nonce goes upwards into the region of Brahma and has never to undergo\nrebirth. Having become tranquillity's self, and being freed from all\nkinds of calamity, such a person, by depending upon his own intelligence,\nsucceeds in attaining to that Soul which is pure and immortal and which\nis without a stain.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXCVII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou hast said that as regards Reciters, they obtain\nthis very high end.[627] I beg to enquire whether this is their only end\nor there is any other to which they attain.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Listen with concentrated attention, O puissant monarch,\nto the end that silent Reciters attain, and to the diverse kinds of hell\ninto which they sink, O bull among men! That Reciter who does not at\nfirst conduct himself according to the method that has been laid down,\nand who cannot complete the ritual or course of discipline laid down, has\nto go to hell.[628] That Reciter who goes on without faith, who is not\ncontented with his work, and who takes no pleasure in it, goes to hell,\nwithout doubt. They who follow the ritual with pride in their hearts, all\ngo to hell. That Reciter who insults and disregards others has to go to\nhell. That man who betakes himself to silent recitation under the\ninfluence of stupefaction and from desire of fruit, obtains all those\nthings upon which his heart becomes set.[629] That Reciter whose heart\nbecomes set upon the attributes that go by the name of divinity, has to\nincur hell and never becomes freed from it.[630] That Reciter who betakes\nhimself to recitation under the influence of attachments (to earthly\nobjects such as wealth, wives etc.) obtain those objects upon which their\nhearts are set. That Reciter of wicked understanding and uncleansed soul\nwho sets himself to his work with an unstable mind, obtains an unstable\nend or goes into hell. That Reciter who is not endued with wisdom and who\nis foolish, becomes stupefied or deluded; and in consequence of such\ndelusion has to go to hell where he is obliged to indulge in\nregrets.[631] If a person of even firm heart, resolving to complete the\ndiscipline, betakes himself to recitation, but fails to attain to\ncompletion in consequence of his having freed himself from attachments by\na violent stretch without genuine conviction of their inutility or\nharmful character, he also has to go to hell.\"[632]\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"When the Reciter attains to the essence of that\nwhich exists in its own nature (without being anything like created or\nborn objects), which is Supreme, which is indescribable and\ninconceivable, and which dwells in the syllable om forming the subject of\nboth recitation and meditation (indeed, when Reciters to a state of\nBrahma), why is it that they have again to take birth in embodied forms?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In consequence of the absence of true knowledge and\nwisdom, Reciters obtain diverse descriptions of hell. The discipline\nfollowed by Reciters is certainly very superior. These, however, that I\nhave spoken of, are the faults that appertain to it.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXCVIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me what description of hell is obtained by a\nReciter? I feel, O king, a curiosity to know this. It behoveth thee to\ndiscourse on the subject.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Thou hast sprung from a portion of the god of\nrighteousness. Thou art by nature observant of righteousness. Listen, O\nsinless one, with undivided attention, to these words resting on\nrighteousness as their basis. Those regions that are owned by the\nhigh-souled gods, that are of diverse aspects and colours, of diverse\ndescriptions and productive of diverse fruits, and that are of great\nexcellence, those cars again that move at the will of the riders, those\nbeautiful mansions and halls, those various pleasure-gardens embellished\nwith golden lotuses, those regions that belong to the four Regents and\nSukra and Vrihaspati and the Maruts and Viswedevas and Sadhyas and the\nAswins, and the Rudras and the Adityas and the Vasus, and other denizens\nof heaven, are, O sire, spoken of as hells, when compared with the region\nof the Supreme Soul. The region last spoken of is without any fear (of\nchange for the worse), uncreate (and therefore, in its true nature),\nwithout pain of any kind (such as ignorance and delusion), without any\nagreeable or disagreeable element, beyond the reach of the three\nattributes (of Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas), freed from the eight incidents,\n(viz., the five primal elements, the senses, the mind, and the\nintellect), without the three (distinctions between the knower, the\nknown, and act of knowing); freed also from the four attributes (seeing,\nhearing, thinking, and knowing),[633] without the fourfold causes (of\nknowledge), without joy and delight and sorrow and disease. Time (in his\nforms of past, present, and future) arises there for use. Time is not the\nruler there. That supreme region is the ruler of Time as also of Heaven.\nThat Reciter who becomes identified with his Soul (by withdrawing\neverything into it) goes thither. He has, after this, never to feel any\nsorrow. This region is called Supreme. The other regions (of which I have\nfirst spoken) are hell. I have not told thee of all those regions that\nare called hell. Indeed, in comparison with that foremost of regions all\nthe others are called hell.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXCIX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou hadst referred to the dispute between Time,\nMrityu, Yama, Ikshvaku, and a Brahmana. It behoveth thee to narrate the\nstory in full.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In connection with this subject that I am discoursing\nupon, is cited the old history of what transpired between Surya's son\nIkshvaku and a certain Brahmana, and Time and Mrityu. Listen to me as to\nwhat occurred, and what was the conversation that took place between\nthem, and the place where it happened. There was a certain Brahmana of\ngreat fame and pious behaviour. He was a Reciter. Possessed of great\nwisdom, he was conversant with the six Angas (of the Vedas). He was of\nthe Kusika race and son of Pippalada.[634] He acquired (by his\nausterities) spiritual insight into the Angas.[635] Residing at the foot\nof Himavat, he was devoted to the Vedas. Silently reciting the Gayatri\ncomposition, he practised severe austerities for attaining to Brahma. A\nthousand years passed over his head while he was engaged in the\nobservance of vows and fasts. The goddess (of Gayatri or Savitri) showed\nherself to him and said, 'I am gratified with thee.' Continuing to recite\nthe sacred mantra, the Brahmana remained silent and spoke not a word to\nthe goddess. The goddess felt compassion for him and became highly\ngratified. Then that progenitrix of the Vedas applauded that recitation in\nwhich the Brahmana had been engaged. After finishing his recitation (for\nthat day) the Brahmana stood up and, bending his head, prostrated himself\nbefore the goddess's feet. The righteous-souled Reciter, addressing the\ngoddess, said, 'By good luck, O goddess, thou hast been gratified with me\nand shown thyself to me. If, indeed, thou art gratified with me, the boon\nI ask is that my heart may take pleasure in act of recitation.'\n\n\"'\"Savitri said, 'What dost thou ask, O regenerate Rishi? What wish of\nthine shall I accomplish? Tell me, O foremost of Reciters, everything\nwill be as thou wishest.' Thus addressed by the goddess, the Brahmana,\nconversant with duties, replied, saying, 'Let my wish about continuing my\nrecitations go on increasing every moment. Let also, O auspicious\ngoddess, the absorption of my mind into Samadhi be more complete.' The\ngoddess sweetly said, 'Let it be as thou wishest.' Desiring to do good to\nthe Brahmana, the goddess once again addressed him, saying, 'Thou shalt\nnot have to go to hell, i.e., thither where great Brahmanas go. Thou\nshalt go into the region of Brahma which is uncreate and free from every\nfault. I go hence, but that which thou hast asked me shall happen.[636]\nGo on reciting with restrained soul and rapt attention. The god Dharma\nwill in person come to thee. Time, Mrityu, and Yama also will all\napproach thy presence. There will be a dispute here between them and thee\non a question of morality.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Having said these words, the goddess went back to\nher own abode. The Brahmana continued engaged in recitation for a\nthousand celestial years. Restraining wrath, and always controlling self,\nhe passed his time, firmly devoting himself to truth and freed from\nmalice. Upon the completion of his observance by the intelligent\nBrahmana, Dharma, gratified with him, showed his person unto that\nregenerate individual.\n\n\"'\"Dharma said, 'O regenerate one, behold me who am Dharma. I have come\nhere for seeing thee. Thou hast won the reward of this recitation in\nwhich thou hadst been engaged. Listen to me as to what that reward is.\nThou hast won all the regions of felicity which appertain to either gods\nor men. O good man, thou shalt ascend above all the abodes of the\ndeities. O ascetic, cast off thy vital breaths then, and go unto whatever\nregions thou pleasest. By casting off thy body thou wilt win many regions\nof felicity.'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'What business have I with those regions of felicity\nof which thou speakest? O Dharma, go whithersoever thou pleasest. I will\nnot, O puissant lord, cast off this body which is subject to much\nhappiness and misery.'\n\n\"'\"Dharma said, 'Thy body, O foremost of ascetics, should certainly be cast\noff. Do thou ascend to heaven, O Brahmana! Or, tell us what else should\nplease thee, O sinless one!'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'I do not, O puissant lord, wish to reside in heaven\nitself without this body of mine. Leave me, O Dharma! I have no desire to\ngo to heaven itself without my own body.'\n\n\"'\"Dharma said, 'Without (thus) setting thy heart on thy body, cast it off\nand be happy Go into regions that are free from the attribute of Passion.\nIndeed, going thither, thou shalt never have to feel any misery.'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'O highly-blessed one, I take great pleasure in\nrecitation. What need have I for those eternal regions of which thou\nspeakest? Indeed, O puissant lord, I do not desire to go to heaven with\neven this body of mine.'\n\n\"'\"Dharma said, 'If thou dost not wish to cast off thy body, behold, O\nregenerate one, there is Time, and there is Mrityu, and there is Yama,\nwho are all approaching thee!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"After Dharma had said this, Vivaswat's son (Yama),\nTime, and Mrityu,--the trio (who snatch away all creatures from the\nearth), approached that Brahmana, O blessed king, and addressed him thus.\n\n\"'\"Yama said, 'I am Yama. I say unto thee that a high reward awaits thee\nfor these well-performed penances of thine, and for this pious conduct\nthat thou hast observed.'\n\n\"'\"Time said, 'Thou hast won a high reward which is, indeed, commensurate\nwith this course of recitation that thou hast finished. The time is come\nfor thee to ascend to heaven. I am Time and I have come to thee.'\n\n\"'\"Mrityu said, 'O thou that art conversant with righteousness, know me for\nMrityu herself in her proper form. I have come to thee in person, urged\nby Time, for bearing thee hence, O Brahmana.'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'Welcome to Surya's son, to Time possessed of high\nsoul, to Mrityu, and to Dharma! What shall I accomplish for you all?'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"In that meeting, the Brahmana gave them water to\nwash their feet, and the usual articles of the Arghya. Highly gratified,\nhe then addressed them, saying, 'What shall I do for you all by exerting\nmy own might?' Just at that time, O monarch, (king) Ikshvaku, who had\nset out on a sojourn to holy waters and shrines, came to that spot where\nthose deities had been assembled together. The royal sage Ikshvaku bowed\nhis head and worshipped them all. That best of kings then enquired after\nthe welfare of all of them. The Brahmana gave the king a seat, as also\nwater to wash his feet, and the usual Arghya. Having next made the usual\nenquiries of courtesy, he said, 'Thou art welcome, O great monarch! Tell\nme all this thy wishes! Let thy noble self tell me what I shall have to\naccomplish for thee by putting forth my might.'\n\n\"'\"The king said, 'I am a king. Thou art a Brahmana in the observance of\nthe six well-known duties. (I cannot ask), I will give thee some wealth.\nThat is well-known. Tell me how much I shall give thee.'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'There are two kinds of Brahmanas, O monarch!\nMorality of righteousness also is of two kinds: addiction to work, and\nabstention from work. As regards myself, I have abstained from acceptance\nof gifts. Give presents unto them, O, king, that are addicted to the duty\nof work and acceptance. I shall not, therefore, accept anything in gift.\nOn the other hand, I ask thee, what is for thy good? What, indeed, shall\nI give thee? Tell me, O foremost of kings, and I shall accomplish it with\nthe aid of my penances.'\n\n\"'\"The king said, 'I am a Kshatriya. I do not know how to say the word\n\"Give.\" The only thing, O best of regenerate persons, that we can say (by\nway of asking) is Give (us) battle.'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'Thou art content with the observance of the duties\nof thy order. Similarly, I am content with the duties of mine, O king!\nThere is, therefore, little difference between us. Do as thou pleasest!'\n\n\"'\"The king said, 'Thou saidst these words first, viz., \"I shall give thee\naccording to my might.\" I, therefore, solicit thee, O regenerate one.\nGive me the fruits of this recitation (which thou hast gone through).'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'Thou wert boasting that thy utterances always\nsolicit battle. Why then dost thou not solicit battle with me?'\n\n\"'\"The king said, 'It has been said that Brahmanas are armed with the\nthunder of speech, and that Kshatriyas have might of arms. Hence, learned\nBrahmana, this wordy warfare has set in between thee and me.'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'As regards myself, even that is my resolution today.\nWhat shall I give thee according to my might? Tell me, O king of kings,\nand I shall give thee, having wealth of my own. Do not tarry.'\n\n\"'\"The king said, 'If, indeed, thou desirest to give me anything, then give\nme the fruits thou hast earned by practising recitation for these\nthousand years.'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'Take the highest fruit of the recitations I have\ngone through. Indeed, take half, without any scruple, of that fruit. Or,\nO king, if thou wishest, take without any scruple the entire fruits of my\nrecitations.'\n\n\"'\"The king said, 'Blessed be thou, I have no need for the fruits of thy\nrecitations which I solicited. Blessings on thy head. I am about to leave\nthee. Tell me, however, what those fruits are (of thy recitations).'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'I have no knowledge of the fruits I have won. I\nhave, however, given thee those fruits that I have acquired by\nrecitation. These, viz., Dharma and Time, and Yama, and Mrityu, are\nwitnesses (of the act of gift).'\n\n\"'\"The king said, 'What will the fruits, that are unknown, of these thy\nobservances, do for me? If thou dost not tell me what the fruits are of\nthy recitations, let those fruits be thine, for without doubt I do not\nwish for them.'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'I will not accept any other utterance (from thee). I\nhave given thee the fruits of my recitations. Let, O royal sage, both thy\nwords and mine become true. As regards my recitations, I never cherished\nany specific desire to accomplish. How then, O tiger among kings, should\nI have any knowledge of what the fruits are of those recitations? Thou\nsaidst, \"Give!\" I said \"I give!\" I shall not falsify these words. Keep\nthe truth. Be calm! If thou request to keep my word, O king, great will\nbe thy sin due to falsehood. O chastiser of foes, it does not become thee\nto utter what is untrue. Similarly, I dare not falsify what I have\nuttered. I have, before this, unhesitatingly said, \"I give!\" If,\ntherefore, thou art firm in truth, accept my gift. Coming here, O king,\nthou didst solicit of me the fruits of my recitations. Therefore, take\nwhat I have given away, if, indeed, thou art firm in truth. He who is\naddicted to falsehood has neither this world nor the next. Such a person\nfails to rescue his (deceased) ancestors. How again shall he succeed in\ndoing good to his (unborn) progeny? The rewards of sacrifices and gifts,\nas also of fasts and religious observances, are not so efficacious in\nrescuing (a person from evil and hell) as Truth, O bull among men, in\nboth this and the next world. All the penances that have been undergone\nby thee and all those that thou wilt undergo in the future for hundreds\nand thousands of years do not possess efficacy greater than that of\nTruth. Truth is one undeteriorating Brahma. Truth is the one\nundeteriorating Penance. Truth is the one undeteriorating sacrifice.\nTruth is the one undeteriorating Veda. Truth is awake in the Vedas. The\nfruits attached to Truth have been said to be the highest. From Truth\narise Righteousness and Self-restraint. Everything rests on Truth. Truth\nis the Vedas and their branches. Truth is Knowledge. Truth is the\nOrdinance. Truth is the observance of vows and fasts. Truth is the\nPrimeval Word Om. Truth is the origin of creatures. Truth is their\nprogeny. It is by Truth that the Wind moves. It is by Truth that the Sun\ngives heat. It is by Truth that Fire burns. It is on Truth that Heaven\nrests. Truth is Sacrifice, Penance, Vedas, the utterance of Samans,\nMantras, and Saraswati. It hath been heard by us that once on a time\nTruth and all religious observances were placed on a pair of scales. When\nboth were weighed, that scale on which Truth was seen to be heavier.\nThere is Truth where Righteousness is. Everything increaseth through\nTruth. Why, O king, dost thou wish to do an act that is stained with\nfalsehood? Be firm in Truth. Do not act falsely, O monarch! Why wouldst\nthou falsify thy words \"Give (me),\" which thou hast uttered? If thou\nrefusest, O monarch, to accept the fruits that I have given thee of my\nrecitations, thou shalt then have to wander over the world, fallen away\nfrom Righteousness! That person who does not give after having promised,\nand he also that does not accept after having solicited, are both stained\nwith falsehood. It behoveth thee, therefore, not to falsify thy own\nwords.'\n\n\"'\"The king said, 'To fight and protect (subjects) are the duties of\nKshatriyas. It is said that Kshatriyas are givers (of presents). How then\nshall I take anything from thee (in gift)?'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'I never insisted on thee, O king (for accepting\nanything from me in the first instance). I did not seek thy house.\nThyself, coming here, didst solicit me. Why then dost thou not take?'\n\n\"'\"Dharma said, 'Know ye both that I am Dharma himself. Let there be no\ndispute between you. Let the Brahmana become endued with the reward\nattaching to gift, and let the monarch also obtain the merit of Truth.'\n\n\"'\"Heaven said, 'Know, O great king, that I am Heaven's self in my embodied\nform, come hither in person. Let this dispute between you cease. You are\nboth equal in respect of the merit or rewards earned.'\n\n\"'\"The king said, 'I have no use with Heaven. Go, O Heaven, to the place\nyou have come from. If this learned Brahmana desires to repair to thee,\nlet him take the rewards that I have won (by my acts in life).'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'In my younger days I had, through ignorance,\nstretched my hand (for acceptance of gifts). At present, however, I\nrecite the Gayatri, observing the duty of abstention.[637] Why dost thou,\nO king, tempt me thus, me who have for a long time observed the duty of\nabstention? I shall myself do what my duty is. I do not wish to have any\nshare of the rewards won by thee, O monarch! I am devoted to penances and\nto study of the Vedas, and I have abstained from acceptance.'\n\n\"'\"The king said, 'If, O Brahmana, thou art really to give me the excellent\nreward of thy recitation, then let half that reward be mine, thyself\ntaking at the same time half the reward that I myself have won by my\nacts. Brahmanas are engaged in the duty of acceptance. Persons born in\nthe royal order are engaged in the duty of giving. If thou art not\nunaware of the duties (laid down for both the orders), let our fruits be\nequal (according to the suggestion I have made). Or, if thou dost not\nwish to be my equal in respect of our rewards, take then the whole of the\nrewards that I may have won. Do take the merit I have won, if thou\nwishest to show me grace.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"At this time, two individuals of very ungainly\naspect came there. Each had his arm upon the other's shoulder; both were\nill-dressed. They said these words, 'Thou owest me nothing. I really owe\nthee. If we dispute in this way, here is the king who ruleth individuals.\nI say truly, thou owest me nothing! Thou speakest falsely. I do owe thee\na debt.' Both of them, waxing very hot in dispute, then addressed the\nking, saying, 'See, O monarch, that none of us may become stained with\nsin.'\n\n\"'\"Virupa said, 'I owe my companion, Vikrita, O monarch, the merits of the\ngift of a cow. I am willing to pay off that debt. This Vikrita, however,\nrefuses to take repayment.'[638]\n\n\"'\"Vikrita said, 'This Virupa, O monarch, oweth me nothing. He speaks a\nfalsehood with the appearance of truth, O king.'\n\n\"'\"The king said, 'Tell me, O Virupa, what is that which thou owest thy\nfriend here. It is my resolution to hear thee and then do what is proper.'\n\n\"'\"Virupa said, 'Hear attentively, O king, all the circumstances in detail,\nabout how I owe my companion, viz., this Vikrita, O ruler of men. This\nVikrita had, in bygone days, for the sake of winning merit, O sinless\none, given away an auspicious cow, O royal sage, unto a Brahmana devoted\nto penances as the study of the Vedas. Going unto him, O king, I begged\nof him the reward of that act. With a pure heart, Vikrita made a gift to\nme of that reward. I then, for my purification, did some good acts. I\nalso purchased two kapila cows with calves, both of which used to yield\nlarge quantities of milk. I then made a present, according to due rites\nand with proper devotion, of those two cows unto a poor Brahmana living\nby the Unchha[639] method. Having formerly accepted the gift from my\ncompanion, I desire, O lord, even here, to give him return twice the\nreward![640] The circumstances being such, O tiger among men, who amongst\nus two shall be innocent and who guilty (according to your judgment)?\nDisputing with each other about this, we have both come to thee, O\nmonarch! Whether thou judgest rightly or wrongly, establish both of us in\npeace. If this my companion does not wish to take from me in return a\ngift equal to what he gave me, thou shalt have to judge patiently and set\nus both on the right track.'\n\n\"'\"The king said, 'Why do you not accept payment that is sought to be made\nof the debt that is owing to thee? Do not delay, but accept payment of\nwhat thou knowest is thy due.'\n\n\"'\"Vikrita said, 'This one says that he owes me. I say unto him that what I\ngave I gave away. He doth not, therefore, owe me anything. Let him go\nwhithersoever he wishes.'\n\n\"'\"The king said, 'He is ready to give thee. Thou, however, art unwilling\nto take. This does not seem proper to me. I think that thou deservest\npunishment for this. There is little doubt in this.'\n\n\"'\"Vikrita said, 'I made a gift to him, O royal sage! How can I take it\nback? If I am guilty in this, do thou pronounce the punishment, O\npuissant one.'\n\n\"'\"Virupa said, 'If thou refusest to take when I am ready to give, this\nking will certainly punish thee, for he is an upholder of justice.'\n\n\"'\"Vikrita said, 'Solicited by him I gave him what was my own. How shall I\nnow retake that? Thou mayst go away. Thou hast my leave.'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'Thou hast heard, O king, the words of these two. Do\nthou take without scruple that which I have pledged myself to give thee.'\n\n\"'\"The king said, 'This matter is, indeed, as deep (in importance) as an\nunfathomable pit. How will the pertinacity of this Reciter end? If I do\nnot accept what has been given by this Brahmana, how shall I avoid being\nstained with a great sin?' The royal sage then said unto the two\ndisputants, 'Go ye both, having won your respective objects. I should see\nthat kingly duties, vested in me, may not become futile. It is settled\nthat kings should observe the duties laid down for them. To my\nmisfortune, however, the course of duties prescribed for Brahmanas has\npossessed my wretched self.'[641]\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'Accept, O king! I owe thee. Thou didst solicit it,\nand I also have become pledged (to give thee). If, however, thou refuse\nto take, O monarch, I shall without doubt curse thee.'\n\n\"'\"The king said, 'Fie on kingly duties, the settled conclusion about the\noperation of which is even such. I should, however, take what thou\ngivest, for only this reason, viz., rendering the two courses of duty\nexactly equal.[642] This is my hand, that was never before (stretched\nforth for acceptance of gifts), is now stretched forth (for acceptance as\nalso) for giving away. Give me what thou owest me.'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'If I have won any fruits by reciting the Gayatri,\naccept them all.'\n\n\"'\"The king said, 'These drops of water, behold, O foremost of Brahmanas,\nhave fallen upon my hand. I also desire to give thee. Accept my gift. Let\nthere be equality between us (through thy accepting my gift as I have\naccepted thine).'\n\n\"'\"Virupa said, 'Know, O king, that we two are Desire and Wrath. It hath\nbeen by us that thou hast been induced to act in this way. Thou hast made\na gift in return to the Brahmana. Let there be equality between thee and\nthis regenerate person in respect of regions of felicity in the next\nworld. This Vikrita really does not owe me anything. We appealed to thee\nfor thy own sake. Time, Dharma, Mrityu, and we two, have examined\neverything about thee, here in thy very presence, by producing this\nfriction between thee and that Brahmana. Go now, as thou choosest, to\nthose regions of felicity which thou hast won by means of thy deeds.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"I have now told thee how Reciters obtain the fruits\n(of their recitation) and what, indeed, is their end, what the spot, and\nwhat the regions, that a Reciter may win. A Reciter of Gayatri goes to\nthe supreme god Brahman, or repairs to Agni or enters the region of\nSurya. If he sports there in his (new) energetic form, then stupefied by\nsuch attachment, he catches the attributes of those particular\nregions.[643] The same becomes the case with him if he goes to Soma, or\nVayu, or Earth, or Space. The fact is, he dwells in all these, with\nattachment, and displays the attributes peculiar to those regions. If,\nhowever, he goes to those regions after having freed himself from\nattachments, and feels a mistrust (respecting the felicity he enjoys)\nand wishes for That Which is Supreme and Immutable, he then enters even\nThat. In that case he attains to the ambrosia of ambrosia, to a state\nfree from desire and destitute of separate consciousness. He becomes\nBrahma's self freed from the influence of opposites, happy, tranquil, and\nwithout pain.[644] Indeed, he attains to, that condition which is free\nfrom pain, which is tranquillity's self, which is called Brahma, whence\nthere is no return, and which is styled the One and Immutable. He becomes\nfreed from the four means of apprehension,[645] the six conditions, and\nalso the other six and ten attributes.[646] Transcending the Creator\n(Brahman), he attains to absorption into the One Supreme Soul. Or, if\nunder the influence of attachments, he wishes not for such absorption,\nbut desires to have a separate existence as dependent on that Supreme\nCause of everything, then obtains the fruition of everything for which he\ncherishes a wish. Or, if he looks (with aversion) upon all regions of\nfelicity, which have been (as previously stated) called hells, he then,\ndriving off desire and freed from everything, enjoys supreme felicity\neven in those very regions.[647] Thus, O monarch, I have discoursed to\nthee about the end attained by Reciters. I have told thee everything.\nWhat else thou wishest to hear?\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CC\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me, O grandsire, what reply was given by either\nthe Brahmana or the monarch to Virupa after the conclusion of the\nlatter's speech. What kind of end was it, amongst those described by\nthee, that they obtained? What, indeed, was the discourse that happened\nbetween them, and what did they do there?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The Brahmana, saying, 'Let it be as thou hast said,'\nworshipped Dharma and Yama and Time and Mrityu and Heaven, all of whom\nwere worthy of worship. He also worshipped all those foremost of\nBrahmanas that had come there by bending his head unto them. Addressing\nthe monarch then, he said, 'Endued with the reward of my recitations, O\nroyal sage, attain thou to a position of eminence. With thy leave I shall\nset myself to my recitations again. O thou of great might, the goddess\nSavitri gave me a boon, saying, \"Let thy devotion to recitations be\ncontinuous.\"'\n\n\"'\"The king said, 'If thy success (in recitation) has become fruitless (in\nconsequence of thy having given away those fruits unto me), and if thy\nheart be set upon practising again, go, O learned Brahmana, half and half\nwith me, and let the reward of thy recitations themselves be thine.'[648]\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'Thou hast made strenuous efforts before all these\npersons (for making me a sharer of the rewards in store for thee as the\nconsequences of thy own acts). Let us then become equal in respect of our\nrewards (in next life), and let us go to receive that end which is ours.'\nKnowing the resolve to which they came there, the chief of the gods came\nto that spot, accompanied by the deities and the Regents of the world.\nThe Sadhyas, the Viswas, the Mantras, diverse kinds of loud and sweet\nmusic, the Rivers, the Mountains, the Seas, the Sacred Waters, the\nPenances, the Ordinances about yoga, the Vedas, the Sounds that accompany\nthe singing of the Samans, Saraswati, Narada, Parvata, Viswavasu, the\nHahas, the Huhus, the Gandharva Chitrasena with all the members of his\nfamily, the Nagas, the Sadhyas, the Munis, the god of gods, viz.,\nPrajapati, and the inconceivable and thousand-headed Vishnu himself, came\nthere. Drums and trumpets were beat and blown in the firmament. Celestial\nflowers were rained down upon those high-souled beings. Bands of Apsaras\ndanced all around. Heaven, in his embodied form, came there. Addressing\nthe Brahmana, he said, 'Thou hast attained to success. Thou art highly\nblessed.' Next addressing the monarch, he said, 'Thou also, O king, hast\nattained to success.' Those two persons then, O monarch (viz., the\nBrahmana and the king), having done good to each other, withdrew their\nsenses from the objects of the world. Fixing the vital breaths Prana,\nApana, Samana, Udana and Vyana in the heart, they concentrated the mind\nin Prana and Apana united together. They then placed the two united\nbreaths in the abdomen, and directed their gaze to the tip of the nose\nand then immediately below the two eye-brows. They next held the two\nbreaths, with the aid of the mind, in the spot that intervenes between\nthe two eye-brows, bringing them there very gradually. With bodies\nperfectly inactive, they were absorbed with fixed gaze. Having control\nover their souls, they then placed the soul within the brain. Then\npiercing the crown of the high-souled Brahmana a fiery flame of great\nsplendour ascended to heaven. Loud exclamations of woe, uttered by all\ncreatures, were then heard on all sides. Its praises hymned by all, that\nsplendour then entered Brahman's self. The Great grandsire, advancing\nforward, addressed that splendour which had assumed a form of the\ntallness of a span, saying, 'Welcome!' And once more he uttered these\nwords, 'Verily, Reciters attain to the same end with the yogins. The\nattainment by the yogin of his end is an object of direct vision unto all\nthese (here assembled). As regards Reciters, there is this distinction,\nthat the honour is ordained for them of Brahman's advancing forward to\nreceive them (after their departure from earth).[649] Dwell thou in me.'\nThus spoke Brahman and once more imparted consciousness into that\nsplendour. Indeed, the Brahmana then, freed from all anxieties, entered\nthe mouth of the Creator. The monarch (Ikshvaku) also, after the same\nmanner, entered the divine Grandsire like that foremost of Brahmanas. The\n(assembled) deities saluted the self-born and said, 'A very superior end\nis, indeed, ordained for Reciters. This exertion (that we have seen thee\nput forth) is for Reciters. As regards ourselves, we came hither for\nbeholding it. Thou hast made these two equal, rendered them equal honour,\nand bestowed upon them an equal end. The high end that is reserved for\nboth yogins and Reciters has been seen by us today. Transcending all\nregions (of felicity), these two are capable of going whithersoever they\nwish.'\n\n\"'\"Brahman said, 'He also that would read the great Smriti (viz., the\nVeda), and he too, who would read the other auspicious Smritis that\nfollow the former (viz., Manu's and the rest), would, in this way, attain\nto the same region with me. He also who is devoted to yoga, will, without\ndoubt, acquire in this manner, after death, the regions that are mine. I\ngo hence. Go ye all to your respective places for the accomplishment of\nyour ends.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Having said these words, that foremost of gods\ndisappeared there and then. The assembled deities, having previously\ntaken his leave, returned to their respective abodes. All those\nhigh-souled beings, having honoured Dharma, proceeded with well-pleased\nhearts, O monarch, walking behind that great deity. These are the rewards\nof reciters and this their end. I have described them to thee as I myself\nhad heard of them. What else, O monarch, dost thou wish to hear of?\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"What are the fruits of the yoga represented by\nKnowledge of all the Vedas, and of the (various) observances and vows?\nHow also may the creature-soul be known? Tell us, this, O grandsire!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the old narrative of the\ndiscourse between that lord of creatures, viz., Manu, and the great\nRishi, Vrihaspati. In days of old, the foremost of celestial Rishis,\nviz., Vrihaspati, who was a disciple of Manu, bowed to his preceptor and\naddressing that lord and first of all creatures, said, 'What is the cause\n(of the universe)? Whence have the ordinances (about sacrifices and other\npious observances) flowed? What are those fruits which the learned say\nare attached to Knowledge? Tell me also truly, O illustrious one, what is\nthat which the very Vedas have not been able to reveal? What are those\nfruits which are adored by eminent personages conversant with the science\nof Artha, with the Vedas, and with the Mantras, through sacrifices and\nplentiful gifts of kine? Whence do those fruits arise? Where are they to\nbe found? Tell me also this old history, viz., whence have the earth, all\nearthly objects, wind, sky, aquatic creatures, water, heaven, and the\ndenizens of heaven, all sprung? Man's inclinations tend towards that\nobject about which he seeks knowledge. I have no knowledge of that\nAncient and Supreme one. How shall I rescue myself from a false display\nof inclinations towards Him?[650] The Riks, all the Samanas, all the\nYajuses, the Chhandas, Astronomy, Nirukta, Grammar, Sankalpa, and Siksha,\nI have studied. But I have no knowledge of the nature of the great\ncreatures (the five primal elements) that enter into the composition of\neverything.[651] Tell me all I have asked thee, by using only simple\nassertions and distinguishing adjectives or attributes. Tell me what the\nfruits are of Knowledge and what those fruits that are attached to\nsacrifices and other religious rites. Explain to me how also an embodied\nbeing departs from his body and how he attains to another body.'\n\n\"'\"Manu said, 'That which is agreeable to one is said to constitute one's\nhappiness. Similarly, that which is disagreeable to one is said to\nconstitute one's misery.--By this I shall obtain happiness and keep off\nmisery--from a sentiment like this flow all religious acts. The efforts\nfor the acquisition of Knowledge, however, arise from a sentiment for\navoiding both happiness and misery.[652] The ordinances about sacrifices\nand other observances, that occur in the Vedas, are all connected with\ndesire. He, however, who liberates himself from desire, succeeds in\nattaining to Brahma. That man who, from desire of winning happiness,\nwalks in the path of acts which are of diverse kinds, has to go to\nhell.'[653]\n\n\"'\"Vrihaspati said, 'Men's aspirations are concerned with the acquisition\nof the agreeable which ends in happiness, and the avoidance of the\ndisagreeable which brings misery. Such acquisition and such avoidance\nagain are accomplished by acts.'[654]\n\n\"'\"Manu said, 'It is by liberating oneself from acts that one succeeds in\nentering into Brahma. The ordinances about acts have flowed for that very\nend.[655] The ordinances about acts tempts only those whose hearts are\nnot free from desire. By liberating oneself from acts (as already said)\none acquires the highest state. One desirous of felicity (Emancipation),\nbetaking oneself to religious rites, becomes purified (from attachments)\nby acts having for their object the purification of the soul, and at last\nwins great splendour. By liberating oneself from acts, one acquires the\nhighest end, viz., Brahma, which is very much above the reward that acts\ngive. Creatures have all been created by Mind and Act. These again are\nthe two best paths adored by all. Outward acts produce fruits that are\ntransitory as also eternal. For acquiring the latter there is no other\nmeans than abandonment of fruits by the mind.[656] As the eye, when night\npasses away and the veil of darkness is removed from it, leads its\npossessor by its own power, so the Understanding, when it becomes endued\nwith Knowledge, succeeds in beholding all evils that are worthy of\navoidance.[657] Snakes, sharp-pointed kusa blades, and pits, men avoid\nwhen they perceive them lie on their way. If some tread upon or fall into\nthem, they do so through ignorance. Behold the superiority of the fruits\nof knowledge (over those of ignorance). Mantras applied duly, sacrifices,\nthe presents called Dakshina, gift of food, and concentration of the mind\n(for divine contemplation),--these are the five acts that are said to be\nproductive of fruits, there being none else. Acts have (the three)\nattributes (of Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas) for their soul. The Vedas say\nthis. (The Vedas consist of Mantras). The Mantras, therefore, have the\nsame three attributes, since it is with Mantras that acts are to be\naccomplished. The ritual also must be liable to the same three\nattributes. The fruits of action depend upon the mind. It is the embodied\ncreature that enjoys those fruits.[658] All excellent kinds of sound,\nform, taste, touch, and scent, are the fruits of acts, being attainable\nin the region of acts (i.e., heaven). As regards, however, the fruits of\nknowledge, man acquires them even here before death.[659] Whatever acts\nare accomplished by means of the body, one enjoys the fruits thereof in a\nstate of physical existence. The body is, indeed, the framework to which\nhappiness inheres, as also the framework to which misery inheres.[660]\nWhatever acts are accomplished by means of words, their fruits are to be\nenjoyed in a state in which words can be spoken. Similarly, whatever acts\nare accomplished by the mind, their fruits are enjoyed in a state in\nwhich one is not freed from the mind.[661] Devoted to the fruits of acts,\nwhatever kind of acts (Sattwika or Rajasika or Tamasika) a person\ncovetous of fruits accomplishes, the fruits, good or bad, that he\nactually enjoys partake of their character. Like fishes going against a\ncurrent of water, the acts of a past life come to the actor. The embodied\ncreature experiences happiness for his good acts, and misery for his evil\nones. Him from whom this universe hath sprung, Him by knowing whom\npersons of cleansed souls transgress this world, Him who has not been\nexpressed by Vedic mantras and words, I will now indicate. Listen to me\nas I speak of that highest of the high. Himself liberated from the\nseveral kinds of taste and scent, and sound and touch and form, He is\nincapable of being grasped by the senses, unmanifest, without colour, the\nOne, and He has created the five kinds of objects[662] for His creatures.\nHe is neither female, nor male, nor of the neuter sex. He is neither\nexistent, nor non-existent, nor existent-nonexistent.[663] Only those\nthat are acquainted with Brahma behold Him. He knoweth no direction.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCII\n\n\"'\"Manu said, 'From that eternal and undeteriorating One first sprang\nSpace; from space came Wind; from wind came Light; from light came Water;\nfrom water sprang the Universe; and from the universe, all things that\noccur in it. The bodies of all (earthly) things, (after dissolution),\nfirst enter into water, thence to light or heat, thence to the wind, and\nthence to space. They that seek Emancipation have not to return from\nspace. On the other hand, they attain to Brahma. The refuge of\nEmancipation, viz., Brahma, is neither hot, nor cold, neither mild nor\nfierce, neither sour nor astringent, neither sweet nor bitter. He is not\nendued with sound, or scent, or form. He transcends all these and\neverything, and is without dimensions.[664] The skin perceives touch; the\ntongue, taste; the nose, scent; the ears, sounds; and the eyes, forms.\nMen not conversant with Adhyatma succeed not in beholding what is above\nthese. Having withdrawn the tongue from tastes, the nose from scents, the\nears from touch, and the eyes from forms, one succeeds in beholding one's\nown self (as independent of the senses and the mind and, therefore, of\nattributes).[665] It hath been said that that which is the Cause of the\nactor, the act, the material with which the act is done, the place and\nthe time of the act, and the inclinations and propensities in respect of\nhappiness and misery, is called the Self (or Soul). That which pervades\neverything, which does everything (assuming the forms of living\ncreatures), that which exists in the universe even as the mantras\ndeclare,[666] that which is the cause of all, that which is the highest\nof the high, and that which is One without a second and does all things,\nis the Cause. Everything else is effect. It is seen that a person, in\nconsequence of the acts performed by him, obtains results both good and\nevil, which (though apparently incompatible with each other, still) dwell\ntogether in harmony. Indeed, as the good and evil fruits born of their\nown acts dwell together in the bodies of creatures which are their\nrefuge, even so Knowledge dwells in the body.[667] As a lighted lamp,\nwhile burning, discovers other objects before it, even so the five senses\nwhich are like lamps set on high trees, find out their respective objects\nwhen lighted by Knowledge.[668] As the various ministers of a king,\nuniting together, give him counsel, even so the five senses that are in\nthe body are all subservient to Knowledge. The latter is superior to all\nof them. As the flames of fire, the current of the wind, the rays of the\nsun, and the waters of rivers, go and come repeatedly, even so the bodies\nof embodied creatures are going and coming repeatedly.[669] As a person\nby taking up an axe cannot, by cutting open a piece of wood, find either\nsmoke or fire in it, even so one cannot, by cutting open the arms and\nfeet and stomach of a person, see the principle of knowledge, which, of\ncourse, has nothing in common with the stomach, the arms and the feet. As\nagain, one beholds both smoke and fire in wood by rubbing it against\nanother piece, so a person of well-directed intelligence and wisdom, by\nuniting (by means of yoga) the senses and the soul, may view the Supreme\nSoul which, of course, exists in its own nature.[670] As in the midst of\na dream one beholds one's own body lying on the ground as something\ndistinct from one's own self, even so a person, endued with the five\nsenses, the mind, and the understanding, beholds (after death) his own\nbody and then goes from one into another form[671]. The Soul is not\nsubject to birth, growth, decay, and destruction. In consequence of the\nacts of life being endued with effects, the Soul, clothed in body, passes\nfrom this body (when deprived of animation) into another, unseen by\nothers.[672] No one can behold with the eye the form of the Soul. The\nSoul cannot, again, form the subject of any one's touch. With those\n(i.e., the senses), the Soul accomplishes no act. The senses do not\napproach the Soul. The Soul, however, apprehends them all. As anything,\nplaced in a blazing fire before a spectator, assumes a certain colour in\nconsequence of the light and heat that operates upon it, without taking\nany other hue or attribute, even so the Soul's form is seen to take its\ncolour from the body. After the same manner, man, casting off one body,\nenters another, unseen by all. Indeed, casting off his body to the (five)\ngreat primal elements, he assumes a form that is similarly made of the\nsame (five) elements. The embodied creature (upon the destruction of his\nbody) enters space, wind, fire, water, and earth in such a way that each\nparticular element in his body mingles with the particular element (out\nof his body) with whose nature it is consonant. The senses also, which\nare engaged in diverse occupations and dependent on the five elements\n(for the exercise of their functions), enter these five elements that\ncall forth their functions. The ear derives its capacity from space; and\nthe sense of scent from the earth. Form, which is the property of the\neye, is the consequence of light or fire. Fire or heat has been said to\nbe the dependent cause of water. The tongue which has for its property\ntaste becomes merged into water. The skin which has touch for its\nproperty becomes lost in the wind whose nature it partakes. The fivefold\nattributes, (viz., sound, etc.) dwell in the (five) great creatures\n(viz., the five primal elements). Those fivefold objects of the senses\n(viz., space, etc.) dwell in the (five) senses. All these again (viz.,\nthe fivefold attributes, the fivefold elements, and the five senses)\nfollow the lead of the mind. The mind follows the lead of the\nUnderstanding, and the Understanding follows the lead of That which\nexists in its true and undefiled nature (viz., the Supreme Soul).[673]\nThe doer in his new body receives all the good and bad acts done by him\nas also all acts done by him in his past existence. All these acts done\nin this life and the next ones to come follow the mind even as aquatic\nanimals pass along a genial current. As a quickly-moving and restless\nthing becomes an object of sight, as a minute object appears to be\npossessed of large dimensions (when seen through spectacles), as a mirror\nshows a person his own face (which cannot otherwise be seen), even so the\nSoul (though subtile and invisible) become an object of the\nUnderstanding's apprehension.'\"'\"[674]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCIII\n\n\"'\"Manu said, 'The mind united with the senses, recollects after a long\ntime the impressions of the objects received in the past. When the senses\nare all suspended (in respect of their functions),[675] the Supreme (the\nSoul), in the form of the Understanding, exists in its own true nature.\nWhen the Soul (at such a time) does not in the least regard all those\nobjects of the senses in respect of their simultaneity or the reverse in\npoint of time but mustering them from all directions holds them before it\ntogether, it necessarily happens that he wanders among all things that\nare incongruous. He is, therefore, the (silent) Witness. Hence the Soul\nencased in body is something having a distinct and independent\nexistence.[676] There is Rajas, there is Tamas, and there is Sattwa, the\nthird. There are again three states of the understanding, viz., waking,\ndreaming, and sound sleep. The Soul has knowledge of the pleasures and\npains, which are all contradictory, of those states, and which partake of\nthe nature of the threefold attributes first mentioned.[677] The Soul\nenters the senses like the wind entering the fire in a piece of\nwood.[678] One cannot behold the form of the Soul by one's eye, nor can\nthe sense of touch, amongst the senses, apprehend it. The Soul is not,\nagain, an object of apprehension by the ear. It may, however, be seen by\nthe aid of the Srutis and the instructions of the wise. As regards the\nsenses, that particular sense which apprehends it loses upon such\napprehension its existence as a sense.[679] The senses cannot themselves\napprehend their respective forms by themselves. The Soul is omniscient\n(inasmuch as it apprehends both the knower and the known). It beholds all\nthings. Being omniscient, it is the Soul that beholds the senses\n(without, as already said, the senses being able to apprehend it). Nobody\nhas seen the other side of the Himavat mountains, nor the reverse of the\nmoon's disc. Yet it cannot be said that these do not exist. Similarly,\nthough never apprehended by the senses, yet nobody can say that the Soul,\nwhich dwells in all creatures, which is subtile, and which has knowledge\nfor its essence, does not exist. People see the world reflected on the\nmoon's disc in the form of spots. Though seeing, they do not know that it\nis the world that is so reflected there. Even such is the knowledge of\nthe Soul. That knowledge must come of itself. The Soul depends upon the\nSoul itself. Men of wisdom, reflecting on the formlessness of visible\nobjects before birth and after destruction, behold by the aid of\nintelligence, the formlessness of objects that have apparent forms. So\nalso although the Sun's motion cannot be seen, yet persons, by watching\nits rising and setting, conclude that the sun has motion.[680] Similarly,\nthose who are endued with wisdom and learning behold the Soul by the aid\nof the lamp of intelligence, though it is at a great distance from them,\nand seek to merge the fivefold elements, which are near, into\nBrahma.[681] Verily, an object cannot be accomplished without the\napplication of means. Fishermen catch fish by means of nets made of\nstrings. Animals are captured by employing animals as are the means.\nBirds are caught by employing birds as the means. Elephants are taken by\nemploying elephants. In this way, the Soul may be apprehended by the\nprinciple of knowledge. We have heard that only a snake can see a snake's\nlegs. After the same manner one beholds, through Knowledge, the Soul\nencased in subtile form and dwelling within the gross body. People\ncannot, through their senses, know the senses. Similarly, mere\nIntelligence at its highest cannot behold the Soul which is supreme. The\nmoon, on the fifteenth day of the dark fortnight, cannot be seen in\nconsequence of its form being hid. It cannot be said, however, that\ndestruction overtakes it. Even such is the case with the Soul dwelling in\nthe body. On the fifteenth day of the dark fortnight, the gross body of\nthe moon becomes invisible. After the same manner, the Soul, when\nliberated from the body, cannot be apprehended. As the moon, gaining\nanother point in the firmament begins to shine once more, similarly, the\nSoul obtaining a new body, begins to manifest itself once more. The\nbirth, growth and disappearance of the moon can all be directly\napprehended by the eye. These phenomena, however, appertain to the gross\nform of that luminary. The like are not the attributes of the Soul. The\nmoon, when it shows itself after its disappearance on the fifteenth day\nof the dark fortnight, is regarded as the same luminary that had become\ninvisible. After the same manner, notwithstanding the changes represented\nby birth, growth and age, a person is regarded as the same individual\nwithout any doubt of his identity. It cannot be distinctly seen how Rahu\napproaches and leaves the moon. After the same manner, the Soul cannot be\nseen how it leaves one body and enters another.[682] Rahu becomes visible\nonly when it exists with the sun or the moon. Similarly, the Soul becomes\nan object of apprehension only when it exists with the body. When\nliberated from the sun or the moon, Rahu can no longer be seen.\nSimilarly, the Soul, liberated from the body, can no longer be seen. Then\nagain, as the moon, even when it disappears on the fifteenth day of the\ndark fortnight, is not deserted by the constellations and the stars, the\nSoul also, even though separated from the body, is not deserted by the\nfruits of the acts it has achieved in that body.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCIV\n\n\"'\"Manu said, 'As in a dream this manifest (body) lies (inactive) and the\nenlivening spirit in its subtile form, detaching itself from the former,\nwalks forth after the same manner, in the state called deep slumber (or\ndeath), the subtile form with all the senses becomes inactive and the\nUnderstanding, detached from it remains awake. The same is the case with\nExistence and Non-Existence.[683] As when quantity of water is clear,\nimages reflected in it can be seen by the eye, after the same manner, if\nthe senses be unperturbed, the Soul is capable of being viewed by the\nunderstanding. If, however, the quantity of water gets stirred, the\nperson standing by it can no longer see those images. Similarly, if the\nsenses become perturbed, the Soul can no longer be seen by the\nunderstanding. Ignorance begets Delusion. Delusion affects the mind. When\nthe mind becomes vitiated, the five senses which have the mind for their\nrefuge become vitiated also. Surcharged with Ignorance, and sunk in the\nmire of worldly objects, one cannot enjoy the sweets of contentment or\ntranquillity. The Soul (thus circumstanced), undetached from its good and\nevil acts, returns repeatedly unto the objects of the world, in\nconsequence of sin one's thirst is never slaked. One's thirst is slaked\nonly when one's sin is destroyed. In consequence of attachment to worldly\nobjects, which has a tendency to perpetuate itself, one wishes for things\nother than those for which one should wish, and accordingly fails to\nattain to the Supreme.[684] From the destruction of all sinful deeds,\nknowledge arises in men. Upon the appearance of Knowledge, one beholds\none's Soul in one's understanding even as one sees one's own reflection\nin a polished mirror. One obtains misery in consequence of one's senses\nbeing unrestrained. One obtains happiness in consequence of one's senses\nbeing restrained. Therefore, one should restrain one's mind by\nself-effort from objects apprehended by the senses.[685] Above the senses\nis the mind; above the mind is the understanding; above the understanding\nis the Soul; above the Soul is the Supreme or Great. From the Unmanifest\nhath sprung the Soul; from the Soul hath sprung the Understanding; from\nthe Understanding hath sprung the Mind. When the Mind becomes associated\nwith the senses, then it apprehends sound and the other objects of the\nsenses. He who casts off those objects, as also all that are manifest, he\nwho liberates himself from all things that arise from primordial matter,\nbeing so freed, enjoys immortality.[686] The Sun rising diffuses his\nrays. When he sets, he withdraws unto himself those very rays that were\ndiffused by him. After the same manner, the Soul, entering the body,\nobtains the fivefold objects of the senses by diffusing over them his\nrays represented by the senses. When, however, he turns back, he is said\nto set by withdrawing those rays unto himself.[687] Repeatedly led along\nthe path that is created by acts, he obtains the fruits of his acts in\nconsequence of his having followed the practice of acts.[688] Desire for\nthe objects of the senses keeps away from a person who does not indulge\nin such desire. The very principle of desire, however, leaves him who has\nbeheld his soul, which, of course, is entirely free from desire.[689]\nWhen the Understanding, freed from attachment to the objects of the\nsenses, becomes fixed in the mind, then does one succeed in attaining to\nBrahma, for it is there that the mind with the understanding withdrawn\ninto it can possibly be extinguished. Brahma is not an object of touch,\nor of hearing, or of taste, or of sight, or of smell, or of any deductive\ninference from the Known. Only the Understanding (when withdrawn from\neverything else) can attain to it. All objects that the mind apprehends\nthrough the senses are capable of being withdrawn into the mind; the\nmind can be withdrawn into the understanding; the Understanding can be\nwithdrawn into the Soul, and the Soul into the Supreme.[690] The senses\ncannot contribute to the success of the mind. The mind cannot apprehend\nthe Understanding. The Understanding cannot apprehend the manifested\nSoul. The Soul, however, which is subtile, beholds those all.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCV\n\n\"'\"Manu said, 'Upon the appearance of the physical and mental sorrow, one\ndoes not become able to practise yoga. It is advisable, therefore, for\none not to brood over such sorrow. The remedy for sorrow is abstention\nfrom brooding over it. When sorrow is brooded over, it comes aggressively\nand increases in violence. One should relieve mental sorrow by wisdom,\nwhile physical sorrow should be cured by medicaments. Wisdom teaches\nthis. One should not, while under sorrow, behave like a child. The man of\nwisdom should never cherish a desire for youth, beauty, length of life,\naccumulation of wealth, health, and the companionship of those that are\ndear, all of which are transitory. One should not grieve singly for a\nsorrow that affects a whole community. Without grieving, one should, if\none sees an opportunity, seek to apply a remedy. Without doubt, the\nmeasure of sorrow is much greater than that of happiness in life. To one\nwho is content with the objects of the senses, death that is disagreeable\ncomes in consequence of his stupefaction. That man who avoids both sorrow\nand happiness succeeds verily in attaining to Brahma. Such persons, who\nare possessed of wisdom, have never to grieve.[691] Worldly possessions\nbring about sorrow. In protecting them thou canst not have any happiness.\nThey are again earned with misery. One should not therefore, regard their\nloss.[692] Pure Knowledge (or Brahma) is regarded (by ignorance) as\nexisting in the diverse forms that are objects of Knowledge. Know that\nmind is only an attribute of Knowledge. When the mind becomes united with\nthe faculties of knowledge, then the Understanding (which bodies forth\nthe forms of things) sets in.[693] When the Understanding, freed from the\nattributes of action, becomes directed towards the mind (after being\nwithdrawn from outward objects), then does it succeed in knowing Brahma\nby meditation or Yoga ending in complete absorption (samadhi). The\nUnderstanding flowing from Ignorance, and possessed of the senses and\nattributes, runs towards external objects, like a river issuing from a\nmountain summit and flowing towards other regions. When the\nUnderstanding, withdrawn into the mind, succeeds in absorbing itself into\ncontemplation that is free from attributes, it attains to a knowledge of\nBrahma like the touch of gold on a touchstone. The mind is the\napprehender of the objects of the senses. It must first be extinguished\n(before Brahma can be attained). Dependent upon the attributes of objects\nthat are before it, the mind can never show that which is without\nattributes. Shutting up all the doors constituted by the senses, the\nUnderstanding should be withdrawn into the mind. In this state, when\nabsorbed in contemplation, it attains to the knowledge of Brahma. As the\nfivefold great creatures (in their gross form) upon the destruction of\nthe attributes by which they are known, become withdrawn (into their\nsubtile form called Tanmatra), after the same manner the Understanding\nmay dwell in the mind alone, with the senses all withdrawn from their\nobjects. When the Understanding, though possessed of the attribute of\ncertainty, dwells in the mind, busied with the internal, even then it is\nnothing but the mind (without being anything superior to it). When the\nmind or consciousness, which attains to excellence through contemplation,\nsucceeds in identifying attributes with what are considered as their\npossessors, then can it cast off all attributes and attain to Brahma\nwhich is without attributes.[694] There is no indication that is fit\nenough for yielding a knowledge of what is Unmanifest (Brahma). That\nwhich cannot form the subject of language, cannot be acquired by any one.\nWith cleansed soul, one should seek to approach the Supreme Brahma,\nthrough the aid afforded by penances, by inferences, by self-restraint,\nby the practices and observances as laid down for one's own order, and by\nthe Vedas. Persons of clear vision (besides seeing the Supreme within\nthemselves), seek him in even external forms by freeing themselves from\nattributes. The Supreme, which is called by the name of Jneya (i.e., that\nwhich should be known), in consequence of the absence of all attributes\nor of its own nature, can never be apprehended by argument. When the\nUnderstanding becomes freed from attributes, then only it can attain to\nBrahma. When unemancipated from attributes, it falls back from the\nSupreme. Indeed, such is the nature of the understanding that it rushes\ntowards attributes and moves among them like fire among fuel. As in the\nstate called Sushupti (deep and dreamless slumber) the five senses exist\nfreed from their respective functions, after the same manner the Supreme\nBrahma exists high above Prakriti, freed from all its attributes.\nEmbodied creatures thus betake themselves to action in consequence of\nattributes. When they abstain therefrom, they attain to Emancipation.\nSome again (by action) go to heaven. The living creature, primordial\nnature, the understanding, the objects of the senses, the senses,\nconsciousness, conviction of personal identity, are called creatures (for\nthey are subjected to destruction). The original creation of all these\nflowed from the Supreme. Their second or succeeding creation is due to\nthe action of couples or pairs (of opposite sexes) and is confined to all\nthings save the primal five, and is restrained by laws in consequence of\nwhich the same species produce the same species. From righteousness\n(living) creatures obtain a high end, and from sinfulness they earn an\nend that is low. He who is unemancipated from attachments, encounters\nrebirth; while he who is emancipated therefrom, attains to Knowledge (or\nBrahma).'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCVI\n\n\"'\"Manu said, 'When the fivefold attributes are united with the five senses\nand the mind, then is Brahma seen by the individual like a thread passing\nthrough a gem. As a thread, again, may lie within gold or pearl or a\ncoral or any object made of earth, even so one's soul, in consequence of\none's own acts, may live within a cow, a horse, a man, an elephant, or\nany other animal, or within a worm or an insect. The good deeds an\nindividual performs in a particular body produce rewards that the\nindividual enjoys in that particular body. A soil, apparently drenched\nwith one particular kind of liquid, supplies to each different kind of\nherb or plant that grows on it the sort of juice it requires for itself.\nAfter the same manner, the Understanding, whose course is witnessed by\nthe soul, is obliged to follow the path marked out by the acts of\nprevious lives.[695] From knowledge springs desire. From desire springs\nresolution. From resolution flows action. From action proceed fruits\n(i.e., consequences, good and bad). Fruits, therefore, are dependent on\nactions as their cause. Actions have the understanding for their cause.\nThe understanding has knowledge for its cause; and knowledge has the Soul\nfor its cause. That excellent result which is achieved in consequence of\nthe destruction of knowledge, of fruits, of the understanding, and of\nacts, is called Knowledge of Brahma.[696] Great and high is that\nself-existent Essence, which yogins behold. They that are devoid of\nwisdom, and whose understandings are devoted to worldly possessions never\nbehold that which exists in the Soul itself. Water is superior to the\nEarth in extension; Light is superior to Water; Wind is superior to\nLight; Space is superior to Wind; Mind is superior to Space;\nUnderstanding is superior to Mind; Time is superior to Understanding. The\ndivine Vishnu, whose is this universe, is superior to Time. That god is\nwithout beginning, middle, and end. In consequence of his being without\nbeginning, middle, and end, he is Unchangeable. He transcends all sorrow,\nfor sorrow has limits.[697] That Vishnu hath been called the Supreme\nBrahma. He is the refuge or object of what is called the Highest. Knowing\nHim, they that are wise, freed from everything that owns the power of\nTime, attain to what is called Emancipation. All these (that we perceive)\nare displayed in attributes. That which is called Brahma, being without\nattributes, is superior to these.[698] Abstention from acts is the\nhighest religion. That religion is sure to lead to deathlessness\n(Emancipation). The Richs, the Yajuses, and the Samans, have for their\nrefuge the body. They flow from the end of the tongue. They cannot be\nacquired without effort and are subject to destruction. Brahma, however,\ncannot be acquired in this way, for (without depending upon the body) it\ndepends upon that (i.e., the knower or Soul) which has the body for its\nrefuge. Without beginning, middle, or end, Brahma cannot be acquired by\nexertion (like to what is necessary for the acquirement of the Vedas).\nThe Richs, the Samans, the Yajuses have each a beginning. Those that have\na beginning have also an end. But Brahma is said to be without beginning.\nAnd because Brahma hath neither beginning nor end, it is said to be\ninfinite and unchangeable. In consequence of unchangeableness, Brahma\ntranscends all sorrow as also all pairs of opposites. Through\nunfavourable destiny, through inability to find out the proper means, and\nthrough the impediments offered by acts, mortals succeed not in beholding\nthe path by which Brahma may be reached. In consequence of attachment to\nworldly possessions, of a vision of the joys of the highest heaven, and\nof coveting something other than Brahma, men do not attain to the\nSupreme.[699] Others beholding worldly objects covet their possession.\nDesirous of such objects, they have no longing for Brahma in consequence\nof its transcending all attributes.[700] How shall he that is attached to\nattributes which are inferior, arrive at a knowledge of him that is\npossessed of attributes that are superior? It is by inference that one\ncan arrive at a knowledge of Him that transcends all this in attributes\nand form. By subtile intelligence alone can we know Him. We cannot\ndescribe Him in words. The mind is seizable by the mind, the eye by\neye.[701] By knowledge the understanding can be purified of its dross.\nThe understanding may be employed for purifying the mind. By the mind\nshould the senses be controlled. Achieving all this, one may attain to\nthe Unchangeable. One who has, by contemplation, become freed from\nattachments, and who has been enriched by the possession of a discerning\nmind, succeeds in attaining to Brahma which is without desire and above\nall attributes. As the wind keeps away from the fire that is embedded\nwithin a piece of wood, even so persons that are agitated (by desire for\nworldly possessions) keep away from that which is Supreme. Upon the\ndestruction of all earthly objects, the mind always attains to That which\nis higher than the Understanding; while upon their separation the mind\nalways acquires that which is below the Understanding. That person, who,\nin conformity with the method already described, becomes engaged in\ndestroying earthly objects, attains to absorption into the body of\nBrahma.[702] Though the Soul is unmanifest, yet when clothed with\nqualities, its acts become unmanifest. When dissolution (of the body)\ncomes, it once more becomes manifest. The Soul is really inactive. It\nexists, united with the senses that are productive of either happiness or\nsorrow. United with all the senses and endued with body, it takes refuge\nin the five primal elements. Through want of power, however, it fails to\nact when deprived of force by the Supreme and Unchangeable. No man sees\nthe end of the earth but knows this, viz., that the earth's end will\nsurely come.[703] Man, agitated here (by attachments), is surely led to\nhis last refuge like the wind leading a vessel tossed on the sea to a\nsafe harbour at last. The Sun, spreading his rays, becomes the possessor\nof an attribute, (viz., the lighter of the world): withdrawing his rays\n(at the hour of setting), he once more becomes an object divested of\nattributes. After the same manner, a person, abandoning all distinctions\n(attachments), and betaking himself to penances, at last enters the\nindestructible Brahma which is divested of all attributes. By discerning\nHim who is without birth, who is the highest refuge of all righteous\npersons, who is self-born, from whom everything springs and unto whom all\nthings return, who is unchangeable, who is without beginning, middle, and\nend, and who is certainty's self and supreme, a person attains to\nimmortality (Emancipation).'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCVII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O grandsire, O thou of great wisdom, I desire to\nhear in detail, O chief of the Bharatas, of that lotus-eyed and\nindestructible one, who is the Creator of everything but who has been\ncreated by none, who is called Vishnu (in consequence of his pervading\neverything), who is the origin of all creatures and unto whom all\ncreatures return, who is known by the names of Narayana and Hrishikesa\nand Govinda and Kesava, and who is incapable of being vanquished by any\none.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I have heard of this subject from Jamadagni's son Rama,\nwhile he discoursed on it, from the celestial Rishi Narada, and from\nKrishna-Dwaipayana. Asita-Devala, O son, Valmiki of austere penances, and\nMarkandeya, speak of Govinda as the Most Wonderful and the Supreme.\nKesava, O chief of Bharata's race, is the divine and puissant Lord of\nall. He is called Purusha, and pervades everything, having made himself\nmany. Listen now, O Yudhishthira of mighty arms, to those attributes\nwhich great Brahmanas say are to be met with in the high-souled wielder\nof Saranga. I shall also, O prince of men, recite to thee those acts\nwhich persons conversant with old histories ascribe to Govinda. He is\nsaid to be the Soul of all creatures, the high-souled one, and the\nforemost of all beings. He created (by his will) the five-fold elements,\nviz., Wind, Light, Water, Space, and Earth. That puissant Lord of all\nthings, that high-souled one, that foremost of all beings, having created\nthe earth, laid himself down on the surface of the waters. While thus\nfloating upon the waters, that foremost of all beings, that refuge of\nevery kind of energy and splendour, created Consciousness, the first-born\nof beings in the universe. We have heard that He created Consciousness\nalong with the Mind,--Consciousness which is the refuge of all created\nthings. That Consciousness upholds all creatures and both the past and\nthe future. After that great Being, O mighty-armed one, viz.,\nConsciousness, had sprung, an exceedingly beautiful lotus, possessed of\neffulgence like the Sun's, grew out of the navel of the Supreme Being\n(floating on the waters). Then, O son, the illustrious and divine\nBrahman, the Grandsire of all creatures, sprang into existence from that\nlotus, irradiating all the points of the horizon with his effulgence.\nAfter the high-souled Grandsire had, O mighty-armed one, thus sprung from\nthe primeval lotus, a great Asura of the name of Madhu, having no\nbeginning, started into birth, springing from the attribute of Darkness\n(Tamas). The foremost of all Beings, (viz., the Supreme Divinity), for\nbenefiting Brahman, slew that fierce Asura of fierce deeds, engaged even\nthen in the fierce act (of slaying the Grand-sire). From this slaughter,\nO son, (of the Asura named Madhu), all the gods and the Danavas and men\ncame to call that foremost of all righteous persons by the name of\nMadhusudana (slayer of Madhu).[704] After this, Brahman created, by a\nfiat of his will, seven sons with Daksha completing the tale. They were\nMarichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, (and the already\nmentioned Daksha). The eldest born, viz., Marichi, begat, by a fiat of\nhis will, a son named Kasyapa, full of energy and the foremost of all\npersons conversant with Brahma. From his toe, Brahman had, even before\nthe birth of Marichi, created a son. That son, O chief of Bharata's race,\nwas Daksha, the progenitor of creatures.[705] Unto Daksha were first born\nthree and ten daughters, O Bharata, the eldest of whom was called Diti.\nMarichi's son Kasyapa, O sire, who was conversant with all duties and\ntheir distinctions, who was of righteous deeds and great fame, became the\nhusband of those thirteen daughters. The highly-blessed Daksha (besides\nthe three and ten already spoken of) next begat ten other daughters. The\nprogenitor of creatures, viz., the righteous Daksha, bestowed these upon\nDharma. Dharma became father of the Vasus, the Rudras of immeasurable\nenergy, the Viswedevas, the Sadhyas, and the Maruts, O Bharata. Daksha\nnext begat seven and twenty other younger daughters. The highly-blessed\nSoma became the husband of them all. The other wives of Kasyapa gave\nbirth to Gandharvas, horses, birds, kine, Kimpurushas, fishes, and trees\nand plants. Aditi gave birth to the Adityas, the foremost ones among the\ngods, and possessed of great strength. Amongst them Vishnu took birth in\nthe form of a dwarf. Otherwise called Govinda, he became the foremost of\nthem all. Through his prowess, the prosperity of the gods increased. The\nDanavas were vanquished. The offspring of Diti were the Asuras. Danu gave\nbirth to the Danavas having Viprachitti for their foremost. Diti gave\nbirth to all the Asuras of great strength.\n\n\"'\"The slayer of Madhu also created the Day and the Night, and the Season\nin their order, and the Morn and the Even. After reflection, he also\ncreated the clouds, and all the (other) immobile and mobile objects.\nPossessed of abundant energy, he also created the Viswas and the earth\nwith all things upon her. Then the highly blessed and puissant Krishna, O\nYudhishthira, once again created from his mouth a century of foremost\nBrahmanas. From his two arms, he created a century of Kshatriyas, and\nfrom his thighs a century of Vaisyas. Then, O bull of Bharata's race,\nKesava created from his two feet a century of Sudras. Possessed of great\nascetic merit, the slayer of Madhu, having thus created the four orders\nof men, made Dhatri (Brahman) the lord and ruler of all created beings.\nOf immeasurable effulgence, Brahman became also the expositor of the\nknowledge of the Vedas. And Kesava made him, called Virupaksha, the ruler\nof the spirits and ghosts and of those female beings called the Matrikas\n(mothers). And he made Yama the ruler of the Pitris and of all sinful\nmen.[706] The Supreme Soul of all creatures also made Kuvera the lord of\nall treasures. He then created Varuna the lord of waters and governor of\nall aquatic animals. The puissant Vishnu made Vasava the chief of all the\ndeities. In those times, men lived as long as they chose to live, and\nwere without any fear of Yama. Sexual congress, O chief of the Bharatas,\nwas then not necessary for perpetuating the species. In those days\noffspring were begotten by fiat of the will. In the age that followed,\nviz., Treta, children were begotten by touch alone. The people of that\nage even, O monarch, were above the necessity of sexual congress. It was\nin the next age, viz., Dwapara, that the practice of sexual congress\noriginated, O king, to prevail among men. In the Kali age, O monarch, men\nhave come to marry and live in pairs.\n\n\"'\"I have now told thee of the supreme Lord of all creatures. He is also\ncalled the Ruler of all and everything. I shall now, O son of Kunti,\nspeak to thee about the sinful creatures of the earth. Listen to me.[707]\nThose men, O king, are born in the southern region and are called\nAndrakas, Guhas, Pulindas, Savaras, Chuchukas, Madrakas.[708] Those that\nare born in the northern region, I shall also mention. They are Yamas,\nKamvojas, Gandharas, Kiratas and Barbaras. All of them, O sire, are\nsinful, and move on this Earth, characterised by practices similar to\nthose of Chandalas and ravens and vultures. In the Krita age, O sire,\nthey were nowhere on earth. It is from the Treta that they have had their\norigin and began to multiply, O chief of Bharata's race. When the\nterrible period came, joining Treta and the Dwapara, the Kshatriyas,\napproaching one another, engaged themselves in battle.[709]\n\n\"'\"Thus, O chief of Kuru's race, this universe was started into birth by\nthe high-souled Krishna. That observer of all the worlds, viz., the\ncelestial Rishi Narada, has said that Krishna is the Supreme God.[710]\nEven Narada, O king, admits the supremacy of Krishna and his eternity, O\nmighty-armed chief of Bharata's race.[711] Thus, O mighty-armed one, is\nKesava of unvanquishable prowess. That lotus-eyed one, is not a mere man.\nHe is inconceivable.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCVIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira asked, \"Who were the first Prajapatis, O bull of Bharata's\nrace? What highly-blessed Rishis are there in existence and on which\npoints of the compass do each of them dwell?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Hear me, O chief of the Bharatas, about what thou askest\nme. I shall tell thee who the Prajapatis were and what Rishis are\nmentioned as dwelling on which point of the horizon. There was at first\none Eternal, Divine, and Self-born Brahman. The Self-born Brahman begat\nseven illustrious sons. They were Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya,\nPulaha, Kratu, and the highly-blessed Vasishtha who was equal to the\nSelf-born himself. These seven sons have been mentioned in the Puranas as\nseven Brahmanas. I shall now mention all the Prajapatis who came after\nthese. In Atri's race was born the eternal and divine Varhi the ancient,\nwho had penances for his origin. From Varhi the ancient sprang the ten\nPrachetasas. The ten Prachetasas had one son between them, viz., the\nPrajapati called by the name of Daksha. This last has two names in the\nworld, viz., Daksha and Kasyapa. Marichi had one son called Kasyapa. This\nlast also has two names. Some call him Arishtanemi, and some Kasyapa.\nAtri had another son born of his loins, viz., the handsome and princely\nSoma of great energy. He performed penances for a thousand celestial\nYugas. The divine Aryaman and they who were born unto him as his sons, O\nmonarch, have been described as setters of commands, and creators of all\ncreatures. Sasavindu had ten thousand wives. Upon each of them their lord\nbegat a thousand sons, and so the tale reached ten hundred thousands.\nThose sons refused to call anybody else save themselves as Prajapatis.\nThe ancient Brahmanas bestowed an appellation on the creatures of the\nworld, derived from Sasavindu. That extensive race of the Prajapati\nSasavindu became in time the progenitor of the Vrishni race. These that I\nhave mentioned are noted as the illustrious Prajapatis. After this, I\nshall mention the deities that are the lords of the three worlds. Bhaga,\nAnsa, Aryyaman, Mitra, Varna, Savitri, Dhatri, Vivaswat of great might,\nTvashtri, Pushan, Indra, and Vishnu known as the twelfth,--these are the\ntwelve Adityas, all sprung from Kasyapa. Nasatya and Dasra are mentioned\nas the two Aswins. These two are the sons of the illustrious Martanda,\nthe eighth in the above tale. These were called first the gods and the\ntwo classes of Pitris. Tvashtri had many sons. Amongst them were the\nhandsome and famous Viswarupa, Ajaikapat, Ahi, Bradhna, Virupaksha, and\nRaivata. Then there were Hara and Vahurupa, Tryamvaka the chief of the\nDeities, and Savitrya, Jayanta and Pinaki the invincible. The\nhighly-blessed Vasus, eight in number, have formerly been enumerated by\nme. These were reckoned as gods at the time of the Prajapati Manu. These\nwere at first called the gods and the Pitris. Amongst the Siddhas and the\nSadhyas there were two classes in consequence of conduct and youth. The\ndeities were formerly considered to be of two classes, viz., the Ribhus\nand the Maruts. Thus have the Viswas, the gods and the Aswins, been\nenumerated. Amongst them, the Adityas are Kshatriyas, and the Maruts are\nVaisyas. The two Aswins, engaged in severe penances, have been said to be\nSudras. The deities sprung from Angirasa's line have been said to be\nBrahmanas. This is certain. Thus have I told thee about the fourfold\norder among the gods. The person who, after rising from his bed at morn,\nrecites the names of these deities, becomes cleansed of all his sins\nwhether committed by himself intentionally or unintentionally, or whether\nborn of his intercourse with others. Yavakriti, Raivya, Arvavasu,\nParavasu, Ausija, Kashivat, and Vala have been said to be the sons of\nAngiras. These, and Kanwa son of Rishi Medhatithi, and Varhishada, and\nthe well-known seven Rishis who are the progenitors of the three worlds,\nall reside in the East. Unmucha, Vimucha, Svastyatreya of great energy,\nPramucha, Idhmavaha, and the divine Dridhavrata, and Mitravaruna's son\nAgastya of great energy, these regenerate Rishis all reside in the south.\nUpangu, Karusha, Dhaumya, Parivyadha of great energy, and those great\nRishis called Ekata, Dwita, and Trita, and Atri's son, viz., the\nillustrious and puissant Saraswata, these high-souled ones reside in the\nwest. Atreya, and Vasishtha, and the great Rishi Kasyapa, and Gautama,\nBharadwaja, and Viswamitra, the son of Kusika, and the illustrious son of\nthe high-souled Richika, viz., Jamadagni,--these seven live in the north.\nThus have I told thee about the great Rishis of fiery energy that live in\nthe different points of the compass. Those high-souled ones are the\nwitnesses of the universe, and are the creators of all the worlds. Even\nthus do they dwell in their respective quarters. By reciting their names\none is cleansed of all one's sins. A person by repairing to those points\nbecomes cleansed of all his sins and succeeds in returning home in\nsafety.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCIX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O grandsire, O thou of great wisdom and invincible\nprowess in battle, I wish to hear in detail of Krishna who is immutable\nand omnipotent. O bull among men, tell me truly everything about his\ngreat energy and the great feats achieved by him in days of old. Why did\nthat puissant one assume the form of an animal, and for achieving what\nparticular act? Tell me all this, O mighty warrior!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Formerly, on one occasion, while out ahunting, I arrived\nat the hermitage of Markandeya. There I beheld diverse classes of\nascetics seated by thousands. The Rishis honoured me by the offer of\nhoney and curds. Accepting their worship, I reverentially saluted them in\nreturn. The following that I shall recite was narrated there by the great\nRishi Kasyapa. Listen with close attention to that excellent and charming\naccount. In former days, the principal Danavas, endued with wrath and\ncupidity, and mighty Asuras numbering by hundreds and drunk with might,\nand innumerable other Danavas that were invincible in battle, became\nexceedingly jealous of the unrivalled prosperity of the gods. Oppressed\n(at last) by the Danavas, the gods and the celestial Rishis, failing to\nobtain peace, fled away in all directions. The denizens of heaven saw the\nearth looking like one sunk in sore distress. Overspread with mighty\nDanavas of terrible mien, the earth seemed to be oppressed with a heavy\nweight. Cheerless and grief-stricken, she seemed as if going down into the\nnether depths. The Adityas, struck with fear, repaired to Brahman, and\naddressing him, said, 'How, O Brahman, shall we continue to bear these\noppressions of the Danavas?' The Self-born answered them, saying, 'I have\nalready ordained what is to be done in this matter. Endued with boons,\nand possessed of might, and swelling with pride, those senseless wretches\ndo not know that Vishnu of invisible form, that God incapable of being\nvanquished by the very deities all acting together, hath assumed the form\nof a boar. That Supreme Deity, rushing to the spot whither those wretches\namong Danavas, of terrible aspect, are dwelling in thousands below the\nearth, will slay them all.' Hearing these words of the Grandsire,\nforemost ones among the deities felt great joy. Sometime after, Vishnu,\nof mighty energy, encased in the form of a Boar, penetrating into\nthe nether regions, rushed against those offspring of Diti. Beholding\nthat extraordinary creature, all the Daityas, uniting together and\nstupefied by Time, quickly proceeded against it for exerting their\nstrength, and stood surrounding it. Soon after, they all rushed against\nthat Boar and seized it simultaneously. Filled with rage they endeavoured\nto drag the animal from every side. Those foremost of Danavas, of huge\nbodies, possessed of mighty energy, swelling with strength, succeeded\nnot, however, O monarch, in doing anything to that Boar. At this they\nwondered much and then became filled with fear. Numbering in thousands,\nthey regarded that their last hour had come. Then that Supreme God of all\nthe gods, having yoga for his soul and yoga for his companion, became\nrapt in yoga, O chief of the Bharatas, and began to utter tremendous\nroars, agitating those Daityas and Danavas. All the worlds and the ten\npoints of the compass resounded with those roars, which, for this reason,\nagitated all creatures and filled them with fear. The very gods with\nIndra at their head became terror-stricken. The whole universe became\nstilled in consequence of that sound. It was a dreadful time. All mobile\nand immobile beings became stupefied by that sound. The Danavas,\nterrified by that sound, began to fall down lifeless, paralysed by the\nenergy of Vishnu. The Boar, with its hoofs, began to pierce those enemies\nof the gods, those denizens of the nether regions, and tear their flesh,\nfat, and bones. In consequence of those tremendous roars, Vishnu came to\nbe called by the name of Sanatana.[712] He is also called Padmanabha. He\nis the foremost of yogins. He is the Preceptor of all creatures, and\ntheir supreme Lord. All the tribes of the gods then repaired to the\nGrandsire. Arrived at the presence, those illustrious ones addressed the\nLord of the universe, saying, 'What sort of a noise is this, O puissant\none? We do not understand it. Who is this one, or whose is this sound at\nwhich the universe hath been stupefied? With the energy of this sound or\nof its maker, the gods and the Danavas have all been deprived of their\nsenses.' Meanwhile, O mighty-armed one, Vishnu in his porcine form was in\nsight of the assembled gods, his praises hymned by the great Rishis.\n\n\"'\"The Grandsire said, 'That is the Supreme God, the Creator of all beings,\nthe soul of all creatures, the foremost of all yogins. Of huge body and\ngreat strength, he cometh here, having slain the foremost ones among the\nDanavas. He is the Lord of all beings, the master of yoga, the great\nascetic, the Soul of all living beings. Be still, all of you. He is\nKrishna, the destroyer of all obstacles and impediments.[713] That\nSupreme God, of immeasurable splendour, that great refuge of all\nblessings, having achieved a most difficult feat that is incapable of\nbeing accomplished by others, has returned to his own unmixed\nnature.[714] It is He from whose navel the primeval lotus had sprung. He\nis the foremost of yogins. Of supreme soul, He is the creator of all\nbeings. There is no need for sorrow or fear or grief, ye foremost of\ngods! He is the Ordainer. He is the Creating Principle. He is\nall-destroying Time. It is He who upholds all the world. The roars that\nhave alarmed you are being uttered by that high-souled one. Of mighty\narms, He is the object of the universal worship. Incapable of\ndeterioration, that lotus-eyed one is the origin of all beings and their\nlord.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me, O sire, of that high yoga by which, O\nBharata, I may obtain Emancipation. O foremost of speakers, I desire to\nknow everything about that yoga truly.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the old narrative of the\ndiscourse between a preceptor and his disciple on the subject of\nEmancipation. There was a regenerate preceptor who was the foremost of\nRishis. He looked like a mass of splendour. Possessed of a high soul, he\nwas firm in truth and a complete master of his senses. Once on a time, a\ndisciple of great intelligence and close attention, desirous of obtaining\nwhat was for his highest good, touched the preceptor's feet, and standing\nwith joined hands before him, said, 'If, O illustrious one, thou hast been\ngratified with the worship I have offered thee, it behoveth thee to solve\na great doubt of mine. Whence am I and whence art thou? Tell me this\nfully. Tell me also what is the final cause. Why also, O best of\nregenerate ones, when the material cause in all beings is the same, their\norigin and destruction happen in such dissimilar ways? It beseems thee, O\nthou of great learning, also to explain the object of the declarations in\nthe Vedas (about difference of rites in respect of different classes of\nmen), the meaning of the injunctions of the Smritis and of those\ninjunctions which apply to all classes of men.'[715]\n\n\"'\"The preceptor said, 'Listen, O disciple, O thou of great wisdom! This\nthat thou hast asked me is undisclosed in the very Vedas and is the\nhighest subject for thought or discourse. It is called Adhyatma and is\nthe most valuable of all branches of learning and of all sacred\ninstitutes. Vasudeva is the Supreme (cause) of the universe. He is the\norigin of the Vedas (viz., Om). He is Truth, Knowledge, Sacrifice,\nRenunciation, Self-restraint, and Righteousness. Persons conversant with\nthe Vedas know Him as All-pervading, Eternal, Omnipresent, the Creator\nand the Destroyer, the Unmanifest, Brahma, Immutable. Hear now the story\nof Him who took his birth in Vrishni's race. A Brahmana should hear of\nthe greatness of that God of gods, viz., Him called Vishnu of\nimmeasurable energy, from the lips of Brahmanas. A person of the royal\norder should hear it from persons of that order. One who is a Vaisya\nshould hear it from Vaisyas, and a high-souled Sudra should hear it from\nSudras. Thou deservest to hear it. Listen now to the auspicious account\nof Krishna, that narrative which is the foremost of all narratives.\nVasudeva is the wheel of Time, without beginning and without end.\nExistence and Non-existence are the attributes by which His real nature\nis known. The universe revolves like a wheel depending upon that Lord of\nall beings. O best of men, Kesava, that foremost of all beings, is said\nto be that which is Indestructible, that which is Unmanifest, that which\nis Immortal, Brahma, and Immutable. The highest of the high, and without\nchange or deterioration himself, he created the Pitris, the gods, the\nRishis, the Yakshas, the Rakshasas, the Nagas, the Asuras, and human\nbeings. It is He who also created the Vedas and the eternal duties and\ncustoms of men. Having reduced everything into non-existence, he once\nmore, in the beginning of a (new) yuga, creates Prakriti (primordial\nmatter). As the diverse phenomena of the several seasons appear one after\nanother according to the season that comes, after the like manner\ncreatures start forth into existence at the beginning of every\n(celestial) yuga. Corresponding with those creatures that start into life\nis the knowledge of rules and duties that have for their object the\nregulation of the world's course.[716] At the end of every (celestial)\nyuga (when universal destruction sets in) the Vedas and all other\nscriptures disappear (like the rest). In consequence of the grace of the\nSelf-born, the great Rishis, through their penances, first re-acquire the\nlost Vedas and the scriptures. The Self-born (Brahman) first acquired the\nVedas. Their branches called the Angas were first acquired by (the\ncelestial preceptor) Vrihaspati. Bhrigu's son (Sukra) first acquired the\nscience of morality that is so beneficial for the universe. The science\nof music was acquired by Narada; that of arms by Bharadwaja; the history\nof the celestial Rishis by Gargya: that of medicine by the\ndark-complexioned son of Atri. Diverse other Rishis, whose names are\nconnected therewith, promulgated diverse other sciences such as Nyaya,\nVaiseshika, Sankhya, Patanjala, etc. Let that Brahma which those Rishis\nhave indicated by arguments drawn from reason, by means of the Vedas, and\nby inferences drawn from the direct evidence of the senses, be adored.\nNeither the gods nor the Rishis were (at first) able to apprehend Brahma\nwhich is without beginning and which is the highest of the high. Only the\ndivine creator of all things, viz., the puissant Narayana, had knowledge\nof Brahma. From Narayana, the Rishis, the foremost ones among the deities\nand the Asuras, and the royal sages of old, derived the knowledge of that\nhighest remedy of the cure of sorrow. When primordial matter produces\nexistences through the action of the primal energy, the universe with all\nits potencies begins to flow from it. From one lighted lamp thousands of\nother lamps are capable of being lighted. After the same manner,\nprimordial matter produces thousands of existent things. In consequence,\nagain, of its infinity primordial matter is never exhausted. From the\nUnmanifest flows the Understanding determined by acts. The Understanding\nproduces Consciousness. From Consciousness proceeds Space. From Space\nproceeds Wind. From the Wind proceeds Heat. From Heat proceeds Water, and\nfrom Water is produced the Earth. These eight constitute primordial\nPrakriti. The universe rests on them. From those Eight have originated\nthe five organs of knowledge, the five organs of action, the five objects\nof the (first five) organs, and the one, viz., the Mind, forming the\nsixteenth, which is the result of their modification. The ear, the skin,\nthe two eyes, the tongue, and the nose are the five organs of knowledge.\nThe two feet, the lower duct, the organ of generation, the two arms, and\nspeech, are the five organs of action. Sound, touch, form, taste, and\nsmell are the five objects of the senses, covering all the things. The\nMind dwells upon all the senses and their objects. In the perception of\ntaste, it is the Mind that becomes the tongue, and in speech it is the\nMind that becomes words. Endued with the different senses, it is the Mind\nthat becomes all the objects that exist in its apprehension. These\nsixteen, existing in their respective forms, should be known as deities.\nThese worship Him who creates all knowledge and dwells within the body.\nTaste is the attribute of water; scent is the attribute of earth; hearing\nis the attribute of space; vision is the attribute of fire or light; and\ntouch should be known as the attribute of the wind. This is the case with\nall creatures at all times. The Mind, it has been said, is the attribute\nof existence. Existence springs from the Unmanifest (of Prakriti) which,\nevery intelligent person should know, rests in That which is the Soul of\nall existent beings. These existences, resting upon the supreme Divinity\nthat is above Prakriti and that is without any inclination for action,\nuphold the entire universe of mobiles and immobiles. This sacred edifice\nof nine doors[717] is endued with all these existences. That which is\nhigh above them, viz., the Soul, dwells within it, pervading it all over.\nFor this reason, it is called Purusha. The Soul is without decay and not\nsubject to death. It has knowledge of what is manifest and what is\nunmanifest. It is again all-pervading, possessed of attributes, subtile,\nand the refuge of all existences and attributes. As a lamp discovers all\nobjects great or small (irrespective of its own size), after the same\nmanner the Soul dwells in all creatures as the principle of knowledge\n(regardless of the attributes or accidents of those creatures). Urging\nthe ear to hear what it hears, it is the Soul that hears. Similarly,\nemploying the eye, it is the Soul that sees. This body furnishes the\nmeans by which the Soul derives knowledge. The bodily organs are not the\ndoers, but it is the Soul that is the doer of all acts. There is fire in\nwood, but it can never be seen by cutting open a piece of wood. After the\nsame manner, the Soul dwells within the body, but it can never be seen by\ndissecting the body. The fire that dwells in wood may be seen by\nemploying proper means, viz., rubbing the wood with another piece of\nwood. After the same manner, the Soul which dwells within the body may be\nseen by employing proper means, viz., yoga. Water must exist in rivers.\nRays of light are always attached to the sun. After the same manner, the\nSoul has a body. This connection does not cease because of the constant\nsuccession of bodies that the Soul has to enter.[718] In a dream, the\nSoul, endued with the fivefold senses, leaves the body and roves over\nwide areas. After the same manner, when death ensues, the Soul (with the\nsenses in their subtile forms) passes out of one body for entering\nanother. The Soul is bound by its own former acts. Bound by its own acts\ndone in one state of existence, it attains to another state. Indeed, it\nis led from one into another body by its own acts which are very powerful\nin respect of their consequences. How the owner of a human body, leaving\noff his body, enters another, and then again into another, how, indeed,\nthe entire range of beings is the result of their respective acts (of\npast and present lives), I will presently tell you.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXI\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"All immobile and mobile beings, distributed into four\nclasses, have been said to be of unmanifest birth and unmanifest death.\nExisting only in the unmanifest Soul, the Mind is said to possess the\nattributes of the unmanifest.[719] As a vast tree is ensconced within a\nsmall unblown Aswattha flower and becomes observable only when it comes\nout, even so birth takes place from what is unmanifest. A piece of iron,\nwhich is inanimate, runs towards a piece of loadstone. Similarly,\ninclinations and propensities due to natural instincts, and all else, run\ntowards the Soul in a new life.[720] Indeed, even as those propensities\nand possessions born of Ignorance and Delusion, and inanimate in respect\nof their nature, are united with Soul when reborn, after the same manner,\nthose other propensities and aspirations of the Soul that have their gaze\ndirected towards Brahma become united with it, coming to it directly from\nBrahma itself.[721] Neither earth, nor sky, nor heaven, nor things, nor\nthe vital breaths, nor virtue and vice, nor anything else, existed\nbefore, save the Chit-Soul. Nor have they any necessary connection with\neven the Chit-Soul defiled by Ignorance.[722] The Soul is eternal. It is\nindestructible. It occurs in every creature. It is the cause of the Mind.\nIt is without attributes. This universe that we perceive hath been\ndeclared (in the Vedas) to be due to Ignorance or Delusion. The Soul's\napprehensions of form, etc., are due to past desires.[723] The Soul, when\nit becomes endued with those causes (viz., desire), is led to the state\nof its being engaged in acts. In consequence of that condition (for those\nacts again produce desires to end in acts anew and so on),--this vast\nwheel to existence revolves, without beginning and without end.[724] The\nUnmanifest, viz., the Understanding (with the desires), is the nave of\nthat wheel. The Manifest (i.e., the body with the senses) constitutes its\nassemblage of spokes, the perceptions and acts from its circumference.\nPropelled by the quality of Rajas (Passion), the Soul presides over it\n(witnessing its revolutions). Like oilmen pressing oilseeds in their\nmachine, the consequences born of Ignorance, assailing the universe (of\ncreatures) which is moistened by Rajas, press or grind it in that wheel.\nIn that succession of existences, the living creature, seized by the idea\nof Self in consequence of desire, engages itself in acts. In the union of\ncause and effect, those acts again become (new causes).[725] Effects do\nnot enter into causes. Nor do causes enter into effects. In the\nproduction of effects, Time is the Cause. The primordial essences (eight\nin number as mentioned before), and their modifications six-(teen in\nnumber), fraught with causes, exists in a state of union, in consequence\nof their being always presided over by the Soul. Like dust following the\nwind that moves it, the creature-Soul, divested of body, but endued still\nwith inclinations born of Passion and Darkness and with principles of\ncauses constituted by the acts of the life that is over, moves on,\nfollowing the direction that the Supreme Soul gives it. The Soul,\nhowever, is never touched by those inclinations and propensities. Nor are\nthese touched by the Soul that is superior to them. The wind, which is\nnaturally pure, is never stained by the dust it bears away.[726] As the\nwind is truly separate from the dust it bears away, even so, the man of\nwisdom should know, is the connection between that which is called\nexistence or life and the Soul. No one should take it that the Soul, in\nconsequence of its apparent union with the body and the senses and the\nother propensities and beliefs and unbeliefs, is really endued therewith\nas its necessary and absolute qualities. On the other hand, the Soul\nshould be taken as existing in its own nature. Thus did the divine Rishi\nsolve the doubt that had taken possession of his disciple's mind.\nNotwithstanding all this, people depend upon means consisting of acts and\nscriptural rites for casting off misery and winning happiness. Seeds that\nare scorched by fire do not put forth sprouts. After the same manner, if\neverything that contributes to misery be consumed by the fire of true\nknowledge, the Soul escapes the obligation of rebirth in the world.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Persons engaged in the practice of acts regard the\npractice of acts highly. Similarly, those that are devoted to Knowledge\ndo not regard anything other than Knowledge. Persons fully conversant\nwith the Vedas and depending upon the utterances contained in them, are\nrare. They that are more intelligent desire the path of abstention from\nacts as the better of the two, viz., heaven and emancipation.[727]\nAbstention from acts is observed by those that are possessed of great\nwisdom. That conduct, therefore, is laudable. The intelligence which\nurges to abstention from acts, is that by which one attains to\nEmancipation. Possessed of body, a person, through folly, and endued with\nwrath and cupidity and all the propensities born of Passion and Darkness,\nbecomes attached to all earthly objects. One, therefore, who desires to\ndestroy one's connection with the body, should never indulge in any\nimpure act. On the other hand, one should create by one's acts a path for\nattaining to emancipation, without wishing for regions of felicity (in\nthe next world).[728] As gold, when united with iron, loses its purity\nand fails to shine, even so Knowledge, when existing with attachment to\nearthly objects and such other faults, fails to put forth its\nsplendour.[729] He who, influenced by cupidity and following the dictates\nof desire and wrath, practises unrighteousness, transgressing the path of\nrighteousness, meets with complete destruction.[730] One who is desirous\nof benefiting oneself should never follow, with excess of attachments,\nearthly possessions represented by the objects of the senses. If one does\nit, wrath and joy and sorrow arise from one another (and make one\nmiserable). When every one's body is made up of the five original\nelements as also of the three attributes of Goodness, Passion, and\nDarkness, whom shall one adore and whom shall one blame with what words?\nOnly they that are fools become attached to the objects of the senses. In\nconsequence of folly they do not know that their bodies are only\nmodifications.[731]\n\n\"'\"As a house made of earth is plastered over with earth, even so this body\nwhich is made of earth is kept from destruction by food which is only a\nmodification of earth. Honey and oil and milk and butter and meat and\nsalt and treacle and grain of all kinds and fruit and roots are all\nmodifications of earth and water. Recluses living in the wilderness,\ngiving up all longing (for rich and savoury food), take simple food, that\nis again unsavoury, for only supporting the body. After the same manner,\na person that dwells in the wilderness of the world, should be ready for\nlabour and should take food for passing through life, like a patient\ntaking medicine.[732] A person of noble soul, examining all things of an\nearthly nature that come upon him, by the aid of truth, purity, candour,\na spirit of renunciation, enlightenment, courage, forgiveness, fortitude,\nintelligence, reflection, and austerities, and desirous of obtaining\ntranquillity, should restrain his senses. All creatures, stupefied, in\nconsequence of Ignorance, by the attributes of Goodness and Passion and\nDarkness, are continually revolving like a wheel. All faults, therefore,\nthat are born of Ignorance, should be closely examined and the idea of\nSelf which has its origin in Ignorance, and which is productive of\nmisery, should be avoided. The fivefold elements, the senses, the\nattributes of Goodness, Passion, and Darkness, the three worlds with the\nSupreme Being himself, and acts, all rest on Self-consciousness.[733] As\nTime, under its own laws, always displays the phenomena of the seasons\none after another, even so one should know that Consciousness in all\ncreatures is the inducer of acts.[734] Tamas (from which proceeds\nConsciousness) should be known as productive of delusions. It is like\nDarkness and is born of Ignorance. To the three attributes of Goodness,\nPassion, and Darkness are attached all the joys and sorrows (of\ncreatures). Listen now to those consequences that spring from the\nattributes of Goodness, Passion, and Darkness. Contentment, the\nsatisfaction that arises from joy, certainty, intelligence, and\nmemory,--these are the consequences born of the attribute of Goodness. I\nshall now mention the consequences of Passion and Darkness. Desire,\nwrath, error, cupidity, stupefaction, fear, and fatigue, belong to the\nattribute of Passion. Cheerlessness, grief, discontent, vanity, pride,\nand wickedness, all belong to Darkness. Examining the gravity or\nlightness of these and other faults that dwell in the Soul, one should\nreflect upon each of them one after another (for ascertaining which of\nthem exist, which have become strong or weak, which have been driven off,\nand which remain).\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"What faults are abandoned by persons desirous of\nEmancipation? What are those that are weakened by them? What are the\nfaults that come repeatedly (and are, therefore, incapable of being got\nrid of)? What, again, are regarded as weak, through stupefaction (and,\ntherefore, as permissible)? What, indeed, are those faults upon whose\nstrength and weakness a wise man should reflect with the aid of\nintelligence and of reasons? I have doubts upon these subjects. Discourse\nto me on these, O grandsire!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"A person of pure Soul, by extracting all his faults by\ntheir roots, succeeds in obtaining Emancipation. As an axe made of steel\ncuts a steel chain (and accomplishing the act becomes broken itself),\nafter the same manner, a person of cleansed Soul, destroying all the\nfaults that spring from Darkness and that are born with the Soul (when it\nis reborn), succeeds in dissolving his connection with the body (and\nattaining Emancipation).[735] The qualities having their origin in\nPassion, those that spring from Darkness, and those stainless ones\ncharacterised by purity (viz., those included under the quality of\nGoodness), constitute as it were the seed from which all embodied\ncreatures have grown. Amongst these, the attribute of Goodness alone is\nthe cause through which persons of cleansed souls succeed in attaining to\nEmancipation. A person of cleansed soul, therefore, should abandon all\nthe qualities born of Passion and Darkness. Then again, when the quality\nof Goodness becomes freed from those of Passion and Darkness, it becomes\nmore resplendent still. Some say that sacrifices and other acts performed\nwith the aid of mantras, and which certainly contribute to the\npurification of the Soul, are evil or cruel acts. (This view is not\ncorrect). On the other hand, those acts are the chief means for\ndissociating the Soul from all worldly attachments, and for the\nobservance of the religion of tranquillity. Through the influence of the\nqualities born of Passion, all unrighteous acts are performed, and all\nacts fraught with earthly purposes as also all such acts as spring from\ndesire are accomplished. Through qualities born of Darkness, one does all\nacts fraught with cupidity and springing from wrath. In consequence of\nthe attribute of Darkness, one embraces sleep and procrastination and\nbecomes addicted to all acts of cruelty and carnal pleasure. That person,\nhowever, who, possessed of faith and scriptural knowledge, is observant\nof the attribute of Goodness, attends only to all good things, and\nbecomes endued with (moral) beauty and soul free from every taint.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXIII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"From the attribute of Passion arises delusion or loss of\njudgment. From the attribute of Darkness, O bull of Bharata's race, arise\nwrath and cupidity and fear and pride. When all these are destroyed, one\nbecomes pure. By obtaining purity, a person succeeds in arriving at the\nknowledge of the Supreme Soul which is resplendent with effulgence,\nincapable of deterioration, without change, pervading all things, having\nthe unmanifest for his refuge, and the foremost of all the deities.\nInvested in His maya, men fall away from knowledge and become senseless,\nand in consequence of their knowledge being darkened, yield to\nwrath.[736] From wrath, they become subject to desire. From desire spring\ncupidity and delusion and vanity and pride and selfishness. From such\nselfishness proceeds various kinds of acts.[737] From acts spring diverse\nbonds of affection and from those bonds of affection spring sorrow or\nmisery and from acts fraught with joy and sorrow proceeds the liability\nto birth and death.[738] In consequence of the obligation of birth, the\nliability is incurred of a residence within the womb, due to the union of\nvital seed and blood. That residence is defiled with excreta and urine\nand phlegm, and always fouled with blood that is generated there.\nOverwhelmed by thirst, the Chit-Soul becomes bound by wrath and the rest\nthat have been enumerated above. It seeks, however, to escape those\nevils. In respect of this, women must be regarded as instruments which\nset the stream of Creation agoing. By their nature, women are Kshetra,\nand men are Kshetrajna in respect of attributes. For this reason, persons\nof wisdom should not pursue women in especial (among other objects of the\nworld).[739] Indeed, women are like frightful mantra-powers. They stupefy\npersons reft of wisdom. They are sunk in the attribute of Passion. They\nare the eternal embodiment of the senses.[740] In consequence of the keen\ndesire that men entertain for women, off-spring proceed from them, due to\n(the action of) the vital seed. As one casts off from one's body such\nvermin as take their birth there but as are not on that account any part\nof oneself, even so should one cast off those vermin of one's body that\nare called children, who, though regarded as one's own, are not one's own\nin reality. From the vital seed as from sweat (and other filth) creatures\nspring from the body, influenced by the acts of previous lives or in the\ncourse of nature. Therefore, one possessed of wisdom should feel no\nregard for them.[741] The attribute of Passion rests on that of Darkness.\nThe attribute of Goodness, again, rests on that of Passion. Darkness\nwhich is unmanifest overspreads itself on Knowledge, and causes the\nphenomena of Intelligence and Consciousness.[742] That knowledge\npossessing the attributes of Intelligence and Consciousness has been said\nto be the seed of embodied Souls. That, again, which is the seed of such\nknowledge is called the Jiva (or Chit-Soul).[743] In consequence of acts\nand the virtue of time, the Soul goes through birth and repeated rounds\nof rebirth. As in a dream the Soul sports as if invested with a body\nwhich, of course, is due to the action of the mind, after the same\nmanner, it obtains in the mother's womb a body in consequence of\nattributes and propensities having (past) acts for their origin. Whatever\nsenses while it is there, are awakened by past acts as the operating\ncause, become generated in Consciousness in consequence of the mind\nco-existing with attachments.[744] In consequence of the past thoughts of\nsound that are awakened in it, the Soul, subjected to such influences,\nreceives the organ of hearing. Similarly, from attachment to forms, its\neye is produced, and from its longing after scent its organ of smelling.\nFrom thoughts of touch it acquires the skin. In the same way the\nfive-fold breaths are acquired by it, viz., Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana,\nand Samana, which contribute to keep the body agoing. Encased in body\nwith all limbs fully developed in consequence (as shown above) of past\nacts, the Soul takes birth, with sorrow, both physical and mental, in the\nbeginning, middle, and end. It should be known that sorrow springs from\nthe very fact of acceptance of body (in the womb). It increases with the\nidea of Self. From renunciation of these (attachments which are the cause\nof birth), sorrow meets with an end. He that is conversant with sorrow's\nend attains to Emancipation.[745] Both the origin and the destruction of\nthe senses rest in the attribute of Passion. The man of wisdom should act\nwith proper scrutiny with the aid of the eye constituted by the\nscriptures.[746] The senses of knowledge, even if they succeed in earning\nall their objects, never succeed in overwhelming the man that is without\nthirst. The embodied Soul, by making its senses weak, escapes the\nobligation or rebirth.\"'\"[747]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXIV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I shall now tell thee what the means are (for conquering\nthe senses) as seen with the eye of the scriptures. A person, O king,\nwill attain to the highest end by the help of such knowledge and by\nframing his conduct accordingly. Amongst all living creatures man is said\nto be the foremost.\n\n\"'\"Among men, those that are regenerate have been called the foremost; and\namongst the regenerate, they that are conversant with the Vedas. These\nlast are regarded as the souls of all living creatures. Indeed, those\nBrahmanas that are conversant with the Vedas are regarded as all-seeing\nand omniscient. They are persons who have become conversant with Brahma.\nAs a blind man, without a guide, encounters many difficulties on a road,\nso has a person destitute of knowledge to encounter many obstacles in the\nworld. For this reason, those that are possessed of knowledge are\nregarded as superior to the rest. Those that are desirous of acquiring\nvirtue practise diverse kinds of rites according to the dictates of the\nscriptures. They do not, however, succeed in attaining to Emancipation,\nall that they gain being those good qualities of which I shall presently\nspeak.[748] Purity of speech, of body, and of mind, forgiveness, truth,\nsteadiness, and intelligence,--these good qualities are displayed by\nrighteous persons observant of both kinds of religion. That which is\ncalled Brahmacharya (religion of abstention or yoga) is regarded as the\nmeans of attaining to Brahma. That is the foremost of all religions. It\nis by the practice of that religion that one obtains the highest end\n(viz., Emancipation). Brahmacharya is divested of all connection with the\nfive vital breaths, mind, understanding, the five senses of perception,\nand the five senses of action. It is on that account free from all the\nperceptions that the senses give. It is heard only as a word, and its\nform, without being seen, can only be conceived. It is a state of\nexistence depending only on the mind. It is free from all connection with\nthe senses. That sinless state should be attained to by the understanding\nalone. He that practises it duly attains to Brahma; he that practises it\nhalf and half, attains to the condition of the gods; while he that\npractises it indifferently, takes birth among Brahmanas and possessed of\nlearning attains to eminence. Brahmacharya is exceedingly difficult to\npractise. Listen now to the means (by which one may practise it). That\nregenerate person who betakes himself to it should subdue the quality of\nPassion as soon as it begins to manifest itself or as soon as it begins\nto be powerful. One that has betaken oneself to that vow should not speak\nwith women. He should never cast his eyes on an undressed woman. The\nsight of women, under even indifferent circumstances, fills all\nweak-minded men with Passion. If a person (while observing this vow)\nfeels a desire for woman rising in his heart, he should (as an expiation)\nobserve the vow called Krichcchra and also pass three days in water.[749]\nIf desire is entertained in course of a dream, one should, diving in\nwater, mentally repeat for three times the three Riks by\nAghamarshana.[750] That wise man who has betaken himself to the practice\nof this vow should, with an extended and enlightened mind, burn the sins\nin his mind which are all due to the quality of Passion. As the duct that\nbears away the refuse of the body is very closely connected with the\nbody, even so the embodied Soul is very closely connected with the body\nthat confines it. The different kinds of juices, passing through the\nnetwork of arteries, nourish men's wind and bile and phlegm, blood and\nskin and flesh, intestines and bones and marrow, and the whole body. Know\nthat there are ten principal ducts. These assist the functions of the\nfive senses. From those ten branch out thousands of other ducts that are\nminuter in form. Like rivers filling the ocean at the proper season, all\nthese ducts, containing juices nourish the body. Leading to the heart\nthere is a duct called Manovaha. It draws from every part of the human\nbody the vital seed which is born of desire. Numerous other ducts\nbranching out from that principal one extend into every part of the body\nand bearing the element of heat cause the sense of vision (and the rest).\nAs the butter that lies within milk is churned up by churning rods, even\nso the desires that are generated in the mind (by the sight or thought of\nwomen) draw together the vital seed that lies within the body. In the\nmidst of even our dreams passion having birth in imagination assails the\nmind, with the result that the duct already named, viz., Manovaha, throws\nout the vital seed born of desire. The great and divine Rishi Atri is\nwell-conversant with the subject of the generation of the vital seed. The\njuices that are yielded by food, the duct called Manovaha, and the desire\nthat is born of imagination,--these three are the causes that originate\nthe vital seed which has Indra for its presiding deity. The passion that\naids in the emission of this fluid is, therefore, called Indriya. Those\npersons who know that the course of vital seed is the cause of (that\nsinful state of things called) intermixture of castes, are men of\nrestrained passions. Their sins are regarded to have been burnt off, and\nthey are never subjected to rebirth. He that betakes himself to action\nsimply for the purposes of sustaining his body, reducing with the aid of\nthe mind the (three) attributes (of Goodness, Passion, and Darkness) into\na state of uniformity, and brings at his last moments the vital breaths\nto the duct called Manovaha, escapes the obligation of rebirth.[751] The\nMind is sure to gain Knowledge. It is the Mind that takes the form of all\nthings. The minds of all high-souled persons, attaining to success\nthrough meditation, become freed from desire, eternal, and luminous.[752]\nTherefore, for destroying the mind (as mind), one should do only sinless\ndeeds and freeing oneself from the attributes of Passion and Darkness,\none is sure to attain to an end that is very desirable.[753] Knowledge\n(ordinarily) acquired in younger days becomes weakened with decrepitude.\nA person, however, of ripe understanding succeeds, through the auspicious\neffects of past lives, in destroying his desires.[754] Such a person, by\ntranscending the bonds of the body and the senses like a traveller\ncrossing a path full of obstacles, and transgressing all faults he sees,\nsucceeds in tasting the nectar (of Emancipation).\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Living creatures, by being attached to objects of the\nsenses which are always fraught with evil, become helpless. Those\nhigh-souled persons, however, who are not attached to them, attain to the\nhighest end. The man of intelligence, beholding the world over-whelmed\nwith the evils constituted by birth, death, decrepitude, sorrow, disease,\nand anxieties, should exert themselves for the attainment of\nEmancipation. He should be pure in speech, thought, and body; he should\nbe free from pride. Of tranquil soul and possessed of knowledge, he\nshould lead a life of mendicancy, and pursue happiness without being\nattached to any worldly object. Again, if attachment be seen to possess\nthe mind in consequence of compassion to creatures, he should, seeing\nthat the universe is the result of acts, show indifference in respect of\ncompassion itself.[755] Whatever good acts are performed, or whatever\nsin (is perpetrated), the doer tastes the consequences. Hence, one\nshould, in speech, thought, and deed, do only acts that are good.[756] He\nsucceeds in obtaining happiness who practises abstention from injuring\n(others), truthfulness of speech, honesty towards all creatures, and\nforgiveness, and who is never heedless. Hence one, exercising one's\nintelligence, should dispose one's mind, after training it, on peace\ntowards all creatures.[757] That man who regards the practice of the\nvirtues enumerated above as the highest duty, as conducive to the\nhappiness of all creatures, and as destructive of all kinds of sorrow, is\npossessed of the highest knowledge, and succeeds in obtaining happiness.\nHence (as already said), one should, exercising one's intelligence,\ndispose one's mind, after training it, on peace towards all creatures.\nOne should never think of doing evil to others. One should not covet what\nis far above one's power to attain. One should not turn one's thoughts\ntowards objects that are non-existent. One should, on the other hand,\ndirect one's mind towards knowledge by such persistent efforts as are\nsure to succeed.[758] With the aid of the declarations of the Srutis and\nof persistent efforts calculated to bring success, that Knowledge is sure\nto flow. One that is desirous of saying good words or observing a\nreligion that is refined of all dross, should utter only truth that is\nnot fraught with any malice or censure. One that is possessed of a sound\nheart should utter words that are not fraught with dishonesty, that are\nnot harsh, that are not cruel, that are not evil, and that are not\ncharacterised by garrulity. The universe is bound in speech. If disposed\nto renunciation (of all worldly objects) then should one proclaim,[759]\nwhich a mind fraught with humility and a cleansed understanding, one's\nown evil acts.[760] He who betakes himself to action, impelled thereto by\npropensities fraught with the attribute of Passion, obtains much misery\nin this world and at last sinks into hell. One should, therefore,\npractise self-restraint in body, speech, and mind. Ignorant persons\nbearing the burdens of the world are like robbers laden with their booty\nof straggling sheep (secreted from herds taken out for pasture). The\nlatter are always regardful of roads that are unfavourable to them (owing\nto the presence of the king's watch).[761] Indeed, as robbers have to\nthrow away their spoil if they wish for safety, even so should a person\ncast off all acts dictated by Passion and Darkness if he is to obtain\nfelicity. Without doubt, a person that is without desire, free from the\nbonds of the world, contented to live in solitude, abstemious in diet,\ndevoted to penances and with senses under control, that has burnt all his\nsorrows by (the acquisition of) knowledge, that takes a pleasure in\npractising all the particulars of yoga discipline, and that has a\ncleansed soul, succeeds, in consequence of his mind being withdrawn into\nitself, in attaining to Brahma or Emancipation.[762] One endued with\npatience and a cleansed soul, should, without doubt, control one's\nunderstanding. With the understanding (thus disciplined), one should next\ncontrol one's mind, and then with the mind overpower the objects of the\nsenses. Upon the mind being thus brought under control and the senses\nbeing all subdued, the senses will become luminous and gladly enter into\nBrahma. When one's senses are withdrawn into the mind, the result that\noccurs is that Brahma becomes manifested in it. Indeed, when the senses\nare destroyed, and the soul returns to the attribute of pure existence,\nit comes to be regarded as transformed into Brahma. Then again, one\nshould never make a display of one's yoga power. On the other hand, one\nshould always exert to restrain one's senses by practising the rules of\nyoga. Indeed, one engaged in the practice of yoga rules should do all\nthose acts by which one's conduct and disposition may become pure.[763]\n(Without making one's yoga powers the means of one's subsistence) one\nshould rather live upon broken grains of corn, ripe beans, dry cakes of\nseeds from which the oil has been pressed out, pot-herbs, half-ripe\nbarley, flour of fried pulses, fruits, and roots, obtained in alms.[764]\nReflecting upon the characteristics of time and place, one should\naccording to one's inclinations observe, after proper examination, vows\nand rules about fasts. One should not suspend an observance that has been\nbegun. Like one slowly creating a fire, one should gradually extend an\nact that is prompted by knowledge. By doing so, Brahma gradually shines\nin one like the Sun. The Ignorance which has Knowledge for its resting\nground, extends its influence over all the three states (of waking,\ndreaming and dreamless slumber). The Knowledge, again, that follows the\nUnderstanding, is assailed by Ignorance.[765] The evil-hearted person\nfails to obtain a knowledge of the Soul in consequence of taking it as\nunited with the three states although in reality it transcends them all.\nWhen, however, he succeeds in apprehending the limits under which the\ntwo, viz., union with the three states and separation from them, are\nmanifested, it is then that he becomes divested of attachment and attains\nto Emancipation. When such an apprehension has been attained, one\ntranscends the effects of age, rises superior to the consequences of\ndecrepitude and death, and obtains Brahma which is eternal, deathless,\nimmutable, undeteriorating.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXVI\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The yogin who wishes to always practise sinless\nBrahmacharya and who is impressed with the faults attaching to dreams\nshould, with his whole heart, seek to abandon sleep. In dreams, the\nembodied soul, affected by the attributes of Passion and Darkness, seems\nto become possessed of another body and move and act influenced by\ndesire.[766] In consequence of application for the acquisition of\nknowledge and of continued reflection and recapitulation, the yogin\nremains always awake. Indeed, the yogin can keep himself continually\nawake by devoting himself to knowledge. On this topic it has been asked\nwhat is this state in which the embodied creature thinks himself\nsurrounded by and engaged in objects and acts? True it is that the\nembodied being, with its senses really suspended, still thinks itself to\nbe possessed of body with all the senses of knowledge and of action. As\nregards the question started, it is said that that master of yoga, named\nHari, comprehends truly how it happens. The great Rishis say that the\nexplanation offered by Hari is correct and consistent with reason. The\nlearned say that it is in consequence of the senses being worn out with\nfatigue, dreams are experienced by all creatures. (Though the senses are\nsuspended) the mind, however, never disappears (or becomes inactive) and\nhence arise dreams. This is said by all to be their noted cause. As the\nimaginings of a person that is awake and engaged in acts, are due only to\nthe creative power of the mind, after the same manner the impressions in\na dream appertain only to the mind. A person with desire and attachment\nobtains those imaginings (in dreams) based upon the impressions of\ncountless lives in the past. Nothing that impresses the mind once is ever\nlost, and the Soul being cognisant of all those impressions causes them\nto come forth from obscurity.[767] Whichever among the three attributes\nof Goodness, Passion, and Darkness is brought about by the influence of\npast acts and by whichever amongst them the mind is affected for the time\nbeing in whatever way, the elements (in their subtile forms) display or\nindicate accordingly (in the way of images).[768] After images have thus\nbeen produced, the particular attribute of Goodness or Passion or\nDarkness that may have been brought by past act rises in the mind and\nconduces to its last result, viz., happiness or misery. Those images\nhaving wind, bile, and phlegm for their chief causes, which men apprehend\nthrough ignorance and in consequence of propensities fraught with Passion\nand Darkness, cannot, it has been said, be easily discarded.[769]\nWhatever objects again a person perceives in the mind (while wakeful)\nthrough the senses in a state of perspicuity are apprehended by the mind\nin dreams while the senses are obscured in respect of their\nfunctions.[770] The Mind exists unobstructedly in all things. This is due\nto the nature of the Soul. The Soul should be comprehended. All the\nelements and the objects they compose exist in the Soul.[771] In the\nstate called dreamless slumber (sushupti), the manifest human body which,\nof course, is the door of dreams, disappears in the mind. Occupying the\nbody the mind enters the soul which is manifest and upon which all\nexistent and non-existent things depend, and becomes transformed into a\nwakeful witness with certainty of apprehension. Thus dwelling in pure\nConsciousness which is the soul of all things, it is regarded by the\nlearned as transcending both Consciousness and all things in the\nuniverse.[772] That yogin who in consequence of desire covets any of the\ndivine attributes (of Knowledge or Renunciation, etc.) should regard a\npure mind to be identical with the object of his desire. All things rest\nin a pure mind or soul.[773] This is the result attained to by one who is\nengaged in penances. That yogin, however, who has crossed Darkness or\nignorance, becomes possessed of transcending effulgence. When darkness or\nignorance has been transcended, the embodied Soul becomes Supreme Brahma,\nthe cause of the universe.[774] The deities have penances and Vedic\nrites. Darkness (or pride and cruelty), which is destructive of the\nformer, has been adopted by the Asuras. This, viz., Brahma, which has\nbeen said to have Knowledge only for its attribute, is difficult of\nattainment by either the deities or the Asuras. It should be known that\nthe qualities of Goodness, Passion and Darkness belong to the deities and\nthe Asuras. Goodness is the attribute of the deities; while the two\nothers belong to the Asuras. Brahma transcends all those attributes. It\nis pure Knowledge. It is Deathlessness. It is pure effulgence. It is\nundeteriorating. Those persons of cleansed souls who know Brahma attain\nto the highest end. One having knowledge for one's eye can say this much\nwith the aid of reason and analogy. Brahma which is indestructible can be\ncomprehended by only withdrawing the senses and the mind (from external\nobjects into the soul itself).\"'\"[775]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXVII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"He cannot be said to know Brahma who does not know the\nfour topics (viz., dreams, dreamless slumber, Brahma as indicated by\nattributes, and Brahma as transcending all attributes), as also what is\nManifest (viz., the body), and what is Unmanifest (the chit-soul), which\nthe great Rishi  (Narayana) has described as Tattwam.[776] That which is\nmanifest should be known as liable to death. That which is unmanifest\n(viz., the chit-soul), should be known as transcending death. The Rishi\nNarayana has described the religion of Pravritti. Upon that rests the\nwhole universe with its mobile and immobile creatures. The religion of\nNivritti again leads to the unmanifest and eternal Brahma.[777] The\nCreator (Brahma) has described the religion of Pravritti. Pravritti\nimplies rebirth or return. Nivritti, on the other hand, implies the\nhighest end. The ascetic who desires to discriminate with exactitude\nbetween good and evil, who is always bent on understanding the nature of\nthe Soul, and who devotes himself to the religion of Nivritti, attains to\nthat high end.[778] One desirous of accomplishing this, should know both\nthe Unmanifest and Purusha of which I shall speak presently. That, again,\nwhich is different from both the Unmanifest and Purusha, and which\ntranscends them both, and which is distinguished from all beings, should\nbe particularly viewed by one possessed of intelligence.[779] Both\nPrakriti and Purusha are without beginning and without end. Both are\nincapable of being known by their like. Both are eternal and\nindestructible. Both are greater than the greatest (of being). In these\nthey are similar. They are points of dissimilarity again between them.\n(Of these I shall speak presently). Prakriti is fraught with the three\nattributes (of Goodness, Passion, and Darkness). It is also engaged in\ncreation. The true attributes of Kshetrajna (Purusha or the Soul) should\nbe known to be different.[780] Purusha is the apprehender of all the\ntransformations of Prakriti (but cannot be apprehended himself). He\ntranscends (in respect of his original nature) all attributes. As regards\nPurusha and the Supreme Soul again, both of them are incomprehensible.\nIn consequence again of both of them being without attributes by which\nthey can be distinguished, both are highly distinguished from all\nelse.[781] A turbaned person has his head circled with three folds of a\npiece of cloth. (The person, however, is not identical with the turban he\nwears). After the same manner the embodied Soul is invested with the\nthree attributes of Goodness, Passion, and Darkness. But though thus\ninvested, the Soul is not identical with those attributes. Hence these\nfour topics, which are covered by these fourfold considerations, should\nbe understood.[782] One who understands all this is never stupefied when\none has to draw conclusions (in respect of all subjects of enquiry). He\nthat is desirous of attaining to high prosperity should become pure in\nmind, and betaking himself to austere practices in respect of the body\nand the senses, should devote himself to yoga without desire of fruits.\nThe universe is pervaded by yoga power secretly circulating through every\npart of it and illumining it brightly. The sun and the moon shine with\neffulgence in the firmament of the heart in consequence of yoga power.\nThe result of yoga is Knowledge. Yoga is talked of very highly in the\nworld.[783] Whatever acts are destructive of Passion and Darkness\nconstitute yoga in respect of its real character. Brahmacharya and\nabstention from injury are said to constitute yoga of the body; while\nrestraining mind and speech properly are said to constitute yoga of the\nmind. The food that is obtained in alms from regenerate persons\nconversant with the ritual is distinguished from all other food. By\ntaking that food abstemiously, one's sins born of Passion begin to fade.\nA yogin subsisting upon such food finds his senses gradually withdrawn\nfrom their objects. Hence, he should take only that measure of food which\nis strictly necessary for the support of his body. (Another advice that\nmay be offered is that) that knowledge which one obtains gradually by\nmind devoted to yoga should cheerfully be made one's own during one's\nlast moments by a forcible stretch of power.[784] The embodied Soul, when\ndivested of Rajas (does not immediately attain to Emancipation but)\nassumes a subtile form with all the senses of perception and moves about\nin space. When his mind becomes unaffected by acts, he, in consequence of\nsuch renunciation (loses that subtile form and) becomes merged in\nPrakriti (without however, yet attaining to Brahma or Emancipation which\ntranscends Prakriti).[785] After the destruction of this gross body, one\nwho through absence of heedlessness escapes from all the three bodies\n(viz., the gross, the subtile and the karana) succeeds in attaining to\nEmancipation.[786] The birth and death of creatures always depend upon\nthe cause constituted by original Ignorance (or Avidya). When knowledge\nof Brahma arises, necessity no longer pursues the person. Those, however,\nthat accept what is the reverse of truth (by believing that to be Self\nwhich is really not-Self) are men whose understandings are always taken\nup with the birth and death of all existent things. (Such people never\ndream even of Emancipation).[787] Supporting their bodies by aid of\npatience, withdrawing their hearts from all external objects by the aid\nof their understanding, and withdrawing themselves from the world of\nsenses, some yogins adore the senses in consequence of their\nsubtility.[788] Some amongst them, with mind cleansed by yoga, proceeding\naccording to (the stages indicated in) the scriptures and reaching the\nhighest, succeed in knowing it by the aid of the understanding and dwell\nin that which is the highest and which without resting on any other thing\nrests on itself.[789] Some worship Brahma in images. Some worship Him as\nexisting with attributes. Some repeatedly realise the highest Divinity\nwhich has been described to be like a flash of lightning and which is\nagain indestructible.[790] Others who have burnt their sins by penances,\nattain to Brahma in the end. All those high-souled persons attain to the\nhighest end. With the eye of scripture one should observe the subtile\nattributes of these several forms, as distinguished by attributes, of\nBrahma that are (thus) worshipped by men. The yogin who has transcended\nthe necessity of depending on the body, who has cast off all attachments,\nand whose mind is devoted to yoga abstraction, should be known as another\ninstance of Infinity, as the Supreme Divinity, or as that which is\nUnmanifest.[791] They whose hearts are devoted to the acquisition of\nknowledge succeed first in freeing themselves from the world of mortals.\nSubsequently, by casting off attachments they partake of the nature of\nBrahma and at last attain to the highest end.\n\n\"'\"Thus have persons conversant with the Vedas spoken of the religion\nthat leads to the attainment of Brahma. They who follow that religion\naccording to the measure of their knowledge all succeed in obtaining the\nhighest end. Even those persons who succeed in acquiring knowledge that\nis incapable of being shaken (by the assaults of scepticism) and that\nmakes its possessors free from attachments of every kind, attain to\nvarious high regions after death and become emancipated according to the\nmeasure of their knowledge. Those persons of pure hearts who have imbibed\ncontentment from knowledge, and who have cast off all desires and\nattachments, gradually approach in respect of their nature, nearer and\nnearer to Brahma which has the unmanifest for his attribute, which is\ndivine, and without birth and death. Realising that Brahma dwells in\ntheir Souls, they become themselves immutable and have never to return\n(to the earth). Attaining to that supreme state which is indestructible\nand eternal, they exist in felicity. The knowledge with respect to this\nworld is even this: it exists (in the case of erring persons). It does\nnot exist (in the case of those who have not been stupefied by error).\nThe whole universe, bound up in desire, is revolving like a wheel. As the\nfibres of a lotus-stalk overspread themselves into every part of the\nstalk, after the same manner the fibres of desire, which have neither\nbeginning nor end, spread themselves over every part of the body. As a\nweaver drives his threads into a cloth by means of his shuttle, after the\nsame manner the threads that constitute the fabric of the universe are\nwoven by the shuttle of Desire. He who properly knows transformations of\nPrakriti, Prakriti herself and Purusha, becomes freed from Desire and\nattains to Emancipation.[792] The divine Rishi Narayana, that refuge of\nthe universe, for the sake of compassion towards all creatures, clearly\npromulgated these means for the acquisition of immortality.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXVIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"By following what conduct, O thou that art\nconversant with all courses of conduct, did Janaka, the ruler of Mithila\nversed in the religion of Emancipation, succeed in attaining to\nEmancipation, after casting off all worldly enjoyments?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the following old narrative\nof the particular conduct by which that ruler, thoroughly conversant with\nall courses of conduct, succeeded in achieving the highest felicity.\nThere was a ruler in Mithila of the name of Janadeva of Janaka's race. He\nwas ever engaged in reflecting upon the courses of conduct that might\nlead to the attainment of Brahma. A century of preceptors always used to\nlive in his palace, lecturing him upon the diverse courses of duty\nfollowed by people who had betaken themselves to diverse modes of\nlife.[793] Given to the study of the Vedas, he was not very well\nsatisfied with the speculations of his instructors on the character of\nthe Soul, and in their doctrines of extinction upon the dissolution of\nthe body or of rebirth after death. Once upon a time a great ascetic of\nthe name of Panchasikha, the son of Kapila, having roamed over the whole\nworld, arrived at Mithila. Endued with correct conclusions in respect of\nall speculations about the diverse duties connected with renunciation, he\nwas above all pairs of opposites (such as heat and cold, happiness and\nmisery), and of doubts he had none. He was regarded as the foremost of\nRishis. Dwelling wherever he pleased, he desired to place before the\nreach of all men eternal felicity that is so difficult of attainment. It\nseemed that he went about, amazing the world, having assumed the form of\nnone else than that great Rishi, that lord of creatures, whom the\nfollowers of the Sankhya doctrine knew by the name of Kapila. He was the\nforemost of all the disciples of Asuri and was called the undying. He had\nperformed a mental Sacrifice that had lasted for thousand years.[794] He\nwas firm in mind, and had completed all the rites and sacrifices that are\nenjoined in the scriptures and that lead to the attainment of Brahma. He\nwas fully conversant with the five sheaths that cover the soul.[795] He\nwas devoted to the five acts connected with the adoration of Brahma, and\nhad the five qualities (of tranquillity, self-restraint, etc.). Known (as\nalready said) by the name of Panchasikha, he had approached one day a\nlarge concourse of Rishis following the Sankhya doctrines and enquired of\nthem about the highest object of human acquisition, viz., the Unmanifest\nor that upon which the five Purushas or sheaths (already named)\nrest.[796] For the sake of obtaining a knowledge of the Soul, Asuri had\nenquired of his preceptor. In consequence of the latter's instructions\nand of his own penances, Asuri understood the distinction between the\nbody and the Soul and had acquired celestial vision.[797] In that\nconcourse of ascetics, Asuri made his exposition of the Immutable One,\nand Indestructible Brahma which is seen in diverse forms. Panchasikha\nbecame a disciple of Asuri. He lived on human milk. There was a certain\nBrahmani of the name of Kapila. She was the wife of Asuri.[798]\nPanchasikha was accepted by her as a son and he used to suck her breasts.\nIn consequence of this, he came to be known as the son of Kapila and his\nunderstanding became fixed on Brahma. All this, about the circumstances\nof his birth and those that led to his becoming the son of Kapila, was\nsaid unto me by the divine Rishi.[799] The latter also told me about the\nomniscience of Panchasikha. Conversant with all courses of duty,\nPanchasikha, after having himself acquired high knowledge, (came to\nJanaka) and knowing that that king had equal reverence for all his\npreceptors, began to amaze that century of preceptors (by an exposition\nof his doctrine fraught), with abundant reasons. Observing the talent of\nKapileya, Janaka became exceedingly attached to him, and abandoning his\nhundred preceptors, began to follow him in particular. Then Kapileya\nbegan to discourse unto Janaka, who had according to the ordinance bent\nhis head unto him (as a disciple should) and who was fully competent to\napprehend the sage's instructions, upon that high religion of\nEmancipation which is explained in Sankhya treatises. Setting forth in\nthe first place the sorrows of birth, he spoke next of the sorrows of\n(religious) acts. Having finished that topic he explained the sorrows of\nall states of life ending even with that in the high region of the\nCreator.[800] He also discoursed upon that Delusion for whose sake is the\npractice of religion, and acts, and their fruits, and which is highly\nuntrustworthy, destructible, unsteady, and uncertain.[801] 'Sceptics say\nthat when death (of the body) is seen and is a matter of direct evidence\nwitnessed by all, they who maintain, in consequence of their faith in the\nscriptures, that something distinct from the body, called the Soul,\nexists are necessarily vanquished in argument. They also urge that one's\ndeath means the extinction of one's Soul, and that sorrow, decrepitude,\nand disease imply (partial) death of the Soul. He that maintains, owing\nto error, that the Soul is distinct from the body and exists after the\nloss of body, cherishes an opinion that is unreasonable.[802] If that be\nregarded as existent which does not really exist in the world, then it\nmay be mentioned that the king, being regarded so, is really never liable\nto decrepitude or death. But is he, on that account, to be really\nbelieved to be above decrepitude and death?[803] When the question is\nwhether an object exists or does not exist, and when that whose existence\nis asserted presents all the indications of non-existence, what is that\nupon which ordinary people rely in settling the affairs of life? Direct\nevidence is the root of both inference and the scriptures. The scriptures\nare capable of being contradicted by direct evidence. As to inference,\nits evidentiary effect is not much. Whatever be the topic, cease to\nreason on inference alone. There is nothing else called jiva than this\nbody. In a banian seed is contained the capacity to produce leaves and\nflowers and fruits and roots and bark. From the grass and water that is\ntaken by a cow are produced milk and butter, substances whose nature is\ndifferent from that of the producing causes. Substances of different\nkinds when allowed to decompose in water for some time produce spirituous\nliquors whose nature is quite different from that of those substances\nthat produce them. After the same manner, from the vital seed is produced\nthe body and its attributes, with the understanding, consciousness, mind,\nand other possessions. Two pieces of wood, rubbed together, produce fire.\nThe stone called Suryakanta, coming in contact with the rays of the Sun,\nproduces fire. Any solid metallic substance, heated in fire, dries up\nwater when coming in contact with it. Similarly, the material body\nproduces the mind and its attributes of perception, memory, imagination,\netc. As the loadstone moves iron, similarly, the senses are controlled by\nthe mind.[804] Thus reason the sceptics. The sceptics, however, are in\nerror. For the disappearance (of only the animating force) upon the body\nbecoming lifeless (and not the simultaneous extinction of the body upon\nthe occurrence of that event) is the proof (of the truth that the body is\nnot the Soul but that the Soul is something separate from the body and\noutlives it certainly. If, indeed, body and Soul had been the same thing,\nboth would have disappeared at the same instant of time. Instead of this,\nthe dead body may be seen for some time _after_ the occurrence of death.\nDeath, therefore, means the flight from the body of something that is\ndifferent from the body). The supplication of the deities by the very men\nwho deny the separate existence of the Soul is another good argument for\nthe proposition that the Soul is separate from the body or has existence\nthat may be independent of a gross material case. The deities to whom\nthese men pray are incapable of being seen or touched. They are believed\nto exist in subtile forms. (Really, if a belief in deities divested of\ngross material forms does no violence to their reason, why should the\nexistence of an immaterial Soul alone do their reason such violence)?\nAnother argument against the sceptic is that his proposition implies a\ndestruction of acts (for if body and Soul die together, the acts also of\nthis life would perish,--a conclusion which no man can possibly come to\nif he is to explain the inequalities or condition witnessed in the\nuniverse).[805] These that have been mentioned, and that have material\nforms, cannot possibly be the causes (of the immaterial Soul and its\nimmaterial accompaniments of perception, memory, and the like). The\nidentity of immaterial existences with objects that are material cannot\nbe comprehended. (Hence objects that are themselves material cannot by\nany means be causes for the production of things immaterial).--Some are\nof opinion that there is rebirth and that it is caused by Ignorance, the\ndesire for acts, cupidity, heedlessness, and adherence to other faults.\nThey say that Ignorance (Avidya) is the soul. Acts constitute the seed\nthat is placed in that soil. Desire is the water that causes that seed to\ngrow, in this way they explain rebirth. They maintain that that ignorance\nbeing ingrained in an imperceptible way, one mortal body being destroyed,\nanother starts up immediately from it; and that when it is burnt by the\naid of knowledge, the destruction of existence itself follows or the\nperson attains to what is called Nirvana. This opinion also is erroneous.\n[This is the doctrine of Buddhists]. It may be asked that when the being\nthat is thus reborn is a different one in respect of its nature, birth,\nand purposes connected with virtue and vice why should I then be regarded\nto have any identity with the being that was? Indeed, the only inference\nthat can be drawn is that the entire chain of existences of a particular\nbeing is not really a chain of connected links (but that existences in\nsuccession are unconnected with one another).[806] Then, again if the\nbeing that is the result of a rebirth be really different from what it\nwas in a previous phase of existence, it may be asked what satisfaction\ncan arise to a person from the exercise of the virtue of charity, or from\nthe acquisition of knowledge or of ascetic power, since the acts\nperformed by one are to concentrate upon another person in another phase\nof existence (without the performer himself being existent to enjoy\nthem?) Another result of the doctrine under refutation would be that one\nin this life may be rendered miserable by the acts of another in a\nprevious life, or having become miserable may again be rendered happy. By\nseeing, however, what actually takes place in the world, a proper\nconclusion may be drawn with respect to the unseen.[807] The separate\nConsciousness that is the result of rebirth is (according to what may be\ninferred from the Buddhistic theory of life) different from the\nConsciousness that had preceded it in a previous life. The manner,\nhowever, in which the rise or appearance of that separate Consciousness\nis explained by that theory does not seem to be consistent or reasonable.\nThe Consciousness (as it existed in the previous life) was the very\nreverse of eternal, being only transitory, extending as it did till\ndissolution of the body. That which had an end cannot be taken as the\ncause for the production of a second Consciousness appearing after the\noccurrence of the end. If, again, the very loss of the previous\nConsciousness be regarded as the cause of the production of the second\nConsciousness, then upon the death of a human body being brought about by\na heavy bludgeon, a second body would arise from the body that is thus\ndeprived of animation.[808] Once more, their doctrine of extinction of\nlife (or Nirvana or Sattwasankshaya) is exposed to the objection that\nthat extinction will become a recurring phenomenon like that of the\nseasons, or the year, or the yuga, or heat, or cold, or objects that are\nagreeable or disagreeable.[809] If for the purpose of avoiding these\nobjections, the followers of this doctrine assert the existence of a Soul\nthat is permanent and unto which each new Consciousness attaches, they\nexpose themselves to the new objection that that permanent substance, by\nbeing overcome with decrepitude, and with death that brings about\ndestruction, may in time be itself weakened and destroyed. If the\nsupports of a mansion are weakened by time, the mansion itself is sure to\nfall down at last.[810] The senses, the mind, wind, blood, flesh, bones\n(and all the constituents of the body), one after another, meet with\ndestruction and enter each into its own productive cause.[811] If again\nthe existence of an eternal Soul be asserted that is immutable, that is\nthe refuge of the understanding, consciousness, and other attributes of\nthe usual kind, and that is dissociated from all these, such an assertion\nwould be exposed to a serious objection, for then all that is usually\ndone in the world would be unmeaning, especially with reference to the\nattainment of the fruits of the charity and other religious acts. All the\ndeclarations in the Srutis inciting to those acts, and all acts connected\nwith the conduct of men in the world, would be equally unmeaning, for the\nSoul being dissociated from the understanding and the mind, there is no\none to enjoy the fruits of good acts and Vedic rites.[812] Thus diverse\nkinds of speculations arise in the mind. Whether this opinion is right or\nthat is right, there is no means of settling. Engaged in reflecting on\nthose opinions, particular persons follow particular lines of\nspeculation. The understandings of these, directed to particular\ntheories, become wholly taken up with them and are at last entirely lost\nin them. Thus all men are rendered miserable by pursuits, good or bad.\nThe Vedas alone, bringing them back to the right path, guide them along\nit, like grooms conducting their elephants.[813] Many men, with weakened\nminds, covet objects that are fraught with great happiness. These,\nhowever, have soon to meet with a much larger measure of sorrow, and\nthen, forcibly torn from their coveted meat, they have to own the sway of\ndeath. What use has one, who is destined to destruction and whose life is\nunstable, with kinsmen and friends and wives and other possessions of\nthis kind? He who encounters death after having cast off all these,\npasses easily out of the world and has never to return. Earth, space,\nwater, heat and wind, always support and nourish the body. Reflecting\nupon this, how can one feel any affection for one's body? Indeed, the\nbody, which is subject to destruction, has no joy in it.' Having heard\nthese words of Panchasikha that were free from deception, unconnected\nwith delusion (because discouraging sacrifices and other Vedic acts),\nhighly salutary, and treating of the Soul, king Janadeva became filled\nwith wonder, and prepared himself to address the Rishi once more.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXIX\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Janadeva of the race of Janaka, thus instructed by the\ngreat Rishi Panchasikha, once more asked him about the topic of existence\nor nonexistence after death.\n\n\"'\"Janadeva said, 'O illustrious one, if no person retains any knowledge\nafter departing from this state of being, if, indeed, this is true, where\nthen is the difference between Ignorance and Knowledge? What do we gain\nthen by knowledge and what do we lose by ignorance? Behold, O foremost of\nregenerate persons, that if Emancipation be such, then all religious\nacts and vows end only in annihilation. Of what avail would then the\ndistinction be between heedfulness and heedlessness? If Emancipation\nmeans dissociation from all objects of pleasurable enjoyment or an\nassociation with objects that are not lasting, for what then would men\ncherish a desire for action, or, having set themselves to action,\ncontinue to devise the necessary means for the accomplishment of desired\nends? What then is the truth (in connection with this topic)?'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Beholding the king enveloped in thick darkness,\nstupefied by error, and become helpless, the learned Panchasikha\ntranquillised him by once more addressing him in the following words, 'In\nthis (Emancipation) the consummation is not Extinction. Nor is that\nconsummation any kind of Existence (that one can readily conceive). This\nthat we see is a union of body, senses, and mind. Existing independently\nas also controlling one another, these go on acting. The materials that\nconstitute the body are water, space, wind, heat, and earth. These exist\ntogether (forming the body) according to their own nature. They disunite\nagain according to their own nature. Space and wind and heat and water\nand earth,--these five objects in a state of union constitute the body.\nThe body is not one element. Intelligence, stomachic heat, and the vital\nbreaths, called Prana, etc., that are all wind,--these three are said to\nbe organs of action. The senses, the objects of the senses (viz., sound,\nform, etc.), the power (dwelling in those objects) in consequence of\nwhich they become capable of being perceived, the faculties (dwelling in\nthe senses) in consequence of which they succeed in perceiving them, the\nmind, the vital breaths called Prana, Apana and the rest, and the various\njuices and humours that are the results of the digestive organs, flow\nfrom the three organs already named.[814] Hearing, touch, taste, vision,\nand scent,--these are the five senses. They have derived their attributes\nfrom the mind which, indeed, is their cause. The mind, existing as an\nattribute of Chit has three states, viz., pleasure, pain, and absence of\nboth pleasure and pain. Sound, touch, form, taste, scent, and the objects\nto which they inhere,--these till the moment of one's death are causes\nfor the production of one's knowledge. Upon the senses rest all acts\n(that lead to heaven), as also renunciation (leading to the attainment of\nBrahma), and also the ascertainment of truth in respect of all topics of\nenquiry. The learned say that ascertainment (of truth) is the highest\nobject of existence, and that it is the seed or root of Emancipation; and\nwith respect to Intelligence, they say that leads to Emancipation and\nBrahma.[815] That person who regards this union of perishable attributes\n(called the body and the objects of the senses) as the Soul, feels, in\nconsequence of such imperfection of knowledge, much misery that proves\nagain to be unending. Those persons, on the other hand, who regard all\nworldly objects as not-Soul, and who on that account cease to have any\naffection or attachment for them, have never to suffer any sorrow for\nsorrow, in their case stands in need of some foundation upon which to\nrest. In this connection there exists the unrivalled branch of knowledge\nwhich treats of Renunciation. It is called Samyagradha. I shall discourse\nto thee upon it. Listen to it for the sake of thy Emancipation.\nRenunciation of acts is (laid down) for all persons who strive earnestly\nfor Emancipation. They, however, who have not been taught correctly (and\nwho on that account think that tranquillity may be attained without\nrenunciation) have to bear a heavy burthen of sorrow. Vedic sacrifices\nand other rites exist for renunciation of wealth and other possessions.\nFor renunciation of all enjoyments exist vows and fasts of diverse kinds.\nFor renunciation of pleasure and happiness, exist penances and yoga.\nRenunciation, however, of everything, is the highest kind of\nrenunciation. This that I shall presently tell thee is the one path\npointed out by the learned for that renunciation of everything. They that\nbetake themselves to that path succeed in driving off all sorrow. They,\nhowever, that deviate from it reap distress and misery.[816] First\nspeaking of the five organs of knowledge having the mind for the sixth,\nand all of which dwell in the understanding, I shall tell thee of the\nfive organs of action having strength for their sixth. The two hands\nconstitute two organs of action. The two legs are the two organs for\nmoving from one place to another. The sexual organ exists for both\npleasure and the continuation of the species. The lower duct, leading\nfrom the stomach downwards, is the organ for expulsion of all used-up\nmatter. The organs of utterance exist for the expression of sounds. Know\nthat these five organs of action appertain or belong to the mind. These\nare the eleven organs of knowledge and of action (counting the mind). One\nshould quickly cast off the mind with the understanding.[817] In the act\nof hearing, three causes must exist together, viz., two ears, sound, and\nthe mind. The same is the case with the perception of touch; the same\nwith that of form; the same with that of taste and smell.[818] These\nfifteen accidents or attributes are needed for the several kinds of\nperception indicated. Every man, in consequence of them, becomes\nconscious of three separate things in respect of those perceptions (viz.,\na material organ, its particular function, and the mind upon which that\nfunction acts). There are again (in respect of all perceptions of the\nmind) three classes, viz., those that appertain to Goodness, those that\nappertain to Passion, and those that appertain to Darkness. Into them\nrun three kinds of consciousness, including all feelings and emotions.\nRaptures, satisfaction, joy, happiness, and tranquillity, arising in the\nmind from any perceptible cause or in the absence of any apparent cause,\nbelong to the attribute of Goodness. Discontent, regret, grief, cupidity,\nand vindictiveness, causeless or occasioned by any perceptible cause, are\nthe indications of the attribute known as Passion. Wrong judgment,\nstupefaction, heedlessness, dreams, and sleepiness, however caused,\nbelong to the attribute of Darkness. Whatever state of consciousness\nexists, with respect to either the body or the mind, united with joy or\nsatisfaction, should be regarded as due to the quality of Goodness.\nWhatever state of consciousness exists united with any feeling of\ndiscontent or cheerlessness should be regarded as occasioned by an\naccession of the attribute of Passion into the mind. Whatever state, as\nregards either the body or the mind, exists with error or heedlessness,\nshould be known as indicative of Darkness which is incomprehensible and\ninexplicable. The organ of hearing rests on space; it is space itself\n(under limitations); (Sound has that organ for its refuge). (Sound,\ntherefore, is a modification of space). In perceiving sound, one may not\nimmediately acquire a knowledge of the organ of hearing and of space. But\nwhen sound is perceived, the organ of hearing and space do not long\nremain unknown. (By destroying the ear, sound and space, may be\ndestroyed; and, lastly, by destroying the mind all may be destroyed). The\nsame is the case with the skin, the eyes, the tongue, and the nose\nconstituting the fifth. They exist in touch, form, taste, and smell. They\nconstitute the faculty of perception and they are the mind.[819] Each\nemployed in its own particular function, all the five organs of action\nand five others of knowledge exist together, and upon the union of the\nten dwells the mind as the eleventh and upon the mind the understanding\nas the twelfth. If it be said that these twelve do not exist together,\nthen the consequence that would result would be death in dreamless\nslumber. But as there is no death in dreamless slumber, it must be\nconceded that these twelve exist together as regards themselves but\nseparately from the Soul. The co-existence of those twelve with the Soul\nthat is referred to in common speech is only a common form of speech with\nthe vulgar for ordinary purposes of the world. The dreamer, in\nconsequence of the appearance of past sensual impressions, becomes\nconscious of his senses in their subtile forms, and endued as he already\nis with the three attributes (of goodness, passion, and darkness), he\nregards his senses as existing with their respective objects and,\ntherefore, acts and moves about with an imaginary body after the manner\nof his own self while awake.[820] That dissociation of the Soul from the\nunderstanding and the mind with the senses, which quickly disappears,\nwhich has no stability, and which the mind causes to arise only when\ninfluenced by darkness, is felicity that partakes, as the learned say, of\nthe nature of darkness and is experienced in this gross body only. (The\nfelicity of Emancipation certainly differs from it).[821] Over the\nfelicity of Emancipation also, the felicity, viz., which is awakened by\nthe inspired teaching of the Vedas and in which no one sees the slightest\ntincture of sorrow,--the same indescribable and truth concealing darkness\nseems to spread itself (but in reality the felicity of Emancipation is\nunstained by darkness).[822] Like again to what occurs in dreamless\nslumber, in Emancipation also, subjective and objective existences (from\nConsciousness to objects of the senses, all included), which have their\norigin in one's acts, are all discarded. In some, that are overwhelmed by\nAvidya, these exist, firmly grafted with them. Unto others who have\ntranscended Avidya and have won knowledge, they never come at any\ntime.[823] They that are conversant with speculations about the character\nof Soul and not-Soul, say that this sum total (of the senses, etc.) is\nbody (kshetra). That existent thing which rests upon the mind is called\nSoul (kshetrajna). When such is the case, and when all creatures, in\nconsequence of the well-known cause (which consists of ignorance, desire,\nand acts whose beginning cannot be conceived), exist, due also to their\nprimary nature (which is a state of union between Soul and body), (of\nthese two) which then is destructible, and how can that (viz., the Soul),\nwhich is said to be eternal, suffer destruction?[824] As small rivers\nfalling into larger ones lose their forms and names, and the larger ones\n(thus enlarged) rolling into the ocean, lose their forms and names too,\nafter the same manner occurs that form of extinction of life called\nEmancipation.[825] This being the case, when jiva which is characterised\nby attributes, is received into the Universal Soul, and when all its\nattributes disappear, how can it be the object of mention by\ndifferentiation? One who is conversant with that understanding which is\ndirected towards the accomplishment of Emancipation and who heedfully\nseeks to know the Soul, is never soiled by the evil fruits of his acts\neven as a lotus leaf though dipped in water is never soaked by it. When\none becomes freed from the very strong bonds, many in number, occasioned\nby affection for children and spouses and love for sacrifices and other\nrites, when one casts off both joy and sorrow and transcends all\nattachments, one then attains to the highest end and entering into the\nUniversal Soul becomes incapable of differentiation. When one has\nunderstood the declarations of the Srutis that lead to correct inferences\n(about Brahma) and has practised those auspicious virtues which the same\nand other scriptures inculcate, one may lie down at ease, setting at\nnought the fears of decrepitude and death. When both merits and sins\ndisappear, and the fruits, in the form of joy and sorrow, arising\ntherefrom, are destroyed, men, unattached to everything, take refuge at\nfirst on Brahma invested with personality, and then behold impersonal\nBrahma in their understandings.[826] Jiva in course of its downward\ndescent under the influence of Avidya lives here (within its cell formed\nby acts) after the manner of a silk-worm residing within its cell made of\nthreads woven by itself. Like the freed silk-worm again that abandons its\ncell, jiva also abandons its house generated by its acts. The final\nresult that takes place is that its sorrows are then destroyed like a\nclump of earth falling with violence upon a rocky mass.[827] As the Ruru\ncasting off its old horns or the snake casting off its slough goes on\nwithout attracting any notice, after the same manner a person that is\nunattached casts off all his sorrows. As a bird deserts a tree that is\nabout to fall down upon a piece of water and thus severing itself from it\nalights on a (new) resting place, after the same manner the person freed\nfrom attachments casts off both joy and sorrow and dissociated even from\nhis subtile and subtiler forms attains to that end which is fraught with\nthe highest prosperity.[828] Their own ancestor Janaka, the chief of\nMithila, beholding his city burning in a conflagration, himself\nproclaimed, \"In this conflagration nothing of mine is burning.\"' King\nJanadeva, having listened to these words capable of yielding immortality\nand uttered by Panchasikha, and arriving at the truth after carefully\nreflecting upon everything that the latter had said, cast off his sorrows\nand lived on in the enjoyment of great felicity. He who reads this\ndiscourse, O king, that treat of emancipation and who always reflects\nupon it, is never pained by any calamity, and freed from sorrow, attains\nto emancipation like Janadeva, the ruler of Mithila after his meeting\nwith Panchasikha.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"By doing what does one acquire happiness, and what\nis that by doing which one meets with woe? What also is that, O Bharata,\nby doing which one becomes freed from fear and sojourns here crowned with\nsuccess (in respect of the objects of life)?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The ancients who had their understandings directed to the\nSrutis, highly applauded the duty of self-restraint for all the orders\ngenerally but for the Brahmanas in especial. Success in respect of\nreligious rites never occurs in the case of one that is not\nself-restrained. Religious rites, penances, truth,--all these are\nestablished upon self-restraint. Self-restraint enhances one's energy.\nSelf-restraint is said to be sacred. The man of self-restraint becomes\nsinless and fearless and wins great results. One that is self-restrained\nsleeps happily and wakes happily. He sojourns happily in the world and\nhis mind always remains cheerful. Every kind of excitement is quietly\ncontrolled by self-restraint. One that is not self-restrained fails in a\nsimilar endeavour. The man of self-restraint beholds his innumerable foes\n(in the form of lust, desire, and wrath, etc.), as if these dwell in a\nseparate body. Like tigers and other carnivorous beasts, persons\ndestitute of self-restraint always inspire all creatures with dread. For\ncontrolling these men, the Self-born (Brahman) created kings. In all the\n(four) modes of life, the practice of self-restraint is distinguished\nabove all other virtues. The fruits of self-restraint are much greater\nthan those obtainable in all the modes of life. I shall now mention to\nthee the indications of those persons who prize self-restraint\nhighly.[829] They are nobility, calmness of disposition, contentment,\nfaith, forgiveness, invariable simplicity, the absence of garrulity,\nhumility, reverence for superiors, benevolence, compassion for all\ncreatures, frankness, abstention from talk upon kings and men in\nauthority, from all false and useless discourses, and from applause and\ncensure of others. The self-restrained man becomes desirous of\nemancipation and, quietly bearing present joys and griefs, is never\nexhilarated or depressed by prospective ones. Destitute of vindictiveness\nand all kinds of guile, and unmoved by praise and blame, such a man is\nwell-behaved, has good manners, is pure of soul, has firmness or\nfortitude, and is a complete master of his passions. Receiving honours in\nthis world, such a man in afterlife goes to heaven. Causing all creatures\nto acquire what they cannot acquire without his aid, such a man rejoices\nand becomes happy.[830] Devoted to universal benevolence, such a man\nnever cherishes animosity for any one. Tranquil like the ocean at a dead\ncalm, wisdom fills his soul and he is never cheerful. Possessed of\nintelligence, and deserving of universal reverence, the man of\nself-restraint never cherishes fear of any creature and is feared by no\ncreature in return. That man who never rejoices even at large\nacquisitions and never feels sorrow when overtaken by calamity, is said\nto be possessed of contented wisdom. Such a man is said to be\nself-restrained. Indeed, such a man is said to be a regenerate being.\nVersed with the scriptures and endued with a pure soul, the man of\nself-restraint, accomplishing all those acts that are done by the good,\nenjoys their high fruits. They, however, that are of wicked soul never\nbetake themselves to the path represented by benevolence, forgiveness,\ntranquillity, contentment, sweetness of speech, truth, liberality and\ncomfort. Their path consists of lust and wrath and cupidity and envy of\nothers and boastfulness. Subjugating lust and wrath, practising the vow\nof Brahmacharya and becoming a complete master of his senses, the\nBrahmana, exerting himself with endurance in the austerest of penances,\nand observing the most rigid restraints, should live in this world,\ncalmly waiting for his time like one seeming to have a body though fully\nknowing that he is not subject to destruction.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXXI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"The three regenerate classes, who are given to\nsacrifices and other rites, sometimes eat the remnants, consisting of\nmeat and wine, of sacrifices in honour of the deities, from motives of\nobtaining children and heaven. What, O grandsire, is the character of\nthis act?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Those who eat forbidden food without being observant of\nthe sacrifices and vows ordained in the Vedas are regarded as wilful men.\n(They are regarded as fallen even here). Those, on the other hand, who\neat such food in the observance of Vedic sacrifices and vows and induced\nby the desire of fruits in the shape of heaven and children, ascend to\nheaven but fall down on the exhaustion of their merits.\"[831]\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Common people say that fasting is tapas (penances).\nIs fasting, however, really so, or is penance something different?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"People do regard fast, measured by months or fortnights\nor days, as penance. In the opinion, however of the good, such is not\npenance. On the other hand, fast is an impediment to the acquisition of\nthe knowledge of the Soul.[832] The renunciation of acts (that is so\ndifficult for all) and humility (consisting in the worship of all\ncreatures and consideration for them all) constitute the highest penance.\nThat is distinguished above all kinds of penance. He who betakes himself\nto such penance is regarded as one that is always fasting and that is\nalways leading a life of Brahmacharya. Such a Brahmana will become a Muni\nalways, a deity evermore, and sleepless forever, and one engaged in the\npursuit of virtue only, even if he lives in the bosom of a family. He\nwill become a vegetarian always, and pure for ever. He will become an\neater always of ambrosia, and an adorer always of gods and guests.\nIndeed, he will be regarded as one always subsisting on sacrificial\nremnants, as one ever devoted to the duty of hospitality, as one always\nfull of faith, and as one ever worshipping gods and guests.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"How can one practising such penance come to be\nregarded as one that is always fasting or as one that is ever devoted to\nthe vow of Brahmacharya, or as one that is always subsisting upon\nsacrificial remnants or as one that is ever regardful of guests?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"He will be regarded as one that is always fasting if he\neats once during the day and once during the night at the fixed hours\nwithout eating anything during the interval. Such a Brahmana, by always\nspeaking the truth and by adhering always to wisdom, and by going to his\nwife only in her season and never at other times, becomes a Brahmacharin\n(celibate). By never eating meat of animals not killed for sacrifice, he\nwill become a strict vegetarian. By always becoming charitable he will\nbecome ever pure, and by abstaining from sleep during the day he will\nbecome one that is always wakeful. Know, O Yudhishthira, that that man\nwho eats only after having fed his servants and guests becomes an eater\nalways of ambrosia. That Brahmana who never eats till gods and guests are\nfed, wins, by such abstention, heaven itself. He is said to subsist upon\nsacrificial remnants, who eats only what remains after feeding the gods,\nthe Pitris, servants, and guests. Such men win numberless regions of\nfelicity in next life. To their homes come, with Brahman himself, the\ngods and the Apsaras. They who share their food with the deities and the\nPitris pass their days in constant happiness with their sons and\ngrandsons and at last, leaving off this body, attain to a very high end.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXXII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"In this world, O Bharata, acts good and bad attach\nthemselves to man for the purpose of producing fruits for enjoyment or\nendurance. Is man, however, to be regarded as their doer or is he not to\nbe regarded so? Doubt fills my mind with respect to this question. I\ndesire to hear this in detail from thee, O grandsire!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection, O Yudhishthira, is cited the old\nnarrative of a discourse between Prahlada and Indra. The chief of the\nDaityas, viz., Prahlada, was unattached to all worldly objects. His sins\nhad been washed away. Of respectable parentage, he was possessed of great\nlearning. Free from stupefaction and pride, ever observant of the quality\nof goodness, and devoted to various vows, he took praise and censure\nequally. Possessed of self-restraint, he was then passing his time in an\nempty chamber. Conversant with the origin and the destruction of all\ncreated objects, mobile and immobile, he was never angry with things that\ndispleased him and never rejoiced at the accession of objects that were\nagreeable. He cast an equal eye upon gold and a clump of earth. Steadily\nengaged in study of the Soul and in acquiring Emancipation, and firm in\nknowledge, he had arrived at fixed conclusions in respect of truth.\nAcquainted with what is supreme and what is not so among all things,\nomniscient and of universal sight, as he was seated one day in a solitary\nchamber with his senses under complete control, Sakra approached him, and\ndesirous of awakening him, said these words, 'O king, I behold all those\nqualities permanently residing in thee by which a person wins the esteem\nof all. Thy understanding seems to be like that of a child, free from\nattachment and aversion. Thou knowest of the Soul. What, thinkest thou,\nis the best means by which a knowledge of the Soul may be attained? Thou\nart now bound in cords, fallen off from thy former position, brought\nunder the sway of thy foes, and divested of prosperity. Thy present\ncircumstances are such as may well inspire grief. Yet how is it, O\nPrahlada, that thou dost not indulge in grief? Is this due, O son of\nDiti, to the acquisition of wisdom or is it on account of thy fortitude?\nBehold thy calamities, O Prahlada, and yet thou seemest like one that is\nhappy and tranquil.' Thus urged by Indra, the chief of the Daityas,\nendued with determinate conclusions in respect of truth, replied unto the\nformer in these sweet words indicative of great wisdom.\n\n\"'\"Prahlada said, 'He who is unacquainted with the origin and the\ndestruction of all created objects, is, in consequence of such ignorance,\nstupefied. He, however, who is conversant with these two things, is never\nstupefied. All kinds of entities and non-entities come into being or\ncease in consequence of their own nature. No kind of personal exertion is\nneeded (for the production of such phenomena).[833] In the absence,\ntherefore, of personal exertion, it is evident that no personal agent\nexists for the production of all this that we perceive. But though (in\nreality) the person (or the chit) never does anything, yet (through the\ninfluence of Ignorance) a consciousness in respect of angry overspreads\nitself on it. He who regards himself as the doer of acts good or bad,\npossesses a wisdom that is vitiated. Such a person is, according to my\njudgment, unacquainted with the truth.[834] If, O Sakra, the being called\nperson were really the actor, then all acts undertaken for his own\nbenefit would certainly be crowned with success. None of those acts would\nbe defeated. Among even persons struggling their utmost the suspension of\nwhat is not desired and the occurrence of what is desired are not to be\nseen. What becomes then of personal exertion? In the case of some, we see\nthat without any exertion on their part, what is not desired is suspended\nand what is desired is accomplished. This then must be the result of\nNature. Some persons again are seen to present extraordinary aspects, for\nthough possessed of superior intelligence they have to solicit wealth\nfrom others that are vulgar in features and endued with little\nintelligence. Indeed, when all qualities, good or bad, enter a person,\nurged by Nature, what ground is there for one to boast (of one's superior\npossessions)? All these flow from Nature. This is my settled conclusion.\nEven Emancipation and knowledge of self, according to me, flow from the\nsame source.\n\n\"''\"In this world all fruits, good or bad, that attach themselves to\npersons, are regarded as the result of acts. I shall now discourse to\nthee in full on the subject of acts. Listen to me. As a crow, while\neating some food, proclaims the presence of that food (to the members of\nits species) by its repeated cawing, after the same manner all our acts\nonly proclaim the indications of Nature. He who is acquainted with only\nthe transformations of Nature but not with Nature that is supreme and\nexists by herself, feels stupefaction in consequence of his ignorance.\nHe, however, who understands the difference between Nature and her\ntransformations is never stupefied. All existent things have their origin\nin Nature. In consequence of one's certainty of conviction in this\nrespect, one would never be affected by pride or arrogance. When I know\nwhat the origin is of all the ordinances of morality and when I am\nacquainted with the unstability of all objects, I am incapable, O Sakra,\nof indulging in grief. All this is endued with an end. Without\nattachments, without pride, without desire and hope, freed from all\nbonds, and dissociated from everything, I am passing my time in great\nhappiness, engaged in beholding the appearance and disappearance of all\ncreated objects. For one that is possessed of wisdom, that is\nself-restrained, that is contented, that is without desire and hope, and\nthat beholds all things with the light of self-knowledge, no trouble or\nanxiety exists, O Sakra! I have no affection or aversion for either\nNature or her transformations. I do not behold any one now who is my foe\nnor any one who is mine own. I do not O, Sakra, at any time covet either\nheaven, or this world, or the nether regions. It is not the case that\nthere is no happiness in understanding the Soul. But the Soul, being\ndissociated from everything, cannot enjoy felicity. Hence I desire\nnothing.'\n\n\"'\"Sakra said, 'Tell me the means, O Prahlada, by which this kind of wisdom\nmay be attained and by which this kind of tranquillity may be made one's\nown. I solicit thee.'\n\n\"'\"Prahlada said, 'By simplicity, by heedfulness, by cleansing the Soul, by\nmastering the passions, and by waiting upon aged seniors, O Sakra, a\nperson succeeds in attaining to Emancipation. Know this, however, that\none acquires wisdom from Nature, and that the acquisition of tranquillity\nalso is due to the same cause. Indeed, everything else that thou\nperceivest is due to Nature.'\"\n\n\"'\"Thus addressed by the lord of the Daityas, Sakra became filled with\nwonder, and commended those words, O king, with a cheerful heart. The\nlord of the three worlds then, having worshipped the lord of the Daityas,\ntook his leave and proceeded to his own abode.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXXIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me, O grandsire, by adopting what sort of\nintelligence may a monarch, who has been divested of prosperity and\ncrushed by Time's heavy bludgeon, still live on this earth.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the old narrative of the\ndiscourse between Vasava and Virochana's son, Vali. One day Vasava, after\nhaving subjugated all the Asuras, repaired to the Grandsire and joining\nhis hands bowed to him and enquired after the whereabouts of Vali. Tell\nme, O Brahman, where I may now find that Vali whose wealth continued\nundiminished even though he used to give it away as lavishly as he\nwished. He was the god of wind. He was Varuna. He was Surya. He was Soma.\nHe was Agni that used to warm all creatures. He became water (for the use\nof all). I do not find where he now is. Indeed, O Brahman, tell me where\nI may find Vali now. Formerly, it was he who used to illumine all the\npoints of the compass (as Surya) and to set (when evening came). Casting\noff idleness, it was he who used to pour rain upon all creatures at the\nproper season. I do not now see that Vali. Indeed, tell me, O Brahmana,\nwhere I may find that chief of the Asuras now.\n\n\"'\"Brahman said, 'It is not becoming in thee, O Maghavat, to thus enquire\nafter Vali now. One should not, however, speak an untruth when one is\nquestioned by another. For this reason, I shall tell thee the whereabouts\nof Vali. O lord of Sachi, Vali may now have taken his birth among camels\nor bulls or asses or horses, and having become the foremost of his\nspecies may now be staying in an empty apartment.'\n\n\"'\"Sakra said, 'If, O Brahman, I happen to meet with Vali in an empty\napartment, shall I slay him or spare him? Tell me how I shall act.'\n\n\"'\"Brahman said, 'Do not, O Sakra, injure Vali, Vali does not deserve\ndeath. Thou shouldst, on the other hand, O Vasava, solicit instruction\nfrom him about morality, O Sakra, as thou pleasest.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed by the divine Creator, Indra roamed\nover the earth, seated on the back of Airavata and attended by\ncircumstances of great splendour. He succeeded in meeting with Vali, who,\nas the Creator had said, was living in an empty apartment clothed in the\nform of an ass.\n\n\"'\"Sakra said, 'Thou art now, O Danava, born as an ass subsisting on chaff\nas thy food. This thy order of birth is certainly a low one. Dost thou or\ndost thou not grieve for it? I see what I had never seen before, viz.,\nthyself brought under the sway of thy enemies, divested of prosperity and\nfriends, and shorn of energy and prowess. Formerly, thou used to make\nprogress through the worlds with thy train consisting of thousands of\nvehicles and thousands of kinsmen, and to move along, scorching everybody\nwith thy splendour and counting us as nought. The Daityas, looking up to\nthee as their protector, lived under thy sway. Through thy power, the\nearth used to yield crops without waiting for tillage. Today, however, I\nbehold thee overtaken by this dire calamity. Dost thou or dost thou not\nindulge in grief for this? When formerly thou usedst, with pride\nreflected in thy face, to divide on the eastern shores of the ocean thy\nvast wealth among thy kinsmen, what was the state of thy mind then?\nFormerly, for many years, when blazing with splendour, thou usedst to\nsport, thousands of celestial damsels used to dance before thee. All of\nthem were adorned with garlands of lotuses and all had companions bright\nas gold. What, O lord of Danavas, was the state of thy mind then and what\nis it now? Thou hadst a very large umbrella made of gold and adorned with\njewels and gems. Full two and forty thousand Gandharvas used in those\ndays to dance before thee.[835] In thy sacrifices thou hadst a stake that\nwas very large and made entirely of gold. On such occasions thou wert to\ngive away millions upon millions of kine. What, O Daitya, was the state\nof thy mind then? Formerly, engaged in sacrifice, thou hadst gone round\nthe whole earth, following the rule of the hurling of the Samya: What was\nthe state of thy mind then?[836] I do not now behold that golden jar of\nthine, nor that umbrella of thine, nor those fans. I behold not also, O\nking of the Asuras, that garland of thine which was given to thee by the\nGrandsire.'\n\n\"'\"Vali said, 'Thou seest not now, O Vasava, my jar and umbrella and fans.\nThou seest not also my garland, that gift of the Grandsire. Those\nprecious possessions of mine about which thou askest are now buried in\nthe darkness of a cave. When my time comes again, thou wilt surely behold\nthem again. This conduct of thine, however, does not become thy fame or\nbirth. Thyself in prosperity, thou desirest to mock me that am sunk in\nadversity. They that have acquired wisdom, and have won contentment\ntherefrom, they that are of tranquil souls, that are virtuous and good\namong creatures, never grieve in misery nor rejoice in happiness. Led,\nhowever, by a vulgar intelligence, thou indulgest in brag, O Purandara!\nWhen thou shalt become like me thou shalt not then indulge in speeches\nlike these.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXXIV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Once more, laughing at Vali who was sighing like a snake,\nSakra addressed him for saying something more pointed than what had said\nbefore.[837]\n\n\"'\"Sakra said, 'Formerly, attended by a train consisting of thousands of\nvehicles and kinsmen, thou usedst to make thy progresses, scorching all\nthe worlds with thy splendour and regarding us as nought. Thou art now,\nhowever, deserted by both kinsmen and friends. Beholding this miserable\nplight that has overtaken thee, dost thou or dost thou not indulge in\ngrief? Formerly, all the worlds were under thy sway and great was thy\njoy. I ask, dost thou or dost thou not indulge in grief now, for this\nfall of thine in respect of external splendour?'\n\n\"'\"Vali said, 'Considering all this to be transitory,--due, indeed, to the\ncourse of time,--I do not, O Sakra, indulge in grief. These things have\nan end. These bodies that creatures have, O chief of celestials, are all\ntransitory. For that reason, O Sakra, I do not grieve (for this asinine\nform of mine). Nor is this form due to any fault of mine. The animating\nprinciple and the body come into existence together, in consequence of\ntheir own nature. They grow together, and meet with destruction together.\nHaving obtained this form of existence I have not been permanently\nenslaved by it. Since I know this, I have no cause for sorrow in\nconsequence of that knowledge. As the final resting-place of all rivers\nis the ocean, even so the end of all embodied creatures is death. Those\npersons that know this well are never stupefied, O wielder of the\nthunderbolt! They, however, who are overwhelmed with Passion and loss of\njudgment, do not know this, they whose understanding is lost, sink under\nthe weight of misfortune. A person who acquires a keen understanding\nsucceeds in destroying all his sins. A sinless person acquires the\nattribute of Goodness, and having acquired it becomes cheerful. They,\nhowever, that deviate from the attribute of Goodness, and obtain repeated\nrebirths, are obliged to indulge in sorrow and grief, led on by desire\nand the objects of the senses. Success or the reverse, in respect of the\nattainment of all objects of desire, life or death, the fruits of action\nthat are represented by pleasure or pain, I neither dislike nor like.\nWhen one slays another, one slays only that other's body. That man, who\nthinks that it is he who slays another, is himself slain. Indeed, both of\nthem are ignorant of the truth, viz., he who slays and he who is\nslain.[838] That person, O Maghavat, who having killed or vanquished any\none brags of his manliness, should know that he is not the actor but the\nact (of which he boasts) has been accomplished by a real agent (who is\ndifferent). When the question comes as to who is it that causes the\ncreation and the destruction of things in the world, it is generally\nregarded that some person (who has himself been caused or created) has\ncaused the act (of creation or destruction). Know, however, that the\nperson who is so regarded has (as already said) a creator. Earth, light\nor heat, space, water, and wind constituting the fifth--from these do all\ncreatures spring. (When this is known to me) what sorrow can I feel (for\nthis change in my condition)? One that is possessed of great learning,\none that has not much of learning, one that is possessed of strength, one\nthat is destitute of strength, one that is possessed of personal beauty,\nand one that is very ugly, one that is fortunate and one that is not\nblessed by fortune, are all swept away by Time, which is too deep to be\nfathomed, by its own energy. When I know that I have been vanquished by\nTime, what sorrow can I feel (for this alteration in my circumstances)?\nOne that burns anything burns a thing that has been already burnt. One\nthat slays, only slays a victim already slain. One that is destroyed has\nbeen before destroyed. A thing that is acquired by a person is that which\nis already arrived and intended for his acquisition. This Time is like an\nocean. There is no island in it. Where, indeed, is its other shore? Its\nboundary cannot be seen. Reflecting even deeply, I do not behold the end\nof this continuous stream that is the great ordainer of all things and\nthat is certainly celestial. If I did not understand that it is Time that\ndestroys all creatures, then, perhaps, I would have felt the emotions of\njoy and pride and wrath, O lord of Sachi! Hast thou come here to condemn\nme, having ascertained that I am now bearing the form of an ass that\nsubsists upon chaff and that is now passing his days in a lonely spot\nremote from the habitations of men? If I wish, even now I can assume\nvarious awful forms beholding any one of which thou wouldst beat a hasty\nretreat from my presence. It is Time that gives everything and again\ntakes away everything. It is Time that ordains all things. Do not, O\nSakra, brag of thy manliness. Formerly, O Purandara, on occasions of my\nwrath everything used to become agitated. I am acquainted, however, O\nSakra, with the eternal attributes of all things in the world. Do thou\nalso know the truth. Do not suffer thyself to be filled with wonder.\nAffluence and its origin are not under one's control. Thy mind seems to\nbe like that of a child. It is the same as it was before. Open thy eyes,\nO Maghavat, and adopt an understanding established on certitude and\ntruth. The gods, men, the Pitris, the Gandharvas, the snakes, and the\nRakshasas, were all under my sway in days gone by. Thou knowest this, O\nVasava! Their understandings stupefied by ignorance, all creatures used\nto flatter me, saying, \"Salutations to that point of the compass whither\nVirochana's son Vali may now be staying!\" O lord of Sachi, I do not at\nall grieve when I think of that honour (which is no longer paid to me). I\nfeel no sorrow for this fall of mine. My understanding is firm in this\nrespect, viz., that I will live obedient to the sway of the Ordainer. It\nis seen that some one of noble birth, possessed of handsome features, and\nendued with great prowess, lives in misery, with all his counsellors and\nfriends. This happens because of its having been ordained.[839]\nSimilarly, some one born in an ignoble race, devoid of knowledge, and\nwith even a stain on his birth, is seen, O Sakra, to live in happiness\nwith all his counsellors and friends.\n\n\"'\"This also happens because of its having been ordained. An auspicious\nand beautiful woman, O Sakra, is seen to pass her life in misery.\nSimilarly, an ugly woman with every inauspicious mark is seen to pass her\ndays in great happiness. That we have now become so is not due to any act\nof ours, O Sakra! That thou art now so is not due, O wielder of the\nthunderbolt, to any act of thine. Thou hast not done anything, O thou of\nhundred sacrifices, in consequence of which thou art now enjoying this\naffluence. Nor have I done anything in consequence of which I have now\nbeen divested of affluence. Affluence and its reverse come one after\nanother. I now behold thee blazing with splendour, endued with\nprosperity, possessed of beauty, placed at the head of all the deities,\nand thus roaring at me. This would never be but for the fact of Time\nstanding near after having assailed me. Indeed, if Time had not assailed\nme I would have today killed thee with only a blow of my fists\nnotwithstanding the fact of thy being armed with the thunder. This,\nhowever, is not the time for putting forth my prowess. On the other hand,\nthe time that has come is for adopting a behaviour of peace and\ntranquillity. It is Time that establishes all things. Time works upon all\nthings and leads them to their final consummation.[840] I was the\nworshipped lord of the Danavas. Burning all with my energy, I used to\nroar in strength and pride. When Time hath assailed even myself, who is\nthere whom he will not assail? Formerly, O chief of the deities, singly I\nbore the energy of all the twelve illustrious Adityas with thyself\namongst them. It was I that used to bear up water and then to shower it\nas rain, O Vasava! It was I that used to give both light and heat unto\nthe three worlds. It was I that used to protect and it was I that used to\ndestroy. It was I that gave and it was I that took. It was I that used to\nbind and it was I that used to unbind. In all the worlds I was the one\npuissant master. That sovereign sway which I had, O chief of the\ncelestials, is no more. I am now assailed by the forces of Time. Those\nthings, therefore, are no longer seen to shine in me. I am not the doer\n(of acts that are apparently done by me). Thou art not the doer (of acts\ndone by thee). None else, O lord of Sachi, is the doer (of those acts).\nIt is Time, O Sakra, that protects or destroys all things.[841] Persons\nconversant with the Vedas say that Time (Eternity) is Brahma. The\nfortnights and months are his body. That body is invested with days and\nnights as its robes. The seasons are his senses. The year is his mouth.\nSome people, in consequence of their superior intelligence, say that all\nthis (the entire universe) should be conceived as Brahma. The Vedas,\nhowever, teach, that the five sheaths that invest the Soul should be\nregarded as Brahma. Brahma is deep and inaccessible like a vast ocean of\nwaters. It hath been said that it hath neither beginning nor end, and\nthat it is both indestructible and destructible.[842] Though it is\nwithout attributes by itself, yet it enters all existent objects and as\nsuch assumes attributes. Those persons that are conversant with truth\nregard Brahma as eternal. Through the action of Ignorance, Brahma causes\nthe attributes of materiality to invest the Chit or Soul which is\nimmaterial spirit (having knowledge only for its attribute). That\nmateriality, however, is not the essential attribute of the Soul, for\nupon the appearance of a knowledge of the true cause of everything, that\nmateriality ceases to invest the Soul.[843] Brahma in the form of Time is\nthe refuge of all creatures. Where wouldst thou go transcending that\nTime? Time or Brahma, indeed, cannot be avoided by running nor by staying\nstill. All the five senses are incapable of perceiving Brahma. Some have\nsaid that Brahma is Fire; some that he is Prajapati; some that he is the\nSeasons; some that he is the Month; some that he is the Fortnight; some\nthat he is the Days; some that he is the Hours; some that he is the\nMorning; some that he is the Noon; some that he is the Evening; and some\nthat he is the Moment. Thus diverse people speak diversely of him who is\nsingle. Know that he is Eternity, under whose sway are all things. Many\nthousands of Indras have passed away, O Vasava, each of whom was\npossessed of great strength and prowess. Thou also, O lord of Sachi,\nshalt have to pass away after the same manner. Thee, too, O Sakra, that\nart possessed of swelling might and that art the chief of the deities,\nwhen thy hour comes, all-powerful Time will extinguish! Time sweeps away\nall things. For this reason, O Indra, do not brag. Time is incapable of\nbeing quieted by either thee or me or by those gone before us. This regal\nprosperity that thou hast attained and that thou thinkest to be beyond\ncomparison, had formerly been possessed by me. It is unsubstantial and\nunreal. She does not dwell long in one place. Indeed, she had dwelt in\nthousands of Indras before thee, all of whom, again, were very much\nsuperior to thee. Unstable as she is, deserting me she hath now\napproached thee, O chief of the deities! Do not, O Sakra, indulge in such\nbrag again. It behoveth thee to become tranquil. Knowing thee to be full\nof vanity, she will very soon desert thee.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXXV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"After this, he of hundred sacrifices beheld the goddess\nof Prosperity, in her own embodied form that blazed splendour, issue out\nof the form of the high-souled Vali. The illustrious chastiser of Paka,\nbeholding the goddess blazing with radiance, addressed Vali in these\nwords, with eyes expanded in wonder.\n\n\"'\"Sakra said, 'O Vali, who is this one, thus shining with splendour, thus\ndecked with head plumes, thus adorned with golden bracelets on her upper\narms, and thus emitting a halo of glory on all sides in consequence of\nher energy that is issuing out of thy body.'\n\n\"'\"Vali said, 'I do not know whether she is an Asura damsel or a celestial\none or a human one. Thou mayst not ask her thyself. Do what pleases thee.'\n\n\"'\"Sakra said, 'O thou of sweet smiles, who art thou that art possessed of\nsuch radiance and adorned with plumes that thus issuest from the body of\nVali? I do not know thee. Kindly tell me thy name. Who, indeed, art thou\nthat thus standest here as Maya herself, blazing with thy own splendour,\nafter having deserted the lord of the Daityas? O, tell me this as I\nquestion thee.'\n\n\"'\"Sree said, 'Virochana did not know me. This Vali also that is the son of\nVirochana knows me not. The learned called me by the name of\nDuhshaha.[844] Some knew me by the name of Vidhitsa.[845] I have other\nnames also, O Vasava! They are Bhuti, Lakshmi, and Sree.[846] Thou\nknowest me not, O Sakra, nor doth any one among the deities know me.'\n\n\"'\"Sakra said, 'O lady that is difficult of being borne, why do you desert\nVali now after having lived in him for a long time? Is it due to any act\nof mine or is it due to any act that Vali has done?'\n\n\"'\"Sree said, 'Neither the Creator nor the Ordainer rules me. It is Time\nthat moves me from one place to another. Do not, O Sakra, disregard Vali.'\n\n\"'\"Sakra said, 'For what reason, O goddess adorned with plumes, do you\ndesert Vali? Why also do you approach me (for living in me)? Tell me\nthis, O thou of sweet smiles!'\n\n\"'\"Sree said, 'I live in truth, in gifts, in good vows, in penances, in\nprowess, and in virtue. Vali hath fallen off from all these. Formerly, he\nwas devoted to the Brahmanas. He was truthful and had controlled his\npassions. Latterly, however, he began to cherish feelings of animosity\ntowards the Brahmanas and touched clarified butter with soiled\nhands.[847] Formerly, he was always engaged in the performance of\nsacrifices. At last, blinded by ignorance and afflicted by Time he began\nto boast before all persons, saying that his adorations towards me were\nceaseless. Deserting him (for these faults) I shall henceforth, O Sakra,\ndwell in thee. Thou shouldst bear me without heedlessness, and with\npenances and prowess.'\n\n\"'\"Sakra said, 'O thou that dwellest amid lotuses, there is not a single\nperson among gods, men, and all creatures, that can bear thee for ever.'\n\n\"'\"Sree said, 'Truly, O Purandara, there is none among gods, Gandharvas,\nAsuras, or Rakshasas, that can bear me for ever.'\n\n\"'\"Sakra said, 'O auspicious lady, tell me how I should conduct myself so\nthat thou mayst dwell in me always. I shall certainly obey thy behests.\nIt behoveth thee to answer me truly.'\n\n\"'\"Sree said, 'O chief of the deities, I shall tell thee as to how I may be\nenabled to dwell in thee always. Divide me into four parts according to\nthe ordinance laid down in the Vedas.'\n\n\"'\"Sakra said, 'I shall assign the habitations according to their strength\nand power in bearing thee. As regards myself, I shall always take care, O\nLakshmi, that I may not offend thee in any way. Amongst men, the earth,\nthat progenitrix of all things, bear them all. She shall bear a fourth\npart of thyself. I think she hath the strength to do it.'\n\n\"'\"Sree said, 'Here, I yield up a quarter of myself. Let it be established\non the earth. Do thou, after this, make a proper disposition, O Sakra,\nfor my second quarter.'\n\n\"'\"Sakra said, 'The waters, among men, in their liquid form, do various\nservices to human beings. Let the waters bear a fourth part of thy\nperson. They have the strength to bear a portion of thine.'\n\n\"'\"Sree said, 'I yield up another quarter of mine that is to be established\nin the waters. Do thou, after this, O Sakra, assign a proper place for my\nthird quarter.'\n\n\"'\"Sakra said, 'The Vedas, the sacrifices, and the deities are all\nestablished in Fire. Fire will bear thy third quarter, when it is placed\ntherein.'\n\n\"'\"Sree said, 'Here I yield up my third quarter which is to be placed in\nFire. Do thou, O Sakra, after this, assign a proper place for my last\nquarter.'\n\n\"'\"Sakra said, 'They that are good among men, devoted to Brahmanas, and\ntruthful in speech, may bear thy fourth quarter. The good have the power\nto bear it.'\n\n\"'\"Sree said, 'Here I yield up my fourth quarter that is to be placed among\nthe good. My portions thus assigned to different creatures, do thou\ncontinue to protect me, O Sakra.'\n\n\"'\"Sakra said, 'Listen to these words of mine. I have thus distributed thee\namong different creatures. Those among creatures that will offend against\nthee shall be chastised by me.' The chief of the Daityas, viz., Vali, thus\ndeserted by Sree, then said these words.\n\n\"'\"Vali said, 'At present the Sun shines as much in the east as in the\nwest, and as much in the north as in the south. When, however, the Sun,\nwithdrawing himself from all sides, will shine only upon the region of\nBrahman situated in the middle of Sumeru, then will again occur a great\nbattle between the gods and the Asuras, and in that fight I shall\ncertainly vanquish all of you. When the Sun, withdrawing himself from all\nsides, will shine fixedly upon only the region of Brahman, then will\nagain occur a great battle between the gods and the Asuras, and in that\nfight I shall surely conquer all of you.'[848]\n\n\"'\"Sakra said, 'Brahman hath commanded me saying that I should never kill\nthee. It is for this reason, O Vali, that I do not hurl my thunderbolt\nupon thy head. Go whithersoever thou wishest, O chief of the Daityas! O\ngreat Asura, peace to thee! No time will come when the Sun will shine\nfrom only the meridian. The Self-born (Brahman) hath before this ordained\nthe laws that regulate the Sun's motions. Giving light and heat to all\ncreatures, he goes on ceaselessly. For six months he travels in a\nnorthward course and then for the other six in a southward course. The\nsun travels by these courses (one after another), creating winter and\nsummer for all creatures.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed by Indra, O Bharata, Vali, the chief\nof the Daityas, proceeded towards the south. Purandara proceeded towards\nthe north. The thousand-eyed Indra, after having listened to this speech\nof Vali which was characterised by an entire absence of pride, then\nascended the skies.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXXVI\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is also cited the old narrative of the\ndiscourse between him of a hundred sacrifices and the Asura Namuchi, O\nYudhishthira. When the Asura Namuchi, who was conversant with the birth\nand the death of all creatures, was sitting, divested of prosperity but\nuntroubled at heart like the vast ocean in perfect stillness, Purandara\naddressed him these words, 'Fallen off from thy place, bound with cords,\nbrought under the sway of thy foes, and divested of prosperity, dost\nthou, O Namuchi, indulge in grief or passest thou thy days cheerfully?'\n\n\"'\"Namuchi answered, 'By indulging in such sorrow as cannot be warded off\none only wastes one's body and gladdens one's foes. Then, again, no one\ncan lighten another's sorrow by taking any portion of it upon oneself.\nFor these reasons, O Sakra, I do not indulge in sorrow. All this that\nthou seest hath one end.[849] Indulgence in sorrow destroys personal\ncomeliness, prosperity, life, and virtue itself, O chief of the deities!\nWithout doubt, suppressing that sorrow which comes upon oneself and which\nis born of an improper disposition of the mind, one possessed of true\nknowledge should reflect in one's mind of that which is productive of the\nhighest good and which dwells in the heart itself.[850] When one sets\none's mind upon what is for one's highest good, without doubt, the result\nthat takes place is that one's objects are all accomplished.[851] There\nis One Ordainer, and no second. His control extends over the being that\nlies within the womb. Controlled by the great Ordainer I go on as He sets\nme on, like water running along a downward path. Knowing what is\nexistence and what is emancipation, and understanding also that the\nlatter is superior to the former, I do not, however, strive for attaining\nto it. Doing acts that tend towards the direction of virtue and also\nthose that tend towards the opposite direction, I go on as He sets me on.\nOne gets those things that are ordained to be got. That which is to\nhappen actually happens. One has repeatedly to reside in such wombs in\nwhich one is placed by the Ordainer. One has no choice in the matter.\nThat person is never stupefied, who when placed in any particular\ncondition, accepts it as that which he was ordained to be placed in. Men\nare affected by pleasure and pain that come by turns in course of Time.\nThere is no personal agency (in the matter of pleasure or pain to any\none). In this lies sorrow, viz., that he that dislikes sorrow regards\nhimself as the actor.[852] Amongst Rishis, gods, great Asuras, persons\nfully conversant with the three Vedas, and ascetics in the forest, who is\nthere whom calamities do not approach? Those, however, that are\nconversant with the Soul and that which is not-Soul never fear\ncalamities. The person of wisdom, naturally standing immovable like\nHimavat, never gives way to wrath; never suffers himself to be attached\nto the objects of the senses; never languishes in sorrow or rejoices in\nhappiness. When overwhelmed with even great afflictions, such a person\nnever gives way to grief. That person is a very superior one whom even\ngreat success cannot gladden and even dire calamities cannot afflict, and\nwho bears pleasure and pain, and that which is between them both, with an\nunmoved heart. Into whatever condition a person may fall, he should\nsummon cheerfulness without yielding to sorrow. Indeed, even thus should\none drive off from one's self one's swelling grief that is born in one's\nmind and that is (if not dispelled) sure to give pain. That assembly of\nlearned persons engaged in the discussion of duties based upon both the\nSrutis and the Smritis is not a good assembly,--indeed, that does not\ndeserve to be called by the name of assembly,--entering which a wicked\nman does not become penetrated with fear (born of his wicked deeds). That\nman is the foremost of his species who having dived into and enquired\nafter righteousness succeeds in acting according to the conclusions to\nwhich he arrives.[853] The acts of a wise man are not easily\ncomprehensible. He that is wise, is never stupefied when afflictions come\nupon him. Even if he falls away from his position like Gautama in his old\nage, in consequence of the direct calamity, he does not suffer himself to\nbe stupefied.[854] By any of these, viz., mantras, strength, energy,\nwisdom, prowess, behaviour, conduct, or the affluence of wealth, can a\nperson acquire that which has not been ordained to be acquired by him?\nWhat sorrow then is there for the non-acquisition of that upon which one\nhas set one's heart? Before I was born, they that have the matter in\ntheir hands had ordained what I am to do and suffer. I am fulfilling what\nwas thus ordained for me. What then can death do to me? One obtains only\nthat which has been ordained to be obtained. One goes thither whither it\nwas ordained that one is to go. Those sorrows and joys are obtained that\nare ordained to be obtained. That man who knowing this fully, does not\nsuffer himself to be stupefied, and who is contented under both happiness\nand sorrow, is regarded as the foremost of his species.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXXVII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"What, indeed, is good for a man that is sunk in dire\ndistress, when loss of friends or loss of kingdom, O monarch has\noccurred? In this world, O bull of Bharata's race, thou art the foremost\nof our instructors. I ask thee this. It behoveth thee to tell me what I\nask.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"For one that has been deprived of sons and wives and\npleasures of every kind and wealth, and that has been plunged into dire\ndistress, fortitude is of the highest good, O king! The body is never\nemaciated of one that is always possessed of fortitude. Grieflessness\nbears happiness within it, and also health that is a superior possession.\nIn consequence again of this health of body, once may again acquire\nprosperity. That wise man, O sire, who adheres to a course of righteous\nconduct (while afflicted by distress) succeeds in acquiring prosperity,\npatience, and perseverance in the accomplishment of all his objects. In\nthis connection is once more cited the old narrative of the discourse\nbetween Vali and Vasava, O Yudhishthira! After the battle between the\ngods and the Asuras, in which a large number of Daityas and Danavas fell,\nhad come to an end, Vali became king. He was deceived by Vishnu who once\nmore established his sway over all the worlds. He of a hundred\nsacrifices was once more invested with the sovereignty of the deities.\nAfter the rule of the deities had thus been re-established, and the four\norders of men had been re-established in the practice of their respective\ncourses of duty, the three worlds once more swelled with prosperity, and\nthe Self-born became glad at heart. At that time, accompanied by the\nRudras, the Vasus, the Adityas, the Aswins, the celestial Rishis, the\nGandharvas, the Siddhas, and other superior orders of beings, the\npuissant Sakra, seated in splendour on his four-tusked prince of\nelephants, called Airavata, made a progress through all the worlds. One\nday, while thus engaged, the wielder of the thunderbolt beheld\nVirochana's son Vali within a certain mountain cave on the sea-shore.\nSeeing the prince of Danavas, he approached him. Beholding the chief of\nthe deities, viz., Indra, thus seated on the back of Airavata and\nsurrounded by the several orders of the celestials, the prince of the\nDaityas showed no signs of sorrow or agitation. Indra also, seeing Vali\nstaying unmoved and fearless, addressed him from the back of his foremost\nof elephants, saying, 'How is it, O Daitya, that thou art so unmoved? Is\nit due to thy heroism or thy having waited with reverence upon aged\npersons? Is it due to thy mind having been cleansed by penances? To\nwhatever cause it may be due, this frame of mind is certainly very\ndifficult of attainment. Hurled from a position that was certainly the\nhighest, thou art now divested of all thy possessions, and thou hast been\nbrought under the sway of thy foes. O son of Virochana, what is that by\nhaving recourse to which thou dost not grieve although the occasion is\nfor grief? Formerly, when thou wert invested with the sovereignty of thy\nown order, unrivalled pleasures were thine. Now, however, thou art\ndivested of thy wealth and jewels and sovereignty. Tell us why thou art\nso unmoved. Thou wert before this a god, seated on the throne of thy sire\nand grandsires. Beholding thyself stripped today by thy foes, why dost\nthou not grieve? Thou art bound in Varuna's noose and hast been struck\nwith my thunderbolt. Thy wives have been taken away and thy wealth also.\nTell us why thou dost not indulge in grief. Divested of prosperity and\nfallen away from affluence, thou indulgest not in grief. This, indeed, is\nsomething that is very remarkable. Who else, O Vali, than one like thee,\ncould venture to bear the burthen of existence after being shorn of the\nsovereignty of the three worlds?' Hearing without any pain these and\nother cutting speeches that Indra addressed to him, asserting the while\nhis own superiority over him, Vali, the son of Virochana, fearlessly\nanswered his interrogator, saying the following words.\n\n\"'\"Vali said, 'When calamities have oppressed me, O Sakra, what dost thou\ngain by such brag now? Today I behold thee, O Purandara, stand before me\nwith the thunderbolt upraised in thy hand! Formerly, however, thou\ncouldst not bear thyself so. Now thou hast by some means gained that\npower. Indeed, who else than thou could utter such cruel speeches? That\nperson who, though able to punish, shows compassion towards a heroic foe\nvanquished and brought under his sway, is truly a very superior\nindividual. When two persons fight, victory in the battle is certainly\ndubious. One of the two certainly becomes victorious, and the other\nbecomes vanquished. O chief of the deities, let not thy disposition be\nsuch! Do not imagine that thou hast become the sovereign of all creatures\nafter having conquered all with thy might and prowess! That we have\nbecome so is not, O Sakra, the result of any act of ours.[855] That thou\nhast become so, O wielder of the thunderbolt, is not the result of any\nact of thine. What I am now thou wilt be in the future. Do not disregard\nme, thinking that thou hast done an exceedingly difficult feat. A person\nobtains happiness and misery one after another in course of Time. Thou\nhast, O Sakra, obtained the sovereignty of the universe in course of Time\nbut not in consequence of any especial merit in thee. It is Time that\nleads me on in his course. That same Time leads thee also onward. It is\nfor this that I am not what thou art today, and thou also art not what we\nare! Dutiful services done to parents, reverential worship of deities,\ndue practice of any good quality,--none of these can bestow happiness on\nany one. Neither knowledge, nor penances, nor gifts, nor friends, nor\nkinsmen can rescue one that is afflicted by Time. Men are incapable of\naverting, by even a thousand means, an impending calamity. Intelligence\nand strength go for nothing in such cases. There is no rescuer of men\nthat are afflicted by Time's course. That thou, O Sakra, regarded thyself\nas the actor lies at the root of all sorrow. If the ostensible doer of an\nact is the real actor thereof, that doer then would not himself be the\nwork of some one else (viz., the Supreme Being). Hence, because the\nostensible doer is himself the product of another, that another is the\nSupreme Being above whom there is nothing higher. Aided by Time I had\nvanquished thee. Aided by Time thou hast vanquished me. It is Time that\nis the mover of all beings that move. It is Time that destroys all\nbeings. O Indra, in consequence of thy intelligence being of the vulgar\nspecies thou seest not that destruction awaits all things. Some, indeed,\nregard thee highly as one that has acquired by his own acts the\nsovereignty of the universe. For all that, how can one like us that know\nthe course of the world, indulge in grief in consequence of having been\nafflicted by Time, or suffer our understanding to be stupefied, or yield\nto the influence of error? Shall my understanding or that of one like me,\neven when we are overwhelmed by Time, coming in contact with a calamity,\nsuffer itself to be destroyed like a wrecked vessel at sea?[856] Myself,\nthyself, and all those who will in future become the chiefs of the\ndeities, shall have, O Sakra, to go the way along which hundreds of\nIndras have gone before thee. When thy hour matures itself, Time will\nsurely destroy thee like me,--thee that art now so invincible and that\nnow blazest with unrivalled splendour. In Time's course many thousands of\nIndras and of deities have been swept off yuga after yuga. Time, indeed,\nis irresistible. Having attained to thy present position, thou regardest\nthyself very highly, even as the Creator of all beings, the divine and\neternal Brahman. This position of thine had been attained by many before\nthee. With none did it prove stable or unending. In consequence, however,\nof a foolish understanding, thou alone regardest it to be immutable and\neternal. Thou trustest in that which is not deserving of trust. Thou\ndeemest that to be eternal which is not eternal. O chief of the deities,\none that is overwhelmed and stupefied by Time really regards oneself\nafter this manner. Led by folly thou regardest thy present regal\nprosperity to be thine. Know, however, that it is never stable in respect\nof either thee or me or others. It had belonged to innumerable persons\nbefore thee. Passing over them, it has now become thine. It will stay\nwith thee, O Vasava, for some time and then prove its instability. Like a\ncow abandoning one drinking ditch for another, it will surely desert thee\nfor somebody else. So many sovereigns have gone before thee that I\nventure not to make an enumeration. In the future also, O Purandara,\ninnumerable sovereigns will rise after thee. I do not behold those rulers\nnow that had formerly enjoyed this earth with her trees and plants and\ngems and living creatures and waters and mines. Prithu, Aila, Maya,\nBhima, Naraka, Samvara, Aswagriva, Puloman, Swarbhanu, whose standard was\nof immeasurable height, Prahlada, Namuchi, Daksha, Vipprachitti,\nVirochana, Hrinisheva, Suhotra, Bhurihan, Pushavat, Vrisha, Satyepsu,\nRishava, Vahu, Kapilaswa, Virupaka, Vana, Kartaswara, Vahni,\nViswadanshtra, Nairiti, Sankocha, Varitaksha, Varaha, Aswa, Ruchiprabha,\nViswajit, Pratirupa, Vrishanda, Vishkara, Madhu, Hiranyakasipu, the\nDanava Kaitabha, and many others that were Daityas and Danavas and\nRakshasas, these and many more unnamed, belonging to remote and remoter\nages, great Daityas and foremost of Danavas, whose names we have\nheard,--indeed, many foremost of Daityas of former times,--having gone\naway, leaving the Earth. All of them were afflicted by Time. Time proved\nstronger than all of them. All of them had worshipped the Creator in\nhundreds of sacrifices. Thou art not the one person that hast done so.\nAll of them were devoted to righteousness and all of them always\nperformed great sacrifices. All of them were capable of roaming through\nthe skies, and all were heroes that never showed their backs in battle.\nAll of them had very strong frames and all had arms that resembled heavy\nbludgeons. All of them were masters of hundreds of illusions, and all\ncould assume any form they wished. We have never heard that having\nengaged themselves in battle any of them had ever sustained a defeat. All\nwere firm observers of the vow of truth, and all of them sported as they\nwished. Devoted to the Vedas and Vedic rites, all of them were possessors\nof great learning. Possessed of great might, all of them had acquired the\nhighest prosperity and affluence. But none of those high-souled\nsovereigns had the least tincture of pride in consequence of sovereignty.\nAll of them were liberal, giving unto each what each deserved. All of\nthem behaved properly and duly towards all creatures. All of them were\nthe offspring of Daksha's daughters. Endued with great strength, all were\nlords of the creation. Scorching all things with the energy all of them\nblazed with splendour. Yet all of them were swept off by time. As regards\nthee, O Sakra, it is evident that when thou shalt have, after enjoying\nthe earth, to leave her, thou wilt not be able to control thy grief. Cast\noff this desire that thou cherishest for objects of affection and\nenjoyment. Cast off this pride that is born of prosperity. If thou actest\nin this manner, thou wilt then be able to bear the grief that attends the\nloss of sovereignty. When the hour of sorrow comes, do not yield to\nsorrow. Similarly, when the hour of joy comes, do not rejoice.\nDisregarding both the past and the future, live contentedly with the\npresent. When Time that never sleeps came upon me that had always been\nheedful of my duties, turn thy heart to the ways of peace, O Indra, for\nthat same Time will very soon come over thee! Thou piercest me with thy\nwords, and thou seemest to be bent upon inspiring dread in me. Indeed,\nfinding me collected, thou regardest thy own self very highly. Time had\nfirst assailed me. It is even now behind thee. I was at first vanquished\nby Time. It was for that reason that thou didst afterwards succeed in\nvanquishing me for which thou roarest in pride thus. Formerly, when I\nhappened to become angry, what person was there on earth that could stand\nbefore me in battle? Time, however, is stronger. He has overwhelmed me.\nIt is for this reason, O Vasava, that thou art able to stand before me!\nThose thousand (celestial years), that are the measure of thy sway, will\nsurely come to an end. Thou shalt then fall and thy limbs will become as\nmiserable as mine now even though I am possessed of mighty energy. I have\nfallen away from the high place that is occupied by the sovereign of the\nthree worlds. Thou art now the actual Indra in heaven. In this delightful\nworld of living beings, thou art now, in consequence of Time's course, an\nobject of universal adoration. Canst thou say what is that by having done\nwhich thou hast become Indra today and what also is that by having done\nwhich we have fallen off from the position we had? Time is the one\ncreator and destroyer. Nothing else is cause (in the universe for the\nproduction of any effect). Decline, fall, sovereignty, happiness, misery,\nbirth and death,--a learned person by encountering any of these neither\nrejoices nor indulges in sorrow. Thou, O Indra, knowest us. We also, O\nVasava, know thee. Why then dost thou brag in this fashion before me,\nforgetting, O shameless one, that it is Time that hath made thee what\nthou art? Thou didst thyself witness what my prowess was in those days.\nThe energy and might I used to display in all my battles, furnish\nsufficient evidence. The Adityas, the Rudras, the Sadhyas, the Vasus, and\nthe Maruts, O lord of Sachi, were all vanquished by me. Thou knowest it\nwell thyself, O Sakra, that in the great encounter between the gods and\nthe Asuras, the assembled deities were quickly routed by me by the fury\nof my attack. Mountains with their forests and the denizens that lived in\nthose forests, were repeatedly hurled by us. Many were the mountain\nsummits with craggy edges that I broke on thy head. What, however, can I\ndo now? Time is incapable of being resisted. If it were not so, do not\nthink that I would not have ventured to kill thee with that thunderbolt\nof thine with even a blow of my fist. The present, however, is not the\nhour with me for the display of prowess. The hour that hath come is such\nthat I should adopt tranquillity now and tolerate everything. It is for\nthis reason, O Sakra, that I put up with all this insolence of thine.\nKnow, however, that I am less able to bear insolence than even thou. Thou\nbraggest before one who, upon his time having matured, is surrounded on\nall sides by Time's conflagration and bound strongly in Time's cords.\nYonder stands that dark individual who is incapable of being resisted by\nthe world. Of fierce form, he stands there, having bound me like an\ninferior animal bound with cords. Gain and loss, happiness and misery,\nlust and wrath, birth and death, captivity and release,--these all one\nencounters in Time's course. I am not the actor. Thou art not the actor.\nHe is the actor who, indeed, is omnipotent. That Time ripens me (for\nthrowing me down) like a fruit that has appeared on a tree. There are\ncertain acts by doing which one person obtains happiness in Time's\ncourse. By doing those very acts another obtains misery in the course of\nTime. Versed as I am with the virtues of Time, it behoves me not to\nindulge in grief when it is Time that has assailed me. It is for this\nreason, O Sakra, that I do not grieve. Grief cannot do us any good. The\ngrief of one that indulges in grief never dispels one's calamity. On the\nother hand, grief destroys one's power. It is for this that I do not\nindulge in grief.'\n\n\"'\"Thus addressed by the chief of the Daityas, he of a hundred sacrifices,\nviz., the puissant and thousand-eyed chastiser of Paka, restrained his\nwrath and said these words.\n\n\"'\"Sakra said, 'Beholding this upraised arm of mine, equipped with the\nthunderbolt, and those nooses of Varuna, who is there whose understanding\nwould not be agitated, including the very Destroyer himself that\ncompasses the death of all beings? Thy understanding, however, so firm\nand so endued with vision of the truth, hath not been agitated. O thou of\ninvincible prowess, verily, thou art unmoved today in consequence of thy\nfortitude. Beholding all things in this universe to be fleeting, who is\nthere in it, endued with body, that would venture to repose confidence on\neither his body or all the objects of his desire? Like thyself I also\nknow that this universe is not eternal, and that it has been thrown into\nTime's conflagration that is dreadful though hidden from the view, that\nis continuously burning, and that is truly endless. Every one is assailed\nhere by Time. Nothing among beings that are subtile or gross enjoys an\nimmunity from Time's sway. All things are being cooked in Time's\ncauldron. Time has no master. Time is ever heedful. Time is always\ncooking all things within itself. No one who has once entered the domain\nof Time which is ceaselessly going on, can escape therefrom. All embodied\nbeings may be heedless of Time, but Time is heedful and is broad awake\nbehind them. No one has ever been seen to have driven off Time from him.\nAncient and eternal, and the embodiment of justice, Time is uniform in\nrespect of all living creatures. Time cannot be avoided, and there is no\nretrogression in its course. Like a usurer adding up his interest, Time\nadds up its subtile portions represented by kalas, and lavas, and\nkashthas, and kshanas, and months, and days and nights. Like the current\nof a river washing away a tree whose roots are reached by it, Time,\ngetting at him who says, \"This I will do today but this other act I will\ndo tomorrow\" sweeps him away. Time sweeps away one and men exclaim, \"I\nsaw him a little while ago. How has he died?\" Wealth, comforts, rank,\nprosperity, all fall a prey to Time. Approaching every living creature,\nTime snatches away his life. All things that proudly raise their heads\nhigh are destined to fall down. That which is existent is only another\nform of the non-existent. Everything is transitory and unstable. Such a\nconviction is, however, difficult to come at. Thy understanding, so firm\nand endued with true vision, is unmoved. Thou dost not, even mentally,\nrealise what thou wert some time ago. Time that is strong, assailing the\nuniverse, cooks it within itself and sweeps away everything without\nconsideration of seniority of years or the reverse. For all that, one\nthat is being dragged by Time is unconscious of the noose thrown round\none's neck. People, given to jealousy and vanity and cupidity to lust,\nwrath, and fear, to desire, heedlessness, and pride, suffer themselves to\nbe stupefied. Thou, however, art acquainted with the truth of existence.\nThou art possessed of learning and endued with wisdom and penance. Thou\nbeholdest Time as clearly as if it were an emblic myrobalan on the palm\nof thy hand. O son of Virochana, fully conversant art thou with the topic\nof Time's conduct. Thou art well-versed in all branches of knowledge.\nThou art of cleansed Soul and a thorough master of thy persons. Thou art,\nfor this, an object of affection with all persons endued with wisdom.\nThou hast, with thy understanding, fully comprehended the whole universe.\nThough thou hast enjoyed every kind of happiness, thou art never attached\nto anything, and hence thou hast not been stained by anything. The\nqualities of Passion and Darkness do not soil thee for thou hast\nconquered thy senses. Thou waitest only upon thy Soul which is divested\nof both joy and sorrow. The friend of all creatures, without animosity,\nwith thy heart set upon tranquillity, beholding thee thus, my heart is\ninclined to compassion towards thee. I do not desire to afflict an\nenlightened person like thee by keeping him in an enchained condition.\nAbstention from injury is the highest religion. I feel compassion towards\nthee. These nooses of Varuna, with which thou hast been bound, will\nloosen Time's course in consequence of the misconduct of men. Blessed be\nthou, O great Asura! When the daughter-in-law will set the aged\nmother-in-law to work, when the son, through delusion, will command the\nsire to work for him, when Sudras will have their feet washed by\nBrahmanas and have sexual congress fearlessly with women of regenerate\nfamilies, when men will discharge the vital seed into forbidden wombs,\nwhen the refuse of houses will begin to be carried upon plates and\nvessels made of white brass, and when sacrificial offerings intended for\nthe deities will begin to be borne upon forbidden vessels, when all the\nfour orders will transgress all restraints, then these bonds of thine\nwill begin one by one, to loosen. From us thou hast no fear. Wait\nquietly. Be happy. Be divested of all sorrow. Let thy heart be cheerful.\nLet no illness be thine.' Having said these words unto him, the divine\nIndra, having the prince of elephants for his vehicle, left that spot.\nHaving vanquished all the Asuras, the chief of the deities rejoiced in\ngladness and became the one sole lord of all the worlds. The great Rishis\nhymned the praises of that lord of all mobile and immobile creatures. The\ndeity of fire once more began to bear the libations of clarified butter\nthat were poured (by all) into his visible form, and the great god took\ncharge of the nectar that was committed to his care. His praises hymned\nby the foremost of Brahmanas engaged in sacrifices, the lord Indra,\nblazing with splendour, his wrath pacified, and his heart tranquillised,\nbecame gladdened, and returning to his own abode in heaven, began to pass\nhis days in great happiness.\"'\"[857]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXXVIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me, O grandsire, the indications of future\ngreatness and future fall in respect of a person.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The mind itself, blessed be thou, indicates the\npremonitory symptoms of one's future prosperity and future fall. In this\nconnection is cited the old story of the discourse between Sree and\nSakra. Listen to it, O Yudhishthira! The great ascetic Narada, of energy\nwhose effulgence is as immeasurable as Brahma itself, with sins all\ndestroyed, capable of beholding through the prosperity of his penances\nboth this and the other world at once, and the equal of the celestial\nRishis in the region of the Creator, roved according to his pleasure\nthrough the triple world. One day, rising up at dawn, he wished to\nperform his ablutions, and for that purpose went to the river Ganga as\nshe issued out of the pass known by the name of Dhruva and plunged into\nthe stream.[858] At that time the thousand-eyed Indra also, the wielder\nof the thunderbolt, and the slayer of Samvara and Paka, came to the very\nbank where Narada was. The Rishi and the deity, both of souls under\nperfect command, finished their ablutions, and having completed their\nsilent recitations, sat together. They employed the hour in reciting and\nlistening to the excellent narratives told by the great celestial Rishis\ndescriptive of many good and high deeds. Indeed, with concentrated\nattention the two were engaged in such pleasant discourse on ancient\nhistory.[859] While sitting there they beheld the rising Sun casting his\nthousand rays right before him. Seeing the full orb, both of them stood\nup and hymned his praises. Just at that time they beheld in the sky, in a\ndirection opposite to that of the rising star of day, some luminous\nobject, resplendent as blazing fire and that seemed to be a second star\nof day. And they saw, O Bharata, that that luminous object was gradually\napproaching towards them both. Riding upon Vishnu's vehicle adorned with\nGaruda and Surya himself, that object blazed forth with unrivalled\nsplendour, and seemed to illumine the three worlds. The object they saw\nwas none other than Sree herself, attended by many Apsaras endued with\nsplendid beauty. Indeed, she looked like a large solar disc herself,\npossessed of effulgence resembling that of fire. Adorned with ornaments\nthat looked like veritable stars, she wore a wreath that resembled a\ngarland of pearls. Indra saw that goddess called Padma having her\nhabitation in the midst of lotuses. Descending from her foremost of cars,\nthat unrivalled lady began to approach towards the lord of the three\nworlds and the celestial Rishi Narada. Followed by Narada, Maghavat also\nproceeded towards that lady. With joined hands, he offered himself up to\nher, and versed as he was with all things, he worshipped her with\nreverence and sincerity never surpassed. The adorations over, the lord of\ncelestials, O king, addressed Sree in the following words.\n\n\"'\"Sakra said, 'O thou of sweet smiles, who, indeed, art thou and for what\nbusiness hast thou come here? O thou of fair brows, whence dost thou come\nand whither wilt thou proceed, O auspicious lady?'\n\n\"'\"Sree said, 'In the three worlds full of the seeds of auspiciousness, all\ncreatures, mobile and immobile, strive with their whole hearts to win an\nassociation with me. I am that Padma, that Sree decked with lotuses, who\nsprang from the lotus that blooms at the touch of the rays of Surya, for\nthe prosperity of all creatures. I am called Lakshmi, Bhuti, and Sree, O\nslayer of Vala! I am Faith, I am Intelligence, I am Affluence, I am\nVictory, and I am Immutability. I am Patience, I am Success, I am\nProsperity. I am Swaha, I am Swadha, I am Reverence, I am Fate, and I am\nMemory. I dwell at the van and on the standards of victorious and\nvirtuous sovereigns, as also in their homes and cities and dominions. I\nalways reside, O slayer of Vala, with those foremost of men, viz., heroes\npanting after victory and unretreating from battle. I also reside for\never with persons that are firmly attached to virtue, that are endued\nwith great intelligence, that are devoted to Brahma, that are truthful in\nspeech, that are possessed of humility, and that are liberal. Formerly, I\ndwelt with the Asuras in consequence of my disposition of being bound by\ntruth and merit. Seeing, however, that the Asuras have assumed adverse\nnatures, I have left then and wish to reside in thee.'\n\n\"'\"Sakra said, 'O thou of fair face, in consequence of what behaviour of\nthe Asuras didst thou dwell with them? What didst thou see there for\nwhich thou hast come hither, having deserted the Daityas and the Danavas?'\n\n\"'\"Sree said, 'I attach myself steadfastly to those that are devoted to the\nduties of their own order, to those that never fall away from patience,\nto those that take a pleasure in walking along the path which leads to\nheaven. I always reside with those that are distinguished for liberality,\nfor study of the scriptures, for sacrifices, for other scriptural rites,\nand for worship of Pitris, deities, preceptors, seniors, and guests.\nFormerly, the Danavas used to keep their abodes clean, to keep their\nwomen under control, to pour libations on the sacrificial fire, to wait\ndutifully on their preceptors, to restrain their passions, to be obedient\nto the Brahmanas, and to be truthful in speech. They were full of faith;\nthey kept their wrath under control; they practised the virtue of\ncharity; they never envied others; they used to maintain their friends\nand advisers, and their spouses; they were never jealous. Formerly, they\nnever assailed one another, filled with wrath. They were all contented\nand never felt pain at the sight of other people's affluence and\nprosperity. They were all charitable and economical; of respectable\nconduct, and endued with compassion. They were excessively inclined to\ngrace, possessed of simplicity of conduct, steadfast in faith, and had\ntheir passions under complete control. They used to keep their servants\nand counsellors contented, and were grateful and endued with sweet\nspeech. They used to serve every one as each deserved in consequence of\nhis position and honour. They were endued with shame. They were of rigid\nvows. They used to perform their ablutions on every sacred day. They used\nto smear themselves properly with perfumes and auspicious unguents. They\nwere also to adorn their persons duly. They were observant of fasts and\npenances, were trustful, and utterers of Vedic hymns. The Sun never rose\nupon them while they lay asleep. They never outslept the moon. They\nalways abstained from curds and pounded barley. They used every morning\nto look at clarified butter and other auspicious articles, and with\nsenses withdrawn they used to recite the Vedas and worship Brahmanas with\ngifts. Their discourse was always virtuous, and they never accepted\ngifts. They always went to sleep at midnight and never slept during the\nday. They always used to take pleasure in showing compassion for the\ndistressed, the helpless, the aged, the weak, the sick, and women, and\nenjoyed all their possessions by sharing these with them. They always\nused to assume and comfort the agitated, the cheerless, the anxious, the\nterrified, the diseased, the weak and emaciated, the robbed, and the\nafflicted. They followed the dictates of virtue and never injured one\nanother. They were ready and well-disposed for action of every kind (that\ndeserved to be accomplished). They used to serve and wait with reverence\nupon seniors and aged individuals. They duly worshipped Pitris, deities,\nand guests, and ate every day what was left after gratifying these. They\nwere firmly devoted to truth and penances. None amongst them ate singly\nany food that was good, and none had congress with other people's wives.\nAs regards compassion, they behaved towards all creatures as towards\ntheir own selves. They never allowed the emission of the vital seed into\nempty space, into inferior animals, into forbidden wombs, or on sacred\ndays. They were always distinguished for gifts, for cleverness, for\nsimplicity, for hopeful exertion, for humility, for friendliness, and for\nforgiveness. And, O puissant one, truth, charity, penance, purity,\ncompassion, soft speeches and absence of animosity towards friends,--all\nthese were always in them. Slumber, procrastination, fretfulness, envy,\nand want of foresight, discontent, melancholy, cupidity never assailed\nthem. In consequence of the Danavas having been distinguished for these\ngood qualities, I dwelt with them from the beginning of the creation for\nmany yugas together. Times were altered, and that alteration brought\nabout an alteration in the character of the Danavas. I saw that virtue\nand morality deserted them and they began to own the sway of lust and\nwrath. Persons, though themselves inferior in attainments, began to\ncherish animosities towards seniors in age possessed of superior\nqualifications, and while the latter, possessed of virtue and merit, used\nto speak upon proper topics in the midst of assemblies, the former began\nto ridicule or laugh at them. When reverend seniors in age came, the\nyounger individuals, seated at their ease, refused to adore the former by\nrising up and saluting them with respect. In the presence of sires, sons\nbegan to exercise power (in matters that concerned sires alone). They\nthat were not in receipt of wages accepted service and shamelessly\nproclaimed the fact. Those amongst them that succeeded in amassing great\nwealth by doing unrighteous and censurable deeds came to be held in\nesteem.[860] During the night they began to indulge in loud screams and\nshrieks. Their homa fires ceased to send bright and upward flames. Sons\nbegan to lord it over sires, and wives dominated over husbands. Mothers,\nfathers, aged seniors, preceptors, guests, and guides ceased to command\nrespect for their superior status. People ceased to bring up with\naffection their own offspring but began to desert them. Without giving\naway the defined portion in alms and reserving the fixed portion for\noffering it unto the gods, every one ate what he had. Indeed, without\noffering their goods to the deities in sacrifices and without sharing\nthem with the Pitris, the gods, guests, and reverend seniors, they\nappropriated them to their own use shamelessly. Their cooks no longer\nprofessed any consideration for purity of mind, deed, and word. They ate\nwhat had been left uncovered. Their corn lay scattered in yards, exposed\nto devastation by crows and rats. Their milk remained exposed, and they\nbegan to touch clarified butter with hands unwashed after eating.[861]\nTheir spades, domestic knives, baskets, and dishes and cups of white\nbrass, and other utensils began to lie scattered in their houses. Their\nhousewives abstained from looking after these. They no longer attained to\nthe repairs of their houses and walls. Tethering their animals they\nabstained from giving them food and drink.[862] Disregarding children\nthat only looked on, and without having fed their dependants, the Danavas\nate what they had. They began to prepare payasa and krisara and dishes of\nmeat and cakes and sashkuli (not for gods and guests) but for their own\nslaves, and commenced to eat the flesh of animals not killed in\nsacrifices.[863] They used to sleep even after the sun had risen. They\nmade night of their morns. Day and night disputes and quarrels waxed in\nevery house of theirs. They that were not respectable amongst them no\nlonger showed any respect for those that deserve respect while the latter\nwere seated in any place. Fallen off from their defined duties, they\nceased to reverence those that had betaken themselves to the woods for\nleading a life of peace and divine contemplation. Intermixture of castes\nfreely commenced among them. They ceased to attend to purity of person or\nmind. Brahmanas learned in the Vedas ceased to command respect among\nthem. Those again that were ignorant of Richs were not condemned or\npunished. Both were treated on a footing of equality, those, that is,\nthat deserved respect and those that deserved no respect. Their servant\ngirls became wicked in behaviour, and began to wear necklaces of gold and\nother ornaments and fine robes, and used to remain in their houses or go\naway before their very eyes. They began to derive great pleasure from\nsports and diversions in which their women were dressed as men and their\nmen as women. Those amongst their ancestors that were affluent had made\ngifts of wealth unto deserving persons. The descendants of the donors,\neven when in prosperous conditions, began to resume, for their unbelief,\nthose gifts. When difficulties threatened the accomplishment of any\npurpose and friend sought the counsel of friend, that purpose was\nfrustrated by the latter even if he had any interest of the slightest\nvalue to subserve by frustrating it. Amongst even their better classes\nhave appeared traders and dealers in goods, intent upon taking the wealth\nof others. The Sudras amongst them have taken to the practice of\npenances. Some amongst them have begun to study, without making any rules\nfor regulating their hours and food. Others have begun to study, making\nrules that are useless. Disciples have abstained from rendering obedience\nand service to preceptors. Preceptors again have come to treat disciples\nas friendly companions. Fathers and mothers are worn out with work, and\nhave abstained from indulging in festivities. Parents in old age,\ndivested of power over sons, have been forced to beg their food of the\nlatter. Amongst them, even persons of wisdom, conversant with the Vedas,\nand resembling the ocean itself in gravity of deportment, have begun to\nbetake themselves to agriculture and such other pursuits. Persons who are\nilliterate and ignorant have begun to be fed at Sraddhas.[864] Every\nmorning, disciples, instead of approaching preceptors for making dutiful\nenquiries for ascertaining what acts awaited accomplishment and for\nseeking commissions which they are to discharge, are themselves waited\nupon by preceptors who discharge those functions. Daughters-in-law, in\nthe presence of their husbands' mothers and fathers, rebuke and chastise\nservants and maids, and summoning their husbands lecture and rebuke\nthem. Sires, with great care, seek to keep sons in good humour, or\ndividing through fear their wealth among children, live in woe and\naffliction.[865] Even persons enjoying the friendship of the victims,\nbeholding the latter deprived of wealth in conflagrations or by robbers\nor by the king, have begun to indulge in laughter from feelings of\nmockery. They have become ungrateful and unbelieving and sinful and\naddicted to adulterous congress with even the spouses of their\npreceptors. They have betaken themselves to eating forbidden food. They\nhave transgressed all bounds and restraints. They have become divested of\nthat splendour which had distinguished them before. In consequence of\nthese and other indications of wicked conduct and the reversal of their\nformer nature, I shall not, O chief of the gods, dwell among them any\nlonger. I have, therefore, come to thee of my own accord. Receive me with\nrespect, O lord of Sachi! Honoured by thee, O chief of the celestials, I\nshall receive honour from all other deities. There, where I reside, the\nseven other goddesses with Jaya for their eighth, who love me, who are\ninseparably associated with me, and who depend upon me, desire to live.\nThey are Hope, Faith, Intelligence, Contentment, Victory, Advancement,\nand Forgiveness. She who forms the eighth, viz., Jaya, occupies the\nforemost place amongst them, O chastiser of Paka. All of them and myself,\nhaving deserted the Asuras, have come to thy domains. We shall henceforth\nreside among the deities who are devoted to righteousness and faith.'\n\n\"'\"After the goddess had said so, the celestial Rishi Narada, and Vasava,\nthe slayer of Vritra, for gladdening her, offered her a joyful welcome.\nThe god of wind,--that friend of Agni, then began to blow gently through\nheaven, bearing delicious odours, refreshing all creatures with whom he\ncame into contact, and contributing to the felicity of every one of the\nsenses. All the deities (hearing the news) assembled together in a pure\nand desirable spot and waited there in expectation of beholding Maghavat\nseated with Lakshmi beside him. Then the thousand-eyed chief of the gods,\naccompanied by Sree and his friend the great Rishi, and riding upon a\nsplendid car drawn by green horses, came into that assembly of the\ncelestials, receiving honour from all. Then the great Rishi Narada, whose\nprowess was known to all the celestials, observing a sign that the\nwielder of the thunderbolt made and which Sree herself approved of,\nwelcomed the advent of the goddess there and proclaimed it as exceedingly\nauspicious. Heaven's firmament became clear and bright and began to\nshower nectar upon the region of the self-born Grandsire. The celestial\nkettle-drums, though struck by none, began to beat, and all the points of\nthe horizon, becoming clear, seemed ablaze with splendour. Indra began to\npour rain upon crops that commenced to appear each at its proper season.\nNo one then deviated from the path of righteousness. The earth became\nadorned with many mines filled with jewels and gems, and the chant of\nVedic recitations and other melodious sounds swelled up on the occasion\nof that triumph of the celestials. Human beings, endued with firm minds,\nand all adhering to the auspicious path that is trod by the righteous,\nbegan to take pleasure in Vedic and other religious rites and acts. Men\nand gods and Kinnaras and Yakshas and Rakshasas all became endued with\nprosperity and cheerfulness. Not a flower,--what need then be said of\nfruits,--dropped untimely from a tree even if the god of wind shook it\nwith force. All the kine began to yield sweet milk whenever milked by\nmen, and cruel and harsh words ceased to be uttered by any one. They who,\nfrom desire of advancement, approach before assemblies of Brahmanas, and\nread this narrative of the glorification of Sree by all the deities with\nIndra at their head, deities that are competent to grant every\nwish,--succeed in winning great prosperity. These then O chief of the\nKurus, are the foremost indications of prosperity and adversity. Urged on\nby thee, I have told thee all. It behoves thee to bear thyself according\nto the instructions conveyed herein, understanding them after careful\nreflection!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXXIX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"By what disposition, what course of duties, what\nknowledge, and what energy, does one succeed in attaining to Brahma which\nis immutable and which is beyond the reach of primordial nature.\"[866]\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"One that is engaged in the practice of the religion of\nnivritti, that eats abstemiously, and that has his senses under complete\ncontrol, can attain to Brahma which is immutable and which is above\nprimordial nature. In this connection is cited the old narrative, O\nBharata, of the discourse between Jaigishavya and Asita. Once on a time\nAsita-Devala addressed Jaigishavya who was possessed of great wisdom and\nfully acquainted with the truths of duty and morality.\n\n\"'\"Devala said, 'Thou art not gladdened when praised. Thou dost not give\nway to wrath when blamed or censured. What, indeed, is thy wisdom? Whence\nhast thou got it? And what, indeed, is the refuge of that wisdom?'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Thus questioned by Devala, the pure Jaigishavya of\naustere penances, said those words of high import, fraught with full\nfaith and profound sense.\n\n\"'\"Jaigishavya said, 'O foremost of Rishis, I shall tell thee of that which\nis the highest end, that which is the supreme goal, that which is\ntranquillity, in the estimation of all persons of righteous acts. They, O\nDevala, who behave uniformly towards those that praise them and those\nthat blame them, they who conceal their own vows and good acts, they who\nnever indulge in recriminations, they who never say even what is good\nwhen it is calculated to injure (instead of producing any benefit), they\nwho do not desire to return injury for injury received, are said to be\nmen possessed of wisdom.[867] They never grieve for what is yet to come.\nThey are concerned with only what is before them and acts as they should.\nThey never indulge in sorrow for what is past or even call it to their\nminds. Possessed of power and regulated minds, they do at their pleasure,\naccording to the way in which it should be done, what waits for them to\ndo in respect of all objects, O Devala, if solicited regardfully\nthereto.[868] Of mature knowledge, of great wisdom, with wrath under\ncomplete control, and with their passions kept under sway, they never do\nan injury to any one in thought, word, or deed. Destitute of envy, they\nnever injure others, and possessed of self-control, they are never pained\nat the sight of other people's prosperity. Such men never indulge in\nexaggerated speeches, or set themselves in praising others, or in\nspeaking ill of them. They are again never affected by praise and blame\nuttered by others in respect of them. They are tranquil in respect of all\ntheir desires, and are engaged in the good of all creatures. They never\ngive way to wrath, or indulge in transports of joy, or injure any\ncreature. Untying all the knots of their hearts, they pass on very\nhappily. They have no friends nor are they the friends of others. They\nhave no foes nor are they the foes of other creatures. Indeed, men that\ncan live in this way can pass their days for ever in happiness. O best of\nregenerate ones, they who acquire a knowledge of the rules of morality\nand righteousness, and who observe those rules in practice, succeed in\nwinning joy, while they who fall off from the path of righteousness are\nafflicted by anxieties and sorrow. I have now betaken myself to the path\nof righteousness. Decried by others, why shall I get annoyed with them,\nor praised by others, why shall I be pleased? Let men obtain whatsoever\nobjects they please from whatsoever pursuits in which they engage\nthemselves. (I am indifferent to acquisitions and losses). Praise and\nblame are unable to contribute to my advancement or the reverse. He that\nhas understood the truths of things becomes gratified with even disregard\nas if it were ambrosia. The man of wisdom is truly annoyed with regard as\nif it were poison. He who is freed from all faults sleeps fearlessly both\nhere and hereafter even if insulted by others. On the other hand, he who\ninsults him, suffers destruction. Those men of wisdom who seek to attain\nto the highest end, succeed in obtaining it by observing conduct such as\nthis. The man who has vanquished all his senses is regarded to have\nperformed all the sacrifices. Such a person attains to the highest rung,\nviz., that of Brahma, which is eternal and which transcends the reach of\nprimordial nature. The very gods, the Gandharvas, the Pisachas, and the\nRakshasas, cannot reach the rung which is his who has attained to the\nhighest end.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXXX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"What man is there who is dear to all, who gladdens\nall persons, and who is endued with every merit and every accomplishment?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection I shall recite to thee the words that\nKesava, asked by Ugrasena, said unto him on a former occasion.\n\n\"'\"Ugrasena said, 'All persons seem to be very solicitous of speaking of\nthe merits of Narada. I think that celestial Rishi, must really be\npossessed of every kind of merit. I ask thee, tell me this, O Kesava!'\n\n\"'\"Vasudeva said, 'O chief of the Kukkuras, listen to me as I mention in\nbrief those good qualities of Narada with which I am acquainted, O king!\nNarada is as learned in the scriptures as he is good and pious in his\nconduct. And yet, on account of his conduct, he never cherishes pride\nthat makes one's blood so hot. It is for this reason that he is\nworshipped everywhere. Discontent, wrath, levity, and fear, these do not\nexist in Narada. He is free from procrastination, and possessed of\ncourage. For this he is worshipped everywhere. Narada deserves the\nrespectful worship of all. He never falls back from his words through\ndesire or cupidity. For this he is worshipped everywhere. He is fully\nconversant with the principles that lead to the knowledge of the soul,\ndisposed to peace, possessed of great energy, and a master of his senses.\nHe is free from guile, and truthful in speech. For this he is worshipped\nwith respect everywhere. He is distinguished by energy, by fame, by\nintelligence, by knowledge, by humility, by birth, by penances, and by\nyears. For these he is everywhere worshipped with respect. He is of good\nbehaviour. He dresses and houses himself well. He eats pure food. He\nloves all. He is pure in body and mind. He is sweet-speeched. He is free\nfrom envy and malice. For this he is everywhere worshipped with respect.\nHe is certainly always employed in doing good to all people. No sin\ndwells in him. He never rejoices at other people's misfortunes. For this\nhe is everywhere worshipped with respect. He always seeks to conquer all\nearthly desires by listening to Vedic recitations and attending to the\nPuranas. He is a great renouncer and he never disregards any one.[869]\nFor this he is everywhere worshipped with respect. He casts an equal eye\non all; and, therefore, he has no one whom he loves and none whom he\nhates. He always speaks what is agreeable to the hearer. For this he is\neverywhere worshipped with respect. He is possessed of great learning in\nthe scriptures. His conversation is varied and delightful. His knowledge\nand wisdom are great. He is free from cupidity. He is free also from\ndeception. He is large-hearted. He has conquered wrath and cupidity. For\nthis he is everywhere worshipped with respect. He has never quarrelled\nwith any one for any subject connected with profit or pleasure. All\nfaults have been torn away by him. For this he is everywhere worshipped\nwith respect. His devotion (to Brahma) is firm. His soul is blameless. He\nis well-versed in the Srutis. He is free from cruelty. He is beyond the\ninfluence of delusion or faults. For this he is worshipped everywhere\nwith respect. He is unattached to all such things as are objects of\nattachment (for others). For all that he seems to be attached to all\nthings.[870] He is never long subject to the influence of any doubt. For\nthis he is everywhere worshipped with respect. He has no yearning for\nobjects connected with profit and pleasure. He never glorifies his own\nself. He is free from malice. He is mild in speech. For this he is\neverywhere worshipped with respect. He observes the hearts, different\nfrom one another, of all men, without blaming any of them. He is\nwell-versed in all matters connected with the origin of things. He never\ndisregards or shows hatred for any kind of science. He lives according to\nhis own standard of morality. He never suffers his time to pass away\nfruitlessly. His soul is under his control. For this he is everywhere\nworshipped with respect. He has toiled in subjects that deserve the\napplication of toil. He has earned knowledge and wisdom. He is never\nsatiated with yoga. He is always attentive and ready for exertion. He is\never heedful. For this he is everywhere worshipped with respect. He has\nnever to feel shame for any deficiency of his. He is very attentive. He\nis always engaged by others in accomplishing what is for their good. He\nnever divulges the secrets of others. For this he is everywhere\nworshipped with respect. He never yields to transports of joy on\noccasions of making even valuable acquisitions. He is never pained at\nlosses. His understanding is firm and stable. His soul is unattached to\nall things. For this he is everywhere worshipped with respect. Who,\nindeed, is there that will not love him who is thus possessed of every\nmerit and accomplishment, who is clever in all things, who is pure in\nbody and mind, who is entirely auspicious, who is well-versed with the\ncourse of time and its opportuneness for particular acts, and who is\nwell-acquainted with all agreeable things?'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXXXI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"I desire, O thou of Kuru's race, to know what the\norigin and what the end is of all creatures; what is the nature of their\nmeditation and what are their acts; what are the divisions of time, and\nwhat the allotted periods of life in the respective epochs. I desire also\nto know in full the truth about the genesis and the conduct of the world;\nthe origin of creatures into the world and the manner of their going on.\nIndeed, whence their creation and destruction? O best of virtuous\npersons, if thou art minded to favour us, do tell us this about which I\nask thee. Having heard before this excellent discourse of Bhrigu unto the\nregenerate sage Bharadwaja which thou didst recite, my understanding,\npurged of ignorance, has become exceedingly attached to yoga, and\nwithdrawn from worldly objects rests upon heavenly purity. I ask thee\nabout the subject, therefore, once more. It behoves thee to discourse to\nme (more elaborately).\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection I shall recite to thee an old\nnarrative of what the divine Vyasa said unto his son Suka when the latter\nhad questioned the former. Having studied the illimitable Vedas with all\ntheir branches and the Upanishads, and desirous of leading a life of\nBrahmacharya in consequence of his having earned excellence of religious\nmerit, Suka addressed these very questions, about which his doubts had\nbeen solved, to his father the island-born Rishi who had removed (by\nstudy and contemplation) all doubts connected with the topic of the true\nimport of duties.\n\n\"'\"Suka said, 'It behoveth thee to tell me who the Creator is of all\nbeings, as fixed by a knowledge of time,[871] and what the duties are\nthat should be accomplished by a Brahmana.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Unto his son who had questioned him, the sire, having a\nknowledge of both the past and future, conversant with all duties and\nendued with omniscience, thus discoursed on the subject.\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'Only Brahma, which is without beginning and without end,\nunborn, blazing with effulgence, above decay, immutable, indestructible,\ninconceivable, and transcending knowledge, exists before the\nCreation.[872] The Rishis, measuring time, have named particular portions\nby particular names. Five and ten winks of the eye make what is called a\nKashtha. Thirty Kashthas would make what is called a Kala. Thirty Kalas,\nwith the tenth part of a Kala added, make what is known as a Muhurta.\nThirty Muhurtas make up one day and night. Thirty days and nights are\ncalled a month, and twelve months are called a year. Persons conversant\nwith mathematical science say that a year is made up of two ayanas\n(dependent on sun's motion), viz., the northern and the southern. The sun\nmakes the day and the night for the world of man. The night is for the\nsleep of all living creatures, and the day is for the doing of action. A\nmonth of human beings is equal to a day and night of the Pitris. That\ndivision (as regards the Pitris) consists in this: the lighted fortnight\n(of men) is their day which is for the doing of acts; and the dark\nfortnight is their night for sleep. A year (of human beings) is equal to\na day and night of the gods. The division (as regards the gods) consists\nin this: the half year for which the sun travels from the vernal to the\nautumnal equinox is the day of the deities, and the half year for which\nthe sun travels from the latter to the former is their night. Computing\nby the days and nights of human beings about which I have told thee, I\nshall speak of the day and night of Brahman and his years also. I shall,\nin their order, tell thee the number of years, that are (thus) for\ndifferent purposes computed differently in respect of the Krita, the\nTreta, the Dwapara, and the Kali yugas. Four thousand years (of the\ndeities) is the duration of the first or Krita age. The morning of that\nepoch consists of four hundred years and its evening is of four hundred\nyears. (The total duration, therefore, of the Krita yuga is four thousand\nand eight hundred years of the deities). As regards the other yugas, the\nduration of each gradually decreases by a quarter in respect of both the\nsubstantive period with the conjoining portion and the conjoining portion\nitself. (Thus the duration of the Treta is three thousand years and its\nmorning extends for three hundred years and its evening for three\nhundred). The duration of the Dwapara also is two thousand years, and its\nmorning extends for two hundred years and its evening also for two\nhundred. The duration of the Kali yuga is one thousand years, and its\nmorning extends for one hundred years, and its evening for one\nhundred.[873] These periods always sustain the never-ending and eternal\nworlds. They who are conversant with Brahma, O child, regard this as\nImmutable Brahma. In the Krita age all the duties exist in their\nentirety, along with Truth. No knowledge or object came to men of that\nage through unrighteous or forbidden means.[874] In the other yugas,\nduty, ordained in the Vedas, is seen to gradually decline by a quarter in\neach. Sinfulness grows in consequence of theft, untruth, and deception.\nIn the Krita age, all persons are free from disease and crowned with\nsuccess in respect of all their objects, and all live for four hundred\nyears. In the Treta, the period of life decreases by a quarter. It has\nalso been heard by us that, in the succeeding yugas, the words of the\nVedas, the periods of life, the blessings (uttered by Brahmanas), and the\nfruits of Vedic rites, all decrease gradually. The duties set down for\nthe Krita yuga are of one kind. Those for the Treta are otherwise. Those\nfor the Dwapara are different. And those for the Kali are otherwise. This\nis in accordance with that decline that marks every succeeding yuga. In\nthe Krita, Penance occupies the foremost place. In the Treta, Knowledge\nis foremost. In the Dwapara, Sacrifice has been said to be the foremost,\nIn the Kali yuga, only Gift is the one thing that has been laid down. The\nlearned say that these twelve thousand years (of the deities) constitute\nwhat is called a yuga. A thousand such yugas compose a single day of\nBrahman.[875] The same is the duration of Brahman's night. With the\ncommencement of Brahman's day the universe begins to start into life.\nDuring the period of universal dissolution the Creator sleeps, having\nrecourse to yoga-meditation. When the period of slumber expires, He\nawakes. That then which is Brahman's day extends for a thousand such\nyugas. His nights also extends for a thousand similar yugas. They who\nknow this are said to know the day and the night. On the expiry of His\nnight, Brahman, waking up, modifies the indestructible chit by causing it\nto be overlaid with Avidya. He then causes Consciousness to spring up,\nwhence proceeds Mind which is identical with the Manifest.'\"'\"[876]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXXXII\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'Brahma is the effulgent seed from which, existing as it\ndoes by itself, hath sprung the whole universe consisting of two kinds of\nbeing, viz., the mobile and the immobile.[877] At the dawn of His day,\nwaking up, He creates with the help of Avidya this universe. At first\nsprings up that which is called Mahat. That Mahat is speedily transformed\ninto Mind which is the soul of the Manifest.[878] Overwhelming the Chit,\nwhich is effulgent, with Avidya, Mind creates seven great beings.[879]\nUrged by the desire of creating, Mind, which is far-reaching, which has\nmany courses, and which has desire and doubt for its principal\nindications, begins to create diverse kinds of objects by modifications\nof itself. First springs from it Space. Know that its property is Sound.\nFrom Space, by modification, arises the bearer of all scents, viz., the\npure and mighty Wind. It is said to possess the attribute of Touch. From\nWind also, by modification, springs Light endued with effulgence.\nDisplayed in beauty, and called also Sukram, it starts into existence,\nthus possessing the attribute of Form. From Light, by modification,\narises Water having Taste for its attribute. From Water springs Earth\nhaving Scent for its attribute. These are said to represent initial\ncreation.[880] These, one after another, acquire the attributes of the\nimmediately preceding ones from which they have sprung. Each has not only\nits own special attribute but each succeeding one has the attributes of\nall the preceding ones. (Thus Space has only Sound for its attribute.\nAfter Space comes Wind, which has, therefore, both Sound and Touch for\nits attributes. From Wind comes Light or Fire, which has Sound, Touch,\nand Form for its attributes. From Light is Water, which has Sound, Touch,\nForm, and Taste for its attributes. From Water is Earth, which has Sound,\nTouch, Form, Taste, and Scent for its attributes). If anybody, perceiving\nScent in Water, were from ignorance to say that it belongs to Water, he\nwould fall into an error, for Scent is the attribute of Earth though it\nmay exist in a state of attachment with Water and also Wind. These seven\nkinds of entities, possessing diverse kinds of energy, at first existed\nseparately from one another. They could not create objects without all of\nthem coming together into a state of commingling. All these great\nentities coming together, and commingling with one another, form the\nconstituent parts of the body which are called limbs.[881] In consequence\nof the combination of those limbs, the sum total, invested with form and\nhaving six and ten constituent parts, becomes what is called the body.\n(When the gross body is thus formed), the subtile Mahat, with the\nunexhausted residue of acts, then enters that combination called the\ngross body.[882] Then the original Creator of all beings, having by his\nMaya divided Himself, enters that subtile form for surveying or\noverlooking everything. And inasmuch as he is the original Creator of all\nbeings he is on that account called the Lord of all beings.[883] It is he\nwho creates all beings mobile and immobile. After having thus assumed the\nform of Brahman he creates the worlds of the gods, the Rishis, the\nPitris, and men; the rivers, the seas, and the oceans, the points of the\nhorizon, countries and provinces, hills and mountains, and large trees,\nhuman beings, Kinnaras, Rakshasas, birds, animals domestic and wild, and\nsnakes. Indeed, he creates both kinds of existent things, viz., those\nthat are mobile and those that are immobile; and those that are\ndestructible and those that are indestructible. Of these created objects\neach obtains those attributes which it had during the previous Creation;\nand each, indeed, obtains repeatedly the same attributes at every\nsubsequent Creation. Determined in respect of character by either\ninjuriousness or peacefulness, mildness or fierceness, righteousness or\nunrighteousness, truthfulness or untruthfulness, each creature, at every\nnew creation, obtains that particular attribute which it had cherished\nbefore. It is in consequence of this that that particular attribute\nattaches to it. It is the Ordainer himself who attaches variety to the\ngreat entities (of Space, Earth, etc.), to the objects of the senses\n(such as form, etc.), and to size or bulk of existent matter, and\nappoints the relations of creatures with those multiform entities.\nAmongst men who have devoted themselves to the science of things, there\nare some who say that, in the production of effects, exertion is supreme.\nSome learned persons say that Destiny is supreme, and some that it is\nNature which is the agent. Others say that Acts flowing from (personal)\nexertion, and Destiny, produce effects, aided by Nature. Instead of\nregarding any of these as singly competent for the production of effects,\nthey say that it is the union of all three that produces all effects. As\nregards this subject,[884] some say that such is the case; some, that\nsuch is not the case; some, that both of these are not the case; and\nsome, that it is not that the reverse of both are not. These, of course,\nare the contentions of those that depend on Acts, with reference to\nobjects. They however, whose vision is directed to truth regard Brahma as\nthe cause.[885] Penance is the highest good for living creatures. The\nroots of penance are tranquillity and self-restraint. By penance one\nobtains all things that one wishes for in one's mind. By penance one\nattains to that Being who creates the universe. He who (by penance)\nsucceeds in attaining to that Being becomes the puissant master of all\nbeings. It is by Penance that the Rishis are enabled to read the Vedas\nceaselessly. At the outset the Self-born caused those excellent Vedic\nsounds, that are embodiments of knowledge and that have neither beginning\nnor end to (spring up and) flow on (from preceptor to disciple). From\nthose sounds have sprung all kinds of actions. The names of the Rishis,\nall things that have been created, the varieties of form seen in existent\nthings, and the course of actions, have their origin in the Vedas.[886]\nIndeed, the Supreme Master of all beings, in the beginning, created all\nthings from the words of the Vedas. Truly, the names of the Rishis, and\nall else that has been created, occur in the Vedas. Upon the expiration\nof his night (i.e., at the dawn of his day), the uncreate Brahman\ncreates, from prototypes that existed before, all things which are, of\ncourse, well-made by Him.[887] In the Vedas hath been indicated the topic\nof the Soul's Emancipation, along with the ten means constituted by study\nof the Vedas, adoption of the domestic mode of life, penances, observance\nof duties common to all the modes of life, sacrifices, performance of all\nsuch acts as lead to pure fame, meditation which is of three kinds, and\nthat kind of emancipation which is called success (Siddhi) attainable in\nthis life.[888] That incomprehensible Brahma which has been declared in\nthe words of the Vedas, and which has been indicated more clearly in the\nUpanishads by those who have an insight into the Vedas, can be realised\nby gradually following the practices referred to above.[889] Unto a\nperson who thinks he has a body, this consciousness of duality, fraught\nagain with that of pairs of opposites, is born only of acts in which he\nis engaged. (That consciousness of duality ceases during dreamless\nslumber or when Emancipation has been attained). That person, however,\nwho has attained to Emancipation, aided by his knowledge, forcibly drives\noff that consciousness of duality. Two Brahmas should be known, viz., the\nBrahma represented by sound (i.e., the Vedas), and secondly that which is\nbeyond the Vedas and is supreme. One that is conversant with Brahma\nrepresented by sound succeeds in attaining to Brahma that is Supreme. The\nslaughter of animals is the sacrifice laid down for the Kshatriyas. The\ngrowing of corn is the sacrifice laid down for the Vaisyas. Serving the\nthree other orders is the sacrifice laid down for the Sudras. Penances\n(or worship of Brahma) is the sacrifice laid down for the Brahmanas. In\nthe Krita age the performance of sacrifices was not necessary. Such\nperformance became necessary in the Treta age. In the Dwapara, sacrifices\nhave begun to fall off. In the Kali, the same is the case with them. In\nKrita age, men, worshipping only one Brahma, looked upon the Richs, the\nSamans, the Yajuses and the rites and sacrifices that are performed from\nmotives of advantage, as all different from the object of their worship,\nand practised only Yoga, by means of penances. In the Treta age, many\nmighty men appeared that swayed all mobile and immobile objects. (Though\nthe generality of men in that age were not naturally inclined to the\npractice of righteousness, yet those great leaders forced them to such\npractice.) Accordingly, in that age, the Vedas, and sacrifices and the\ndistinctions between the several orders, and the four modes of life,\nexisted in a compact state. In consequence, however, of the decrease in\nthe period of life in Dwapara, all these, in that age, fall off from that\ncompact condition. In the Kali age, all the Vedas become so scarce that\nthey may not be even seen by men. Afflicted by iniquity, they suffer\nextermination along with the rites and sacrifices laid down in them. The\nrighteousness which is seen in the Krita age is now visible in such\nBrahmanas as are of cleansed souls and as are devoted to penances and the\nstudy of the scriptures. As regards the other yugas, it is seen that\nwithout at once giving up the duties and acts that are consistent with\nrighteousness, men, observant of the practices of their respective\norders, and conversant with the ordinance of the Vedas are led by the\nauthority of the scriptures, to betake themselves from motives of\nadvantage and interest to sacrifices and vows and pilgrimages to sacred\nwaters and spots.[890] As in the season of rains a large variety of new\nobjects of the immobile order are caused to come forth into life by the\nshowers that fall from the clouds, even so many new kinds of duty or\nreligious observances are brought about in each yuga. As the same\nphenomena reappear with the reappearance of the seasons, even so, at each\nnew Creation the same attributes appear in each new Brahman and Hara. I\nhave, before this, spoken to thee of Time which is without beginning and\nwithout end, and which ordains this variety in the universe. It is that\nTime which creates and swallows up all creatures. All the innumerable\ncreatures that exist subject to pairs of opposites and according to their\nrespective natures, have Time for their refuge. It is Time that assumes\nthose shapes and it is Time that upholds them.[891] I have thus\ndiscoursed to thee, O son, on the topics about which thou hadst inquired,\nviz., Creation, Time, Sacrifices and other rites, the Vedas, the real\nactor in the universe, action, and the consequences of action.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXXXIII\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'I shall now tell thee how, when his day is gone and his\nnight comes, he withdraws all things unto himself, or how the Supreme\nLord, making this gross universe exceedingly subtile, merges everything\ninto his Soul. When the time comes for universal dissolution, a dozen\nSuns, and Agni with his seven flames, begin to burn. The whole universe,\nwrapt by those flames, begins to blaze forth in a vast conflagration. All\nthings mobile and immobile that are on the earth first disappear and\nmerge into the substance of which this planet is composed. After all\nmobile and immobile objects have thus disappeared, the earth, shorn of\ntrees and herbs, looks naked like a tortoise shell. Then water takes up\nthe attribute of earth, viz., scent. When earth becomes shorn of its\nprincipal attribute, that element is on the eve of dissolution. Water\nthen prevails. Surging into mighty billows and producing awful roars,\nonly water fills this space and moves about or remains still. Then the\nattribute of water is taken by Heat, and losing its own attribute, water\nfinds rest in that element. Dazzling flames of fire, ablaze all around,\nconceal the Sun that is in the centre of space. Indeed, then, space\nitself, full of those fiery flames, burns in a vast conflagration. Then\nWind comes and takes the attribute, viz., form of Heat or Light, which\nthereupon becomes extinguished, yielding to Wind, which, possessed of\ngreat might, begins to be awfully agitated. The Wind, obtaining its own\nattribute, viz., sound, begins to traverse upwards and downwards and\ntransversely along all the ten points. Then Space takes the attribute,\nviz., sound of Wind, upon which the latter becomes extinguished and\nenters into a phase of existence resembling that of unheard or unuttered\nsound. Then Space is all that remains, that element whose attribute,\nviz., sound dwells in all the other elements, divested of the attributes\nof form, and taste, and touch, and scent, and without shape of any kind,\nlike sound in its unmanifest state of existence. Then sound, which is the\nattribute of space, is swallowed up by Mind which is the essence of all\nthings that are manifest. Thus Mind which in itself is unmanifest\nwithdraws all that is manifested by Mind. This withdrawal of Mind as\ndisplayed into Mind as undisplayed or subtile, is called the destruction\nof the vast external universe.[892] Then Chandrama's having made Mind\n(thus) withdraw its attribute into itself, swallows it up. When Mind,\nceasing to exist, thus enters into Chandramas, the other attributes that\nare owned by Iswara are all that remain. This Chandramas, which is called\nalso Sankalpa, is then, after a very long time, brought under Iswara's\nsway, the reason being that that Sankalpa has to perform a very\ndifficult act, viz., the destruction of Chitta or the faculties that are\nemployed in the process called judgment. When this has been effected, the\ncondition reached is said to be of high Knowledge. Then Time swallows up\nthis Knowledge, and as the Sruti declares, Time itself, in its turn, is\nswallowed up by Might, or Energy. Might or energy, however, is (again)\nswallowed up by Time, which last is then brought under her sway by Vidya.\nPossessed of Vidya, Iswara then swallows up non-existence itself into his\nSoul. That is Unmanifest and Supreme Brahma. That is Eternal, and that is\nthe Highest of the High. Thus all existent creatures are withdrawn into\nBrahma. Truly hath this, which should be conceived (with the aid of the\nscriptures) and which is a topic of Science, been thus declared by Yogins\npossessed of Supreme Souls, after actual experience. Even thus doth the\nUnmanifest Brahma repeatedly undergo the processes of Elaboration and\nWithdrawal (i.e., Creation and Destruction), and even thus Brahman's Day\nand Night each consist of a thousand yugas.'\"'\"[893]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXXXIV\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'Thou hadst asked me about the Creation of all beings; I\nhave now narrated that to thee in full. Listen to me as I tell thee now\nwhat the duties are of a Brahmana. The rituals of all ceremonies for\nwhich sacrificial fees are enjoined, commencing with Jatakarma and ending\nwith Samavartana, depend for their performance upon a preceptor competent\nin the Vedas.[894] Having studied all the Vedas and having displayed a\nsubmissive behaviour towards his preceptor during his residence with him,\nand having paid the preceptor's fee, the youth should return home with a\nthorough knowledge of all sacrifices.[895] Receiving the permission of\nhis preceptor, he should adopt one of the four modes of life and live in\nit in due observance of its duties till he casts off his body. He should\neither lead a life of domesticity with spouses and engaged in creating\noffspring, or live in the observance of Brahmacharya; or in the forest in\nthe company of his preceptor, or in the practice of the duties laid down\nfor a yati. A life of domesticity is said to be the root of all the other\nmodes of life. A self-restrained householder who has conquered all his\nattachments to worldly objects always attains to success (in respect of\nthe great object of life). A Brahmana, by begetting children, by\nacquiring a knowledge of the Vedas, and by performing sacrifices, pays\noff the three debts he owes.[896] He should then enter the other modes of\nlife, having cleansed himself by his acts. He should settle in that place\nwhich he may ascertain to be the most sacred spot on earth, and he should\nstrive in all matters that lead to fame, for attaining to a position of\neminence. The fame of Brahmanas increases through penances that are very\naustere, through mastery of the various branches of knowledge, through\nsacrifices, and through gifts. Indeed, a person enjoys endless regions of\nthe righteous (in the next world) as long as his deeds or the memory\nthereof lasts in this world. A Brahmana should teach, study, officiate at\nother people's sacrifices, and offer sacrifices himself. He should not\ngive away in vain or accept other people's gifts in vain. Wealth,\nsufficient in quantity, that may come from one who is assisted in a\nsacrifice, from a pupil, or from kinsmen (by marriage) of a daughter,\nshould be spent in the performance of sacrifice or in making gifts.\nWealth coming from any of these sources should never be enjoyed by a\nBrahmana singly.[897] For a Brahmana leading a life of domesticity there\nis no means save the acceptance of gifts for the sake of the deities, or\nRishis, or Pitris, or preceptor or the aged, or the diseased, or the\nhungry.[898] Unto those that are persecuted by unseen foes, or those that\nare striving to the best of their power to acquire knowledge, one should\nmake gifts from one's own possessions, including even cooked food, more\nthan one can fairly afford.[899] Unto a deserving person there is nothing\nthat cannot be given. They that are good and wise deserve to have even\nthe prince of steeds, called Uchchaisravas, belonging to Indra\nhimself.[900] Of high vows (king) Satyasandha, having, with due humility,\noffered his own life-breaths for saving those of a Brahmana, ascended to\nheaven. Sankriti's son Rantideva, having given only lukewarm water to the\nhigh-souled Vasishtha, ascended to heaven and received high honours\nthere. Atri's royal son Indradamana, possessed of great intelligence,\nhaving given diverse kinds of wealth to a deserving person, acquired\ndiverse regions of felicity in the next world. Usinara's son Sivi, having\ngiven away his own limbs and the dear son of loins for the sake of a\nBrahmana, ascended to heaven from this world. Pratardana, the ruler of\nKasi, having given away his very eyes to a Brahmana, obtained great fame\nboth here and hereafter. King Devavridha, having given away a very\nbeautiful and costly umbrella, with eight golden ribs, proceeded to\nheaven with all the people of his kingdom. Sankriti of Atri's race,\npossessed of great energy, having given instruction to his disciples on\nthe subject of Impersonal Brahma, proceeded to regions of great felicity.\nAmvarisha of great prowess, having given unto the Brahmanas eleven\nArvudas of kine, proceeded to heaven with all the people of his kingdom.\nSavitri, by giving away her ear-rings, and king Janamejaya, by giving\naway his own body, both proceeded to high regions of felicity. Yuvanaswa,\nthe son of Vrishadarbha, by giving away diverse kinds of gems, a fine\nmansion, and many beautiful women, ascended to heaven. Nimi, the ruler of\nthe Videhas, gave away his kingdom, Jamadagni's son (Rama) gave away the\nwhole earth; and Gaya gave away the earth with all her towns and cities,\nunto the Brahmanas. Once when the clouds ceased to pour, Vasishtha,\nresembling Brahman himself, kept alive all creatures like Prajapati\nkeeping them alive (by his energy and kindness). Karandhama's son Marutta\nof cleansed soul, by giving away his daughter to Angiras, speedily\nascended to heaven. Brahmadatta, the ruler of the Panchalas, possessed of\nsuperior intelligence, by giving away two precious jewels called Nidhi\nand Sankha unto some of the foremost of the Brahmanas, obtained many\nregions of felicity. King Mitrasaha, having given his own dear wife\nMadayanti unto the high-souled Vasishtha, ascended to heaven with that\nwife of his. The royal sage Sahasrajit, possessed of great fame having\ncast off dear life itself for the sake of a Brahmana, ascended to regions\nof great felicity. King Satadyumna, having given to Mudgala a mansion\nmade of gold and full of every object of comfort and use, ascended to\nheaven. The king of the Salwas, known by the name of Dyutimat, possessed\nof great prowess, gave unto Richika his entire kingdom and ascended to\nheaven. The Royal sage Madiraswa, by giving away his daughter of slender\nwaist to Hiranyahasta, ascended to such regions as are held in esteem by\nthe very gods. The royal sage Lomapada, of great prowess, by giving away\nhis daughter Santa to Rishyasringa, obtained the fruition of all his\nwishes. King Prasenajit, of great energy, by giving away a hundred\nthousand kine with calves, ascended to excellent regions of felicity.\nThese and many others, possessed of great and well-ordered souls and\nhaving their senses under control, ascended, by means of gifts and\npenances, to heaven. Their fame will last as long as the earth herself\nwill last. All of them have, by gifts, sacrifices and procreation of\nissue, proceeded to heaven.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXXXV\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'The knowledge called Trayi which occurs in the Vedas and\ntheir branches should be acquired. That knowledge is to be derived from\nthe Richs, the Samans, and the sciences called Varna and Akshara. There\nare besides, the Yajuses and the Atharvans. In the six kinds of acts\nindicated in these, dwells the Divine Being. They that are well-versed in\nthe declarations of the Vedas, that have knowledge of the Soul, that are\nattached to the quality of Goodness, and that are highly blessed, succeed\nin understanding the origin and the end of all things. A Brahmana should\nlive in the observance of the duties laid down in the Vedas. He should do\nall his acts like a good man of restrained soul. He should earn his\nlivelihood without injuring any creature. Having derived knowledge from\nthe good and wise, he should control his passions and propensities.\nWell-versed in the scriptures, he should practise those duties that have\nbeen laid down for him, and do all acts in this world guided by the\nquality of goodness. Leading even the domestic mode of life, the\nBrahmana should be observant of the six acts already spoken of.[901] His\nheart full of faith, he should worship the deities in the five well-known\nsacrifices. Endued with patience, never heedless, having self-control,\nconversant with duties, with a cleansed soul, divested of joy, pride, and\nwrath, the Brahmana should never sink in languor. Gifts, study of the\nVedas, sacrifices, penances, modesty, guilelessness, and\nself-restraint,--these enhance one's energy and destroy one's sins. One\nendued with intelligence should be abstemious in diet and should conquer\none's senses. Indeed, having subdued both lust and wrath, and having\nwashed away all his sins, he should strive for attaining to Brahma. He\nshould worship the Fire and Brahmanas, and bow to the deities. He should\navoid all kinds of inauspicious discourse and all acts of unrighteous\ninjury. This preliminary course of conduct is first laid down for a\nBrahmana. Subsequently, when knowledge comes, he should engage himself in\nacts, for in acts lies success.[902] The Brahmana who is endued with\nintelligence succeeds in crossing the stream of life that is so difficult\nto cross and that is so furious and terrible, that has the five senses\nfor its waters, that has cupidity for its source, and wrath for its mire.\nHe should never shut his eyes to the fact that Time stands behind him in\na threatening attitude.--Time who is the great stupefier of all things,\nand who is armed with very great and irresistible force, issuing from the\ngreat Ordainer himself. Generated by the current of Nature, the universe\nis being ceaselessly carried along. The mighty river of Time, overspread\nwith eddies constituted by the years, having the months for its waves and\nthe seasons for its current, the fortnights for its floating straw and\ngrass, and the rise and fall of the eyelids for its froth, the days and\nthe nights for its water, and desire and lust for its terrible\ncrocodiles, the Vedas and sacrifices for its rafts, and the righteousness\nof creatures for its islands, and Profit and Pleasure for its springs,\ntruthfulness of speech and Emancipation for its shores, benevolence for\nthe trees that float along it, and the yugas for the lakes along its\ncourse,--the mighty river of Time,--which has an origin as inconceivable\nas that of Brahma itself, is ceaselessly bearing away all beings created\nby the great Ordainer towards the abode of Yama.[903] Persons possessed\nof wisdom and patience always succeed in crossing this awful river by\nemploying the rafts of knowledge and wisdom. What, however, can senseless\nfools, destitute of similar rafts do (when thrown into that furious\nstream)? That only the man of wisdom succeeds in crossing this stream and\nnot he that is unwise, is consistent with reason. The former beholds from\na distance the merits and faults of everything. (Accordingly, he succeeds\nin adopting or rejecting what is deserving of adoption or rejection). The\nman, however, of unstable and little understanding, and whose soul is\nfull of desire and cupidity, is always filled with doubt. Hence the man\ndestitute of wisdom never succeeds in crossing that river. He also who\nsits inactively (in doubt) can never pass it over. The man destitute of\nthe raft of wisdom, in consequence of his having to bear the heavy weight\nof great faults, sinks down. One that is seized by the crocodile of\ndesire, even if possessed of knowledge, can never make knowledge one's\nraft.[904] For these reasons, the man of wisdom and intelligence should\nstrive to float over the stream of Time (without sinking in it). He\nindeed, succeeds in keeping himself afloat who becomes conversant with\nBrahma. One born in a noble race, abstaining from the three duties of\nteaching, officiating at other's sacrifices and accepting gifts, and\ndoing only the three other acts, viz., studying, sacrificing, and giving,\nshould, for those reasons, strive to float over the stream. Such a man is\nsure to cross it aided by the raft of wisdom. One who is pure in conduct,\nwho is self-restrained and observant of good vows, whose soul is under\ncontrol, and who is possessed of wisdom, certainly wins success in this\nand the other world. The Brahmana leading a domestic mode of life should\nconquer wrath and envy, practise the virtues already named, and\nworshipping the deities in the five sacrifices, eat after having fed the\ndeities, Pitris, and guests. He should conform to those duties which are\nobserved by the good; he should do all his acts like a person of governed\nsoul; and he should, without injuring any creature, draw his substance by\nadopting a course that is not censurable. One who is well-versed in the\ntruths of the Vedas and the other branches of knowledge, whose behaviour\nis like that of a person of well-governed soul, who is endued with a\nclear vision, who observes those duties that are laid down for his order,\nwho does not, by his acts, produce an inter-mixture of duties, who\nattends to the observances set down in the scriptures, who is full of\nfaith, who is self-restrained, who is possessed of wisdom, who is\ndestitute of envy and malice, and who is well-conversant with the\ndistinctions between righteousness and inequity, succeeds in crossing all\nhis difficulties. That Brahmana who is possessed of fortitude, who is\nalways heedful, who is self-restrained, who is conversant with\nrighteousness, whose soul is under control, and who has transcended joy,\npride, and wrath, has never to languish in grief. This is the course of\nconduct that was ordained of old for a Brahmana. He should strive for the\nacquisition of Knowledge, and do all the scriptural acts. By living thus,\nhe is sure to obtain success. One who is not possessed of clear vision\ndoes wrong even when one wishes to do right. Such a person, by even\nexercising his judgment, does such acts of virtue as partake of the\nnature of inequity. Desiring to do what is right, one does what is wrong.\nSimilarly, desiring to do what is wrong one does what is right. Such a\nperson is a fool. Not knowing the two kinds of acts, one has to undergo\nrepeated rebirths and deaths.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXXXVI\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'If Emancipation be desirable, then knowledge should be\nacquired. For a person who is borne now up and now down along the stream\nof Time or life, knowledge is the raft by which he can reach the shore.\nThose wise men who have arrived at certain conclusions (regarding the\ncharacter of the soul and that which is called life) by the aid of\nwisdom, are able to assist the ignorant in crossing the stream of time or\nlife with the raft of knowledge. They, however, that are ignorant, are\nunable to save either themselves or others. He who has freed himself from\ndesire and all other faults, and who has emancipated himself from all\nattachments, should attend to these two and ten requirements of yoga,\nviz., place, acts, affection, objects, means, destruction, certainty,\neyes, food, suppression, mind and survey.[905] He who wishes to obtain\nsuperior Knowledge, should, by the aid of his understanding, restrain\nboth speech and mind. He who wishes to have tranquillity, should, by the\naid of his knowledge, restrain his soul. Whether he becomes compassionate\nor cruel, whether he becomes conversant with all the Vedas or ignorant of\nthe Richs, whether he becomes righteous and observant of sacrifices or\nthe worst of sinners, whether he becomes eminent for prowess and wealth\nor plunged into misery, that person who directs his mind towards these\n(attributes that I have spoken of), is sure to cross the ocean of life\nwhich is so difficult to cross. Without speaking of the results of the\nattainment of Brahma by yoga, it may be said that he who sets himself to\nonly enquiring after the Soul transcends the necessity of observing the\nacts laid down in the Vedas. The body with jiva within it is an excellent\ncar. When sacrifices and religious rites are made its upastha, shame its\nvarutha, Upaya and Apaya its kuvara, the breath called Apana its aksha,\nthe breath called Prana its yuga, knowledge and the allotted period of\nexistence its points for tying the steeds, heedfulness its handsome\nvandhura, the assumption of good behaviour its nemi, vision, touch,\nscent, and hearing its four steeds, wisdom its nabhi, all the scriptures\nits pratoda, certain knowledge of the scriptural declarations its driver,\nthe soul its firmly-seated rider, faith and self-restraint its\nfore-runners, renunciation its inseparable companion following behind and\nbent upon doing it good, purity the path along which it goes, meditation\n(or union with Brahma) its goal, then may that car reach Brahma and shine\nthere in effulgence.[906] I shall now tell thee the speedy means that\nshould be adopted by the person who would equip his car in such a fashion\nfor passing through this wilderness of the world in order to reach the\ngoal constituted by Brahma that is above decrepitude and destruction. To\nset the mind upon one thing at a time is called Dharana.[907] The Yogin\nobserving proper vows and restraints, practises in all seven kinds of\nDharana. There are, again, as many kinds of Dharanas arising out of\nthese, upon subjects that are near or remote.[908] Through these the\nYogin gradually acquires mastery over Earth, Wind, Space, Water, Fire,\nConsciousness, and Understanding. After this he gradually acquires\nmastery over the Unmanifest.[909] I shall now describe to thee the\nconceptions in their order that are realised by particular individuals\namongst those that are engaged in yoga according to the rules and\nordinances that have been laid down. I shall tell thee also of the nature\nof the success that attaches to yoga commenced (according to rules) by\nhim who looks within his own self.[910] The Yogin, that abandons his\ngross body, following the instructions of his preceptor, beholds his soul\ndisplaying the following forms in consequence of its subtility. To him in\nthe first stage, the welkin seems to be filled with a subtile substance\nlike foggy vapour.[911] Of the Soul which has been freed from the body,\neven such becomes the form. When this fog disappears, a second (or new)\nform becomes visible. For, then, the Yogin beholds within himself, in the\nfirmament of his heart, the form of Water. After the disappearance of\nwater, the form of Fire displays itself. When this disappears, the form\nthat becomes perceivable is that of Wind as effulgent as a well-tempered\nweapon of high polish. Gradually, the form displayed by Wind becomes like\nthat of the thinnest gossamer. Then having acquired whiteness, and also,\nthe subtlety of air, the Brahman's soul is said to attain the supreme\nwhiteness and subtlety of Ether. Listen to me as I tell thee the\nconsequences of these diverse conditions when they occur. That Yogin who\nhas been able to achieve the conquest of the earth-element, attains by\nsuch lordship to the power of Creation. Like a second Prajapati endued\nwith a nature that is perfectly imperturbable, he can from his own body\ncreate all kinds of creatures. With only his toe, or with his hand or\nfeet, that person can singly cause the whole Earth to tremble who has\nachieved the lordship of the Wind. Even this is the attribute of the Wind\nas declared in the Sruti. The Yogin, who has achieved the lordship of\nSpace, can exist brightly in Space in consequence of his having attained\nto uniformity with that element, and can also disappear at will. By\nlordship over Water, one can (like Agastya) drink up rivers, lakes, and\noceans. By lordship over Fire, the Yogin becomes so effulgent that his\nform cannot be looked at. He becomes visible only when he extinguishes\nhis consciousness of individuality,--these five elements come within his\nsway. When the Understanding, which is the soul of the five elements and\nof the consciousness of individuality,[912] is conquered the Yogin\nattains to Omnipotence, and perfect Knowledge (or perception freed from\ndoubt and uncertainty with respect to all things), comes to him. In\nconsequence of this, the Manifest becomes merged into the Unmanifest or\nSupreme Soul from which the world emanates and becomes what is called\nManifest.[913] Listen now to me in detail as I expound the science of the\nUnmanifest. But first of all listen to me about all that is Manifest as\nexpounded in the Sankhya system of philosophy. In both the Yoga and the\nSankhya systems, five and twenty topics of knowledge have been treated\nin nearly the same way. Listen to me as I mention their chief features.\nThat has been said to be Manifest which is possessed of these four\nattributes, viz., birth, growth, decay, and death. That which is not\npossessed of these attributes is said to be Unmanifest. Two souls are\nmentioned in the Vedas and the sciences that are based upon them. The\nfirst (which is called Jivatman) is endued with the four attributes\nalready mentioned, and has a longing for the four objects or purposes\n(viz., Religion, Wealth, Pleasure and Emancipation). This soul is called\nManifest, and it is born of the Unmanifest (Supreme Soul). It is both\nIntelligent and non-Intelligent. I have thus told thee about Sattwa\n(inert matter) and Kshetrajna (immaterial spirit). Both kinds of Soul, it\nis said in the Vedas, become attached to objects of the senses. The\ndoctrine of the Sankhyas is that one should keep oneself aloof or\ndissociated from objects of the senses. That Yogin who is freed from\nattachment and pride, who transcends all pairs of opposites, such as\npleasure and pain, heat and cold, etc., who never gives way to wrath or\nhate, who never speaks an untruth, who, though slandered or struck, still\nshows friendship for the slanderer or the striker, who never thinks of\ndoing ill to others, who restrains the three, viz., speech, acts, and\nmind, and who behaves uniformly towards all creatures, succeeds in\napproaching the presence of Brahman. That person who cherishes no desire\nfor earthly objects, who is not unwilling to take what comes, who is\ndependent on earthly objects to only that extent which is necessary for\nsustaining life, who is free from cupidity, who has driven off all grief,\nwho has restrained his senses, who goes through all necessary acts, who\nis regardless of personal appearance and attire, whose senses are all\ncollected (for devotion to the true objects of life), whose purposes are\nnever left unaccomplished,[914] who bears himself with equal\nfriendliness towards all creatures, who regards a clod of earth and a\nlump of gold with an equal eye, who is equally disposed towards friend\nand foe, who is possessed of patience, who takes praise and blame\nequally,[915] who is free from longing with respect to all objects of\ndesire, who practises Brahmacharya, and who is firm and steady in all his\nvows and observances, who has no malice or envy for any creature in the\nuniverse, is a Yogin who according to the Sankhya system succeeds in\nwinning Emancipation. Listen now to the way and the means by which a\nperson may win Emancipation through Yoga (or the system of Patanjali).\nThat person who moves and acts after having transcended the puissance\nthat the practice of Yoga brings about (in the initial stages), succeeds\nin winning Emancipation.[916] I have thus discoursed to thee on those\ntopics (viz., Emancipation according to the Sankhya system and that\naccording to the Yoga system) which are dissimilar if the speaker be\ndisposed to treat them as such (but which in reality, are one and the\nsame).[917] Thus can one transcend all pairs of opposites. Thus can one\nattain to Brahma.'\"'\"[918]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXXXVII\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'Borne up and down in life's ocean, he that is capable of\nmeditation seizes the raft of Knowledge and for achieving his\nEmancipation adheres to Knowledge itself (without extending his arms\nhither and thither for catching any other support).'[919]\n\n\"'\"Suka said, 'What is that Knowledge? Is it that learning by which, when\nerror is dispelled, the truth becomes discovered? Or, is it that course\nof duties consisting of acts to be done or achieved, by the aid of which\nthe object sought may be understood or attained? Or, is it that course of\nduties, called abstention from acts, by which an extension of the Soul is\nto be sought? Do tell me what it is, so that by its aid, the two, viz.,\nbirth and death, may be avoided.'[920]\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'That fool who believing that all this exists in consequence\nof its own nature without, in fact, an existent refuge or foundation,\nfills by such instruction the aspirations of disciples, dispelling by his\ndialectical ingenuity the reasons the latter might urge to the contrary,\nsucceeds not in attaining to any truth.[921] They again who firmly\nbelieve that all Cause is due to the nature of things, fail to acquire\nany truth by even listening to (wiser) men or the Rishis (who are capable\nof instructing them).[922] Those men of little intelligence who stop (in\ntheir speculations), having adopted either of these doctrines, indeed,\nthose men who regard nature as the cause, never succeed in obtaining any\nbenefit for themselves.[923] This belief in Nature (as the producing and\nthe sustaining Cause), arising as it does from a mind acting under the\ninfluence of error, brings about the destruction of the person who\ncherishes it. Listen now to the truth with respect to these two doctrines\nthat maintain (1) that things exist by their own nature and (2) that they\nflow (in consequence of their own nature) from others that are different\nfrom and that precede them.[924] Wise men apply themselves to agriculture\nand tillage, and the acquisition of crops (by those means) and of\nvehicles (for locomotion) and seats and carpets and houses. They attend\nalso to the laying of pleasure-gardens, the construction of commodious\nmansions, and the preparation of medicines, for diseases of every kind.\nIt is wisdom (which consists in the application of means) that leads to\nthe fruition of purposes. It is wisdom that wins beneficial results. It\nis wisdom that enables kings to exercise and enjoy sovereignty although\nthey are possessed of attributes equal to those of persons over whom they\nrule.[925] It is by wisdom that the high and the low among beings are\ndistinguished. It is by wisdom that the superior and the inferior ones\namong created objects are understood. It is wisdom or knowledge that is\nthe highest refuge of all things.[926] All the diverse kinds of created\nthings have four kinds of birth. They are viviparous, oviparous,\nvegetables, and those born of filth. Creatures, again, that are mobile\nshould be known to be superior to those that are immobile. It is\nconsistent with reason that intelligent energy, inasmuch as it\ndifferentiates (all non-intelligent matter), should be regarded as\nsuperior to (non-intelligent) matter.[927] Mobile creatures, that are\ninnumerable, are of two kinds, viz., those that have many legs and those\nthat have two. The latter, however, are superior to the former. Bipeds,\nagain are of two species, viz., those that live on land and those that\nare otherwise. Of these, the former are superior to the latter. The\nsuperior ones eat diverse kinds of cooked food.[928] Bipeds moving on\nland are of two kinds viz., middling or intermediate, and those that are\nforemost. Of these, the middling or intermediate are regarded as superior\n(to the former) in consequence of their observance of the duties of\ncaste.[929] The middling or intermediate ones are said to be of two\nkinds, viz., those that are conversant with duties, and those that are\notherwise. Of those, the former are superior in consequence of their\ndiscrimination in respect of what should be done and what should not.\nThose conversant with duties are said to be of two kinds, viz., those\nthat are acquainted with the Vedas and those that are otherwise. Of these\nthe former are superior, for the Vedas are said to dwell in them.[930]\nThose that are acquainted with the Vedas are said to be of two kinds,\nviz., those that lecture on the Vedas and those that are otherwise. Of\nthese, the former, who are fully conversant with the Vedas, with the\nduties and the rites laid down in them, and the fruits of those duties\nand rites, are superior in consequence of their publishing all those\nduties and rites. Indeed, all the Vedas with the duties laid down in them\nare said to flow from them. Preceptors of the Vedas are of two kinds,\nviz., those that are conversant with the Soul and those that are\notherwise. Of these, the former are superior in consequence of their\nknowledge of what is meant by Birth and Death.[931] As regards duties,\nthey are, again, of two kinds (viz., Pravritti and Nivritti). He who is\nconversant with duties is said to be omniscient or possessed of universal\nknowledge. Such a man is a Renouncer. Such a man is firm in the\naccomplishment of his purposes. Such a man is truthful, pure (both\noutwardly and inwardly), and possessed of puissance.[932] The gods know\nhim for a Brahmana who is devoted to knowledge of Brahma (and not him who\nis conversant with only the duties of Pravritti). Such a man is versed\nalso in the Vedas and earnestly devoted to the study of the Soul.[933]\nThey that have true knowledge behold their own Soul as existing both in\nand out. Such men, O child, are truly regenerate and such men are\ngods.[934] Upon these rests this world of Beings, in them dwell this\nwhole universe. There is nothing that is equal to their greatness.\nTranscending birth and death and distinctions and acts of every kind,\nthey are the lords of the four kinds of creatures and are the equals of\nthe Self-born himself.'\"'\"[935]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXXXVIII\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'These, then, are the obligatory acts ordained for\nBrahmanas. One possessed of knowledge always attains to success by going\nthrough (the prescribed) acts. If no doubt arises in respect of acts,\nthen acts done are sure to lead to success. The doubt to which we refer\nis this: whether acts are obligatory or whether they are optional.[936]\nAs regards this (doubt about the true character of acts, it should be\nsaid that), if acts are ordained for man for inducing knowledge (by which\nalone Brahma or Emancipation is to be attained, even then) they should be\nregarded as obligatory (and not optional). I shall now discourse on them\nby the light of inferences and experience. Listen to me.[937] With\nrespect to acts some men say that Exertion is their cause. Others say\nthat Necessity is their cause. Others, again, maintain that Nature is the\ncause. Some say that acts are the result of both Exertion and Necessity.\nSome maintain that acts flow from Time, Exertion, and Nature. Some say\nthat of the three (viz., Exertion, Necessity, and Nature), one only (and\nnot the other two) is the cause. Some are of opinion that all the three\ncombined are the cause.[938] Some persons that are engaged in the\nperformance of acts say, with respect to all objects, that they exist,\nthat they do not exist, that they cannot be said to exist, that they\ncannot be said not to exist, that it is not that they cannot be said to\nexist, and lastly, that it is not that they cannot be said not to exist.\n(These then are the diverse views entertained by men). They, however,\nthat are Yogins, behold Brahma to be the universal cause. The men of the\nTreta, the Dwapara, and the Kali Yugas are inspired with doubts. The men,\nhowever, of the Krita Yuga are devoted to penances, possessed of tranquil\nsouls, and observant of righteousness.[939] In that age all men regard\nthe Richs, the Samans, and the Yajuses as identical not withstanding\ntheir apparent diversity. Analysing desire and aversion, they worship\nonly penance.[940] Devoted to the practice of penances, steadfast in\nthem, and rigid in their observance, one obtains the fruition of all\ndesires by penances alone. By penance one attains to that by becoming\nwhich one creates the universe. By penance one becomes that in\nconsequence of which one becomes the puissant master of all things.[941]\nThat Brahma has been expounded in the declarations of the Vedas. For all\nthat, Brahma is inconceivable by even those that are conversant with\nthose declarations. Once more has Brahma been declared in the Vedanta.\nBrahma, however, cannot be beheld by means of acts.[942] The sacrifice\nordained for Brahmans consists in japa (meditation and recitation), that\nfor Kshatriyas consists in the slaughter of (clean) animals for the\ngratification of the deities; that for Vaisyas consists in the production\nof crops and the keep of domestic animals; and that for Sudras in menial\nservice of the three other orders. By observing the duties laid down for\nhim and by studying the Vedas and other scriptures, one becomes a Dwija\n(regenerate). Whether one does any other act or not, one becomes a\nBrahmana by becoming the friend of all creatures.[943] In the beginning\nof Treta, the Vedas and sacrifices and the divisions of caste and the\nseveral modes of life existed in their entirety. In consequence,\nhowever, of the duration of life being decreased in Dwapara, those are\novertaken by decline. In the Dwapara age as also in the Kali, the Vedas\nare overtaken by perplexity. Towards the close of Kali again, it is\ndoubtful if they ever become even visible to the eye.[944] In that age,\nthe duties of the respective order disappear, and men become afflicted by\niniquity. The juicy attributes of kine, of the earth, of water, and\n(medicinal and edible) herbs, disappear.[945] Through (universal)\niniquity the Vedas disappear and with them all the duties inculcated in\nthem as also the duties in respect of the four modes of life. They who\nremain observant of the duties of their own order become afflicted, and\nall mobile and immobile objects undergo a change for the worse.[946] As\nthe showers of heaven cause all products of the earth to grow, after the\nsame manner the Vedas, in every age, cause all the angas to grow.[947]\nWithout doubt, Time assumes diverse shapes. It has neither beginning nor\nend. It is Time which produces all creatures and again devours them. I\nhave already spoken of it to thee. Time is the origin of all creatures;\nTime is that which makes them grow; Time is that which is their\ndestroyer; and lastly it is time that is their ruler. Subject to pairs of\nopposites (such as heat and cold, pleasure and pain, etc.), creatures of\ninfinite variety rest on Time according to their own natures (without\nbeing otherwise than how they have been ordained by supreme\nBrahma).'\"'\"[948]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXXXIX\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Thus addressed (by his sire), Suka, highly applauding\nthese instructions of the great Rishi, set himself about asking the\nfollowing question relating to the import of duties that lead to\nEmancipation.\n\n\"'\"Suka said, 'By what means doth one possessed of wisdom, conversant with\nthe Vedas, observant of sacrifices, endued with wisdom, and free from\nmalice, succeed in attaining to Brahma which is incapable of being\napprehended by either direct evidence or inference, and unsusceptible of\nbeing indicated by the Vedas? Asked by me, tell me by what means is\nBrahma to be apprehended? Is it by penance, by Brahmacharya, by\nrenunciation of everything, by intelligence, by the aid of the Sankhya\nphilosophy, or by Yoga? By what means may what kind of singleness of\npurpose be attained by men, with respect to both, viz., the mind and the\nsenses? It behoveth thee to expound all this to me.'[949]\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'No man ever attains to success by means other than the\nacquisition of knowledge, the practice of penances, the subjugation of\nthe senses, and renunciation of everything.[950] The great entities (five\nin number) represent the first (or initial) creation of the Self-born.\nThey have been very largely placed in embodied creatures included in the\nworld of life.[951] The bodies of all embodied creatures are derived from\nearth. The humours are from water. Their eyes are said to be derived from\nlight. Prana, Apana (and the three other vital breaths) have the wind for\ntheir refuge. And, lastly, all unoccupied apertures within them (such as\nthe nostrils, the cavities of the ear, etc.) are of Space. In the feet\n(of living creatures) is Vishnu. In their arms is Indra. Within the\nstomach is Agni desirous of eating. In the ears are the points of the\nhorizon (or the compass) representing the sense of hearing. In the tongue\nis speech which is Saraswati.[952] The ears, skin, eyes, tongue and nose\nforming the fifth, are said to be the sense of knowledge. These exist for\nthe purposes of apprehension of their respective objects. Sound, touch,\nform, taste and scent forming the fifth, are the objects of the (five)\nsenses. These should always be regarded as separate from (or independent\nof) the senses. Like the charioteer setting his well-broken steeds along\nthe paths he pleases, the mind sets the senses (along directions it\npleases). The mind, in its turn, is employed by the knowledge sitting in\nthe heart.[953] The mind is the lord of all these senses in respect of\nemploying them in their functions and guiding or restraining them.\nSimilarly, the knowledge is the lord of the mind (in employing, and\nguiding or restraining it).[954] The senses, the objects of the senses,\nthe attributes of those objects represented by the word nature,\nknowledge, mind, the vital breaths, and Jiva dwell in the bodies of all\nembodied creatures.[955] The body within which the knowledge dwells has\nno real existence. The body, therefore, is not the refuge of the\nknowledge. Primordial Nature (Prakriti) having the three attributes (of\nGoodness and Passion and Darkness) is the refuge of the knowledge which\nexists only in the form of a sound. The Soul also is not the refuge of\nthe knowledge. It is Desire that creates the knowledge. Desire, however,\nnever creates the three attributes.[956] The man of wisdom, capable of\nsubduing his senses, beholds the seventeenth, viz., the Soul, as\nsurrounded by six and ten attributes, in his own knowledge by the aid of\nthe mind. The Soul cannot be beheld with the aid of the eye or with that\nof all the senses. Transcending all, the Soul becomes visible by only the\nlight of the mind's lamp. Divested of the properties of sound and touch\nand form, without taste and scent, indestructible and without a body\n(either gross or subtile) and without senses, it is nevertheless beheld\nwithin the body. Unmanifest and supreme, it dwells in all mortal bodies.\nFollowing the lead of the preceptor and the Vedas, he who beholds it\nhereafter becomes Brahma's self. They that are possessed of wisdom look\nwith an equal eye upon a Brahmana possessed of knowledge and disciples, a\ncow, an elephant, a dog, and a Chandala.[957] Transcending all things,\nthe Soul dwells in all creatures mobile and immobile. Indeed, all things\nare pervaded by it.[958] When a living creature beholds his own Soul in\nall things, and all things in his own Soul, he is said to attain to\nBrahma. One occupies that much of the Supreme Soul as is commensurate\nwith what is occupied in one's own soul by Vedic sound.[959] He that can\nalways realise the identity of all things with his own self certainly\nattains to immortality. The very gods are stupefied in the track of that\ntrackless man who constitutes himself the soul of all creatures, who is\nengaged in the good of all beings, and who desire to attain to (Brahma\nwhich is) the final refuge (of all things).[960] Indeed, the track which\nis pursued by men of knowledge is as visible as that of birds in the sky\nor of fish in water. Time of its own power, cooks all entities within\nitself. No one, however, knows That in which Time, in its turn, is itself\ncooked.[961] That (of which I speak) does not occur above, or in the\nmiddle or below, or in transverse or in any other direction. That is no\ntangible entity; it is not to be found in any place.[962] All these\nworlds are within That. There is nothing in these worlds that exists out\nof that. Even if one goes on ceaselessly with the celerity of a shaft\nimpelled from the bow-string, even if one goes on with the speed of the\nmind itself, one would not still reach the end of that which is the\ncause of all this.[963] That is so gross that there is nothing grosser.\nHis hands and feet extend everywhere. His eyes, head, and face are\neverywhere. His ears are everywhere in the universe. He exists\noverwhelming all things. That is minuter than the minutest, that is the\nheart of all entities. Existing, without doubt, that is still\nimperceptible. Indestructible and destructible,--these are the dual forms\nof existence of the (Supreme) Soul. In all mobile and immobile entities\nthe existence it displays is destructible; while the existence it\ndisplays in Chaitanya is celestial, immortal, and indestructible. Though\nthe lord of a existent beings both mobile and immobile, though inactive\nand divested of attributes, it enters, nevertheless, the well-known\nmansion of nine doors and becomes engaged in action.[964] Men of wisdom\nwho are capable of beholding the other shore say that the Unborn (or the\nSupreme Soul) becomes invested with the attribute of action in\nconsequence of motion, pleasure and pain, variety of form, and the nine\nwell-known possessions.[965] That indestructible Soul which is said to be\ninvested with the attribute of action is nothing else than that\nindestructible Soul which is said to be inactive. A person of knowledge,\nby attaining to that indestructible essence, gives up for good both life\nand birth.'\"'\"[966]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXL\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'O excellent son, asked by thee, I have told thee truly what\nthe answer to thy question should be according to the doctrine of\nknowledge as expounded in the Sankhya system. Listen now to me as I\nexpound to thee all that should be done (for the same end) according to\nthe Yoga doctrine. The uniting together of Intellect and Mind, and all\nthe Senses, and the all-pervading Soul is said to be Knowledge of the\nforemost kind. That Knowledge should be acquired (through the preceptor's\naid) by one that is of a tranquil disposition, that has mastered his\nsenses, that is capable (by meditation) of turning his gaze on the Soul,\nthat takes a pleasure in (such) meditation, that is endued with\nintelligence and pure in acts. One should seek to acquire this Knowledge\nby abandoning those five impediments of Yoga which are known to the wise,\nviz., desire, wrath, cupidity, fear, and sleep. Wrath is conquered by\ntranquillity of disposition. Desire is conquered by giving up all\npurposes. By reflecting with the aid of the understanding upon topics\nworthy of reflection,[967] one endued with patience succeeds in\nabandoning sleep. By steady endurance one should restrain one's organs of\ngeneration and the stomach (from unworthy or sinful indulgence). One\nshould protect one's hands and feet by (using) one's eyes. One should\nprotect one's eyes and ears by the aid of one's mind, one's mind and\nspeech by one's acts. One should avoid fear by heedfulness, and pride by\nwaiting upon the wise. Subduing procrastination, one should, by these\nmeans, subdue these impediments of Yoga. One should pay one's adorations\nto fire and the Brahmanas, and one should bow one's head to the deities.\nOne should avoid all kinds of inauspicious discourse, and speech that is\nfraught with malice, and words that are painful to other minds. Brahma is\nthe effulgent seed (of everything). It is, again, the essence of that\nseed whence is all this.[968] Brahma became the eye, in the form of this\nmobile and immobile universe, of all entities that took birth.[969]\nMeditation, study, gift, truth, modesty, simplicity, forgiveness, purity\nof body, purity of conduct, subjugation of the senses, these enhance\none's energy, which (when enhanced) destroys one's sins. By behaving\nequally towards all creatures and by living in contentment upon what is\nacquired easily and without effort, one attains to the fruition of all\none's objects and succeeds in obtaining knowledge. Cleansed of all sins,\nendued with energy, abstemious in diet, with senses under complete\ncontrol, one should, after having subdued both desire and wrath, seek to\nattain to Brahma.[970] Firmly uniting the senses and the mind (having\ndrawn them away from all external objects) with gaze fixed inwards, one\nshould, in the still hours of evening or in those before dawn, place\none's mind upon the knowledge. If even one of the five senses of a human\nbeing be kept unrestrained, all his wisdom may be seen to escape through\nit like water through an unstopped hole at the bottom of a leathern bag.\nThe mind in the first instance should be sought to be restrained by the\nYogin after the manner of a fisherman seeking at the outset to render\nthat one among the fish powerless from which there is the greatest danger\nto his nets. Having first subdued the mind, the Yogin should then proceed\nto subdue his ears, then his eyes, then his tongue, and then his nose.\nHaving restrained these, he should fix them on the mind. Then withdrawing\nthe mind from all purposes, he should fix it on the knowledge. Indeed,\nhaving restrained the five senses, the Yati should fix them on the mind.\nWhen these the mind for their sixth become concentrated in the knowledge,\nand thus concentrated remain steady and untroubled, then Brahma becomes\nperceptible like a smokeless fire of blazing flames or the Sun of\neffulgent radiance. Indeed, one then beholds in oneself one's soul like\nlightning fire in the skies. Everything then appears in it and it appears\nin everything in consequence of its infinitude. Those high-souled\nBrahmanas that are possessed of wisdom, that are endued with fortitude,\nthat are possessed of high knowledge, and that are engaged in the good of\nall creatures, succeed in beholding it. Engaged in the observance of\naustere vows, the Yogin who conducts himself thus for six months, seated\nby himself on an isolated spot, succeeds in attaining to an equality with\nthe Indestructible.[971] Annihilation, extension, power to present varied\naspects in the same person or body, celestial scents, and sounds, and\nsights, the most agreeable sensations of taste and touch, pleasurable\nsensations of coolness and warmth, equality with the wind, capability of\nunderstanding (by inward light) the meaning of scriptures and every work\nof genius, companionship of celestial damsels,--acquiring all these by\nYoga the Yogin should disregard them and merge them all in the\nknowledge.[972] Restraining speech and the senses one should practise\nYoga during the hours after dusk, the hours before dawn, and at dawn of\nday, seated on a mountain summit, or at the foot of a goodly tree, or\nwith a tree before him.[973] Restraining all the senses within the heart,\none should, with faculties concentrated, think on the Eternal and\nIndestructible like a man of the world thinking of wealth and other\nvaluable possessions. One should never, while practising Yoga, withdraw\none's mind from it. One should with devotion betake oneself to those\nmeans by which one may succeed in restraining the mind that is very\nrestless. One should never permit oneself to fall away from it. With the\nsenses and the mind withdrawn from everything else, the Yogin (for\npractice) should betake himself to empty caves of mountains, to temples\nconsecrated to the deities, and to empty houses or apartments, for living\nthere. One should not associate with another in either speech, act, or\nthought. Disregarding all things, and eating very abstemiously, the Yogin\nshould look with an equal eye upon objects acquired or lost. He should\nbehave after the same manner towards one that praises and one that\ncensures him. He should not seek the good or the evil of one or the\nother. He should not rejoice at an acquisition or suffer anxiety when he\nmeets with failure or loss. Of uniform behaviour towards all beings, he\nshould imitate the wind.[974] Unto one whose mind is thus turned to\nitself, who leads a life of purity, and who casts an equal eye upon all\nthings,--indeed, unto one who is ever engaged in Yoga thus for even six\nmonths,--Brahma as represented by sound appears very vividly.[975]\nBeholding all men afflicted with anxiety (on account of earning wealth\nand comfort), the Yogin should view a clod of earth, a piece of stone,\nand a lump of gold with an equal eye. Indeed, he should withdraw himself\nfrom this path (of earning wealth), cherishing an aversion for it, and\nnever suffer himself to be stupefied. Even if a person happens to belong\nto the inferior order, even if one happens to be a woman, both of them,\nby following in the track indicated above, will surely attain to the\nhighest end.[976] He that has subdued his mind beholds in his own self,\nby the aid of his own knowledge the Uncreate, Ancient, Undeteriorating,\nand Eternal Brahma,--That, viz., which can not be attained to except by\nfixed senses,--That which is subtiler than the most subtile, and grosser\nthan the most gross, and which is Emancipation's self.'\"[977]\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"By ascertaining from the mouths of preceptors and by\nthemselves reflecting with their minds upon these words of the great and\nhigh-souled Rishi spoken so properly, persons possessed of wisdom attain\nto that equality (about which the scriptures say) with Brahman himself,\ntill, indeed, the time when the universal dissolution comes that swallows\nup all existent beings.\"'\"[978]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXLI\n\n\"'\"Suka said, 'The declarations of the Vedas are twofold. They once lay\ndown the command, \"Do all acts.\" They also indicate (the reverse,\nsaying), \"Give up acts.\" I ask, \"Whither do persons go by the aid of\nKnowledge and whither by the aid of acts?\"[979] I desire to hear this. Do\ntell me this. Indeed, these declarations about knowledge and acts are\ndissimilar and even contradictory.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed, the son of Parasara said these words\nunto his son, 'I shall expound to thee the two paths, viz., the\ndestructible and the indestructible, depending respectively upon acts and\nknowledge. Listen with concentrated attention, O child, to me, as I tell\nthee the place that is reached by one with the aid of knowledge, and that\nother place which is reached with the aid of acts. The difference between\nthese two places is as great as the limitless sky. The question that thou\nhast asked me has given me such pain as an atheistic discourse gives to a\nman of faith. These are the two paths upon which the Vedas are\nestablished; the duties (acts) indicated by Pravritti, and those based on\nNivritti that have been treated of so excellently.[980] By acts, a living\ncreature is destroyed. By knowledge, however, he becomes emancipated. For\nthis reason, Yogins who behold the other side of the ocean of life never\nbetake themselves to acts. Through acts one is forced to take rebirth,\nafter death, with a body composed of the six and ten ingredients. Through\nknowledge, however, one becomes transformed into that which is Eternal,\nUnmanifest, and Immutable. One class of persons that are however of\nlittle intelligence, applaud acts. In consequence of this they have to\nassume bodies (one after another) ceaselessly. Those men whose\nperceptions are keen in respect of duties and who have attained to that\nhigh understanding (which leads to knowledge), never applaud acts even as\npersons that depend for their drinking water upon the supply of streams\nnever applaud wells and tanks. The fruit that one obtains of acts\nconsists of pleasure and pain, of existence and non-existence. By\nknowledge, one attains to that whither there is no occasion for grief;\nwhither one becomes freed from both birth and death; whither one is not\nsubject to decrepitude; whither one transcends the state of conscious\nexistence,[981] whither is Brahma which is Supreme, Unmanifest,\nimmutable, ever-existent, imperceptible, above the reach of pain,\nimmortal, and transcending destruction; whither all become freed from the\ninfluence of all pairs of opposites (like pleasure and pain, etc.), as\nalso of wish or purpose.[982] Reaching that stage, they cast equal eyes\non everything, become universal friends and devoted to the good of all\ncreatures. There is a wide gulf, O son, between one devoted to knowledge\nand one devoted to acts. Know that the man of knowledge, without\nundergoing destruction, remains existent for ever like the moon on the\nlast day of the dark fortnight existing in a subtle (but undestroyed)\nform. The great Rishi (Yajnavalkya in Vrihadaranayaka) has said this more\nelaborately. As regards the man devoted to acts, his nature may be\ninferred from beholding the new-born moon which appears like a bent\nthread in the firmament.[983] Know, O son, that the person of acts takes\nrebirth with a body with eleven entities, for its ingredients, that are\nthe results of modification, and with a subtile form that represents a\ntotal of six and ten.[984] The deity who takes refuge in that (material)\nform, like a drop of water on a lotus leaf, should be known as Kshetrajna\n(Soul), which is Eternal, and which succeeds by Yoga in transcending both\nthe mind and the knowledge.[985] Tamas, Rajas, and Sattwa are the\nattributes of the knowledge. The knowledge is the attribute of the\nindividual soul residing within the body. The individual soul, in its\nturn, comes from the Supreme Soul.[986] The body with the soul is said to\nbe the attribute of jiva. It is jiva that acts and causes all bodies to\nlive. He who has created the seven worlds is said by those that are\nacquainted with what is Kshetra (and what is Kshetrajna) to be above\njiva.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXLII\n\n\"'\"Suka said, 'I have now understood that there are two kinds of creation,\nviz., one commencing with Kshara (which is universal), and which is from\nthe (universal) Soul. The other, consisting of the senses with their\nobjects, is traceable to the puissance of the knowledge. This last\ntranscends the other and is regarded to be the foremost.[987] I desire,\nhowever, to once more hear of that course of righteousness which runs in\nthis world, regulated by the virtue of Time and according to which all\ngood men frame their conduct.[988] In the Vedas there are both kinds of\ndeclarations, viz., do acts and avoid acts. How shall I succeed in\nascertaining the propriety of this or that? It behoveth thee to expound\nthis clearly.[989] Having obtained, through thy instructions, a thorough\nknowledge of the course of conduct of human beings, having purified\nmyself by the practice of only righteousness, and having cleansed my\nunderstanding, I shall, after casting off my body, behold the\nindestructible Soul.'[990]\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'The course of conduct that was first established by Brahma\nhimself was duly observed by the wise and pious persons of old, viz., the\ngreat Rishis of ancient times. The great Rishis conquer all the worlds by\nthe practice of Brahmacharya. Seeking all things that are good for\nhimself by fixing the mind on the knowledge,[991] practising severe\nausterities by residing in the forest and subsisting on fruits and roots,\nby treading on sacred spots, by practising universal benevolence, and by\ngoing on his rounds of mendicancy at the proper time to the huts of\nforest recluses when these become smokeless and the sound of the husking\nrod is hushed, a person succeeds in attaining to Brahma.[992] Abstaining\nfrom flattery and from bowing thy heads to others, and avoiding both good\nand evil, live thou in the forest by thyself, appeasing hunger by any\nmeans that comes by the way.'\n\n\"'\"Suka said, 'The declarations of the Vedas (already referred to in\nrespect of acts) are, in the opinion of the vulgar, contradictory.\nWhether this is authoritative or that is so, when there is this conflict,\nhow can they be said to be scriptural?[993] I desire to hear this: how\ncan both be regarded as authoritative? How, indeed, can Emancipation be\nobtained without violating the ordinance about the obligatory character\nof acts?'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed, the son of Gandhavati, viz., the\nRishi, applauding these words of his son possessed of immeasurable\nenergy, replied unto him, saying the following.\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'One that is a Brahmacharin, one that leads a life of\ndomesticity, one that is a forest recluse, and one that leads a life of\n(religious) mendicancy, all reach the same high end by duly observing the\nduties of their respective modes of life. Or, if one and the same person,\nfreed from desire and aversion, practises (one after another) all these\nfour modes of life according to the ordinances that have been laid down,\nhe is certainly fitted (by such conduct) to understand Brahma. The four\nmodes of life constitute a ladder or flight of steps. That flight is\nattached to Brahma. By ascending that flight one succeeds in reaching the\nregion of Brahma. For the fourth part of his life, the Brahmacharin,\nconversant with the distinctions of duty and freed from malice, should\nlive with his preceptor or his preceptor's son. While residing in the\npreceptor's house, he should go to bed after the preceptor has gone to\nhis, and rise therefrom before the preceptor rises from his.[994] All\nsuch acts again as should be done by the disciple, as also those which\nshould be done by a menial servant, should be accomplished by him.\nFinishing these he should humbly take his stand by the side of the\npreceptor. Skilled in every kind of work, he should conduct himself like\na menial servant, doing every act for his preceptor. Having accomplished\nall acts (without leaving any portion undone), he should study, sitting\nat the feet of his preceptor, with eager desire to learn. He should\nalways behave with simplicity, avoid evil speech, and take lessons only\nwhen his preceptor invites him for it.[995] Becoming pure in body and mind,\nand acquiring cleverness and other virtues, he should now and then speak\nwhat is agreeable. Subduing his senses, he should look at his preceptor\nwithout eyes of longing curiosity.[996] He should never eat before his\npreceptor has eaten; never drink before his preceptor has drunk; never\nsit down before his preceptor has sat down; and never go to bed before\nhis preceptor has gone to bed. He should gently touch his preceptor's\nfeet with upturned palms, the right foot with the right and the left with\nthe left. Reverentially saluting the preceptor, he should say unto him,\n\"O illustrious one, teach me. I shall accomplish this (work), O\nillustrious one! This (other work) I have already accomplished. O\nregenerate one, I am ready to accomplish whatever else thy reverend self\nmay be pleased to command.\" Having said all this, and having duly offered\nhimself unto him (thus), he should accomplish whatever acts of his\npreceptor wait for accomplishment, and having completed them inform the\npreceptor once more of their completion. Whatever scents or tastes the\nBrahmacharin may abstain from while actually leading a life of\nBrahmacharya may be used by him after his return from the preceptor's\nabode. This is consistent with the ordinance. Whatever observances have\nbeen elaborately laid down for Brahmacharins (in the scriptures) should\nall be regularly practised by him. He should, again, be always near his\npreceptor (ready within call). Having contributed to his preceptor's\ngratification in this way to the best of his powers, the disciple should,\nfrom that mode of life, pass into the others (one after another) and\npractise the duties of each. Having (thus) passed a fourth part of his\nlife in the study of the Vedas, and observance of vows and fasts, and\nhaving given the preceptor the (final) fee, the disciple should,\naccording to the ordinance, take his leave and return home (for entering\ninto a life of domesticity).[997] Then, having taken spouses, obtaining\nthem in the ways indicated in the ordinances, and having carefully\nestablished the domestic fire, he should, observant all the while of vows\nand fasts, become a house-holder and pass the second period of life.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXLIII\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'Observant of meritorious vows, the householder, for the\nsecond period of life, should dwell in his house, having taken spouses\naccording to the ways indicated in the ordinance and having established\na fire (of his own). As regards the domestic mode of life, four kinds of\nconduct have been laid down by the learned. The first consists of keeping\na store of grain sufficient to last for three years. The second consists\nof keeping a store to last for one year. The third consists of providing\nfor the day without thinking of the morrow. The fourth consists of\ncollecting grain after the manner of the pigeon.[998] Of these, each\nsucceeding one is superior in point of merit to that which precedes it,\naccording to what has been laid down in the scriptures.[999] A\nhouseholder observing the first kind of conduct may practise all the six\nwell-known duties (viz., sacrifice on his own account, sacrifice on that\nof others, teaching, learning, making gifts, and accepting gifts). He who\nobserves the second kind of conduct should practise three only, of these\nduties (viz., learning, giving, and taking). He who observes the third\nkind of conduct should practise only two of the duties of domesticity\n(viz., learning and giving). The householder practising the fourth kind\nof domesticity should observe only one duty (viz., learning the\nscriptures). The duties of the householder are all said to be exceedingly\nmeritorious. The householder should never cook any food for only his own\nuse; nor should he slaughter animals (for food) except in\nsacrifices.[1000] If it be an animal which the householder desires to\nkill (for food), or if it be a tree which he wishes to cut down (for\nfuel), he should do either act according to the ritual laid down in the\nYajuses for that much is due to both animate and inanimate existences.\nThe house-holder should never sleep during the day, or during the first\npart of the night, or during the last part thereof. He should never eat\ntwice between morning and evening, and should never summon his wife to\nbed except in her season. In his house, no Brahmana should be suffered to\nremain unfed or unworshipped. He should always worship such guests as are\npresenters of sacrificial offerings, as are cleansed by Vedic lore and\nobservance of excellent vows, as are high-born and conversant with the\nscriptures, as are observers of the duties of their own order, as are\nself-restrained, mindful of all religious acts, and devoted to penances.\nThe scriptures ordain that what is offered to the deities and the Pitris\nin sacrifices and religious rites is meant for the service of guests like\nthese. In this mode of life the scriptures ordain that a share of the\nfood (that is cooked) should be given unto every creature (irrespective\nof his birth or character), unto one, that is, who for the sake of show\nkeeps his nails and beard, unto one who from pride displays what his own\n(religious) practices are, unto one who has improperly abandoned his\nsacred fire, and even unto one who has injured his preceptor. One leading\na domestic mode of life should give (food) unto Brahmacharins and\nSannyasins. The householder should every day become an eater of vighasa,\nand should every day eat amrita. Mixed with clarified butter, the remains\nof the food that is offered in sacrifices constitute amrita. That\nhouseholder who eats after having fed (all relatives and) servants is\nsaid to eat vighasa. The food that remains after the servants have been\nfed is called vighasa, and that which is left after the presentation of\nsacrificial offerings is called amrita. One leading a domestic mode of\nlife should be content with his own wedded wife. He should be\nself-restrained. He should avoid malice and subdue his senses. He should\nnever quarrel with his Ritwik, Purohita, and preceptor, with his maternal\nuncle, guests and dependants, with the aged and the young in years, with\nthose that are afflicted with diseases, with those that practise as\nphysicians, with kinsmen, relatives, and friends, with his parents, with\nwomen that belong to his own paternal family, with his brother and son\nand wife, with his daughter, and with his servants. By avoiding disputes\nwith these, the householder becomes cleansed of all sins. By conquering\nsuch disputes, he succeeds in conquering all the regions of felicity (in\nthe world hereafter). There is no doubt in this.[1001] The preceptor (if\nduly reverenced) is able to lead one to the regions of Brahman. The\nfather (if reverenced) can lead to the regions of Prajapati. The guest is\npuissant enough to lead to the region of Indra. The Ritwik has power in\nrespect of the regions of the deities. Female relatives of the paternal\nline have lordship in respect of the regions of the Apsaras, and kinsmen\n(by blood), in respect of the region of the Viswedevas. Relatives by\nmarriage and collateral kinsmen have power in respect of the several\nquarters of the horizon (viz., north, etc.), and the mother and the\nmaternal uncle have power over the earth. The old, the young, the\nafflicted, the wasted have power over the sky.[1002] The eldest brother is\nlike unto the sire himself (to all his younger brothers). The wife and\nthe son are one's own body. One's menial servants are one's own shadow.\nThe daughter is an object of great affection. For these reason, a\nhouse-holder endued with learning, observant of duties, and possessed of\nendurance, should bear, without warmth or anxiety of heart every kind of\nannoyance and even censure from the last named relatives. No righteous\nhousehold should do any act, urged by considerations of wealth. There are\nthree courses of duty in respect of a life of domesticity. Of these, that\nwhich comes next (in the order of enumeration) is more meritorious than\nthe preceding one.[1003] As regards the four (principal) modes of life\nalso, the same rule of merit applies, viz., the one that comes after is\nsuperior to the one preceding it. Accordingly, domesticity is superior to\nBrahmacharya, forest life is superior to domesticity, and a life of\nmendicancy or complete renunciation is superior to a forest life. One\ndesirous of prosperity should accomplish all those duties and rites that\nhave been ordained in the scriptures in respect of those modes. That\nkingdom grows in prosperity where these highly deserving persons live,\nviz., those that lead a life of domesticity according to the Kumbhadhanya\nmethod, they that lead it according to the Unchha method, and they that\nlead it according to the Kapoti method.[1004] That man who cheerfully\nleads a life of domesticity in the observance of those duties, succeeds\nin sanctifying ten generations of his ancestors above and ten generations\nof descendants below. A householder, duly observing the duties of\ndomesticity, obtains an end that yields felicity equal to what occurs in\nthe regions attained by great kings and emperors. Even this is the end\nthat has been ordained for those who have subdued their senses. For all\nhigh-souled householders heaven has been ordained. That heaven is\nequipped with delightful cars for each (moving at the will of the rider).\nEven that is the delightful heaven indicated in the Vedas. For all\nhouseholders of restrained souls, the regions of heaven constitute the\nhigh reward. The Self-born Brahman ordained that the domestic mode of\nlife should be the productive cause of heaven. And since it has been so\nordained, a person, by gradually attaining to the second mode of life,\nobtains happiness and respect in heaven. After this comes that high and\nsuperior mode of life, called the third, for those that are desirous of\ncasting off their bodies. Superior to that of householders, that is the\nlife of forest recluses,--of those, that is, who waste their bodies (by\ndiverse kinds of austerities) into skeletons overlaid with dried skins.\nListen as I discourse to thee upon it.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXLIV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Though hast been told what the duties of domesticity are\nas ordained by the wise. Listen now, O Yudhishthira, to what those duties\nare that have been next spoken of. Gradually abandoning the domestic\nmode, one should enter the third mode which is excellent. It is the mode\nin which wives afflict themselves by means of Austerities. It is the mode\npractised by those that live as forest recluses. Blessed be thou, O son,\nlisten to the duties observed by those that lead this mode of life in\nwhich occur the practices of all men and all modes of life. Listen,\nindeed, to the duties of those that are denizens of sacred spots and that\nhave resorted to this mode after proper deliberation!\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'When the householder beholds wrinkles on his body and white\nhair on his head, and children of his children, he should then retire\ninto the forest. The third part of his life he should pass in the\nobservance of the Vanaprastha mode. He should attend to those fires to\nwhich he had attended as a householder. Desirous of sacrificing, he\nshould adore the deities (according to the rituals ordained). Observant\nof vows and abstemious in diet, he should eat only once, the time thereof\nbeing the sixth part of the day. He should be always heedful. Attending\nto his fires, he should keep some kine, waiting upon them\ndutifully.[1005] He should attend to all the rituals of a sacrifice. He\nshould live upon rice growing indigenously, upon wheat growing under\nsimilar circumstances, upon grain of other kinds, growing wildly (and\nbelonging to none). He should eat what remains after feeding guests. In\nthis the third mode of life, he should present offerings of clarified\nbutter in the five well-known Sacrifices.[1006] Four kinds of courses of\nconduct have been laid down for observance in the Vanaprastha mode of\nlife. Some collect only what is needed for the day. Some collect stores\nto last for a month. Some store grain and other necessaries sufficient to\nlast for twelve years. Forest recluses may act in these ways for\nworshipping guests and performing sacrifices. They should during the\nseason of the rains, expose themselves to rain and betake themselves to\nwater during the autumn. During the summer they should sit in the midst\nof four fires with the sun burning overhead. Throughout the year,\nhowever, they should be abstemious in diet.[1007] They sit and sleep on\nthe bare earth. They stand on only their toes. They content themselves\nwith the bare earth and with small mats of grass (owning no other\nfurniture for seat or bed). They perform their ablutions morning, noon,\nand evening (preparatory to sacrifices). Some amongst them use only teeth\nfor cleaning grain. Others use only stones for that purpose.[1008] Some\namongst them drink, only during the lighted fortnight, the gruel of wheat\n(or other grain) boiled very lightly.[1009] There are many who drink\nsimilar gruel only during the dark fortnight. Some eat what only comes by\nthe way (without seeking to obtain it). Some adopting rigid vows, live\nupon only roots, some upon only fruits, some upon only flowers, duly\nobserving the method followed by the Vaikhanasas. These and other diverse\nobservances are adopted by those men of wisdom and piety. The fourth is\n(the mode called Renunciation) based upon the Upanishads. The duties laid\ndown for it may be observed in all the modes of life equally. This mode\ndiffering from the others comes _after_ domesticity and forest life. In\nthis very Yuga, O son, many learned Brahmanas conversant with the truths\nof all things, have been known to observe this mode. Agastya, the seven\nRishis (viz., Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Vasishtha, Narada, and\nKratu), Madhucchandas, Aghamarshana, Sankriti Sudivatandi who lived\nwithersoever he pleased and was content to take what came (without ever\nseeking for anything),[1010] Ahovirya Kavya, Tandya, the learned\nMedhatithi, Karmanirvaka of mighty energy, and Sunyapala who had exerted\nhimself greatly (for acquiring ascetic puissance) were the authors of\nthis course of duties, and themselves observing them have all proceeded\nto heaven. Many great Rishis, O son, who had the puissance to behold\nimmediately the fruits of their ascetic merit,[1011] those numerous\nascetics who are known by the name of Yayavaras, many Rishis of very\naustere penances and possessed of accurate knowledge in respect of\ndistinctions of duty, and many other Brahmanas too numerous to mention,\nadopted the forest mode of life. The Vaikhanasas, the Valikhilyas, the\nSaikatas, all of whom were devoted to austere penances,[1012] who were\nsteadfast in virtue, who had subdued their senses, and who used to behold\nthe fruits of their penances immediately, adopted this mode of life and\nfinally ascended to heaven. Freed from fear and not counted among the\nstars and planets, these have become visible in the firmament as luminous\nbodies.[1013] When the fourth or last part of life is reached, and when\none is weakened by decrepitude and afflicted by disease, one should\nabandon the forest mode of life (for the fourth mode called\nRenunciation). Performing a sacrifice that is capable of being completed\nin a single day and in which the Dakshina should be everything of which\nhe may be possessed, he should himself perform his own Sraddha. Withdrawn\nfrom every other object, he should devote himself to his own self, taking\npleasure in himself, and resting also on his own self.[1014] He should\nestablish all his sacrificial fires (thenceforth) upon his own self, and\ngive up all kinds of ties and attachments. (In case he fails to attain to\ncomplete Renunciation) he should always perform such sacrifices and rites\nas are completed in a single day.[1015] When, however, from performance\nof the (ordinary) sacrifices of sacrificers, the Sacrifice in Self\nproceeds, then (may he discontinue all ordinary sacrifices, and) unto the\nthree fires duly sacrifice in his own Self for the sake of his\nEmancipation.[1016] Without finding fault with his food he should eat\nfive or six mouthfuls, offering them duly unto five vital airs uttering\n(every time the well-known) mantras of the Yajurveda.[1017] Engaged in\nthe observance of austerities while leading the life of a forest recluse,\none should shave off one's hair and bristles and pare off one's nails,\nand having cleansed oneself by acts, pass into the fourth and last mode\nof life that is fraught with great holiness.[1018] That regenerate person\nwho enters the fourth mode of life, giving pledges of assurance unto all\ncreatures, succeeds in earning many regions of blazing effulgence\nhereafter and ultimately attains to the Infinite.[1019] Of excellent\ndisposition and conduct, with sins all washed off, the person who is\nconversant with his own self never desires to do any act for either this\nor the other world. Freed from wrath and from error, without anxiety and\nwithout friendship, such a person lives in this world like one totally\nuninterested in its concerns. One (in the observance of Sannyasa) should\nnot feel reluctant in discharging the duties included in Yama and those\nalso that walk behind them (and are included in niyama). Such a one\nshould with energy live according to the ordinances in respect of his own\nmode, and throw away Vedic study and the sacred thread that is indicative\nof the order of his birth. Devoted to righteousness and with his senses\nunder complete control, such a one, possessed of knowledge of self,\nattains undoubtedly to the end for which he strives.[1020] After the\nthird is the fourth mode of life. It is very superior, and fraught with\nnumerous high virtues. It transcends in point of merit the three other\nmodes of life. It is said to occupy the highest place. Listen to me as I\ndiscourse upon the duties that belong to that mode which is pre-eminent\nand which is the high refuge of all!'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXLV\n\n\"'\"Suka said, 'While living in the due observance of the duties of the\nforemost of life, how should one, who seeks to attain to that which is\nthe highest object of knowledge, set one's soul on Yoga according to the\nbest of one's power?'\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'Having acquired (purity of conduct and body) by the\npractice of the first two modes of life, viz., Brahmacharya and\ndomesticity, one should, after that, set one's soul on Yoga in the third\nmode of life. Listen now with concentrated attention to what should be\ndone for attaining to the highest object of acquisition![1021] Having\nsubdued all faults of the mind and of heart by easy means in the practice\nof the first three modes of life (viz., pupilage, domesticity, and\nseclusion) one should pass into the most excellent and the most eminent\nof all the modes, viz., Sannyasa or Renunciation. Do thou then pass thy\ndays, having acquired that purity. Listen also to me. One should, alone\nand without anybody to assist him or bear him company, practise Yoga for\nattaining to success (in respect of one's highest object of acquisition).\nOne who practises Yoga without companionship, who beholds everything as a\nrepetition of his own self, and who never discards anything (in\nconsequence of all things being pervaded by the Universal Soul), never\nfalls away from Emancipation. Without keeping the sacrificial fires and\nwithout a fixed habitation, such a person should enter a village for only\nbegging his food. He should provide himself for the day without storing\nfor the morrow. He should betake himself to penances, with heart fixed on\nthe Supreme.[1022] Eating little and that even under proper regulations,\nhe should not eat more than once a day. The other indications of a\n(religious) mendicant are the human skull, shelter under trees, rags for\nwearing, solitude unbroken by the companionship of any one, and\nindifference to all creatures.[1023] That person into whom words enter\nlike affrighted elephants into a well, and from whom they never come back\nto the speaker, is fit to lead this mode of life which has Emancipation\nfor its object.[1024] The mendicant (or Renouncer) should never take note\nof the evil acts of any person. He should never hear what is said in\ndispraise of others. Especially should he avoid speaking evil of a\nBrahmana. He should always say only what is agreeable to the Brahmanas.\nWhen anything is said in dispraise (of himself), he should (without\nanswering) remain perfectly silent. Such silence, indeed, is the medical\ntreatment prescribed for him. That person in consequence of whose single\nself the place he occupies becomes like the eastern sky, and who can make\na spot teeming with thousands of men and things appear to himself\nperfectly solitary or unoccupied, is regarded by the deities to be a true\nBrahmana.[1025] Him the gods know for a Brahmana who clothes himself with\nwhatever comes by the way, who subsists upon whatever he gets, and who\nsleeps on whatever spot he finds. Him the gods know for a Brahmana who is\nafraid of company as of a snake; of the full measure of gratification\n(from sweet viands and drinks) as of hell; and of women as of a\ncorpse.[1026] Him the gods know for a Brahmana who is never glad when\nhonoured and never angry when insulted, and who has given assurances of\ncompassion unto all creatures. One in the observance of the last mode of\nlife should not view death with joy. Nor should he view life with joy. He\nshould only wait for his hour like a servant waiting for the behest (of\nhis master). He should purify his heart of all faults. He should purify\nhis speech of all faults. He should cleanse himself of all sins. As he\nhas no foes, what fear can assail him? He who fears no creature and whom\nno creature fears, can have no fear from any quarter, freed as he is from\nerror of every kind. As the footprints of all other creatures that move\nupon legs are engulfed within those of elephants, after the same manner\nall ranks and conditions are absorbed within Yoga[1027]. After the same\nmanner, every other duty and observance is supposed to be engulfed within\nthe one duty of abstention from injury (to all creatures).[1028] He lives\nan everlasting life of felicity who avoids injuring other creatures. One\nwho abstains from injury, who casts an equal eye upon all creatures, who\nis devoted to truth, who is endued with fortitude, who has his senses\nunder control, and who grants protection to all beings, attains to an end\nthat is beyond compare. The condition called death succeeds not in\ntranscending such a person who is content with self-knowledge, who is\nfree from fear, and who is divested of desire and expectancy. On the\nother hand, such a person succeeds in transcending death. Him the gods\nknow for a Brahmana who is freed from attachments of every kind, who is\nobservant of penances, who lives like space which while holding\neverything is yet unattached to any thing, who has nothing which he calls\nhis own, who leads a life of solitude, and whose is tranquillity of soul.\nThe gods know him for a Brahmana whose life is for the practice of\nrighteousness, whose righteousness is for the good of them that wait\ndutifully upon him, and whose days and nights exist only for the\nacquisition of merit.[1029] The gods know him for a Brahmana who is freed\nfrom desire, who never exerts himself for doing such acts as are done by\nworldly men, who never bends his head unto any one, who never flatters\nanother, (and who is free from attachments of every kind). All creatures\nare pleased with happiness and filled with fear at the prospect of grief.\nThe man of faith, therefore, who should feel distressed at the prospect\nof filling other creatures with grief, must abstain entirely from acts of\nevery kind.[1030] The gift of assurances of harmlessness unto all\ncreatures transcends in point of merit all other gifts. He who, at the\noutset, forswears the religion of injury, succeeds in attaining to\nEmancipation (in which or) whence is the assurance of harmlessness unto\nall creatures.[1031] That man who does not pour into his open mouth even\nthe five or six mouthfuls that are laid down for the forest recluse, is\nsaid to be the navel of the world, and the refuge of the universe. The\nhead and other limbs, as also the acts good and bad, become possessed by\nFire. Such a man, who sacrifices in his own self, makes a liberation of\nhis senses and mind into the fire that dwells within the limited space of\nhis own heart. In consequence again of his pouring such a libation into\nsuch a fire within his own self, the universe with all creatures\nincluding the very gods, becomes gratified.[1032] They who apprehend the\nJiva-soul that is endued with effulgence, that is enveloped in three\ncases, that has three attributes for its characteristics, to be Iswara\npartaking of that which is foremost, viz., the nature of the Supreme\nSoul, becomes object of great regard in all the worlds. The very gods\nwith all human beings speak highly of their merits. He who succeeds in\nbeholding in the soul that resides in his own body all the Vedas, space\nand the other objects of perception, the rituals that occur in\nscriptures, all those entities that are comprehensible in sound only and\nthe superior nature of the Supreme Soul, is sought to be worshipped by\nthe very deities as the foremost of all beings. He who sees in the soul\nthat resides within his body, that foremost of beings which is not\nattached to the earth, which is immeasurable in even the (measureless)\nfirmament, which is made of gold, which is born of the egg and resides\nwithin the egg, which is equipped with many feathers, and which has two\nwings like a bird, and which is rendered effulgent by many rays of light,\nis sought to be worshipped by the very deities as the foremost of all\nbeings.[1033] The very deities worship him in whose understanding is set\nthe wheel of Time, which is constantly revolving, which knows no decay,\nwhich swallows up the period of existence of every creature, which has\nthe six seasons for its naves, which is equipped with two and ten radii\nconsisting of the two and ten months, which has excellent joint, and\ntowards whose gaping mouth proceeds this universe (ready to be\ndevoured).[1034] The Supreme Soul is the capacious unconsciousness of\ndreamless slumber. That Unconsciousness is the body of the universe. It\npervadeth all created things. Jiva, occupying a portion of that capacious\nunconsciousness gratifies the deities. These last, being gratified,\ngratify the open mouth of that unconsciousness.[1035] Endued with\neffulgence as also with the principle of eternity, Jiva is without a\nbeginning. It acquires (by following particular paths) infinite regions\nof eternal happiness. He of whom no creature is afraid, has never to fear\nany creature. He who never does anything censurable and who never\ncensures another, is said to be a truly regenerate person. Such a man\nsucceeds in beholding the Supreme Soul. He whose ignorance has been\ndispelled and whose sins have been washed away, never enjoys either here\nor hereafter the happiness that is enjoyed by others (but attains to\ncomplete Emancipation). A person in the observance of the fourth mode of\nlife wanders on the earth like one unconnected with everything. Such a\none is freed from wrath and error. Such a one regards a clod of earth and\nlump of gold with an equal eye. Such a man never stores anything for his\nuse. Such a one has no friends and foes. Such a one is utterly regardless\nof praise or blame, and of the agreeable and the disagreeable.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXLVI\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'The Jiva-soul is endued with all those entities that are\nmodifications of Prakriti. These do not know the Soul but the Soul knows\nthem all. Like a good driver proceeding with the aid of strong,\nwell-broken, and high-mettled steeds along the paths he selects, the Soul\nacts with the aid of these, called the senses, having the mind for their\nsixth. The objects of the senses are superior to the senses themselves.\nThe mind is superior to those objects. The understanding is superior to\nthe mind. The Soul, also called Mahat, is superior to the understanding.\nSuperior to Mahat is the Unmanifest (or Prakriti). Superior to the\nUnmanifest is Brahma. There is nothing Superior to Brahma. That is the\nhighest limit of excellence and the highest goal. The Supreme Soul is\nconcealed in every creature. It is not displayed for ordinary men to\nbehold. Only Yogins with subtile vision behold the Supreme Soul with the\naid of their keen and subtile understanding. Merging the senses having\nthe mind for their sixth and all the objects of the senses into the inner\nSoul by the aid of the Understanding, and reflecting upon the three\nstates of consciousness, viz., the object thought, the act of thinking,\nand the thinker, and abstaining by contemplation from every kind of\nenjoyment, equipping his mind with the knowledge that he is Brahma's\nself, laying aside at the same time all consciousness of puissance, and\nthereby making his soul perfectly tranquil, the Yogin obtains that to\nwhich immortality inheres. That person, however, who happens to be the\nslave of all his senses and whose ideas of right and wrong have been\nconfounded, already liable as he is to death, actually meets with death\nby such surrender of self to (the passions).[1036] Destroying all\ndesires, one should merge the gross Understanding into one's subtile\nUnderstanding. Having thus merged the gross into the subtile\nUnderstanding, one is sure to become a second Kalanjara mountain.[1037]\nBy purifying his heart, the Yogin transcends both righteousness and its\nreverse. By purifying his heart and by living in his own true nature, he\nattains to the highest happiness.[1038] The indication of that purity of\nheart (of which I speak) is that one who has attained to experiences that\nstate of unconsciousness (with respect of all one's surroundings) which\none experiences in dreamless slumber. The Yogin who has attained to that\nstate lives like the steady flame of a lamp that burns in a place where\nthe atmosphere is perfectly still. Becoming abstemious in diet, and\nhaving cleansed his heart, that Yogin who applies his Soul to the Soul\nsucceeds in beholding the Soul in the Soul.[1039] This discourse, O son,\nintended for thy instruction, is the essence of all the Vedas. The truths\nherein disclosed are incapable of being understood by the aid of\ninference alone or by that of mere study of the scriptures. One must\nunderstand it oneself by the aid of faith. By churning the wealth that is\ncontained in all religious works and in all discourses based on truth, as\nalso the ten thousand Richs, this nectar hath been raised. As butter from\ncurds and fire from wood, even hath this been raised for the sake of my\nson,--this that constituteth the knowledge of all truly wise men. This\ndiscourse, O son, fraught with solid instruction, is intended for\ndelivery unto Snatakas.[1040] It should never be imparted to one that is\nnot of tranquil soul, or one that is not self-restrained, or one that\nhath not undergone penances. It should not be communicated to one that is\nnot conversant with the Vedas, or one that doth not humbly wait upon\none's preceptor, or one that is not free from malice, or one that is not\npossessed of sincerity and candour, or one that is of reckless behaviour.\nIt should never be communicated to one whose intellect hath been consumed\nby the science of disputation, or one that is vile or low. Unto that\nperson, however, who is possessed of fame, or who deserveth applause (for\nhis virtues), or who is of tranquil soul, or possessed of ascetic merit,\nunto a Brahmana who is such, unto one's son or dutiful disciple, this\ndiscourse containing the very essence of duties should be communicated,\nbut on no account should it be communicated to others. If any person\nmakes a gift of the whole earth with all her treasures, unto one\nconversant with truth, the latter would still regard the gift of this\nknowledge to be very much superior to that gift. I shall now discourse to\nthee on a subject that is a greater mystery than this, a subject that is\nconnected with the Soul, that transcends the ordinary understandings of\nhuman beings, that has been beheld by the foremost of Rishis, that has\nbeen treated in the Upanishads, and that forms the topic of thy inquiry.\nTell me what after this is in thy mind? Tell me in what thou has still\nany doubt? Listen, for here I am, O son, faces turned towards all\ndirections. The Sun and the Moon are thy two seated before thee! Upon\nwhat indeed, shall I once more speak to thee?'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXLVII\n\n\"'\"Suka said, 'O illustrious one, O foremost of Rishis, once again\ndiscourse to me on Adhyatma more elaborately. Tell me what, indeed, is\nAdhyatma and whence does it come?'[1041]\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'That, O son, which is regarded as Adhyatma with reference\nto human beings, I shall now mention to thee, and listen to the\nexplanation I give (of Adhyatma). Earth, water, light, wind, and space,\nare the great entities that form the component parts of all creatures,\nand, though really one, are yet regarded different like the waves of the\nocean (which though identical with respect to their constituent substance\nare yet counted as different from one another). Like a tortoise\nstretching out its limbs and withdrawing them again, the great entities\n(already named), by dwelling in numberless small forms, undergo\ntransformations (called creation and destruction). All this universe of\nmobile and immobile objects hath for its component parts these five\nentities. Everything, in respect of its creation and destruction, is\nreferable to this fivefold entity. These five entities occur in all\nexistent things. The Creator of all things, however, hath made an unequal\ndistribution of those entities (by placing them in different things in\ndifferent proportions) for serving different ends.'[1042]\n\n\"'\"Suka said, 'How may one succeed in understanding that unequal\ndistribution (of the five great entities of which thou speakest) in the\ndiverse things of the universe? Which amongst them are the senses and\nwhich the attributes? How may this be understood?'\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'I shall explain thee this duly one after another. Listen\nwith concentrated attention to the subject as I expound how what I have\nsaid actually happens. Sound, the sense of hearing, and all the cavities\nwithin the body,--these three--have space for their origin. The vital\nbreaths, the action of the limbs and touch form the attributes of the\nwind. Form, eyes, and the digestive fire within the stomach, are\noriginated by light. Taste, tongue, and all the humours,--these\nthree,--are from water. Scent, nose, and the body,--these three,--are the\nattributes of earth. These, then, as I have expounded to thee, are the\ntransformations of the five (great) entities with senses. Touch is said\nto be the attribute of the wind; taste of water; form of light. Sound is\nsaid to have its origin in space, and scent is said to be the property of\nearth. Mind, Understanding, and Nature,--these three,--spring from their\nown previous states, and attaining (at each rebirth) to a position higher\nthan the attributes (which form their respective objects), do not\ntranscend those attributes.[1043] As the tortoise stretches out its limbs\nand withdraws them once again within itself, even so the Understanding\ncreates the senses and once again withdraws them into itself.[1044] The\nconsciousness of personal identity that arises in respect of that which\nis above the soles of the feet and below the crown of the head, is\nprincipally due to the action of the Understanding.[1045] It is the\nunderstanding that is transformed into the (five) attributes (of form,\nscent, etc.). It is understanding also that is transformed into the\n(five) senses with the mind for the sixth. When the Understanding is\nabsent, where are the attributes?[1046] In man there are five senses. The\nmind is called the sixth (sense). The Understanding is called the\nseventh. The Soul is the eighth. The eyes (and the other senses) are for\nonly receiving impressions of form (and scent, etc.). The mind exists for\ndoubting (the accuracy of those impressions). The Understanding settles\nthose doubts. The Soul is said only to witness every operation without\nmingling with them. Rajas, Tamas, and Sattwa,--these three,--arise from\ntheir own counterparts. These exist equal in all creatures (viz., the\ndeities and human beings, etc.). These are called attributes and should\nbe known by the actions they induce.[1047] As regards those actions all\nsuch states in which one becomes conscious of oneself as united with\ncheerfulness or joy and which are tranquil and pure, should be known as\ndue to the attribute of Sattwa. All such states in either the body or the\nmind, as are united with sorrow, should be regarded as due to the\ninfluence of the attribute called Rajas. All such states again as exist\nwith stupefication (of the senses, the mind or the understanding) whose\ncause is unascertainable, and which are incomprehensible (by either\nreasons or inward light), should be known as ascribable to the action of\nTamas. Delight, cheerfulness, joy, equanimity, contentment of heart, due\nto any known cause or arising otherwise, are all effects of the attribute\nof Sattwa. Pride, untruthfulness of speech, cupidity, stupefication,\nvindictiveness, whether arising from any known cause or otherwise, are\nindications of the quality of Rajas. Stupefaction of judgment,\nheedlessness, sleep, lethargy, and indolence, from whatever cause\nthese may arise, are to be known as indications of the quality of\nTamas.'\"'\"[1048]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXLVIII\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'The mind creates (within itself) numerous ideas (of objects\nor existent things). The Understanding settles which is which. The heart\ndiscriminates which is agreeable and which is disagreeable. These are the\nthree forces that impel to acts. The objects of the senses are superior\nto the senses. The mind is superior to those objects. The understanding\nis superior to mind. The Soul is regarded as superior to Understanding.\n(As regards the ordinary purposes of man) the Understanding is his Soul.\nWhen the understanding, of its own motion, forms ideas (of objects)\nwithin itself, it then comes to be called Mind.[1049] In consequence of\nthe senses being different from one another (both in respect of their\nobjects and the manner of their operation), the Understanding (which is\none and the same) present different aspect in consequence of its\ndifferent modifications. When it hears, it becomes the organ of hearing,\nand when it touches, it becomes the organ of touch. Similarly, when it\nsees, it becomes the organ of vision, and when it tastes, it becomes the\norgan of taste, and when it smells, it becomes the organ of scent. It is\nthe Understanding that appears under different guises (for different\nfunctions) by modification. It is the modifications of the Understanding\nthat are called the senses. Over them is placed as their presiding chief\n(or overseer) the invisible Soul. Residing in the body, the Understanding\nexists in the three states (of Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas). Sometimes it\nobtains cheerfulness, sometimes it gives way to grief; and sometimes its\ncondition becomes such that it is united with neither cheerfulness nor\ngrief. The Understanding, however, whose chief function (as already said)\nis to create entities, transcends those three states even as the ocean,\nthat lord of rivers, prevails against the mighty currents of the rivers\nthat fall into it.[1050] When the Understanding desires for anything, it\ncomes to be called by the name of Mind. The senses again, though\n(apparently different) should all be taken as included within the\nUnderstanding. The senses, which are engaged in bearing impressions of\nform, scent etc., should all be subdued.[1051] When a particular sense\nbecomes subservient to the Understanding, the latter though in reality\nnot different (from that sense), enters the Mind in the form of existent\nthings. Even this is what happens with the senses one after another\n(separately and not simultaneously) with reference to the ideas that are\nsaid to be apprehended by them.[1052] All the three states that exist\n(viz., Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas), inhere to these three (viz., Mind,\nUnderstanding, and Consciousness) and like the spokes of a car-wheel\nacting in consequence of their attachment to the circumference of the\nwheel, they follow the different objects (that exist in Mind,\nUnderstanding, and Consciousness).[1053] The mind must make a lamp of the\nsenses for dispelling the darkness that shuts out the knowledge of the\nSupreme Soul. This knowledge that is acquired by Yogins with the aid of\nall especial agency of Yoga, is acquired without any especial efforts by\nmen that abstain from worldly objects.[1054] The universe is of this\nnature (viz., it is only a creation of the understanding). The man of\nknowledge, therefore, is never stupefied (by attachment to things of this\nworld). Such a man never grieves, never rejoices, and is free from envy\n(at seeing another possessing a larger share of earthly objects). The\nSoul is incapable of being seen with the aid of the senses whose nature\nis to wander among all (earthly) objects of desire. Even righteous men,\nwhose senses are pure, fail to behold the soul with their aid, what then\nshould be said of the vicious whose senses are impure? When, however, a\nperson, with the aid of his mind, tightly holds their reins, it is then\nthat his Soul discovers itself like an object (unseen in darkness)\nappearing to the view in consequence of the light of a lamp. Indeed, as\nall things become visible when the darkness that envelopes them is\ndispelled, even the soul becomes visible when the darkness that covers it\nis removed.[1055] As an aquatic fowl, though moving on the water, is\nnever drenched by that element, after the same manner the Yogin of freed\nsoul is never soiled by the imperfections of the three attributes (of\nSattwa, Rajas, and Tamas). After the same manner, the man of wisdom, by\neven enjoying all earthly objects without being attached to any of them,\nis never soiled by faults of any kind that arise in the case of others\nfrom such enjoyment. He who avoids acts after having done them\nduly,[1056] and takes delight in the one really existent entity, viz.,\nthe Soul, who has constituted himself the soul of all created beings, and\nwho succeeds in keeping himself aloof from the three attributes, obtains\nan understanding and senses that are created by the Soul. The qualities\nare incapable of apprehending the Soul. The Soul, however, apprehends\nthem always. The Soul is the witness that beholds the qualities and duly\ncalls them up into being. Behold, this is the difference between the\nunderstanding and the Soul both of which are exceedingly subtile. One of\nthem creates the qualities. The other never creates them. Though they are\ndifferent from each other by nature, yet they are always united. The fish\nliving in the water is different from the element in which it lives. But\nas the fish and the water forming its home are always united, after the\nsame manner Sattwa and Kshetrajna exists in a state of union. The gnat\nborn within a rotten fig is really not the fig but different from it.\nNevertheless, as the gnat and the fig are seen to be united with each\nother, even so are Sattwa and Kshetrajna. As the blade in a clump of\ngrass, though distinct from the clump, nevertheless exists in a state of\nunion with it, even so these two, though different from each other, each\nexisting in its own self, are to be seen in a state of constant union.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXLIX\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'The objects by which one is surrounded are created by the\nunderstanding. The Soul, without being connected with them, stands aloof,\npresiding over them. It is the understanding that creates all objects.\nThe three primary qualities are continually being transformed (for the\nproduction of objects). The Kshetrajna or Soul, endued with puissance,\npresides over them all, without, however, mingling with them.[1057] The\nobjects which the understanding creates partake of its own nature.\nIndeed, as the spider creates threads (which partakes of its own material\nsubstance), the objects created by the understanding partake of the\nnature of the understanding. Some maintain that the qualities, when\ndriven away by Yoga or knowledge, do not cease to exist. They say this\nbecause when once gone, the indications only of their return are not\nperceptible. (But that is no evidence of their actual destruction).\nOthers say that when dispelled by knowledge, they are at once destroyed\nnever to return.[1058] Reflecting upon these two opinions properly, one\nshould strive one's best according to the way one thinks proper. It is by\nthis way that one should attain to eminence and take refuge in one's own\nSoul alone.[1059] The Soul is without beginning and without end.\nComprehending his Soul properly man should move and act, without giving\nway to wrath, without indulging in joy, and always free from envy.\nCutting by this means the knot that is in one's heart, the knot whose\nexistence is due to the operation of the faculties of the understanding,\nwhich is hard (to open or cut), but which nevertheless is capable of\nbeing destroyed by knowledge, one should live happily, without giving way\nto grief (for anything that happens), and with one's doubts dispelled.\nKnow that they who mingle in the affairs of this world are as distressed\nin body and mind as persons ignorant of the art of swimming when they\nslip from the land and fall into a large and deep river. The man of\nlearning, however, being conversant with the truth, is never distressed,\nfor he feels like one walking over solid land. Indeed, he who apprehends\nhis Soul to be such, viz., as presenting only the character of Chit which\nhas knowledge alone for its indication, is never distressed. Indeed, a\nperson, by thus comprehending the origin and end of all creatures, and by\nthus apprehending their inequalities or distinctions, succeeds in\nattaining to high felicity. This knowledge is the possession of a\nBrahmana in especial by virtue of his birth. Knowledge of the Soul, and\nfelicity like that which has been adverted to, are each fully sufficient\nto lead to emancipation.[1060] By acquiring such knowledge one really\nbecomes learned. What else is the indication of a person of knowledge?\nHaving acquired such knowledge, they that are wise among men regard\nthemselves crowned with success and become emancipated.[1061] Those\nthings that become sources of fear unto men destitute of knowledge do not\nbecome sources of fear unto those that are endued with knowledge. There\nis no end higher than the eternal end which is obtained by a person\npossessed of knowledge. One beholds with aversion all earthly objects of\nenjoyment which are, of course, fraught with faults of every kind.\nAnother, beholding others betake themselves with pleasure to such\nobjects, is filled with sorrow. As regards this matter, however, they\nthat are conversant with both objects, behold, viz., that which is\nfictitious and that which is not so, never indulge in sorrow and are\ntruly happy.[1062] That which a man does without expectation of fruits\ndestroys his acts of a former life. The acts, however, of such a person\nboth of this and his previous life cannot lead to Emancipation. On the\nother hand, such destruction of former acts and such acts of this life\ncannot lead to what is disagreeable (viz., hell), even if the man of\nwisdom engages in acts.'\"'\"[1063]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCL\n\n\"'\"Suka said, 'Let thy reverence tell me of that which is the foremost of\nall duties, indeed, of that duty above which no higher one exists in this\nworld.'\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'I shall now tell thee of duties having a very ancient\norigin and laid down by the Rishis, duties that are distinguished above\nall others. Listen to me with undivided attention. The senses that are\nmaddening should carefully be restrained by the understanding like a sire\nrestraining his own inexperienced children liable to fall into diverse\nevil habits. The withdrawal of the mind and the senses from all unworthy\nobjects and their due concentration (upon worthy objects) is the highest\npenance. That is the foremost of all duties. Indeed, that is said to be\nthe highest duty. Directing, by the aid of the understanding, the senses\nhaving the mind for their sixth, and without, indeed, thinking of worldly\nobjects which have the virtue of inspiring innumerable kinds of thought,\none should live contented with one's own self. When the senses and the\nmind, withdrawn from the pastures among which they usually run loose,\ncome back for residing in their proper abode, it is then that thou wilt\nbehold in thy own self the Eternal and Supreme Soul.[1064] Those\nhigh-souled Brahmanas that are possessed of wisdom succeed in beholding\nthat Supreme and Universal Soul which is like unto a blazing fire in\neffulgence. As a large tree endued with numerous branches and possessed\nof many flowers and fruits does not know in which part it has flowers and\nin which it has fruits, after the same manner the Soul as modified by\nbirth and other attributes, does not know whence it has come and whither\nit is to go. There is, however, an inner Soul, which beholds (knows)\neverything.[1065] One sees the Soul oneself with the aid of the lighted\nlamp of knowledge. Beholding, therefore, thyself with thy own self, cease\nto regard thy body as thyself and attain thou to omniscience. Cleansed of\nall sins, like unto a snake that has cast off its slough, one attains to\nhigh intelligence here and becomes free from every anxiety and the\nobligation of acquiring a new body (in a subsequent birth). Its current\nspreading in diverse directions, frightful is this river of life bearing\nthe world onward in its course. The five senses are its crocodiles. The\nmind and its purposes are the shores. Cupidity and stupefaction of\njudgment are the grass and straw that float on it, covering its bosom.\nLust and wrath are the fierce reptiles that live in it. Truth forms the\ntirtha by its miry banks. Falsehood forms its surges, anger its mire.\nTaking its rise from the Unmanifest, rapid is its current, and incapable\nof being crossed by persons of uncleansed souls. Do thou, with the aid of\nthe understanding cross that river having desires for its alligators. The\nworld and its concerns constitute the ocean towards which that river\nruns. Genus and species constitute its unfathomable depth that none can\nunderstand. One's birth, O child, is the source from which that stream\ntakes its rise. Speech constitutes its eddies. Difficult to cross, only\nmen of learning and wisdom and understanding succeed in crossing it.\nCrossing it, thou wilt succeed in freeing thyself from every attachment,\nacquiring a tranquil heart, knowing the Soul, and becoming pure in every\nrespect. Relying then on a purged and elevated understanding, thou wilt\nsucceed in becoming Brahma's self. Having dissociated thyself from every\nworldly attachment, having acquired a purified Soul and transcending\nevery kind of sin, look thou upon the world like a person looking from\nthe mountain top upon creatures creeping below on the earth's surface.\nWithout giving way to wrath or joy, and without forming any cruel wish,\nthou wilt succeed in beholding the origin and the destruction of all\ncreated objects. They that are endued with wisdom regard such an act to\nbe the foremost of all things. Indeed, this act of crossing the river of\nlife is regarded by the foremost of righteous persons, by ascetics\nconversant with the truth, to be the highest of all acts that one can\naccomplish. This knowledge of the all-pervading Soul is intended to be\nimparted to one's son. It should be inculcated unto one that is of\nrestrained senses, that is honest in behaviour, and that is docile or\nsubmissive. This knowledge of the Soul, of which I have just now spoken\nto thee, O child, and the evidence of whose truth is furnished by the\nSoul itself, is a mystery,--indeed, the greatest of all mysteries, and\nthe very highest knowledge that one can attain. Brahma hath no\nsex,--male, female, or neuter. It is neither sorrow nor happiness. It\nhath for its essence the past, the future, and the present. Whatever\none's sex, male or female, the person that attains to the knowledge of\nBrahma hath never to undergo rebirth. This duty (of Yoga) hath been\ninculcated for attaining to exemption from rebirth.[1066] These words\nthat I have used for answering thy question lead to Emancipation in the\nsame way as the diverse other opinions advanced by diverse other sages\nthat have treated of this subject. I have expounded the topic to thee\nafter the manner in which it should be expounded. Those opinions\nsometimes become productive of fruit and sometimes not. (The words,\nhowever, that I have used are of a different kind, for these are sure to\nlead to success).[1067] For this reason, O good child, a preceptor, when\nasked by a contented, meritorious, and self-restrained son or disciple,\nshould, with a delighted heart, inculcate, according to their true\nimport, these instructions that I have inculcated for the benefit of\nthee, my son!'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLI\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'One should not show any affection for scents and tastes and\nother kinds of enjoyment. Nor should one accept ornaments and other\narticles contributing to the enjoyment of the senses of scent and taste.\nOne should not covet honour and achievements and fame. Even this is the\nbehaviour of a Brahmana possessed of vision.[1068] He that hath studied\nall the Vedas, having waited dutifully on his preceptor and observed the\nvow of Brahmacharya, he that knows all the Richs, Yajuses, and Samans, is\nnot a regenerate person.[1069] One that behaves towards all creatures as\nif one is their kinsman, and one that is acquainted with Brahma, is said\nto be conversant with all the Vedas. One that is divested of desire\n(being contented with knowledge of the Soul), never dies. It is by such a\nbehaviour and such a frame of mind that one becomes a truly regenerate\nperson.[1070] Having performed only various kinds of religious rites and\ndiverse sacrifices completed with gift of Dakshina, one does not acquire\nthe status of a Brahmana if he is devoid of compassion and hath not given\nup desire.[1071] When one ceases to fear all creatures and when all\ncreatures cease to fear one, when one never desires for anything nor\ncherishes aversion for anything, then he is said to attain to the status\nof Brahma. When one abstains from injuring all creatures in thought,\nspeech, and act, then he is said to acquire the status of Brahma. There\nis only one kind of bondage in this world, viz., the bondage of desire,\nand no other. One that is freed from the bondage of desire attains to the\nstatus of Brahma. Freed from desire like the Moon emerged from murky\nclouds, the man of wisdom, purged of all stains, lives in patient\nexpectation of his time. That person into whose mind all sorts of desire\nenter like diverse streams falling into the ocean without being able to\nenhance its limits by their discharge, succeeds in obtaining\ntranquillity, but not he who cherishes desire for all earthly objects.\nSuch a person becomes happy in consequence of the fruition of all his\nwishes, and not he who cherishes desire for earthly objects. The latter,\neven if he attains to heaven, has to fall away from it.[1072] The Vedas\nhave truth for their recondite object. Truth hath the subjugation of the\nsenses for its recondite object. The subjugation of the senses hath\ncharity for its recondite object. Charity hath penance for its recondite\nobject. Penance hath renunciation for its recondite object. Renunciation\nhath happiness for its recondite object. Happiness hath heaven for its\nrecondite object. Heaven hath tranquillity for its recondite\nobject.[1073] For the sake of contentment thou shouldst wish to obtain a\nserene understanding which is a precious possession, being indicative of\nEmancipation, and which, scorching grief and all purposes or doubts\ntogether with thirst, destroys them completely in the end.[1074] One\npossessed of those six attributes, viz., contentment, grieflessness,\nfreedom from attachment, peacefulness, cheerfulness, and freedom from\nenvy, is sure to become full or complete.[1075] They that, transcending\nall consciousness of body, know the Soul which resides within the body\nand which is understood by only persons of wisdom with the aid of the six\nentities (already mentioned, viz., the Vedas and truth, etc.) when\nendowed with only the attribute of Sattwa, and with the aid also of the\nother three (viz., instruction, meditation and Yoga), succeed in\nattaining to Emancipation.[1076] The man of wisdom, by understanding the\nSoul which presides within the body, which is divested of the attributes\nof birth and death, which exists in its own nature, which being\nuninvested with attributes requires no act of purification, and which is\nidentical with Brahma, enjoys beatitude that knows no termination. The\ngratification that the man of wisdom obtains by restraining his mind from\nwandering in all directions and fixing it wholly on the Soul is such that\nits like cannot be attained by one through any other means. He is said to\nbe truly conversant with the Vedas who is conversant with that which\ngratifies one whose stomach is empty, which pleases one who is indigent,\nand which invigorates one whose limbs are dry. Suspending his senses that\nhave been duly restrained from unworthy indulgence, he who lives engaged\nin Yoga meditation, is said to be a Brahmana. Such a person is said to be\ndistinguished above others. Such a person is said to derive his joys from\nthe Soul. With reference to one who lives after having weakened desire\nand devoting himself to the highest topic of existence, it should be said\nthat his happiness is continuously enhanced like the lunar disc (in the\nlighted fortnight).[1077] Like the Sun dispelling darkness, felicity\ndispels the sorrows of that Yogin who transcends both the gross and the\nsubtile elements, as also Mahat and the Unmanifest.[1078] Decrepitude and\ndeath cannot assail that Brahmana who has got beyond the sphere of acts,\nwho has transcended the destruction of the Gunas themselves, and who is\nno longer attached to worldly objects.[1079] Indeed, when the Yogin,\nfreed from everything, lives in a state transcending both attachment and\naversion, he is said to transcend even in this life his senses and all\ntheir objects. That Yogin, who having transcended Prakriti attains to the\nHighest Cause, becomes freed from the obligation of a return to the world\nin consequence of his having attained to that which is the\nhighest.'\"'\"[1080]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLII\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'Unto a disciple that wishes to enquire after Emancipation\nafter having transcended all pairs of opposites and accomplished the\nconcerns of both profit and religion, an accomplished preceptor should\nfirst recount all that has been said in the foregoing section, which is\nelaborate, on the topic of Adhyatma.[1081] Space, wind, light, water and\nearth counted as the fifth, and bhava and abhava and time, exist in all\nliving creatures having the five for their constituent ingredients.[1082]\nSpace is unoccupied interval. The organs of hearing consist of space. One\nconversant with the science of entities endued with form should know that\nspace has sound for its attribute. The feet (that assist at locomotion)\nhave wind for their essence. The vital breaths are made of wind. The\nsense of touch (skin) has wind for its essence, and touch is the\nattribute of wind. Heat, the digestive fire in the stomach, light that\ndiscovers all things, the warmth that is in the body, and eye counted as\nthe fifth, are all of light which has form of diverse colours for its\nattribute. Liquefied discharges, solubility, and all kinds of liquid\nmatter are of water. Blood, marrow, and all else (in the body) that is\ncool, should be known to have water for their essence. The tongue is the\nsense of taste, and taste is regarded as the attribute of water. All\nsolid substances are of earth, as also bones, teeth, nails, beard, the\nbristles on the body, hair, nerves, sinews, and skin. The nose is called\nthe sense of scent. The object of that sense, viz., scent, should be\nknown as the attribute of earth. Each subsequent element possesses the\nattribute or attributes of the preceding one besides its own. [1083] In\nall living creatures again are the (three) supplementary entities (viz.,\navidya, kama, and karma).[1084] The Rishis thus declared the five\nelements and the effects and attributes flowing from or belonging to\nthem. The mind forms the ninth in the calculation, and the understanding\nis regarded as the tenth. The Soul, which is infinite, is called the\neleventh. It is regarded as this all and as the highest. The mind has\ndoubt for its essence. The understanding discriminates and causes\ncertainty. The Soul (which, as already said, is infinite), becomes known\nas Jiva invested with body (or jivatman) through consequences derived\nfrom acts.[1085] That man who looketh upon the entire assemblage of\nliving creatures to be unstained, though endued with all these entities\nhaving time for their essence, has never to recur to acts affected by\nerror.'\"'\"[1086]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLIII\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'Those that are conversant with the scriptures behold, with\nthe aid of acts laid down in the scriptures, the Soul which is clothed in\na subtile body and is exceedingly subtile and which is dissociated from\nthe gross body in which it resides.[1087] As the rays of the Sun that\ncourse in dense masses through every part of the firmament are incapable\nof being seen by the naked eye though their existence is capable of being\ninferred by reason, after the same manner, existent beings freed from\ngross bodies and wandering in the universe are beyond the ken of human\nvision.[1088] As the effulgent disc of the Sun is beheld in the water in\na counter-image, after the same manner the Yogin beholds within gross\nbodies the existent self in its counter-image.[1089] All those souls\nagain that are encased in subtile forms after being freed from the gross\nbodies in which they resided, are perceptible to Yogins who have\nsubjugated their senses and who are endued with knowledge of the soul.\nIndeed, aided by their own souls, Yogins behold those invisible beings.\nWhether asleep or awake, during the day as in the night, and during the\nnight as in day time, they who apply themselves to Yoga after casting off\nall the creations of the understanding and the Rajas born of acts, as\nalso the very puissance that Yoga begets, succeed in keeping their linga\nform under complete control.[1090] The Jiva that dwells in such Yogins,\nalways endued with the seven subtile entities (viz., Mahat,\nconsciousness, and the five tanmatras of the five elemental entities),\nroves in all regions of bliss, freed from decrepitude and death. I say\n\"always\", and \"freed from death\" only in accordance with the common form\nof speech, for in reality, that linga form is terminable.[1091] That man,\nhowever, who (without having been able to transcend them) is under the\ninfluence of his mind and understanding, discriminates, even in his\ndreams, his own body from that of another and experiences (even then)\nboth pleasure and pain.[1092] Yes, in even his dreams he enjoys happiness\nand suffers misery; and yielding to wrath and cupidity, meets with\ncalamities of various kinds. In his dreams he acquires great wealth and\nfeels highly gratified, accomplishes meritorious acts, and (sees and\nhears, etc.) as he does in his wakeful hours. Wonderful it is to note\nthat jiva, which has to lie within the uterus and amid much internal\nheat, and which has to pass a period of full ten months in that place, is\nnot digested and reduced to destruction like food within the stomach. Men\noverwhelmed by the qualities of Rajas and Tamas never succeed in\nbeholding within the gross body the Jiva-soul which is a portion of the\nSupreme Soul of transcendent effulgence and which lies within the heart\nof every creature. They who betake themselves to the science of Yoga for\nthe purpose of obtaining (a knowledge) of that Soul transcending the\ninanimate and gross body, the imperceptible linga body, and the karana\nbody that is not destroyed on the occasion of even the universal\ndestruction.[1093] Amongst the duties that have been laid down for the\ndifferent modes of life including the fourth mode (or Sannyasa), these to\nwhich I have adverted, which have yoga for their foremost, and which\nimply a cessation of every operation of the Mind and the understanding,\nhave been laid down by Sandilya (in the Chandogya Upanishad).[1094]\nHaving comprehended the seven subtile entities (viz., the senses, the\nobjects of the mind, Mind, Understanding, Mahat, Unmanifest or Prakriti,\nand Purusha), having comprehended also the Supreme cause of the universe\nwith the six attributes (viz., omniscience, contentment, unlimited\ncomprehension, independence, eternal wakefulness, and omnipotence), and\nlastly having understood that the universe is only a modification of\nAvidya endued with the three qualities, one succeeds in beholding (guided\nby the scriptures), high Brahma.'\"'\"[1095]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLIV\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'There is a wonderful tree, called Desire, in the heart of a\nman. It is born of the seed called Error. Wrath and pride constitute its\nlarge trunk. The wish for action is the basin around its foot (for\nholding the water that is to nourish it). Ignorance is the root of that\ntree, and heedlessness is the water that gives it sustenance. Envy\nconstitutes its leaves. The evil acts of past lives supply it with\nvigour. Loss of judgment and anxiety are its twigs; grief forms its large\nbranches; and fear is its sprout. Thirst (after diverse objects) that is\n(apparently) agreeable forms the creepers that twine round it on every\nside. Excessively greedy men, bound in chains of iron, sitting around\nthat fruit-yielding tree, pay their adorations to it, in expectation of\nobtaining its fruit.[1096] He who, subduing those chains, cutteth down\nthat tree and seeks to cast off both sorrow and joy, succeeds in\nattaining to the end of both.[1097] That foolish man who nourishes this\ntree by indulgence in the objects of the senses is destroyed by those\nvery objects in which he indulges after the manner of a poisonous pill\ndestroying the patient to whom it is administered.[1098] A dexterous\nperson, however, by the aid of Yoga, forcibly teareth up and cutteth with\nthe sword of samadhi, the far-reaching root of this tree.[1099] One who\nknows that the end of all acts undertaken from only the desire of fruit\nis rebirth or chains that bind, succeeds in transcending all sorrow. The\nbody is said to be a city. The understanding is said to be its mistress.\nThe mind dwelling within the body is the minister of that mistress whose\nchief function is to decide. The senses are the citizen that are employed\nby the mind (upon the service of the mistress). For cherishing those\ncitizens the mind displays a strong inclination for acts of diverse\nkinds. In the matter of those acts, two great faults are observable,\nviz., Tamas and Rajas.[1100] Upon the fruits of those acts rest those\ncitizens along with the chiefs of the city (viz., Mind, Understanding,\nand Consciousness).[1101] The two faults (already spoken of) live upon\nthe fruits of those acts that are accomplished by forbidden means. This\nbeing the case, the understanding, which of itself is unconquerable (by\neither Rajas or Tamas), descends to a state of equality with the mind (by\nbecoming as much tainted as the mind that serves it). Then again the\nsenses, agitated by the stained mind, lose their own stability. Those\nobjects again for whose acquisition the understanding strives (regarding\nthem to be beneficial) become productive of grief and ultimately meet\nwith destruction. Those objects, after destruction, are recollected by\nthe mind, and accordingly they afflict the mind even after they are lost.\nThe understanding is afflicted at the same time, for the mind is said to\nbe different from the understanding only when the mind is considered in\nrespect of its chief function of receiving impressions about whose\ncertainty it is no judge. In reality, however, the mind is identical with\nthe understanding.[1102] The Rajas (productive of only sorrow and evil of\nevery kind) that is in the understanding then overwhelms the Soul itself\nthat lies over the Rajas-stained understanding like an image upon a\nmirror.[1103] It is the mind that first unites in friendship with Rajas.\nHaving united itself, it seizes the soul, the understanding, and the\nsenses (like a false minister seizing the king and the citizens after\nhaving conspired with a foe) and makes them over to Rajas (with which it\nhas united itself).'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Do thou, O son, O sinless one, listen once more, with\nfeelings of great pride, to the words that fell from the lips of the\nIsland-born Rishi on the subject of the enumeration of the entities. Like\nunto a blazing fire (for having transcended all ignorance), the great\nRishi said these words unto his son who resembled a fire wrapped in\nsmoke.[1104] Instructed by what he said, I also, O son, shall again\nexpound to thee that certain knowledge (which dispels ignorance). The\nproperties possessed by earth are immobility, weight, hardness,\nproductiveness, scent, density, capacity to absorb scents of all kinds,\ncohesion, habitableness (in respect of vegetables and animals), and that\nattribute of the mind which is called patience of the capacity to bear.\nThe properties of water are coolness, taste, moisture, liquidity,\nsoftness, agreeableness, tongue, fluidity, capacity to be congealed, and\npower to melt many earthly products.[1105] The properties of fire are\nirresistible energy, inflammability, heat, capacity to soften, light,\nsorrow, disease, speed, fury, and invariably upward motion. The\nproperties of the wind are touch that is neither hot nor cool, capacity\nto assist the organ of speech, independence (in respect of motion),\nstrength, celerity, power to assist all kinds of emission or discharge,\npower to raise other objects, breaths inhaled and exhaled, life (as the\nattribute of Chit) and birth (including death). The properties of space\nare sound, extension, capacity of being enclosed, absence of refuge for\nresting upon absence of all necessity for such refuge, status of being\nunmanifest, capacity for modification, incapacity for producing\nresistance, material cause for producing the sense of hearing, and the\nunoccupied portions of the human body. These are the fifty properties, as\ndeclared, that constitute the essence of the five elementary\nentities.[1106] Patience, reasoning or disputation, remembrance,\nforgetfulness or error, imagination, endurance, propensity towards good,\npropensity towards evil, and restlessness,--these are the properties of\nthe mind. Destruction of both good and evil thoughts (i.e., dreamless\nslumber), perseverance, concentration, decision, and ascertainment of all\nthings resting upon direct evidence, constitute the five properties of\nthe understanding.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"How can the understanding be said to have five\nproperties? How again, can the five senses be spoken of as properties (of\nthe five elementary entities)? Expound to me, O grandsire, all this that\nseems to be very abstruse.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The understanding is said to possess altogether sixty\nproperties, for the understanding includes the five elements.[1107] All\nthose properties exist in a state of union with the Soul. The Vedas\ndeclare, O son, that the elements, their (fifty) properties (together\nwith the mind and the understanding and their nine and five properties)\nare all created by Him who is above all deterioration. These (one and\nseventy) entities, therefore, are not eternal (like the Soul). The\ntheories contradicting the Revelation that have in the previous Vedas, O\nson, been placed before thee (about the origin of the Universe and its\nother incidents) are all defective in the eye of reason. Carefully\nattending, however, in this world to all that I have said unto thee about\nthe Supreme Brahma, do thou, after attaining to the puissance that the\nknowledge of Brahma offers, seek to win tranquillity of heart.\"'\"[1108]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLVI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"These lords of earth that lie on the earth's surface\namid their respective hosts, these princes endued with great might, are\nnow reft of animation. Every one of these mighty monarchs was possessed\nof strength equal to that of ten thousand elephants. Alas! these have all\nbeen slain by men possessed of equal prowess and might. I do not behold\nany one else (in the world) that could slay any of these men in\nbattle.[1109] All of them were endued with great prowess, great energy,\nand great strength. Possessed also of great wisdom, they are now lying on\nthe bare ground, deprived of life. With respect to all these men that are\ndeprived of life, the word that is used is that they are dead. Of\nterrible prowess, all these kings are said to be dead. On this subject a\ndoubt has arisen in my mind. Whence is animation and whence is death? Who\nis it that dies? (Is it the gross body, the subtile body, or the Soul,\nthat dies)? Whence is death? For what reason also doth death take away\n(living creatures)? O grandsire, tell me this, O thou that resemblest a\ncelestial!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In days of old, in the Krita age, O son, there was a king\nof the name of Anukampaka. His cars and elephants and horses and men\nhaving been reduced in number, he was brought under the sway of his foes\nin battle. His son named Hari, who resembled Narayana himself in\nstrength, was in that battle slain by his foes along with all his\nfollowers and troops. Afflicted with grief on account of the death of his\nson, and himself brought under the sway of foes, the king devoted himself\nthence to a life of tranquillity. One day, while wandering without a\npurpose he met the sage Narada on the earth. The monarch told Narada all\nthat had happened, viz., the death of his son in battle and his own\ncapture by his enemies. Having heard his words, Narada, possessed of\nwealth of penances, then recited to him the following narrative for\ndispelling his grief on account of the death of his son.\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'Listen now, O monarch, to the following narrative of\nrather lengthy details as these had occurred. I myself heard it formerly,\nO king! Endued with great energy, the Grandsire, at the time of the\ncreation of the universe, created a large number of living beings. These\nmultiplied greatly, and none of them met with death. There was no part of\nthe universe that was not overcrowded with living creatures, O thou of\nunfading glory! Indeed, O king, the three worlds seemed to swell with\nliving beings, and became as it were breathless. Then, O monarch, the\nthought arose in the Grandsire's mind as to how he should destroy that\novergrown population. Reflecting on the subject, the Self-born, however,\ncould not decide what the means should be by which the destruction of\nlife was to be brought about. Thereupon, O king, Brahman gave way to\nwrath, and in consequence of his wrath a fire issued out of his body.\nWith that fire born of his wrath, the Grandsire burnt all the quarters of\nthe universe, O monarch. Indeed, that conflagration born of the Divine\nlord's anger, O king, burnt heaven and earth and the firmament and the\nwhole universe with all its mobile and immobile beings. Truly, when the\nGrandsire thus gave way to wrath, all mobile and immobile beings began to\nbe consumed by the irresistible energy of that passion. Then the divine\nand auspicious Sthanu, that slayer of hostile heroes, that lord of the\nVedas and the scriptures, filled with compassion, sought to gratify\nBrahman. When Sthanu came to Brahman from motives of benevolence, the\ngreat God burning with energy, addressed him, saying, \"Thou deservest\nboons at my hands. What desire of thine shall I accomplish? I shall do\nthee good by accomplishing whatever is in thy breast.\"'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLVII\n\n\"'\"'Sthanu said, \"Know, O lord, that my solicitations to thee are on behalf\nof the created beings of the universe. These beings have been created by\nthee. Do not be angry with them, O grandsire! By the fire born of thy\nenergy, O illustrious one, all the created beings are being consumed.\nBeholding them placed in such a plight, I am penetrated with compassion.\nDo not be angry with them, O lord of the universe.\"\n\n\"'\"'The lord of all created beings said, \"I am not angry, nor is it my wish\nthat all the created beings should cease to exist. It is only for\nlightening the burthen of the earth that destruction is desirable. The\ngoddess Earth, afflicted with the weight of creatures, solicited me, O\nMahadeva, for destroying them, especially as She seemed to sink under\ntheir burthen into the water. When after exercising my intelligence for\neven a long while I could not hit upon the means by which to accomplish\nthe destruction of this overgrown population, it was then that wrath took\npossession of my breast.\"\n\n\"'\"'Sthanu said, \"Do not give way to wrath, O lord of the deities, with\nrespect to this matter about the destruction of living creatures. Be\ngratified. Let not these mobile and immobile beings be destroyed. All\ntanks, all kinds of grass and herbs, all immobile beings, and all mobile\ncreatures also of the four varieties, are being consumed. The whole\nuniverse is about to be denuded of beings. Be gratified, O divine lord! O\nthou of righteous heart, even this is the boon that I solicit at thy\nhands. If destroyed, these creatures would not come back. Therefore, let\nthis energy of thine be neutralised by thy own energy. Actuated by\ncompassion for all created beings find some means so that, O Grandsire,\nthese living creatures may not burn. Oh, let not these living creatures\nperish with even their descendants thus destroyed. Thou hast appointed me\nas the presider over the consciousness of all living creatures, O lord of\nall the lords of the universe. All this mobile and immobile universe of\nlife, O lord of the universe, hath sprung from thee. Pacifying thee, O\ngod of gods, I beg of thee that living creatures may repeatedly come back\ninto the world, undergoing repeated deaths.\"'\n\n\"'\"Narada continued, 'Hearing these words of Sthanu, the divine Brahman of\nrestrained speech and mind himself suppressed that energy of his within\nhis own heart. Suppressing that fire that had been devastating the\nuniverse, the illustrious Brahman, adored of all, and possessed of\nillimitable puissance, then arranged for both birth and death in respect\nof all living creatures. After the Selfborn had withdrawn and suppressed\nthat fire, there came out, from all the outlets of his body, a lady\nattired in robes of black and red, with black eyes, black palms, wearing\na pair of excellent ear-rings, and adorned with celestial ornaments.\nHaving sprung from Brahman's body, the lady took her station on his\nright. The two foremost of deities thereupon looked at her. Then, O king,\nthe puissant Selfborn, the original cause of all the worlds, saluted her\nand said, \"O Death, slay these creatures of the universe. Filled with\nanger and resolved to bring about the destruction of created beings, I\nhave called thee.[1110] Do thou, therefore, commence to destroy all\ncreatures foolish or learned. O lady, slay all created beings without\nmaking exception in anybody's favour. At my command thou wilt win great\nprosperity.\" Thus addressed, the goddess, Death, adorned with a garland\nof lotuses, began to reflect sorrowfully and shed copious tears. Without\nallowing her tears, however, to fall down, she held them, O king, in her\njoined palms. She then besought the Self-born, impelled by the desire of\ndoing good to mankind.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLVIII\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'The large-eyed lady, controlling her grief by an effort of\nher own, addressed the Grandsire, with joined hands and bending in an\nattribute of humility like a creeper. And she said, \"How, O foremost of\nspeakers, shall a lady like me that has sprung from thee proceed to\naccomplish such a terrible feat,--a feat, that is, which is sure to\ninspire all living creatures with dread? I fear to do aught that is\niniquitous. Do thou appoint such work for me as is righteous. Thou seest\nthat I am frightened. Oh, cast a compassionate glance upon me. I shall\nnot be able to cut off living creatures,--infants, youths, and aged\nones,--who have done me no injury. O lord of all creatures, I bow to\nthee, be gratified with me. I shall not be able to cut off dear sons and\nloved friends and brothers and mothers and fathers. If these die (through\nmy act), their surviving relatives will surely curse me. I am filled with\nfear at the prospect of this.[1111] The tears of the sorrow-stricken\nsurvivors will burn me for eternity. I am very much afraid of them (whose\nrelatives I shall have to cut off). I seek thy protection. All sinful\ncreatures (slain by me) will have to sink into the infernal regions. I\nseek to gratify thee, O boon-giving god! Extend to me thy grace, O\npuissant lord! I seek the gratification of this wish, O Grandsire, of all\nthe worlds. O foremost of all the gods, I seek, through thy grace, even\nthis object, viz., permission to undergo severe austerities.\"\n\n\"'\"'The Grandsire said, \"O Death, thou hast been intended by me for the\ndestruction of all creatures. Go, and set thyself to the task of slaying\nall. Do not reflect (upon the propriety or otherwise of this act). This\nmust certainly be. It cannot be otherwise. O sinless one, O lady of\nfaultless limbs, do thou accomplish the behest I have uttered.\" Thus\naddressed, O thou of mighty arms, the lady called Death, O conqueror of\nhostile cities, spoke not a word, but humbly stood there with her eyes\nupturned towards the puissant Lord of all creatures. Brahman addressed\nher repeatedly, but the lady seemed to be herself deprived of life.\nBeholding her thus, the god of gods, that lord of lords, became silent.\nIndeed, the Self-born, by an effort of his will, became gratified.\nSmiling, the lord of all the worlds then cast his eyes on the universe.\nIt has been heard by us that when that unconquered and illustrious lord\nsubdued his wrath, the lady (called Death) went away from his side.\nLeaving Brahman's side without having promised to accomplish the\ndestruction of living creatures, Death quickly proceeded, O king, to the\nsacred spot known by the name of Dhenuka. There the goddess practised the\nseverest austerities for five and ten billions of years, all the while\nstanding upon one foot.[1112] After she practised such exceedingly severe\nausterities in that place, Brahman of great energy once more said unto\nher, \"Do thou accomplish my behest, O Death!\" Disregarding this command,\nthe lady once more practised penances standing upon one foot for twenty\nbillions of years, O giver of honours! And once more, O son, she led a\nlife in the woods with the deer for another long period consisting of ten\nthousand billions of years.[1113] And once, O foremost of men, she passed\ntwice ten thousand years, living upon air only as her sustenance. Once\nagain, O monarch, she observed the excellent vow of silence for eight\nthousand years, passing the whole time in water. Then that maiden, O best\nof kings, went to the river Kausiki. There she began to pass her days in\nthe observance of another vow, living the while upon only water and air.\nAfter this, O monarch, the blessed maiden proceeded to the Ganges and\nthence to the mountains of Meru. Moved by the desire of doing good to all\nliving creatures, she stood perfectly motionless there like a piece of\nwood. Proceeding thence to the summit of Himavat where the deities had\nperformed their great sacrifice, she stood there for another hundred\nbillions of years, supporting her weight upon only the toes of her feet\nwith the object of gratifying the Grandsire with such an act of\nausterity. Wending thither, the Creator and Destroyer of the universe\nagain addressed her saying, \"Upon what art thou engaged, O daughter?\nAccomplish those words of mine.\" Addressing the divine Grandsire, the\nmaiden once more said, \"I am unable to cut off living creatures, O god! I\nseek to gratify thee (so that I may be excused of this behest).\"\nFrightened at the prospect of demerit she prayed the Grandsire for being\nexcused of obedience to his command, the Grandsire silenced her, and once\nmore addressed her, saying, \"No demerit will accrue, O Death! Do thou, O\nauspicious maiden, set thyself to the task of destroying living\ncreatures. That which I have uttered, O amiable girl, cannot certainly be\nfalsified. Eternal righteousness shall now take refuge in thee. Myself\nand all the deities shall always be employed in seeking thy good. This\nother wish that is in thy heart I grant thee. Living creatures shall be\nafflicted by disease, and (dying) shall cast the blame on thee. Thou\nshalt become a male in all male beings, a female in all female beings,\nand a eunuch in all those that are of the third sex.\"[1114] Thus addressed\nby Brahman, O king, the maiden at last said, with joined hands unto that\nhigh-souled and undeteriorating lord of all the deities, these words, \"I\nam unable to obey thy command.\" The great God, without relenting, again,\nsaid unto her, \"O Death, do thou kill men. I shall so ordain that thou\nshalt not incur any demerit by doing this, O auspicious lady! Those tear\ndrops that I see fallen from thy eyes, and that thou still boldest in thy\njoined hands, shall take the form of terrible diseases and even they\nshall destroy men when their hours come. When the end comes of living\ncreatures, thou shalt despatch Desire and Wrath together against them.\nImmeasurable merit shall be thine. Thou shalt not incur iniquity, being\nthyself perfectly equal in thy behaviour.[1115] By doing this thou wilt\nonly observe righteousness instead of sinking thyself into iniquity. Do\nthou, therefore, set thy heart upon the task at hand, and addressing\nDesire and Wrath begin to slay all living creatures.\" Thus addressed,\nthat lady, called by the name of Death, became afraid of Brahman's curse\nand answered him, saying, \"Yes!\" From that time she began to despatch\nDesire and Wrath as the last hours of living creatures and through their\nagency to put a stop to their life-breaths. Those tears that Death had\nshed are the diseases by which the bodies of men become afflicted. At the\ndestruction, therefore, of living creatures, one should not,\nunderstanding, with the aid of the intelligence (to what cause such\ndestruction is due), give way to grief. As the senses of all creatures\ndisappear when the latter become plunged into dreamless sleep and return\nonce more when they awake, after the same manner all human beings, upon\nthe dissolution of their bodies, have to go into the other world and\nreturn thence to this, O lion among kings! The element called wind, that\nis endued with terrible energy and mighty prowess and deafening roars,\noperates as the life in all living creatures. That wind, when the bodies\nof living creatures are destroyed, escaping from the old becomes engaged\nin diverse functions in diverse new bodies. For this reason, the wind is\ncalled the lord of the senses and is distinguished above the other\nelements constituting the gross body. The gods, without exception, (when\ntheir merits cease), have to take birth as mortal creatures on earth.\nSimilarly, all mortal creatures also (when they acquire sufficient\nmerit), succeed in attaining to the status of gods. Therefore, O lion\namong kings, do not grieve for thy son. Thy son has attained to heaven\nand is enjoying great happiness there! It was thus, O monarch, that Death\nwas created by the Self-born and it is in this way that she cuts off duly\nall living creatures when their hours come. The tears she had shed become\ndiseases, which, when their last hours come, snatch away all beings\nendued with life.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLIX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"All men that inhabit this earth are filled with\ndoubts in respect of the nature of righteousness. Who is this that is\ncalled Righteousness? Whence also does Righteousness come? Tell me this,\nO Grandsire! Is Righteousness for service in this world or is it for\nservice in the next world? Or, is it for service both here and hereafter?\nTell me this, O grandsire!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The practices of the good, the Smritis, and the Vedas,\nare the three indications (sources) of righteousness. Besides these, the\nlearned have declared that the purpose (for which an act is accomplished)\nis the fourth indication of righteousness.[1116] The Rishis of old have\ndeclared what acts are righteous and also classified them as superior or\ninferior in point of merit. The rules of righteousness have been laid\ndown for the conduct of the affairs of the world. In both the worlds,\nthat is, here and hereafter, righteousness produces happiness as its\nfruits. A sinful person unable to acquire merit by subtile ways, becomes\nstained with sin only. Some are of opinion that sinful persons can never\nbe cleansed of their sins. In seasons of distress, a person by even\nspeaking an untruth acquires the merit of speaking the truth, even as a\nperson who accomplishes an unrighteous act acquires by that very means\nthe merit of having done a righteous act. Conduct is the refuge of\nrighteousness. Thou shouldst know what righteousness is, aided by\nconduct.[1117] (It is the nature of man that he neither sees nor\nproclaims his own faults but notices and proclaims those of others). The\nvery thief, stealing what belongs to others, spends the produce of his\ntheft in acts of apparent virtue. During a time of anarchy, the thief\ntakes great pleasure in appropriating what belongs to others. When\nothers, however, rob him of what he has acquired by robbery, he then\nwishes forthwith for a king (for invoking punishment on the head of the\noffenders). At even such a time, when his indignation for offended rights\nof property is at its highest, he secretly covets the wealth of those\nthat are contented with their own. Fearlessly and without a doubt in his\nmind (when he is himself the victim of a robbery) he repairs to the\nking's palace with a mind cleansed of every sin. Within even his own\nheart he does not see the stain of any evil act.[1118] To speak the truth\nis meritorious. There is nothing higher than truth. Everything is upheld\nby truth, and everything rests upon truth. Even the sinful and ferocious,\nswearing to keep the truth amongst themselves, dismiss all grounds of\nquarrel and uniting with one another set themselves to their (sinful)\ntasks, depending upon truth. If they behaved falsely towards one another,\nthey would then be destroyed without doubt. One should not take what\nbelongs to others. That is an eternal obligation. Powerful men regard it\nas one that has been introduced by the weak. When, however, the destiny\nof these men becomes adverse, this injunction then meets with their\napproval. Then again they that surpass others in strength or prowess do\nnot necessarily become happy.[1119] Therefore, do not ever set thy heart\non any act that is wrong. One behaving in this way hath no fear of\ndishonest men or thieves or the king. Not having done any injury to any\none, such a man lives fearlessly and with a pure heart. A thief fears\neverybody, like a deer driven from the woods into the midst of an\ninhabited village. He thinks other people to be as sinful as himself. One\nthat is of pure heart is always filled with cheerfulness and hath no fear\nfrom any direction. Such a person never sees his own misconduct in\nothers.[1120] Persons engaged in doing good to all creatures have said\nthat the practice of charity is another high duty. They that are\npossessed of wealth think that this duty has been laid down by those that\nare indigent. When, however, those wealthy men meet with poverty in\nconsequence of some turn of fortune, the practice of charity then\nrecommends itself to them. Men that are exceedingly wealthy do not\nnecessarily meet with happiness.[1121] Knowing how painful it is to\nhimself, a person should never do that to others which he dislikes when\ndone to him by others.[1122] What can one who becomes the lover of\nanother man's wife say to another man (guilty of the same transgression)?\nIt is seen, however, that even such a one, when he sees his lady with\nanother lover, becomes unable to forgive the act.[1123] How can one who,\nto draw breath himself think of preventing another by a murderous act,\nfrom doing the same? Whatever wishes one entertains with respect to one's\nown self, one should certainly cherish with respect to another. With the\nsurplus wealth one may happen to own one should relieve the wants of the\nindigent. It is for this reason that the Creator ordained the practice of\nincreasing one's wealth (by trade or laying it out at interest).[1124]\nOne should walk along that path by proceeding along which one may hope to\nmeet with the deities; or, at such times when wealth is gained, adherence\nto the duties of sacrifice and gift is laudable. [1125] The sages have\nsaid that the accomplishment of the objects by means of agreeable\n(pacific) means is righteousness. See, O Yudhishthira, that even this is\nthe criterion that has been kept in view in declaring the indications of\nrighteousness and iniquity.[1126] In days of old the Creator ordained\nrighteousness endowing it with the power of holding the world together.\nThe conduct of the good, that is fraught with excellence, is subjected to\n(numerous) restraints for acquiring righteousness which depends upon many\ndelicate considerations. The indications of righteousness have now been\nrecounted to thee, O foremost one of Kuru's race! Do not, therefore, at\nany time set thy understanding upon any act that is wrong.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou sayest that righteousness or duty depends upon\ndelicate considerations, that is indicated by the conduct of those that\nare called good, that it is fraught with restraints (from numerous acts),\nand that its indications are also contained in the Vedas. It seems to me,\nhowever, that I have a certain inward light in consequence of which I can\ndiscriminate between right and wrong by inferences.[1127] Numerous\nquestions that I had intended to ask thee have all been answered by thee.\nThere is one question, however, that I shall presently ask. It is not\nprompted, O king, by desire of empty disputation. All these embodied\ncreatures, it seems, take birth, exist, and leave their bodies, of their\nown nature. Duty and its reverse, therefore, cannot be ascertained, O\nBharata, by study of the scriptures alone.[1128] The duties of a person\nwho is well off are of one kind. Those of a person who has fallen into\ndistress are of another kind. How can duty respecting seasons of distress\nbe ascertained by reading the scriptures alone?[1129] The acts of the\ngood, thou hast said, constitute righteousness (or duty). The good,\nhowever, are to be ascertained by their acts. The definition, therefore,\nhas for its foundation, a begging of the question, with the result that\nwhat is meant by conduct of the good remains unsettled. It is seen that\nsome ordinary person commits unrighteousness while apparently achieving\nrighteousness. Some extraordinary persons again may be seen who achieve\nrighteousness by committing acts that are apparently unrighteous.[1130]\nThen, again, the proof (of what I say) has been furnished by even those\nthat are well conversant with the scriptures themselves, for it has been\nheard by us that the ordinances of the Vedas disappear gradually in every\nsuccessive age. The duties in the Krita age are of one kind. Those in the\nTreta are of another kind, and those in the Dwapara are again different.\nThe duties in the Kali age, again, are entirely of another kind. It\nseems, therefore, that duties have been laid down for the respective ages\naccording to the powers of human beings in the respective ages. When,\ntherefore, all the declarations in the Vedas do not apply equally to all\nthe ages, the saying that the declarations of the Vedas are true is only\na popular form of speech indulged in for popular satisfaction. From the\nSrutis have originated the Smritis whose scope again is very wide. If the\nVedas be authority for everything, then authority would attach to the\nSmritis also for the latter are based on the former. When, however, the\nSrutis and the Smritis contradict each other, how can either be\nauthoritative? Then again, it is seen that when some wicked persons of\ngreat might cause certain portions of certain courses of righteous acts\nto be stopped, these are destroyed for ever.[1131] Whether we know it or\nknow it not, whether we are able to ascertain it or not to ascertain it,\nthe course of duty is finer than the edge of a razor and grosser than\neven a mountain. Righteousness (in the form of sacrifices and other\nreligious acts) at first appears in the form of the romantic edifices of\nvapour seen in the distant sky. When, however, it is examined by the\nlearned, it disappears and becomes invisible.[1132] Like the small ponds\nat which the cattle drink or the shallow aqueducts along cultivated\nfields that dry up very soon, the eternal practices inculcated in the\nSmritis, falling into discontinuance, at last disappear totally (in the\nKali age). Amongst men that are not good some are seen to become\nhypocrites (in respect of the acquisition of righteousness) by suffering\nthemselves to be urged by desire. Some become so, urged by the wishes of\nothers. Others, numbering many, tread in the same path, influenced by\ndiverse other motives of a similar character.[1133] It cannot be denied\nthat such acts (though accomplished by persons under the influence of\nevil passions) are righteous. Fools, again, say that righteousness is an\nempty sound among those called good. They ridicule such persons and\nregard them as men destitute of reason. Many great men, again, turning\nback (from the duties of their own order) betake themselves to the duties\nof the kingly order. No such conduct, therefore, is to be seen (as\nobserved by any man), which is fraught with universal benevolence.[1134]\nBy a certain course of conduct one becomes really meritorious. That very\ncourse of conduct obstructs another in the acquisition of merit. Another,\nby practising at his pleasure that conduct, it is seen, remains\nunchanged.[1135] Thus that conduct by which one becomes meritorious\nimpedes another in the acquisition of merit. One may thus see that all\ncourses of conduct are seen to lose singleness of purpose and character.\nIt seems, therefore, that only that which the learned of ancient times\ncalled righteousness is righteousness to this day: and through that\ncourse of conduct (which the learned so settled) the distinctions and\nlimitations (that govern the world) have become eternal.\"'\"[1136]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLXI\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the old narrative of the\nconversation of Tuladhara with Jajali on the topic of righteousness.\nThere was once a Brahmana of the name of Jajali who lived in a certain\nforest, practising the ways of a forest-recluse.[1137] Of austere\npenances, he proceeded on a certain occasion towards the sea-shore, and\nhaving arrived there began to practise the most severe penances.\nObserving many vows and restraints, his food regulated by many rules of\nfast, his body clad in rags and skins, bearing matted locks on his head\nhis entire person smeared with filth and clay, that Brahmana possessed of\nintelligence passed many years there, suspending speech (and engaged in\nYoga meditation). Possessed of great energy, that regenerate ascetic, O\nmonarch, while living within the waters (of the sea), roamed through all\nthe worlds with the speed of the mind, desirous of seeing all\nthings.[1138] Having beheld the whole earth bounded by the ocean and\nadorned with rivers and lakes and woods, the ascetic one day, while\nsitting under the water, began to think in this strain, 'In this world of\nmobile and immobile creatures there is none equal to me, who can roam\nwith me among the stars and planets in the firmament and dwell again\nwithin the waters.' Unseen by the Rakshasas while he repeated this to\nhimself, the Pisachas said unto him, 'It behoves thee not to say so.\nThere is a man, named Tuladhara, possessed of great fame and engaged in\nthe business of buying and selling. Even he, O best of regenerate\npersons, is not worthy of saying such words as thou sayest.' Thus\naddressed by those beings, Jajali of austere penances replied unto them,\nsaying, 'I shall see that famous Tuladhara who is possessed of such\nwisdom.' When the Rishi said those words, those superhuman beings raised\nhim from the sea, and said unto him, 'O best of regenerate persons, go\nthou along this road.' Thus addressed by those beings, Jajali proceeded\nonwards with a cheerless heart. Arrived at Varanasi he met Tuladhara whom\nhe addressed saying the following words.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"What, O sire, are those difficult feats that Jajali\nhad performed before in consequence of which he had acquired such high\nsuccess? It behoveth thee to describe them to me.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Jajali had become engaged in penances of the severest\nausterities. He used to perform ablutions morning and evening. Carefully\ntending his fires, he was devoted to the study of the Vedas.\nWell-conversant with the duties laid down for forest recluses, Jajali (in\nconsequence of his practices) seemed to blaze with effulgence.[1139] He\ncontinued to live in the woods, engaged all the while in penances. But he\nnever regarded himself as one that had acquired any merit by his acts. In\nthe season of the rains he slept under the open sky. In autumn he sat in\nwater. In summer he exposed himself to the sun and the wind. Still he\nnever regarded himself as one that had acquired any merit through such\nacts. He used to sleep on diverse kinds of painful beds and also on the\nbare earth. Once on a time, that ascetic, while standing under the sky in\nthe rainy season, received on his head repeated downpours from the\nclouds. He had to pass through the woods repeatedly. What with exposure\nto the rains and what with the filth they caught, the locks of that\nsinless Rishi became entangled and intertwined with one another. On one\noccasion, that great ascetic, abstaining entirely from food and living\nupon air only, stood in the forest like a post of wood. Unmoved at heart,\nhe stood there, without once stirring an inch. While he stood there like\na wooden post, perfectly immovable, O Bharata, a pair of Kulinga birds, O\nking, built their nest on his head. Filled with compassion, the great\nRishi suffered that feathery couple in building their nest among his\nmatted locks with shreds of grass. And as the ascetic stood there like a\npost of wood, the two birds lived with confidence on his head happily.\nThe rains passed away and autumn came. The couple, urged by desire,\napproached each other according to the law of the Creator, and in\ncomplete confidence laid their eggs, O king, on the head of that Rishi.\nOf rigid vows and possessed of energy, the ascetic knew it. Knowing what\nthe birds had done, Jajali moved not. Firmly resolved to acquire merit,\nno act that involved the slightest injury to others could recommend\nitself to him. The feathery couple going away and moving every day from\nand to his head, happily and confidently lived there, O puissant king!\nWhen in the progress of time the eggs became mature and young ones came\nout, they began to grow up in that nest, for Jajali moved not in the\nleast. Firm in the observance of his vows, the righteous-souled Rishi\ncontinued to hold and protect those eggs by standing on that very spot\nperfectly motionless and rapt in Yoga meditation. In course of time the\nyoung ones grew and became equipped with wings. The Muni knew that the\nyoung Kulingas had attained to that stage of development. That foremost\nof intelligent men, steady in the observance of vows, one day beheld\nthose young ones and became filled with pleasure. The parent-birds,\nseeing their young ones equipped with wings, became very happy and\ncontinued to dwell in the Rishi's head with them in perfect safety. The\nlearned Jajali saw that when the young birds became equipped with wings\nthey took to the air every evening and returned to his head without\nhaving proceeded far. He still stood motionless on that spot. Sometimes,\nafter he saw that, left by their parents, they went out by themselves and\nreturned again by themselves. Jajali still moved not. A little while\nafter, the young birds going away in the morning passed the whole day out\nof his sight, but came back in the evening for dwelling in the nest.\nSometimes, after that, leaving their nest for five days at a stretch,\nthey returned on the sixth day. Jajali still moved not. Subsequently,\nwhen their strength became fully developed they left him and returned not\nat all even after many days. At last, on one occasion, leaving him, they\ncame not even after a month. Then, O king, Jajali left that spot. When\nthey had thus gone away for good, Jajali wondered much, and thought that\nhe had achieved ascetic success. Then pride entered his heart. Firm in\nthe observance of vows, the great ascetic, seeing the birds thus leave\nhim after having been reared on his head, thought highly of himself, and\nbecame filled with delight. He, then, bathed in a stream and poured\nlibations on the sacred fire, and paid his adorations to the rising Sun\nindeed, having thus caused those chataka birds to grow on his head,\nJajali, that foremost of ascetics, began to slap his armpits and proclaim\nloudly through the sky, '_I have won great merit_.' Then an invisible\nvoice arose in the sky and Jajali heard these words, 'Thou art not equal,\nO Jajali, to Tuladhara in point of righteousness. Possessed of great\nwisdom, that Tuladhara lives at Baranasi. Even he is not fit to say what\nthou sayest, O regenerate one.' Hearing these words, Jajali became filled\nwith wrath, and desirous of meeting Tuladhara, O monarch, began to roam\nover the whole earth, observing the vow of silence and passing the night\nat that spot where evening overtook him.[1140] After a considerable time\nhe reached the city of Baranasi, and saw Tuladhara engaged in selling\nmiscellaneous articles.[1141] As soon as the shop-keeper Tuladhara beheld\nthe Brahmana arrived at his place, he cheerfully stood up and worshipped\nthe guest with proper salutations.[1142]\n\n\"'\"Tuladhara said, 'Without doubt, O Brahmana, it is known to me that thou\nhast come to _me_. Listen, however, O foremost of regenerate persons, to\nwhat I say. Living on a low land near the sea-shore thou underwentest\nvery austere penances. But thou hadst no consciousness of having achieved\nrighteousness or merit. When thou didst at last attain to ascetic\nsuccess, certain birds were born on thy head. Thou tookest great care of\nthe little creatures. When at last those birds became equipped with wings\nand when they began to leave thy head for going hither and thither in\nsearch of food, it was then that, in consequence of having thus assisted\nat the birth of those Chatakas, thou begannest to feel the impulse of\npride, O Brahmana, thinking thou hadst achieved great merit.[1143] Then,\nO foremost of regenerate persons, thou heardest in the sky a voice that\nreferred to me. The words thou didst hear filled thee with wrath, and as\nthe consequence thereof thou art here. Tell me, what wish of thine I\nshall accomplish, O best of Brahmanas!'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLXII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Thus addressed by the intelligent Tuladhara on that\noccasion, Jajali of great intelligence, that foremost of ascetics, said\nthese words unto him.\n\n\"'\"Jajali said, 'Thou sellest all kinds of juices and scents, O son of a\ntrader, as also (barks and leaves of) large trees and herbs and their\nfruits and roots. How hast thou succeeded in acquiring a certitude or\nstability of understanding? Whence hath this knowledge come to thee? O\nthou of great intelligence, tell me all this in detail.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed by that Brahmana possessed of great\nfame, Tuladhara of the Vaisya order, well acquainted with the truths\ntouching the interpretations of morality and contented with knowledge,\ndiscoursed to Jajali who had undergone severe penances, upon the ways of\nmorality.[1144]\n\n\"'\"Tuladhara said, 'O Jajali, I know morality, which is eternal, with all\nits mysteries. It is nothing else than that ancient morality which is\nknown to all, and which consists of universal friendliness, and is\nfraught with beneficence to all creatures.[1145] That mode of living\nwhich is founded upon a total harmlessness towards all creatures or (in\ncase of actual necessity) upon a minimum of such harm, is the highest\nmorality. I live according to that mode, O Jajali! This my house hath\nbeen built with wood and grass cut by other people's hands. Lac dye, the\nroots of Nymphaea lotus, filaments of the lotus, diverse kinds of good\nscents[1146] and many kinds of liquids, O regenerate Rishi, with the\nexception of wines, I purchase from other people's hand and sell without\ncheating. He, O Jajali, is said to know what morality or righteousness\nis, who is always the friend of all creatures and who is always engaged\nin the good of all creatures, in thought, word, and deed. I never solicit\nany one. I never quarrel with any one. I never cherish aversion for any\none. I never cherish desire for anything. I cast equal eyes upon all\nthings and all creatures. Behold, O Jajali, this is my vow! My scales are\nperfectly even, O Jajali, with respect to all creatures.[1147] I neither\npraise nor blame the acts of others, viewing this variety in the world, O\nforemost of Brahmanas, to be like the variety observable in the\nsky.[1148] Know, O Jajali, that I cast equal eye upon all creatures. O\nforemost of intelligent men, I see no difference between a clod of earth,\na piece of stone, and a lump of gold. As the blind, the deaf, and they\nthat are destitute of reason, are perfectly consoled for the loss of\ntheir senses, after the same manner am I consoled, by their example (for\nthe enjoyments I abstain from).[1149] As they that are overtaken by\ndecrepitude, they that are afflicted by disease, and they that are\nweakened and emaciated, have no relish for enjoyments of any kind, after\nthe same manner have I ceased to feel any relish for wealth or pleasure\nor enjoyments. When a person fears nothing and himself is not feared,\nwhen he cherishes no desire and hath no aversion for anything, he is then\nsaid to attain to Brahma. When a person does not conduct himself sinfully\ntowards any creature in thought, word, or deed, then is he said to attain\nto Brahma. There is no past, no future. There is no morality or\nrighteousness. He who is not an object of fear with any creature succeeds\nin attaining to a state in which there is no fear.[1150] On the other\nhand, that person who for harshness of speech and severity of temper, is\na source of trouble unto all creatures even as death itself, certainly\nattains to a state which abounds with fear. I follow the practices of\nhigh-souled and benevolent men of advanced years who with their children\nand children's children live in the due observance of the ordinance laid\ndown in the scriptures.[1151] The eternal practices (laid down in the\nVedas) are entirely given up by one who suffers himself to be stupefied\nby some errors that he may have noticed in the conduct of those that are\nadmittedly good and wise. One, however, that is endued with learning, or\none that has subdued one's senses, or one that is possessed of strength\nof mind, succeeds in attaining to Emancipation, guided by that very\nconduct.[1152] That wise man who, having restrained his senses,\npractiseth, with a heart cleansed from all desire of injuring others, the\nconduct that is followed by those called good, is sure, O Jajali, to\nacquire the merit of righteousness (and Emancipation which is its\nfruits). In this world, as in a river, a piece of wood that is being\nborne away by the current as it pleases, is seen to come into contact\n(for some time) with another piece that is being similarly borne away.\nThere, on the current, other pieces of wood that had been joined\ntogether, are seen again to separate from one another. Grass, sticks, and\ncowdung cakes are seen to be united together. This union is due to\naccident and not to purpose or design.[1153] He of whom no creature is\nfrightened in the least is himself, O ascetic, never frightened by any\ncreature. He, on the other hand, O learned man, of whom every creature is\nfrightened as of a wolf, becomes himself filled with fear as aquatic\nanimals when forced to leap on the shore from fear of the roaring Vadava\nfire.[1154] This practice of universal harmlessness hath arisen even\nthus. One may follow it by every means in one's power. He who has\nfollowers and he who has wealth may seek to adopt it. It is sure to lead\nalso to prosperity and heaven.[1155] In consequence of their ability to\ndispel the fears of others, men possessed of wealth and followers are\nregarded as foremost by the learned. They that are for ordinary happiness\npractise this duty of universal harmlessness for the sake of fame; while\nthey that are truly skilled, practise the same for the sake of attaining\nto Brahma.[1156] Whatever fruits one enjoys by penances, by sacrifices,\nby practising liberality, by speaking the truth, and by paying court to\nwisdom, may all be had by practising the duty of harmlessness. That\nperson who gives unto all creatures the assurance of harmlessness obtains\nthe merit of all sacrifices and at last wins fearlessness for himself as\nhis reward. There is no duty superior to the duty of abstention from\ninjuring other creatures. He of whom, O great ascetic, no creature is\nfrightened in the least, obtains for himself fearlessness of all\ncreatures. He of whom everybody is frightened as one is of a snake\nensconced within one's (sleeping) chamber, never acquires any merit in\nthis world or in the next. The very gods, in their search after it,\nbecome stupefied in the track of that person who transcends all states,\nthe person, viz., who constitutes himself the soul of all creatures and\nwho looketh upon all creatures as identical with his own self.[1157] Of\nall gifts, the assurance of harmlessness to all creatures is the highest\n(in point of merit). I tell thee truly, believe me, O Jajali! One who\nbetakes himself to acts at first wins prosperity, but then (upon the\nexhaustion of his merit) he once more encounters adversity. Beholding the\ndestruction of (the merits of) acts, the wise do not applaud acts. There\nis no duty, O Jajali, that is not prompted by some motive (of happiness).\nDuty, however, is very subtile. Duties have been laid down in the Vedas\nfor the sake of both Brahma and heaven.[1158] The subject of duties hath\nmany secrets and mysteries. It is so subtile that it is not easy to\nunderstand it fully. Amongst diverse conflicting ordinances, some succeed\nin comprehending duty by observing the acts of the good.[1159] Why dost\nthou not consume them that emasculate bulls and bore their noses and\ncause them to bear heavy burthens and bind them and put them under\ndiverse kinds of restraint, and that eat the flesh of living creatures\nafter slaying them? Men are seen to own men as slaves, and by beating, by\nbinding, and by otherwise subjecting them to restraints, cause them to\nlabour day and night. These people are not ignorant of the pain that\nresults from beating and fastening in chains.[1160] In every creature\nthat is endued with the five senses live all the deities. Surya,\nChandramas, the god of wind, Brahman, Prana, Kratu, and Yama (these dwell\nin living creatures). There are men that live by trafficking in living\ncreatures! When they earn a living by such a sinful course, what scruples\nneed they feel in selling dead carcases? The goat is Agni. The sheep is\nVaruna. The horse is Surya. Earth is the deity Virat. The cow and the\ncalf are Soma. The man who sells these can never obtain success. But what\nfault can attach to the sale of oil, or of Ghrita, or honey, or drugs, O\nregenerate one? There are many animals that grow up in ease and comfort\nin places free from gnats and biting insects. Knowing that they are loved\ndearly by their mothers, men persecute them in diverse ways, and lead\nthem into miry spots abounding with biting insects. Many draft animals\nare oppressed with heavy burthens. Others, again, are made to languish in\nconsequence of treatment not sanctioned by the scriptures. I think that\nsuch acts of injury done to animals are in no way distinguished from\nfoeticide. People regard the profession of agriculture to be sinless.\nThat profession, however, is certainly fraught with cruelty. The\niron-faced plough wounds the soil and many creatures that live in the\nsoil. Cast thy eyes, O Jajali, on those bullocks yoked to the plough.\nKine are called in the Srutis the Unslayable. That man perpetrates a\ngreat sin who slays a bull or a cow.[1161] In days of yore, many Rishis\nwith restrained senses addressed Nahusha, saying, \"Thou hast, O king,\nslain a cow which is declared in the scriptures to be like unto one's\nmother. Thou hast also slain a bull, which is declared to be like unto\nthe Creator himself.[1162] Thou hast perpetrated an evil act, O Nahusha,\nand we have been exceedingly pained at it.\" For cleansing Nahusha,\nhowever, they divided that sin into a hundred and one parts and\nconverting the fragments into diseases cast them among all\ncreatures.[1163] Thus, O Jajali, did those highly-blessed Rishis cast\nthat sin on all living creatures, and addressing Nahusha who had been\nguilty of foeticide, said, \"We shall not be able to pour libations in thy\nsacrifice.\" Thus said those high-souled Rishis and Yatis conversant with\nthe truths of all things, having ascertained by their ascetic power that\nking Nahusha had not been intentionally guilty of that sin.[1164] These,\nO Jajali, are some of the wicked and dreadful practices that are current\nin this world. Thou practisest them because they are practised by all men\nfrom ancient times, and not because they agree with the dictates of thy\ncleansed understanding. One should practise what one considers to be\none's duty, guided by reasons, instead of blindly following the practices\nof the world. Listen now, O Jajali, as to what my behaviour is towards\nhim that injures and him that praises me. I regard both of them in the\nsame light. I have none whom I like and none whom I dislike. The wise\napplauded such a course of conduct as consistent with duty or religion.\nEven this course of conduct, which is consistent with reasons, is\nfollowed by Yatis. The righteous always observe it with eyes possessed of\nimproved vision.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLXIII\n\n\"'\"Jajali said, 'This course of duty that thou, O holder of scales,\npreachest, closes the door of heaven against all creatures and puts a\nstop to the very means of their subsistence. From agriculture comes food.\nThat food offers subsistence even to thee. With the aid of animals and of\ncrops and herbs, human beings, O trader, are enabled to support their\nexistence. From animals and food sacrifices flow. Thy doctrines smack of\natheism. This world will come to an end if the means by which life is\nsupported have to be abandoned.'\n\n\"'\"Tuladhara said, 'I shall now speak on the object of the means of\nsustenance. I am not, O Brahmana, an atheist. I do not blame Sacrifices.\nThe man, however, is very rare that is truly conversant with Sacrifice. I\nbow to that Sacrifice which is ordained for Brahmanas. I bow also to them\nthat are conversant with that Sacrifice. Alas, the Brahmanas, having\ngiven up the Sacrifice that is ordained for them, have betaken themselves\nto the performance of Sacrifices that are for Kshatriyas.[1165] Many\npersons of faith, O regenerate one, that are covetous and fond of wealth,\nwithout having understood the true meaning of the declarations of the\nSrutis, and proclaiming things that are really false but that have the\nshow of truth, have introduced many kinds of Sacrifices, saying, \"This\nshould be given away in this Sacrifice. This other thing should be given\naway in this other Sacrifice. The first of this is very laudable.\" The\nconsequence, however, of all this, O Jajali, is that theft and many evil\nacts spring up.[1166] It should be known that only that sacrificial\noffering which was acquired by righteous means can gratify the gods.\nThere are abundant indications in the scriptures that the worship of the\ndeities may be accomplished with vows, with libations poured on the fire,\nwith recitations or chanting of the Vedas, and with plants and herbs.\nFrom their religious acts unrighteous persons get wicked offspring. From\ncovetous men are born children that are covetous, and from those that are\ncontented spring children that are contented. If the sacrificer and the\npriest suffer themselves to be moved by desire of fruit (in respect of\nthe Sacrifices they perform or assist in), their children take the stain.\nIf, on the other hand, they do not yield to desire of fruit, the children\nborn to them become of the same kind. From Sacrifices spring progeny like\nclear water from the firmament. The libations poured on the sacrificial\nfire rise up to the Sun. From the Sun springs rain. From rain springs\nfood. From food are born living creatures. In former days, men\nrighteously devoted to Sacrifices used to obtain therefrom the fruition\nof all their wishes. The earth yielded crops without tillage. The\nblessing uttered by the Rishis produced herbs and plants.[1167] The men\nof former times never performed Sacrifices from desire of fruits and\nnever regarded themselves as called upon to enjoy those fruits. Those who\nsomehow perform sacrifices, doubting the while their efficacy take birth\nin their next lives as dishonest, wily, and greedy men exceedingly\ncovetous of wealth. That man who by the aid of false reasoning holds up\nall the authoritative scriptures as fraught with evil, is certain to go,\nfor such sinful act of his, into the regions of the sinful. Such a man is\ncertainly possessed of a sinful soul, O foremost of Brahmanas, and always\nremains here, bereft of wisdom.[1168] That man who regards those acts\nobligatory which have been laid down in the Vedas and directed to be\naccomplished every day, who is penetrated with fear if he fails to\naccomplish them any day, who takes all the essentials of Sacrifice as\nidentical with Brahma, and who never regards himself as the actor, is\ntruly a Brahmana.[1169] If the acts of such a person become incomplete,\nor if their completion be obstructed by all unclean animals, even then\nthose acts are, as heard by us, of superior efficacy. If, however, those\nacts are done from desire of fruit (and their completion be obstructed by\nsuch impediments), then expiation would become necessary. They who covet\nthe acquisition of the highest object of life (viz., Emancipation), who\nare bereft of cupidity in respect of all kinds of worldly wealth, who\ndiscard all provision for the future, and who are freed from envy, betake\nthemselves to practice of truth and self-restraint as their\nSacrifice.[1170] They that are conversant with the distinction between\nbody and soul, that are devoted to Yoga, and that meditate on the\nPranava, always succeed in gratifying others.[1171] The universal Brahma\n(viz., Pranava), which is the soul of the deities, dwells in him who is\nconversant with Brahma. When, therefore, such a man eats and is\ngratified, all the deities, O Jajali, become gratified and are\ncontented.[1172] As one who is gratified with all kinds of taste feels no\ndesire for any particular taste, after the same manner one who is\ngratified with knowledge hath everlasting gratification which to him is a\nsource of perfect bliss. Those wise men who are the refuge of\nrighteousness and whose delight is in righteousness, are persons that\nhave certain knowledge of what is to be done and what should not be done.\nOne possessed of such wisdom always regards all things in the universe to\nhave sprung from his own Self.[1173] Some that are endued with knowledge,\nthat strive to reach the other shore (of this ocean of life), and that\nare possessed of faith, succeed in attaining to the region of Brahman,\nwhich is productive of great blessings, highly sacred, and inhabited by\nrighteous persons,--a region which is freed from sorrow, whence there is\nno return, and where there is no kind of agitation or pain. Such men do\nnot covet heaven. They do not adore Brahma in costly sacrifices. They\nwalk along the path of the righteous. The Sacrifices they perform are\nperformed without injury to any creature.[1174] These men know trees and\nherbs and fruits and roots as the only sacrificial offerings. Covetous\npriests, for they are desirous of wealth, never officiate at the\nsacrifices of these (poor) men. These regenerate men, although all their\nacts have been completed, still perform sacrifices from desire of doing\ngood to all creatures and constituting their own selves as sacrificial\nofferings.[1175] For this reason, grasping priests officiate at the\nSacrifices of only those misguided persons who, without endeavouring to\nattain to Emancipation, seek for heaven. As regards those, however, that\nare really good, they always seek, by accomplishing their own duties, to\ncause others to ascend to heaven. Looking at both these kinds of\nbehaviour, O Jajali, I have (abstained from injuring any creature in the\nworld and have) come to regard all creatures with an equal heart.[1176]\nEndued with wisdom, many foremost of Brahmanas perform Sacrifices (which\nwith respect to their fruits are of two kinds, for some of them lead to\nEmancipation whence there is no return, and others lead to regions of\nbliss whence there is return). By performing those Sacrifices, they\nproceed, O great ascetic, along paths trodden by the gods. Of one class\nof Sacrificers (viz., they who sacrifice from desire of fruit) there is\nreturn (from the region which they reach). Of those, however, that are\ntruly wise (viz., those who sacrifice without being urged thereto by\ndesire of fruit), there is no return. Although both classes of\nsacrificers, O Jajali, proceed along the path trodden by the deities (in\nconsequence of the sacrifices they perform), yet such is the difference\nbetween their ultimate ends.[1177] In consequence of the success that\nattends the purposes formed in the mind of such men, bulls, without being\nforced thereto, willingly set their shoulders to the plough for assisting\nat tillage and to the yoke for dragging their cars, and kine pour forth\nmilk from udders untouched by human hands. Creating sacrificial stakes\n(and other necessaries of Sacrifice) by simple fiats of the will, they\nperform many kinds of Sacrifice well-completed with abundant\npresents.[1178] One who is of such a cleansed soul may slaughter a cow\n(as an offering in Sacrifice).[1179] They, therefore, that are not of\nthat kind should perform Sacrifices with herbs and plants (and not\nanimals). Since Renunciation hath such merit, it is for that reason that\nI have kept it before my eyes in speaking to thee.[1180] The gods know\nhim for a Brahmana who has given up all desire of fruit, who hath no\nexertion in respect of worldly acts, who never bows down his head unto\nany one, who never utters the praises of others, and who is endued with\nstrength though his acts have all been weakened.[1181] What, O Jajali,\nwill be the end of him who doth not recite the Vedas, unto others, who\ndoth not perform Sacrifices (properly), who doth not make gifts unto\n(deserving) Brahmanas, and who followeth an avocation in which every kind\nof desire is indulged? By properly reverencing, however, the duties that\nappertain to Renunciation, one is sure of attaining to Brahma.'[1182]\n\n\"'\"Jajali said, 'We had never before, O son of a trader, heard of these\nrecondite doctrines of ascetics that perform only mental Sacrifices.\nThese doctrines are exceedingly difficult of comprehension. It is for\nthis reason that I ask thee (about them). The sages of olden days were\nnot followers of those doctrines of Yoga. Hence, the sages that have\nsucceeded them have not propounded them (for general acceptance).[1183]\nIf thou sayest that only men of brutish minds fail to achieve sacrifices\nin the soil of the Soul, then, O son of a trader, by what acts would they\nsucceed in accomplishing their happiness? Tell me this, O thou of great\nwisdom! Great is my faith in thy words.'[1184]\n\n\"'\"Tuladhara said, 'Sometimes sacrifices performed by some persons do not\nbecome sacrifices (in consequence of the absence of faith of those that\nperform them). These men, it should be said, are not worthy of performing\nany sacrifice (internal or external). As regards the faithful, however,\nonly one thing, viz., the cow, is fit for upholding all sacrifices by\nmeans of full libations of clarified butter, milk, and curds, the hair at\nend of her tail, her horns, and her hoofs.[1185] (The Vedas declare that\nsacrifices cannot be performed by an unmarried man). In performing\nsacrifices, however, according to the mode I have pointed out (viz., by\nabstaining from slaughter of animals and dedicating only clarified\nbutter, etc.), one may make Faith one's wedded wife, for dedicating such\n(innocent) offerings to the deities. By duly reverencing such sacrifices,\none is sure to attain to Brahma.[1186] To the exclusion of all animals\n(which are certainly unclean as offering in sacrifices), the rice-ball is\na worthy offering in sacrifices. All rivers are as sacred as the\nSaraswati, and all mountains are sacred. O Jajali, the Soul is itself a\nTirtha. Do not wander about on the earth for visiting sacred places. A\nperson, by observing these duties (that I have spoken of and that do not\ninvolve injury to other creatures), and by seeking the acquisition of\nmerit agreeably to his own ability, certainly succeeds in obtaining\nblessed regions hereafter.'\"[1187]\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"These are the duties, O Yudhishthira, which\nTuladhara applauded,--duties that are consistent with reason, and that\nare always observed by those that are good and wise.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLXIV\n\n\"'\"Tuladhara said, 'See with thy own eyes, O Jajali, who, viz., those that\nare good or those that are otherwise, have adopted this path of duty that\nI have spoken of. Thou shalt then understand properly how the truth\nstands. Behold, many birds are hovering in the sky. Amongst them are\nthose that were reared on thy head, as also many hawks and many others of\nother species. Behold, O Brahmana, those birds have contracted their\nwings and legs for entering their respective nests. Summon them, O\nregenerate one! There those birds, treated with affection by thee, are\ndisplaying their love for thee that art their father. Without doubt, thou\nart their father, O Jajali! Do thou summon thy children.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Then those birds, summoned by Jajali, made answer\nagreeably to the dictates of that religion which is not fraught with\ninjury to any creature.[1188] 'All acts that are done without injuring any\ncreature become serviceable (to the doer) both here and hereafter. Those\nacts, however, that involve injury to others, destroy faith, and faith\nbeing destroyed, involves the destroyer in ruin. The sacrifices of those\nthat regard acquisition and non-acquisition in the same light, that are\nendued with faith, that are self-restrained, that have tranquil minds, and\nthat perform sacrifices from a sense of duty (and not from desire of\nfruit), become productive of fruit.[1189] Faith with respect to Brahma is\nthe daughter of Surya, O regenerate one. She is the protectress and she\nis the giver of good birth. Faith is superior to the merit born of\n(Vedic) recitations and meditation.[1190] An act vitiated by defect of\nspeech is saved by Faith. An act vitiated by defect of mind is saved by\nFaith. But neither speech nor mind can save an act that is vitiated by\nwant of Faith.[1191] Men conversant with the occurrences of the past\nrecite in this connection the following verse sung by Brahman. The\nofferings in sacrifices of a person that is pure (in body and acts) but\nwanting in Faith, and of another that is impure (in respect of their\nworthiness of acceptance). The food, again, of a person conversant with\nthe Vedas but miserly in behaviour, and that of a usurer that is liberal\nin conduct,[1192] the deities after careful consideration, had held to be\nequal (in respect of their worthiness of acceptance). The Supreme Lord\nof all creatures (viz., Brahman) then told them that they had committed\nan error. The food of a liberal person is sanctified by Faith. The food,\nhowever, of the person that is void of Faith is lost in consequence of\nsuch want of Faith. The food of a liberal usurer is acceptable but not\nthe food of a miser.[1193] Only one person in the world, viz., he that is\nbereft of Faith, is unfit to make offerings to the deities. The food of\nonly such a man is unfit to be eaten. This is the opinion of men\nconversant with duties. Want of Faith is a high sin. Faith is a cleanser\nof sins. Like a snake casting off its slough, the man of Faith succeeds\nin casting off all his sin. The religion of abstention with Faith is\nsuperior to all things considered sacred. Abstaining from all faults of\nbehaviour, he who betakes himself to Faith, becomes sanctified. What need\nhath such a person of penances, or of conduct, or of endurance? Every man\nhas Faith. Faith, however, is of three kinds, viz., as affected by\nSattwa, by Rajas and by Tamas, and according to the kind of Faith that\none has, one is named. Persons endued with goodness and possessed of\ninsight into the true import of morality have thus laid down the subject\nof duties. We have, as the result of our enquiries, got all this from the\nsage Dharmadarsana. O thou of great wisdom, betake thyself to Faith, for\nthou shalt then obtain that which is superior. He who has Faith (in the\ndeclarations of the Srutis), and who acts according to their import (in\nthe belief that they are good for him), is certainly of righteous soul. O\nJajali, he who adheres to his own path (under the influence of Faith) is\ncertainly a superior person.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"After a short while, Tuladhara and Jajali, both of\nwhom had been endued with great wisdom, ascended to heaven and sported\nthere in great happiness,[1194] having reached their respective places\nearned by their respective acts. Many truths of this kind were spoken of\nby Tuladhara. That eminent person understood this religion (of abstention\nfrom injury) completely. These eternal duties were accordingly proclaimed\nby him. The regenerate Jajali, O son of Kunti, having heard these words\nof celebrated energy, betook himself to tranquillity. In this way, many\ntruths of grave import were uttered by Tuladhara, illustrated by examples\nfor instruction. What other truths dost thou wish to hear?\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLXV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited an old narrative of what was\nrecited by king Vichakhy through compassion for all creatures. Beholding\nthe mangled body of a bull, and hearing the exceedingly painful groans of\nthe kine in a cow-slaying sacrifice, and observing the cruel Brahmanas\nthat gathered there for assisting at the ceremonies, that king[1195]\nuttered these words, 'Prosperity to all the kine in the world.' When the\nslaughter had commenced, these words expressive of a blessing (to those\nhelpless animals) were pronounced. And the monarch further said, 'Only\nthose that are transgressors of defined limits, that are destitute of\nintelligence, that are atheists and sceptics, and that desire the\nacquisition of celebrity through sacrifices and religious rites speak\nhighly of the slaughter of animals in sacrifices.[1196] The\nrighteous-souled Manu has applauded (the observance of) harmlessness in\nall (religious) acts. Indeed, men slaughter animals in sacrifices, urged\nby only the desire of fruit.[1197] Hence, guided by authority (in respect\nof slaughter and abstention from slaughter or harmlessness) one\nconversant (with the scriptures) should practise the true course of duty\nwhich is exceedingly subtile. Harmlessness to all creatures is the\nhighest of all duties. Living in the vicinity of an inhabited place and\ninjuring oneself to the observance of rigid vows, and disregarding the\nfruits indicated of Vedic acts, one should give up domesticity, adopting\na life of Renunciation. Only they that are mean are urged by the desire\nof fruit.[1198] Reverentially mentioning sacrifices and trees and\nsacrificial stakes, men do not eat tainted meat. This practice, however,\nis not worthy of applause.[1199] Wine, fish, honey, meat, alcohol, and\npreparations of rice and sesame seeds, have been introduced by knaves.\nThe use of these (in sacrifices) is not laid down in the Vedas. The\nhankering after these arises from pride, error of judgment, and cupidity.\nThey that are true Brahmanas realise the presence of Vishnu in every\nsacrifice. His worship, it has been laid down, should be made with\nagreeable Payasa. (The leaves and flowers of) such trees as have been\nindicated in the Vedas, whatever act is regarded as worthy and whatever\nelse is held as pure by persons of pure hearts and cleansed natures and\nthose eminent for knowledge and holiness, are all worthy of being offered\nto the Supreme Deity and not unworthy of His acceptance.'\"[1200]\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"The body and all sorts of dangers and calamities are\ncontinually at war with each other. How, therefore, will a person who is\ntotally free from the desire of harming and who on this account will not\nbe able to act, succeed in keeping up his body?\"[1201]\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"One should, when able, acquire merit and act in such a\nway that one's body may not languish and suffer pain, and that death may\nnot come.\"'\"[1202]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLXVI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou, O grandsire, art our highest preceptor in the\nmatter of all acts that are difficult of accomplishment (in consequence\nof the commands of superiors on the one hand and the cruelty that is\ninvolved in them on the other). I ask, how should one judge of an act in\nrespect of either one's obligation to do it or of abstaining from it? Is\nit to be judged speedily or with delay?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the old story of what\noccurred with respect to Chirakarin born in the race of Angirasa. Twice\nblessed be the man that reflects long before he acts. One that reflects\nlong before he acts is certainly possessed of great intelligence. Such a\nman never offends in respect of any act. There was once a man of great\nwisdom, of the name of Chirakarin, who was the son of Gautama. Reflecting\nfor a long time upon every consideration connected with proposed acts, he\nused to do all he had to do. He came to be called by the name of\nChirakarin because he used to reflect long upon all matters, to remain\nawake for a long time, to sleep for a long time, and to take a long time\nin setting himself to the accomplishment of such acts as he accomplished.\nThe clamour of being an idle man stuck to him. He was also regarded as a\nfoolish person, by every person of a light understanding and destitute of\nforesight. On a certain occasion, witnessing an act of great fault in his\nwife, the sire Gautama passing over his other children, commanded in\nwrath this Chirakarin, saying, 'Slay thou this woman.' Having said these\nwords without much reflection, the learned Gautama, that foremost of\npersons engaged in the practice of Yoga, that highly blessed ascetic,\ndeparted for the woods. Having after a long while assented to it, saying,\n'So be it,' Chirakarin, in consequence of his very nature, and owing to\nhis habit of never accomplishing any act without long reflection, began\nto think for a long while (upon the propriety or otherwise of what he was\ncommanded by his sire to do). 'How shall I obey the command of my sire and\nyet how avoid slaying my mother? How shall I avoid sinking, like a wicked\nperson, into sin in this situation in which contradictory obligations are\ndragging me into opposite directions? Obedience to the commands of the\nsire constitutes the highest merit. The protection of the mother again is\na clear duty. The status of a son is fraught with dependence. How shall I\navoid being afflicted by sin? Who is there that can be happy after having\nslain a woman, especially his mother? Who again can obtain prosperity and\nfame by disregarding his own sire? Regard for the sire's behest is\nobligatory. The protection of my mother is equally a duty. How shall I so\nframe my conduct that both obligations may be discharged? The father\nplaces his own self within the mother's womb and takes birth as the son,\nfor continuing his practices, conduct, name and race. I have been\nbegotten as a son by both my mother and my father. Knowing as I do my own\norigin, why should I not have this knowledge (of my relationship with\nboth of them)? The words uttered by the sire while performing the initial\nrite after birth, and those that were uttered by him on the occasion of\nthe subsidiary rite (after the return from the preceptor's abode) are\nsufficient (evidence) for settling the reverence due to him and indeed,\nconfirm the reverence actually paid to him.[1203] In consequence of his\nbringing up the son and instructing him, the sire is the son's foremost\nof superiors and the highest religion. The very Vedas lay it down as\ncertain that the son should regard what the sire says as his highest\nduty. Unto the sire the son is only a source of joy. Unto the son,\nhowever, the sire is all in all. The body and all else that the son owns\nhave the sire alone for their giver. Hence, the behests of the sire\nshould be obeyed without ever questioning them in the least. The very\nsins of one that obeys one's sire are cleansed (by such obedience). The\nsire is the giver of all articles of food, of instructions in the Vedas,\nand of all other knowledge regarding the world. (Prior to the son's\nbirth) the sire is the performer of such rites as Garbhadhana and\nSimantonnayana.[1204] The sire is religion. The sire is heaven. The sire\nis the highest penance. The sire being gratified, all the deities are\ngratified. Whatever words are pronounced by the sire become blessings\nthat attach to the son. The words expressive of joy that the sire utters\ncleanse the son of all his sins. The flower is seen to fall away from the\nstalk. The fruit is seen to fall away from the tree. But the sire,\nwhatever his distress, moved by parental affection, never abandons the\nson. These then are my reflections upon the reverence due from the son to\nthe sire. Unto the son the sire is not an ordinary object. I shall now\nthink upon (what is due to) the mother. Of this union of the five\n(primal) elements in me due to my birth as a human being, the mother is\nthe (chief) cause as the firestick of fire.[1205] The mother is as the\nfire-stick with respect to the bodies of all men. She is the panacea for\nall kinds of calamities. The existence of the mother invests one with\nprotection; the reverse deprives one of all protection. The man who,\nthough divested of prosperity, enters his house, uttering the words, \"O\nmother!\"--hath not to indulge in grief. Nor doth decrepitude ever assail\nhim. A person whose mother exists, even if he happens to be possessed of\nsons and grandsons and even if he counts a hundred years, looks like a\nchild of but two years of age. Able or disabled, lean or robust, the son\nis always protected by the mother. None else, according to the ordinance,\nis the son's protector. Then doth the son become old, then doth he become\nstricken with grief, then doth the world look empty in his eyes, when he\nbecomes deprived of his mother. There is no shelter (protection against\nthe sun) like the mother. There is no refuge like the mother. There is no\ndefence like the mother. There is no one so dear as the mother. For\nhaving borne him in her womb the mother is the son's Dhatri. For having\nbeen the chief cause of his birth, she is his Janani. For having nursed\nhis young limbs into growth, she is called Amva. For bringing forth a\nchild possessed of courage she is called Virasu. For nursing and looking\nafter the son she is called Sura. The mother is one's own body. What\nrational man is there that would slay his mother, to whose care alone it\nis due that his own head did not lie on the street-side like a dry gourd?\nWhen husband and wife unite themselves for procreation, the desire\ncherished with respect to the (unborn) son are cherished by both, but in\nrespect of their fruition more depends upon the mother than on the\nsire.[1206] The mother knows the family in which the son is born and the\nfather who has begotten him. From the moment of conception the mother\nbegins to show affection to her child and takes delight in her. (For this\nreason, the son should behave equally towards her). On the other hand,\nthe scriptures declare that the offspring belongs to the father alone. If\nmen, after accepting the hands of wives in marriage and pledging\nthemselves to earn religious merit without being dissociated from them,\nseek congress with other people's wives, they then cease to be worthy of\nrespect.[1207] The husband, because he supports the wife, is called\nBhartri, and, because he protects her, he is on that account called Pati.\nWhen these two functions disappear from him, he ceases to be both Bhartri\nand Pati.[1208] Then again woman can commit no fault. It is man only that\ncommits faults. By perpetrating an act of adultery, the man only becomes\nstained with guilt.[1209] It has been said that the husband is the\nhighest object with the wife and the highest deity to her. My mother gave\nup her sacred person to one that came to her in the form and guise of her\nhusband. Women can commit no fault. It is man who becomes stained with\nfault. Indeed, in consequence of the natural weakness of the sex as\ndisplayed in every act, and their liability to solicitation, women cannot\nbe regarded as offenders. Then again the sinfulness (in this case) is\nevident of Indra himself who (by acting in the way he did) caused the\nrecollection of the request that had been made to him in days of yore by\nwoman (when a third part of the sin of Brahmanicide of which Indra\nhimself was guilty was cast upon her sex). There is no doubt that my\nmother is innocent. She whom I have been commanded to slay is a woman.\nThat woman is again my mother. She occupies, therefore, a place of\ngreater reverence. The very beasts that are irrational know that the\nmother is unslayable. The sire must be known to be a combination of all\nthe deities together. To the mother, however, attaches a combination of\nall mortal creatures and all the deities.'[1210]--In consequence of his\nhabit of reflecting long before acting, Gautama's son Chirakarin, by\nindulging in those reflections, passed a long while (without\naccomplishing the act he had been commanded by his sire to accomplish).\nWhen many days had expired, his sire Gautama returned. Endued with\ngreat wisdom, Medhatithi of Gautama's race, engaged in the practice of\npenances, came back (to his retreat), convinced, after having reflected\nfor that long time, of the impropriety of the chastisement he had\ncommanded to be inflicted upon his wife. Burning with grief and shedding\ncopious tears, for repentance had come to him in consequence of the\nbeneficial effects of that calmness of temper which is brought about by a\nknowledge of the scriptures, he uttered these words, 'The lord of the\nthree worlds, viz., Purandara, came to my retreat, in the guise of a\nBrahmana asking for hospitality. He was received by me with (proper)\nwords, and honoured with a (proper) welcome, and presented in due form\nwith water to wash his feet and the usual offerings of the Arghya. I also\ngranted him the rest he had asked for. I further told him that I had\nobtained a protector in him. I thought that such conduct on my part would\ninduce him to behave towards me as a friend. When, however,\nnotwithstanding all this, he misbehaved himself, my wife Ahalya could not\nbe regarded to have committed any fault. It seems that neither my wife,\nnor myself, nor Indra himself who while passing through the sky had\nbeheld my wife (and become deprived of his senses by her extraordinary\nbeauty), could be held to have offended. The blame really attaches to the\ncarelessness of my Yoga puissance.[1211] The sages have said that all\ncalamities spring from envy, which, in its turn, arises from error of\njudgment. By that envy, also, I have been dragged from where I was and\nplunged into an ocean of sin (in the form of wife-slaughter). Alas, I\nhave slain a woman,--a woman that is again my wife--one, that is, who, in\nconsequence of her sharing her lord's calamities came to be called by the\nname of Vasita,--one that was called Bharya owing to the obligation I was\nunder of supporting her. Who is there that can rescue me from this sin?\nActing heedlessly I commanded the high-souled Chirakarin (to slay that\nwife of mine). If on the present occasion he proves true to his name then\nmay he rescue me from this guilt. Twice blessed be thou, O Chirakaraka!\nIf on this occasion thou hast delayed accomplishing the work, then art\nthou truly worthy of thy name. Rescue me, and thy mother, and the\npenances I have achieved, as also thy own self, from grave sins. Be thou\nreally a Chirakaraka today! Ordinarily, in consequence of thy great\nwisdom thou takest a long time for reflection before achieving any act.\nLet not thy conduct be otherwise today! Be thou a true Chirakaraka today.\nThy mother had expected thy advent for a long time. For a long time did\nshe bear thee in her womb. O Chirakaraka, let thy habit of reflecting\nlong before acting be productive of beneficial results today. Perhaps, my\nson Chirakaraka is delaying today (to achieve my bidding) in view of the\nsorrow it would cause me (to see him execute that bidding). Perhaps, he\nis sleeping over that bidding, bearing it in his heart (without any\nintention of executing it promptly). Perhaps, he is delaying, in view of\nthe grief it would cause both him and me, reflecting upon the\ncircumstances of the case.' Indulging in such repentance, O king, the\ngreat Rishi Gautama then beheld his son Chirakarin sitting near him.\nBeholding his sire come back to their abode, the son Chirakarin,\noverwhelmed with grief, cast away the weapon (he had taken up) and bowing\nhis head began to pacify Gautama. Observing his son prostrated before him\nwith bent head, and beholding also his wife almost petrified with shame,\nthe Rishi became filled with great joy. From that time the highsouled\nRishi, dwelling in that lone hermitage, did not live separately from his\nspouse or his heedful son. Having uttered the command that his wife\nshould be slain he had gone away from his retreat for accomplishing some\npurpose of his own. Since that time his son had stood in an humble\nattitude, weapon in hand, for executing that command on his mother.\nBeholding that his son prostrated at his feet, the sire thought that,\nstruck with fear, he was asking for pardon for the offence he had\ncommitted in taking up a weapon (for killing his own mother). The sire\npraised his son for a long time, and smelt his head for a long time, and\nfor a long time held him in a close embrace, and blessed him, uttering\nthe words, 'Do thou live long!' Then, filled with joy and contented with\nwhat had occurred, Gautama, O thou of great wisdom, addressed his son and\nsaid these words, 'Blessed be thou, O Chirakaraka! Do thou always reflect\nlong before acting. By thy delay in accomplishing my bidding thou hast\ntoday made me happy for ever.' That learned and best of Rishis then\nuttered these verses upon the subject of the merits of such cool men as\nreflect for a long time before setting their hands to any action. 'If the\nmatter is the death of a friend, one should accomplish it after a long\nwhile. If it is the abandonment of a project already begun, one should\nabandon it after a long while. A friendship that is formed after a long\nexamination lasts for a long time. In giving way to wrath, to\nhaughtiness, to pride, to disputes, to sinful acts, and in accomplishing\nall disagreeable tasks he that delays long deserves applause. When the\noffence is not clearly proved against a relative, a friend, a servant, or\na wife, he that reflects long before inflicting the punishment is\napplauded.' Thus, O Bharata, was Gautama pleased with his son, O thou of\nKuru's race, for that act of delay on the latter's part in doing the\nformer's bidding. In all acts a man should, in this way, reflect for a\nlong time and then settle what he should do. By conducting himself in\nthis way one is sure to avoid grief for a long time. That man who never\nnurses his wrath for a long while, who reflects for a long time before\nsetting himself to the performance of any act, never does any act which\nbrings repentance. One should wait for a long while upon those that are\naged, and sitting near them show them reverence. One should attend to\none's duties for a long time and be engaged for a long while in\nascertaining them. Waiting for a long time upon those that are learned,\nare reverentially serving for a long time those that are good in\nbehaviour, and keeping one's soul for a long while under proper\nrestraint, one succeeds in enjoying the respect of the world for a long\ntime. One engaged in instructing others on the subject of religion and\nduty, should, when asked by another for information on those subjects,\ntake a long time to reflect before giving an answer. He may then avoid\nindulging in repentance (for returning an incorrect answer whose\npractical consequences may lead to sin).--As regards Gautama of austere\npenances, that Rishi, having adored the deities for a long while in that\nretreat of his, at last ascended to heaven with his son.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLXVII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"How, indeed, should the king protect his subjects\nwithout injuring anybody. I ask thee this, O grandsire, tell me, O\nforemost of good men!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the old narrative of the\nconversation between Dyumatsena and king Satyavat. We have heard that\nupon a certain number of individuals having been brought out for\nexecution at the command of his sire (Dyumatsena), prince Satyavat said\ncertain words that had never before been said by anybody else.[1212]\n'Sometimes righteousness assumes the form of iniquity, and iniquity\nassumes the form of righteousness. It can never be possible that the\nkilling of individuals can ever be a righteous act.'\n\n\"'\"Dyumatsena said, 'If the sparing of those that deserve to be slain be\nrighteousness, if robbers be spared, O Satyavat, then all distinctions\n(between virtue and vice) would disappear. \"This is mine\",--\"This (other)\nis not his\"--ideas like these (with respect to property) will not (if the\nwicked be not punished) prevail in the Kali age. (If the wicked be not\npunished) the affairs of the world will come to a deadlock. If thou\nknowest how the world may go on (without punishing the wicked), then\ndiscourse to me upon it.'\n\n\"'\"Satyavat said, 'The three other orders (viz., the Kshatriyas, Vaisyas,\nand Sudras) should be placed under the control of the Brahmanas. If those\nthree orders be kept within the bonds of righteousness, then the\nsubsidiary classes (that have sprung from intermixture) will imitate them\nin their practices. Those amongst them that will transgress (the commands\nof the Brahmanas) shall be reported to the king.--\"This one heeds not my\ncommands,\"--upon such a complaint being preferred by a Brahmana, the king\nshall inflict punishment upon the offender. Without destroying the body\nof the offender the king should do that unto him which is directed by the\nscriptures. The king should not act otherwise, neglecting to reflect\nproperly upon the character of the offence and upon the science of\nmorality. By slaying the wicked, the king (practically) slays a large\nnumber of individuals that are innocent. Behold, by slaying a single\nrobber, his wife, mother, father and children are all slain (because they\nbecome deprived of the means of life). When injured by a wicked person,\nthe king should, therefore, reflect deeply on the question of\nchastisement.[1213] Sometimes a wicked man is seen to imbibe good\nbehaviour from a righteous person. Then again from persons that are\nwicked, good children may be seen to spring. The wicked, therefore,\nshould not be torn up by the roots. The extermination of the wicked is\nnot consistent with eternal practice. By smiting them gently they may be\nmade to expiate their offences. By depriving them of all their wealth, by\nchains and immurement in dungeons, by disfiguring them (they may be made\nto expiate their guilt). Their relatives should not be persecuted by the\ninfliction of capital sentences on them. If in the presence of the\nPurohita and others,[1214] they give themselves up to him from desire of\nprotection, and swear, saying, \"O Brahmana, we shall never again commit\nany sinful act,\" they would then deserve to be let off without any\npunishment. This is the command of the Creator himself. Even the Brahmana\nthat wears a deer-skin and the wand of (mendicancy) and has his head\nshaved, should be punished (when he transgresses).[1215] If great men\ntransgress, their chastisement should be proportionate to their\ngreatness. As regards them that offend repeatedly, they do not deserve to\nbe dismissed without punishment as on the occasion of their first\noffence.'[1216] Dyumatsena said, 'As long as those barriers within which\nmen should be kept are not transgressed, so long are they designated by\nthe name of Righteousness. If they who transgressed those barriers were\nnot punished with death, those barriers would soon be destroyed. Men of\nremote and remoter times were capable of being governed with ease.[1217]\nThey were very truthful (in speech and conduct). They were little\ndisposed to disputes and quarrels. They seldom gave way to anger, or, if\nthey did, their wrath never became ungovernable. In those days the mere\ncrying of fie on offenders was sufficient punishment. After this came the\npunishment represented by harsh speeches or censures. Then followed the\npunishment of fines and forfeitures. In this age, however, the punishment\nof death has become current. The measure of wickedness has increased to\nsuch an extent that by slaying one others cannot be restrained.[1218] The\nrobber has no connection with men, with the deities, with the Gandharvas,\nand with the Pitris. What is he to whom? He is not anybody to any one.\nThis is the declaration of the Srutis.[1219] The robber takes away the\nornaments of corpses from cemeteries, and wearing apparel from men\nafflicted by spirits (and, therefore, deprived of senses). That man is a\nfool who would make any covenant with those miserable wretches or exact\nany oath from them (for relying upon it).'[1220]\n\n\"'\"Satyavat said, 'If thou dost not succeed in making honest men of those\nrogues and in saving them by means unconnected with slaughter, do thou\nthen exterminate them by performing some sacrifice.[1221] Kings practise\nsevere austerities for the sake of enabling their subjects go on\nprosperously in their avocations. When thieves and robbers multiply in\ntheir kingdoms they become ashamed. They, therefore, betake themselves\nto penances for suppressing thefts and robberies and making their\nsubjects live happily. Subjects can be made honest by being only\nfrightened (by the king). Good kings never slay the wicked from motives\nof retribution. (On the other hand, if they slay, they slay in\nsacrifices, when the motive is to do good to the slain), Good kings\nabundantly succeed in ruling their subjects properly with the aid of good\nconduct (instead of cruel or punitive inflictions). If the king acts\nproperly, the superior subjects imitate him. The inferior people, again\nin their turn, imitate their immediate superiors. Men are so constituted\nthat they imitate those whom they regard as their superiors.[1222] That\nking who, without restraining himself, seeks to restrain others (from\nevil ways) becomes an object of laughter with all men in consequence of\nhis being engaged in the enjoyment of all worldly pleasures as a slave of\nhis senses. That man who, through arrogance or error of judgment, offends\nagainst the king in any way, should be restrained by every means. It is\nby this way that he is prevented from committing offences anew. The king\nshould first restrain his own self if he desires to restrain others that\noffend. He should punish heavily (if necessary) even friends and near\nrelatives. In that kingdom where a vile offender does not meet with heavy\nafflictions, offences increase and righteousness decreases without doubt.\nFormerly, a Brahmana, endued with clemency and possessed of learning,\ntaught me this. Verily, to this effect, O sire, I have been instructed by\nalso our grandsire of olden days, who gave such assurances of\nharmlessness to people, moved by pity. Their words were, \"In the Krita\nage, kings should rule their subjects by adopting ways that are entirely\nharmless. In the Treta age, kings conduct themselves according to ways\nthat conform with righteousness fallen away by a fourth from its full\ncomplement. In the Dwapara age, they proceed according to ways conforming\nwith righteousness fallen away by a moiety, and in the age that follows,\naccording to ways conforming with righteousness fallen away by\nthree-fourth. When the Kati age sets in, through the wickedness of kings\nand in consequence of the nature of the epoch itself, fifteen parts of\neven that fourth portion of righteousness disappear, a sixteenth portion\nthereof being all that then remains of it. If, O Satyavat, by adopting\nthe method first mentioned (viz., the practice of harmlessness),\nconfusion sets in, the king, considering the period of human life, the\nstrength of human beings, and the nature of the time that has come,\nshould award punishments.[1223] Indeed, Manu, the son of the Self-born,\nhas, through compassion for human beings, indicated the way by means of\nwhich men may adhere to knowledge (instead of harmfulness) for the sake\nof emancipation.\"''\"[1224]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLXVIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou hast already explained to me, O grandsire, how\nthe religion of Yoga, which leads to the six well-known attributes, may\nbe adopted and practised without injuring any creature. Tell me, O\ngrandsire, of that religion which leads to both results, viz., Enjoyment\nand Emancipation. Amongst these two, viz., the duties of domesticity and\nthose of Yoga, both of which lead to the same end, which is superior?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Both courses of duty are highly blessed. Both are\nextremely difficult of accomplishment. Both are productive of high\nfruits. Both are practised by those that are admittedly good. I shall\npresently discourse to thee on the authoritativeness of both those\ncourses of duty, for dispelling thy doubts about their true import.\nListen to me with concentrated attention. In this connection is instanced\nthe old narrative of the discourse between Kapila and the cow. Listen to\nit, O Yudhishthira![1225] It has been heard by us that in days of old\nwhen the deity Tvashtri came to the place of king Nahusha, the latter,\nfor discharging the duties of hospitality, was on the point of killing a\ncow agreeably to the true, ancient, and eternal injunction of the Vedas.\nBeholding that cow tied for slaughter, Kapila of liberal soul, ever\nobservant of the duties of Sattwa, always engaged in restraining his\nsenses, possessed of true knowledge, and abstemious in diet, having\nacquired an excellent understanding that was characterised by faith,\nperfectly fearless, beneficial, firm, and ever directed towards truth,\nuttered this word once, viz.,--'Alas ye Vedas!'--At that time a Rishi, of\nthe name of Syumarasmi, entering (by Yoga power) the form of that cow,\naddressed the Yati Kapila, saying, 'Hist O Kapila! If the Vedas be\ndeserving (in consequence of those declarations in them that sanction the\nslaughter of living creatures), whence have those other duties (fraught\nwith entire harmlessness to all creatures) come to be regarded as\nauthoritative?[1226] Men devoted to penances and endued with\nintelligence, and who have the Srutis and knowledge for their eyes,\nregard the injunctions of the Vedas, which have been declared through and\ncompiled by the Rishis, to be the words of God himself.[1227] What can\nanybody say (by way of censure or praise) with respect to the contents of\nthe Vedas when these happen to be the words of the Supreme Being himself\nwho is freed from desire of fruit, who is without the fever (of envy and\naversion), who is addicted to nothing, and who is destitute of all\nexertion (in consequence of the immediate fruition of all his wishes)?'\n\n\"'\"Kapila said, 'I do not censure the Vedas. I do not wish to say anything\nin derogation of them. It hath been heard by us that the different\ncourses of duty laid down for the different modes of life, all lead to\nthe same end. The Sannyasin attains to a high end. The forest-recluse\nalso attains to a high end. Both the other two also, viz., the\nhouseholder and the Brahmacharin, reach the same end. All the four modes\nof life have always been regarded as Deva-yana ways. The relative\nstrength or weakness of these, as represented by their relative\nsuperiority or inferiority, hath been declared in the character of their\nrespective ends.[1228]--Knowing these, accomplish acts which lead to\nheaven and other blessings,--this is a Vedic declaration.--Do not\naccomplish acts,--this also is another binding declaration of the Vedas.\nIf abstention from acts be meritorious, then their accomplishment must be\nexceedingly reprehensible. When the scriptures stand thus, the strength\nor weakness of particular declarations must be very difficult to\nascertain. If thou knowest of any course of duty which is superior to the\nreligion of harmlessness, and which depends upon direct evidence instead\nof that of the scriptures, do thou then discourse to me upon it.'\n\n\"'\"Syumarasmi said, 'One should perform sacrifice from desire of\nheaven,--this Sruti is constantly heard by us. Thinking first of the\nfruit (that is to be attained), one makes preparations for sacrifice.\nGoat, horse, cow, all species of birds, domestic or wild, and herbs and\nplants, are food of (other) living creatures. This is heard by us.[1229]\nFood again has been directed to be taken day after day morning and\nevening. Then again the Sruti declares that animals and grain are the\nlimbs of Sacrifice.[1230] The Lord of the universe created them along\nwith Sacrifice. The puissant Lord of all creatures caused the deities to\nperform sacrifices with their aid. Altogether seven (domestic) and seven\n(wild) animals are indicated as fit for sacrifice. Instead of all being\nequally fit, each succeeding one is inferior to each preceding one. The\nVedas again declare that the whole universe is appointed for sacrifice.\nHim also that is called Purusha the Vedas have appointed for the same\npurpose.[1231] This again hath been sanctioned by men of remote and\nremoter times. What man of learning is there that does not select,\naccording to his own ability, individuals from among living creatures for\nsacrifice?[1232] The inferior animals, human beings, trees, and herbs,\nall wish for the attainment of heaven. There is no means, however, except\nsacrifice, by which they can obtain the fruition of that desire. The\ndeciduous herbs, animals, trees, creepers, clarified butter, milk, curds,\nmeat and other approved things (that are poured on the sacrificial fire),\nland, the points of the compass, faith, and time which brings up the tale\nof twelve, the Richs, the Yajuses, the Samans, and the sacrificer himself\nbringing up the tale to sixteen, and Fire which should be known as the\nhouseholder,--these seventeen are said to be the limbs of sacrifice.\nSacrifice, the Sruti declares, is the root of the world and its course.\nWith clarified butter, milk, curds, dung, curds mixed with milk, skin,\nthe hair in her tail, horns, and hoofs, the cow alone is able to furnish\nall the necessaries of sacrifice. Particular ones amongst these that are\nlaid down for particular sacrifices, coupled with Ritwijas and presents\n(to the priests themselves and other Brahmanas) together sustain\nsacrifices.[1233] By collecting these things together, people accomplish\nsacrifices[1234]. This Sruti, consistent with the truth, is heard that\nall things have been created for the performance of sacrifice. It was\nthus that all men of ancient time set themselves to the performance of\nsacrifices. As regards that person, however, who performs sacrifices\nbecause of the conviction that sacrifices should be performed and not for\nthe sake of fruit or reward, it is seen that he does not injure any\ncreature or bear himself with hostility to anything, or set himself to\nthe accomplishment of any worldly task.[1235] Those things that have been\nnamed as the limbs of sacrifice, and those other things that have been\nmentioned as required in sacrifices and that are indicated in the\nordinances, all uphold one another (for the completion of sacrifices)\nwhen used according to the approved ritual.[1236] I behold also the\nSmritis compiled by the Rishis, into which the Vedas have been introduced.\nMen of learning regard them as authoritative in consequence of their\nfollowing the Brahmanas.[1237] Sacrifices have the Brahmanas for that\nprogenitor, and truly they rest upon the Brahmanas. The whole universe\nrests upon sacrifice, and sacrifice rests upon the universe.[1238] The\nsyllable Om is the root from which the Vedas have sprung. (Every rite,\ntherefore, should commence with the utterance of that syllable of vast\nimport). Of him who has uttered for him the syllables Om, Namas, Swaha,\nSvadha, and Vashat, and who has, according to the extent of his ability,\nperformed sacrifices and other rites, there is no fear in respect of next\nlife in all the three worlds. Thus say the Vedas, and sages crowned with\nascetic success, and the foremost of Rishis. He in whom are the Richs,\nthe Yajuses, the Samans, and the expletives necessary for completing the\nrhythm of the Samans according to the rules laid down in Vedic grammars,\nis, indeed, a Brahmana.[1239] Thou knowest, O adorable Brahmana, what the\nfruits are of Agnihotra, of the Soma-sacrifice, and of the other great\nsacrifices. I say, for this reason, one should sacrifice and assist at\nother people's sacrifices, without scruples of any kind. One who performs\nsuch sacrifices as lead to heaven (such as Jyotishtoma, etc.) obtains\nhigh rewards hereafter in the form of heavenly beatitude. This is\ncertain, viz., that they who do not perform sacrifices have neither this\nworld nor the next. They who are really conversant with the declarations\nof the Vedas regard both kinds of declarations (viz., those that incite\nto acts and those that preach abstention) as equally authoritative.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLXIX\n\n\"'\"Kapila said, 'Beholding that all the fruits that are attainable by acts\nare terminable instead of being eternal, Yatis, by adopting\nself-restraint and tranquillity, attain to Brahma through the path of\nknowledge. There is nothing in any of the worlds that can impede them\n(for by mere fiats of their will they crown all their wishes with\nsuccess). They are freed from the influence of all pairs of opposites.\nThey never bow down their heads to anything or any creature. They are\nabove all the bonds of want. Wisdom is theirs. Cleansed they are from\nevery sin. Pure and spotless they live and rove about (in great\nhappiness). They have, in their own understandings, arrived at settled\nconclusions in respect of all destructible objects and of a life of\nRenunciation (by comparing the two together). Devoted to Brahma, already\nbecome like unto Brahma, they have taken refuge in Brahma. Transcending\ngrief, and freed from (the equality of) Rajas, theirs are acquisitions\nthat are eternal. When the high end that is these men's is within reach\nof attainment, what need has one for practising the duties of the\ndomestic mode of life?'[1240]\n\n\"'\"Syumarasmi said, 'If, indeed, that be the highest object of acquisition,\nif that be truly the highest end (which is attained by practising\nRenunciation) then the importance of the domestic mode of life becomes\nmanifest, because without the domestic mode no other mode of life ever\nbecomes possible. Indeed, as all living creatures are able to live in\nconsequence of their dependence on their respective mothers, after the\nsame manner the three other modes of life exist in consequence of their\ndependence upon the domestic mode. The householder who leads the life of\ndomesticity, performs sacrifices, and practises penances. Whatever is\ndone by anybody from desire of happiness has for its root the domestic\nmode of life. All living creatures regard the procreation of offspring as\na source of great happiness. The procreation of offspring, however,\nbecomes impossible in any other mode of life (than domesticity). Every\nkind of grass and straw, all plants and herbs (that yield corn or grain),\nand others of the same class that grow on hills and mountains, have the\ndomestic mode of life for their root. Upon those depend the life of\nliving creatures. And since nothing else is seen (in the universe) than\nlife, domesticity may be looked upon as the refuge of the entire\nuniverse.[1241] Who then speaks the truth that says that domesticity\ncannot lead to the acquisition of Emancipation? Only those that are\ndestitute of faith and wisdom and penetration, only those that are\ndestitute of reputation that are idle and toil-worn, that have misery for\ntheir share in consequence of their past acts, only those that are\ndestitute of learning, behold the plenitude of tranquillity in a life of\nmendicancy. The eternal and certain distinctions (laid down in the Vedas)\nare the causes that sustain the three worlds. That illustrious person of\nthe highest order who is conversant with the Vedas, is worshipped from\nthe very date of his birth. Besides the performance of Garbhadhana, Vedic\nmantras become necessary for enabling persons of the regenerate classes\nto accomplish all their acts in respect of both this and the other\nworld.[1242] In cremating his body (after death), in the matter of his\nattainment of a second body, in that of his drink and food after such\nattainment, in that of giving away kine and other animals for helping him\nto cross the river that divides the region of life from that of Yama, in\nthat of sinking funeral cakes in water--Vedic mantras are necessary. Then\nagain the three classes of Pitris, viz., the Archishmats, the Varhishads,\nand the Kravyads, approve of the necessity of mantras in the case of the\ndead, and mantras are allowed to be efficient causes (for attainment of\nthe objects for which these ceremonies and rites have been directed to be\nperformed). When the Vedas say this so loudly and when again human beings\nare said to owe debts to the Pitris, the Rishis, and the gods, how can\nany one attain to Emancipation?[1243] This false doctrine (of incorporeal\nexistence called Emancipation), apparently dressed in colours of truth,\nbut subversive of the real purport of the declarations of the Vedas, has\nbeen introduced by learned men reft of prosperity and eaten up by\nidleness. That Brahmana who performs sacrifices according to the\ndeclarations of the Vedas is never seduced by sin. Through sacrifices,\nsuch a person attains to high regions of felicity along with the animals\nhe has slain in those sacrifices, and himself, gratified by the\nacquisition of all his wishes succeeds in gratifying those animals by\nfulfilling their wishes. By disregarding the Vedas, by guile, or by\ndeception, one never succeeds in attaining to the Supreme. On the other\nhand, it is by practising the rites laid down in the Vedas that one\nsucceeds in attaining to Brahma.'\n\n\"'\"Kapila said, '(If acts are obligatory, then) there are the Darsa, the\nPaurnamasa, the Agnihotra, the Chaturmasya, and other acts for the man of\nintelligence. In their performance is eternal merit. (Why then perform\nacts involving cruelty)? Those that have betaken themselves to the\nSannyasa mode of life, that abstain from all acts, that are endued with\npatience, that are cleansed (of wrath and every fault), and that are\nconversant with Brahma, succeed by such knowledge of Brahma in paying off\nthe debts (thou speakest of) to the gods (the Rishis, and the Pitris)\nrepresented to be so very fond of libations poured in sacrifices.[1244]\nThe very gods become stupefied in tracing the track of that trackless\nperson who constitutes himself the soul of all creatures and who looks\nupon all creatures with an equal eye. Through instructions received from\nthe preceptor one knows that which dwells within this frame to be of a\nfour-fold nature, having besides four doors and four mouths. In\nconsequence of (their possession of) two arms, the organ of speech, the\nstomach, and the organ of pleasure, the very gods are said to have four\ndoors. One should, therefore, strive one's best to keep those doors under\ncontrol.[1245] One should not gamble with dice. One should not\nappropriate what belongs to another. One should not assist at the\nsacrifice of a person of ignoble birth. One should not, giving way to\nwrath, smite another with hands or feet. That intelligent man who\nconducts himself in this way is said to have his hands and feet\nwell-controlled. One should not indulge in vociferous abuse or censure.\nOne should not speak words that are vain. One should forbear from knavery\nand from calumniating others. One should observe the vow of truthfulness,\nbe sparing of speech, and always heedful. By conducting oneself in this\nway one will have one's organ of speech well-restrained. One should not\nabstain entirely from food. One should not eat too much. One should give\nup covetousness, and always seek the companionship of the good. One\nshould eat only so much as is needed for sustaining life. By conducting\noneself in this way one succeeds in properly controlling the door\nrepresented by one's stomach. One should not, O hero, lustfully take\nanother wife when one has a wedded spouse (with whom to perform all\nreligious acts). One should never summon a woman to bed except in her\nseason. One should confine oneself to one's own wedded spouse without\nseeking congress with other women. By conducting oneself in this way one\nis said to have one's organ of pleasure properly controlled. That man of\nwisdom is truly a regenerate person who has all his four doors, viz., the\norgan of pleasure, the stomach, the two arms (and two feet), and the\norgan of speech, properly controlled. Everything becomes useless of that\nperson whose doors are not well-controlled. What can the penance of such\na man do? What can his sacrifices bring about? What can be achieved by\nhis body? The gods know him for a Brahmana who has cast off his upper\ngarment, who sleeps on the bare ground, who makes his arm a pillow, and\nwhose heart is possessed of tranquillity.[1246] That person who, devoted\nto contemplation, singly enjoys all the happiness that wedded couples\nenjoy, and who turns not his attention to the joys and griefs of others,\nshould be known for a Brahmana.[1247] That man who rightly understands\nall this as it exists in reality and its multiform transformations, and\nwho knows what the end is of all created objects, is known by the gods\nfor a Brahmana.[1248] One who hath no fear from any creature and from\nwhom no creature hath any fear and who constitutes himself the soul of\nall creatures, should be known for a Brahmana. Without having acquired\npurity of heart which is the true result of all pious acts such as gifts\nand sacrifices, men of foolish understandings do not succeed in obtaining\na knowledge of what is needed in making one a Brahmana even when\nexplained by preceptors. Destitute of a knowledge of all this, these men\ndesire fruits of a different kind, viz., heaven and its joys.[1249]\nUnable to practise even a small part of that good conduct which has come\ndown from remote times, which is eternal, which is characterised by\ncertitude, which enters as a thread in all our duties, and by adopting\nwhich men of knowledge belonging to all the modes of life convert their\nrespective duties and penances into terrible weapons for destroying the\nignorance and evils of worldliness, men of foolish understandings regard\nacts that are productive of visible fruits, that are fraught with the\nhighest puissance, and that are deathless, as fruitless after all and as\ndeviations (from the proper course) not sanctioned by the scriptures. In\ntruth, however, that conduct, embracing as it does practices the very\nopposite of those that are seen in seasons of distress, is the very\nessence of heedfulness and is never affected by lust and wrath and other\npassions of a similar kind.[1250] As regards sacrifices again, it is very\ndifficult to ascertain all their particulars. If ascertained, it is very\ndifficult to observe them in practice. If practised, the fruits to which\nthey lead are terminable. Mark this well. (And marking this, do thou\nbetake thyself to the path of knowledge).'\n\n\"'\"Syumarasmi said, 'The Vedas countenance acts and discountenance them.\nWhence then is their authority when their declarations thus contradict\neach other? Renunciation of acts, again, is productive of great benefit.\nBoth these have been indicated in the Vedas. Do thou discourse to me on\nthis subject, O Brahmana!'\n\n\"'\"Kapila said, 'Betaking yourselves to the path of the good (viz., Yoga),\ndo you even in this life realise its fruits by the direct evidence of\nyour senses. What, however, are the visible results of those other\nobjects which you (men of acts) pursue?'\n\n\"'\"Syumarasmi said, 'O Brahmana, I am Syumarasmi by name. I have come here\nfor acquiring knowledge. Desirous of doing good to myself I have started\nthis conversation in artless candour and not from desire of disputation.\nThe dark doubt has taken possession of my mind. O illustrious one, solve\nit to me. Thou hast said that they who take the path of the good (viz.,\nYoga), by which Brahma is attained, realise its fruits by the direct\nevidence of their senses. What, indeed, is that which is so realisable by\nthe direct evidence of the senses and which is pursued by yourselves?\nAvoiding all sciences that have disputation only for their foremost\nobject, I have so studied the Agama as to have duly mastered their true\nmeaning. By Agama I understand the declarations of the Vedas. I also\ninclude in that word those sciences based on logic which have for their\nobject the bringing out of the real meaning of the Vedas.[1251] Without\navoiding the duties laid down for the particular mode of life which one\nmay lead, one should pursue the practices laid down in Agama. Such\nobservance of the practices laid down in Agama crowns one with success.\nIn consequence of the certainty of the conclusions of Agama, the success\nto which the latter leads may be said to be almost realisable by direct\nevidence. As a boat that is tied to another bound for a different port,\ncannot take its passengers to the port they desire to reach, even so\nourselves, dragged by our acts due to past desires, can never cross the\ninterminable river of birth and death (and reach the heaven of rest and\npeace we may have in view). Discourse to me on this topic, O illustrious\none! Teach me as a preceptor teaches a disciple. No one can be found\namongst men that has completely renounced all worldly objects, nor one\nthat is perfectly contented with oneself, nor one that has transcended\ngrief, nor one that is perfectly free from disease, nor one that is\nabsolutely free from the desire to act (for one's own benefit), nor one\nthat has an absolute distaste for companionship, nor one that has\nentirely abstained from acts of every kind. Even men like yourself are\nseen to give way to joy and indulge in grief as persons like ourselves.\nLike other creatures the senses of persons like yourselves have their\nfunctions and objects. Tell me, in what then, if we are to investigate\nthe question of happiness, does pure felicity consist for all the four\norders of men and all the four modes of life who and which have, as\nregards their inclinations, the same resting ground.'\n\n\"'\"Kapila said, 'Whatever the Sastras according to which one performs the\nacts one feels inclined to do, the ordinances laid down in it for\nregulating those acts never become fruitless. Whatever again the school\nof opinion according to which one may conduct oneself, one is sure to\nattain to the highest end by only observing the duties of self-restraint\nof Yoga. Knowledge assists that man in crossing (this interminable river\nof life and death) who pursues knowledge. That conduct, however, which\nmen pursue after deviating from the path of knowledge, afflicts them (by\nsubjecting them to the evils of life and death). It is evident that ye\nare possessed of knowledge and dissociated from every worldly object that\nmay produce distress. But have any of you at any time succeeded in\nacquiring that knowledge in consequence of which everything is capable of\nbeing viewed as identical with one Universal Soul?[1252] Without a\ncorrect apprehension of the scriptures, some there are, fond only of\ndisputation, who, in consequence of being overwhelmed by desire and\naversion, become the slaves of pride and arrogance. Without having\ncorrectly understood the meaning of scriptural declarations, these\nrobbers of the scriptures, these depredators of Brahma, influenced by\narrogance and error, refuse to pursue tranquillity and practise\nself-restraint.[1253] These men behold fruitlessness on every side, and\nif (by chance) they succeed in obtaining the puissance of knowledge they\nnever impart it to others for rescuing them. Made up entirely of the\nquality of Tamas, they have Tamas only for their refuge. One becomes\nsubject to all the incidents of that nature which one imbibes.\nAccordingly, of him who hath Tamas for his refuge, the passions of envy,\nlust, wrath, pride, falsehood, and vanity, continually grow, for one's\nqualities have one's nature for their spring. Thinking in this strain and\nbeholding these faults (through the aid of instructions secured from\npreceptors), Yatis, who covet the highest end, betake themselves to Yoga,\nleaving both good and ill.'[1254]\n\n\"'\"Syumarasmi said, 'O Brahmana, all that I have said (about the laudable\ncharacter of acts and the opposite character of Renunciation) is strictly\nconformable to the scriptures. It is, however, very true that without a\ncorrect apprehension of the meaning of the scriptures, one does not feel\ninclined to obey what the scriptures really declare. Whatever conduct is\nconsistent with equity is consistent with the scriptures. Even that is\nwhat the Sruti declares. Similarly, whatever conduct is inconsistent with\nequity is inconsistent with the scriptures. This also is declared by the\nSruti. It is certain that no one can do an act that is scriptural by\ntransgressing the scriptures. That again is unscriptural which is against\nthe Vedas. The Sruti declares this. Many men, who believe only what\ndirectly appeals to their senses, behold only this world (and not what is\naddressed in the scriptures to Faith). They do not behold what the\nscriptures declare to be faults. They have, accordingly, like ourselves,\nto give way to grief. Those objects of the senses with which men like you\nare concerned are the same with which other living creatures are\nconcerned. Yet in consequence of your knowledge of the soul and their\nignorance of it, how vast is the difference that exists between you and\nthem! All the four orders of men and all the four modes of life, however\ndifferent their duties, seek the same single end (viz., the highest\nhappiness). Thou art possessed of unquestioned talents and abilities. For\nascertaining that particular course of conduct (amongst those various\nduties) which is well calculated to accomplish the desired end, thou\nhast, by discoursing to me on the Infinite (Brahma), filled my soul with\ntranquillity. As regards ourselves, in consequence of our inability to\nunderstand the Soul we are destitute of a correct apprehension of the\nreality. Our wisdom is concerned with things that are low, and we are\nenveloped in thick darkness. (The course of conduct, however, that thou\nhast indicated for enabling one to attain to Emancipation, is exceedingly\ndifficult of practice). Only he who is devoted to Yoga, who has\ndischarged all his duties, who is capable of roving everywhere depending\nonly on his own body, who has brought his soul under perfect control, who\nhas transcended the requirements of the science of morality and who\ndisregards the whole world (and everything belonging to it), can\ntransgress the declarations of the Vedas with respect to acts, and say\nthat there is Emancipation.[1255] For one, however, who lives in the\nmidst of relatives, this course of conduct is exceedingly difficult to\nfollow. Gift, study of the Vedas, sacrifices, begetting offspring,\nsimplicity of dealing, when by practising even these no one succeeds in\nattaining to Emancipation, fie on him who seeks to attain to it, and on\nEmancipation itself that is sought! It seems that the labour spent upon\nattaining to it is all fruitless. One becomes chargeable with atheism if\none disregards the Vedas by not doing the acts they direct. O illustrious\none, I desire to hear without delay about that (Emancipation) which comes\nin the Vedas after the declarations in favour of acts. Do tell me the\ntruth, O Brahmana! I sit at thy feet as a disciple. Teach me kindly! I\nwish to know as much about Emancipation as is known to thee, O learned\none!'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLXX\n\n\"'\"Kapila said, 'The Vedas are regarded as authoritative by all. People\nnever disregard them. Brahma is of two kinds, viz., Brahma as represented\nby sound, and Brahma as Supreme (and intangible).[1256] One conversant\nwith Brahma represented by sound succeeds in attaining to Supreme Brahma.\nCommencing with the rites of Garbhadhana, that body which the sire\ncreates with the aid of Vedic mantras is cleansed (after birth) by Vedic\nmantras.[1257] When the body has been cleansed with purificatory rites\n(performed with the aid of Vedic mantras), the owner thereof comes to be\ncalled a Brahmana and becomes a vessel fit for receiving knowledge of\nBrahma. Know that the reward of acts is purity of heart which only leads\nto Emancipation. I shall presently speak to thee of that. Whether purity\nof heart has been attained or not (by performance of acts) is what can be\nknown to the person himself who has attained it. It can never be known\nwith the aid of either the Vedas or inference. They that cherish no\nexpectation, that discard every kind of wealth by not storing anything\nfor future use, that are not covetous, and that are free from every kind\nof affection and aversion, perform sacrifices because of the conviction\nthat their performance is a duty. To make gifts unto deserving persons is\nthe end (right use) of all wealth. Never addicted at any time to sinful\nacts, observant of those rites that have been laid down in the Vedas,\ncapable of crowning all their wishes with fruition, endued with certain\nconclusions through pure knowledge, never giving way to wrath,--never\nindulging in envy, free from pride and malice, firm in Yoga,[1258] of\nunstained birth, unstained conduct, and unstained learning, devoted to\nthe good of all creatures, there were in days of yore many men, leading\nlives of domesticity and thoroughly devoted to their own duties, there\nwere many kings also of the same qualifications, devoted to Yoga (like\nJanaka, etc.), and many Brahmanas also of the same character (like\nYajnavalkya and others).[1259] They behaved equally towards all creatures\nand were endued with perfect sincerity. Contentment was theirs, and\ncertainty of knowledge. Visible were the rewards of their righteousness,\nand pure were they in behaviour and heart. They were possessed of faith\nin Brahma of both forms.[1260] At first making their hearts pure, they\nduly observed all (excellent) vows. They were observant of the duties of\nrighteousness on even occasions of distress and difficulty, without\nfalling off in any particular. Uniting together they used to perform\nmeritorious acts. In this they found great happiness. And inasmuch as\nthey never tripped, they had never to perform any expiation. Relying as\nthey did upon the true course of righteousness, they became endued with\nirresistible energy. They never followed their own understandings in the\nmatter of earning merit but followed the dictates of the scriptures alone\nfor that end. Accordingly they were never guilty of guile in the matter\nof performing acts of righteousness.[1261] In consequence of their\nobserving unitedly the absolute ordinances of the scriptures without\nbetaking themselves ever to the rites laid down in the alternative, they\nwere never under the necessity of performing expiation.[1262] There is no\nexpiation for men living in the observance of the ordinances laid down in\nthe scriptures. The Sruti declares that expiation exists for only men\nthat are weak and unable to follow the absolute and substantive\nprovisions of the sacred law. Many Brahmanas there were of this kind in\ndays of old, devoted to the performance of sacrifices, of profound\nknowledge of the Vedas, possessed of purity and good conduct, and endued\nwith fame. They always worshipped Brahma in the sacrifices, and were free\nfrom desire. Possessed of learning they transcended all the bonds of\nlife. The sacrifices of these men, their (knowledge of the) Vedas, their\nacts performed in obedience to the ordinances, their study of the\nscripture at the fixed hours, and the wishes they entertained, freed as\nthey were from lust and wrath, observant as they were of pious conduct\nand acts notwithstanding all difficulties, renowned as they were for\nperforming the duties of their own order and mode of life, purified as\ntheir souls were in consequence of their very nature, characterised as\nthey were by thorough sincerity, devoted as they were to tranquillity,\nand mindful as they were of their own practices, were identical with\nInfinite Brahma. Even this is the eternal Sruti heard by us.[1263] The\npenances of men that were so high-souled, of men whose conduct and acts\nwere so difficult of observance and accomplishment, of men whose wishes\nwere crowned with fruition in consequence of the strict discharge of\ntheir duties, became efficacious weapons for the destruction of all\nearthly desires. The Brahmanas say that that Good Conduct, which is\nwonderful, whose origin may be traced to very ancient times, which is\neternal and whose characteristics are unchangeable, which differs from\nthe practices to which even the good resort in seasons of distress and\nrepresents their acts in other situations, which is identical with\nheedfulness, over which lust and wrath and other evil passions can never\nprevail, and in consequence of which there was (at one time) no\ntransgression in all mankind, subsequently came to be distributed into\nfour subdivisions, corresponding with the four modes of life by persons\nunable to practise its duties in minute detail and entirety.[1264] They\nthat are good, by duly observing that course of Good Conduct after\nadoption of the Sannyasa mode of life, attain to the highest end. They\nalso that betake themselves to the forest mode reach the same high end\n(by duly observing that conduct). They too that observe the domestic mode\nof life attain to the highest end (by duly practising the same conduct);\nand, lastly, those that lead the Brahmacharya mode obtain the same (end\nby a due observance of the same conduct).[1265] Those Brahmanas are seen\nto shine in the firmament as luminaries shedding beneficent rays of light\nall around. Those myriads of Brahmanas have become stars and\nconstellations set in their fixed tracks. In consequence of contentment\n(or Renunciation) they have all attained to Infinity as the Vedas\ndeclare. If such men have to come back to the world through the wombs of\nliving creatures, they are never stained by sins which have the\nunexhausted residue of previous acts for their originating cause. Indeed,\none who has led the life of a Brahmacharin and waited dutifully upon his\npreceptor, who has arrived at settled conclusions (in respect of the\nsoul), and who has devoted himself to Yoga thus, is truly a Brahmana. Who\nelse would deserve to be called a Brahmana? When acts alone determine who\nis a Brahmana and who is not, acts (good or bad) must be held to indicate\nthe happiness or misery of a person. As regards those that have by\nconquering all evil passions acquired purity of heart, we have heard the\neternal Sruti that in consequence of the Infinity to which they attain\n(through beholding the universal soul) and of the knowledge of Brahma\n(they acquire through the declarations of Srutis), they behold everything\nto be Brahma. The duties (of tranquillity, self-restraint, abstention\nfrom acts, renunciation, devotion, and the abstraction of Samadhi)\nfollowed by those men of pure hearts, that are freed from desire, and\nthat have Emancipation only for their object, for acquisition of the\nknowledge of Brahma, are equally laid down for all the four orders of men\nand all the four modes of life. Verily, that knowledge is always acquired\nby Brahmanas of pure hearts and restrained soul.[1266] One whose soul is\nfor Renunciation based upon contentment is regarded as the refuge of true\nknowledge. Renunciation, in which is that knowledge which leads to\nEmancipation, and which is highly necessary for a Brahmana, is eternal\n(and comes down from preceptor to pupil for ever and ever).[1267]\nRenunciation sometimes exists mixed with the duties of other modes. But\nwhether existing in that state or by itself, one practises it according\nto the measure of one's strength (that depends upon the degree of one's\nabsence of worldly desires). Renunciation is the cause of supreme benefit\nunto every kind of person. Only he that is weak, fails to practise it.\nThat pure-hearted man who seeks to attain to Brahma becomes rescued from\nthe world (with its misery).'[1268]\n\n\"'\"Syumarasmi said, 'Amongst those that are given up to enjoyment (of\nproperty), they that make gifts, they that perform sacrifices, they that\ndevote themselves to the study of the Vedas, and they that betake\nthemselves to a life of Renunciation after having acquired and enjoyed\nwealth and all its pleasures, when they depart from this world, who is it\nthat attains to the foremost place in heaven? I ask thee this, O\nBrahmana! Do thou tell me truly.'\n\n\"'\"Kapila said, 'Those who lead a life of domesticity are certainly\nauspicious and acquire excellence of every kind. They are unable,\nhowever, to enjoy the felicity that attaches to Renunciation. Even thou\nmayst see this.'[1269]\n\n\"'\"Syumarasmi said, 'Ye depend upon knowledge as the means (for the\nattainment of Emancipation). Those who lead lives of domesticity have\nplanted their faith in acts. It has, however, been said that the end of\nall modes of life is Emancipation.[1270] No difference, therefore, is\nobservable between them in respect of either their superiority or\ninferiority of puissance. O illustrious one, do thou tell me then how\nstands the matter truly.'\n\n\"'\"Kapila said, 'Acts only cleanse the body. Knowledge, however, is the\nhighest end (for which one strives).[1271] When all faults of the heart\nare cured (by acts), and when the felicity of Brahma becomes established\nin knowledge, benevolence, forgiveness, tranquillity, compassion,\ntruthfulness, and candour, abstention from injury, absence of pride,\nmodesty, renunciation, and abstention from work are attained. These\nconstitute the path that lead to Brahma. By those one attains to what is\nthe Highest. That the cure of all faults of the heart is the result of\nacts becomes intelligible to the wise man when these are attained. That,\nindeed, is regarded as the highest end which is obtained by Brahmanas\nendued with wisdom, withdrawn from all acts, possessed of purity and the\ncertitude of knowledge. One who succeeds in acquiring a knowledge of the\nVedas, of that which is taught by the Vedas (viz., Brahma as represented\nin acts), and the minutiae of acts, is said to be conversant with the\nVedas. Any other man is only a bag of wind.[1272] One who is conversant\nwith the Vedas knows everything, for everything is established on the\nVedas. Verily, the present, past, and future all exist in the\nVedas.[1273] This one conclusion is deducible from all the scriptures,\nviz., that this universe exists and does not exist. To the man of\nknowledge this (all that is perceived) is both sat and asat. To him, this\nall is both the end and the middle.[1274] This truth rests upon all the\nVedas, viz., that when complete Renunciation takes place one obtains what\nis sufficient. Then again the highest contentment follows and rests upon\nEmancipation,[1275] which is absolute, which exists as the soul of all\nmortal and immortal things, which is well-known as such universal soul,\nwhich is the highest object of knowledge as being identical with all\nmobile and immobile things, which is full, which is perfect felicity,\nwhich is without duality, which is the foremost of all things, which is\nBrahma, which is Unmanifest and the cause also, whence the Unmanifest has\nsprung, and which is without deterioration of any kind.[1276] Ability to\nsubdue the senses, forgiveness, and abstention from work in consequence\nof the absence of desire,--these three are the cause of perfect felicity.\nWith the aid of these three qualities, men having understanding for their\neyes succeed in reaching that Brahma which is uncreate, which is the\nprime cause of the universe, which is unchangeable and which is beyond\ndestruction. I bow to that Brahma, which is identical with him that knows\nit.'\"'\"[1277]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLXXI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"The Vedas, O Bharata, discourse of Religion, Profit,\nand Pleasure. Tell me, however, O grandsire, the attainment of which\n(amongst these three) is regarded as superior.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I shall, in this connection, recite to thee the ancient\nnarrative of the benefit that Kundadhara in days of old had conferred\nupon one who was devoted to him. Once on a time a Brahmana destitute of\nwealth sought to acquire virtue, induced by the desire of fruit. He\ncontinually set his heart upon wealth for employing it in the celebration\nof sacrifices. For achieving his purpose he set himself to the practice\nof the austerest penances. Resolved to accomplish his purpose, he began\nto worship the deities with great devotion. But he failed to obtain\nwealth by such worship of the deities. He thereupon began to reflect,\nsaying unto himself, 'What is that deity, hitherto unadored by men, who\nmay be favourably disposed towards me without delay?' While reflecting in\nthis strain with a cool mind, he beheld stationed before him that\nretainer of the deities, viz., the Cloud called Kundadhara. As soon as he\nbeheld that mighty-armed being, the Brahmana's feelings of devotion were\nexcited, and he said unto himself, 'This one will surely bestow\nprosperity upon me. Indeed, his form indicates as much. He lives in close\nproximity to the deities. He has not as yet been adored by other men. He\nwill verily give me abundant wealth without any delay.' The Brahmana,\nthen, having concluded thus, worshipped that Cloud with dhupas and\nperfumes and garlands of flowers of the most superior kind, and with\ndiverse kinds of offerings. Thus worshipped, the Cloud became very soon\npleased with his worshipper and uttered these words fraught with benefit\nto that Brahmana, 'The wise have ordained expiation for one guilty of\nBrahmanicide, or of drinking alcohol or of stealing, or of neglecting all\nmeritorious vows. There is no expiation, however, for one that is\nungrateful.[1278] Expectation hath a child named Iniquity. Ire, again, is\nregarded to be a child of Envy. Cupidity is the child of Deceit.\nIngratitude, however, is barren (and hath no offspring).' After this, that\nBrahmana, stretched on a bed of Kusa grass, and penetrated with the\nenergy of Kundadhara, beheld all living beings in a dream. Indeed, in\nconsequence of his absence of passion, penances, and devotion, that\nBrahmana of cleansed soul, standing aloof from all (carnal) enjoyments,\nbeheld in the night that effect of his devotion to Kundadhara. Indeed, O\nYudhishthira, he beheld the high-souled Manibhadra of great effulgence\nstationed in the midst of the deities, employed in giving his orders.\nThere the gods seemed to be engaged in bestowing kingdoms and riches upon\nmen, induced by their good deeds, and in taking them away when men fell\noff from goodness.[1279] Then, O bull of Bharata's race, Kundadhara of\ngreat effulgence, bending himself low, prostrated himself on the ground\nbefore the gods in the presence of all the Yakshas. At the command of the\ngods the high-souled Manibhadra addressed the prostrate Kundadhara and\nsaid, 'What does Kundadhara want?' Thereupon Kundadhara replied, 'If,\nindeed, the gods are pleased with me, there, that Brahmana reverences me\ngreatly. I pray for some favour being shown to him, something, that is,\nthat may bring him happiness.' Hearing this, Manibhadra, commanded by the\ngods, once more said unto Kundadhara of great intelligence these words,\n'Rise, rise up, O Kundadhara! Thy suit is successful. Be thou happy. If\nthis Brahmana be desirous of wealth, let wealth be given to him, that is,\nas much wealth as this thy friend desires. At the command of the gods I\nshall give him untold wealth.' Kundadhara, then, reflecting upon the\nfleeting and unreal character of the status of humanity, set his heart, O\nYudhishthira, upon inclining the Brahmana to penances. Indeed, Kundadhara\nsaid, 'I do not, O giver of wealth, beg for wealth on behalf of this\nBrahmana. I desire the bestowal of another favour upon him. I do not\nsolicit for this devotee of mine mountains of pearls and gems or even\nthe whole earth with all her riches. I desire, however, that he should be\nvirtuous. Let his heart find pleasure in virtue. Let him have virtue for\nhis stay. Let virtue be the foremost of all objects with him. Even this\nis the favour that meets with my approval.' Manibhadra said, 'The fruits\nof virtue are always sovereignty and happiness of diverse kinds. Let this\none enjoy those fruits, always freed from physical pain of every kind.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed, Kundadhara, however, of great\ncelebrity, repeatedly solicited virtue alone for that Brahmana. The gods\nwere highly pleased at it. Then Manibhadra said, 'The gods are all\npleased with thee as also with this Brahmana. This one shall become a\nvirtuous-souled person. He shall devote his mind to virtue.' The Cloud,\nKundadhara, became delighted, O Yudhishthira, at thus having been\nsuccessful in obtaining his wish. The boon that he had got was one that\nwas unattainable by anybody else. The Brahmana then beheld scattered\naround him many delicate fabrics of cloth. Without minding them at all\n(although so costly), the Brahmana came to disrelish the world.\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'When this one doth not set any value upon good\ndeeds, who else will? I had better go to the woods for leading a life of\nrighteousness.'\"[1280]\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Cherishing a distaste for the world, and through the\ngrace also of the gods, that foremost of Brahmanas entered the woods and\ncommenced to undergo the austerest of penances. Subsisting upon such\nfruits and roots as remained after serving the deities and guests, the\nmind of that regenerate person, O monarch, was firmly set upon virtue.\nGradually, the Brahmana, renouncing fruits and roots, betook himself to\nleaves of trees as his food. Then renouncing leaves, he took to water\nonly as his subsistence. After that he passed many years by subsisting\nupon air alone. All the while, his strength did not diminish. This seemed\nexceedingly marvellous. Devoted to virtue and engaged in the practice of\nthe severest austerities, after a long time he acquired spiritual vision.\nHe then reflected, saying unto himself, 'If, being gratified with\nanybody, I give him wealth, my speech would never be untrue.'[1281] With\na face lighted up by smiles, he once more began to undergo severer\nausterities. And once more, having won (higher) success, he thought that\nhe could, by a fiat of the will, then create the very highest objects.\n'If, gratified with any person whatsoever I give him even sovereignty, he\nwill immediately become a king, for my words will never be untrue.' While\nhe was thinking in this way, Kundadhara, induced by his friendship for\nthe Brahmana and no less by the ascetic success which the Brahmana had\nachieved, showed himself, O Bharata (unto his friend and devotee).\nMeeting with him the Brahmana offered him worship according to the\nobservances ordained. The Brahmana, however, felt some surprise, O king.\nThen Kundadhara addressed the Brahmana, saying, 'Thou hast now got an\nexcellent and spiritual eye. Behold with this vision of thine the end\nthat is attained by kings, and survey all the worlds besides.' The\nBrahmana then, with his spiritual vision, beheld from a distance\nthousands of kings sunk in hell.\n\n\"'\"Kundadhara said, 'After having worshipped me with devotion thou didst\nget sorrow for thy share, what then would have been the good done to thee\nby me, and what the value of my favour? Look, look for what end men\ndesire the gratification of carnal enjoyments. The door of heaven is\nclosed unto men.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"The Brahmana then beheld many men living in this\nworld, embracing lust, and wrath, and cupidity, and fear, and pride, and\nsleep and procrastination, and inactivity.\n\n\"'\"Kundadhara said, 'With these (vices) all human beings are enchained. The\ngods are afraid of men. These vices, at the command of the gods, mar and\ndisconcert on every side.[1282] No man can become virtuous unless\npermitted by the gods. (In consequence of their permission) thou hast\nbecome competent to give away kingdoms and wealth through thy penances.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed, the righteous-souled Brahmana,\nbending his head unto that Cloud, prostrated himself on the ground, and\nsaid, 'Thou hast, indeed, done me a great favour. Unconscious of the\ngreat affection shown by thee towards me, I had through the influence of\ndesire and cupidity, failed to display good will towards thee.' Then\nKundadhara said unto that foremost of regenerate persons, 'I have\nforgiven thee,' and having embraced him with his arms disappeared there\nand then. The Brahmana then roamed through all the worlds, having\nattained to ascetic success through the grace of Kundadhara. Through the\npuissance gained from virtue and penances, one acquires competence to\nsail through the skies and to fructify all one's wishes and purposes, and\nfinally attain to the highest end. The gods and Brahmanas and Yakshas and\nall good men and Charanas always adore those that are virtuous but never\nthose that are rich or given up to the indulgence of their desires. The\ngods are truly propitious to thee since thy mind is devoted to virtue. In\nwealth there may be a very little happiness but in virtue the measure of\nhappiness is very great.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLXXII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Amongst the diverse kinds of sacrifices, all of\nwhich, of course, are regarded to have but one object (viz., the\ncleansing of the heart or the glory of God), tell me, O grandsire, what\nthat sacrifice is which has been ordained for the sake only of virtue and\nnot for the acquisition of either heaven or wealth!\"[1283]\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection I shall relate to thee the history,\nformerly recited by Narada, of a Brahmana who for performing sacrifices,\nlived according to the unchha mode.\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'In one of the foremost of kingdoms that was distinguished\nagain for virtue, there lived a Brahmana. Devoted to penances and living\naccording to the unchha mode, that Brahmana was earnestly engaged in\nadoring Vishnu in sacrifices.[1284] He had Syamaka for his food, as also\nSuryaparni and Suvarchala and other kinds of potherbs that were bitter\nand disagreeable to the taste. In consequence, however, of his penances,\nall these tasted sweet.[1285] Abstaining from injuring any creature, and\nleading the life of a forest recluse, he attained to ascetic success.\nWith roots and fruits, O scorcher of foes, he used to adore Vishnu in\nsacrifices that were intended to confer heaven upon him.[1286] The\nBrahmana, whose name was Satya, had a wife named Pushkaradharini. She was\npure-minded, and had emaciated herself by the observance of many austere\nvows. (Herself having been of a benevolent disposition, and her husband\nbeing thus addicted to sacrifices that were cruel), she did not approve\nof the conduct of her lord. Summoned, however, to take her seat by his\nside as his spouse (for the performance of a sacrifice), she feared to\nincur his curse and, therefore, comforted herself with his conduct. The\ngarments that invested her body consisted of the (cast off) plumes of\npeacocks. Although unwilling, she still performed that sacrifice at the\ncommand of her lord who had become its Hotri. In that forest, near to the\nBrahmana's asylum, lived a neighbour of his, viz., the virtuous Parnada\nof Sukra's race, having assumed the form of a deer. He addressed that\nBrahmana, whose name was Satya, in articulate speech and said unto him\nthese words, \"Thou wouldst be acting very improperly,[1287] if this\nsacrifice of thine were accomplished in such a manner as to be defective\nin mantras and other particulars of ritual. I, therefore, ask thee to\nslay and cut me in pieces for making libations therewith on thy\nsacrificial fire. Do this and becoming blameless ascend to heaven.\" Then\nthe presiding goddess of the solar disc, viz., Savitri, came to that\nsacrifice in her own embodied form and insisted upon that Brahmana in\ndoing what he desired by that deer to do. Unto that goddess, however, who\nthus insisted, the Brahmana replied, saying, \"I shall not slay this deer\nwho lives with me in this same neighbourhood.\"[1288] Thus addressed by\nthe Brahmana, the goddess Savitri desisted and entered the sacrificial\nfire from desire of surveying the nether world, and wishing to avoid the\nsight of (other) defects in that sacrifice.[1289] The deer, then, with\njoined hands, once more begged of Satya (to be cut in pieces and poured\ninto the sacrificial fire). Satya, however, embraced him in friendship\nand dismissed him, saying, \"Go!\"[1290] At this, the deer seemed to leave\nthat place. But after he had gone eight steps he returned, and said,\n\"Verily, do thou slay me. Truly do I say, slain by thee I am sure to\nattain to a righteous end. I give thee (spiritual) vision. Behold the\ncelestial Apsaras and the beautiful vehicles of the high-souled\nGandharvas.\" Beholding (that sight) for a protracted space of time, with\nlonging eyes, and seeing the deer (solicitous of sacrifice), and thinking\nthat residence in heaven is attainable by only slaughter, he approved (of\nthe counsels the deer had given). It was Dharma himself who had become a\ndeer that lived in those woods for many years. (Seeing the Brahmana\ntempted by the prospect he beheld), Dharma provided for his salvation and\ncounselled him, saying, \"This (viz., slaughter of living creatures) is\nnot conformable to the ordinances about Sacrifices.\"[1291] The penances,\nwhich had been of very large measure, of that Brahmana whose mind had\nentertained the desire of slaying the deer, diminished greatly in\nconsequence of that thought itself. The injuring of living creatures,\ntherefore, forms no part of sacrifice.[1292] Then the illustrious Dharma\n(having assumed his real form), himself assisted that Brahmana, by\ndischarging the priestly office, to perform a sacrifice. The Brahmana,\nafter this, in consequence of his (renewed) penances, attained to that\nstate of mind which was his spouse's.[1293] Abstention from injury is\nthat religion which is complete in respect of its rewards. The religion,\nhowever, of cruelty is only thus far beneficial that it leads to heaven\n(which has a termination). I have spoken to thee of that religion of\nTruth which, indeed, is the religion of those that are utterers of\nBrahma.'\"'\"[1294]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLXXIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"By what means doth a man become sinful, by what doth\nhe achieve virtue, by what doth he attain to Renunciation, and by what\ndoth he win Emancipation?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Thou knowest all duties. This question that thou askest\nis only for confirmation of thy conclusions. Listen now to Emancipation,\nand Renunciation, and Sin, and Virtue to their very roots. Perceiving any\none of the five objects (viz., form, taste, scent, sound, and touch),\ndesire runs after it at first. Indeed, obtaining them within the purview\nof the senses, O chief of Bharata's race, desire or aversion springs\nup.[1295] One, then, for the sake of that object (i.e., for acquisition\nof what is liked and avoidance of what is disliked) strives and begins\nacts that involve much labour. One endeavours one's best for repeatedly\nenjoying those forms and scents (and the three other objects of the\nremaining three senses) that appear very agreeable. Gradually,\nattachment, and aversion, and greed, and errors of judgment arise. The\nmind of one overwhelmed by greed and error and affected by attachment and\naversion is never directed to virtue. One then begins with hypocrisy to\ndo acts that are good. Indeed, with hypocrisy one then seeks to acquire\nvirtue, and with hypocrisy one likes to acquire wealth. When one\nsucceeds, O son of Kuru's race, in winning wealth with hypocrisy, one\nsets one's heart to such acquisition wholly. It is then that one begins\nto do acts that are sinful, notwithstanding the admonitions of\nwell-wishers and the wise, unto all which he makes answers plausibly\nconsistent with reason and conformable to the injunctions of the\nscriptures. Born of attachment and error, his sins, of three kinds,\nrapidly increase, for he thinks sinfully, speaks sinfully, and acts\nsinfully. When he fairly starts on the way of sin, they that are good\nmark his wickedness. They, however, that are of a disposition similar to\nthat of the sinful man, enter into friendship with him. He succeeds not\nin winning happiness even here. Whence then would he succeed in winning\nhappiness hereafter? It is thus that one becomes sinful. Listen now to me\nas I speak to thee of one that is righteous. Such a man, inasmuch as he\nseeks the good of others, succeeds in winning good for himself. By\npractising duties that are fraught with other people's good, he attains\nat last to a highly agreeable end. He who, aided by his wisdom, succeeds\nbeforehand in beholding the faults above adverted to, who is skilled in\njudging of what is happiness and what is sorrow and how each is brought\nabout, and who waits with reverence upon those that are good, makes\nprogress in achieving virtue, both in consequence of his habit and such\ncompanionship of the good. The mind of such a person takes delight in\nvirtue, and he lives on, making virtue his support. If he sets his heart\non the acquisition of wealth, he desires only such wealth as may be\nacquired in righteous ways. Indeed, he waters the roots of only those\nthings in which he sees merit. In this way, doth one become righteous and\nacquires friends that are good. In consequence of his acquisition of\nfriends, of wealth, and of children, he sports in happiness both here and\nhereafter. The mastery (in respect of enjoyment) that a living creature\nattains over sound, touch, taste, form, and scent, O Bharata, represents\nthe fruit of virtue.[1296] Remember this. Having obtained the fruit of\nvirtue, O Yudhishthira, such a man does not give himself up to joy.\nWithout being contented with such (visible) fruits of virtue he betakes\nhimself to Renunciation, led on by the eye of knowledge. When, having\nacquired the eye of knowledge, he ceases to take pleasure in the\ngratification of desire, in taste and in scent, when he does not allow\nhis mind to run towards sound, touch and form, it is then that he\nsucceeds in freeing himself from desire.[1297] He does not, however, even\nthen cast off virtue or righteous acts. Beholding then all the worlds to\nbe liable to destruction, he strives to cast off virtue (with its rewards\nin the form of heaven and its happiness) and endeavours to attain to\nEmancipation by the (well-known) means.[1298] Gradually abandoning all\nsinful acts he betakes himself to Renunciation, and becoming\nrighteous-souled succeeds at last in attaining to Emancipation. I have\nnow told thee, O son, of that about which thou hadst asked me, viz., the\ntopics of Sin, Righteousness, Renunciation, and Emancipation, O Bharata!\nThou shouldst, therefore, O Yudhishthira, adhere to virtue in all\nsituations. Eternal is the success, O son of Kunti, of thee that adherest\nto righteousness.\"'\"[1299]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLXXIV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou hast said, O grandsire, that Emancipation is to\nbe won by means and not otherwise. I desire to hear duly what those means\nare.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"O thou of great wisdom, this enquiry that thou hast\naddressed to me and that is connected with a subtle topic, is really\nworthy of thee, since thou, O sinless one, always seekest to accomplish\nall thy objects by the application of means. That state of mind which is\npresent when one sets oneself to make an earthen jar for one's use,\ndisappears after the jar has been completed. After the same manner, that\ncause which urges persons who regard virtue as the root of advancement\nand prosperity ceases to operate with them that seek to achieve\nEmancipation.[1300] That path which leads to the Eastern Ocean is not the\npath by which one can go to the Western Ocean. There is only one path\nthat leads to Emancipation. (It is not identical with any of those that\nlead to any other object of acquisition). Listen to me as I discourse on\nit to thee in detail. One should, by practising forgiveness, exterminate\nwrath, and by abandoning all purposes, root out desire. By practising\nthe quality of Sattwa[1301] one should conquer sleep. By heedfulness one\nshould keep off fear, and by contemplation of the Soul one should conquer\nbreath.[1302] Desire, aversion, and lust, one should dispel by patience;\nerror, ignorance, and doubt, by study of truth. By pursuit after\nknowledge one should avoid insouciance and inquiry after things of no\ninterest.[1303] By frugal and easily digestible fare one should drive off\nall disorders and diseases. By contentment one should dispel greed and\nstupefaction of judgment, and all worldly concerns should be avoided by a\nknowledge of the truth.[1304] By practising benevolence one should\nconquer iniquity, and by regard for all creatures one should acquire\nvirtue. One should avoid expectation by the reflection that it is\nconcerned with the future; and one should cast off wealth by abandoning\ndesire itself. The man of intelligence should abandon affection by\nrecollecting that everything (here) is transitory. He should subdue\nhunger by practising Yoga. By practising benevolence one should keep off\nall ideas of self-importance, and drive off all sorts of craving by\nadopting contentment. By exertion one should subdue procrastination, and\nby certainty all kinds of doubt, by taciturnity, loquaciousness, and by\ncourage, every kind of fear.[1305] Speech and mind are to be subdued by\nthe Understanding, and the Understanding, in its turn, is to be kept\nunder control by the eye of knowledge. Knowledge, again, is to be\ncontrolled by acquaintance with the Soul, and finally the Soul is to be\ncontrolled by the Soul.[1306] This last is attainable by those that are\nof pure-acts and endued with tranquillity of soul,[1307] the means being\nthe subjugation of those five impediments of Yoga of which the learned\nspeak. By casting off desire and wrath and covetousness and fear and\nsleep, one should, restraining speech, practise what is favourable to\nYoga, viz., contemplation, study, gift, truth, modesty, candour,\nforgiveness, purity of heart, purity in respect of food, and the\nsubjugation of the senses. By these one's energy is increased, sins are\ndispelled, wishes crowned with fruition, and knowledge (of diverse kinds)\ngained. When one becomes cleansed of one's sins and possessed of energy\nand frugal of fare and the master of one's senses, one then, having\nconquered both desire and wrath, seeks to attain to Brahma. The avoidance\nof ignorance (by listening to and studying the scriptures), the absence\nof attachment (in consequence of Renunciation), freedom from desire and\nwrath (by adoption of contentment and forgiveness), the puissance that is\nwon by Yoga, the absence of pride and haughtiness, freedom from anxiety\n(by subjugation of every kind of fear), absence of attachment of anything\nlike home and family,--these constitute the path of Emancipation. That\npath is delightful, stainless, and pure. Similarly, the restraining of\nspeech, of body, and of mind, when practised from the absence of desire,\nconstitutes also the path of Emancipation.\"'\"[1308]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLXXV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the old narrative of the\ndiscourse that took place between Narada and Asita-Devala. Once on a time\nNarada, beholding that foremost of intelligent men, viz., Devala of\nvenerable years, seated at his ease, questioned him about the origin and\nthe destruction of all creatures.\"\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'Whence, O Brahmana, hath this universe, consisting of\nmobile and immobile objects, been created? When again doth the\nall-embracing destruction come, into whom doth it merge? Let thy learned\nself discourse to me on this.'\n\n\"'\"Asita said, 'Those from which the Supreme Soul, when the time comes,\nmoved by the desire of existence in manifold forms, creates all\ncreatures, are said by persons conversant with objects to be the five\ngreat essences.[1309] (After this) Time, impelled by the Understanding\ncreates other objects from those (five primal essences).[1310] He that\nsays that there is anything else besides these (i.e., the five primal\nessences, Kala, and the Understanding), says what is not true. Know, O\nNarada, that these five are eternal, indestructible, and without\nbeginning and without end. With Kala as their sixth, these five primal\nessences are naturally possessed of mighty energy. Water, Space, Earth,\nWind, and Heat,--these are those five essences. Without doubt, there is\nnothing higher or superior to these (in point of puissance or energy).\nThe existence of nothing else (than five) can be affirmed by any one\nagreeably to the conclusions derivable from the Srutis or arguments drawn\nfrom reason. If any one does assert the existence of anything else, then\nhis assertion would verily be idle or vain. Know that these six enter\ninto the production of all effects. That of which are all these (which\nthou perceivest) is called Asat.[1311] These five, and Kala (or Jiva),\nthe potencies of past acts, and ignorance,--these eight eternal essences\nare the causes of the birth and destruction of all creatures.[1312] When\ncreatures are destroyed it is into these that they enter; and when they\ntake birth, it is again from them they do so. Indeed, after destruction,\na creature resolves itself into those five primal essences. His body is\nmade of earth; his ear has its origin in space; his eye hath light for\nits cause; his life (motion) is of wind, and his blood is of water,\nwithout doubt. The two eyes, the nose, the two ears, the skin, and the\ntongue (constituting the fifth), are the senses. These, the learned know,\nexist for perception of their respective objects.[1313] Vision, hearing,\nsmelling, touching, and tasting are the functions of the senses. The five\nsenses are concerned with five objects in five ways. Know, by the\ninference of reason, their similitude of attributes.[1314] Form, scent,\ntaste, touch, and sound, are the five properties that are (respectively)\napprehended by the five senses in five different ways. These five\nproperties, viz., form, scent, taste, touch, and sound, are not really\napprehended by the _senses_ (for these are inert), but it is the Soul\nthat apprehends them _through_ the senses. That which is called Chitta is\nsuperior to the multitude of senses. Superior to Chitta is Manas.\nSuperior to Manas is Buddhi, and superior to Buddhi is Kshetrajna.[1315]\nAt first a living creature perceives different objects through the\nsenses. With Manas he reflects over them, and then with the aid of Buddhi\nhe arrives at certitude of knowledge. Possessed of Buddhi, one arrives at\ncertainty of conclusions in respect of objects perceived through the\nsenses. The five senses, Chitta, Mind and Understanding (which is the\neighth in the tale),--these are regarded as organs of knowledge by those\nconversant with the science of Adhyatma. The hands, the feet, the anal\nduct, the membrum virile, the mouth (forming the fifth in the tale),\nconstitute the five organs of action. The mouth is spoken of as an organ\nof action because it contains the apparatus of speech, and that of\neating. The feet are organs of locomotion and the hands for doing various\nkinds of work. The anal duct and the membrum virile are two organs that\nexist for a similar purpose, viz., for evacuation. The first is for\nevacuation of stools, the second for that of urine as also of the vital\nseed when one feels the influence of desire. Besides these, there is a\nsixth organ of action. It is called muscular power. These then are the\nnames of the six organs of action according to the (approved) treatises\nbearing on the subject. I have now mentioned to thee the names of all the\norgans of knowledge and of action, and all the attributes of the five\n(primal) essences.[1316] When in consequence of the organs being\nfatigued, they cease to perform their respective functions, the owner of\nthose organs, because of their suspension, is said to sleep. If, when the\nfunctions of these organs are suspended, the functions of the mind do not\ncease, but on the other hand the mind continues to concern itself with\nits objects, the condition of consciousness is called Dream. During\nwakefulness there are three states of the mind, viz., that connected with\nGoodness, that with Passion, and that with Darkness. In dream also the\nmind becomes concerned with the same three states. Those very states,\nwhen they appear in dreams, connected with pleasurable actions, come to\nbe regarded with applause. Happiness, success, knowledge, and absence of\nattachment are the indications of (the wakeful man in whom is present)\nthe attribute of Goodness. Whatever states (of Goodness, Passion, or\nDarkness) are experienced by living creatures, as exhibited in acts,\nduring their hours of Wakefulness, reappear in memory during their hours\nof sleep when they dream. The passage of our notions as they exist during\nwakefulness into those of dreams, and that of notions as they exist in\ndreams into those of wakefulness, become directly apprehensible in that\nstate of consciousness which is called dreamless slumber. That is\neternal, and that is desirable.[1317] There are five organs of knowledge,\nand five of actions; with muscular power, mind, understanding, and\nChitta, and with also the three attributes of Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas,\nthe tale, it has been said, comes up to seventeen. The eighteenth in the\nenumeration is he who owneth the body, Indeed, he who lives in this body\nis eternal. All those seventeen (with Avidya or Ignorance making\neighteen), dwelling in the body, exist attached to him who owns the body.\nWhen the owner disappears from the body, those eighteen (counting Avidya)\ncease to dwell together in the body. Or, this body made up of the five\n(primal) essences is only a combination (that must dissolve away). The\neighteen attributes (including Avidya), with him that owneth the body,\nand counting stomachic heat numbering twentieth in the tale, form that\nwhich is known as the Combination of the Five. There is a Being called\nMahat, which, with the aid of the wind (called Prana), upholds this\ncombination containing the twenty things that have been named, and in the\nmatter of the destruction of that body the wind (which is generally\nspoken of as the cause) is only the instrument in the hands of that same\nMahat. Whatever creature is born is resolved once more into the five\nconstituent elements upon the exhaustion of his merits and demerits; and\nurged again by the merits and demerits won in that life enters into\nanother body resulting from his acts.[1318] His abodes always resulting\nfrom Avidya, desire, and acts, he migrates from body to body, abandoning\none after another repeatedly, urged on by Time, like a person abandoning\nhouse after house in succession. They that are wise, and endued with\ncertainty of knowledge, do not give way to grief upon beholding this\n(migration). Only they that are foolish, erroneously supposing\nrelationships (where relationship in reality there is none) indulge in\ngrief at sight of such changes of abode. This Jiva is no one's relation;\nthere is none again that may be said to belong to him. He is always\nalone, and he himself creates his own body and his own happiness and\nmisery. This Jiva is never born, nor doth he ever die. Freed from the\nbond of body, he succeeds sometimes in attaining to the highest end.\nDeprived of body, because freed through the exhaustion of acts from\nbodies that are the results of merits and demerits, Jiva at last attains\nto Brahma. For the exhaustion of both merits and demerits, Knowledge has\nbeen ordained as the cause in the Sankhya school. Upon the exhaustion of\nmerit and demerit, when Jiva attains to the status of Brahma,[1319] (they\nthat are learned in the scriptures) behold (with the eye of the\nscriptures) the attainment of Jiva to the highest end.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLXXVI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Cruel and sinful that we are, alas, we have slain\nbrothers and sires and grandsons and kinsmen and friends and sons. How, O\ngrandsire, shall we dispel this thirst for wealth. Alas, through that\nthirst we have perpetrated many sinful deeds.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the old narrative of what was\nsaid by the ruler of the Videhas unto the enquiring Mandavya. The ruler\nof the Videhas said, 'I have nothing (in this world), yet I live in great\nhappiness. If the whole of Mithila (which is said to be my kingdom) burn\nin a conflagration, nothing of mine will be burnt down. Tangible\npossessions, however valuable, are a source of sorrow to men of\nknowledge; while possessions of even little value fascinate the\nfoolish.[1320] Whatever happiness exists here, derivable from the\ngratification of desire, and whatever heavenly happiness exists of high\nvalue, do not come up to even a sixteenth part of the felicity that\nattends the total disappearance of desire. As the horns of a cow grow\nwith the growth of the cow itself, after the same manner the thirst for\nwealth increases with increasing acquisitions of wealth. Whatever the\nobject for which one feels an attachment, that object becomes a source of\npain when it is lost. One should not cherish desire. Attachment to desire\nleads to sorrow. When wealth has been acquired, one should apply it to\npurposes of virtue. One should even then give up desire.[1321] The man of\nknowledge always looks upon other creatures even as he looks upon\nhimself. Having cleansed his soul and attained to success, he casts off\neverything here.[1322] By casting off both truth and falsehood, grief and\njoy, the agreeable and disagreeable, fearlessness and fear, one attains\nto tranquillity, and becomes free from every anxiety. That thirst (for\nearthly things) which is difficult of being cast off by men of foolish\nunderstanding, which wanes not with the wane of the body, and which is\nregarded as a fatal disease (by men of knowledge), one who succeeds in\ncasting off is sure to find felicity. The man of virtuous soul, by\nbeholding his own behaviour that has become bright as the moon and free\nfrom evil of every kind, succeeds in happily attaining to great fame both\nhere and hereafter.' Hearing these words of the king, the Brahmana became\nfilled with joy, and applauding what he heard, Mandavya betook himself to\nthe path of Emancipation.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLXXVII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Time, that is fraught, with terror unto all\ncreatures, is running his course. What is that source of good after which\none should strive? Tell me this, O grandsire!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the old narrative of a\ndiscourse between a sire and a son. Listen to it, O Yudhishthira! Once on\na time, O son of Pritha, a regenerate person devoted only to the study of\nthe Vedas had a very intelligent son who was known by the name of\nMedhavin. Himself conversant with the religion of Emancipation, the son\none day asked his father who was not conversant with that religion and\nwho was engaged in following the precepts of the Vedas, this question.\n\n\"'\"The son said, 'What should a man of intelligence do, O sire, knowing\nthat the period of existence allotted to men runs fast away? Tell me this\ntruly and in proper order, O father, so that, guided by thy instructions\nI may set myself to the acquisition of virtue.'\n\n\"'\"The sire said, 'Having studied the Vedas all the while observing the\nduties of Brahmacharya, O son, one should then desire for offspring for\nthe sake of rescuing one's sires. Having established one's fire then and\nperforming the sacrifices that are ordained, one should then retire into\nthe woods and (having lived as a forest-recluse) one should then become a\nMuni (by casting off everything and calmly waiting for dissolution).'\n\n\"'\"The son said, 'When the world is thus assailed and thus besieged on all\nsides, and when such irresistible (bolts) are falling in every direction,\nhow can you speak so calmly?'\n\n\"'\"The sire said, 'How is the world assailed? By what is it besieged? What\nare those irresistible bolts that are falling on every side? Dost thou\nfrighten me with thy words?'\n\n\"'\"The son said, 'The world is assailed by Death. It is besieged by\nDecrepitude. Days and Nights are continually falling (like bolts). Why do\nyou not take heed of these? When I know that Death does not wait here for\nany one (but snatches all away suddenly and without notice), how can I\npossibly wait (for his coming) thus enveloped in a coat of Ignorance and\n(heedlessly) attending to my concerns? When as each night passes away the\nperiod of every one's life wears away with it, when, indeed, one's\nposition is similar to that of a fish in a piece of shallow water, who\ncan feel happy? Death encounters one in the very midst of one's concerns,\nbefore the attainment of one's objects, finding one as unmindful as a\nperson while engaged in plucking flowers.[1323] That which is kept for\nbeing done tomorrow should be done today; and that which one thinks of\ndoing in the afternoon should be done in the forenoon. Death does not\nwait, mindful of one's having done or not done one's acts. Do today what\nis for thy good (without keeping it for tomorrow). See that Death, who is\nirresistible, may not overcome thee (before you accomplish thy acts). Who\nknows that Death will not come to one this very day? Before one's acts\nare completed, Death drags one away. One should, therefore, commence to\npractise virtue while one is still young (without waiting for one's old\nage), for life is uncertain. By acquiring virtue one is sure to eternal\nhappiness both here and hereafter. Overpowered by folly one girds up\none's loins for acting on behalf of one's sons and wives. By\naccomplishing acts foul or fair, one gratifies these (relatives). Him\npossessed of sons and animals, and with mind devotedly attached to them,\nDeath seizes and runs away like a tiger bearing away a sleeping\ndeer.[1324] While one is still engaged in winning diverse objects of\ndesire, and while still unsatiated with one's enjoyment, Death seizes one\nand runs away like a she-wolf seizing a sheep and running away with it.\n\"This has been done\",--\"this remains to be done\",--\"this other is half\ndone\",--one may say thus to oneself; but Death, unmindful of one's desire\nto finish one's unfinished acts, seizes and drags one away. One that has\nnot yet obtained the fruit of what one has already done, amongst those\nattached to action, one busied with one's field or shop or house, Death\nseizes and carries away. The weak, the strong, the wise, the brave, the\nidiotic, the learned, or him that has not yet obtained the gratification\nof any of his desires, Death seizes and bears away. Death, decrepitude,\ndisease, sorrow, and many things of a similar kind, are incapable of\nbeing avoided by mortals. How, then, O father, canst thou sit so at thy\nease? As soon as a creature is born, Decrepitude and Death come and\npossess him for his destruction. All these forms of existence mobile and\nimmobile, are possessed by these two (viz., Decrepitude and Death). When\nthe soldiers that compose Death's army are on their march, nothing can\nresist them, except that one thing, viz., the power of Truth, for in\nTruth alone Immortality dwells. The delight that one feels of residing in\nthe midst of men is the abode of Death. The Sruti declares that that\nwhich is called the forest is the true fold for the Devas, while the\ndelight one feels in dwelling in the midst of men is, as it were, the\ncord for binding the dweller (and making him helpless).[1325] The\nrighteous cut it and escape. The sinful do not succeed in cutting it (and\nfreeing themselves). He who does not injure other creatures in thought,\nword and deed, and who never injures others by taking away their means of\nsustenance, is never injured by any creature.[1326] For these reasons,\none should practise the vow of truth, be steadily devoted to the vow of\ntruth, and should desire nothing but the truth. Restraining all one's\nsenses and looking upon all creatures with an equal eye, one should\nvanquish Death with the aid of Truth. Both Immortality and Death are\nplanted in the body. Death is encountered from folly, and Immortality is\nwon by Truth. Transcending desire and wrath, and abstaining from injury,\nI shall adopt Truth and happily achieving what is for my good, avoid\nDeath like an Immortal. Engaged in the Sacrifice that is constituted by\nPeace, and employed also in the Sacrifice of Brahma, and restraining my\nsenses, the Sacrifices I shall perform are those of speech, mind, and\nacts, when the sun enters his northerly course.[1327] How can one like me\nperform an Animal Sacrifice which is fraught with cruelty? How can one\nlike me, that is possessed of wisdom, perform like a cruel Pisacha, a\nSacrifice of Slaughter after the manner of what is laid down for the\nKshatriyas,--a Sacrifice that is, besides, endued with rewards that are\nterminable? In myself have I been begotten by my own self. O father,\nwithout seeking to procreate offspring, I shall rest myself on my own\nself. I shall perform the Sacrifice of Self, I need no offspring to\nrescue me.[1328] He whose words and thoughts are always well-restrained,\nhe who has Penances and Renunciation, and Yoga, is sure to attain to\neverything through these. There is no eye equal to Knowledge. There is no\nreward equal to Knowledge. There is no sorrow equal to attachment. There\nis no happiness equal to Renunciation. For a Brahmana there can be no\nwealth like residence in solitude, an equal regard for all creatures,\ntruthfulness of speech, steady observance of good conduct, the total\nabandonment of the rod (of chastisement), simplicity, and the gradual\nabstention from all acts.[1329] What need hast thou with wealth and what\nneed with relatives and friends, and what with spouses? Thou art a\nBrahmana and thou hast death to encounter. Search thy own Self that is\nconcealed in a cave. Whither have thy grandsires gone and whither thy\nsire too?'\"[1330]\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Hearing these words of his son, the sire acted in the way\nthat was pointed out, O king! Do thou also act in the same way, devoted\nto the religion of Truth.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLXXVIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Of what behaviour must a man be, of what acts, of\nwhat kind of knowledge, and to what must he be devoted, for attaining to\nBrahma's place which transcends Prakriti and which is unchangeable?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"One that is devoted to the religion of Emancipation,\nfrugal in fare, and the master of one's senses, attains to that high\nplace which transcends Prakriti and is unchangeable.[1331] Retiring from\none's home, regarding gain and loss in the same light, restraining the\nsenses, and disregarding all objects of desire even when they are ready\n(for enjoyment), one should adopt a life of Renunciation.[1332] Neither\nwith eye, nor with word, nor in thought, should one disparage another.\nNor should one speak evil of any person either in or out of his hearing.\nOne should abstain from injuring any creature, and conduct oneself\nobserving the course of the Sun.[1333] Having come into this life, one\nshould not behave with unfriendliness towards any creature. One should\ndisregard opprobrious speeches, and never in arrogance deem oneself as\nsuperior to another. When sought to be angered by another, one should\nstill utter agreeable speeches. Even when calumniated, one should not\ncalumniate in return. One should not behave in a friendly or an\nunfriendly way in the midst of human beings. One should not go about\nvisiting many houses in one's round of mendicancy. Nor should one go to\nany house having received a previous invitation (to dinner).[1334] Even\nwhen bespattered with filth (by others), one should, resting firmly in\nthe observance of one's duties, refrain from addressing such bespatterers\nin disagreeable speeches. One should be compassionate. One should abstain\nfrom returning an injury. One should be fearless; one should refrain from\nself-laudation. The man of restrained senses should seek his dole of\ncharity in a householder's abode when the smoke has ceased to rise from\nit, when the sound of the husking rod is hushed, when the hearth-fire is\nextinguished, when all the inmates have finished their meals, or when the\nhour is over for setting the dishes.[1335] He should content himself with\nonly as much as is barely necessary for keeping body and soul together.\nEven that much of food which produces gratification should not be coveted\nby him. When he fails to obtain what he wants, he should not suffer\nhimself to cherish discontent. Success, again, in obtaining what he\nwants, should not make him glad.[1336] He should never wish for such\nthings as are coveted by ordinary men. He should never eat at anybody's\nhouse when respectfully invited thereto. One like him should reprobate\nsuch gains as are obtained with honour.[1337] He should never find fault\n(on account of staleness, etc.) with the food placed before him, nor\nshould he applaud its merits. He should covet a bed and a seat that are\nremoved from the haunts of men. The places he should seek are such as a\ndeserted house, the foot of a tree, a forest, or a cave. Without allowing\nhis practices to be known by others, or concealing their real nature by\nappearing to adopt others (that are hateful or repulsive), he should\nenter his own Self.[1338] By association with Yoga and dissociation from\ncompany, he should be perfectly equable, steadily fixed, and uniform. He\nshould not earn either merit or demerit by means of acts.[1339] He should\nbe always gratified, well-contented, of cheerful face and cheerful\nsenses, fearless, always engaged in mental recitation of sacred mantras,\nsilent, and wedded to a life of Renunciation. Beholding the repeated\nformation and dissolution of his own body with the senses that result\nfrom and resolve into the elemental essences, and seeing also the advent\nand departure of (other) creatures, he should become free from desire and\nlearn to cast equal eyes upon all, subsisting upon both cooked and\nuncooked food. Frugal in respect of his fare, and subjugating his senses,\nhe achieves tranquillity of Self by Self.[1340] One should control the\n(rising) impulses of words, of the mind, of wrath, of envy, of hunger,\nand of lust. Devoted to penances for cleansing his heart, he should never\nallow the censures (of others) to afflict his heart. One should live,\nhaving assumed a status of neutrality with respect to all creatures, and\nregard praise and blame as equal. This, indeed, is the holiest and the\nhighest path of the Sannyasa mode of life. Possessed of high soul, the\nSannyasin should restrain his senses from all things and keep himself\naloof from all attachments. He should never repair to the places visited\nby him and the men known to him while leading the prior modes of life.\nAgreeable to all creatures, and without a fixed home, he should be\ndevoted to the contemplation of Self. He should never mingle with\nhouse-holders and forest-recluses. He should eat such food as he may\nobtain without effort (and without having thought of it\nbeforehand).[1341] He should never suffer joy to possess his heart. To\nthose that are wise such a life of Renunciation is the means for the\nattainment of Emancipation. To those, however, that are fools the\npractice of these duties is exceedingly burthensome. The sage Harita\ndeclared all this to be the path by which Emancipation is to be achieved.\nHe who sets forth from his home, having assured all creatures of his\nperfect harmlessness, attains to many bright regions of felicity which\nprove unending or eternal.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLXXIX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"All men speak of ourselves as highly fortunate. In\ntruth, however, there is no person more wretched than ourselves. Though\nhonoured by all the world, O best of the Kurus, and though we have been\nborn among men, O grandsire, having been begotten by the very gods, yet\nwhen so much sorrow has been our lot, it seems, O reverend chief, that\nbirth alone in an embodied form is the cause of all sorrow. Alas, when\nshall we adopt a life of Renunciation that is destructive of\nsorrow?[1342] Sages of rigid vows freed from the seven and ten (i.e., the\nfive breaths, mind, understanding, and the ten organs of knowledge and\naction), from the five faults of Yoga (viz., desire, wrath, covetousness,\nfear, and sleep) that constitute the chief causes (for binding man to\nrepeated rounds of earthly life), and from the other eight, viz., the\nfive objects of the senses and the three attributes (of Sattwa, Rajas,\nand Tamas), have never to incur rebirth. When, O scorcher of foes, shall\nwe succeed in abandoning sovereignty for adopting a life of renunciation?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Everything, O great monarch, hath an end. Everything hath\nbounds assigned to it. Even rebirth, it is well-known, hath an end. In\nthis world there is nothing that is immutable. Thou thinkest, O king,\nthat this (viz., the affluence with which thou art invested is a fault).\nThat it is not so is not true, in regard to our present topic of\ndisquisition. Ye, however, are conversant with virtue, and have\nreadiness. It is certain, therefore, that ye shall attain to the end of\nyour sorrow, (viz., Emancipation) in time.[1343] Jiva equipped with body,\nO king, is not the author of his merits and demerits (or their fruits as\nrepresented by happiness and misery). On the other hand, he becomes\nenveloped by the Darkness (of Ignorance having attachment and aversion\nfor its essence) that is born of his merits and demerits.[1344] As the\nwind impregnated with dust of antimony once again seizes the\nefflorescence of realgar and (though itself destitute of colour) assumes\nthe hues of the substances which it has seized and tinges the different\npoints of the compass (which represent its own hueless progenitor, viz.,\nspace), after the same manner, Jiva, though himself colourless, assumes a\nhue in consequence of being enveloped by Darkness and variegated by the\nfruits of action, and travels from body to body (making his own stainless\nand immutable progenitor appear as stained and changeful).[1345] When\nJiva succeeds in dispelling by means of Knowledge, the Darkness that\ninvests him in consequence of Ignorance, then Immutable Brahma becomes\ndisplayed (in all His glory). The Sages say that reversion to Immutable\nBrahma is incapable of being achieved by Acts. Thyself, others in the\nworld, and the deities too, should reverence them that have achieved\nEmancipation. All the great Rishis never desist from culture of\nBrahma.[1346] In this connection is cited that discourse which was sung\n(by the preceptor of the Daityas) in days of old. Listen, O monarch, with\nundivided attention to the course of conduct that was followed by the\nDaitya Vritra after he became divested of all his prosperity. Depending\nonly upon his intelligence, he did not indulge in sorrow, in the midst of\nhis enemies, although he was deprived of sovereignty, O Bharata! Unto\nVritra, when in days of old he was reft of sovereignty, (his preceptor)\nUsanas said, 'I hope, O Danava, that in consequence of thy defeat thou\ndost not cherish any grief?'\n\n\"'\"Vritra said, 'Without doubt, having understood, by the aid of truth and\npenances, the advent and departure of all living creatures, I have ceased\nto indulge in either grief or joy. Urged by Time creatures sink\nhelplessly in hell. Some again, the sages say, go to heaven. All these\npass their time in contentment. Passing their allotted periods in heaven\nand hell, and with some portion of their merits and demerits unexhausted\n(by enjoyment and suffering), they repeatedly take birth, impelled by\nTime. Chained by the bonds of Desire, creatures pass through myriads of\nintermediate lives and fall helplessly into hell.[1347] I have seen that\ncreatures come and go even thus. The lesson inculcated in the Scriptures\nis that one's acquisitions correspond with one's acts.[1348] Creatures\ntake birth as men or as intermediate animals or as gods and go to hell.\nHaving acted in lives, that are past in such a way as to deserve them,\nall creatures, subject to the ordinances of the Destroyer, meet with\nhappiness and misery, the agreeable and the disagreeable. Having enjoyed\nthe measure of weal or woe that corresponds with their acts, creatures\nalways come back by the old path,[1349] which is measured by the measure\nof acts.' Then the illustrious Usanas addressed the Asura Vritra who was\nthus talking of the highest refuge of the creation, saying, 'O\nintelligent Daitya, why, O child, dost thou utter such foolish\nrhapsodies?'\n\n\"'\"Vritra said, 'The severe penances which I underwent from greed of\nvictory are well-known to thee as also to other sages. Appropriating\ndiverse scents and diverse kinds of tastes that other creatures had for\nenjoying, I swelled up with my own energy, afflicting the three worlds.\nDecked with myriads of effulgent rays I used to rove through the skies\n(on my celestial car), incapable of being defeated by any creature and\nfearing none. I achieved great prosperity through my penances and lost it\nagain through my own acts. Relying on my fortitude, however, I do not\ngrieve for this change. Desirous (in days of yore) of fighting the great\nIndra, the high-souled ruler of the heavens, I beheld in that battle the\nillustrious Hari, the puissant Narayana,[1350] He who is called\nVaikuntha, Purusha, Ananta, Sukla, Vishnu, Sanatana, Munjakesa,\nHarismasru, and the Grandsire of all creatures.[1351] Without doubt,\nthere is still a remnant (to be enjoyed by me) of the rewards attaching\nto that penance represented by a sight of the great Hari. It is in\nconsequence of that unexhausted remnant that I have become desirous of\nasking thee, O illustrious one, about the fruits of action![1352] Upon\nwhich order (of men) hath been established high Brahma prosperity? In\nwhat manner, again, doth high prosperity fall off? From whom do\ncreatures spring and live? Through whom again do they act? What is that\nhigh fruit by attaining to which a creature succeeds in living eternally\nas Brahma? By what Act or by what Knowledge can that fruit be achieved?\nIt behoveth thee, O learned Brahmana, to expound these to me.'\n\n\"'\"Recapitulated by me, O lion among kings, listen with undivided\nattention, O bull of men, with all thy brothers, to what the sage Usanas\nthen said after he had been thus addressed by that prince of Danavas.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLXXX\n\n\"'\"Usanas said, 'I bow to that divine and illustrious and puissant Being\nwho holds this earth with the firmament in his arms. I shall speak to\nthee of the pre-eminent greatness of that Vishnu whose head, O best of\nthe Danavas, is that Infinite place (called Emancipation).'\n\n\"'\"While they were thus conversing with each other there came unto them the\ngreat sage Sanatkumara of righteous soul for the purpose of dispelling\ntheir doubts. Worshipped by the prince of Asuras and by the sage Usanas,\nthat foremost of sages sat down on a costly seat. After Kumara of great\nwisdom had been seated (at his ease), Usanas said unto him, 'Discourse to\nthis chief of the Danavas on the pre-eminent greatness of Vishnu.'\nHearing these words, Sanatkumara uttered the following, fraught with\ngrave import, upon the pre-eminent greatness of Vishnu unto the\nintelligent chief of the Danavas, 'Listen, O Daitya, to everything about\nthe greatness of Vishnu. Know, O scorcher of foes, that the entire\nuniverse rests on Vishnu. O thou of mighty arms, it is He who creates all\ncreatures mobile and immobile. In course of Time it is He, again, who\nwithdraws all things and in Time it is He who once more casts them forth\nfrom Himself. Into Hari all things merge at the universal destruction and\nfrom Him all things again come forth. Men possessed of scriptural lore\ncannot obtain him by such lore. Nor can He be obtained by Penances, nor\nby Sacrifices. The only means by which He can be attained is by\nrestraining the Senses. Not that sacrifices are entirely useless towards\nsuch an end. For one, by relying upon both external and internal acts,\nand upon one's own mind, can purify (them) by one's own understanding. By\nsuch means, one succeeds in enjoying infinity in the world.[1353] As a\ngoldsmith purifies the dross of his metal by repeatedly casting it into\nthe fire with very persistent efforts of his own, after the same manner\nJiva succeeds in cleaning himself by his course through hundreds of\nbirths. Some one may be seen to purify himself in only one life by mighty\nefforts. As one should with care wipe stains from off one's person before\nthey become thick, after the same manner one should, with vigorous\nefforts, wash off one's faults.[1354] By mixing only a few flowers with\nthem, grains of sesame cannot be made to cast off their own odour (and\nbecome at once fragrant). After the same manner, one cannot, by cleansing\none's heart only a little, succeed in beholding the Soul. When, however,\nthose grains are perfumed repeatedly with the aid of a large quantity of\nflowers, it is then that they cast off their own odour and assume that of\nthe flowers with which they are mixed. After this manner, faults, in the\nform of attachments to all our environments, are dispelled by the\nunderstanding in course of many lives, with the aid of a large dose of\nthe attribute of the Sattwa, and by means of efforts born of\npractice.[1355] Listen, O Danava, by what means creatures attached to\nacts and those unattached to them attain the causes that lead to their\nrespective states of mind.[1356] Listen to me with undivided attention. I\nshall, in their due order, discourse to thee, O puissant Danava, as to\nhow creatures betake themselves to action and how they give up\naction.[1357] The Supreme Lord creates all creatures mobile and immobile.\nHe is without beginning and without end. Unendued with attributes of any\nkind, he assumes attributes (when he chooses to create). He is the\nuniversal Destroyer, the Refuge of all things, the Supreme Ordainer, and\npure Chit.[1358] In all creatures it is He who dwells as the mutable and\nthe immutable. It is He who, having eleven modifications for His essence,\ndrinketh this universe with His rays.[1359] Know that the Earth is His\nfeet. His head is constituted by Heaven. His arms, O Daitya, are the\nseveral points of the compass or the horizon. The intermediate space is\nHis ears. The light of His eye is the Sun, and His mind is in the Moon.\nHis understanding dwells always in Knowledge, and His tongue is in\nWater.[1360] O best of Danavas, the Planets are in the midst of His\nbrows. The stars and constellations are from the light of His eyes. The\nEarth is in His feet, O Danava! Know also that the attributes of Rajas,\nTamas, and Sattwa are of Him. He is the fruit (or end) of all the modes\nof life, and He it is who should be known as the fruit (or reward) of all\n(pious) acts (such as Japa and Sacrifice, etc.).[1361] The Highest and\nImmutable, He is also the fruit of abstention from all work. The Chandas\nare the hair on His body, and Akshara (or Pranava) is His word. The\ndiverse orders (of men) and the modes of life are His refuge. His mouths\nare many. Duty (or religion) is planted in his heart. He is Brahma; He is\nthe highest Righteousness; He is Sat and He is Asat;[1362] He is Sruti;\nHe is the scriptures; He is the Sacrificial vessel; He is the six and ten\nRitwijes; He is all the Sacrifices; He is the Grandsire (Brahman); He is\nVishnu; He is the twin Aswins; and He is Purandara;[1363] He is Mitra; He\nis Varuna; He is Yama; He is Kuvera the lord of treasures. Although the\nRitwijes seem to behold Him as separate, He is, however, known to them as\none and the same. Know that this entire universe is under the control of\nOne divine Being.[1364] The Veda that is in the soul, O prince of\nDaityas, regards the unity of various creatures. When a living creature\nrealises this unity in consequence of true knowledge, he is then said to\nattain to Brahma. The period of time for which one creation exists or for\nwhich it ceases to exist is called a Kalpa. Living creatures exist for a\nthousand millions of such Kalpas. Immobile creatures also exist for an\nequal period. The period for which a particular creation exists is\nmeasured by many thousands of lakes (in the following way), O Daitya!\nConceive a lake that is one Yojana in width, one Krosa in depth, and five\nhundred Yojanas in length. Imagine many thousands of such lakes. Seek\nthen to dry up those lakes by taking from them, only once a day, as much\nwater as may be taken up with the end of a single hair. The number of\ndays would pass in drying them up completely by this process represents\nthe period that is occupied by the life of one creation from its first\nstart to the time of its destruction.[1365] The highest Evidence (for all\nthings) says that creatures have six colours, viz., Dark, Tawny, Blue,\nRed, Yellow, and White. These colours proceed from mixtures in various\nproportions of the three attributes of Rajas, Tamas, and Sattwa. Where\nTamas predominates, Sattwa falls below the mark, and Rajas keeps to the\nmark, the result is the colour called Dark. When Tamas predominates as\nbefore, but the relations between Sattwa and Rajas are reversed, the\nresult is the colour called Tawny. When Rajas predominates, Sattwa falls\nbelow the mark, and Tamas keeps to the mark, the result is the colour\ncalled Blue. When Rajas predominates as before and the proportion is\nreversed between Sattwa and Tamas, the result is the intermediate colour\ncalled Red. That Colour is more agreeable (than the preceding one). When\nSattwa predominates, Rajas falls below the mark and Tamas keeps to the\nmark, the result is the colour called Yellow. It is productive of\nhappiness. When Sattwa predominates and the proportion is reversed\nbetween Rajas and Tamas, the result is the colour called White. It is\nproductive of great happiness.[1366] The White is the foremost colour. It\nis sinless in consequence of its being free from attachment and aversion.\nIt is without grief, and free from the toil involved in Pravritti. Hence,\nWhite, O prince of Danavas, leads to success (or Emancipation). Jiva, O\nDaitya, having undergone thousands of births derived through the womb,\nattains to success.[1367] That success is the identical end which the\ndivine Indra declared after having studied many auspicious spiritual\ntreatises and which has for its essence the apprehension of the Soul. The\nend again that creatures obtain is dependent on their colour, and\ncolour, in its turn, depends upon the character of the Time that sets in,\nO Daitya![1368] The stages of existence, O Daitya, through which Jiva\nmust pass are not unlimited. They are fourteen hundreds of thousands in\nnumber. In consequence of them Jiva ascends, stays, and falls down as the\ncase may be.[1369] The end that is attained by a Jiva of dark hue is\nvery low, for he becomes addicted to acts that lead to hell and then has\nto rot in hell.[1370] The learned say that in consequence of his\nwickedness, the continuance (in such form) of a Jiva is measured by many\nthousands of Kalpas.[1371] Having passed many hundred thousands of years\nin that condition, Jiva then attains to the colour called Tawny (and\nbecomes born as an intermediate creature). In that condition he dwells\n(for many long years), in perfect helplessness. At last when his sins are\nexhausted (in consequence of his having endured all the misery they are\ncapable of bringing), his mind, casting off all attachments, cherishes\nRenunciation.[1372] When Jiva becomes endued with the quality of Sattwa,\nhe then dispels everything connected with Tamas by the aid of his\nintelligence, and exerts (for achieving what is for his good). As the\nresult of this, Jiva attains to the colour called Red. If the quality of\nSattwa, however, be not gained, Jiva then travels in a round of rebirths\nin the world of men, having attained to the colour called Blue.[1373]\nHaving attained to that end (viz., Humanity) and having been afflicted\nfor the duration of one creation by the bonds born of his own acts, Jiva\nthen attains to the colour called Yellow (or becomes a Deity). Existing\nin that condition for the space of a hundred creations, he then leaves it\n(for becoming a human being) to return to it once more.[1374] Having\nattained to the Yellow colour, Jiva exists for thousands of Kalpas,\nsporting as a Deva. Without, however, being emancipated (even then), he\nhas to stay in hell, enjoying or enduring the fruits of his acts of past\nKalpas and wandering through nine and ten thousand courses.[1375] Know\nthat Jiva becomes freed from the hell (of acts) as represented by heaven\nor godship. After the same manner, Jiva gets off from the other births\n(corresponding with the other colours). Jiva sports for many long Kalpas\nin the world of Devas. Falling thence, he once more obtains the status of\nHumanity. He then stays in that condition for the space of a hundred and\neight Kalpas. He then attains once more to the status of a Deva. If while\nin the status of humanity (for the second time) he falleth through (evil\nacts as represented by) Kala (in the form of Kali), he then sinks into\nthe Dark colour and thus occupies the very lowest of all stages of\nexistence.\n\n\"'\"'I shall tell thee now, O foremost of Asuras, how Jiva succeeds in\neffecting his Emancipation. Desirous of Emancipation, Jiva, relying upon\nseven hundred kinds of acts every one of which is characterised by a\npredominance of the attribute of Sattwa, gradually courses through Red\nand Yellow and at last attains to White. Arrived here, Jiva travels\nthrough several regions that are most adorable and that have the Eight\nwell-known regions of felicity beneath them, and all the while pursues\nthat stainless and effulgent form of existence which is Emancipation's\nself.[1376] Know that the Eight (already referred to and) which are\nidentical with the Sixty (subdivided into) hundreds, are, unto those that\nare highly effulgent, only creations of the mind (without having any real\nor independent existence). The highest object of acquisition with one\nthat is White of hue, is that condition (called Turiya) which transcends\nthe three other states of consciousness, viz., Wakefulness and Dream and\nDreamless slumber.[1377] As regards that Yogin who is unable to abandon\nthe felicities that Yoga-puissance brings about, he has to dwell (in one\nand the same body) for one century of Kalpas in auspiciousness and after\nthat in four other regions (called Mahar, Jana, Tapas, and Satya). Even\nthat is the highest end of one belonging to the sixth colour, and who is\nunsuccessful though crowned with success, and who has transcended all\nattachments and passions.[1378] That Yogin, again, who falls off from\nYoga practices after having attained the measure of eminence described\nalready resides in heaven for a century of Kalpas with the unexhausted\nremnant of his past acts (to be exhausted by enjoyment or endurance as\nthe case may be), and with the seven (viz., the five senses of knowledge\nand mind and understanding) purged of all stains in consequence of their\npredisposition or proneness towards the attribute of Sattwa. At the\nexpiry of that period, such a person has to come to the world of men\nwhere he attains to great eminence.[1379] Turning back from the world of\nmen, he departs for attaining to new forms of existence that run higher\nand higher in the upward scale. While engaged in this, he courseth\nthrough seven regions for seven times, his puissance being always\nincreased in consequence of his Samadhi and the re-awakening from\nit.[1380] The Yogin who is desirous of final Emancipation suppresses by\nYoga-knowledge the seven, and continues to dwell in the world of life,\nfreed from attachments; and taking those seven for certain means of\ngrief, he casts them off and attains afterwards to that state which is\nIndestructible and Infinite. Some say that that is the region of\nMahadeva; some, of Vishnu; some, of Brahman; some, of Sesha; some, of\nNara; some, of the effulgent Chit; and some, of the All-pervading.[1381]\nWhen universal destruction comes, those persons who have succeeded in\ncompletely consuming by Knowledge their gross and subtle and karana\nbodies, always enter into Brahma. All their Senses also which have action\nfor their essence and which are not identical with Brahma, merge into the\nsame. When the time of universal destruction comes, those Jivas who have\nattained to the position of Devas and who have an unexhausted remnant of\nthe fruits of acts to enjoy or endure, revert to those stages of life in\nthe subsequent Kalpa which had been theirs in the previous one. This is\ndue to the similarity of every successive Kalpa to every previous one.\nThose again whose acts, at the time of universal destruction, have been\nexhausted by enjoyment or endurance in respect of their fruits, falling\ndown from heaven, take birth among men, in the subsequent Kalpa, for\nwithout Knowledge one cannot destroy one's acts in even a hundred Kalpas.\nAll superior Beings again, endued with similar powers and similar forms,\nrevert to their respective destinies at a new creation after a universal\ndestruction, ascending and descending precisely in the same manner as\nduring the creation that is dissolved.[1382] As regards, again, the\nperson who is conversant with Brahma, as long as he continues to enjoy\nand endure the unexhausted remnant of his acts of previous Kalpas, it is\nsaid that all creatures and the two stainless sciences live in his body.\nWhen his Chitta becomes cleansed by Yoga, and when he practises Samyama,\nthis perceptible universe appears to him as only his own fivefold\nsenses.[1383] Enquiring with a cleansed mind, Jiva attains to a high and\nstainless end. Thence he attains to a spot which knows no deterioration,\nand thence attains to eternal Brahma that is so difficult of\nacquisition.[1384] Thus, O thou of great might, I have discoursed to\nthee of the eminence of Narayana!'\n\n\"'\"Vritra said, 'These words of thine, I see, perfectly according with the\ntruth. Indeed, when this is so, I have no (cause of grief). Having\nlistened to thy words, O thou of great powers of mind, I have become\nfreed from sorrow and sin of every kind. O illustrious Rishi, O holy one,\nI see this wheel of Time, endued with mighty energy, of the most\neffulgent and Infinite Vishnu, has been set in motion. Eternal is that\nstation, from which all kinds of creation spring. That Vishnu is the\nSupreme Soul. He is the foremost of Beings. In Him this entire universe\nrests.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Having said these words, O son of Kunti, Vritra cast\noff his life-breaths, uniting his soul (in Yoga, with the supreme Soul),\nand attained to the highest station.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me, O grandsire, whether this Janardana\n(Krishna) is that illustrious and puissant Lord of whom Sanatkumara spoke\nunto Vritra in days of old.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The Highest Deity, endued with the six attributes of\n(puissance, etc.) is at the Root. Staying there, the Supreme Soul, with\nhis own energy, creates all these diverse existent things.[1385] Know\nthat this Kesava who knows no deterioration is from His eighth portion.\nEndued with the highest Intelligence, it is this Kesava who creates the\nthree worlds with an eighth portion (of His energy). Coming immediately\nafter Him who lies at the Root, this Kesava who is eternal (compared with\nall other existent things), changes at the end of each Kalpa. He,\nhowever, who lies at the Root and who is endued with supreme might and\npuissance, lies in the waters when universal destruction comes (in the\nform of the potential Seed of all things). Kesava is that Creator of pure\nSoul who courseth through all the eternal worlds.[1386] Infinite and\nEternal as He is, He fills all space (with emanations from Himself) and\ncourseth through the universe (in the form of everything that constitutes\nthe universe). Freed as He is from limitations of every kind such as the\npossession of attributes would imply, he suffers himself to be invested\nwith Avidya and awakened to Consciousness, Kesava of Supreme Soul creates\nall things. In Him rests this wondrous universe in its entirety.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O thou that art conversant with the highest object\nof knowledge, I think that Vritra saw beforehand the excellent end that\nawaited him. It is for this, O grandsire, that he was happy and did not\nyield to grief (in view of his coming Death). He who is White of hue, who\nhas taken birth in a pure or stainless race, and who has attained to the\nrank of a Sadhya, doth not, O sinless one, come back (into the world for\nre-birth). Such a person, O grandsire, is freed from both hell and the\nstatus of all intermediate creatures. He, however, who has attained to\neither the Yellow or the Red hue, is seen sometimes to be overwhelmed by\nTamas and fall among the order of Intermediate creatures. As regards\nourselves, we are exceedingly afflicted and attached to objects that are\nproductive of sorrow or indifference or joy. Alas, what will the end be\nto which we shall attain? Will it be the Blue or the Dark which is the\nlowest of all hues?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Ye are Pandavas. Ye have been born in a stainless\nrace. Ye are of rigid vows. Having sported in joy in the regions of the\ngods, ye shall come back to the world of men. Living happily as long as\nthe creation lasts, all of you at the next new creation will be admitted\namong the gods, and enjoying all kinds of felicities ye will at last be\nnumbered among the Siddhas. Let no fear be yours. Be you cheerful.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLXXXI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"How great was the love of virtue possessed by Vritra\nof immeasurable energy, whose knowledge was incomparable and whose\ndevotion to Vishnu was so great. The status occupied by Vishnu of\nimmeasurable energy is exceedingly difficult of apprehension. How, O\ntiger among kings, could Vritra (who was an Asura) comprehend it (so\nwell)? Thou hast spoken of Vritra's acts. I too have listened to thee in\nfull faith. In consequence, however, of my seeing that one point (in thy\ndiscourse) is unintelligible (and that, therefore, it requires\nexplanation), my curiosity has been roused for questioning thee\nagain.[1387] How, indeed, was Vritra, who was virtuous, devoted to\nVishnu, endued with knowledge of truth derivable from a just\ncomprehension of the Upanishads and Vedanta, vanquished by Indra, O\nforemost of men? O chief of the Bharatas, resolve me this doubt. Indeed,\ntell me, O tiger among kings, how Vritra was vanquished by Sakra![1388] O\ngrandsire, O thou of mighty arms, tell me in detail how the battle took\nplace (between the chief of the deities and the foremost of Asuras). My\ncuriosity to hear it is very great.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In days of yore, Indra, accompanied by the celestial\nforces, proceeded on his car, and beheld the Asura Vritra stationed\nbefore him like a mountain. He was full five hundred Yojanas in height, O\nchastiser of foes, and three hundred Yojanas in circumference. Beholding\nthat form of Vritra, which was incapable of being vanquished by the three\nworlds united together, the celestial became penetrated with fear and\nfull of anxiety. Indeed, suddenly seeing that gigantic form of his\nantagonist, O king, Indra was struck with palsy in the lower extremities.\nThen, on the eve of that great battle between the deities and the Asuras,\nthere arose loud shouts from both sides, and drums and other musical\ninstruments began to beat and blow. Beholding Sakra stationed before him,\nO thou of Kuru's race, Vritra felt neither awe nor fear, nor was he\ndisposed to muster all his energies for the fight.[1389] Then the\nencounter commenced, inspiring the three worlds with terror, between\nIndra, the chief of the deities, and Vritra of high soul. The entire\nwelkin was enveloped by the combats of both sides with swords and axes\nand lances and darts and spears and heavy clubs and rocks of diverse\nsizes and bows of loud twang and diverse kinds of celestial weapons and\nfires and burning brands. All the celestials with Grandsire at their\nhead, and all the highly-blessed Rishis, came to witness the battle, on\ntheir foremost of cars; and the Siddhas also, O bull of Bharata's race,\nand the Gandharvas, with the Apsaras, on their own beautiful and foremost\nof cars, came there (for the same purpose). Then Vritra, that foremost of\nvirtuous persons, quickly overwhelmed the welkin and the chief of the\ndeities with a thick shower of rocks. The celestials, at this, filled\nwith rage, dispelled with their showers of arrows that thick downpour of\nrocks showered by Vritra in battle. Then Vritra, O tiger among the Kurus,\npossessed of mighty strength and endued with large powers of illusion,\nstupefied the chief of the deities by fighting wholly with the aid of his\npowers of illusion. When he of a hundred sacrifices, thus afflicted by\nVritra, was overcome by stupefaction, the sage Vasishtha restored him to\nhis senses by uttering Somanas.[1390]\n\n\"'\"Vasishtha said, 'Thou art the foremost of the gods, O chief of the\ndeities, O slayer of Daityas and Asuras! The strength of the three worlds\nis in thee! Why, then, O Sakra, dost thou languish so! There, Brahman,\nand Vishnu, and Siva, that lord of the universe, the illustrious and\ndivine Soma, and all the highest Rishis (stand, beholding thee)! Do not,\nO Sakra, yield to weakness, like an ordinary person! Firmly resolved on\nbattle, slay thy foes, O chief of the celestials! There, that Master of\nall the worlds, viz., the Three-eyed (Siva), the adored of all the\nworlds, is eyeing thee! Cast off this stupefaction, O chief of the\ncelestials! There, those regenerate Rishis, headed by Vrihaspati, are\npraising thee, for thy victory, in celestial hymns.'\"[1391]\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"While Vasava of great energy was thus being restored\nto consciousness by the high-souled Vasishtha, his strength became\ngreatly enhanced. The illustrious chastiser of Paka then, relying upon\nhis intelligence, had recourse to high Yoga and with its aid dispelled\nthese illusions of Vritra. Then Vrihaspati, the son of Angiras, and those\nforemost of Rishis possessed of great prosperity, beholding the prowess\nof Vritra, repaired to Mahadeva, and impelled by the desire of benefiting\nthe three worlds, urged him to destroy the great Asura. The energy of\nthat illustrious lord of the universe thereupon assumed the character of\na fierce fever and penetrated the body of Vritra the lord of\nAsuras.[1392] The illustrious and divine Vishnu, adored of all the\nworlds, bent upon protecting the universe, entered the thunderbolt of\nIndra. Then Vrihaspati of great intelligence and Vasishtha of exceeding\nenergy, and all the other foremost of Rishis, repairing to Him of a\nhundred sacrifices, viz., the boon-giving Vasava, the adored of all the\nworlds, addressed him, saying, 'Slay Vritra, O puissant one, without\ndelay!'\n\n\"'\"Maheswara said, 'Yonder, O Sakra, stands the great Vritra, accompanied\nby a great force. He is the soul of the universe, capable of going\neverywhere, endued with large powers of illusion, and possessed of great\ncelebrity. This foremost of Asuras is, therefore, incapable of being\nvanquished by even the three worlds united together. Aided by Yoga, do\nthou slay him, O chief of the deities. Do not disregard him. For full\nsixty thousand years, O chief of the celestials, Vritra practised the\nseverest penances for obtaining strength. Brahman gave him the boons he\nhad solicited, viz., the greatness that belongs to Yogins, large powers\nof illusion, excess of might, and superabundant energy. I impart to thee\nmy energy, O Vasava! The Danava has now lost his coolness. Do thou,\ntherefore, slay him now with thy thunderbolt!'\n\n\"'\"Sakra said, 'Before thy eyes, O foremost of gods, I shall, through thy\ngrace, slay with my thunderbolt this invincible son of Diti.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"When the great Asura or Daitya was overtaken by that\nfever (born of Mahadeva's energy), the deities and the Rishis, filled\nwith joy, uttered loud cheers. At the same time drums, and conchs of loud\nblare, and kettle drums and tabors began to beat and blow by thousands.\nSuddenly all the Asuras became afflicted with the loss of memory. In a\ntrice, their powers of illusion also disappeared. The Rishis and the\ndeities, ascertaining the foe to be thus possessed, uttered the praises\nof both Sakra and Isana, and began to urge the former (to make no delay\nin destroying Vritra). The form that Indra assumed on the eve of the\nencounter, while seated on his car and while his praises were being\nhymned by the Rishis, became such that none could look at it without\nawe.\"'\"[1393]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLXXXII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Listen, O king, to me as I tell thee the symptoms that\nappeared on the body of Vritra when he was overtaken by that fever (born\nof the energy of Mahadeva). The heroic Asura's mouth began to emit flames\nof fire. He became exceedingly pale. His body began to tremble all over.\nHis breath became hard and thick. His hairs stood on end. His memory, O\nBharata, issued out of his mouth in the form of a fierce, dreadful, and\ninauspicious jackal. Burning and blazing meteors fell on his right and\nleft. Vultures and Kanakas and cranes, gathering together, uttered fierce\ncries, as they wheeled over Vritra's head. Then, in that encounter,\nIndra, adored by the gods, and armed with the thunderbolt, looked hard at\nthe Daitya as the latter sat on his car. Possessed by that violent fever,\nthe mighty Asura, O monarch, yawned and uttered inhuman cries.[1394]\nWhile the Asura was yawning Indra hurled his thunderbolt at him. Endued\nwith exceedingly great energy and resembling the fire that destroys the\ncreation at the end of the Yuga, that thunderbolt overthrew in a trice\nVritra of gigantic form. Loud shouts were once more uttered by the gods\non all sides when they beheld Vritra slain, O bull of Bharata's race!\nHaving slain Vritra, Maghavat, that foe of the Danavas, possessed of\ngreat fame, entered heaven with that thunderbolt pervaded by Vishnu. Just\nthen, O thou of Kuru's race, the sin of Brahmanicide (in her embodied\nform), fierce and awful and inspiring all the worlds with dread, issued\nout of the body of the slain Vritra. Of terrible teeth and awful, hideous\nfor ugliness, and dark and tawny, with hair dishevelled, and dreadful\neyes, O Bharata, with a garland of skulls round her neck, and looking\nlike an (Atharvan) Incantation (in its embodied form), O bull of\nBharata's race, covered all over with blood, and clad in rags and barks\nof trees, O thou of righteous soul, she came out of Vritra's body. Of\nsuch dreadful form and mien, O monarch, she sought the wielder of the\nthunderbolt (for possessing him). A little while after, O thou of Kuru's\nrace, the slayer of Vritra, on some purpose connected with the good of\nthe three worlds, was proceeding towards heaven. Beholding Indra of great\nenergy thus proceeding on his mission, she seized the chief of the\ndeities and from that moment stuck to him.[1395] When the sin of\nBrahmanicide thus stuck to his person and inspired him with terror, Indra\nentered the fibres of a lotus-stalk and dwelt there for many long years.\nBut the sin of Brahmanicide pursued him closely. Indeed, O son of Kuru,\nseized by her, Indra became deprived of all his energies. He made great\nefforts for driving her from him, but all those efforts proved abortive.\nSeized by her, O bull of Bharata's race, the chief of the deities at last\npresented himself before the Grandsire and worshipped him by bending his\nhead low. Understanding that Sakra was possessed by the sin of\nBrahmanicide,[1396] Brahman began to reflect, O best of the Bharatas,\n(upon the means of freeing his suppliant). The grandsire at last, O thou\nof mighty arms, addressed Brahmanicide in a sweet voice as if from the\ndesire of pacifying her, and said, 'O amiable one, let the chief of the\ncelestials, who is a favourite of mine, be freed from thee. Tell me, what\nI shall do for thee. What wish of thine shall I accomplish?'\n\n\"'\"Brahmanicide said, 'When the Creator of the three worlds, when the\nillustrious god adored by the universe, hath been pleased with me, I\nregard my wishes as already accomplished. Let my residence be now\nappointed. Desirous of preserving the worlds, this rule had been made by\nthee. It was thou, O lord, that didst introduced this important\nordinance.[1397] As thou hast been gratified with me, O righteous Lord, O\npuissant Master of all the worlds, I shall certainly leave Sakra! But\ngrant me an abode to dwell in.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"The Grandsire replied unto Brahmanicide, saying, 'So\nbe it!' Indeed, the Grandsire discovered means for dispelling\nBrahmanicide from the person of Indra. The Self-create recollected the\nhigh-souled Agni. The latter immediately presented himself to Brahman and\nsaid these words, 'O illustrious and divine Lord, O thou that are without\nany defect, I have appeared before thee. It behoveth thee to say what I\nshall have to accomplish.'\n\n\"'\"Brahman said, 'I shall divide this sin of Brahmanicide into several\nportions. For freeing Sakra from her, do thou take a fourth portion of\nthat sin.'\n\n\"'\"Agni said, 'How shall I be rescued from her, O Brahman? O puissant Lord,\ndo thou appoint the way. I desire to know the means (of my own rescue) in\ndetail, O adored of all the worlds!'\n\n\"'\"Brahman said, 'Unto that man who, overwhelmed by the quality of Tamas,\nwill abstain from offering thee as an oblation, when he beholds thee in\nthy blazing form, seeds, herbs, and juices, that portion of Brahmanicide\nwhich thou wilt take upon thyself shall immediately enter, and leaving\nthee shall dwell in him. O carrier of oblations, let the fever of thy\nheart be dispelled.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Thus addressed by the Grandsire the eater of oblations\nand sacrificial offerings accepted his command. A fourth of that sin then\nentered his person, O king! The Grandsire then summoned the trees, the\nherbs, and all kinds of grass to him, and solicited them to take upon\nthemselves a fourth of that sin. Addressed by him, the trees and herbs\nand grasses became as much agitated as Agni had been at the request, and\nthey replied unto Grandsire, saying, 'How shall we, O Grandsire of all\nthe worlds, be ourselves rescued from this sin? It behoveth thee not to\nafflict us that have already been afflicted by the fates. O god, we have\nalways to endure heat and cold and the showers (of the clouds) driven by\nthe winds, in addition to the cutting and the tearing (that we have to\nsuffer at the hands of men). We are willing, O Lord of the three worlds,\nto take at thy command (a portion of) this sin of Brahmanicide. Let the\nmeans, however, of our rescue be pointed out to us.'\n\n\"'\"Brahman said, 'This sin that you shall take shall possess the man who\nthrough stupefaction of judgment will cut or tear any of you when Parva\ndays come.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Thus addressed by the high-souled Brahman, the trees and\nherbs and grasses adored the Creator and then went away without tarrying\nthere. The Grandsire of all the worlds then summoned the Apsaras and\ngratifying them with sweet words, O Bharata, said, 'This foremost of\nladies, viz., Brahmanicide, has come out of Indra's person. Solicited by\nme, do you take a fourth portion of her into your own persons (for saving\nthe Chief of the deities).'\n\n\"'\"The Apsaras said, 'O Lord of all the gods, at thy command we are fully\nwilling to take a portion of this sin. But, O Grandsire, do thou think of\nthe means by which we ourselves may be freed from (the effects of) this\nunderstanding (that we make with thee).'\n\n\"'\"Brahman said, 'Let the fever of your hearts be dispelled. The portion of\nthis sin that you will take upon yourselves shall leave you for instantly\npossessing that man who will seek congress with women in their menstrual\nseason!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed by the Grandsire, O bull of Bharata's\nrace, the diverse tribes of the Apsaras, with cheerful souls, repaired to\ntheir respective places and began to sport in delight. The illustrious\nCreator of the three worlds, endued with great ascetic merit, then\nrecollected the Waters which immediately came to him. Arrived at the\npresence of Brahman of immeasurable energy, the Waters bowed unto him and\nsaid these words, 'We have come before thee, O chastiser of foes, at thy\ncommand. O puissant Master of all the worlds, tell us what we are to\naccomplish.'\n\n\"'\"Brahman said, 'This dreadful sin hath taken possession of Indra, in\nconsequence of his having slain Vritra. Take ye a fourth part of\nBrahmanicide.'\n\n\"'\"The Waters said, 'Let it be as thou commandest, O master of all the\nworlds. It behoveth thee, however, O puissant Lord of ours, to think of\nthe means by which we may (in our turn) be rescued from (the consequence\nof) this understanding. Thou art the Lord of all the deities, and the\nsupreme refuge of the universe. Who else is there to whom we may pay our\nadorations so that he may relieve us from distress.'\n\n\"'\"Brahman said, 'Unto that man who stupefied by his understanding and\nregarding you lightly will cast into you phlegm and urine and excreta,\nthis one shall immediately go and thenceforth reside in him. It is in\nthis way, verily I say unto ye, that your rescue shall be accomplished.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Then the sin of Brahmanicide, O Yudhishthira,\nleaving the chief of the deities, proceeded to the abodes that were\nordained for her at the Grandsire's command. It was thus, O ruler of men,\nthat Indra had become afflicted by that dreadful sin (and it was thus\nthat he got rid of her). With the Grandsire's permission Indra then\nresolved to perform a Horse-sacrifice. It is heard, O monarch, that Indra\nhaving been thus possessed by the sin of Brahmanicide afterwards became\ncleansed of her through that Sacrifice. Regaining his prosperity and\nslaying thousands of foes, great was the joy that Vasava obtained, O lord\nof Earth! From the blood of Vritra, O son of Pritha, were born\nhigh-crested cocks. For this reason, those fowls are unclean (as food)\nfor the regenerate classes, and those ascetics that have undergone the\nrite of initiation. Under all circumstances, O king, do thou accomplish\nwhat is agreeable to the twice-born, for these, O monarch, are known as\ngods on earth. It was in this way, O thou of Kuru's race, that the mighty\nAsura Vritra was slain by Sakra of immeasurable energy by the aid of\nsubtle intelligence and through the application of means. Thou also, O\nson of Kunti, unvanquished on earth, wilt become another Indra and the\nslayer of all thy foes. Those men who, on every Parva day, will recite\nthis sacred narrative of Vritra in the midst of Brahmanas shall never be\nstained by any sin. I have now recited to thee one of the greatest and\nmost wonderful feats of Indra connected with Vritra. What else dost thou\nwish to hear?\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLXXXIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O grandsire, thou art possessed of great wisdom and\nthoroughly conversant with every branch of learning. From this very\nnarrative of the slaughter of Vritra the wish has arisen in my mind of\nasking thee a question. Thou hast said, O ruler of men, that Vritra was\n(first) stupefied by Fever, and that then, O sinless one, he was slain by\nVasava with the thunderbolt. How did this Fever, O thou of great wisdom,\narise? O lord, I desire to hear in detail of the origin of Fever.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Listen, O king, to the origin, celebrated over all the\nworld, of Fever. I shall speak in detail on this topic, fully explaining\nhow Fever first sprang into existence, O Bharata! In days of yore, O\nmonarch, there was a summit, named Savitri, of the mountains of Meru.\nWorshipped by all the worlds, it was endued with great splendour and\nadorned with every kind of jewels and gems. That summit was immeasurable\nin extent and thither no one could go.[1398] On that mountain summit the\ndivine Mahadeva used to sit in splendour as if on a bed-stead adorned\nwith gold. The daughter of the king of mountains, sitting by his side,\nshone in brilliance.[1399] The high-souled deities, the Vasus of\nimmeasurable energy, the high-souled Aswins, those foremost of\nphysicians, and king Vaisravana waited upon by many a Guhyaka,--that lord\nof the Yakshas, endued with prosperity and puissance, and having his\nabode on the summit of Kailasa,--all waited upon the highsouled Mahadeva.\nAnd the great sage Usanas, and the foremost of Rishis having Sanatkumara\nfor their first, and the other celestial Rishis headed by Angiras, and\nthe Gandharva Viswavasu, and Narada and Parvata, and the diverse tribes\nof Apsaras, all came there to wait upon the Master of the universe. A\npure and auspicious breeze, bearing diverse kinds of perfumes, blew\nthere. The trees that stood there were adorned with the flowers of every\nseason. A large number of Vidyadharas and Siddhas and ascetics too, O\nBharata, repaired thither for waiting upon Mahadeva, the Lord of all\ncreatures. Many ghostly beings, also, of diverse forms and aspects, and\nmany dreadful Rakshasas and mighty Pisachas, of diverse aspects, mad with\njoy, and armed with diverse kinds of uplifted weapons, forming the train\nof Mahadeva, were there, every one of whom resembled a blazing fire in\nenergy. The illustrious Nandi stood there at the command of the great\ngod, blazing with his own energy and armed with a lance that resembled a\nflame of fire. Ganga also, that foremost of all Rivers and born of all\nsacred waters in the universe, waited there in her embodied form, O son\nof Kuru's race, upon that illustrious deity. Thus adored by the celestial\nRishis and the gods, the illustrious Mahadeva of immeasurable energy\ndwelt on that summit of Meru.\n\n\"'\"After some time had passed away, the Prajapati Daksha[1400] commenced to\nperform a Sacrifice according to the ancient rites (laid down in the\nVedas). Unto the Sacrifice of Daksha, all the deities headed by Sakra,\nassembling together, resolved to repair. It hath been heard by us that\nthe high-souled deities, with the permission of Mahadeva, mounted their\ncelestial cars resembling the fire or the Sun in splendour, and proceeded\nto that spot (on the Himavat) whence the Ganges is said to issue.\nBeholding the deities depart, the excellent daughter of the king of\nmountains, addressed her divine spouse, viz., the Lord of all creatures,\nand said, 'O illustrious one, whither are those deities headed by Sakra\ngoing? O thou that art conversant with the truth, tell me truly, for a\ngreat doubt has filled my mind.'\n\n\"'\"Maheswara said, 'O lady that art highly blessed, the excellent Prajapati\nDaksha is adoring the gods in a Horse-sacrifice. These denizens of heaven\nare proceeding even thither.'\n\n\"'\"Uma said, 'Why, O Mahadeva, dost thou not proceed to that Sacrifice?\nWhat objection is there of thy going to that place?'\n\n\"'\"Maheswara said, 'O highly blessed lady, the deities in days of yore made\nan arrangement in consequence of which no share was assigned to me of\nofferings in all Sacrifices. Agreeably to the course that was sanctioned\nin consequence of that arrangement, O thou of the fairest complexion, the\ndeities do not give me, following the old custom, any share of the\nsacrificial offerings.'\n\n\"'\"Uma said, O illustrious one, among all beings thou art the foremost in\npuissance. In merit, in energy, in fame, and in prosperity, thou yieldest\nto none, and thou art, indeed, superior to all. In consequence, however,\nof this disability in respect of a share (in the Sacrificial offerings) I\nam filled with great grief, O sinless one, and a tremor overtakes me from\nhead to foot.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"The goddess (Parvati), having said these words unto\nher divine spouse, the Lord of all creatures, O monarch, remained silent,\nher heart burning the while in grief. Then Mahadeva, understanding what\nwas in her heart and what her thoughts were (for wiping off that\ndisgrace), addressed Nandi, saying, 'Wait here (by the goddess).'\nSummoning all his Yoga force, that Lord of all lords of Yoga, that god of\ngods, that wielder of Pinaka, possessed of mighty energy, quickly\nproceeded to the place (where Daksha was sacrificing) accompanied by all\nhis terrible followers and destroyed that Sacrifice. Amongst these\nfollowers of his, some uttered loud cries, and some laughed terribly, and\nsome, O king, extinguished the (Sacrificial) fires with blood; and some,\npossessed of awful faces, pulling up the sacrificial stakes, began to\nwhirl them. Others began to devour those that were ministering to the\nSacrifice. Then that sacrifice, thus afflicted on every side, assumed the\nform of a deer and sought to fly away through the skies. Ascertaining\nthat the Sacrifice was running away in that form, the puissant Mahadeva\nbegan to pursue him with bow and arrow. In consequence of the wrath that\nthen filled the heart of that foremost of all gods, possessed of\nimmeasurable energy, a dreadful drop of sweat appeared on his forehead.\nWhen that drop of sweat fell down on the earth, there forthwith appeared\na blazing fire resembling the (all-destructive) conflagration that\nappears at the end of a Yuga. From that fire issued a dreadful being, O\nmonarch, of very short stature, possessed of blood-red eyes and a green\nbeard. His body was covered entirely with hair like a hawk's or an owl's\nand his hair stood erect. Of dreadful aspect, his complexion was dark and\nhis attire blood-red. Like a fire burning a heap of dry grass or straw,\nthat Being of great energy quickly consumed the embodied form of\nSacrifice. Having accomplished that feat, he then rushed towards the\ndeities and the Rishis that had assembled there. The deities, filled with\nfear, fled in all directions. In consequence of that Being's tread, the\nearth, O monarch began to tremble.[1401] Exclamations of Oh and Alas\narose throughout the universe. Marking this, the puissant Grandsire,\nshowing himself unto Mahadeva, addressed him in the following words.\n\n\"'\"Brahman said, 'O puissant one, the deities will henceforth yield thee a\nshare of the sacrificial offerings! O Lord of all the deities, let this\nwrath of thine be withdrawn by thee! O scorcher of foes, there, those\ngods, and the Rishis, in consequence of thy wrath, O Mahadeva, have\nbecome exceedingly agitated. This Being also, that hath sprung from thy\nsweat, O foremost of gods, shall wander among creatures, O\nrighteous-souled one, under the name of Fever. O puissant one, if the\nenergy of this Being remains all collected together, then the entire\nearth herself will not be able to bear him. Let him, therefore, be\ndistributed into many parts.' When Brahman had said these words, and when\nhis proper share was appointed of the sacrificial offerings, Mahadeva\nreplied unto the Grandsire of great energy, saying, 'So be it.' Indeed,\nthe wielder of Pinaka, viz., Bhava, smiled a little and became filled\nwith joy. And he accepted the share that the Grandsire appointed of the\nofferings in sacrifices. Conversant with the properties of everything,\nMahadeva then distributed Fever into many portions, for the peace of all\ncreatures. Listen, O son, as to how he did this. The heat that is\nperceptible in the heads of elephants, the bitumen of mountains,[1402]\nthe moss that floats on water, the slough of snakes, the sores that\nappear in the hoofs of bulls, the sterile tracts of earth that are full\nof saline matter, the dullness of vision of all animals, the diseases\nthat appear in the throats of horses, the crests appearing on the heads\nof peacocks, the eye-disease of the koel,[1403] each of these was named\nFever by the high-souled Mahadeva. This is what has been heard by us. The\nliver-disease also of sheep, and the hiccup of parrots are also each\nknown as forms of Fever. To this must be added the toil that tigers\nundergo, for that also, O righteous king, is known as a form of Fever.\nBesides these, O Bharata, amongst men, Fever enters all bodies at the\ntime of birth, of death, and on other occasions. This then that is called\nFever is known to be the dreadful energy of Maheswara. He is endued with\nauthority over all creatures and should, therefore, be held in respect\nand worshipped by all. It was by him that Vritra, that foremost of\nvirtuous persons, was overtaken when he yawned. It was then that Sakra\nhurled his thunderbolt at him. Thunderbolt, penetrating the body of\nVritra, O Bharata, divided him in twain. Divided in twain by the\nthunderbolt, the mighty Asura possessed of great Yoga powers, proceeded\nto the region of Vishnu of immeasurable energy. It was in consequence of\nhis devotion to Vishnu that he had succeeded in overwhelming the whole\nuniverse. And it was in consequence of his devotion to Vishnu that he\nascended, when slain, to the region of Vishnu. Thus, O son, adverting to\nthe story of Vritra have I recited to thee the narrative in detail of\nFever. Upon what else shall I speak to thee? That man who will read this\naccount of the origin of Fever with close attention and cheerful heart\nshall become free from disease and shall always have happiness for his\nshare. Filled with gladness, he shall have all the wishes accomplished\nupon which he may set his heart.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLXXXIV\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'How O Brahmana, was the Horse-sacrifice of the\nPrajapati Daksha, the son of Prachetas, destroyed during the age of\nVaivaswata Manu? Understanding that the goddess Uma had become filled\nwith rage and grief, the puissant Mahadeva, who is the soul of all\nthings, gave way to wrath. How, again, through his grace, was Daksha\nenabled to reunite the divided limbs of that Sacrifice? I desire to know\nall this. Tell me all this, O Brahmana, truly as it occurred.'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'In days of yore Daksha made arrangements for\nperforming a Sacrifice on the breast of Himavat in that sacred region\ninhabited by Rishis and Siddhas where the Ganges issues out of the\nmountains. Overgrown with trees and creepers of diverse kinds that spot\nabounded with Gandharvas and Apsaras. Surrounded by crowds of Rishis,\nDaksha, that foremost of virtuous men, that progenitor of creatures, was\nwaited upon by the denizens of the earth, the firmament, and the heavens,\nwith their hands joined together in reverence. The gods, the Danavas, the\nGandharvas, the Pisachas, the Snakes, the Rakshasas, the two Gandharvas\nnamed Haha and Huhu, Tumvuru and Narada, Viswavasu, Viswasena, the\nGandharvas and the Apsaras, the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the\nSadhyas, the Maruts, all came there with Indra for sharing in the\nSacrifice. The drinkers of Soma, the drinkers of smoke, the drinkers of\nAjya, the Rishis, and the Pitris came there with the Brahmanas. These,\nand many other living creatures belonging to the four orders, viz.,\nviviparous and oviparous and filth-born and vegetable, were invited to\nthat Sacrifice. The gods also, with their spouses, respectfully invited\nthereto, came on their celestial cars and seated thereon shone like\nblazing fires. Beholding them, the Rishi Dadhichi became filled with\ngrief and wrath, and said, \"This is neither a Sacrifice nor a meritorious\nrite of religion, since Rudra is not adored in it. Ye are certainly\nexposing yourselves to death and chains. Alas, how untoward is the course\nof time. Stupefied by error you do not behold that destruction awaits\nyou. A terrible calamity stands at your door in course of this great\nSacrifice. Ye are blind to it!\" Having said these words, that great Yogin\nsaw into the future with eyes of (Yoga) contemplation. He beheld\nMahadeva, and his divine spouse, viz., that giver of excellent boons\n(seated on the summit of Kailasa) with the highsouled Narada sitting\nbeside the goddess. Conversant with Yoga, Dadhichi became highly\ngratified, having ascertained what was about to happen. All the deities\nand others that had come there were of one mind with reference to the\nomission to invite the Lord of all creatures. Dadhichi alone, desirous of\nleaving that spot, then said, \"By worshipping one who should not be\nworshipped, and by refusing to worship him who should be worshipped, a\nman incurs the sin of homicide for ever. I have never before spoken an\nuntruth, and an untruth I shall never speak. Here in the midst of the\ngods and the Rishis I say the truth. The Protector of all creatures, the\nCreator of the universe, the Lord of all, the Puissant master, the taker\nof sacrificial offerings, will soon come to this Sacrifice and you all\nshall see him.\"\n\n\"'Daksha said, \"We have many Rudras armed with lances and bearing matted\nlocks on their heads. They are eleven in number. I know them all, but I\ndo not know who this (new Rudra) Maheswara is.\"\n\n\"'Dadhichi said, \"This seems to be the counsel of all that are here, viz.,\nthat Maheswara should not be invited. As, however, I do not behold any\ngod that can be said to be superior to him, I am sure that this proposed\nSacrifice of Daksha will certainly be overtaken by destruction.\"\n\n\"'Daksha said, \"Here, in this vessel of gold, intended for the Lord of all\nSacrifices, is the sacrificial offering sanctified by mantras and (rites)\naccording to the ordinance. I intend to make this offering unto Vishnu\nwho is beyond compare. He is puissant and the Master of all, and unto Him\nshould sacrifices be performed.\"'\n\n\"'Meanwhile,' continued Vaisampayana, 'the goddess Uma, sitting with her\nlord, said these words.'\n\n\"'Uma said, \"What are those gifts, what those vows, and what are those\npenances, that I should make or undergo by means of which my illustrious\nhusband may be able to obtain a half or a third share of the offerings in\nsacrifices.\" Unto his wife who was agitated with grief and who repeated\nthese words the illustrious Mahadeva said with a joyous countenance,\n\"Thou dost not know me, O goddess! Thou knowest not, O thou of delicate\nlimbs and low belly, what words are proper to be addressed to the Lord of\nSacrifices. O lady of large eyes, I know that it is only the sinful, who\nare bereft of contemplation, that do not understand me.[1404] It is\nthrough thy power of illusion that the deities with Indra at their head\nand the three worlds all become stupefied.[1405] It is to me that the\nchanters utter their praises in Sacrifices. It is to me that the\nSaman-singers sing their Rathantaras. It is to me that Brahmanas\nconversant with the Vedas perform their Sacrifices. And it is to me that\nthe Adhvaryus dedicate the shares of sacrificial offerings.\"\n\n\"'The goddess said, \"Persons of even ordinary abilities applaud themselves\nand indulge in the presence of their spouses. There is no doubt in this.\"\n\n\"'The holy one said, \"O Queen of all the gods, I do not certainly applaud\nmy ownself. Behold now, O lady of slender waist, what I do. Behold the\nBeing that I will create, O thou of the fairest complexion, for\n(destroying) this Sacrifice (that has displeased thee), O my beautiful\nspouse.\"\n\n\"'Having said these words unto his spouse Uma who was dearer to him than\nhis own life, the puissant Mahadeva created from his mouth a terrible\nBeing whose very sight could make one's hair stand on its end. The\nblazing flames that emanated from his body rendered him exceedingly awful\nto behold. His arms were many in number and in each was a weapon that\nstruck the beholder with fear. That Being, thus created, stood before the\ngreat god, with joined hands, and said, \"What commands shall I have to\naccomplish?\" Maheswara answered him, saying, \"Go and destroy the\nSacrifice of Daksha.\" Thus ordered, that Being of leonine prowess who had\nissued from the mouth of Mahadeva, desired to destroy the Sacrifice of\nDaksha, without putting forth all his energy and without the assistance\nof any one else, for dispelling the wrath of Uma. Urged by her wrath, the\nspouse of Maheswara, herself assuming a dreadful form that is known by\nthe name Mahakali, proceeded in the company of that Being who had issued\nfrom Mahadeva's mouth, for witnessing with her own eyes the act of\ndestruction which was her own (for it was she who had impelled her lord\nto accomplish it for her sake). That mighty Being then set out, having\nobtained the permission of Mahadeva and having bowed his head unto him.\nIn energy, strength, and form, he resembled Maheswara himself who had\ncreated him. Indeed, he was the living embodiment of (Mahadeva's) wrath.\nOf immeasurable might and energy, and of immeasurable courage and\nprowess, he came to be called by the name of Virabhadra--that dispeller\nof the goddess's wrath. He then created from the pores of his body a\nlarge number of spirit chiefs known by the name of Raumyas. Those fierce\nbands of spirits, endued with terrible energy and prowess and resembling\nRudra himself on that account, rushed with the force of thunder to that\nplace where Daksha was making preparations for his sacrifice, impelled by\nthe desire of destroying it. Possessed of dreadful and gigantic forms,\nthey numbered by hundreds and thousands. They filled the sky with their\nconfused cries and shrieks. That noise filled the denizens of heaven with\nfear. The very mountains were riven and the earth trembled. Whirl winds\nbegan to blow. The Ocean rose in a surge. The fires that were kindled\nrefused to blaze up. The Sun became dimmed. The planets, the stars, and\nconstellations, and the moon, no longer shone. The Rishis, the gods, and\nhuman beings, looked pale. A universal darkness spread over earth and\nsky. The insulted Rudras began to set fire to everything. Some amongst\nthem of terrible form began to smite and strike. Some tore up the\nsacrificial stakes. Some began to grind and others to crush. Endued with\nthe speed of wind or thought, some began to rush close and far. Some\nbegan to break the sacrificial vessels and the celestial ornaments. The\nscattered fragments strewed the ground like stars bespangling the\nfirmament. Heaps of excellent viands, of bottles of drink, and of\neatables there were that looked like mountains. Rivers of milk ran on\nevery side, with clarified butter and Payasa for their mire, creamy curds\nfor their water, and crystalised sugar for their sands. Those rivers\ncontained all the six tastes. There were lakes of treacle that looked\nvery beautiful. Meat of diverse kinds, of the best quality, and other\neatables of various sorts, and many excellent varieties of drink, and\nseveral other kinds of food that might be licked and sucked, began to be\neaten by that army of spirits with diverse mouths. And they began to cast\noff and scatter those varieties of food in all directions. In consequence\nof Rudra's wrath, every one of those gigantic Beings looked like the\nall-destructive Yuga-fire. Agitating the celestial troops they caused\nthem to tremble with fear and fly away in all directions. Those fierce\nspirits sported with one another, and seizing the celestial damsels\nshoved and hurled them on all sides. Of fierce deeds, those Beings,\nimpelled by Rudra's wrath, very soon burnt that Sacrifice although it was\nprotected with great care by all the deities. Loud were the roars they\nuttered which struck every living creature with dread. Having torn off\nthe head of Sacrifice they indulged in glee and shouts. Then the gods\nheaded by Brahman, and that progenitor of creatures, viz., Daksha,\njoining their hands in reverence, addressed that mighty Being, saying,\n\"Tell us, who thou art.\"\n\n\"'Virabhadra said, \"I am neither Rudra nor his spouse, the goddess Uma.\nNor have I come here for partaking of the fare (provided in this\nSacrifice). Knowing the fact of Uma's wrath, the puissant Lord who is the\nsoul of all creatures has given way to wrath. I have not come here for\nseeing these foremost of Brahmanas. I have not come here urged by\ncuriosity. Know that I have come here for destroying this Sacrifice of\nyours. I am known by the name of Virabhadra and I have sprung from the\nwrath of Rudra. This lady (who is my companion), and who is called\nBhadrakali, hath sprung from the wrath of the goddess. We have both been\ndespatched by that god of gods, and we have accordingly come here. O\nforemost of Brahmanas, seek the protection of that Lord of the deities,\nthe spouse of Uma. It is preferable to incur even the wrath of that\nforemost of gods than to obtain boons from any other Deity.\" Hearing the\nwords of Virabhadra, Daksha, that foremost of all righteous persons,\nbowed down unto Maheswara and sought to gratify him by uttering the\nfollowing hymn, \"I throw myself at the feet of the effulgent Isana, who\nis Eternal, Immutable, and Indestructible; who is the foremost of all\ngods, who is endued with high soul, who is the Lord of all the universe.\"\n[Here follow five and half slokas which appear to be interpolations]. His\npraises having thus been hymned, the great god, Mahadeva, suspending both\nPrana and Apana (the two foremost of the five life-breaths) by shutting\nhis mouth properly, and casting (benignant) glances on every side, showed\nhimself there. Possessed of many eyes, that vanquisher of all foes, that\nLord of even the gods of all gods, suddenly arose from within the pit in\nwhich was kept the sacrificial fire. Possessed of the effulgence of a\nthousand Suns, and looking like another Samvartaka, the great god smiled\ngently (at Daksha) and addressing him, said, \"What, O Brahmana, shall I\ndo for you?\" At this juncture, the preceptor of all the deities adored\nMahadeva with the Vedic verses contained in the Moksha sections. Then\nthat progenitor of all creatures, viz., Daksha, joining his hands in\nreverence, filled with dread and fear, exceedingly agitated, and with\nface and eyes bathed in tears, addressed the great god in the following\nwords.\n\n\"'Daksha said, \"If the great god has been gratified with me,--if indeed,\nI have become an object of favour with him,--if I have deserved his\nkindness,--if the great Lord of all creatures is disposed to grant me\nboons,--then let all these articles of mine that have been burnt, eaten,\ndrunk, swallowed, destroyed, broken, and polluted,--let all these\narticles, collected in course of these articles be of use to me. Even\nthis is the boon I crave. Unto him the many long years, and with great\ncare and effort, go not for nothing. Let these articles be of use to me!\nEven this is the boon I crave!\"--Unto him the illustrious Hara, the tearer\nof Bhaga's eyes, said, \"Let it be as thou sayest!\" Even these were the\nwords of that illustrious progenitor of all creatures, that god of three\neyes, that protector of righteousness.[1406] Having obtained that boon from\nBhava, Daksha knelt down to him and adored that deity having the bull for\nhis mark, by uttering his thousand and eight names.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLXXXV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"It behoveth thee, O sire, to tell me those names by\nwhich Daksha, that progenitor of creatures, adored the great deity. O\nsinless one, a reverent curiosity impels me to hear them.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Hear, O Bharata, what the names, both secret and\nproclaimed, are of that god of gods, that deity of extraordinary feats,\nthat ascetic of secret vows.\n\n\"'\"Daksha said, 'I bow to thee, O lord of all the gods to the destroyer of\nthe forces of the Asuras. Thou art the paralyser of the strength of the\ncelestial chief himself. Thou art adored by both gods and Danavas. Thou\nart thousand-eyed, thou art fierce-eyed, and thou art three-eyed. Thou\nart the friend of the ruler of the Yakshas. Thy hands and feet extend in\nall directions to all places. Thy eyes also and head and mouth are turned\non all sides. Thy ears too are everywhere in the universe, and thou art\nthyself everywhere, O Lord! Thou art shaft-eared, thou art large-eared,\nand thou art pot-eared. Thou art the receptacle of the Ocean. Thy ears\nare like those of the elephant, or of the bull, or like extended palms.\nSalutations to thee! Thou hast a hundred stomachs, a hundred revolutions,\nand a hundred tongues. I bow to thee! The utterers of the Gayatri sing\nthy praises in uttering the Gayatri, and the worshippers of the Sun adore\nthee in adoring the Sun. The Rishis regard thee as Brahmana, as Indra,\nand as the (illimitable) firmament above. O thou of mighty form, the\nOcean and the Sky are thy two forms. All the deities dwell in thy form\neven as kine dwell within the fold. In thy body I behold Soma, and Agni,\nand the lord of the Waters, and Aditya, and Vishnu, and Brahmana, and\nVrihaspati. Thou, O illustrious one, art Cause and Effect and Action and\nInstrument of everything unreal and real, and thou art Creation and\nDestruction. I bow unto thee that art called Bhava and Sarva and Rudra. I\nbow unto thee that art the giver of boons. I bow always unto thee that\nart the Lord of all creatures. Salutations to thee that art the slayer of\nAndhaka. Salutations to thee that hast three matted locks, to thee that\nhast three heads, to thee that art armed with an excellent trident; to\nthee that hast three eyes and that art, therefore, called Tryamvaka and\nTrinetra! Salutations to thee that art the destroyer of the triple city!\nSalutations to thee that art called Chanda, and Kunda; to thee that art\nthe (universal) egg and also the bearer of the (universal) egg; to thee\nthat art the holder of the ascetic's stick, to thee that hast ears\neverywhere, and to thee that art called Dandimunda! Salutations to thee\nwhose teeth and hair are turned upwards, to thee that art stainless and\nwhite, and that art stretched all over the universe; to thee that art\nred, to thee that art tawny, and to thee that hast a blue throat!\nSalutations to thee that art of incomparable form, that art of dreadful\nform, and that art highly auspicious! To thee that art Surya, that hast a\ngarland of Suryas round thy neck, and that hast standards and flags\nbearing the device of Surya. Salutations to thee that art the Lord of\nspirits and ghosts, to thee that art bull-necked, and that art armed with\nthe bow; to thee that crushest all foes, to thee that art the\npersonification of chastisement, and to thee that art clad in leaves (of\ntrees) and rags. Salutations to thee that bearest gold in thy stomach, to\nthee that art cased in golden mail, to thee that art gold-crested, to\nthee that art the lord of all the gold in the world! Salutations to thee\nthat hast been adored, that deservest to be adored, and that art still\nbeing adored; to thee that art all things, that devourest all things, and\nthat art the soul of all things! Salutations to thee that art the Hotri\n(in sacrifices), that art the (Vedic) mantras uttered (in sacrifices),\nand that ownest white flags and standards. Salutations to thee that art\nthe navel of the universe, that art both cause and effect in the form of\nthe five primal elements, and that art the coverer of all covers.\nSalutations to thee that art called Krisanasa, that art of thin limbs,\nand that art thin. Salutations to thee that art always cheerful and that\nart the personification of confused sounds and voices. Salutations to\nthee that art about to be stretched on the earth, that art already\nstretched, and that standing upright. Salutations to thee that art fixed,\nthat art running, that art bald, and that bearest matted locks on thy\nhead. Salutation to thee that art fond of dancing and that strikest thy\npuffed cheeks making thy mouth a drum.[1407] Salutations to thee that art\nfond of lotuses that blow in rivers, and that art always fond of singing\nand playing on musical instruments. Salutations to thee that art the\neldest-born, that art the foremost of all creatures, and that art the\ncrusher of the Asura Vala. Salutations to thee that art the Master of\nTime, that art the personification of Kalpa; that art the embodiment of\nall kinds of destruction, great and small. Salutations to thee that\nlaughest awfully and as loud as the beat of a drum, and that observest\ndreadful vows! Salutations for ever to thee that art fierce, and that\nhast ten arms. Salutations to thee that art armed with bones and that art\nfond of the ashes of funeral pyres. Salutations to thee that art awful,\nthat art terrible to behold, and that art an observer of dreadful vows\nand practices. Salutations to thee that ownest an ugly mouth, that hast a\ntongue resembling a scimitar, and that hast large teeth. Salutations to\nthee that art fond of both cooked and uncooked meat, and that regardest\nthe gourded Vina as highly dear. Salutations to thee that causest rain,\nthat helpest the cause of righteousness, that art identifiable with the\nform of Nandi, and that art Righteousness' self! Salutations to thee that\nart ever moving like wind and the other forces, that the controller of\nall things, and that art always engaged in cooking all creatures (in the\ncauldron of Time).[1408] Salutations to thee that art the foremost of all\ncreatures, that art superior, and that art the giver of boons.\nSalutations to thee that hast the best of garlands, the best of scents,\nand the best of robes, and that givest the best of boons to the best of\ncreatures. Salutations to thee that art attached, that art freed from all\nattachments, that art of the form of Yoga contemplation, and that art\nadorned with a garland of Akshas. Salutations to thee that art united as\ncause and disunited as effects, and that art the form of shadow and of\nlight. Salutations to thee that art amiable, and that art frightful, and\nthat art exceedingly so. Salutations to thee that art auspicious, that\nart tranquil, and that art most tranquil. Salutations to thee that art of\none leg and many eyes, and that hast only one head; to thee that art\nfierce, to thee that art gratified with little offerings, and thee that\nart fond of equity. Salutations to thee that art the artificer of the\nuniverse, and that art ever united with the attribute of tranquillity.\nSalutations to thee that bearest a foe-frightening bell, that art of the\nform of the jingle made by a bell, and that art of the form of sound when\nit is not perceptible by the ear.[1409] Salutations to thee that art like\na thousand bells jingled together, and that art fond of a garland of\nbells, that art like the sound that the life-breaths make, that art of\nthe form of all scents and of the confused noise of boiling liquids.\nSalutations to thee that art beyond three Huns, and that art fond of two\nHuns. Salutations to thee that art exceedingly tranquil, and that hast\nthe shade of mountain trees for thy habitation.[1410] Thou art fond of\nthe heart-flesh of all creatures, that cleansest from all sins, and that\nart of the form of sacrificial offerings. Salutations to thee that art of\nthe form of Sacrifice, that art the Sacrificer himself, that art the\nBrahmana into whose mouth is poured the sacrificial butter, and that art\nthe fire into which is poured the butter inspired with mantras.[1411]\nSalutations to thee that art of the form of (sacrificial) Ritwijes, that\nhast thy senses under control, that art made of Sattwa, and that hast\nRajas also in thy make. Salutations to thee that art of the banks of\nRivers, of Rivers themselves, and of the lord of all Rivers (viz., the\nOcean)! Salutations to thee that art the giver of food, that art the lord\nof all food, and that art identical with him that takes food! Salutations\nto thee that hast a thousand heads and a thousand feet, to thee that\nhast a thousand tridents uplifted in thy hands, and a thousand eyes!\nSalutations to thee that art of the form of the rising Sun, and that art\nof the form of a child, that art the protector of attendants all of whom\nare of the form of children,[1412] and that art, besides, of the form of\nchildren's toys. Salutations to thee that art old, that art covetous,\nthat art already agitated, and that art about to be agitated. Salutations\nto thee that hast locks of hair marked by the current of the Ganges, and\nthat hast locks of hair resembling blades of Munja grass! Salutations to\nthee that art gratified with the six (well-known) acts, and that art\ndevoted to the performance of the three acts.[1413] Salutations to thee\nthat hast assigned the duties of the respective modes of life.\nSalutations to thee that deservest to be praised in sounds, that art of\nthe form of sorrow, and that art of the form of deep and confused noise.\nSalutations to thee that hast eyes both white and tawny, as also dark and\nred. Salutations to thee that hast conquered thy vital breaths, that art\nof the form of weapons, that rivest all things, and that art exceedingly\nlean. Salutations to thee that always discoursest of Religion, Pleasure,\nProfit, and Emancipation. Salutations to thee that art a Sankhya, that\nart the foremost of Sankhyas, and that art the introducer of the\nSankhya-Yoga.[1414] Salutations to thee that hast a car and that art\nwithout a car (for thy journeys).[1415] Salutations to thee that hast the\nintersections of four roads for thy car; to thee that hast the skin of a\nblack deer for thy upper garments, and that hast a snake for thy sacred\nthread. Salutations to thee that art Isana, that art of body as hard as\nthunderbolt, and that art of green locks. Salutations to thee that art of\nthree eyes, that art the lord of Amvika, that art Manifest, and that art\nUnmanifest.[1416] Salutations to thee that art Desire, that art the Giver\nof all desires, that art the Killer of all desires, and that art the\ndiscriminator between the gratified and the ungratified. Salutations to\nthee that art all things, the Giver of all things, and the Destroyer of\nall things. Salutations to thee that art the hues which appear in the\nevening sky. Salutations to thee that art of mighty strength, that art of\nmighty arms, that art a mighty Being, and that art of great effulgence.\nSalutations to thee that lookest like a mighty mass of clouds, and that\nart the embodiment of eternity! Salutations to thee that art of\nwell-developed body, that art of emaciated limbs, that bearest matted\nlocks on thy head, and that art clad in barks of trees and skins of\nanimals. Salutations to thee that hast matted locks as effulgent as the\nSun or the Fire, and that hast barks and skins for thy attire.\nSalutations to thee that art possessed of the effulgence of a thousand\nSuns, and that art ever engaged in penances. Salutations to thee that art\nthe excitement of Fever and that art endued with matted locks drenched\nwith the waters of the Ganges characterised by hundreds of eddies.\nSalutations to thee that repeatedly revolvest the Moon, the Yugas, and\nthe clouds.[1417] Thou art food, thou art he who eats that food, thou art\nthe giver of food, thou art the grower of food, and thou art the creator\nof food. Salutations to thee that cookest food and that eatest cooked\nfood, and that art both wind and fire! O lord of all the lords of the\ngods, thou art the four orders of living creatures, viz., the viviparous,\nthe oviparous, the filth-born, and plants. Thou art the Creator of the\nmobile and immobile universe, and thou art their Destroyer! O foremost of\nall persons conversant with Brahma, they that are conversant with Brahma\nregard thee as Brahma! The utterers of Brahma say that thou art the\nSupreme source of Mind, and the Refuge upon which Space, Wind, and Light\nrest. Thou art the Richs and the Samans, and the syllable Om. O foremost\nof all deities, those utterers of Brahma that sing the Samans constantly\nsing thee when they utter the syllables Hayi-Hayi, Huva-Hayi, and\nHuva-Hoyi.[1418] Thou art made up of the Yajuses, of the Richs, and of\nthe offerings poured on the sacrificial fire. The hymns contained in the\nVedas and the Upanishads adore thee![1419] Thou art the Brahmanas and the\nKshatriyas, the Vaisyas, and the Sudras, and the other castes formed by\nintermixture. Thou art those masses of clouds that appear in the sky;\nthou art Lightning; and thou art the roar of thunder. Thou art the year,\nthou art the seasons, thou art the month, and thou art the fortnight.\nThou art Yuga, thou art the time represented by a twinkle of the eye,\nthou art Kashtha, thou art the Constellations, thou art the Planets, thou\nart Kala. Thou art the tops of all trees, thou art the highest summits of\nall mountains. Thou art the tiger among the lower animals, thou art\nGaruda among birds, and thou art Ananta among snakes. Thou art the ocean\nof milk among all oceans and thou art the bow among instruments for\nhurling weapons. Thou art the thunder among weapons, and thou art Truth\namong vows. Thou art Aversion and thou art Desire: thou art attachment\nand thou art stupefaction (of judgment): thou art Forgiveness and thou\nart Unforgiveness. Thou art Exertion, and thou art Patience: thou art\nCupidity: thou art Lust and thou art Wrath: thou art Victory and thou art\nDefeat. Thou art armed with mace, and thou art armed with shaft: thou art\narmed with the bow, and thou bearest the Khattanga and the Jharjhara in\nthy hands. Thou art he who cuttest down and piercest and smitest. Thou\nart he who leads (all creatures) and he who gives them pain and grief.\nThou art Righteousness which is marked by ten virtues; thou art Wealth or\nProfit of every kind; and thou art Pleasure. Thou art Ganga, thou art the\nOceans, thou art the Rivers, thou art the lakes, and thou art the tanks.\nThou art the thin creepers, thou art the thicker creeping plants, thou\nart all kinds of grass, and thou art the deciduous herbs. Thou art all\nthe lower animals and thou art the birds. Thou art the origin of all\nobjects and acts, and thou art that season which yields fruits and\nflowers. Thou art the beginning and thou art the end of the Vedas; thou\nart the Gayatri, and thou art Om. Thou art Green, thou art Red, thou art\nBlue, thou art Dark, thou art of Bloody hue, thou art of the colour of\nthe Sun, thou art Tawny, thou art Brown, and thou art Dark blue.[1420]\nThou art without colour, thou art of the best colour, thou art the maker\nof colours, and thou art without comparison. Thou art of the name of\nGold, and thou art fond of Gold. Thou art Indra, thou art Yama, thou art\nthe Giver of boons, thou art the Lord of wealth, and thou art Agni. Thou\nart the Eclipse, thou art the Fire called Chitrabhanu, thou art Rahu, and\nthou art the Sun. Thou art the fire upon which sacrificial butter is\npoured. Thou art He who pours the butter. Thou art He in honour of whom\nthe butter is poured, thou art the butter itself that is poured, and thou\nart the puissant Lord of all. Thou art those sections of the Brahmans\nthat are called Trisuparna, thou art all the Vedas; and thou art the\nsections called Satarudriya in the Yajuses. Thou art the holiest of\nholies, and the auspicious of all auspicious things. Thou animatest the\ninanimate body. Thou art the Chit that dwellest in the human form.\nInvested with attributes, thou becomest subject to Destruction. Thou art\nJiva, that is He who is never subject to destruction when uninvested with\nattributes. Thou art full yet thou becomest liable to decay and death in\nthe form of the body which is Jiva's accompaniment. Thou art the breath\nof life, and thou art Sattwa, thou art Rajas, thou art Tamas, and thou\nart not subject to error. Thou art the breaths called Prana, Apana,\nSamana, Udana, and Vyana. Thou art the opening of the eye and shutting of\nthe eye. Thou art the act of Sneezing and thou art the act of Yawning.\nThou art of red eyes which are ever turned inwards. Thou art of large\nmouth and large stomach.[1421] The bristles on thy body are like needles.\nThy beard is green. Thy hair is turned upwards. Thou art swifter than the\nswiftest. Thou art conversant with the principles of music both vocal and\ninstrumental, and fond of both vocal and instrumental music.[1422] Thou\nart a fish roving in the waters, and thou art a fish entangled in the\nnet. Thou art full, thou art fond of sports, and thou art of the form of\nall quarrels and disputes. Thou art Time, thou art bad time, thou art\ntime that is premature, and thou art time that is over-mature.[1423] Thou\nart the killing, thou art the razor (that kills), and thou art that which\nis killed. Thou art the auxiliary and thou art the adversary, and thou\nart the destroyer of both auxiliaries and adversaries. Thou art the time\nwhen clouds appear, thou art of large teeth, and thou art Samvartaka and\nValahaka.[1424] Thou art manifest in the form of splendour. Thou art\nconcealed in consequence of being invested with Maya (or illusion). Thou\nart He who connects creatures with the fruits of their acts. Thou hast a\nbell in thy hand. Thou playest with all mobile and immobile things (as\nwith thy toys). Thou art the cause of all causes. Thou art a Brahma (in\nthe form of Pranava), thou art Swaha; thou art the bearer of the Danda,\nthy head is bald, and thou art he who has his words, deeds and thoughts\nunder control.[1425] Thou art the four Yugas, thou art the four Vedas,\nthou art He from whom the four (Sacrificial) fires have flowed.[1426]\nThou art the Director of all the duties of the four modes of life. Thou\nart the maker of the four Orders. Thou art always fond of dice. Thou art\ncunning. Thou art the chief of the spirits distributed into ganas\n(clans), and their ruler. Thou art adorned with red garlands and attired\nin robes that are red. Thou sleepest on the mountain-breast, and thou art\nfond of the red hue. Thou art the artisan; thou art the foremost of\nartists; and it is thou from whom all arts have flowed. Thou art the\ntearer of the eyes of Bhaga; thou art Fierce, and thou art He who\ndestroyed the teeth of Pushan.[1427] Thou art Swaha, thou art Swadha,\nthou art Vashat, thou art Salutation's form, and thou art the words\nNamas-Namas uttered by all worshippers. Thy observances and thy penances\nare not known to others. Thou art Pranava; thou art the firmament\nbespangled with myriads of stars. Thou art Dhatri, and Vidhatri, and\nSandhatri, Vidhatri, and the Refuge of all things in the form of the\nSupreme cause, and thou art independent of all Refuge. Thou art\nconversant with Brahma, thou art Penance, thou art Truth, thou art the\nsoul of Brahmacharya, and thou art Simplicity.[1428] Thou art the soul of\ncreatures, thou art the Creator of all creatures, thou art absolute\nExistence, and thou art the Cause whence the Past, the Present, and the\nFuture, have sprung. Thou art Earth, thou art Firmament, and thou art\nHeaven. Thou art Eternal, thou art Self-restrained, and thou art the\ngreat god. Thou art initiated, and thou art not initiated. Thou art\nforgiving; thou art unforgiving; and thou art the chastiser of all who\nare rebellious. Thou art the lunar month, thou art the cycle of the Yugas\n(i.e., Kalpa), thou art Destruction, and thou art Creation. Thou art\nLust, thou art the vital seed, thou art subtile, thou art gross, and thou\nart fond of garlands made of Karnikara flowers. Thou hast a face like\nthat of Nandi, thou hast a face that is terrible, thou hast a handsome\nface, thou hast an ugly face, and thou art without a face. Thou hast four\nfaces, thou hast many faces, and thou hast a fiery face when engaged in\nbattles. Thou art gold-stomached (i.e., Narayana), thou art (unattached\nto all things like) a bird (unattached to the earth whence it derives its\nfood and to which it belongs), thou art Ananta (the lord of mighty\nsnakes), and thou art Virat (hugest of the huge). Thou art the destroyer\nof Unrighteousness, thou art called Mahaparswa, thou art Chandradhara,\nand thou art the chief of the spirit-clans. Thou lowedst like a cow, thou\nwert the protector of kine, and thou hast the lord of bulls for thy\nattendant.[1429] Thou art the protector of the three worlds, thou art\nGovinda, thou art the director of the senses, and thou art incapable of\nbeing apprehended by the senses. Thou art the foremost of all creatures,\nthou art fixed, thou art immobile, thou tremblest not, and thou art of\nthe form of trembling![1430] Thou art incapable of being resisted, thou\nart the destroyer of all poisons, thou art incapable of being borne (in\nbattle), and thou art incapable of being transcended, thou canst not be\nmade to tremble, thou canst not be measured, thou canst not be\nvanquished, and thou art victory.[1431] Thou art of swift speed, thou art\nthe Moon, thou art Yama (the universal destroyer), thou bearest (without\nflinching) cold and heat and hunger and weakness and disease. Thou art\nall mental agonies, thou art all physical diseases, thou art the curer of\nall diseases, and thou art those diseases themselves which thou curest.\nThou art the destroyer of my Sacrifice which had endeavoured to escape in\nthe form of deer. Thou art the advent and the departure of all diseases.\nThou hast a high crest. Thou hast eyes like lotus-petals. Thy habitation\nis in the midst of a forest of lotuses. Thou bearest the ascetic's staff\nin thy hands. Thou hast the three Vedas for thy three eyes. Thy\nchastisements are fierce and severe. Thou art the destroyer of the egg\n(whence the universe springs). Thou art the drinker of both poison and\nfire, thou art the foremost of all deities, thou art the drinker of Soma,\nthou art the lord of the Maruts.[1432] Thou art the drinker of Nectar.\nThou art the Master of the universe. Thou shinest in glory, and thou art\nthe lord of all the shining ones. Thou protectest from poison and death,\nand thou drinkest milk and Soma. Thou art the foremost of the protectors\nof those that have fallen off from heaven, and thou protectest him who is\nthe first of the deities.[1433] Gold is thy vital seed. Thou art male,\nthou art female, thou art neuter. Thou art an infant, thou art a youth,\nthou art old in years with thy teeth worn out, thou art the foremost of\nNagas, thou art Sakra, thou art the Destroyer of the universe, and thou\nart its Creator. Thou art Prajapati, and thou art adored by the\nPrajapatis, thou art the supporter of the universe, thou hast the\nuniverse for thy form, thou art endued with great energy, and thou hast\nfaces turned towards all directions. The Sun and the Moon are thy two\neyes, and the Grandsire is thy heart. Thou art the Ocean. The goddess\nSaraswati is thy speech and Fire and Wind are thy might. Thou art Day and\nNight. Thou art all acts including the opening and the shutting of the\neye. Neither Brahman, nor Govinda, nor the ancient Rishis, are competent\nto understand thy greatness, O auspicious deity, truly. Those subtile\nforms which thou hast are invisible to us. Rescue me and, O, protect me\nas the sire protects the son of his loins. O, protect one! I deserve thy\nprotection. I bow to thee, O sinless one! Thou, O illustrious one, art\nfull of compassion for thy devotees. I am always devoted to thee. Let him\nbe always my protector who stayeth alone on the other side of the ocean,\nin a form that is difficult to be apprehended, and overwhelming many\nthousands of persons![1434] I bow to that Soul of Yoga who is beheld in\nthe form of an effulgent Light by persons that have their senses under\ncontrol, that are possessed of the attribute of Sattwa, that have\nregulated their breaths, and that have conquered sleep.[1435] I bow to\nhim who is endued with matted locks, who bears the ascetic's staff in his\nhand, who is possessed of a body having a long abdomen, who has a\nkamandalu tied to his back, and who is the Soul of Brahman. I bow to Him\nwho is the soul of water, in whose hair are the clouds, in the joints of\nwhose body are the rivers, and in whose stomach are the four oceans. I\nseek the protection to Him who, when the end of the Yuga comes, devours\nall creatures and stretches himself (for sleep) on the wide expanse of\nwater that covers the universe. Let him who entering Rahu's mouth\ndrinketh Soma in the night and who becoming Swarbhanu devoureth Surya\nalso, protect me![1436] The deities, who are mere infants and who have\nall sprung from thee after Brahman's creation, enjoy their respective\nshares (in sacrificial offerings). Let them (peacefully) enjoy those\nofferings made with Swaha and Swadha, and let them derive pleasure from\nthose presents. I bow to them.[1437] Let those Beings that are of the\nstature of the thumb and that dwell in all bodies, always protect and\ngratify me.[1438] I always bow to those Beings who dwelling within\nembodied creatures make the latter cry in grief without themselves crying\nin grief, and who gladden them without themselves being glad. I always\nbow to those Rudras who dwell in rivers, in oceans, in hills and\nmountains, in mountain-caves, in the roots of trees, in cow-pens, in\ninaccessible forests, in the intersections of roads, in roads, in open\nsquares, in banks (of rivers and lakes and oceans), in elephant-sheds, in\nstables, in car-sheds, in deserted gardens and houses, in the five primal\nelements, and in the cardinal and subsidiary directions. I bow repeatedly\nunto them that dwell in the space amidst the Sun and the Moon, as also in\nrays of the Sun and the Moon, and them that dwell in the nether regions,\nand them that have betaken themselves to Renunciation and other superior\npractices for the sake of the Supreme.[1439] I bow always unto them that\nare unnumbered, that are unmeasured, and that have no form, unto those\nRudras, that is, that are endued with infinite attributes. Since thou, O\nRudra, art the Creator of all creatures, since, O Hara, thou art the\nMaster of all creatures, and since thou art the indwelling Soul of all\ncreatures, therefore wert thou not invited by me (to my Sacrifices).\nSince thou art He who is adored in all sacrifices with plentiful gifts,\nand since it is Thou that art the Creator of all things, therefore I did\nnot invite thee. Or, perhaps, O god, stupefied by thy subtile illusion I\nfailed to invite thee. Be gratified with me, blessed by thyself, O Bhava,\nwith me possessed by the quality of Rajas. My Mind, my Understanding, and\nmy Chitta all dwell in thee, O god!'\n\n\"'\"Hearing these adorations, that Lord of all creatures, viz., Mahadeva,\nceased (to think of inflicting further injuries on Daksha). Indeed,\nhighly gratified, the illustrious deity addressed Daksha, saying, 'O\nDaksha of excellent vows, pleased have I been with these adorations of\nthine. Thou needst not praise me more. Thou shalt attain to my\ncompanionship. Through my grace, O progenitor of creatures, thou shalt\nearn the fruit of a thousand horse-sacrifices, and a hundred Vajapeyas\n(in consequence of this one incomplete sacrifice of thine).'\n\n\"'\"Once more, Mahadeva, that thorough master of words, addressed Daksha and\nsaid unto him these words fraught with high consolation, 'Be thou the\nforemost of all creatures in the world. Thou shouldst not, O Daksha,\nentertain any feelings of grief for these injuries inflicted on thy\nSacrifice. It has been seen that in former Kalpas too I had to destroy\nthy Sacrifice.[1440] O thou of excellent vows, I shall grant thee again\nsome more boons. Take them from me. Dispelling this cheerlessness that\noverspreads thy face, listen to me with undivided attention. With the aid\nof arguments addressed to reason the deities and the Danavas have\nextracted from the Vedas consisting of six branches and from the system\nof Sankhya and Yoga a creed in consequence of which they have practised\nthe austerest penances for many long years. The religion, however, which\nI have extracted, is unparalleled, and productive of benefits on every\nside. It is open to men in all modes of life to practise it. It leads to\nEmancipation. It may be acquired in many years or through merit by\npersons who have restrained their senses. It is shrouded in mystery. They\nthat are divested of wisdom regard it as censurable. It is opposed to the\nduties laid down in respect of the four orders of men and the four modes\nof life, and agrees with those duties in only a few particulars. They\nthat are well-skilled in the science of (drawing) conclusions (from\npremises) can understand its propriety: and they who have transcended all\nthe modes of life are worthy of adopting it. In days of yore, O Daksha,\nthis auspicious religion called Pasupata had been extracted by me. The\nproper observance of that religion produces immense benefits. Let those\nbenefits be thine, O highly blessed one! Cast off this fever of thy\nheart.' Having said these words, Mahadeva, with his spouse (Uma) and with\nall his attendants disappeared from the view of Daksha of immeasurable\nprowess. He who would recite this hymn that was first uttered by Daksha\nor who would listen to it when recited by another, would never meet with\nthe smallest evil and would attain to a long life. Indeed, as Siva is the\nforemost of all the deities, even so is this hymn, agreeable with the\nSrutis, is the foremost of all hymns. Persons desirous of fame, kingdom,\nhappiness, pleasure, profit, and wealth, as also those desirous of\nlearning, should listen with feelings of devotion to the recital of this\nhymn. One suffering from disease, one distressed by pain, one plunged\ninto melancholy, one afflicted by thieves or by fear, one under the\ndispleasure of the king in respect of his charge, becomes freed from fear\n(by listening or reciting this hymn). By listening to or reciting this\nhymn, one, in even this earthly body of his, attains to equality with the\nspirits forming the attendants of Mahadeva. One becomes endued with\nenergy and fame, and cleansed of all sin (through the virtue of this\nhymn). Neither Rakshasas, nor Pisachas, nor ghosts, nor Vinayakas, create\ndisturbances in his house where this hymn is recited. That woman, again,\nwho listens to this hymn with pious faith, observing the while the\npractices of Brahmacharya, wins worship as a goddess in the family of her\nsire and that of her husband.[1441] All the acts of that person become\nalways crowned with success who listens or recites with rapt attention to\nthe whole of this hymn. In consequence of the recitation of this hymn all\nthe wishes one forms in one's mind and all the wishes one clothes in\nwords become crowned with fruition. That man obtains all objects of\nenjoyment and pleasure and all things that are wished for by him, who,\npractising self-restraint, makes according to due rites offerings unto\nMahadeva, Guha, Uma, and Nandi, and after that utters their names without\ndelay, in proper order and with devotion. Such a man, departing from this\nlife, ascends to heaven, and has never to take birth among the\nintermediate animals or birds. This was said even by the puissant Vyasa,\nthe son of Parasara.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLXXXVI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me, O grandsire, what is Adhyatma with respect\nto man and whence it arises.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Aided by the science of Adhyatma one may know everything.\nIt is, again, superior to all things. I shall, with the help of my\nintelligence, explain to thee that Adhyatma about which thou askest me.\nListen, O son, to my explanation. Earth, Wind, Space, Water, and Light\nforming the fifth, are the great essences. These are (the causes of) the\norigin and the destruction of all creatures. The bodies of living\ncreatures (both subtile and gross), O bull of Bharata's race, are the\nresult of the combination of the virtues of these five. Those virtues\n(whose combinations produce the bodies of creatures) repeatedly start\ninto existence and repeatedly merge into the original cause of all\nthings, viz., the Supreme Soul.[1442] From those five primal essences are\ncreated all creatures, and into those five great elements all creatures\nresolve themselves, repeatedly, like the infinite waves of the Ocean\nrising from the Ocean and subsiding into that which causes them. As a\ntortoise stretches forth its legs and withdraws them again into itself,\neven so the infinite number of creatures spring from (and enter) these\nfive great fixed essences. Verily, sound springs from Space, and all\ndense matter is the attribute of earth. Life is from Wind. Taste is from\nWater. Form is said to be the property of Light. The entire mobile and\nimmobile universe is thus these five great essences existing together in\nvarious proportions. When Destruction comes, the infinite diversity of\ncreatures resolve themselves into those five, and once more, when\nCreation begins, they spring from the same five. The Creator places in\nall creatures the same five great essences in proportions that He thinks\nproper. Sound, the ears, and all cavities,--these three,--have Space for\ntheir producing cause. Taste, all watery or juicy substances, and the\ntongue, are said to be the properties of water. Form, the eye, and the\ndigestive fire in the stomach, are said to partake of the nature of\nLight. Scent, the organ of smelling, and the body, are the properties of\nearth. Life, touch, and action are said to be the properties of Wind. I\nhave thus explained to thee, O king, all the properties of the five\nprimal essences. Having created these, the Supreme Deity, O Bharata,\nunited with them Sattwa, Rajas, Tamas, Time, Consciousness of functions,\nand Mind forming the sixth.[1443] That which is called the Understanding\ndwells in the interior of what thou seest above the soles of the feet and\nbelow the crown of the head. In man the senses (of knowledge) are five.\nThe sixth (sense) is the Mind. The seventh is called the Understanding.\nThe Kshetrajna or Soul is the eighth. The senses and that which is the\nActor should be ascertained by apprehension of their respective\nfunctions. The conditions or states called Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas,\ndepend upon the senses for their refuge or formation. The senses exist\nfor simply seizing the impressions of their respective objects. The Mind\nhas doubt for its function. The Understanding is for ascertainment. The\nKshetrajna is said to be only an inactive witness (of the functions of\nthe others). Sattwa, Rajas, Tamas, Time, and Acts, O Bharata, these\nattributes direct the Understanding. The Understanding is the senses and\nthe five fore-mentioned attributes.[1444] When the Understanding is\nwanting, the senses with the mind, and the five other attributes (viz.,\nSattwa, Rajas, Tamas, Time, and Acts) cease to be. That by which the\nUnderstanding sees is called the eye. When the Understanding hears, it is\ncalled the ear. When she smells, she becomes the sense of scent; and when\nshe tastes the various objects of taste, she comes to be called by the\nname of tongue. When again she feels the touch of the various objects of\ntouch, she becomes the sense of touch. It is the Understanding that\nbecomes modified diversely and frequently. When the Understanding desires\nanything, she becomes Mind. The five senses with the Mind, which\nseparately constitute the foundations (of the Understanding), are the\ncreations of the Understanding. They are called Indriyas. When they\nbecome stained, the Understanding also becomes stained.[1445] The\nUnderstanding, dwelling in Jiva, exists in three states. Sometimes she\nobtains joy; sometimes she indulges in grief; and sometimes she exists in\na state that is neither pleasure nor pain. Having for her essence these\nconditions or states (viz., Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas), the Understanding\nresolves through these three states.[1446] As the lord of rivers, viz.,\nthe surging Ocean, always keeps within his continents, even so the\nUnderstanding, which exists in connection with the (three) states, exists\nin the Mind (including the senses). When the state of Rajas is awakened,\nthe Understanding becomes modified into Rajas. Transport of delight, joy,\ngladness, happiness, and contentedness of heart, these, when somehow\nexcited, are the properties of Sattwa. Heart-burning, grief, sorrow,\ndiscontentedness, and unforgivingness,[1447] arising from particular\ncauses, are the result of Rajas. Ignorance, attachment and error,\nheedlessness, stupefaction, and terror, meanness, cheerlessness, sleep,\nand procrastination,--these, when brought about by particular causes, are\nthe properties of Tamas. Whatever state of either body or mind, connected\nwith joy or happiness, arises, should be regarded as due to the state of\nSattwa. Whatever, again, is fraught with sorrow and is disagreeable to\noneself should be regarded as arising from Rajas. Without commencing any\nsuch act, one should turn one's attention to it (for avoiding it).\nWhatever is fraught with error or stupefaction in either body or mind,\nand is inconceivable and mysterious, should be known as connected with\nTamas. Thus, have I explained to thee that things in this world dwell in\nthe Understanding. By knowing this one becomes wise. What else can be the\nindication of wisdom? Know now the difference between these two subtile\nthings, viz., Understanding and Soul. One of these, viz., the\nUnderstanding, creates attributes. The other, viz., the Soul, does not\ncreate them. Although they are, by nature, distinct from each other, yet\nthey always exist in a state of union. A fish is different from the water\nin which it dwells, but the fish and the water must exist together. The\nattributes cannot know the Soul. The Soul, however, knows them. They that\nare ignorant regard the Soul as existing in a state of union with the\nattributes like qualities existing with their possessors. This, however,\nis not the case, for the Soul is truly only an inactive Witness of\neverything. The Understanding has no refuge.[1448] That which is called\nlife (involving the existence of the Understanding) arises from the\neffects of the attributes coming together. Others (than these attributes\nwhich are created by the Understanding), acting as causes, create the\nUnderstanding that dwells in the body. No one can apprehend the\nattributes in their real nature or form of existence. The Understanding,\nas already said, creates the attributes. The Soul simply beholds them (as\nan inactive Witness). This union that exists between the Understanding\nand the Soul is eternal. The indwelling Understanding apprehends all\nthings through the Senses which are themselves inanimate and\nunapprehending. Really the senses are only like lamps (that throw their\nlight for discovering objects to others without themselves being able to\nsee them). Even this is the nature (of the Senses, the Understanding, and\nthe Soul). Knowing this, one should live cheerfully, without yielding to\neither grief or joy. Such a man is said to be beyond the influence of\npride. That the Understanding creates all these attributes is due to her\nown nature,--even as a spider weaves threads in consequence of her own\nnature. These attributes should be known as the threads the spider\nweaves. When destroyed, the attributes do not cease to exist; their\nexistence ceases to be visible. When, however, a thing transcends the ken\nof the senses, its existence (or otherwise) is affirmed by inference.\nThis is the opinion of one set of persons. Others affirm that with\ndestruction the attributes cease to be. Untying this knotty problem\naddressed to the understanding and reflection, and dispelling all doubt,\none should cast off sorrow and live in happiness.[1449] As men\nunacquainted with its bottom become distressed when they fall upon this\nearth which is like a river filled with the waters of stupefaction, even\nso is that man afflicted who falls away from that state in which there is\na union with the Understanding.[1450] Men of knowledge, however,\nconversant with Adhyatma and armed with fortitude, are never afflicted,\nbecause they are capable of crossing to the other shore of those waters.\nIndeed, Knowledge is an efficient raft (in that river). Men of knowledge\nhave not to encounter those frightful terrors which alarm them that are\ndestitute of knowledge. As regards the righteous, none of them attains to\nan end that is superior to that of any other person amongst them. Indeed,\nthe righteous show, in this respect, an equality. As regards the man of\nKnowledge, whatever acts have been done by him in past times (while he\nwas steeped in Ignorance) and whatever acts fraught with great iniquity\nhe does (after attainment of Knowledge), he destroys both by Knowledge as\nhis sole means. Then again, upon the attainment of Knowledge he ceases to\nperpetrate these two evils, viz., censuring the wicked acts of others and\ndoing any wicked acts himself under the influence of attachment.\"'\"[1451]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLXXXVII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Living creatures always stand in fear of sorrow and\ndeath. Tell me, O grandsire, how the occurrence of these two may be\nprevented.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection, O Bharata, is cited the old narrative\nof the discourse between Narada and Samanga.\n\n\"'\"Narada said, '(While others salute their superiors by only a bend of the\nhead) thou salutest thy superiors by prostrating thyself on the ground\ntill thy chest comes into contact with the ground. Thou seemest to be\nengaged in crossing (the river of life) with thy hands.[1452] Thou\nseemest to be always free from sorrow and exceedingly cheerful. I do not\nsee that thou hast the least anxiety. Thou art always content and happy\nand thou seemest to sport (in felicity) like a child.'\n\n\"'\"Samanga said, 'O giver of honours, I know the truth about the Past, the\nPresent, and the Future. Hence I never become cheerless.[1453] I know\nalso what the beginning of acts is in this world, what the accession of\ntheir fruits, and how varied are those fruits. Hence I never yield to\nsorrow.[1454] Behold, the illiterate, the destitute, the prosperous, O\nNarada, the blind, idiots and madmen, and ourselves also, all live.[1455]\nThese live by virtue of their acts of past lives. The very deities, who\nexist freed from diseases, exist (in that state) by virtue of their past\nacts. The strong and the weak, all, live by virtue of past acts. It is\nfitting, therefore, that thou shouldst hold us in esteem. The owners of\nthousands live. The owners of hundreds also live. They that are\noverwhelmed with sorrow live. Behold, we too are living! When we, O\nNarada, do not give way to grief, what can the practice of the duties (of\nreligion) or the observance of (religious) acts do to us? And since all\njoys and sorrows also are not unending, they are, therefore, unable to\nagitate us at all.[1456] That for which men are said to be wise, indeed,\nthe very root of wisdom, is the freedom of the senses from error. It is\nthe senses that yield to error and grief. One whose senses are subject to\nerror can never be said to have attained wisdom. That pride which is\nindulged in by a man subject to error is only a form of the error to\nwhich he is subject. As regards the man of error, he has neither this\nworld nor the next. It should be remembered that griefs do not last for\never and that happiness cannot be had always.[1457] Worldly life with all\nits vicissitudes and painful incidents, one like me would never adopt.\nSuch a one would not care for desirable objects of enjoyments, and would\nnot think at all of the happiness their possession may bring about, or,\nindeed, of the griefs that present themselves.[1458] One capable of\nresting on one's own self would never covet the possessions of others,\nwould not think of gains unacquired, would not feel delighted at the\nacquisition of even immense wealth; and would not yield to sorrow at the\nloss of wealth. Neither friends, nor wealth, nor high birth, nor\nscriptural learning, nor mantras, nor energy, can succeed in rescuing one\nfrom sorrow in the next world. It is only by conduct that one can attain\nto felicity there. The Understanding of the man unconversant with Yoga\ncan never be directed towards Emancipation. One unconversant with Yoga\ncan never have happiness. Patience and the resolution to cast off sorrow,\nthese two indicate the advent of happiness. Anything agreeable leads to\npleasure. Pleasure induces pride. Pride, again, is productive of sorrow.\nFor these reasons, I avoid all these. Grief, Fear, Pride,--these that\nstupefy the heart,--and also Pleasure and Pain, I behold as (an\nunconcerned) witness since my body is endued with life and moves\nabout.[1459] Casting off both wealth and pleasure, and thirst and error,\nI wander over the earth, freed from grief and every kind of anxiety of\nheart. Like one that has drunk nectar I have no fear, here or hereafter,\nof death, or iniquity, or cupidity, or anything of that kind. I have\nacquired this knowledge, O Brahmana, as the result of my severe and\nindestructible penances. It is for this reason, O Narada, that grief,\neven when it comes to me, does not succeed in afflicting me.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLXXXVIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me, O grandsire, what is beneficial for one\nthat is unconversant with the truths of the scriptures, that is always in\ndoubt, and that abstains from self-restraint and the other practices\nhaving for their object the knowledge of the Soul.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Worshipping the preceptor, always waiting reverentially\non those that are aged, and listening to the scriptures (when recited by\ncompetent Brahmanas),--these are said to be of supreme benefit (to a\nperson like the one thou hast described). In this connection also is\ncited the old narrative of the discourse between Galava and the celestial\nRishi Narada. Once on a time Galava, desirous of obtaining what was for\nhis benefit, addressed Narada freed from error and fatigue, learned in\nthe scriptures, gratified with knowledge, a thorough master of his\nsenses, and with soul devoted to Yoga, and said, 'Those virtues, O Muni,\nby the possession of which a person becomes respected in the world, I\nsee, dwell permanently in thee. Thou art freed from error and, as such,\nit behoveth thee to remove the doubts that fill the minds of men like\nourselves that are subject to error and that are unacquainted with the\ntruths of the world. We do not know what we should do, for the\ndeclarations of the scriptures generate an inclination for (the\nacquisition of) Knowledge simultaneously with the inclination for acts.\nIt behoveth thee to discourse to us on these subjects.[1460] O\nillustrious one, the different asramas approve different courses of\nconduct.--_This_ is beneficial,--_This_ (other) is beneficial--the\nscriptures exhort us often in this wise.[1461] Beholding the followers of\nthe four asramas, who are thus exhorted by the scriptures and who fully\napprove of what the scriptures have laid down for them, thus travelling\nin diverse courses, and seeing that ourselves also are equally content\nwith our own scriptures, we fail to understand what is truly beneficial.\nIf the scriptures were all uniform, then what is truly beneficial would\nhave become manifest. In consequence, however, of the scriptures being\nmultifarious, that which is truly beneficial becomes invested with\nmystery. For these reasons, that which is truly beneficial seems to me to\nbe involved in confusion. Do thou then, O illustrious one, discourse to\nme on the subject. I have approached thee (for this), O, instruct me!'\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'The Asramas are four in number, O child! All of them serve\nthe purposes for which they have been designed; and the duties they\npreach differ from one another. Ascertaining them first from\nwell-qualified preceptors, reflect upon them, O Galava![1462] Behold, the\nannouncements of the merits of those Asramas are varied in respect of\ntheir form, divergent in respect of their matter, and contradictory in\nrespect of the observances they embrace.[1463] Observed with gross\nvision, verily, all the Asramas refuse to clearly yield their true intent\n(which, of course, is knowledge of Self). Others, however, endued with\nsubtle sight, behold their highest end.[1464] That which is truly\nbeneficial, and about which there is no doubt, viz., good offices to\nfriends, and suppression of enemies, and the acquisition of the aggregate\nof three (viz., Religion, Profit, and Pleasure), has been declared by the\nwise to be supreme excellence.[1465] Abstention from sinful acts,\nconstancy of righteous disposition, good behaviour towards those that are\ngood and pious,--these, without doubt, constitute excellence. Mildness\ntowards all creatures, sincerity of behaviour, and the use of sweet\nwords,--these, without doubt, constitute excellence. An equitable\napportionment of what one has among the deities, the Pitris, and guests,\nand adherence to servants,--these, without doubt, constitute excellence.\nTruthfulness of speech is excellent. The knowledge, however, of truth, is\nvery difficult of acquisition. I say that that is truth which is\nexceedingly beneficial to creatures.[1466] The renunciation of pride, the\nsuppression of heedlessness, contentment, living by one's own\nself,--these are said to constitute supreme excellence. The study of the\nVedas, and of their branches, according to the well-known rules, and all\nenquiries and pursuits having for their sake the acquisition of\nknowledge,--these, without doubt, are excellent. One desirous of\nachieving what is excellent should never enjoy sound and form and taste\nand touch and scent to excess and should not enjoy them for their sake\nalone. Wandering in the night, sleep during the day, indulgence in\nidleness, roguery, arrogance, excessive indulgence and total abstention\nfrom all indulgence in objects of the senses, should be relinquished by\none desirous of achieving what is excellent.[1467] One should not seek\nself-elevation by depreciating others. Indeed, one should, by one's\nmerits alone, seek distinction over persons that are distinguished but\nnever over those that are inferior. Men really destitute of merit and\nfilled with a sense of self-admiration depreciate men of real merit, by\nasserting their own virtues and affluence. Swelling with a sense of their\nown importance, these men, when none interferes with them (for bringing\nthem to a right sense of what they are), regard themselves to be superior\nto men of real distinction. One possessed of real wisdom and endued with\nreal merits, acquires great fame by abstaining from speaking ill of\nothers and from indulging in self-praise. Flowers shed their pure and\nsweet fragrance without trumpeting forth their own excellence. Similarly,\nthe effulgent Sun scatters his splendours in the firmament in perfect\nsilence. After the same manner those men blaze in the world with\ncelebrity who by the aid of their intelligence, cast off these and\nsimilar other faults and who do not proclaim their own virtues. The fool\ncan never shine in the world by bruiting about his own praise. The man,\nhowever, of real merit and learning obtains celebrity even if he be\nconcealed in a pit. Evil words, uttered with whatsoever vigour of voice\ndie out (in no time). Good words, uttered however softly, blaze forth in\nthe world. As the Sun shows his fiery form (in the gem called\nSuryakanta), even so the multitude of words, of little sense, that fools\nfilled with vanity utter, display only (the meanness of) their hearts.\nFor these reasons, men seek the acquisition of wisdom of various kinds.\nIt seems to me that of all acquisitions that of wisdom is the most\nvaluable. One should not speak until one is asked; nor should one speak\nwhen one is asked improperly. Even if possessed of intelligence and\nknowledge, one should still sit in silence like an idiot (until one is\nasked to speak and asked in proper form). One should seek to dwell among\nhonest men devoted to righteousness and liberality and the observance of\nthe duties of their own order. One desirous of achieving what is\nexcellent should never dwell in a place where a confusion occurs in the\nduties of the several orders.[1468] A person may be seen to live who\nabstains from all works (for earning the means of his living) and who is\nwell-content with whatever is got without exertion. By living amid the\nrighteous, one succeeds in acquiring pure righteousness. After the same\nmanner, one by living amid the sinful, becomes stained with sin.[1469] As\nthe touch of water or fire or the rays of the moon immediately conveys\nthe sensation of cold or heat, after the same manner the impressions of\nvirtue and vice become productive of happiness or misery. They that are\neaters of Vighasa eat without taking any notice of the flavours of the\nedibles placed before them. They, however, that eat carefully\ndiscriminating the flavours of the viands prepared for them, should be\nknown as persons still tied by the bonds of action.[1470] The righteous\nman should leave that place where a Brahmana discourses on duties unto\ndisciples desirous of acquiring knowledge, as based on reasons, of the\nSoul, but who do not enquire after such knowledge with reverence.[1471]\nWho, however, will leave that spot where exists in its entirety that\nbehaviour between disciples and preceptors which is consistent with what\nhas been laid down in the scriptures? What learned man desirous of\nrespect being paid to himself will dwell in that place where people bruit\nabout the faults of the learned even when such have no foundation to\nstand upon?[1472] Who is there that will not leave that place, like a\ngarment whose end has caught fire, where covetous men seek to break down\nthe barriers of virtue? One should remain and dwell in that place, among\ngood men of righteous disposition, where persons endued with humility are\nengaged in fearlessly practising the duties of religion. There where men\npractise the duties of religion for the sake of acquiring wealth and\nother temporal advantages, one should not dwell, for the people of that\nplace are all to be regarded as sinful. One should fly away with all\nspeed from that place, as if from a room in which there is a snake, where\nthe inhabitants, desirous of obtaining the means of life, are engaged in\nthe practice of sinful deeds. One desirous of what is beneficial should,\nfrom the beginning, relinquish that act in consequence of which one\nbecomes stretched, as it were, on a bed of thorn and in consequence of\nwhich one becomes invested with the desires born of the deeds of past\nlives.[1473] The righteous man should leave that kingdom where the king\nand king's officers exercise equal authority and where they are given to\nthe habit of eating before feeding their relatives (when the latter come\nas guests).[1474] One should dwell in that country where Brahmanas\npossessed of a knowledge of the scriptures are fed first, where they are\nalways devoted to the due observance of religious duties, and where they\nare engaged in teaching disciples and officiating at the sacrifices of\nothers. One should unhesitatingly dwell in that country where the sounds\nSwaha, Swadha, and Vashat are duly and continuously uttered.[1475] One\nshould leave that kingdom, like poisoned meat, where one sees Brahmanas\nobliged to betake themselves to unholy practices, being tortured by want\nof the means of life. With a contented heart and deeming all his wishes\nas already gratified a righteous man should dwell in that country whose\ninhabitants cheerfully give away before even they are solicited. One\nshould live and move about, among good men devoted to acts of\nrighteousness, in that country where chastisement falleth upon those that\nare wicked and where respect and good offices are the portion of those\nthat are of subdued and cleansed souls. One should unhesitatingly dwell\nin that country whose king is devoted to virtue and which the king rules\nvirtuously, casting off desires and possessed of prosperity, and where\nsevere chastisement is dealt to those that visit self-controlled men with\nthe consequences of their wrath, those that act wickedly towards the\nrighteous, those that are given to acts of violence, and those that are\ncovetous.[1476] Kings endued with such a disposition bring about\nprosperity to those that dwell in their kingdoms when prosperity is on\nthe point of leaving them.[1477] I have thus told thee, O son, in answer\nto thy enquiry, what is beneficial or excellent. No one can describe, in\nconsequence of its exceedingly high character, what is beneficial or\nexcellent for the Soul.[1478] Many and high will the excellences be,\nthrough the observance of the duties laid down for him, of the man who\nfor earning his livelihood during the time of his sojourn here conducts\nhimself in the way indicated above and who devotes his soul to the good\nof all creatures.'\"'\"[1479]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCLXXXIX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"How, O grandsire, should a king like us behave in\nthis world, keeping in view the great object of acquisition? What\nattributes, again, should he always possess so that he may be freed from\nattachments?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I shall in this connection recite to thee the old\nnarrative that was uttered by Arishtanemi unto Sagara who had sought his\ncounsel.\n\n\"'\"Sagara said, 'What is that good, O Brahmana, by doing which one may\nenjoy felicity here? How, indeed, may one avoid grief and agitation? I\nwish to know all this!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed by Sagara, Arishtanemi of Tarkshya's\nrace, conversant with all the scriptures, regarding the questioner to be\nevery way deserving of his instructions, said these words,[1480] 'The\nfelicity of Emancipation is true felicity in the world. The man of\nignorance knows it not, attached as he is to children and animals and\npossessed of wealth and corn. An understanding that is attached to\nworldly objects and a mind suffering from thirst,--these two baffle all\nskilful treatment. The ignorant man who is bound in the chains of\naffection is incapable of acquiring Emancipation.[1481] I shall presently\nspeak to thee of all the bonds that spring from the affections. Hear them\nwith attention. Indeed, they are capable of being heard with profit by\none that is possessed of knowledge. Having procreated children in due\ntime and married them when they become young men, and having ascertained\nthem to be competent for earning their livelihood, do thou free thyself\nfrom all attachments and rove about in happiness. When thou seest thy\ndearly-cherished wife grown old in years and attached to the son she has\nbrought forth, do thou leave her in time, keeping in view the highest\nobject of acquisition (viz., Emancipation). Whether thou obtainest a son\nor not, having during the first years of thy life duly enjoyed with thy\nsenses the objects that are addressed to them, free thyself from\nattachments and rove about in happiness. Having indulged the senses with\ntheir objects, thou shouldst suppress the desire of further indulging\nthem. Freeing thyself then from attachments, thou shouldst rove in\nfelicity, contenting thyself with what is obtained without effort and\nprevious calculation, and casting an equal eye upon all creatures and\nobjects.[1482] Thus, O son, have I told thee in brief (of what the way is\nfor freeing thyself from attachments). Hear me now, for I shall presently\ntell thee, in detail, the desirability of the acquisition of\nEmancipation.[1483] Those persons who live in this world freed from\nattachments and fear, succeed in obtaining happiness. Those persons,\nhowever, who are attached to worldly objects, without doubt, meet with\ndestruction. Worms and ants (like men) are engaged in the acquisition of\nfood and are seen to die in the search. They that are freed from\nattachments are happy, while they that are attached to worldly objects\nmeet with destruction. If thou desirest to attain to Emancipation thou\nshouldst never bestow thy thoughts on thy relatives, thinking,--How shall\nthese exist without me?--A living creature takes birth by himself, and\ngrows by himself, and obtains happiness and misery, and death by himself.\nIn this world people enjoy and obtain food and raiment and other\nacquisitions earned by their parents or themselves. This is the result of\nthe acts of past lives, for nothing can be had in this life which is not\nthe result of the past. All creatures live on the Earth, protected by\ntheir own acts, and obtaining their food as the result of what is\nordained by Him who assigns the fruits of acts. A man is but a lump of\nclay, and is always himself completely dependent on other forces. One,\ntherefore, being oneself so infirm, what rational consideration can one\nhave for protecting and feeding one's relatives? When thy relatives are\ncarried away by Death in thy very sight and in spite of even thy utmost\nefforts to save them, that circumstance alone should awaken thee. In the\nvery lifetime of thy relatives and before thy own duty is completed of\nfeeding and protecting them, thyself mayst meet with death and abandon\nthem. After thy relatives have been carried away from this world by\ndeath, thou canst not know what becomes of them there,--that is, whether\nthey meet with happiness or misery. This circumstance ought to awaken\nthee. When in consequence of the fruits of their own acts thy relatives\nsucceed in maintaining themselves in this world whether thou livest or\ndiest, reflecting on this thou shouldst do what is for thy own\ngood.[1484] When this is known to be the case, who in the world is to be\nregarded as whose? Do thou, therefore, set thy heart on the attainment of\nEmancipation. Listen now to what more I shall say unto thee. That man of\nfirm Soul is certainly emancipated who has conquered hunger and thirst\nand such other states of the body, as also wrath and cupidity and error.\nThat man is always emancipated who does not forget himself, through\nfolly, by indulging in gambling and drinking and concubinage and the\nchase. That man who is really touched by sorrow in consequence of the\nnecessity there is of eating every day and every night for supporting\nlife, is said to be cognisant of the faults of life. One who, as the\nresult of careful reflection, regards his repeated births to be only due\nto sexual congress with women, is held to be freed from attachments. That\nman is certainly emancipated who knows truly the nature of the birth, the\ndestruction, and the exertion (or acts) of living creatures. That man\nbecomes certainly freed who regards (as worthy of his acceptance) only a\nhandful of corn, for the support of life, from amidst millions upon\nmillions of carts loaded with grain, and who disregards the difference\nbetween a shed of bamboo and reeds and a palatial mansion.[1485] That man\nbecomes certainly freed who beholds the world to be afflicted by death\nand disease and famine.[1486] Indeed, one who beholds the world to be\nsuch succeeds in becoming contented; while one who fails to behold the\nworld in such a light, meets with destruction. That man who is contented\nwith only a little is regarded as freed. That man who beholds the world\nas consisting of eaters and edibles (and himself as different from both)\nand who is never touched by pleasure and pain which are born of illusion,\nis regarded as emancipate. That man who regards a soft bed on a fine\nbedstead and the hard soil as equal, and who regards good sali rice and\nhard thick rice as equal, is emancipated. That man who regards linen and\ncloth made of grass as equal, and in whose estimation cloth of silk and\nbarks of trees are the same, and who sees no difference between clean\nsheep-skin and unclean leather, is emancipated. That man who looks upon\nthis world as the result of the combination of the five primal essences,\nand who behaves himself in this world, keeping this notion foremost, is\nemancipated. That man who regards pleasure and pain as equal, and gain\nand loss as on a par, in whose estimation victory and defeat differ not,\nto whom like and dislike are the same, and who is unchanged under fear\nand anxiety, is wholly emancipated. That man who regards his body which\nhas so many imperfections to be only a mass of blood, urine and excreta,\nas also of disorders and diseases, is emancipated. That man becomes\nemancipated who always recollects that this body, when overtaken by\ndecrepitude, becomes assailed by wrinkles and white hairs and leanness\nand paleness of complexion and a bending of the form. That man who\nrecollects his body to be liable to loss of virility, and weakness of\nsight, and deafness, and loss of strength, is emancipated. That man who\nknows that the very Rishis, the deities, and the Asuras are beings that\nhave to depart from their respective spheres to other regions, is\nemancipated. That man who knows that thousands of kings possessed of even\ngreat offence and power have departed from this earth, succeeds in\nbecoming emancipated. That man who knows that in this world the\nacquisition of objects is always difficult, that pain is abundant, and\nthat the maintenance of relatives is ever attended with pain, becomes\nemancipated.[1487] Beholding the abundant faults of children and of other\nmen, who is there that would not adore Emancipation? That man who,\nawakened by the scriptures and the experience of the world, beholds every\nhuman concern in this world to be unsubstantial, becomes emancipated.\nBearing in mind those words of mine, do thou conduct thyself like one\nthat has become emancipated, whether it is a life of domesticity that\nthou wouldst lead or pursue emancipation without suffering thy\nunderstanding to be confounded.'[1488] Hearing these words of his with\nattention, Sagara, that lord of earth, acquired those virtues which are\nproductive of Emancipation and continued, with their aid to rule his\nsubjects.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXC\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"This curiosity, O sire, is always dwelling in my\nmind. O grandsire of the Kurus, I desire to hear everything about it from\nthee. Why was the celestial Rishi, the high-souled Usanas, called also\nKavi engaged in doing what was agreeable to the Asuras and disagreeable\nto the deities? Why was he engaged in diminishing the energy of the\ndeities? Why were the Danavas always engaged in hostilities with the\nforemost of the deities? Possessed of the splendour of an immortal, for\nwhat reason did Usanas obtain the name of Sukra? How also did he acquire\nsuch superior excellence? Tell me all about these things. Though\npossessed of great energy, why does he not succeed in travelling to the\ncentre of the firmament? I desire, O grandsire, to learn everything about\nall these matters.\"[1489]\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Listen, O king, with attention to all this as it occurred\nactually. O sinless one, I shall narrate these matters to thee as I have\nheard and understood them. Of firm vows and honoured by all, Usanas, that\ndescendant of Bhrigu's race, became engaged in doing what was\ndisagreeable to the deities for an adequate cause.[1490] The royal\nKuvera, the chief of the Yakshas and the Rakshasas, is the lord of the\ntreasury of Indra, that master of the universe.[1491] The great ascetic\nUsanas, crowned with Yoga-success, entered the person of Kuvera, and\ndepriving the lord of treasures of his liberty by means of Yoga, robbed\nhim of all his wealth.[1492] Seeing his wealth taken away from him, the\nlord of treasures became highly displeased. Filled with anxiety, and his\nwrath also being excited, he went to that foremost of gods, viz.,\nMahadeva. Kuvera, represented the matter unto Siva of immeasurable\nenergy, that first of gods, fierce and amiable, and possessed of various\nforms. And he said, 'Usanas, having spiritualised himself by Yoga entered\nmy form and depriving myself of liberty, has taken away all my wealth.\nHaving by Yoga entered my body he has again left it.' Hearing these\nwords, Maheswara of supreme Yoga-powers became filled with rage. His\neyes, O king, became blood-red, and taking up his lance he waited (ready\nto strike down Usanas). Indeed, having taken up that foremost of weapons,\nthe great god began to say, 'Where is he? Where is he?' Meanwhile,\nUsanas, having ascertained the purpose of Mahadeva (through Yoga-power)\nfrom a distance, waited in silence. Indeed, having ascertained the fact\nof the wrath of the high-souled Maheswara of superior Yoga-power, the\npuissant Usanas began to reflect as to whether he should go to Maheswara\nor fly away or remain where he was. Thinking, with the aid of his severe\npenances, of the high-souled Mahadeva, Usanas of soul crowned with\nYoga-success, placed himself on the point of Mahadeva's lance. The\nbow-armed Rudra, understanding that Usanas, whose penances had become\nsuccessful and who had converted himself into the form of pure Knowledge,\nwas staying at the point of his lance (and finding that he was unable to\nhurl the lance at one who was upon it), bent that weapon with hand. When\nthe fierce-armed and puissant Mahadeva of immeasurable energy had thus\nbent his lance (into the form of a bow), that weapon came to be called\nfrom that time by the name of Pinaka.[1493] The lord of Uma, beholding\nBhargava thus brought upon the palm of his hand, opened his mouth. The\nchief of the gods then threw Bhargava into his mouth and swallowed him at\nonce. The puissant and high-souled Usanas of Bhrigu's race, entering the\nstomach of Maheswara, began to wander there.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"How, O king, could Usanas succeed in wandering\nwithin the stomach of that foremost of superior intelligence? What also\ndid that illustrious god do while the Brahmana was within his\nstomach?\"[1494]\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In days of yore (having swallowed up Usanas), Mahadeva of\nsevere vows entered the waters and remained there like an immovable stake\nof wood, O king, for millions of years (engaged in Yoga-meditation). His\nYoga penances of the austerest type having been over, he rose from the\nmighty lake. Then that primeval god of the gods, viz., the eternal\nBrahman, approached him, and enquired after the progress of his penances\nand after his welfare. The deity having the bull for his emblem answered,\nsaying, 'My penances have been well-practised.' Of inconceivable soul,\npossessed of great intelligence, and ever devoted to the religion of\ntruth, Sankara saw that Usanas within his stomach had become greater in\nconsequence of those penances of his.[1495] That foremost of Yogins\n(viz., Usanas), rich with that wealth of penances and the wealth (he had\nappropriated from Kuvera), shone brightly in the three worlds, endued\nwith great energy.[1496] After this, Mahadeva armed with Pinaka, that\nsoul of Yoga, once more betook himself to Yoga-meditation. Usanas,\nhowever, filled with anxiety, began to wander within the stomach of the\ngreat god. The great ascetic began to hymn the praises of the god from\nwhere he was, desirous of finding an outlet for escape. Rudra, however,\nhaving stopped all his outlets, prevented him from coming out. The great\nascetic Usanas, however, O chastiser of foes, from within Mahadeva's\nstomach, repeatedly addressed the god, saying, 'Show me thy kindness!'\nUnto him Mahadeva said, 'Go out through my urethra.' He had stopped up\nall other outlets of his body. Confined on every side and unable to find\nout the outlet indicated, the ascetic began to wander hither and thither,\nburning all the while with Mahadeva's energy. At last he found the outlet\nand issued through it. In consequence of this fact he came to be called\nby the name of Sukra, and it is in consequence of that fact he also\nbecame unable to attain (in course of his wandering) the central point of\nthe firmament. Beholding him come out of his stomach and shining brightly\nwith energy, Bhava, filled with anger, stood with lance uplifted in his\nhand. The goddess Uma then interposed and forbade the angry lord of all\ncreatures, viz., her spouse, to slay the Brahmana. And in consequence of\nUma's having thus prevented her lord from accomplishing his purpose the\nascetic Usanas (from the day) became the son of the goddess.\n\n\"'\"The goddess said, 'This Brahmana no longer deserves to be slain by thee.\nHe has become my son. O god, one who comes out of thy stomach does not\ndeserve slaughter at thy hands.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Pacified by these words of his spouse, Bhava smiled\nand said repeatedly these words, O king, 'Let this one go whithersoever\nhe likes.' Bowing unto the boon-giving Mahadeva and to also his spouse\nthe goddess Uma, the great ascetic Usanas, endued with superior\nintelligence, proceeded to the place he chose. I have thus narrated to\nthee, O chief of the Bharatas, the story of the high-souled Bhargava\nabout which thou didst ask me.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXCI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O thou of mighty arms, tell me, after this what is\nbeneficial for us. O grandsire, I am never satiated with thy words which\nseem to me like Amrita. What are those good acts, O best of men, by\naccomplishing which a man succeeds in obtaining what is for his highest\nbenefit both here and hereafter, O giver of boons!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection I shall narrate to thee what the\ncelebrated king Janaka had enquired, in days of yore, of the high-souled\nParasara, 'What is beneficial for all creatures both in this world and\nthe next! Do thou tell me what should be known by all this connection.'\nThus questioned, Parasara, possessed of great ascetic merit and\nconversant with the ordinances of every religion,[1497] said these words,\ndesirous of favouring the king.\n\n\"'\"Parasara said, 'Righteousness earned by acts is supreme benefit both in\nthis world and the next. The sages of the old have said that there is\nnothing higher than Righteousness. By accomplishing the duties of\nrighteousness a man becomes honoured in heaven. The Righteousness, again,\nof embodied creatures, O best of kings, consists in the ordinance (laid\ndown in the scriptures) on the subject of acts.[1498] All good men\nbelonging to the several modes of life, establishing their faith on that\nrighteousness, accomplish their respective duties.[1499] Four methods of\nliving, O child, have been ordained in this world. (Those four methods\nare the acceptance of gifts for Brahmanas; the realisation of taxes for\nKshatriyas; agriculture for Vaisyas; and service of the three other\nclasses for the Sudras). Wherever men live the means of support come to\nthem of themselves. Accomplishing by various ways acts that are virtuous\nor sinful (for the purpose of earning their means of support), living\ncreatures, when dissolved into their constituent elements attain to\ndiverse ends.[1500] As vessels of white brass, when steeped in liquefied\ngold or silver, catch the hue of these metals, even so a living creature,\nwho is completely dependent upon the acts of his past lives takes his\ncolour from the character of those acts. Nothing can sprout forth without\na seed. No one can obtain happiness without having accomplished acts\ncapable of leading to happiness. When one's body is dissolved away (into\nits constituent elements), one succeeds in attaining to happiness only in\nconsequence of the good acts of previous lives. The sceptic argues, O\nchild, saying, I do not behold that anything in this world is the result\nof destiny or the virtuous and sinful acts of past lives. Inference\ncannot establish the existence or operation of destiny.[1501] The\ndeities, the Gandharvas and the Danavas have become what they are in\nconsequence of their own nature (and not of their acts of past lives).\nPeople never recollect in their next lives the acts done by them in\nprevious ones. For explaining the acquisition of fruits in any particular\nlife people seldom name the four kinds of acts alleged to have been\naccomplished in past lives.[1502] The declarations having the Vedas for\ntheir authority have been made for regulating the conduct of men in this\nworld, and for tranquillizing the minds of men. These (the sceptic says),\nO child, cannot represent the utterances of men possessed of true wisdom.\nThis opinion is wrong. In reality, one obtains the fruits of whatever\namong the four kinds of acts one does with the eye, the mind, the tongue,\nand muscles.[1503] As the fruit of his acts, O king, a person sometimes\nobtains happiness wholly, sometimes misery in the same way, and sometimes\nhappiness and misery blended together. Whether righteous or sinful, acts\nare never destroyed (except by enjoyment or endurance of their\nfruits).[1504] Sometimes, O child, the happiness due to good acts remains\nconcealed and covered in such a way that it does not display itself in\nthe case of the person who is sinking in life's ocean till his sorrows\ndisappear. After sorrow has been exhausted (by endurance), one begins to\nenjoy (the fruits of) one's good acts. And know, O king, that upon the\nexhaustion of the fruits of good acts, those of sinful acts begin to\nmanifest themselves. Self-restraint, forgiveness, patience, energy,\ncontentment, truthfulness of speech, modesty, abstention from injury,\nfreedom from the evil practices called vyasana, and cleverness,--these\nare productive of happiness. No creature is eternally subject to the\nfruits of his good or bad acts. The man possessed of wisdom should always\nstrive to collect and fix his mind. One never has to enjoy or endure the\ngood and bad acts of another. Indeed, one enjoys and endures the fruits\nof only those acts that one does oneself. The person that casts off both\nhappiness and misery walks along a particular path (the path, viz., of\nknowledge). Those men, however, O king, who suffer themselves to be\nattached to all worldly objects, tread along a path that is entirely\ndifferent. A person should not himself do that act which, if done by\nanother, would call down his censure. Indeed, by doing an act that one\ncensures in others, one incurs ridicule. A Kshatriya bereft of courage, a\nBrahmana that takes every kind of food, a Vaisya unendued with exertion\n(in respect of agriculture and other moneymaking pursuits), a Sudra that\nis idle (and, therefore, averse to labour), a learned person without good\nbehaviour, one of high birth but destitute of righteous conduct, a\nBrahmana fallen away from truth, a woman that is unchaste and wicked, a\nYogin endued with attachments, one that cooks food for one's own self, an\nignorant person employed in making a discourse, a kingdom without a king\nand a king that cherishes no affection for his subjects and who is\ndestitute of Yoga,--these all, O king, are deserving of pity!'\"'\"[1505]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXCII\n\n\"'\"Parasara said, 'That man who, having obtained this car, viz., his body\nendued with mind, goes on, curbing with the reins of knowledge the steeds\nrepresented by the objects of the senses, should certainly be regarded as\npossessed of intelligence. The homage (in the form of devotion to and\nconcentrated meditation on the Supreme) by a person whose mind is\ndependent on itself and who has cast off the means of livelihood is\nworthy of high praise,--that homage, namely, O regenerate one, which is\nthe result of instructions received from one who has succeeded in\ntranscending acts but not obtained from the mutual discussion of men in\nthe same state of progress.[1506] Having obtained the allotted period of\nlife, O king, with such difficulty, one should not diminish it (by\nindulgence of the senses). On the other hand, man should always exert, by\nrighteous acts for his gradual advancement.[1507] Among the six different\ncolours that Jiva attains at different periods of his existence, he who\nfalls away from a superior colour deserves obloquy and censure. Hence,\none that has attained to the result of good acts should conduct oneself\nin such a way as to avoid all acts stained by the quality of Rajas.[1508]\nMan attains to a superior colour by righteous acts. Unable to acquire a\nsuperior hue, for such acquisition is extremely difficult, a person, by\ndoing sinful acts only slays himself (by sinking into hell and falling\ndown into an inferior colour). All sinful acts that are committed\nunconsciously or in ignorance are destroyed by penances. A sinful act,\nhowever, that is committed knowingly, produces much sorrow. Hence, one\nshould never commit sinful acts which have for their fruit only sorrow.\nThe man of intelligence would never do an act that is sinful in character\neven if it leads to the greatest advantage, just as a person that is pure\nwould never touch a Chandala.[1509] How miserable is the fruit I see of\nsinful acts! Through sin the very vision of the sinner becomes perverse,\nand he confounds his body and its unstable accompaniments with the\nSoul.[1510] That foolish man who does not succeed in betaking himself to\nRenunciation in this world becomes afflicted with great grief when he\ndeparts to the next world.[1511] An uncoloured cloth, when dirty, can be\ncleaned, but not a piece of cloth that is dyed with black; even so, O\nking, listen to me with care, is it the case with sin. That man who,\nhaving knowingly committed sin, acts righteously for expiating that sin,\nhas to enjoy and endure the fruits of his good and bad acts\nseparately.[1512] The utterers of Brahma maintain, under the authority of\nwhat has been laid down in the Vedas, that all acts of injury committed\nin ignorance are cancelled by acts of righteousness. A sin, however, that\nis committed consciously is never cancelled by righteousness. Thus say\nthe regenerate utterers of Brahma who are conversant with the scriptures\nof Brahmana. As regards myself, my view is that whatever acts are done,\nbe they righteous or sinful, be they done knowingly or otherwise, remain\n(and are never destroyed unless their fruits are enjoyed or\nendured).[1513] Whatever acts are done by the mind with full\ndeliberation, produce, according to their grossness or subtility, fruits\nthat are gross or subtile.[1514] Those acts, however, O thou of righteous\nsoul, which are fraught with great injury, if done in ignorance, do\nwithout fail produce consequences and even consequences that lead to\nhell, with this difference that those consequences are disproportionate\nin point of gravity to the acts that produce them.[1515] As to those acts\n(of a doubtful or unrighteous nature) that may be done by the deities or\nascetics of reputation, a righteous man should never do their like or,\ninformed of them, should never censure them.[1516] That man who,\nreflecting with his mind, O king, and ascertaining his own ability,\naccomplishes righteous acts, certainly obtains what is for his benefit.\nWater poured into an unbaked vessel gradually becomes less and finally\nescapes altogether. If kept, however, in a baked vessel, it remains\nwithout its quantity being diminished. After the same manner, acts done\nwithout reflection with the aid of the understanding do not become\nbeneficial; while acts done with judgment remain with undiminished\nexcellence and yield happiness as their result. If into a vessel\ncontaining water other water be poured, the water that was originally\nthere increases in quantity; even so all acts done with judgment, be they\nequitable or otherwise, only add to one's stock of righteousness. A king\nshould subjugate his foes and all who seek to assert their superiority,\nand he should properly rule and protect his subjects. One should ignite\none's sacred fires and pour libations on them in diverse sacrifices, and\nretiring in the woods into either one's middle or old age, should live\nthere (practising the duties of the two last modes of life). Endued with\nself-restraint, and possessed of righteous behaviour, one should look\nupon all creatures as on one's own self. One should again reverence one's\nsuperiors. By the practice of truth and of good conduct, O king, one is\nsure to obtain happiness.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXCIII\n\n\"'\"Parasara said, 'Nobody in this world does good to another. Nobody is\nseen to make gifts to others. All persons are seen to act for their own\nselves. People are seen to cast off their very parents and their uterine\nbrothers when these cease to be affectionate. What need be said then of\nrelatives of other degrees?[1517] Gifts to a distinguished person and\nacceptance of the gifts made by a distinguished person both lead to equal\nmerit. Of these two acts, however, the making of a gift is superior to\nthe acceptance of a gift.[1518] That wealth which is acquired by proper\nmeans and increased also by proper means, should be protected with care\nfor the sake of acquiring virtue. This is an accepted truth. One desirous\nof acquiring righteousness should never earn wealth by means involving\ninjury to others. One should accomplish one's acts according to one's\npower, without zealously pursuing wealth. By giving water, whether cold\nor heated by fire, with a devoted mind, unto a (thirsty) guest, according\nto the best of one's power, one earns the merit that attaches to the act\nof giving food to a hungry man. The high-souled Rantideva obtained\nsuccess in all the worlds by worshipping the ascetics with offerings of\nonly roots and fruits and leaves. The royal son of Sivi also won the\nhighest regions of felicity by having gratified Surya along with his\ncompanion with offerings of the same kind. All men, by taking birth, incur\ndebts to gods, guests, servants, Pitris, and their own selves. Everyone\nshould, therefore, do his best for freeing himself from those debts. One\nfrees oneself from one's debt to the great Rishis by studying the Vedas.\nOne pays off one's debts to the gods by performing sacrifices. By\nperforming the rites of the Sraddha one is freed from one's debts to the\nPitris. One pays off one's debt to one's fellowmen by doing good offices to\nthem. One pays off the debts one owes to one's own self by listening to\nVedic recitations and reflecting on their import, by eating the remnants of\nsacrifices, and by supporting one's body. One should duly discharge all\nthe acts, from the beginning, that one owes to one's servants. Though\ndestitute of wealth, men are seen to attain to success by great\nexertions.[1519] Munis by duly adoring the deities and by duly pouring\nlibations of clarified butter on the sacred fire, have been seen to\nattain to ascetic success. Richika's son became the son of Vishwamitra.\nBy adoring the deities who have shares in sacrificial offerings, with\nRichs (he attained to success in after life). Usanas became Sukra by\nhaving gratified the god of gods. Indeed, by hymning the praises of the\ngoddess (Uma), he sports in the firmament, endued with great\nsplendour.[1520] Then, again, Asita and Devala, and Narada and Parvata,\nand Karkshivat, and Jamadagni's son Rama, and Tandya possessed of\ncleansed soul, and Vasishtha, and Jamadagni, and Viswamitra and Atri, and\nBharadwaja, and Harismasru, and Kundadhara, and Srutasravas,--these great\nRishis, by adoring Vishnu with concentrated minds with the aid of Richs,\nand by penances, succeeded in attaining to success through the grace of\nthat great deity endued with intelligence. Many undeserving men, by\nadoring that good deity, obtained great distinction. One should not seek\nfor advancement by achieving any wicked or censurable act. That wealth\nwhich is earned by righteous ways is true wealth. Fie on that wealth,\nhowever, which is earned by unrighteous means. Righteousness is eternal.\nIt should never, in this world, be abandoned from desire of wealth. That\nrighteous-souled person who keeps his sacred fire and offers his daily\nadorations to the deities is regarded as the foremost of righteous\npersons. All the Vedas, O foremost of kings, are established on the three\nsacred fires (called Dakshina, Garhapatya, and Ahavaniya). That Brahmana\nis said to possess the sacred fire whose acts exist in their entirety. It\nis better to at once abandon the sacred fire than to keep it, abstaining\nthe while from acts. The sacred fire, the mother, the father who has\nbegotten, and the preceptor, O tiger among men, should all be duly waited\nupon and served with humility. That man who, casting off all feelings of\npride, humbly waits upon and serves them that are venerable for age, who\nis possessed of learning and destitute of lust, who looketh upon all\ncreatures with an eye of love, who has no wealth, who is righteous in his\nacts, and who is destitute of the desire of inflicting any kind of harm\n(upon any one), that truly respectable man is worshipped in this world by\nthose that are good and pious.'\"'\"[1521]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXCIV\n\n\"'\"Parasara said, 'The lowest order, it is proper, should derive their\nsustenance from the three other orders. Such service, rendered with\naffection and reverence, makes them righteous.[1522] If the ancestors of\nany Sudra were not engaged in service, he should not still engage himself\nin any other occupation (than service). Truly, he should apply himself to\nservice as his occupation. In my opinion, it is proper for them to\nassociate, under all circumstances, with good men devoted to\nrighteousness, but never with those that are wicked. As in the Eastern\nhills, jewels and metals blaze with greater splendour in consequence of\ntheir adjacence to the Sun, even so the lowest order blazes with\nsplendour in consequence of their association with the good. A piece of\nwhite cloth assumes that hue with which it is dyed. Even such is the case\nwith Sudras.[1523] Hence also, one should attach oneself to all good\nqualities but never to qualities that are evil. The life of human beings\nin this world is fleeting and transitory. That wise man who, in happiness\nas also in misery, achieves only what is good, is regarded as a true\nobserver of the scriptures. That man who is endued with intelligence\nwould never do an act which is dissociated from virtue, however high may\nthe advantages be of that act. Indeed, such an act is not regarded as\ntruly beneficial. That lawless king who, snatching thousands of kine from\ntheir lawful owners, gives them away (unto deserving persons), acquires\nno fruit (from that act of giving) beyond an empty sound (expressive of\nthe act he does). On the other hand, he incurs the sin of theft. The\nSelf-born at first created the Being called Dhatri held in universal\nrespect. Dhatri created a son who was engaged in upholding all the\nworlds.[1524] Worshipping that deity, the Vaisya employs himself, for the\nmeans of his support, in agriculture and the rearing of cattle. The\nKshatriyas should employ themselves in the task of protecting all the\nother classes. The Brahmanas should only enjoy. As regards the Sudras,\nthey should engage themselves in the task of humbly and honestly\ncollecting together the articles that are to be offered in sacrifices,\nand in cleaning altars and other places where sacrifices are to be\nperformed. If each order acts in this way, righteousness would not suffer\nany diminution. If righteousness is preserved in its entirety, all\ncreatures inhabiting the earth would be happy. Beholding the happiness of\nall creatures on earth, the deities in heaven become filled with\ngladness. Hence, that king who, agreeably to the duties laid down for his\norder, protects the other classes, becomes worthy of respect. Similarly,\nthe Brahmana that is employed in studying the scriptures, the Vaisya that\nis engaged in earning wealth, and the Sudra that is always engaged in\nserving the three other classes with concentrated attention, become\nobjects of respect. By conducting themselves in the other ways, O chief\nof men, each order is said to fall away from virtue. Keeping aside gifts\nby thousands, even twenty cowries that one may give painfully, having\nearned them righteously, will be productive of the great benefit. Those\npersons, O king, who make gifts unto Brahmanas after reverencing them\nduly, reap excellent fruits commensurate with those gifts. That gift is\nhighly prized which the donor makes after seeking out the donee and\nhonouring him properly. That gift is middling which the donor makes upon\nsolicitation. That gift, however, which is made contemptuously and\nwithout any reverence, is said to be very inferior (in point of merit).\nEven this is what those utterers of the truth, viz., the sages, say.\nWhile sinking in this ocean of life, man should always seek to cross that\nocean by various means. Indeed, he should so exert himself that he might\nbe freed from the bonds of this world. The Brahmana shines by self\nrestraint; the Kshatriya by victory; the Vaisya by wealth; while the\nSudra always shines in glory through cleverness in serving (the three\nother orders).'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXCV\n\n\"'\"Parasara said, 'In the Brahmana, wealth acquired by acceptance of gifts,\nin the Kshatriya that won by victory in battle, in the Vaisya that\nobtained by following the duties laid down for his order, and in the\nSudra that earned by serving the three other orders, however small its\nmeasure, is worthy of praise, and spent for the acquisition of virtue is\nproductive of great benefits. The Sudra is said to be the constant\nservitor of the three other classes. If the Brahmana, pressed for a\nliving, betakes himself to the duties of either the Kshatriya or the\nVaisya, he does not fall off from righteousness. When, however, the\nBrahmana betakes himself to the duties of the lowest order, then does he\ncertainly fall off. When the Sudra is unable to obtain his living by\nservice of the three other orders, then trade, rearing of cattle, and the\npractice of the mechanical arts are lawful for him to follow. Appearance\non the boards of a theatre and disguising oneself in various forms,\nexhibition of puppets, the sale of spirits and meat, and trading in iron\nand leather, should never be taken up for purposes of a living by one who\nhad never before been engaged in those professions every one of which is\nregarded as censurable in the world. It hath been heard by us that if one\nengaged in them can abandon them, one then acquires great merit. When one\nthat has become successful in life behaves sinfully in consequence of\none's mind being filled with arrogance, one's acts under such\ncircumstances can never pass for authority. It is heard in the Puranas\nthat formerly mankind were self-restrained; that they held righteousness\nin great esteem; that the practices they followed for livelihood were all\nconsistent with propriety and the injunctions laid down in the\nscriptures, and that the only punishment that was required for chastising\nthem when they went wrong was the crying of fie on them.[1525] At the\ntime of which we speak, O king, Righteousness, and nothing else, was much\napplauded among men. Having achieved great progress in righteousness, men\nin those days worshipped only all good qualities that they saw. The\nAsuras, however, O child, could not bear that righteousness which\nprevailed in the world. Multiplying (in both number and energy), the\nAsuras (in the form of Lust and Wrath) entered the bodies of men. Then\nwas pride generated in men that is so destructive of righteousness. From\npride arose arrogance, and from arrogance arose wrath. When men thus\nbecame overwhelmed with wrath, conduct implying modesty and shame\ndisappeared from them, and then they were overcome by heedlessness.\nAfflicted by heedlessness, they could no longer see as before, and as the\nconsequence thereof they began to oppress one another and thereby acquire\nwealth without any compunction. When men became such, the punishment of\nonly crying fie on offenders failed to be of any effect. Men, showing no\nreverence for either the gods or Brahmanas, began to indulge their senses\nto their fill.[1526] At that time the deities repaired to that foremost\nof gods, viz., Siva, possessed of patience, of multiform aspect, and\nendued with the foremost of attributes, and sought his protection. The\ndeities imparted unto him their conjoined energy, and thereupon the great\ngod, with a single shaft, felled on the earth those three Asuras, viz.,\nDesire, Wrath, and Cupidity, who were staying in the firmament, along\nwith their very habitations.[1527] The fierce chief of those Asuras\npossessed of fierce prowess, who had struck the Devas with terror, was\nalso slain by Mahadeva armed with the lance.[1528] When this chief of the\nAsuras was slain, men once more obtained their proper natures, and once\nmore began to study the Vedas and the other scriptures as was in former\ntimes. Then the seven ancient Rishis came forward and installed Vasava as\nthe chief of the gods and the ruler of heaven. And they took upon\nthemselves the task of holding the rod of chastisement over mankind.\nAfter the seven Rishis came king Viprithu (to rule mankind), and many\nother kings, all belonging to the Kshatriya order for separately ruling\nseparate groups of human beings. (When Mahadeva dispelled all evil\npassions from the minds of creatures) there were, in those ancient times,\ncertain elderly men from whose minds all wicked feelings did not fly\naway. Hence, in consequence of that wicked state of their minds and of\nthose incidents that were connected with it, there appeared many kings of\nterrible prowess who began to indulge in only such acts as were fit for\nAsuras. Those human beings that are exceedingly foolish adhere to those\nwicked acts, establish them as authorities, and follow them in practice\nto this day.[1529] For this reason, O king, I say unto thee, having\nreflected properly with the aid of the scriptures, that one should\nabstain from all acts that are fraught with injury or malice and seek to\nacquire a knowledge of the Soul.[1530] The man possessed of wisdom would\nnot seek wealth for the performance of religious rites by ways that are\nunrighteous and that involve an abandonment of morality. Wealth earned by\nsuch means can never prove beneficial. Do thou then become a Kshatriya of\nthis kind. Do thou restrain thy senses, be agreeable to thy friends, and\ncherish, according to the duties of thy order, thy subjects, servants,\nand children. Through the union of both prosperity and adversity (in\nman's life), there arise friendships and animosities. Thousands and\nthousands of existences are continually revolving (in respect of every\nJiva), and in every mode of Jiva's existence these must occur.[1531] For\nthis reason, be thou attached to good qualities of every kind, but never\nto faults. Such is the character of good qualities that if the most\nfoolish person, bereft of every virtue, hears himself praised for any\ngood quality, he becomes filled with joy. Virtue and sin exist, O king,\nonly among men. These do not exist among creatures other than man. One\nshould therefore, whether in need of food and other necessaries of life\nor transcending such need, be of virtuous disposition, acquire knowledge,\nalways look upon all creatures as one's own self, and abstain totally\nfrom inflicting any kind of injury. When one's mind becomes divested of\ndesire, and when all Darkness is dispelled from it, it is then that one\nsucceeds in obtaining what is auspicious.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXCVI\n\n\"'\"Parasara said, 'I have now discoursed to thee on what the ordinances are\nof the duties in respect of one that leads the domestic mode of life. I\nshall now speak to thee of the ordinances about penances. Listen to me as\nI discourse on the topic. It is generally seen, O king, that in\nconsequence of sentiments fraught with Rajas and Tamas, the sense of\nmeum, born of attachment, springs up in the heart of the householder.\nBetaking oneself to the domestic mode of life, one acquires kine, fields,\nwealth of diverse kinds, spouses, children, and servants. One that\nbecomes observant of this mode of life continually casts one's eye upon\nthese objects. Under these circumstances, one's attachments and aversions\nincrease, and one ceases to regard one's (transitory) possessions as\neternal and indestructible. When a person becomes overwhelmed by\nattachment and aversion, and yields himself up to the mastery of earthly\nobjects, the desire of enjoyment then seizes him, taking its rise from\nheedlessness, O king. Thinking that person to be blessed who has the\nlargest share of enjoyments in this world, the man devoted to enjoyment\ndoes not, in consequence of his attachment thereto, see that there is any\nother happiness besides what waits upon the gratification of the senses.\nOverwhelmed with cupidity that results from such attachment, he then\nseeks to increase the number of his relatives and attendants, and for\ngratifying these latter he seeks to increase his wealth by every means in\nhis power. Filled with affection for children, such a person commits, for\nthe sake of acquiring wealth, acts that he knows to be evil, and gives\nway to grief if his wealth be lost. Having earned honours and always\nguarding against the defeat of his plans, he betakes himself to such\nmeans as would gratify his desire of enjoyment. At last he meets with\ndestruction as the inevitable consequence of the conduct he pursues. It\nis well-known, however, that true felicity is theirs that are endued with\nintelligence, that are utterers of the eternal Brahma, that seek to\naccomplish only acts that are auspicious and beneficial, and that abstain\nfrom all acts that are optional and spring from desire alone.[1532] From\nloss of all such objects in which are centred our affections, from loss\nof wealth, O king, and from the tyranny of physical diseases add mental\nanguish, a person falls into despair. From this despair arises an\nawakening of the soul. From such awakening proceeds study of the\nScriptures. From contemplation of the import of the scriptures, O king,\none sees the value of penance. A person possessed of the knowledge of\nwhat is essential and what accidental, O king, is very rare,--he, that\nis, who seeks to undergo penances, impressed with the truth that the\nhappiness one derives from the possession of such agreeable objects as\nspouses and children leads ultimately to misery.[1533] Penances, O child,\nare for all. They are ordained for even the lowest order of men (viz.,\nSudras). Penances set the self-restrained man having the mastery over all\nhis senses on the way to heaven. It was through penances that the\npuissant Lord of all creatures, O, king, observing vows at particular\nintervals created all existent objects. The Adityas, the Vasus, the\nRudras, Agni, the Aswins, the Maruts, the Viswedevas, the Saddhyas, the\nPitris, the Maruts, the Yakshas, the Rakshasas, the Gandharvas, the\nSiddhas and the other denizens of heaven, and, indeed, all other\ncelestials whatever, O child, have all been crowned with success through\ntheir penances. Those Brahmanas whom Brahmana created at the outset,\nsucceeded through their penances in honouring not the Earth alone but the\nheaven also in which they roved at pleasure. In this world of mortals,\nthey that are kings, and those others that are householders born in high\nfamilies, have all become what they are only in consequence of their\npenances.[1534] The silken robes they wear, the excellent ornaments that\nadorn their persons, the animals and vehicles they ride, and the seats\nthey use are all the result of their penances. The many charming and\nbeautiful women, numbering by thousands, that they enjoy, and their\nresidence in palatial mansions, are all due to their penances. Costly\nbeds and diverse kinds of delicious viands become theirs that act\nrighteously. There is nothing in the three worlds, O scorcher of foes,\nthat penances cannot attain. Even those that are destitute of true\nknowledge win Renunciation as the consequence of their penances.[1535]\nWhether in affluent circumstances or miserable, a person should cast off\ncupidity, reflecting on the scriptures, with the aid of his Mind and\nunderstanding, O best of kings. Discontent is productive of misery.\n(Discontent is the result of cupidity). Cupidity leadeth to the\nstupefaction of the senses. The senses being stupefied, one's wisdom\ndisappears like knowledge not kept up by continued application. When\none's wisdom disappears, one fails to discriminate what is proper from\nwhat is improper. Hence, when one's happiness is destroyed (and one\nbecomes subject to misery) one should practise the austerest of\npenances.[1536] That which is agreeable is called happiness. That which\nis disagreeable is said to be misery. When penances are practised, the\nresult is happiness. When they are not practised, the result is misery.\nBehold the fruits of practising and abstaining from penances![1537] By\npractising stainless penances, people always meet with auspicious\nconsequences of every kind, enjoy all good things, and attain to great\nfame.[1538] He, however, who by abandoning (stainless penances), betakes\nhimself to penances from desire of fruit, meets with many disagreeable\nconsequences, and disgrace and sorrow of diverse kinds, as the fruits\nthereof, all of which have worldly possessions for their cause.[1539]\nNotwithstanding the desirability of practising righteousness, penances,\nand gifts, the wish springs up in his mind of accomplishing all kinds of\nforbidden acts. By thus perpetrating diverse kinds of sinful acts, he\ngoes to hell.[1540] That person, O best of men, who, in both happiness\nand misery, does not fall away from the duties ordained for him, is said\nto have the scriptures for his eye. It is said that the pleasure one\nderives from the gratification of one's senses of touch, tongue, sight,\nscent, and hearing, O monarch, lasts only so long as a shaft urged from\nthe bow takes in falling down upon the earth. Upon the cessation of that\npleasure, which is so short-lived, one experiences the most keen agony.\nIt is only the senseless that do not applaud the felicity of Emancipation\nthat is unrivalled. Beholding the misery that attends the gratification\nof the senses, they that are possessed of wisdom cultivate the virtues of\ntranquillity and self-restraint for the purpose of attaining to\nEmancipation. In consequence of their righteous behaviour, wealth, and\npleasure can never succeed in afflicting them.[1541] Householders may,\nwithout any compunction, enjoy wealth and other possessions that are\nobtained without Exertion. As regards, however, the duties of their order\nthat are laid down in the scriptures, these, I am of opinion, they should\ndischarge with the aid of Exertion.[1542] The practice of those that are\nhonoured, that are born in high families, and that have their eyes always\nturned towards the import of the scriptures, is incapable of being\nfollowed by those that are sinful and that are possessed of unrestrained\nminds. All acts that are done by man under the influence of vanity, meet\nwith destruction. Hence, for them that are respectable and truly\nrighteous there is no other act in this world to do than penance.[1543]\nAs regards those house-holders, however, that are addicted to acts, they\nshould, with their whole hearts, set themselves to acts. Following the\nduties of their order, O king, they should with cleverness and attention\nperform sacrifices and other religious rites. Indeed, as all rivers, male\nand female, have their refuge in the Ocean, even so men belonging to all\nthe other orders have their refuge in the householder.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXCVII\n\n\"'\"Janaka said, 'Whence, O great Rishi, does this difference of colour\narise among men belonging to the different orders? I desire to know this.\nTell me this, O foremost of speakers! The Srutis say that the offspring\none begets are one's own self. Originally sprung from Brahmana, all the\ninhabitants of the earth should have been Brahmanas. Sprung from\nBrahmanas, why have men betaken themselves to practices distinguished\nfrom those of Brahmanas.'\n\n\"'\"Parasara said, 'It is as thou sayst, O king! The offspring procreated\nare none else than the procreator himself. In consequence, however, of\nfalling away from penance, this distribution into classes of different\ncolours has taken place. When the soil becomes good and the seed also is\ngood, the offspring produced become meritorious. If, however, the soil\nand seed become otherwise or inferior, the offspring that will be born\nwill be inferior. They that are conversant with the scriptures know that\nwhen the Lord of all creatures set himself to create the worlds, some\ncreatures sprang from his mouth, some from his arms, some from his\nthighs, and some from his feet. They that thus sprang from his mouth, O\nchild, came to be called Brahmanas. They that sprang from his arms were\nnamed Kshatriyas. They, O king, that sprang from his thighs were the\nwealthy class called the Vaisyas. And, lastly, they that were born of his\nfeet were the serving class, viz., the Sudras. Only these four orders of\nmen, O monarch, were thus created. They that belong to classes over and\nother than these are said to have sprung from an intermixture of these.\nThe Kshatriyas called Atirathas, Amvashthas, Ugras, Vaidehas, Swapakas,\nPukkasas, Tenas, Nishadas, Sutas, Magadhas, Ayogas, Karanas, Vratyas, and\nChandalas, O monarch, have all sprung from the four original orders by\nintermixture with one another.'\n\n\"'\"Janaka said, 'When all have sprung from Brahmana alone, how came human\nbeings to have diversity in respect of race? O best of ascetics, an\ninfinite diversity of races is seen in this world. How could men devoted\nto penances attain to the status of Brahmanas, though of indiscriminate\norigin? Indeed, those born of pure wombs and those of impure, all became\nBrahmanas.'\n\n\"'\"Parasara said, 'O king, the status of high-souled persons that succeeded\nin cleansing their souls by penances could not be regarded as affected by\ntheir low births. Great Rishis, O monarch, by begetting children in\nindiscriminate wombs, conferred upon them the status of Rishis by means\nof their power of asceticism. My grandfather Vasishtha, Rishyasringa,\nKasyapa, Veda, Tandya, Kripa, Kakshivat, Kamatha, and others, and\nYavakrita, O king, and Drona, that foremost of speakers, and Ayu, and\nMatanga, and Datta, and Drupada, and Matsya, all these, O ruler of the\nVidehas, obtained their respective positions through penance as the\nmeans. Originally only four Gotras (races) arose, O monarch, viz.,\nAngiras, Kasyapa, Vasishtha, and Bhrigu. In consequence of acts and\nbehaviour, O ruler of men, many other Gotras came into existence in time.\nThe names of those Gotras have been due to the penances of those that\nhave founded them. Good people use them.'\n\n\"'\"Janaka said, 'Tell me, O holy one, the especial duties of the several\norders. Tell me also what their common duties are. Thou art conversant\nwith everything.'\n\n\"'\"Parasara said, 'Acceptance of gifts, officiation at the sacrifices of\nothers, and the teaching of pupils, O king, are the especial duties of\nthe Brahmanas. The protection of the other orders is proper for the\nKshatriya. Agriculture, cattle-rearing, and trade are the occupations of\nthe Vaisyas. While service of the (three) regenerate classes is the\noccupation, O king, of the Sudras. I have now told thee what the especial\nduties are of the four orders, O monarch. Listen now to me, O child, as I\ntell thee what the common duties are of all the four orders. Compassion,\nabstention from injury, heedfulness, giving to others what is due to\nthem, Sraddhas in honour of deceased ancestors, hospitality to guests,\ntruthfulness, subjugation of wrath, contentedness with one's own wedded\nwives, purity (both internal and external), freedom from malice,\nknowledge of Self, and Renunciation,--these duties, O king, are common to\nall the orders. Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, and Vaisyas,--these are the three\nregenerate orders. All of them have an equal right to the performance of\nthese duties, O foremost of men. These three orders, betaking themselves\nto duties other than those laid down for them, come to grief, O monarch\n(and fall down from their own status), even as they go up and acquire\ngreat merit by taking for their model some righteous individual of their\nrespective classes who is duly observant of his own duties. The Sudra\nnever falls down (by doing forbidden acts); nor is he worthy of any of\nthe rites of regeneration. The course of duties flowing from the Vedas is\nnot his. He is not interdicted, however, from practising the three and\nten duties that are common to all the orders. O ruler of the Videhas,\nBrahmanas learned in the Vedas, O monarch, regard a (virtuous) Sudra as\nequal to Brahmana himself. I, however, O king, look upon such a Sudra as\nthe effulgent Vishnu of the universe, the foremost one in all the\nworlds.[1544] Persons of the lowest order, desiring to exterminate the\nevil passions (of lust and wrath, etc.) may betake themselves to the\nobservance of the conduct of the good; and, indeed, while so acting, they\nmay earn great merit by performing all rites that lead to advancement,\nomitting the mantras that are utterable by the other orders while\nperforming the self-same ceremonies. Wherever persons of the lowest order\nadopt the behaviour of the good, they succeed in attaining to happiness\nin consequence of which they are able to pass their time in felicity both\nhere and hereafter.'\n\n\"'\"Janaka said, 'O great ascetic, is man stained by his acts or is he\nstained by the order or class in which he is born? A doubt has arisen in\nmy mind. It behoveth thee to expound this to me.'\n\n\"'\"Parasara said, 'Without doubt, O king, both, viz., acts and birth, are\nsources of demerit. Listen now to their difference. That man who, though\nstained by birth, does not commit sin, abstains from sin notwithstanding\nbirth and acts. If, however, a person of superior birth perpetrates\ncensurable acts, such acts stain him. Hence, of the two, viz., acts and\nbirth, acts stain man (more than birth).'[1545]\n\n\"'\"Janaka said, 'What are those righteous acts in this world, O best of all\nregenerate persons, the accomplishment of which does not inflict any\ninjury upon other creatures?'\n\n\"'\"Parasara said, 'Hear from me, O monarch, about what thou askest me,\nviz., those acts free from injury which always rescue man. Those who,\nkeeping aside their domestic fires, have dissociated themselves from all\nworldly attachments, become freed from all anxieties. Gradually ascending\nstep by step, in the path of Yoga, they at last behold the stage of\nhighest felicity (viz., Emancipation).[1546] Endued with faith and\nhumility, always practising self-restraint, possessed of keen\nintelligence, and abstaining from all acts, they attain to eternal\nfelicity. All classes of men, O king, by properly accomplishing acts that\nare righteous, by speaking the truth, and by abstaining from\nunrighteousness, in this world, ascend to heaven. In this there is no\ndoubt.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXCVIII\n\n\"'\"Parasara said, 'The sires, the friends, the preceptor, and the spouses\nof the preceptors of men that are destitute of devotion are unable to\ngive to those men the merits that attach to devotion. Only they that are\nfirmly devoted to such seniors, that speak what is agreeable to them,\nthat seek their welfare, and that are submissive to them in behaviour,\ncan obtain the merit of devotion. The sire is the highest of deities with\nhis children. It is said that the sire is superior to the mother. The\nattainment of Knowledge is regarded as the highest acquisition. They that\nhave subjugated the objects of the senses (by attainment of Knowledge),\nacquire what is highest (viz., Emancipation). That Kshatriya prince who,\nrepairing to the field of battle, receives wounds amid fiery shafts\nflying in all directions and burns therewith, certainly repairs to\nregions that are unattainable by the very deities and, arrived there,\nenjoys the felicity of heaven in perfect contentment. A Kshatriya should\nnot, O king, strike one that is fatigued, or one that is frightened, or\none that has been disarmed, or one that is weeping, or one that is\nunwilling to fight, or one that is unequipped with mail and cars and\nhorse and infantry, or one that has ceased to exert oneself in the fight,\nor one that is ill, or one that cries for quarter, or one that is of\ntender years, or one that is old. A Kshatriya should, in battle, fight\none of his order who is equipped with mail and cars and horse and\ninfantry, who is ready for exertion and who occupies a position of\nequality. Death at the hands of one that is equal or of a superior is\nlaudable, but not that at the hands of one that is low, or of one that is\na coward, or of one that is a wretch. This is well-known. Death at the\nhands of one that is sinful, or of one that is of low birth and wicked\nconduct, O king, is inglorious and leads to hell. One whose period of\nlife has run out cannot be rescued by anybody. Similarly, one whose\nperiod of life has not been exhausted can never be slain by any\none.[1547] One should prevent one's affectionate seniors from doing unto\none (for one's benefit) such acts as are done by menials, as also all\nsuch acts as are fraught with injury to others. One should never desire\nto extend one's own life by taking the lives of others.[1548] When they\nlay down their lives, it is laudable for all householders observant of\nthe duties of men living in sacred places to lay down their lives on the\nbanks of sacred streams.[1549] When one's period of life becomes\nexhausted, one dissolves away into the five elements. Sometimes this\noccurs suddenly (through accidents) and sometimes it is brought about by\n(natural) causes.[1550] He who, having obtained a body, brings about its\ndissolution (in a sacred place by means of some inglorious accident),\nbecomes invested with another body of a similar kind. Though set on the\npath of the Emancipation, he yet becomes a traveller and attains to\nanother body like a person repairing from one room into another.[1551] In\nthe matter of such a man's attainment of a second body (notwithstanding\nhis death in a sacred spot) the only cause is his accidental death. There\nis no second cause. That new body which embodied creatures obtain (in\nconsequence of the accidental character of their deaths in sacred places)\ncomes into existence and becomes attached to Rudras and Pisachas.[1552]\nLearned men, conversant with Adhyatma, say that the body is a\nconglomeration of arteries and sinews and bones and much repulsive and\nimpure matter and a compound of (primal) essences, and the senses and\nobjects of the senses born of desire, all having an outer cover of skin\nclose to them. Destitute (in reality) of beauty and other\naccomplishments, this conglomeration, through force of the desires of a\nprevious life, assumes a human form.[1553] Abandoned by the owner, the\nbody becomes inanimate and motionless. Indeed, when the primal\ningredients return to their respective natures, the body mingles with the\ndust. Caused by its union with acts, this body reappears under\ncircumstances determined by its acts. Indeed, O ruler of the Videhas,\nunder whatever circumstances this body meets with dissolution, its next\nbirth, determined by those circumstances, is seen to enjoy and endure the\nfruits of all its past acts. Jiva, after dissolution of the body it\ninhabited, does not, O king, take birth in a different body immediately.\nIt roves through the sky for some time like a spacious cloud. Obtaining a\nnew receptacle, O monarch, it then takes birth again. The soul is above\nthe mind. The mind is above the senses. Mobile creatures, again, are\nforemost of all created objects. Of all mobile creatures those that have\ntwo legs are superior. Amongst two-legged creatures, those that are\nregenerate are superior. Amongst those that are regenerate they that are\npossessed of wisdom are superior. Amongst them that are possessed of\nwisdom they that have succeeded in acquiring a knowledge of the soul are\nsuperior. Amongst those that are possessed of a knowledge of the soul,\nthey that are endued with humility are superior. Death follows birth in\nrespect of all men. This is settled. Creatures, influenced by the\nattributes of Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas, pursue acts which have an\nend.[1554] That man is regarded as righteous who meets with dissolution\nwhen the Sun is in the northern declension, and at a time and under a\nconstellation both of which are sacred and auspicious. He is righteous\nwho, having cleansed himself of all sins and accomplished all his acts\naccording to the best of his power and having abstained from giving pain\nto any man, meets with death when it comes. The death that one meets with\nby taking poison, by hanging, by burning, at the hands of robbers, and at\nthe teeth of animals, is said to be an inglorious one.[1555] Those men\nthat are righteous never incur such or similar deaths even if they be\nafflicted with mental and physical diseases of the most agonising kind.\nThe lives of the righteous, O king, piercing through the Sun, ascend into\nthe regions of Brahma. The lives of those that are both righteous and\nsinful rove in the middle regions. The lives of those that are sinful\nsink into the lowest depths. There is only one foe (of man) and not\nanother. That foe is identifiable with ignorance, O king. Overwhelmed by\nit, one is led to perpetrate acts that are frightful and exceedingly\ncruel. That foe for resisting which one should put forth one's power by\nwaiting upon the aged according to the duties laid down in the\nSrutis--that foe which cannot be overcome except by steady\nendeavours,--meets with destruction, O king, only when it is crushed by\nthe shafts of wisdom.[1556] The man desirous of achieving merit should at\nfirst study the Vedas and observe penances, becoming a Brahmacharin. He\nshould next, entering the domestic mode of life, perform the usual\nSacrifices. Establishing his race, he should then enter the forest,\nrestraining his senses, and desirous of winning Emancipation. One should\nnever emasculate oneself by abstaining from any enjoyment. Of all births,\nthe status of humanity is preferable even if one has to become a\nChandala. Indeed, O monarch, that order of birth (viz., humanity) is the\nforemost, since by becoming a human being one succeeds in rescuing one's\nself by meritorious acts. Men always perform righteous acts, O lord,\nguided by the authority of the Srutis, so that they may not fall away\nfrom the status of humanity. That man who, having attained to the status\nof humanity that is so difficult of attainment, indulges in malice,\ndisregards righteousness and yields himself up to desire, is certainly\nbetrayed by his desires.[1557] That man who looks upon all creatures with\neyes guided by affection, regarding them worthy of being cherished with\nloving aid, who disregards all kinds of wealth, who offers them\nconsolation, gives them food, address them in agreeable words, and who\nrejoices in their happiness and grieves in their griefs, has never to\nsuffer misery in the next world. Repairing to the Saraswati, the Naimisha\nwoods, the Pushkara waters, and the other sacred spots on earth, one\nshould make gifts, practise renunciation, render one's aspect amiable, O\nking, and purify one's body with baths and penances. Those men who meet\nwith death within their houses should have the rites of cremation\nperformed upon their persons. Their bodies should be taken to the\ncrematorium on vehicles and there they should be burnt according to the\nrites of purification that have been laid down in the scriptures.\nReligious rites, beneficial ceremonies, the performance of sacrifices,\nofficiation at the sacrifices of others, gifts, the doing of other\nmeritorious acts, the performance, according to the best of one's power,\nof all that has been ordained in the case of one's deceased\nancestors,--all these one does for benefiting one's own self. The Vedas\nwith their six branches, and the other scriptures, O king, have been\ncreated for the good of him who is of stainless acts.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"All this was said by that high-souled sage unto the\nruler of the Videhas, O king, in days of old for his benefit.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCXCIX\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Once again Janaka, the ruler of Mithila, questioned the\nhigh-souled Parasara endued with certain knowledge in respect of all\nduties.\n\n\"'\"Janaka said, 'What is productive of good? What is the best path (for\nliving creatures)? What is that which being accomplished is never\ndestroyed? What is that spot repairing whither one has not to come back?\nTell me all this, O thou of high intelligence!'\n\n\"'\"Parasara said, 'Dissociation (from attachments) is the root of what is\ngood.[1558] Knowledge is the highest path. Penances practised are never\ndestroyed, Gifts also, made to deserving persons, are not lost. When one,\nbreaking the bonds of sin, begins to take pleasure in righteousness, and\nwhen one makes that highest of all gifts, viz., the pledge of\nharmlessness unto all creatures, then does one achieve success. He who\ngives away thousands of kine and hundreds of horses (to deserving\npersons), and who gives unto all creatures the pledge of harmlessness,\nreceives in return the pledge of harmlessness from all. One may live in\nthe midst of all kinds of wealth and enjoyment, yet, if blessed with\nintelligence, one does not live in them: while he that is destitute of\nintelligence lives wholly in objects of enjoyment that are even\nunsubstantial.[1559] Sin cannot attach to a man of wisdom even as water\ncannot drench the leaves of the lotus. Sin adheres more firmly to him who\nis without attachment even as lac and wood adhere firmly to each other.\nSin, which cannot be extinguished except by endurance of its fruits,\nnever abandons the doer. Verily, the doer, when the time comes, has to\nendure the consequences arising from it.[1560] They, however, that are of\ncleansed souls and that realise the existence of Brahma, are never\nafflicted by the fruits of their acts. Heedless in respect of one's\nsenses of knowledge and of action, one that is not conscious of one's\nwicked acts, and whose heart is attached to both good and bad, becomes\nafflicted with great fear. One who at all times becomes entirely freed\nfrom attachments and who completely subjugates the passion of wrath, is\nnever stained by sin even if he lives in the enjoyment of worldly\nobjects. As a dyke built across a river, if not washed away, causes the\nwaters thereof to swell up, even so the man who, without being attached\nto objects of enjoyments, creates the dyke of righteousness whose\nmaterials consist of the limitations set down in the scriptures, has\nnever to languish. On the other hand, his merits and penances increase.\nAs the pure gem (called Suryakanta) absorbs and attracts to itself, the\nrays of the Sun, even so, O tiger among kings, does Yoga proceed by help\nof concentrated attention.[1561] As sesame seeds, in consequence of their\nrepeated intermingling with (fragrant) flowers, become in respect of\nquality very agreeable, even so the quality of Sattwa arises in men in\nproportion to the measure of their association with persons of cleansed\nsouls.[1562] When one becomes desirous of dwelling in heaven, one casts\noff one's spouses and wealth and rank and vehicles and diverse kinds of\ngood acts. Indeed, when one attains to such a frame of mind, one's\nunderstanding is said to be dissociated from the objects of the senses.\nThat man (on the other hand) who, with understanding attached to the\nobjects of the senses, becomes blind to what is for his real good, is\ndragged (to his ruin) by his heart which runs after all worldly objects,\nlike a fish (dragged to its ruin) by the bait of meat. Like unto the body\nthat is made up of different limbs and organs, all mortal creatures exist\ndepending upon one another. They are as destitute of vigour as the pith\nof the banana plant. (Left to themselves) they sink in the world's ocean\nlike a boat (made of weak materials). There is no fixed time for the\nacquisition of righteousness. Death waits for no man. When man is\nconstantly running towards the jaws of Death, the accomplishment of\nrighteous acts is proper at all times. Like a blind man who, with\nattention, is capable of moving about his own house, the man of wisdom,\nwith mind set on Yoga, succeeds in proceeding along the track (he should\nfollow).[1563] It has been said that death arises in consequence of\nbirth. Birth is subject to the sway of death. One unacquainted with the\ncourse of the duties of Emancipation revolves like a wheel between birth\nand death, unable to free oneself from that fate. One who walketh along\nthe track recommended by the understanding earns happiness both here and\nhereafter. The Diverse are fraught with misery, while the Few are\nproductive of happiness. Fruits represented by the not-Soul are said to\nconstitute the Diverse. Renunciation is (said to constitute the Few and\nthat is) productive of the soul's happiness.[1564] As the lotus stalk\nquickly leaves the mire attached to it, even so the Soul can speedily\ncast off the mind.[1565] It is the mind that at first inclines the Soul\nto Yoga. The latter then merges the former into itself. When the Soul\nachieves success in Yoga, it then beholds itself uninvested with\nattributes.[1566] Engaged amid the objects of the senses, one who regards\nsuch engagement to be one's employment falleth away from one's true\nemployment in consequence of such devotion to those objects. The soul of\nthe wise man attains, through its righteous acts, to a state of high\nfelicity in heaven, while that of the man who is not possessed of wisdom\nsinks very low or obtains birth among intermediate creatures. As a liquid\nsubstance, if kept in a baked earthen vessel, does not escape therefrom\nbut remains undiminished, after the same manner one's body with which one\nhas undergone austerities enjoys (without rejecting) all objects of\nenjoyment (up to what are contained in the region of Brahma himself).\nVerily, that man who enjoys worldly objects can never be emancipated.\nThat man, on the other hand, who casts off such objects (in this world),\nsucceeds in enjoying great happiness hereafter. Like one afflicted with\ncongenital blindness and, therefore, incapable of seeing his way, the\nsensualist, with soul confined in an opaque case, seems to be surrounded\nby a mist and fails to see (the true object for which he should strive).\nAs merchants, going across the sea, make profits proportioned to their\ncapital, even so creatures, in this world of mortals, attain to ends\naccording to their respective acts. Like a snake devouring air, Death\nwanders in this world made up of days and nights in the form of\nDecrepitude and devours all creatures. A creature, when born, enjoys or\nendures the fruits of acts done by him in his previous lives. There is\nnothing agreeable or disagreeable which one enjoys or endures without its\nbeing the result of the acts one has done in one's previous lives.\nWhether lying or proceeding, whether sitting idly engaged in his\noccupations, in whatever state a man may be, his acts (of past lives)\ngood or bad always approach him. One that has attained to the other shore\nof the ocean, wishes not to cross the main for returning to the shore\nwhence he had sailed.[1567] As the fisherman, when he wishes, raises with\nthe help of his chord his boat sunk in the waters (of a river or lake),\nafter the same manner the mind, by the aid of Yoga-contemplation, raises\nJiva sunk in the world's ocean and unemancipated from consciousness of\nbody.[1568] As all rivers running towards the ocean, unite themselves\nwith it, even so the mind, when engaged in Yoga, becomes united with\nprimal Prakriti.[1569] Men whose minds become bound by diverse chains of\naffection, and who are engulfed in ignorance, meet with destruction like\nhouses of sand in water.[1570] That embodied creature who regards his\nbody as only a house and purity (both external and internal) as its\nsacred water, and who walks along the path of the understanding, succeeds\nin attaining to happiness both here and hereafter.[1571] The Diverse are\nproductive of misery; while the Few are productive of happiness. The\nDiverse are the fruits represented by the not-Soul. Renunciation (which\nis identical with Few) is productive of the soul's benefit.[1572] One's\nfriends who spring up from one's determination, and one's kinsmen whose\nattachment is due to (selfish) reasons, one's spouses and sons and\nservants, only devour one's wealth. Neither the mother, nor the father,\ncan confer the slightest benefit upon one in the next world. Gifts\nconstitute the diet upon which one can subsist. Indeed, one must have to\nenjoy the fruits of one's own acts.[1573] The mother, the son, the sire,\nthe brother, the wife, and friends, are like lines traced with gold by\nthe side of gold itself.[1574] All acts, good and bad, done in past lives\ncome to the doer. Knowing that everything one enjoys or endures at\npresent is the result of the acts of past lives, the soul urges the\nunderstanding on different directions (so that it may act in such a way\nas to avoid all unpleasant fruits). Relying on earnest endeavour, and\nequipped with proper aids, he who sets himself to accomplish his tasks\nnever meets with failure. As the rays of light never abandon the Sun,\neven so prosperity never abandons one who is endued with undoubting\nfaith. That act which a man of stainless soul does with faith and\nearnestness, with the aid of proper means, without pride, and with\nintelligence, becomes never lost. A creature obtains from the very time\nof his abode in the mother's womb all his own acts good and bad that were\nachieved by him in his past lives. Death, which is irresistible, aided by\nTime which brings about the destruction of life, leads all creatures to\ntheir end like wind scattering the dust of sawed timber.[1575] Through\nacts good and bad performed by himself in his past lives, man obtains\ngold and animals and spouses, and children, and honour of birth, and\npossessions of value, and his entire affluence.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed conformably to the truth by the sage,\nJanaka, that foremost of righteous persons, O king, heard everything the\nRishi said and obtained great happiness from it.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCC\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O grandsire, learned men praise truth,\nself-restraint, forgiveness, and wisdom. What is thy opinion of these\nvirtues?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection I shall recite to thee an old\nnarrative, O Yudhishthira, of the discourse between the Sadhyas and a\nSwan. Once on a time the Unborn and eternal Lord of all creatures (viz.,\nBrahman), assuming the form of a golden Swan, wandered through the three\nworlds till in course of his wanderings he came upon the Sadhyas.\n\n\"'\"The Sadhyas said, 'O lord, we are the deities called Sadhyas. We like to\nquestion thee. Indeed, we would ask thee about the religion of\nEmancipation. Thou art well-acquainted with it. We have heard, O bird,\nthat thou art possessed of great learning, and eloquent and wise of\nspeech. O bird, what dost thou think is the highest of all objects? O\nhigh-souled one, in what does thy mind find pleasure? Do thou, therefore,\nO foremost of birds, instruct us as to what that one act is which thou\nregardest as the foremost of all acts, and by doing which, O chief of the\nfeathery creation, one may soon be freed from all bonds.'\n\n\"'\"The Swan said, 'Ye who have drunk Amrita, I have heard that one should\nhave recourse to these, viz., penances, self-restraint, truth, and\nsubjugation of the mind. Untying all the knots of the heart, one should\nalso bring under one's control both what is agreeable and what is\ndisagreeable.[1576] One should not wound the vitals of others. One should\nnot be an utterer of cruel speeches. One should never take scriptural\nlectures from a person that is mean. One should never utter such words as\ninflict pain on others, as cause others to burn (with misery), and as\nlead to hell. Wordy shafts fall from the lips. Pierced therewith one (to\nwhom they are directed) burns incessantly. Those shafts do not strike any\npart other than the very vitals of the person aimed. Hence he that is\npossessed of learning should never aim them at others. If a person deeply\npierces a man of wisdom with wordy shafts, the wise man should then\nadopt peace (without giving way to wrath). The man who, though sought to\nbe angered, rejoices without yielding to anger, taketh away from the\nprovoker all his merits. That man of righteous soul, who, full of joy and\nfreed from malice, subdues his blazing wrath which, if indulged, would\nlead him to speak ill of others and verily become his foe, takes away the\nmerits of others. As regards myself, I never answer when another speaks\nill of me. If assailed, I always forgive the assault. The righteous are\nof opinion that forgiveness and truth and sincerity and compassion are\nthe foremost (of all virtues). Truth is the arcanum of the Vedas. The\narcanum of Truth is self-restraint. The arcanum of self-restraint is\nEmancipation. This is the teaching of all the scriptures. I regard that\nperson to be Brahmana and Muni who subjugates the rising impulse of\nspeech, the impulse of wrath appearing in the mind, the impulse of thirst\n(after unworthy things), and the impulses of the stomach and the organ of\npleasure. One who does not yield to wrath is superior to one who does.\nOne who practises renunciation is superior to one who does not. One who\npossesses the virtues of manhood is superior to one who has them not. One\nwho is endued with knowledge is superior to one who is destitute of it.\nAssailed with harsh speeches one should not assail in return. Indeed, one\nwho, under such circumstances, renounces wrath, succeeds in burning the\nassailant and taking away all his merits.[1577] That person who when\nassailed with harsh speeches does not utter a harsh word in reply, who\nwhen praised does not utter what is agreeable to him that praises, who is\nendued with such fortitude as not to strike in return when struck and not\nto even wish evil to the striker, finds his companionship always coveted\nby the gods. He that is sinful should be forgiven as if he were\nrighteous, by one that is insulted, struck, and calumniated. By acting in\nthis way one attains to success. Though all my objects have been\nfulfilled, yet I always wait reverentially on those that are righteous. I\nhave no thirst. My wrath hath been suppressed. Seduced by covetousness I\ndo not fall away from the path of righteousness. I do not also approach\nany one (with solicitations) for wealth.[1578] If cursed, I do not curse\nin return. I know that self-restraint is the door of immortality. I\ndisclose unto you a great mystery. There is no status that is superior to\nthat of humanity. Freed from sin like the Moon from murky clouds, the man\nof wisdom, shining in resplendence, attains to success by patiently\nwaiting for his time. A person of restrained soul, who becomes the object\nof adoration with all by becoming the foremost of the supporting pillars\nof the universe, and towards whom only agreeable words are spoken by all,\nattains to the companionship of the deities. Revilers never come forward\nto speak of the merits of a person as they speak of his demerits. That\nperson whose speech and mind are properly restrained and always devoted\nto the Supreme, succeeds in attaining to the fruits of the Vedas,\nPenances, and Renunciation. The man of wisdom should never revile (in\nreturn) those that are destitute of merit, by uttering their dispraise\nand by insults. He should not extol others (being extolled by them) and\nshould never injure themselves. The man endued with wisdom and learning\nregards revilement as nectar. Reviled, he sleeps without anxiety. The\nreviler, on the other hand, meets with destruction. The sacrifices that\none performs in anger, the gifts one makes in anger, the penances one\nundergoes in anger, and the offerings and libations one makes to the\nsacred fire in anger, are such that their merits are robbed by Yama. The\ntoil of an angry man becomes entirely fruitless. Ye foremost of\nimmortals, that person is said to be conversant with righteousness whose\nfour doors, viz., the organ of pleasure, the stomach, the two arms, and\nspeech, are well-restrained. That person who, always practising truth and\nself-restraint and sincerity and compassion and patience and\nrenunciation, becomes devoted to the study of the Vedas, does not covet\nwhat belongs to others, and pursues what is good with a singleness of\npurpose, succeeds in attaining to heaven. Like a calf sucking all the\nfour teats of its dam's udders, one should devote oneself to the practice\nof all these virtues. I do not know whether anything exists that is more\nsacred than Truth. Having roved among both human beings and the deities,\nI declare it that Truth is the only means for reaching heaven even as a\nship is the only means for crossing the ocean. A person becomes like\nthose with whom he dwells, and like those whom he reverences, and like to\nwhat he wishes to be. If a person waits with reverence on him who is good\nor him who is otherwise, if he waits with reverence on a sage possessed\nof ascetic merit or on a thief, passes under his way and catches his hue\nlike a piece of cloth catching the dye in which it is steeped. The\ndeities always converse with those that are possessed of wisdom and\ngoodness. They, therefore, never entertain the wish for even seeing the\nenjoyments in which men take pleasure. The person who knows that all\nobjects of enjoyment (which human beings cherish) are characterised by\nvicissitudes, has few rivals, and is superior to the very Moon and the\nWind.[1579] When the Purusha that dwells in one's heart is unstained, and\nwalks in the path of the righteous, the gods take a pleasure in him. The\ngods from a distance cast off those that are always devoted to the\ngratification of their organs of pleasure and the stomach, that are\naddicted to thieving, and that always indulge in harsh speeches, even if\nthey expiate their offences by performing the proper rites. The gods are\nnever pleased with one of mean soul, with one who observes no\nrestrictions in the matter of food, and with one who is of sinful deeds.\nOn the other hand, the gods associate with those men that are observant\nof the vow of truth, that are grateful, and that are engaged in the\npractice of righteousness. Silence is better than speech. To speak the\ntruth is better than silence. Again to speak truth that is connected with\nrighteousness is better than to speak the truth. To speak that which,\nbesides being true and righteous, is agreeable, is better than to speak\ntruth connected with righteousness.'\n\n\"'\"The Sadhyas said, 'By what is this world covered? For what reason does\none fail to shine? For what cause do people cast off their friends? For\nwhat reason do people fail to attain to heaven?'\n\n\"'\"The Swan said, 'The world is enveloped by (the darkness of) Ignorance.\nMen fail to shine in consequence of malice. People cast off friends,\ninduced by covetousness. Men fail to attain to heaven in consequence of\nattachment.'\n\n\"'\"The Sadhyas said, 'Who alone among the Brahmanas is always happy? Who\nalone amongst them can observe the vow of silence though dwelling in the\nmidst of many? Who alone amongst them, though weak, is still regarded as\nstrong? And who alone amongst them does not quarrel?'\n\n\"'\"The Swan said, 'He alone amongst the Brahmanas that is possessed of\nwisdom is always happy. He alone amongst the Brahmanas that is possessed\nof wisdom succeeds in observing the vow of silence, though dwelling in\nthe midst of many. He alone amongst the Brahmanas who is possessed of\nwisdom, though actually weak, is regarded as strong. He alone amongst\nthem that has wisdom succeeds in avoiding quarrel.'[1580]\n\n\"'\"The Sadhyas said, 'In what consists the divinity of the Brahmanas? In\nwhat their purity? In what their impurity? And in what their status of\nhumanity?'\n\n\"'\"The Swan said, 'In the study of the Vedas is the divinity of the\nBrahmanas. In their vows and observances is their purity. In obloquy is\ntheir impurity. In death is their humanity.'\"[1581]\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus have I recited to thee excellent narrative of\nthe discourse between the Sadhyas (and the Swan). The body (both gross\nand subtile) is the origin of acts, and existence or Jiva is truth.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"It behoveth thee to explain to me, O sire, what the\ndifference is between the Sankhya and the Yoga system of philosophy. O\nforemost one of Kuru's race, everything is known to thee, O thou that art\nconversant with all duties!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The followers of Sankhya praise the Sankhya system and\nthose regenerate persons that are Yogins praise the Yoga system. For\nestablishing the superiority of their respective systems, each calls his\nown system to be the better. Men of wisdom devoted to Yoga assign proper\nand very good reasons, O crusher of foes, for showing that one that does\nnot believe in the existence of God cannot attain to Emancipation. Those\nregenerate persons, again, that are believers in the Sankhya doctrines\nadvance good reasons for showing that one, by acquiring true knowledge of\nall ends, becomes dissociated from all worldly objects, and, after\ndeparting from this body, it is plain, becomes emancipated and that it\ncannot be otherwise. Men of great wisdom have thus expounded the Sankhya\nphilosophy of Emancipation. When reasons are thus balanced on both sides,\nthose that are assigned on that side which one is otherwise inclined to\nadopt as one's own, should be accepted. Indeed, those words that are said\non that side should be regarded as beneficial. Good men may be found on\nboth sides. Persons like thee may adopt either opinion. The evidences of\nYoga are addressed to the direct ken of the senses; those of Sankhya are\nbased on the scriptures. Both systems of philosophy are approved by me, O\nYudhishthira. Both those systems of science, O king, have my concurrence\nand are concurred in by those that are good and wise. If practised duly\naccording to the instructions laid down, both would, O king, cause a\nperson to attain to the highest end. In both systems purity is equally\nrecommended as also compassion towards all creatures, O sinless one. In\nboth, again, the observance of vows has been equally laid down. Only the\nscriptures that point out their paths are different.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"If the vows, the purity, the compassion, and the\nfruits thereof recommended in both systems be the same, tell me, O\ngrandsire, for what reason then are not their scriptures (in respect of\nthe paths recommended) the same?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"By casting off, through the aid of Yoga, these five\nfaults, viz., attachment, heedlessness, affection, lust, and wrath, one\nattains to Emancipation. As large fishes, breaking through the net, pass\ninto their own element (for ranging in felicity), after the same manner,\nYogins (breaking through lust and wrath, etc.) become cleansed of all\nsins and attain to the felicity of Emancipation. As powerful animals,\nbreaking through the nets in which hunters enmesh them, escape into the\nfelicity of freedom, after the same manner, Yogins, freed from all bonds,\nattain to the sinless path that leads to Emancipation. Truly, O king,\nbreaking through the bonds born of cupidity, Yogins, endued with\nstrength, attain to the sinless and auspicious and high path of\nEmancipation. Feeble animals, O monarch, entangled in nets, are without\ndoubt, destroyed. Even such is the case with persons destitute of the\npuissance of Yoga. As weak fishes, O son of Kunti, fallen into the net,\nbecome entangled in it, even so, O monarch, men destitute of the\npuissance of Yoga, encounter destruction (amid the bonds of the world).\nAs birds, O chastiser of foes, when entangled in the fine nets of fowlers\n(if weak) meet with their ruin but if endued with strength effect their\nescape, after the same manner does it happen with Yogins, O chastiser of\nfoes. Bound by the bonds of action, they that are weak meet with\ndestruction, while they that are possessed of strength break through\nthem. A small and weak fire, O king, becomes extinguished when large logs\nof timber are placed upon it. Even so the Yogin that is weak, O king,\nmeets with ruin (when brought in contact with the world and its\nattachments). The same fire, however, O monarch, when it becomes strong,\nwould (without being extinguished) burn with the aid of the wind, the\nwhole Earth. After the same manner, the Yogin, when grown in strength,\nburning with energy, and possessed of might, is capable of scorching the\nentire Universe like the Sun that rises at the time of the universal\ndissolution. As a weak man, O king, is swept away by a current, even so\nis a weak Yogin helplessly carried away by objects of the senses. An\nelephant withstands a mighty current. After the same manner, a Yogin,\nhaving acquired Yoga-puissance, withstands all objects of the senses.\nIndependent of all things, Yogins, endued with Yoga-puissance and\ninvested with lordship, enter into (the hearts of) the very lords of\ncreation, the Rishis, the deities, and the great Beings in the universe.\nNeither Yama, nor the Destroyer, nor Death himself of terrible prowess,\nwhen angry, ever succeeds in prevailing over the Yogin, O king, who is\npossessed of immeasurable energy. The Yogin, acquiring Yoga-puissance,\ncan create thousands of bodies and with them wander over the earth. Some\namongst them enjoy objects of the senses and then once more set\nthemselves to the practice of the austerest penances, and once again,\nlike the Sun (withdrawing his rays), withdraw themselves from such\npenances.[1582] The Yogin, who is possessed of strength and whom bonds\nbind not, certainly succeeds in attaining to Emancipation. I have now\ndiscoursed to thee, O monarch, on all these powers of Yoga. I shall once\nmore tell thee what the subtile powers of Yoga are with their\nindications. Hear, O chief of Bharata's race, the subtile indications of\nthe Dharana and the Samadhi of the Soul (such as Yoga brings\nabout).[1583] As a bowman who is heedful and attentive succeeds in\nstriking the aim, even so the Yogin, with absorbed soul, without doubt,\nattains to Emancipation. As a man fixing his mind on a vessel full of\nsome liquid (placed on his head) heedfully ascends a flight of steps,\neven so the Yogin, fixed and absorbed in his soul, cleanses it and makes\nit as effulgent as the Sun. As a boat, O son of Kunti, that is tossed on\nthe bosom of the sea is very soon taken by a heedful boatman to the other\nshore, even so the man of knowledge by fixing his soul in Samadhi,\nattains to Emancipation, which is so difficult to acquire, after casting\noff his body, O monarch. As a heedful charioteer, O king, having yoked\ngood steeds (unto his car) takes the car-warrior to the spot he wishes,\neven so the Yogin, O monarch, heedful in Dharana, soon attains to the\nhighest spot (viz., Emancipation) like a shaft let off from the bow\nreaching the object aimed at. The Yogin who stays immovably after having\nentered his self into the soul, destroys his sins and obtains that\nindestructible spot which is the possession of those that are righteous.\nThat Yogin who, heedfully observant of high vows, properly unites, O king,\nhis Jiva-soul with the subtile Soul in the navel, the throat, the head,\nthe heart, the chest, the sides, the eye, the ear, and the nose, burns\nall his acts good and bad of even mountain-like proportions, and having\nrecourse to excellent Yoga, attains to Emancipation.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"It behoveth thee to tell me, O grandsire, what the\nkinds of diet are by taking which, and what the things are by conquering\nwhich, the Yogin, O Bharata, acquires Yoga-puissance.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Engaged, O Bharata, in subsisting upon broken grains\nof rice and sodden cakes of sesame, and abstaining from oil and butter,\nthe Yogin acquires Yoga-puissance. By subsisting for a long time on\npowdered barley unmixed with any liquid substance, and by confining\nhimself to only one meal a day, the Yogin, of cleansed soul, acquires\nYoga-puissance. By drinking only water mixed with milk, first only once\nduring the day, then once during a fortnight, then once during a month,\nthen once during three months, and then once during a whole year, the\nYogin acquires Yoga-puissance. By abstaining entirely from meat, O king,\nthe Yogin of cleansed soul acquires puissance.[1584] By subjugating lust,\nand wrath, and heat, and cold and rain, and fear, and grief, and the\nbreath, and all sounds that are agreeable to men, and objects of the\nsenses, and the uneasiness, so difficult to conquer, that is born of\nabstention from sexual congress, and thirst that is so terrible, O king,\nand the pleasures of touch, and sleep, and procrastination that is almost\nunconquerable, O best of kings, high-souled Yogins, divested of\nattachments, and possessed of great wisdom, aided by their\nunderstandings, and equipped with wealth of contemplation and study,\ncause the subtile soul to stand confessed in all its glory. This high\n(Yoga) path of learned Brahmanas is exceedingly difficult to tread. No\none can walk along this path with ease. That path is like a terrible\nforest which abounds with innumerable snakes and crawling vermin, with\n(concealed) pits occurring every where, without water for slaking one's\nthirst, and full of thorns, and inaccessible on that account. Indeed, the\npath of Yoga is like a road along which no edibles occur, which runs\nthrough a desert having all its trees burnt down in a conflagration, and\nwhich has been rendered unsafe by being infested with bands of robbers.\nVery few young men can pass safely through it (for reaching the goal).\nLike unto a path of this nature, few Brahmanas can tread alone the\nYoga-path with ease and comfort. That man who, having betaken himself to\nthis path, ceases to go forward (but turns back after having made some\nprogress), is regarded as guilty of many faults. Men of cleansed souls, O\nlord of Earth, can stay with ease upon Yoga-contemplation which is like\nthe sharp edge of a razor. Persons of uncleansed souls, however, cannot\nstay on it. When Yoga-contemplation becomes disturbed or otherwise\nobstructed, it can never lead the Yogin to an auspicious end even as a\nvessel that is without a captain cannot take the passengers to the other\nshore. That man, O son of Kunti, who practises Yoga-contemplation\naccording to due rites, succeeds in casting off both birth and death, and\nhappiness and sorrow. All this that I have told thee has been stated in\nthe diverse treatises bearing upon Yoga. The highest fruits of Yoga are\nseen in persons of the regenerate order. That highest fruit is\nidentification with Brahma. The high-souled Yogin, possessed of\ngreatness, can enter into and come out of, at his will, Brahma himself\nwho is the lord of all deities, and the boon-giving Vishnu, and Bhava,\nand Dharma, and the six-faced Kartikeya, and the (spiritual) sons of\nBrahmana, the quality of Darkness that is productive of much pain, and\nthat of Passion, and that of Sattwa which is pure, and Prakriti which is\nthe highest, and the goddess Siddhi who is the spouse of Varuna, and all\nkinds of energy, and all enduring patience, and the bright lord of stars\nin the firmament with the stars twinkling all around, and the Viswas, and\nthe (great) snakes, and the Pitris, and all the mountains and hills, and\nthe great and terrible oceans, and all the rivers, and the rain-charged\nclouds, and serpents, and trees, and Yakshas, and the cardinal and\nsubsidiary points of the compass, and the Gandharvas, and all male\npersons and all female ones also. This discourse, O king, that is\nconnected with the Supreme Being of mighty energy should be regarded as\nauspicious. The Yogin has Narayana for his soul. Prevailing over all\nthings (through his contemplation of the Supreme deity), the high-souled\nYogin is capable of creating all things.\"'\"\n\nThe end of the Santi Parva [, Part two of three].\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O king thou hast duly propounded unto me, in the way\nin which it should be, the path of Yoga which is approved by the wise,\nafter the manner of a loving preceptor unto his pupil. I ask now about\nthe principles of the Sankhya philosophy. Do thou discourse to me on\nthose principles in their entirety. Whatever knowledge exists in the\nthree worlds is known to thee!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Listen now to what the subtile principles are of the\nfollowers of the Sankhya doctrine have been established by all the great\nand puissant Yatis having Kapila their first. In that doctrine O chief of\nmen, no errors are discoverable. Many, indeed, are its merits. In fact,\nthere is no fault in it. Comprehending with the aid of knowledge that all\nobjects exist with faults, indeed, understanding that the objects--so\ndifficult to cast off--with which human beings and Pisachas and Rakshasas\nand Yakshas and snakes and Gandharvas and pitris and those that are\nwandering in the intermediate orders of beings (such as birds and\nanimals) and great birds (such as Garuda and others) and the Maruts and\nroyal sages and regenerate sages and Asuras and Viswedevas and the\ncelestial Rishis and Yogins invested with supreme puissance and the\nPrajapatis and Brahman himself are engaged, and understanding truly what\nthe highest limit is of one's period of existence in this world, and\napprehending also the great truth, O foremost of eloquent men, about what\nis called felicity here, having a clear knowledge of what the sorrows are\nthat overtake when the hour comes all those that are concerned with\n(transitory) objects and knowing full well the sorrows of those that have\nfallen into the intermediate orders of being and of those that have sunk\ninto hell, perceiving all the merits and all the faults of heaven, O\nBharta, and all the demerits that attach to the declarations of the Vedas\nand all the excellencies that are connected with them recognising the\nfaults and merits of the Yoga and the Sankhya systems of philosophy,\nrealizing also that the quality of Sattwa has ten properties, that of\nRajas has nine, and that of Tamas has eight, that the Understanding has\nseven properties, the Mind has six, and Space has five, and once more\nconceiving that the Understanding has four properties and Tamas has\nthree, and the Rajas has two and Sattwa has one, and truly apprehending\nthe path that is followed by all objects when destruction overtakes them\nand what the course is of self knowledge, the Sankhyas, possessed of\nknowledge and experience and exalted by their perceptions of causes, and\nacquiring thorough auspiciousness, attain to the felicity of Emancipation\nlike the rays of the Sun, or the Wind taking refuge in Space.[1585]\nVision is attached to form, the sense of scent to smell, the ear to\nsound, the tongue to juices, and the skin (or body) to touch. The wind\nhas for its refuge Space. Stupefaction has Tamas (Darkness) for its\nrefuge. Cupidity has the objects of the senses for its refuge. Vishnu is\nattached to (the organs of) motion. Sakra is attached to (the organs of)\nstrength. The deity of fire is attached to the stomach, Earth is attached\nto the Waters. The Waters have Heat (or fire) for their refuge. Heat\nattaches itself to the Wind; and the wind has Space for its refuge; and\nSpace has Mahat for its refuge, and Mahat has the Understanding for its\nfoundation. The Understanding has its refuge in Tamas; Tamas has Rajas\nfor its refuge; Rajas is founded upon Sattwa; and Sattwa is attached to\nthe Soul. The soul has the glorious and puissant Narayana for its refuge.\nThat glorious deity has Emancipation for his refuge. Emancipation is\nindependent of all refuge. Knowing that this body, that is endued with\nsix and ten possessions, is the result of the quality of Sattwa,\nunderstanding fully the nature of the physical organism and the character\nof the Chetana that dwells within it, recognising the one existent Being\nthat lives in the body viz., the Soul, which stands aloof from every\nconcern of the body and in which no sin can attach, realising the nature\nof that second object, viz., the acts of persons attached to the objects\nof the senses, understanding also the character of the senses and the\nsensual objects which have their refuge in the Soul, appreciating the\ndifficulty of Emancipation and the scriptures that bear upon it knowing\nfully the nature of the vital breaths called Prana, Apana, Samana, Vyana,\nand Udana, as also the two other breaths, viz., the one going downward\nand the other moving upward, indeed, knowing those seven breaths ordained\nto accomplish seven different functions, ascertaining the nature of the\nPrajapatis and the Rishis and the high paths, many in number, of virtue\nor righteousness, and the seven Rishis and the innumerable royal Rishis,\nO scorcher of foes, and the great celestial Rishis and the other\nregenerate Rishis endued with the effulgence of the Sun, beholding all\nthese falling away from their puissance in course of many long ages, O\nmonarch, hearing of the destruction of even of all the mighty beings in\nthe universe, understanding also the inauspicious end that is attained, O\nking, by creatures of sinful acts, and the miseries endured by those that\nfall into the river Vaitarani in the realms of Yama, and the inauspicious\nwanderings of creatures through diverse wombs, and the character of their\nresidence in the unholy uterus in the midst of blood and water and phlegm\nand urine and faeces, all of foul smell, and then in bodies that result\nfrom the union of blood and the vital seed, of marrow and sinews,\nabounding with hundreds of nerves and arteries and forming an impure\nmansion of nine doors, comprehending also what is for his own good, what\nthose divers combinations are which are productive of good, beholding the\nabominable conduct of creatures whose natures are characterised by\nDarkness or Passion or Goodness, O chief of Bharata's race--conduct that\nis reprehended, in view of its incapacity to acquire Emancipation, by the\nfollowers of the Sankhya doctrine who are fully conversant with the Soul,\nbeholding the swallowing up of the Moon and the Sun by Rahu, the falling\nof stars from their fixed positions and the diversions of constellations\nfrom their orbits, knowing the sad separation of all united objects and\nthe diabolical behaviour of creatures in devouring one another, seeing\nthe absence of all intelligence in the infancy of human beings and the\ndeterioration and destruction of the body, marking the little attachment\ncreatures have to the quality of Sattwa in consequence of their being\noverwhelmed by wrath and stupefaction, beholding also only one among\nthousands of human beings resolved to struggle after the acquisition of\nEmancipation, understanding the difficulty of attaining to Emancipation\naccording to what is stated in the scriptures, seeing the marked\nsolicitude that creatures manifest for all unattained objects and their\ncomparative indifference to all objects that have been attained, marking\nthe wickedness that results from all objects of the senses, O king, and the\nrepulsive bodies, O son of Kunti, of persons reft of life, and the\nresidence, always fraught with grief, of human beings, O Bharata, in\nhouses (in the midst of spouses and children), knowing the end of those\nterrible and fallen men who become guilty of slaying Brahmanas, and of\nthose wicked Brahmanas that are addicted to the drinking of alcoholic\nstimulants, and the equally sad end of those that become criminally\nattached to the spouses of their preceptors, and of those men, O\nYudhishthira, that do not properly reverence their mothers, as also of\nthose that have no reverence and worship to offer to the deities,\nunderstanding also, with the help of that knowledge (which their\nphilosophy imparts), the end that of all perpetrators of wicked acts, and\nthe diverse ends that overtake those who have taken birth among the\nintermediate orders, ascertaining the diverse declarations of the Vedas,\nthe courses of seasons, the fading of years, of months, of fortnights,\nand of days, beholding directly the waxing and the waning of the Moon,\nseeing the rising and the ebbing of the seas, and the diminution of\nwealth and its increase once more, and the separation of united objects,\nthe lapse of Yugas, the destruction of mountains, the drying up of\nrivers, the deterioration of (the purity of) the several orders and the\nend also of that deterioration occurring repeatedly, beholding the birth,\ndecrepitude, death, and sorrows of creatures, knowing truly the faults\nattaching to the body and the sorrows to which human beings are subject,\nand the vicissitudes to which the bodies of creatures are subject, and\nunderstanding all the faults that attach to their own souls, and also all\nthe inauspicious faults that attach to their own bodies (the followers of\nthe Sankhya philosophy succeed in attaining to Emancipation).\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O thou of immeasurable energy, what are those faults\nthat thou seest attaching to one's body? It behoveth thee to expound\nthis doubt to me fully and truly.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Listen, O slayer of foes! The Sankhyas or followers of\nKapila, who are conversant with all paths and endued with wisdom, say\nthat there are five faults, O puissant one, in the human body. They are\nDesire and Wrath and Fear and Sleep and Breath. These faults are seen in\nthe bodies of all embodied creatures. Those that are endued with wisdom\ncut the root of wrath with the aid of Forgiveness. Desire is cut off by\ncasting off all purposes. By cultivation of the quality of Goodness\n(Sattwa) sleep is conquered, and Fear is conquered by cultivating\nHeedfulness. Breath is conquered by abstemiousness of diet O king. Truly\nunderstanding gunas by the aid of hundreds of gunas, hundreds of faults,\nand diverse causes by hundreds of causes, ascertaining that the world is\nlike the froth of water, enveloped by hundreds of illusions flowing from\nVishnu, like a painted edifice, and as unsubstantial as a reed, beholding\nit to be (as terrible as) a dark pit, or as unreal as bubbles of water,\nfor the years that compose its age are as shortlived (compared to the\nduration of eternity) as bubbles, seeing it exposed to immediate\ndestruction, bereft of happiness, having certain ruin for its end and\nfrom which it can never escape, sunk in Rajas and Tamas, and utterly\nhelpless like an elephant sunk in mire,--noting all this--the Sankhyas, O\nking, endued with great wisdom, casting off all affections arising from\none's relation towards one's children, by the aid, O king, of that\nextensive and all-embracing knowledge which their system advocates and\ncutting off quickly, with the weapon of knowledge and the bludgeon of\npenances, O Bharata, all inauspicious scents born of Rajas and all scents\nof a like nature arising from Tamas and all auspicious scents arising\nfrom Sattwa and all pleasures of the touch (and of the other senses) born\nof the same three qualities and inhering to the body, indeed, O Bharata,\naided by the Yoga of knowledge, these Yatis crowned with success,--cross\nthe Ocean of life. That Ocean, so terrible has sorrow for its waters.\nAnxiety and grief constitute its deep lakes. Disease and death are its\ngigantic alligators. The great fears that strike the heart at every step\nare its huge snakes. The deeds inspired by Tamas are its tortoises. Those\ninspired by Rajas are its fishes. Wisdom constitutes the raft for\ncrossing it. The affections entertained for objects of the senses are its\nmire. Decrepitude constitutes its region of grief and trouble.[1586]\nKnowledge, O chastiser of foes, is its island. Acts constitute its great\ndepth. Truth is its shores. Pious observances constitute the verdant\nweeds floating on its bosom.[1587] Envy constitutes its rapid and mighty\ncurrent. The diverse sentiments of the heart constitute its mines. The\ndiverse kinds of gratification are its valuable gems. Grief and fever are\nits winds. Misery and thirst are its mighty eddies. Painful and fatal\ndiseases are its huge elephants. The assemblage of bones are its flights\nof steps, and phlegm is its froth. Gifts are its pearl-banks. The lakes\nof blood are its corals. Loud laughter constitutes its roars. Diverse\nsciences are its impassability. Tears are its brine. Renunciation of\ncompany constitutes the high refuge (of those that seek to cross it).\nChildren and spouses are its unnumbered leeches. Friends and kinsmen are\nthe cities and towns on its shores. Abstention from injury, and Truth,\nare its boundary line. Death is its storm-wave. The knowledge of Vedanta\nis its island (capable of affording refuge to those that are tossed upon\nits waters). Acts of compassion towards all creatures constitute its\nlife-buoys,[1588] and Emancipation is the priceless commodity offered to\nthose voyaging on its waters in search of merchandise. Like its\nsubstantive prototype with its equine head disgorging flames of fire,\nthis ocean too has its fiery terrors. Having transcended the liability,\nthat is so difficult to transcend, of dwelling within the gross body, the\nSankhyas enter into pure space.[1589] Surya then bears, with his rays,\nthose righteous men that are practicers of the Sankhya doctrines. Like\nthe fibres of the lotus-stalk conveying water to the flower into which\nthey all converge, Surya, drinking all things from the universe, conveys\nthem unto those good and wise men.[1590] Their attachments all destroyed,\npossessed of energy, endued with wealth of penances, and crowned with\nsuccess, these Yatis, O Bharata, are borne by that wind which is subtile,\ncooling, fragrant, and delicious to the touch, O Bharata! In fact, that\nwind which is the best of the seven winds, and which blows in regions of\ngreat felicity, conveys them, O son of Kunti, to that which is the\nhighest end in space.[1591] Then space into which they are carried, O\nmonarch, conveys them to the highest end of Rajas.[1592] Rajas then bears\nthem to the highest end of Sattwa. Sattwa then bears them, O thou of pure\nsoul, to the Supreme and puissant Narayana. The puissant and pure-souled\nNarayana at last, through himself, bears them to the Supreme Soul. Having\nreached the Supreme Soul, those stainless persons who have (by that time)\nbecome the body of (what is called) That attain to immortality, and they\nhave never afterwards to return from that position, O King! That is the\nhighest end, O son of Pritha, which is attained by those high-souled men\nwho have transcended the influence of all pairs of opposites.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O sinless one, have those persons of firm vows after\nthey have attained to that excellent position which is fraught with\npuissance and felicity, any recollection of their lives including birth\nand death? It behoveth thee to tell me properly what the truth is in\nrespect, O thou of Kuru's race. I do not think it proper to question any\none else than thee! Observing the scriptures bearing upon Emancipation, I\nfind this great fault in the subject (for certain scriptures on the topic\ndeclare that consciousness disappears in the emancipate state, while\nother scriptures declare the very reverse of this). If, having attained\nto this high state, the Yatis continue to live in consciousness, it would\nseem, O king, that the religion of Pravritti is superior. If, again,\nconsciousness disappears from the emancipate state and one who has become\nemancipate only resembles a person sunk in dreamless slumber, then\nnothing can be more improper than to say that there is really no\nconsciousness in Emancipation (for of all that happens in dreamless\nslumber is that one's consciousness is temporarily overshadowed and\nsuspended, but never lost, for it returns when one awakes from that\nslumber).\"[1593]\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"However difficult it may be to answer it, the question\nwhich thou hast asked, O son, is proper. Verily, the question is of such\na kind that even they that are possessed of great learning become\nstupefied in answering it, O chief of Bharata's race. For all that, hear\nwhat the truth is as expounded by me. The high-souled followers of Kapila\nhave set their high understandings on this point. The senses of\nknowledge, O King, planted in the bodies of embodied creatures, are\nemployed in their respective functions of perception. They are the\ninstruments of the Soul, for it is through them that subtile Being\nperceives.[1594] Disunited with the Soul, the senses are like lumps of\nwood, and are without doubt, destroyed (in respect of the functions they\nserve) like the froth that is seen on the bosom of the ocean.[1595] When\nthe embodied creature, O scorcher of foes, sinks into sleep along with\nhis senses, the subtile Soul then roves among all subjects like the wind\nthrough space.[1596] The subtile Soul, during slumber, continues to see\n(all forms) and touch all objects of touch, O king, and taken in other\nperceptions, as well as when it is awake. In consequence of their\ninability to act without their director, the senses, during sleep, all\nbecome extinguished in their respective places (and lose their powers)\nlike snakes deprived of poison.[1597] At such times, the subtile Soul,\nrepairing into the respective place of all the senses, without doubt,\ndischarges all their functions.[1598] All the qualities of Sattwa, all\nthe attributes of the Understanding, O Bharata, as also those of Mind,\nand space, and Wind, O thou of righteous soul, and all the attributes of\nliquid substances, of Water, O Partha, and of Earth,--these senses with\nthese qualities,--O Yudhishthira, which inhere to Jiva-souls, are along\nwith the Jiva-soul itself, overwhelmed by the Supreme Soul or Brahma.\nActs also, good and bad, overwhelm that Jiva-soul. Like disciples waiting\nupon their preceptor with reverence, the senses too wait upon the\nJiva-soul transcends Prakriti, it attains to Brahma that is without\nchange, that is highest, that is Narayana, that is beyond all pairs of\nopposites, and that transcends Prakriti. Freed from both merit and\ndemerit, the Jiva-soul entering the Supreme Soul which is divested of all\nattributes, and which is the home of all auspiciousness, does not return\nthence, O Bharata. What remains, O son, is the mind with the senses, O\nBharata. These have to come back once more at the appointed season for\ndoing the bidding of their great master.[1599] Soon after, O son of\nKunti, (when this body is cast off) the Yati striving after Emancipation,\nendued as he is with knowledge and desirous as he is of Guna, succeeds in\nattaining to that Peace of Emancipation which is his who becomes\nbodiless.[1600] [1601] The Sankhyas, O king, are endued with great\nwisdom. They succeed in attaining to the highest end by means of this\nkind of knowledge. There is no knowledge that is equal to this. Do not\nyield to any kind of doubt. The knowledge which is described in the\nsystem of the Sankhyas is regarded as the highest. That knowledge is\nimmutable and is eternally fixed. It is eternal Brahma in fulness. It has\nno beginning, middle and end. It transcends all pairs of opposites. It is\nthe cause of the creation of the universe. It stands in fulness. It is\nwithout deterioration of any kind. It is uniform, and everlasting. Thus\nare its praises sung by the wise. From it flow creation and destruction\nand all modifications. The great Rishis speak of it and applaud it in the\nscriptures. All learned Brahmanas and all righteous men regard it as\nflowing from Brahma, Supreme, Divine, Infinite, Immutable, and\nUndeteriorating. All Brahmanas again that are attached to objects of the\nsenses adore and applaud it by ascribing to it attributes that belong to\nillusion.[1602] The same is the view of Yogins well observant of penances\nand meditation and of Sankhyas of immeasureable insight. The Srutis\ndeclare, O son of Kunti, that the Sankhya form of philosophy is the form\nof that Formless one. The cognitions (according to that philosophy) have,\nO chief of Bharata's race, been said to be the knowledge of Brahma.[1603]\n\n\"'\"There are two kinds of creatures on Earth, O lord of Earth, viz., mobile\nand immobile. Of these that are mobile are superior. That high knowledge,\nO king, which exists in persons conversant with Brahma, and that which\noccurs in the Vedas, and that which is found in other scriptures, and\nthat in Yoga, and that which may be seen in the diverse Puranas, are all,\nO monarch, to be found in Sankhya philosophy.[1604] Whatever knowledge is\nseen to exist in high histories, whatever knowledge occurs, O king, in the\nsciences appertaining to the acquisition of wealth as approved by the\nwise, whatever other knowledge exists in this world,--all these,--flow, O\nhigh-souled monarch, from the high knowledge that occurs among the\nSankhyas. Tranquillity of soul, high puissance, all subtile knowledge of\nwhich the scriptures speak, penances of subtile force, and all kinds of\nfelicity, O king, have all been duly ordained in the Sankhya system.\nFailing to acquire, O son of Pritha, that complete knowledge which is\nrecommended by their system, the Sankhyas attain to the status of deities\nand pass many years in felicity. Lording it over the celestials as they\nwill, they fall, upon the expiration of the allotted period, among\nlearned Brahmanas and Yatis.[1605] Casting off this body, those\nregenerate ones that follow the Sankhya system enter into the superior\nstate of Brahma like the celestials entering into the firmament by\ndevoting themselves wholly to that adorable system which is theirs and\nwhich is worshipped by all wise men. Those regenerate persons that are\ndevoted to the acquisition of that knowledge which is recommended in the\nSankhya system, even if they fail to attain to eminence, are never seen\nto fall among intermediate creatures, or to sink into the status of\nsinful men. That high-souled person who is fully conversant with the\nvast, high, ancient, ocean-like, and immeasurable Sankhya system that is\npure and liberal and agreeable, becomes, O king, equal to Narayana. I\nhave now told thee, O god among men, the truth about the Sankhya system.\nIt is the embodiment of Narayana, of the universe as it exists from the\nremotest time.[1606] When the time of Creation comes, He causes the\nCreation to start into life, and when the time comes for destruction, He\nswallows up everything. Having withdrawn everything into his own body he\ngoes to sleep,--that inner Soul of the universe.\"'\"[1607]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"What is that which is called Undeteriorating and by\nattaining to which no one has to come back? What, again, is that which is\ncalled Deteriorating, and by attaining to which one has to return once\nmore? O slayer of foes, I ask thee the distinction that exists, O thou of\nmighty arms, between the Deteriorating and the Undeteriorating ones for\nunderstanding them both truly, O delighter of the Kurus. Brahmanas\nconversant with the Vedas speak of thee as an Ocean of knowledge.\nHighly-blessed Rishis and Yatis of high souls do the same. Thou hast very\nfew days to live. When the Sun turns from the southern path for entering\ninto the northern, thou shalt attain to thy high end. When thou shalt\nleave us, from whom shall we hear of all that is beneficial for us? Thou\nart the lamp of Kuru's race. Indeed thou art always blazing with the\nlight of knowledge. O perpetuator of Kuru's race, I desire, therefore to\nhear all this from thee. Listening to thy discourses that are always\nsweet like nectar, my curiosity, without being satiated is always\nincreasing!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I shall, in this connection, relate to thee the old\nnarrative of the discourse that took place between Vasishtha and king\nKarala of Janaka's race. Once on a time when that foremost of Rishis,\nviz., Vasishtha, endued with the effulgence of the Sun, was seated at his\nease, king Janaka asked him about that highest knowledge which is for our\nsupreme good. Highly proficient in that department of knowledge which is\nconcerned with the Soul and possessed of certain conclusions in respect\nof all branches of that science,[1608] as Maitravaruni, that foremost of\nRishis, was seated the king approaching him with joined hands, asked him\nin humble words, well pronounced and sweet and destitute of all\ncontroversial spirit, the question,--O holy one, I desire to hear, of\nSupreme and Eternal Brahma by attaining to which men of wisdom have not\nto come back. I desire also to know that which is called Destructible and\nThat into which this universe enters when destroyed. Indeed, what is That\nwhich is said to be indestructible, suspicious, beneficial and free from\nevil of every kind?\n\n\"'\"Vasishtha said, 'Hear, O lord of Earth, as to how this universe is\ndestroyed, and, of That which was never destroyed and which will never be\ndestroyed at any time. Twelve thousand years, (according to the measure\nof the celestials), make a Yuga, four such Yugas taken a thousand times,\nmake a Kalpa which measures one day of Brahman.[1609] Brahman's night\nalso, O king, is of the same measure. When Brahman himself is\ndestroyed,[1610] Sambhu of formless soul and to whom the Yuga attributes\nof Anima, Laghima, &c, naturally inhere, awakes, and once more creates\nthat First or Eldest of all creatures, possessed of vast proportions, of\ninfinite deeds, endued with form, and identifiable with the universe.\nThat Sambhu is otherwise called Isana (the lord of everything). He is\npure Effulgence, and transcends all deterioration, having his hands and\nfeet stretching in all directions, with eyes and head and mouth\neverywhere, and with ears also in every place. That Being exists,\noverwhelming the entire universe. The eldest-born Being is called\nHiranyagarbha. This holy one has (in the Vedanta) been called the\nUnderstanding. In the Yuga scriptures He is called the Great, and\nVirinchi, and the Unborn. In the Sankhya scriptures, He is indicated by\ndiverse name, and regarded as having Infinity for his Soul. Of diverse\nforms and constituting the soul of the universe, He is regarded as One\nand Indestructible. The three worlds of infinite ingredients have been\ncreated by Him without assistance from any source and have been\noverwhelmed by him. In consequence of His manifold forms, He is said to\nbe of universal form. Undergoing modifications He creates Himself by\nHimself. Endued with mighty energy, He first creates Consciousness and\nthat Great Being called Prajapati endued with Consciousness. The Manifest\n(or Hiranyagarbha) is created from the Unmanifest. This is called by the\nlearned the Creation of Knowledge. The creation of Mahan (or Virat) and\nConsciousness, by Hiranyagarbha, is the creation of Ignorance.[1611]\nAscription of attributes (worthy of worship) and the destruction thereof,\ncalled respectively by the names of Ignorance and Knowledge by persons\nlearned by the interpretation of the Srutis, then arose, referring to\nthis, that, or the other of the three (viz., Akshara, Hiranyagarbha, or\nVirat).[1612] Know, O king, that the creation of the (subtile) elements\nfrom consciousness is the third.[1613] In all kinds of consciousness is\nthe fourth creation which flows modification of the third. This fourth\ncreation comprises Wind and Light and Space and Water and Earth, with\ntheir properties of sound, touch, form, taste and scent. This aggregate\nof ten arose, without doubt, at the same time. The fifth creation, O\nmonarch, is that which has arisen from combination of the primal elements\n(named above). This comprises the ear, the skin, the eyes, the tongue,\nand the nose forming the fifth, and speech, and the two hands, and the\ntwo legs, and the lower duct, and the organs of generation. The first\nfive of these constitute the organs of knowledge, and the last five the\norgans of action. All these, with mind, arose simultaneously O king.\nThese constitute the four and twenty topics that exist in the forms of\nall living creatures. By understanding these properly, Brahmanas\npossessed of insight into the truth have never to yield to sorrow. In the\nthree worlds a combination of these, called body, is possessed by all\nembodied creatures. Indeed, O king a combination of those is known as\nsuch in deities and men and Danavas, and Yakshas and spirits and\nGandharvas and Kinnaras and great snakes, and Charanas and Pisachas, in\ncelestial Rishis and Rakshasas, in biting flies, and worms, and gnats,\nand vermin born of filth and rats, and dogs and Swapakas and Chaineyas\nand Chandalas and Pukkasas in elephants and steeds and asses and tigers,\nand trees and kine. Whatever other creatures exist in water or space or\non earth, for there is no other place in which creatures exist as we have\nheard, have this combination. All these, O sire, included within the\nclass called Manifest, are seen to be destroyed day after day. Hence, all\ncreatures produced by union of these four and twenty are said to be\ndestructible.\n\n\"'\"This then is the Indestructible. And since the universe, which is made\nup of Manifest and Unmanifest, meets with destruction, therefore, it is\nsaid to be Destructible. The very Being called Mahan who is the\neldest-born is always spoken of as an instance of the Destructible. I\nhave now told thee, O monarch, all that thou hadst asked me. Transcending\nthe four and twenty topics already adverted to is the twenty-fifth called\nVishnu. That Vishnu in consequence of the absence of all attributes, is\nnot a topic (of knowledge) though as then which pervades all the topics,\nhe has been called so by the wise. Since that which is destructible has\ncaused all this that is Manifest, therefore, all this is endued with\nform. The twenty-fourth, which is Prakriti, is said to preside over all\nthis (which has sprung from her modifications). The twenty-fifth, which\nis Vishnu, is formless and, therefore, cannot be said to preside over the\nuniverse.[1614] It is that Unmanifest (Prakriti), which, when endued with\nbody (in consequence of union with Chit) dwells in the hearts of all\ncreatures endued with body. As regards eternal Chetana (the\nIndestructible), although he is without attributes and without form, yet\nhe (in consequence of a union with Prakriti) assumes all forms. Uniting\nwith Prakriti which has the attributes of birth and death, he also\nassumes the attributes of birth and death. And in consequence of such\nunion he becomes an object of perception and though in reality divested\nof all attributes yet he comes to be invested therewith. It is in this\nway that the Mahan-Soul (Hiranyagarbha), becoming united with Prakriti\nand invested with Ignorance, undergoes modifications and becomes\nconscious of Self. Uniting with the attributes of Sattwa and Rajas and\nTamas, he becomes identified with diverse creatures belonging to diverse\norders of Being, in consequence of his forgetfulness and his waiting upon\nIgnorance. In consequence of his birth and destruction arising from the\nfact of his dwelling in upon with Prakriti, he thinks himself to be no\nother than what he apparently is. Regarding himself as this or that, he\nfollows the attributes of Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas. Under the influence\nof Tamas, he attains to diverse kinds of conditions that are affected by\nTamas. Under the influence of Rajas and Sattwa, he attains similarly to\nconditions that are affected by Rajas and Sattwa. There are three colours\nin all, viz., White, Red, and Dark. All those colours appertain to\nPrakriti (so that He it is who becomes White or Red or Dark according as\nthe nature of the Prakriti with which is He becomes identified for the\ntime being). Through Tamas one goes to hell. Through Rajas one attains to\nand remains in the status of humanity. Through Sattwa, people ascend to\nthe regions of the deities and become sharers of great felicity. By\nadhering to sin continuously one sinks into the intermediate order of\nbeings. By acting both righteously and sinfully one attains to the status\nof the deities. In this way the twenty-fifth, viz., Akshara (the\nIndestructible), the wise say, by union with the unmanifest (Prakriti),\nbecomes transformed into Kshara (destructible). By means of knowledge\nhowever, the Indestructible becomes displayed in His true nature.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCIV\n\n\"'\"Vasishtha said, 'Thus in consequence of his forgetfulness the Soul\nfollows ignorance and obtains thousands of bodies one after another. He\nattains to thousands of births among the intermediate orders and\nsometimes among the very gods in consequence of his union with\n(particular) attributes and the puissance of attributes.[1615] From the\nstatus of humanity, he goes to heaven and from heaven he comes back to\nhumanity, and from humanity he sinks into hell for many long years. As\nthe worm that fabricates the cocoon shuts itself, completely on every\nside by means of the threads it weaves itself, even so the Soul, though\nin reality transcending all attributes, invests himself on every side\nwith attributes (and deprives himself of liberty).[1616] Though\ntranscending (in his real nature) both happiness and misery, it is thus\nthat he subjects himself to happiness and misery. It is thus also that,\nthough transcending all diseases, the Soul regards himself to be\nafflicted by headache and opthalmia and toothache and affections of the\nthroat and abdominal dropsy, and burning thirst, and enlargement of\nglands, and cholera, and vitiligo, and leprosy, and burns, and asthma and\nphthisis, and epilepsy, and whatever other diseases of diverse kinds are\nseen in the bodies of embodied creatures. Regarding himself, through\nerror, as born among thousands of creatures in the intermediate orders of\nbeing, and sometimes among the gods, he endures misery and enjoys the\nfruits of his good deeds. Invested with Ignorance he regards himself as\nrobed sometimes in white cloth and sometimes in full dress consisting of\nfour pieces or as lying on floors (instead of on beds or bedsteads) or\nwith hands and feet contracted like those of frogs or as seated upright\nin the attitude of ascetic contemplation, or as clad in rags or as lying\nor sitting under the canopy of heaven or within mansions built of bricks\nand stone or on rugged stones or on ashes or bare stones or on the bare\nearth or on beds or on battlefields or in water or in mire or on wooden\nplanks or on diverse kinds of beds; or impelled by desire of fruits, he\nregards himself as clad in a scant piece of cloth made of grass or as\ntotally nude or as robed in silk or in skin of the black antelope or in\ncloth made of flax or in sheep-skin or in tiger-skin or in lion-skin or\nin fabric of hemp, or in barks of birch or in cloths made of the produce\nof prickly plants, or in vestures made of threads woven by worms or of\ntorn rags or in diverse other kinds of cloth too numerous to mention. The\nsoul regards himself also as wearing diverse kinds of ornaments and gems,\nor as eating diverse kinds of food. He regards himself as sometimes\neating at intervals of one night, or once at the same hour every day, or\nas at the fourth, the sixth, and the eighth hour every day, or as once in\nsix or seven or eight nights, or as once in ten or twelve day, or as once\nin a month, of as eating only roots, or fruits, or as subsisting upon air\nor water alone, or on cakes of sesame husk, or curds or cowdung, or the\nurine of the cow or potherbs or flowers or moss or raw food, or as\nsubsisting on fallen leaves of trees or fruits that have fallen down and\nlay scattered on the ground, or diverse other kinds of food, impelled by\nthe desire of winning (ascetic) success. The Soul regards himself as\nadopting the observance of Chandrayana according to the rites ordained in\nthe scriptures, or diverse other vows and observance, and the courses of\nduty prescribed for the four modes of life, and even derelictions of\nduty, and the duties of other subsidiary modes of life included in the\nfour principal ones, and even diverse kinds of practices that distinguish\nthe wicked and sinful. The Soul regards himself as enjoying retired spots\nand delightful shades of mountains and the cool vicinity of spring and\nfountain and solitary river banks and secluded forests, and sacred spots\ndedicated to the deities, and lakes and waters withdrawn from the busy\nhunts of men, and lone mountain caves affording the accommodation that\nhouses and mansions afford. The Soul regards himself as employed in the\nrecitation of different kinds of hidden Mantras or as observing different\nvows and rules and diverse kinds of penances, and sacrifices of many\nkinds, and rites of diverse sorts. The Soul regards himself as adopting\nsometimes the way of traders and merchants and the practices of Brahmanas\nand Kshatriyas and Vaisyas and Sudras, and gifts of diverse kinds unto\nthose that are destitute or blind or helpless. In consequence of his\nbeing invested with Ignorance, the Soul adopts different attributes of\nSattwa and Rajas and Tamas, and Righteousness and Wealth and pleasure.\nUnder the influence of Prakriti the Soul, undergoing modification\nhimself, observes and adopts and practices all these and regards himself\nas such. Indeed, the Soul regards himself as employed in the utterance of\nthe sacred mantras Swaha and Swadha and Vashat, and in bowing unto those\nhe regards as his Superiors; in officiating in the sacrifices of others,\nin teaching pupils, making gifts and accepting them; in performing\nsacrifices and studying the scriptures, and doing all other acts and\nrites of this kind. The Soul regards himself as concerned with birth and\ndeath and disputes and slaughter. All these, the learned say, constitute\nthe path of acts good and bad. It is the goddess Prakriti who causes\nbirth and death. When the time approaches for universal Destruction, all\nexistent objects and attributes are withdrawn by the Supreme Soul which\nthen exists alone like the Sun withdrawing at evening all his rays; and\nwhen the time comes for Creation He once more creates and spreads them\nout like the Sun shedding and spreading out his rays when morning comes.\nEven thus the Soul, for the sake of sport, repeatedly regards himself\ninvested with all these conditions, which are his own forms and\nattributes, infinite in number, and agreeable to himself. It is this way\nthat the Soul, though really transcending the three attributes, becomes\nattached to the path of acts and creates by modification Prakriti\ninvested with the attributes of birth and death and identical with all\nacts and conditions which are characterised by the three attributes of\nSattwa, Rajas, and Tamas. Arrived at the path of action, the Soul regards\nparticular acts to be endued with particular characteristics and\nproductive of particular ends. O monarch, the whole of this universe has\nbeen blinded by Prakriti and all things have been diversely overwhelmed\n(through Prakriti) by the attributes of Rajas and Tamas. It is in\nconsequence of the Soul being invested by Prakriti that these pairs of\nopposites productive of happiness and woe, repeatedly come. It is in\nconsequence of this Ignorance that Jiva regards these sorrows to be his\nand imagines them as pursuing him. Indeed, O monarch, through that\nIgnorance it is that Jiva imagines he should anyhow cross those sorrows,\nand that he should, going into the regions of the gods, enjoy the\nfelicity that awaits all his good acts. It is through Ignorance that he\nthinks he should enjoy and endure these delights and these woes here in\nthis world. Through Ignorance Jiva thinks,--\"I should secure my happiness.\nBy continually doing good acts, I may have happiness in this life till\nits close and I shall be happy in all my future lives. Though, again the\n(evil) acts I do in this life unending sorrow may become mine. The status\nof humanity is fraught with great misery, for from it one sinks into\nhell. From hell, it will take many long years before I can come back to\nthe status of humanity. From humanity I shall attain to the status of the\ngods. From that superior status I shall have to come back again to\nhumanity and thence to sink into hell once more!\"--One who always regards\nthis combination of the primal elements and the senses, with the Chit's\nreflection in it, to be thus invested with the characteristics of the\nSoul, has repeatedly to wander among gods and human beings and to sink\ninto hell. Being always invested with the idea of meum, Jiva has to make\na round of such births. Millions upon millions of births have to be gone\nthrough by Jiva in the successive forms he assumes, all of which are\nliable to death. He who does acts in this way, which are all fraught with\ngood and bad fruits, has in the three worlds to assume successive forms\nand to enjoy and endure fruits corresponding therewith. It is Prakriti\nthat causes acts fraught with good and bad acts; and it is Prakriti that\nenjoys and endures the fruits thereof in the three worlds. Indeed,\nPrakriti follows the course of acts. The status of the intermediate\nbeings, of humanity, and of the gods as well,--these three\nfields,--should be known as originating in Prakriti and has been said to\nbe destitute of all attributes. Her existence is affirmed only in\nconsequence of her acts (beginning with Mahat). After the same manner,\nPurusha (or Soul), though without attributes himself, has his existence\naffirmed in consequence of the acts which the body does when it receives\nhis reflection. Although the Soul is not subject to modifications of any\nkind and is the active principle that sets Prakriti in motion, yet\nentering a body that is united with the senses of knowledge and action,\nhe regards all the acts of those senses as his own. The five senses of\nknowledge beginning with the ear, and those of action beginning with\nspeech, uniting with the attributes of Sattwa and Rajas and Tamas, become\nengaged in numerous objects. Jiva imagines that it is he who does the acts\nof his life and that the senses of knowledge and acts belong to him,\nalthough in reality he has no senses. Indeed, though unequipt with body,\nhe imagines that he has a body. Though destitute of attributes, he\nregards himself as endued therewith, and though transcending Time,\nimagines himself to be under Time's control. Though destitute of\nunderstanding, he still regards himself as endued therewith, and though\ntranscending the (four and twenty) topics, regards himself as one\nincluded among them. Though deathless, he still regards himself as liable\nto death, and though motionless regards himself to be endued with motion.\nThough not possessed of a material case, he still regards himself as\npossessed of one; and though unborn, he still regards himself as\ninvested with birth. Though transcending penances, he still regards as\nengaged in penances, and though he has no end (after which to strive), he\nstill regards himself as liable to attain to ends (of diverse kinds).\nThough not endued with motion and birth, he still regards himself as\nendued with both, and though transcending fear, still regards himself as\nliable to fear. Though Indestructible, he still regards himself\nDestructible. Invested with Ignorance, the Soul thus thinks of himself.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCV\n\n\"'\"Vasishtha said, 'It is thus, in consequence of his Ignorance and his\nassociation with others that are invested with Ignorance, that Jiva has\nrecourse to millions and millions of births every one of which has\ndissolution in the end. In consequence of his transformation into Chit\ninvested with Ignorance, Jiva betakes himself to millions of abodes one\nof which is liable to end in destruction, among intermediate beings and\nmen and the deities. In consequence of Ignorance, Jiva, like Chandramas,\nhas to wax and wane thousands and thousands of times. This is truly the\nnature of Jiva when invested with ignorance. Know that Chandramas has in\nreality full sixteen portions. Only fifteen of these are subject to\nincrease and decrease. The sixteenth (i.e., that portion which remains\ninvisible and which appears on the night of the New-moon) remains\nconstant. After the manner of Chandramas, Jiva too has full sixteen\nportions. Only fifteen of these, (viz., Prakriti with Chit's reflection,\nthe ten senses of knowledge and action, and the four inner faculties)\nappear and disappear. The sixteenth (viz., Chit in its purity) is subject\nto no modification. Invested with Ignorance, Jiva repeatedly and\ncontinually takes birth in the fifteen portions named above. With the\neternal and immutable portion on Jiva primal essence become united and\nthis union takes place repeatedly. That sixteenth portion is subtile. It\nshould be known as Soma (eternal and immutable). It is never upheld by\nthe senses. On the other hand, the senses are upheld by it. Since those\nsixteen portions are the cause of the birth of creatures, creatures can\nnever, O monarch, take birth without their aid. They are called Prakriti.\nThe destruction of Jiva's liability to be united with Prakriti is called\nEmancipation. The Mahat-Soul, which is the twenty-fifth, if it regards\nthat body of sixteen portions called the Unmanifest,[1617] has to assume\nit repeatedly. In consequence of not knowing, That which is stainless and\npure, and for its devotion to what is the result of a combination of both\nPure and Impure, the Soul, which is in reality pure, becomes, O king\nImpure. Indeed, in consequence of its devotion to Ignorance, Jiva, though\ncharacterised by Knowledge becomes repeatedly associated with Ignorance.\nThough, O monarch, free from error of every kind, yet in consequence of\nits devotion to the three attributes of Prakriti, it becomes endued with\nthose attributes.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCVI\n\n\"'\"Janaka said, 'O holy one, it has been said that the relation between\nmale and female is like that which subsists between the Indestructible\nand the destructible (or Purusha and Prakriti). Without a male, a female\ncan never conceive. Without a female a male also can never create form.\nIn consequence of their union with each other, and each depending upon\nthe attributes of the other, forms (of living creatures) are seen to\nflow. This is the case with all orders of being. Through each other's\nunion for purposes of (sexual) congress, and through each depending upon\nthe attributes of the others, forms (of living creatures) flow in\nmenstrual seasons. I shall tell to thee the indications thereof. Hear\nwhat the attributes are that belong to the sire and what those are that\nbelong to the mother. Bones, sinews and marrow, O regenerate one, we\nknow, are derived from the sire. Skin, flesh, and blood, we hear are\nderived from the mother. Even this, O foremost of regenerate persons, is\nwhat may be read of in the Vedas and other scriptures. Whatever is read\nas declared in the Vedas and in other scriptures is regarded as\nauthority. The authority, again, of the Vedas and other scriptures (not\ninconsistent with the Vedas), is eternal. If Prakriti and Purusha be\nalways united together in this way by each opposing and each depending on\nthe other's attributes, I see, O holy one, that Emancipation cannot\nexist. Thou, O holy one, art possessed of spiritual vision so that thou\nseest all things as if they are present before thy eyes. If, therefore,\nthere be any direct evidence of the existence of Emancipation, do thou,\nspeak of it to me. We are desirous of attaining to Emancipation. Indeed,\nwe wish to attain to That which is auspicious, bodiless, not subject to\ndecrepitude, eternal beyond the ken of the senses, and having nothing\nsuperior to it.'\n\n\"'\"Vasishtha said, 'What thou sayest about the indications of the Vedas and\nthe other scriptures (in respect of the matter) is even so. Thou takest\nthose indications in the way in which they should be taken. Thou bearest,\nhowever, in thy understanding, only the texts of the Vedas and the other\nscriptures. Thou art not, O monarch, truly conversant with the real\nmeaning of those texts. That person who bears in his understanding merely\nthe texts of the Vedas and the other scriptures without being conversant\nwith the true sense or meaning of those texts, bears them fruitlessly.\nIndeed, one who holds the contents of a work in memory without\ncomprehending their meaning is said to bear an useless burden. He,\nhowever, who is conversant with the true meaning of a treatise, is said\nto have studied that treatise to purpose. Questioned regarding the\nmeaning of a text, it behoveth one to communicate that meaning which he\nhas comprehended by a careful study. That person of dull intelligence who\nrefuses to expound the meanings of texts in the midst of a conclave of\nthe learned, that person of foolish understanding, never succeeds in\nexpounding the meaning correctly.[1618] An ignorant person, going to\nexpound the true meaning of treatises, incurs ridicule. Even those\npossessed of a knowledge of the Soul have to incur ridicule on such\noccasions (if what they go to explain has not been acquired by study).\nListen now to me, O monarch, as to how the subject of Emancipation has\nbeen explained (by preceptors to disciple from days of old) among\nhighsouled persons conversant with the Sankhya and the Yoga systems of\nphilosophy. That which the Yogins behold is precisely that which the\nSankhyas strive after to attain. He who sees the Sankhya and the Yoga\nsystems to be one and the same is said to be endued with intelligence.\nSkin, flesh, blood, fat, bile, marrow, and sinews, and these senses (of\nboth knowledge and action), about which thou wert speaking unto me,\nexist. Objects flow from objects; the senses from the senses. From body\none obtains a body, as a seed is obtained from seed. When the Supreme\nBeing is without senses, without seed, without matter, without body, He\nmust be divested of all attributes, and in consequence of His being so,\nhow, indeed, can He have attributes of any kind? Space and other\nattributes arise from the attributes of Sattwa and Rajas and Tamas, and\ndisappear ultimately in them. Thus the attributes arise from Prakriti.\nSkin, flesh, blood, fat, bile, marrow, bones, and sinews,--these eight\nthat are made of Prakriti, know, O king, may sometimes be produced by the\nvital seed alone (of the male). The Jiva-soul and the universe are said\nto both partake of Prakriti characterised by the three attributes of\nSattwa, Rajas, and Tamas. The Supreme Soul is different from both the\nJiva-soul and the universe. As the seasons though unendued with forms,\nare nevertheless inferred from the appearance of particular fruits and\nflowers, after the same manner, Prakriti, though formless, is inferred\nfrom the attributes of Mahat and the rest that spring from it. In this\nway from the existence of Chaitanya in the body, the Supreme Soul,\ndivested of all attributes whatever and perfectly stainless, is inferred.\nWithout beginning and destruction, without end, the overseer of all\nthings, and auspicious, that Soul, only in consequence of its identifying\nitself with the body and other attributes, comes to be taken as invested\nwith attributes. Those persons that are truly conversant with attributes\nknow that only objects endued with attributes can have attributes but\nthat That which transcends all attributes can have none. When the\nJiva-soul conquers all attributes born of Prakriti and which it assumes\nunder error, only then does it behold the Supreme Soul. Only the highest\nRishis conversant with the Sankhya and the Yoga systems know that Supreme\nSoul which Sankhya and Yogins and believers in all other systems say is\nbeyond the Understanding, which is regarded as Knower and endued with the\nhighest wisdom in consequence of its casting off all consciousness of\nidentification with Prakriti, which transcends the attribute of Ignorance\nor Error, which is Unmanifest, which is beyond all attributes, which is\ncalled the Supreme, which is dissociated from all attributes, which\nordains all things, which is Eternal and Immutable, which overrules\nPrakriti and all the attributes born of Prakriti, and which, transcending\nthe four and twenty topics of enquiry, forms the twenty-fifth. When men\nof knowledge, who stand in fear of birth, of the several conditions of\nliving consciousness, and of death, succeed in knowing the Unmanifest,\nthey succeed in understanding the Supreme Soul at the same time. An\nintelligent man regards the unity of Jiva-soul with the Supreme Soul as\nconsistent with the scriptures and as perfectly correct, while the man\ndestitute of intelligence looks upon the two as different from each\nother. This forms the distinction between the man of intelligence and man\nthat is destitute of it. The indications of both Kshara and Akshara\n(destructible and indestructible) have now been said unto thee. Akshara\nis Oneness or Unity, while multiplicity or variety is said to be Kshara.\nWhen one begins to study and understands properly the five and twenty\ntopics of enquiry, one then comprehends that the Oneness of the Soul is\nconsistent with the scriptures and its multiplicity is what is opposed to\nthem. These are the several indications of what is included in the tale\nof topics or principles created and what transcends that tale. The wise\nhave said that the tale of topics numbers only five and twenty. That\nwhich transcends the topics is beyond that number and forms the\ntwenty-sixth. The study or comprehension of created things (numbered five\nand twenty) according to their aggregates (of five) is the study and\ncomprehension of topics. Transcending these is That which is eternal.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCVII\n\n\"'\"Janaka said, 'Thou hast, O foremost of Rishis, said that Unity is the\nattribute of that which is Akshara (Indestructible) and variety or\nmultiplicity is the attribute of what is known as Kshara (Destructible).\nI have not, however, clearly understood the nature of these two. Doubts\nare still lurking in my mind. Ignorant men look upon the Soul as endued\nwith the incident of multiplicity. They, however that are possessed of\nknowledge and wisdom regard the Soul to be one and the same. I however,\nhave a very dull understanding. I am, therefore, unable to comprehend how\nall this can happen. The causes also that thou hast assigned for the\nunity and the multiplicity of Akshara and Kshara I have almost forgotten\nin consequence of the restlessness of my understanding. I therefore,\ndesire to hear thee once more discourse to me on those same incidents of\nunity and multiplicity, on him who is knowing, on what is destitute of\nknowledge, on Jiva-soul, Knowledge, Ignorance, Akshara, Kshara, and on\nthe Sankhya and the Yoga systems, in detail and separately and agreeable\nto the truth.'\n\n\"'\"Vasishtha said, 'I shall tell thee what thou askest! Listen however, to\nme, O monarch, as I expound to thee the practices of Yoga separately.\nContemplation, which constitutes an obligatory practice with Yogins, is\ntheir highest puissance[1619]. Those conversant with Yoga say that\nContemplation is of two kinds. One is the concentration of the mind, and\nthe other is called Pranayama (regulation of breath). Pranayama is said\nto be endued with substance; while concentration of mind is unendued with\nit.[1620] Excepting the three times when a man passes urine and stools\nand eats, one should devote the whole of his time to contemplation.\nWithdrawing the senses from their objects by the aid of the mind, one\npossessed of intelligence, having made oneself pure, should agreeably to\nthe two and twenty modes of transmitting the Prana breath, unite the\nJiva-soul with That which transcends the four and twentieth topic (called\nIgnorance or Prakriti)[1621] which is regarded by the wise as dwelling in\nevery part of the body and as transcending decay and destruction. It is\nby means of those two and twenty methods that the Soul may always be\nknown, as heard by us. It is certain that this practice of Yoga is his\nwhose mind is never affected by evil passions. It is not any other\nperson's. Dissociated from all attachments, abstemious in diet, and\nsubduing all the senses, one should fix one's mind on the Soul, during\nthe first and the last part of the night, after having, O king of\nMithila, suspended the functions of the senses, quieted the mind by the\nunderstanding, and assumed a posture as motionless as that of a block of\nstone. When men of knowledge, conversant with the rules of Yoga, become\nas fixed as a stake of wood, and as immovable as a mountain, then are\nthey said to be in Yoga. When one does not hear, and smell, and taste,\nand see; when one is not conscious of any touch; when one's mind becomes\nperfectly free from every purpose; when one is not conscious of any\nthing, when one cherishes no thought; when one becomes like a piece of\nwood, then is one called by the wise to be in perfect Yoga. At such a\ntime one shines like a lamp that burns in a place where there is no wind;\nat such a time one becomes freed even from one's subtile form, and\nperfectly united with Brahma. When one attains to such progress, one has\nno longer to ascend or to fall among intermediate beings. When persons\nlike ourselves say that there has been a complete identification of the\nKnower, the Known, and Knowledge, then is the Yogin said to behold the\nSupreme Soul.[1622] While in Yoga, the Supreme Soul displays itself in\nthe Yogin's heart like a blazing fire, or like the bright Sun, or like\nthe lightning's flame in the sky. That Supreme Soul which is Unborn and\nwhich is the essence of nectar, that is seen by high-souled Brahmanas\nendued with intelligence and wisdom and conversant with the Vedas, is\nsubtiler than what is subtile and greater than what is great. That Soul,\nthough dwelling in all creatures, is not seen by them. The creator of the\nworlds, He is seen only by a person endued with wealth of intelligence\nwhen aided by the lamp of the mind. He dwells on the other share of thick\nDarkness and transcends him called Iswara.[1623] Persons conversant with\nthe Vedas and endued with omniscience call Him the dispeller of Darkness,\nstainless, transcending Darkness, without attributes and endued therewith.\n\n\"'\"'This is what is called the Yoga of Yogins. What else is the indication\nof Yoga? By such practices do Yogins succeed in beholding the Supreme\nSoul that transcends destruction and decay. This much that I have told\nthee in detail concerns about the science of Yoga. I shall now discourse\nto thee of that Sankhya philosophy by which the Supreme Soul is seen\nthrough the gradual destruction of errors.[1624] The Sankhyas, whose\nsystem is built on Prakriti, say that Prakriti, which is Unmanifest, is\nthe foremost. From Prakriti, they say, O monarch, the second principle\ncalled Mahat, is produced. It is heard by us that from Mahat flows the\nthird principle called Consciousness. The Sankhyas blessed with sight of\nthe Soul say that from Consciousness flow the five subtile essences of\nsound, form, touch, taste, and scent. All these eight they call by the\nname of Prakriti. The modifications of these eight are sixteen in number.\nThey are the five gross essences of space, light, earth, water, and wind,\nand the ten senses of action and of knowledge including the mind. Men of\nwisdom devoted to the Sankhya path and conversant with all its ordinances\nand dispensations regard these four and twenty topics as embracing the\nwhole range of Sankhya enquiry. That which is produced becomes merged in\nthe producing. Created by the Supreme Soul one after another, these\nprinciples are destroyed in a reverse order. At every new Creation, the\nGunas start into existence in the lateral order (as stated above), and\n(when Destruction comes) they merge, (each into its progenitor) in a\nreverse order, like the waves of the ocean disappearing in the ocean that\ngives them birth. O best of kings, this is the manner in which the\nCreation and the Destruction of Prakriti takes place. The Supreme Being\nis all that remains when Universal Destruction takes place, and it is He\nthat assumes multifarious forms when Creation starts into life. This is\neven so, O king, as ascertained by men of knowledge. It is Prakriti that\ncauses the overpresiding Purusha to thus assume diversity and revert back\nto unity. Prakriti also herself has the same indications. Only one fully\nconversant with the nature of the topics of enquiry knows that Prakriti\nalso assumes the same kind of diversity and unity, for when Destruction\ncomes she reverts into unity and when Creation flows she assumes\ndiversity of form. The Soul makes Prakriti, which contains the principles\nof production or growth, to assume manifold forms. Prakriti is called\nKshetra (or soul). Transcending the four and twenty topics or principles\nis the Soul which is great. It presides over that Prakriti or Kshetra.\nHence, O great king, the foremost of Yatis say that the Soul is the\nPresider. Indeed, it has been heard by us that in consequence of the\nSoul's presiding over all Kshetras He is called the Presider. And because\nHe knows that Unmanifest Kshetra, He is, therefore, also called\nKshetrajna (Knower of Kshetra). And because also the Soul enters into\nUnmanifest Kshetra (viz., the body), therefore he is called Purusha.\nKshetra is something quite different from Kshetrajna. Kshetra is\nUnmanifest. The Soul, which transcends the four and twenty principles, is\ncalled the Knower. Knowledge and the object known are different from each\nother. Knowledge, again, has been said to be Unmanifest, while the object\nof knowledge is the Soul which transcends the four and twenty principles.\nThe Unmanifest is called Kshetra, Sattwa (understanding), and also Iswara\n(the supreme Lord), while Purusha, which is the twenty-fifth principle\nhas nothing superior to it and is not a principle (for it transcends all\nprinciples and is only called a principle conventionally). This much O\nking, is an account of the Sankhya philosophy. The Sankhyas called the\ncause of the universe, and merging all the grosser principles into the\nChit behold the Supreme Soul. Rightly studying the four and twenty topics\nalong with Prakriti, and ascertaining their true nature, the Sankhyas\nsucceed in beholding That which transcends the four and twenty topics or\nprinciples.[1625] Jiva in reality is that very Soul which transcends\nPrakriti and is beyond the four and twenty topics. When he succeeds in\nknowing that Supreme Soul by dissociating himself from Prakriti, he then\nbecomes identifiable with the Supreme Soul. I have now told thee every\nthing about the Sankhya System truly. Those who are conversant with this\nphilosophy succeed in attaining to tranquillity. Indeed, as\nmen whose understanding are subject to error have direct\ncognisance of Brahma. They that succeed in attaining to that state have\nnever to come back to this world after the dissolution of their bodies;\nwhile as regards those that are said to be emancipate in this life,\npuissance, and that indescribable felicity which attaches itself to\nSamadhi, and immutability, become theirs, in consequence of their having\nattained to the nature of the Indestructible.[1626] They who behold this\nuniverse as many (instead of seeing it as one and uniform) are said to\nsee incorrectly. These men are blind to Brahma. O chastiser of foes, such\npersons have repeatedly to come back into the world and assume bodies (in\ndiverse orders of Being). They who are conversant with all that has been\nsaid above become possessed of omniscience, and accordingly when they\npass from this body no longer become subject to the control of any more\nphysical frames. All things, (or the entire universe), have been said to\nbe the result of the Unmanifest. The Soul, which is the twenty-fifth,\ntranscends all things. They who know the Soul have no fear of returning\nto the world.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCVIII\n\n\"'\"Vasishtha said, 'I have thus far discoursed to thee on the Sankhya\nphilosophy. Listen now to me as I tell thee what is Vidya (knowledge) and\nwhat is Avidya (Ignorance), one after the other. The learned say that\nthat Prakriti, which is fraught with the attributes of Creation and\nDestruction, is called Avidya; while Purusha, who is freed from the\nattributes of Creation and Destruction and who transcends the four and\ntwenty topics or principles, is called Vidya. Listen to me first as I\ntell thee what is Vidya among successive sets of other things, as\nexpounded in the Sankhya philosophy. Among the senses of knowledge and\nthose of action, the senses of knowledge are said to constitute what is\nknown as Vidya. Of the senses of knowledge and their object, the former\nconstitute Vidya as has been heard by us. Of objects of the senses and\nthe mind, the wise have said that the mind constitute Vidya. Of mind and\nthe five subtile essences, the five subtile essences constitutes Vidya.\nOf the five subtile essences and Consciousness, Consciousness constitutes\nVidya. Of Consciousness and Mahat, Mahat, O king, is Vidya. Of all the\ntopics or principles beginning with Mahat, and Prakriti, it is Prakriti,\nwhich is unmanifest and supreme, that is called Vidya. Of Prakriti, and\nthat called Vidhi which is Supreme, the latter should be known as Vidya.\nTranscending Prakriti is the twenty-fifth (called Purusha) who should be\nknown as Vidya. Of all knowledge that which is the Object of Knowledge\nhas been said to be the Unmanifest, O king.[1627] Again, Knowledge has\nbeen said to be Unmanifest and the Object of knowledge to be that which\ntranscends the four and twenty. Once more, Knowledge has been said to be\nUnmanifest, and the Knower is that which transcends the four and twenty.\nI have now told thee what is truly the import of Vidya and Avidya. Listen\nnow to me as I tell thee all that has been said about the Indestructible,\nand the Destructible. Both Jiva and Prakriti have been said to be\nIndestructible, and both of them have been said to be Destructible. I\nshall tell thee the reason of this correctly as I have understood it.\nBoth Prakriti and Jiva are without beginning and without end or\ndestruction. Both of them are regarded as supreme (in the matter of\nCreation). Those that are possessed of knowledge say that both are to be\ncalled topics or principles. In consequence of its attributes of\n(repeated) Creation and Destruction, the Unmanifest (or Prakriti) is\ncalled Indestructible. That Unmanifest becomes repeatedly modified for\nthe purpose of creating the principle. And because the principles\nbeginning with Mahat are produced by Purusha as well, and because also\nPurusha and the Unmanifest are mutually dependant upon each other,\ntherefore is Purusha also, the twenty-fifth, called Kshetra (and hence\nAkshara or Indestructible).[1628] When the Yogin withdraws and merges all\nthe principles into the Unmanifest Soul (or Brahma) then the twenty-fifth\n(viz., Jiva or Purusha) also, with all those principles disappears into\nit. When the principles become merged each into its progenitor, then the\none that remains is Prakriti. When Kshetrajna too,[1629] O son, becomes\nmerged into his own producing cause then (all that remains is Brahma and,\ntherefore) Prakriti with all the principles in it becomes Kshara (or\nmeets with destruction), and attains also to the condition of being\nwithout attributes in consequence of her dissociation from all the\nprinciples. Thus it is that Kshetrajna, when his knowledge of Kshetra\ndisappears, becomes, by his nature, destitute of attributes, as it has\nbeen heard by us. When he becomes Kshara he then assumes attributes.\nWhen, however, he attains to his own real nature, he then succeeds in\nunderstanding his own condition of being really destitute of attributes.\nBy casting off Prakriti and beginning to realise that he is different\nfrom her, the intelligent Kshetrajna then comes to be regarded as pure\nand stainless. When Jiva ceases to exist in a state of union with\nPrakriti, then does he become identifiable with Brahma. When, however, he\nexists united with Prakriti, he then, O king, seems to be different from\nBrahma. Indeed, when Jiva shows no affection for Prakriti and her\nprinciples, he then succeeds in beholding the Supreme and having once\nbeheld Him wishes not to fall away from that felicity. When the knowledge\nof truth dawns upon him, Jiva begins to lament in this strain: \"Alas, how\nfoolishly have I acted by falling through ignorance, into this frame\ncomposed of Prakriti like a fish entangled in a net! Alas, through\nignorance, I have migrated from body to body like a fish from water to\nwater thinking that water is the element in which alone it can live.\nIndeed, like a fish that does not know anything else than water to be its\nelement, I also have never known anything else than children and spouses\nto be my own! Fie on me that through ignorance, I have been repeatedly\nmigrating from body to body in forgetfulness (of the Supreme Soul)! The\nSupreme Soul alone is my friend. I have capacity for friendship with Him.\nWhatever be my nature and whoever I may be, I am competent to be like Him\nand to attain an identity with Him. I see my similarity with Him. I am\nindeed, like Him. He is stainless. It is evident that I am of the same\nnature. Through ignorance and stupefaction, I have become associated with\ninanimate Prakriti. Though really without attachments, I have passed this\nlong time in a state of attachment with Prakriti. Alas, by her was I so\nlong subdued without having been able to know it. Various are the\nforms--high, middling, and low, that Prakriti assume. Oh, how shall I\ndwell in those forms?[1630] How shall I live conjointly with her? In\nconsequence only of my ignorance I repair to her companionship. I shall\nnow be fixed (in Sankhya or Yoga). I shall not longer keep her\ncompanionship. For having passed so long a time with her, I should think\nthat I was so long deceived by her, for myself being really exempt from\nmodification, how could I keep company with one that is subject to\nmodification? She cannot be held to be responsible for this. The\nresponsibility is mine, since turning away from the Supreme Soul I become\nof my own accord attached to her. In consequence of that attachment,\nmyself, though formless in reality, had to abide in multifarious forms.\nIndeed, though formless by nature I become endued with forms in\nconsequence of my sense of meum, and thereby insulted and distressed. In\nconsequence of my sense of meum, concerning the result of Prakriti, I am\nforced to take birth in diverse orders of Being. Alas, though really\ndestitute of any sense of meum, yet in consequence of affecting it, what\ndiverse acts of an evil nature have been committed by me in those orders\nwhich I took birth while I remained in them with a soul that had lost all\nknowledge! I have no longer anything to do with him who, with essence\nmade up of consciousness, divides herself into many fragments and who\nseeks to unite me with them. It is only now that I have been awakened and\nhave understood that I am by nature without any sense of meum and without\nthat consciousness which creates the forms of Prakriti that invests me\nall around. Casting off that sense of meum which I always have with\nrespect to her and whose essence is made up of consciousness, and casting\noff Prakriti herself, I shall take refuge in Him who is auspicious. I\nshall be united with Him, and not with Prakriti which is inanimate. If I\nunite with Him, it will be productive of my benefit. I have no similarity\nof nature with Prakriti!\"--The twenty-fifth, (viz., Jiva), when he thus\nsucceeds in understanding the Supreme, becomes able to cast off the\nDestructible and attain to identity with that which is Indestructible and\nwhich is the essence of all that is auspicious. Destitute of attributes\nin his true nature and in reality Unmanifest, Jiva becomes invested with\nwhat is Manifest and assumes attributes. When he succeeds in beholding\nthat which is without attributes and which is the origin of the\nUnmanifest, he attains, O ruler of Mithila, to identify the same.\n\n\"'\"'I have now told thee what the indications are of what is Indestructible\nand what is Destructible, according to the best of my knowledge and\naccording to what has been expounded in the scriptures. I shall now tell\nthee, according to what I have heard, as to how Knowledge that is\nsubtile, stainless, and certain arises. Do thou listen to me. I have\nalready discoursed to thee what the Sankhya and the Yoga systems are\naccording to their respective indications as expounded in their\nrespective scriptures. Verily, the science that has been expounded in\nSankhya treatises is identical with what has been laid down in the Yoga\nscriptures. The knowledge, O monarch, which the Sankhya preach, is\ncapable of awakening every one. In the Sankhya scriptures, that Knowledge\nhas been inculcated very clearly for the benefit of disciples. The\nlearned say that this Sankhya system is very extensive. Yogin have great\nregard for that system as also for the Vedas. In the Sankhya system no\ntopic or principle transcending the twenty-fifth is admitted. That which\nthe Sankhyas regard as their highest topic of principles has been duly\ndescribed (by me). In the Yoga philosophy, it is said that Brahma, which\nis the essence of knowledge without duality, becomes Jiva only when\ninvested with Ignorance. In the Yoga scriptures, therefore, both Brahma\nand Jiva are spoken of.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCIX\n\n\"'\"Vasishtha said, 'Listen now to me as I discourse to thee on Buddhas\n(Supreme Soul) and Abuddha (Jiva) which is the dispensation of attributes\nof Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas. Assuming many forms (under the influence of\nillusion) the Supreme Soul, becoming Jiva, regards all those forms as\nreal.[1631] In consequence of (his regarding himself identical with) such\ntransformations, Jiva fails to understand the Supreme Soul, for he bears\nthe attributes (of Sattwa and Rajas and Tamas) and creates and withdraws\ninto himself what he creates. Ceaselessly for his sport, O monarch, does\nJiva undergo modifications, and because he is capable of understanding\nthe action of the Unmanifest, therefore is he called Budhyamana (the\nComprehender).[1632] The Unmanifest or Prakriti can at no time comprehend\nBrahma which is really without attributes even when it manifests itself\nwith attributes. Hence is Prakriti called Unintelligent. There is a\ndeclaration of the Srutis to the effect that if ever Prakriti does\nsucceed in knowing the twenty-fifth (i.e., Jiva) Prakriti then (instead\nof being something differentiated from Jiva) becomes identified with Jiva\nwho is united with her. (As regards, however, the Supreme Soul, which is\never disunited and dissociated, and which transcends the twenty-fifth\nPrakriti can never comprehend it). In consequence of this (viz., his\nattachment to or union with Prakriti), Jiva or Purusha, who is not\nmanifest and which in his real nature is not subject to modifications,\ncomes to be called as the Unawakened or Ignorant. Indeed because the\ntwenty-fifth can comprehend the Unmanifest, he is therefore, called\nBudhyamana (or Comprehender). He cannot, however, readily comprehend the\ntwenty-sixth, which is stainless, which is Knowledge without duality,\nwhich is immeasurable, and which is eternal. The twenty-sixth, however,\ncan know both Jiva and Prakriti, numbering the twenty-fifth and the\ntwenty-fourth respectively. O thou of great effulgence, only men of\nwisdom succeed in knowing that Brahma which is Unmanifest, which inheres\nin its real nature to all that is seen and unseen, and which, O son, is\nthe one independent essence in the universe.[1633] When Jiva considers\nhimself different from what he truly is (i.e. when he regards himself as\nfat or lean, fair or dark, a Brahmana or a Sudra), it is only then that he\nfails to know the Supreme Soul and himself and Prakriti with which he is\nunited. When Jiva succeeds in understanding Prakriti (and knowing that\nshe is something different from him) then he is said to be restored to\nhis true nature and then does he attain to that high understanding which\nis pure and stainless and which is concerned with Brahma. When Jiva\nsucceeds, O tiger among kings, in attaining to that excellent\nunderstanding, he then attains to that Pure Knowledge (without duality)\nwhich is called the twenty-sixth or (Brahma). He then casts off the\nUnmanifest or Prakriti which is fraught with the attributes of Creation\nand Destruction. When Jiva succeeds in knowing Prakriti which is\nunintelligent and subject to the action of the three attributes of\nSattwa, and Rajas and Tamas, he then becomes destitute of attributes\nhimself. In consequence of his thus understanding the Unmanifest (to be\nsomething different from him), he succeeds in acquiring the nature of the\nSupreme Soul. The learned say that when he is freed from the attributes\nof Sattwa and Rajas and Tamas and united in the nature with the Supreme\nSoul then does Jiva become identified with that Soul. The Supreme Soul is\ncalled Tattwa as well as Not-Tattwa, and transcends decay and\ndestruction.[1634] O giver of honours, the Soul, though it has the\nmanifest principles (viz. the body) for its resting place, yet it cannot\nbe said to have acquired the nature of those principles. The wise say\nthat including the Jiva soul there are five and twenty principles in all.\nIndeed, O son, the Soul is not to be regarded as possessed of any of the\nprinciples (Mahat and the rest). Endued with Intelligence, it transcends\nthe principles. It casts off quickly even that principle which is the\nindication of the Knowing or awakened one.[1635] When Jiva comes to\nregard himself as the twenty-sixth which is divested of decay and\ndestruction, it is then that, without doubt, he succeeds by his own force\nin attaining to similarity with the twenty-sixth. Though awakened by the\ntwenty-sixth which is Pure Intelligence, Jiva still becomes subject to\nIgnorance. This is the cause of Jiva, multifariousness (in respect of\nforms) as explained in the Srutis and the Sankhya scriptures. When Jiva,\nwho is endued with Chetana and Unintelligent Prakriti, loses all\nConsciousness of a distinct or individual Self, then does he, losing his\nmultifariousness, resumes his Oneness. O ruler of Mithila, when Jiva, who\nis found to be in union with happiness and misery and who is seldom free\nfrom the consciousness of Self, succeeds in attaining to a similarity\nwith the Supreme Soul which is beyond the reach of the understanding,\nthen does he becomes freed from virtue and vice. Indeed, when Jiva,\nattaining to the twenty-sixth which is Unborn and Puissant and which is\ndissociated from all attachments, succeeds in comprehending it\nthoroughly, he himself becomes possessed of puissance and entirely casts\noff the Unmanifest or Prakriti. In consequence of understanding the\ntwenty-sixth, the four and twenty principles seems to Jiva to be\nunsubstantial or of no value. I have thus told thee, O sinless one,\naccording to the indication of the Srutis, the nature of the\nUnintelligent or Prakriti, and of Jiva, so also of that which is Pure\nKnowledge viz., the Supreme Soul, agreeable to the truth. Guided by the\nscriptures, variety and oneness are thus to be understood. The difference\nbetween the gnat and the Udumvara, or that between the fish and water,\nillustrates the difference between the Jiva-soul and the Supreme\nSoul.[1636] The Multiplicity and Oneness of these two are then understood\nin this way. This is called Emancipation, viz., this comprehension or\nknowledge of oneself as something distinct from Unintelligent or\nUnmanifest Prakriti. The twenty-fifth, which resides in the bodies of\nliving creatures, should be emancipated by making him know the Unmanifest\nor the Supreme Soul which transcends the understanding. Indeed, that\ntwenty-fifth is capable of attaining to Emancipation in this way only and\nnot through any other means, it is certain. Though really different from\nthe Kshetra in which he resides for the time being, he partakes of the\nnature of that Kshetra in consequence of his union with it.[1637] Uniting\nwith what is Pure, he becomes Pure. Uniting with the Intelligent, he\nbecomes Intelligent. By uniting, O foremost of men, with one that is\nEmancipate, he becomes Emancipated. By uniting with one that has been\nfreed from attachments of every kind, he becomes freed from all\nattachments. By uniting with one striving after Emancipation, he himself,\npartaking of the nature of his companion, strives after Emancipation. By\nuniting with one of pure deeds he becomes pure and of pure deeds and\nendued with blazing effulgence. By uniting with one of unstained soul, he\nbecomes of unstained soul himself. By uniting with the One independent\nSoul, he becomes One and Independent. Uniting with One that is dependent\non One's own Self, he becomes of the same nature and attains to\nIndependence.\n\n\"'\"'O monarch, I have duly told thee all this that is perfectly true.\nCandidly have I discoursed to thee on this subject, viz., the Eternal and\nStainless and Primeval Brahma. Thou mayst impart this high knowledge,\ncapable of awakening the soul, unto that person, O king, who though not\nconversant with the Vedas is nevertheless, humble and has a keen desire\nfor acquiring the knowledge of Brahma. It should never be imparted unto\none that is wedded to falsehood, or one that is cunning or roguish, or\none that is without any strength of mind or one that is of crooked\nunderstanding, or one that is jealous of men of knowledge, or one that\ngives pain to others. Listen to me as I say who they are unto whom this\nknowledge may safely be communicated. It should be given to one that is\nendued with faith, or one that is possessed of merit, or one that always\nabstains from speaking ill of others, or one that is devoted to penances\nfrom the purest of motives, or one that is endued with knowledge and\nwisdom, or one that is conversant of the sacrifices and other rites laid\ndown in the Vedas, or one that is possessed of a forgiving disposition,\nor one that is inclined to take compassion on and do good to all\ncreatures; or one that is fond of dwelling in privacy and solitude, or\none that is fond of discharging all acts laid down in the scriptures, or\none that is averse to quarrels and disputes, or one that is possessed of\ngreat learning or one endued with wisdom or one possessed of forgiveness\nand self-restraint and tranquillity of soul. This high knowledge of\nBrahma should never be communicated to one that is not possessed of such\nqualifications. It has been said that by imparting this knowledge to one\nthat cannot be regarded as fit receptacle for holding it no advantage or\ngood fruit can arise. Unto one that is not observant of any vows and\nrestraints, this high knowledge should never be communicated even if he\ngives in exchange the whole Earth full of gems and wealth of every kind.\nWithout doubt, however, O king, this knowledge should be given to one\nthat has conquered one's senses. O Karala, let no fear be thine any\nlonger, since thou hast heard all this regarding high Brahma from me\ntoday! I have discoursed to thee duly about high and holy Brahma that is\nwithout beginning and middle (and end) and that is capable of dispelling\nall kinds of grief. Beholding Brahma whose sight is capable of dispelling\nboth birth and death, O king which is full of auspiciousness, which\nremoves all fear, and which benefit, and having acquired this essence of\nall knowledge, cast off all error and stupefaction today! I had acquired\nthis knowledge from the eternal Hiranyagarbha himself, O king, who\ncommunicated it to me for my having carefully gratified that great Being\nof every superior Soul. Asked by thee today, I have, O monarch,\ncommunicated the knowledge of eternal Brahma to thee just as I had myself\nacquired it from my teacher. Indeed, this high knowledge that is the\nrefuge of all persons conversant with Emancipation has been imparted to\nthee exactly as I had it from Brahman himself!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"I have thus told thee of high Brahma agreeably to\nwhat the great Rishi (Vasishtha) had said (unto king Karala of Janaka's\nrace), by attaining to which the Twenty-fifth (or Jiva) has never to\nreturn. Jiva, in consequence of his not knowing truly the Supreme Soul\nwhich is not subject to decay and death, is obliged to frequently come\nback into the world. When, however, Jiva succeeds in acquiring that high\nknowledge, he has no longer to come back. Having heard it, O king, from\nthe celestial Rishi, I have, O son, communicated to thee high knowledge\nproductive of the highest good. This knowledge was obtained from\nHiranyagarbha by the high-souled Rishi Vasishtha. From that foremost of\nRishis, viz., Vasishtha, it was acquired by Narada. From Narada I have\nacquired that knowledge which is truly identifiable with the eternal\nBrahma. Having heard this discourse of high import, fraught with\nexcellent words, do not, O foremost of the Kurus, yield any longer to\ngrief. That man who knows Kshara and Akshara becomes freed from fear. He,\nindeed, O king, is obliged to cherish fear who is destitute of this\nknowledge. In consequence of Ignorance (of Brahma), the man of foolish\nsoul hath repeatedly to come back into this world. Indeed, departing from\nthis life, he has to be born in thousands and thousands of orders of\nBeing every one of which hath death in the end. Now in the world of the\ndeities, now among men, and now among intermediate orders of Being, he\nhas to appear again and again. If in course of time he succeeds in\ncrossing that Ocean of Ignorance in which he is sunk, he then succeeds in\navoiding rebirth altogether and attaining to identity with the Supreme\nSoul. The Ocean of Ignorance is terrible. It is bottomless and called the\nUnmanifest. O Bharata, day after day, creatures are seen to fall and sink\nin that Ocean. Since thou, O king, hast been freed from that eternal and\nlimitless Ocean of Ignorance, thou hast therefore become freed from\nRajas and also Tamas.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCX\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Once on a time a king of Janaka's race, while ranging the\nuninhabited forests in pursuit of deer, saw a superior Brahmana or Rishi\nof Bhrigu's race. Bowing with his head unto the Rishi who was seated at\nhis ease, king Vasuman took his seat near him and obtaining his\npermission put to him this question: 'O holy one, what is productive of\nthe highest benefit, both here and hereafter, to man who is endued with\nan unstable body and who is the slave of his desires? Properly honoured\nby the king, and thus questioned, that high-souled Rishi possessed of\nascetic merit then said these words unto him that were highly beneficial.'\n\n\"'\"The Rishi said, 'If thou desirest both here and hereafter what is\nagreeable to thy mind, do thou then, with restrained senses, abstain from\ndoing what is disagreeable to all creatures. Righteousness is beneficial\nunto them that are good. Righteousness is the refuge of those that are\ngood. From Righteousness have flowed the three worlds with their mobile\nand immobile creatures. O thou that art eagerly desirous of enjoying all\nagreeable objects, how is it that thou art not yet satiated with objects\nof desire? Thou seest the honey, O thou of little understanding, but art\nblind to the fall[1638]. As one desirous of earning the fruits of\nknowledge should set oneself to the acquisition of knowledge, even so one\ndesirous of earning the fruits of Righteousness should set oneself to the\nacquisition of Righteousness. If a wicked man from desire of virtue,\nstrives to accomplish an act that is pure and stainless, the fulfilment\nof his desire becomes impossible. If, on the other hand, a good man,\nimpelled by the desire of earning virtue, strives to accomplish an act\nthat is even difficult, its accomplishment becomes easy for him. If,\nwhile residing in the woods, one acts in such a way as to enjoy all the\npleasures of a residence amidst men in towns, one comes to be looked upon\nnot as a forest recluse but as a denizen of towns. Similarly, if one,\nwhile residing in towns, acts in such a way as to enjoy the felicity that\nattaches to the life of a forest recluse, once comes to be looked upon\nnot as a denizen of towns but as a forest recluse. Ascertaining the\nmerits of the religion of Acts and that of Abstention from acts, do thou,\nwith concentrated senses, be devoted to the practices of righteousness\nthat appertain to thought, words, and deed. Judging of the propriety of\ntime and place, purified by the observance of vows and other cleansing\nrites, and solicited (by them), do thou, without malice, make large gifts\nunto them that are good.[1639] Acquiring wealth by righteous means, one\nshould give it away unto those that are deserving. One should make gifts,\ncasting off anger; and having made gifts one should never give way to\nsorrow nor proclaim those gifts with one's own mouth. The Brahmana who is\nfull of compassion, who is observant of candour, and whose birth is pure,\nhas been regarded as a person deserving of gifts. A person is said to be\npure in birth when he is born of mother that has only one husband and\nthat belongs to the same order to which her husband belongs. Indeed, such\na Brahmana, conversant with the three Vedas, viz., Rich, Yajush, and\nSaman, possessed of learning, duly observant of the six duties (of\nsacrificing on his own account, officiating at the sacrifices of others,\nlearning, teaching, making gifts, and receiving gifts), has been regarded\nas deserving of gifts. Righteousness becomes unrighteousness, and\nunrighteousness becomes righteousness, according to the character of the\ndoer, of time, and of place.[1640] Sin is cast off like the filth on\none's body,--a little with a little exertion and a greater quantity when\nthe exertion is greater. A person, after purging his bowels, should take\nghee, which operates most beneficially on his system (as a healthy\ntonic). After the same manner, when one has cleansed oneself of all\nfaults and sets oneself to the acquisition of righteousness, that\nrighteousness, in the next world, proves to be productive of the highest\nhappiness. Good and evil thoughts exist in the minds of all creatures.\nWithdrawing the mind from evil thoughts, it should always be directed\ntowards good thoughts. One should always reverence the practices of one's\nown order. Do thou strive, therefore, to act in such a way that thou\nmayst have faith in the practices of thy own order. O thou that art\nendued with an impatient soul, betake thyself to the practice of\npatience. O thou that art of a foolish understanding, seek thou to be\npossessed of intelligence! Destitute of tranquillity, seek thou to be\ntranquil, and bereft of wisdom as thou art, do thou seek to act wisely!\nHe who moves in the companionship of the righteous succeeds, by his own\nenergy, in acquiring the means of accomplishing what is beneficial for\nhim both in this and the next world. Verily, the root of the benefit\n(which thus becomes his here and hereafter) is unwavering firmness. The\nroyal sage Mahabhisha, through want of this firmness, fell from heaven.\nYayati, also, though his merits had become exhausted (in consequence of\nhis boastfulness and thought was hurled down from heaven) succeeded in\nregaining regions of felicity through his firmness. Thou art sure to\nattain to great intelligence, as also to what is for thy highest good, by\npaying court to virtuous and learned persons possessed of ascetic merit.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Hearing these words of the sage, king Vasuman,\npossessed of a good disposition, withdrawing his mind from the pursuits\nof desire, set it upon the acquisition of Righteousness.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"It behoveth thee, O grandsire, to discourse to me on\nthat which is freed from duty and its reverse, which is freed from every\ndoubt, which transcends birth and death, as also virtue and sin, which is\nauspiciousness, which is eternal fearlessness, which is Eternal and\nIndestructible, and Immutable, which is always Pure, and which is ever\nfree from the toil of exertion.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I shall in this connection recite to thee the old\nnarrative, O Bharata, of the discourse between Yajnavalkya and Janaka.\nOnce on a time the famous king Daivarati of Janaka's race, fully\nconversant with the import of all questions, addressed this question to\nYajnavalkya, that foremost of Rishis.\n\n\"'\"Janaka said, 'O regenerate Rishi, how many kinds of senses are there?\nHow many kinds also are there of Prakriti? What is the Unmanifest and\nhighest Brahma? What is higher than Brahma? What is birth and what is\ndeath? What are the limits of Age? It behoveth thee, O foremost of\nBrahmanas, to discourse on all these topics unto me that am solicitous of\nobtaining thy grace; I am ignorant while thou art an Ocean of knowledge.\nHence, I ask thee! Verily, I desire to hear thee discourse on all these\nsubjects!'\n\n\"'\"Yajnavalkya said, 'Hear, O monarch, what I say in an answer to these\nquestions of thine. I shall impart to thee the high knowledge which\nYogins value, and especially that which is possessed by the Sankhyas.\nNothing is unknown to thee. Still thou askest me. One however that is\nquestioned should answer. This is the eternal practice. Eight principles\nhave been called by the name of Prakriti, while sixteen have been called\nmodifications. Of Manifest, there are seven. These are the views of those\npersons who are conversant with the science of Adhyatma. The Unmanifest\n(or original Prakriti), Mahat, Consciousness, and the five subtile\nelements of Earth, Wind, Space, Water, and Light,--these eight are known\nby the name of Prakriti. Listen now to the enumeration of those called\nmodifications. They are the ear, the skin, the tongue, and the nose; and\nsound, touch, form, taste, and scent, as also speech, the two arms, the\ntwo feet, the lower duct (within the body), and the organs of\npleasure.[1641] Amongst these, the ten beginning with sound, and having\ntheir origin in the five great principles,[1642] are called Visesha. The\nfive senses of knowledge are called Savisesha, O ruler of Mithila.\nPersons conversant with the Science of Adhyatma regard the mind as the\nsixteenth. This is conformable to thy own views as also to those of other\nlearned men well acquainted with the truths about principles. From the\nUnmanifest, O king, springs the Mahat-soul. The learned say this to be\nthe first creation relating to Pradhana (or Prakriti): From Mahat, O king\nof men, is produced Consciousness. This has been called the second\ncreation having the Understanding for its essence.[1643] From\nConsciousness hath sprung the Mind which is the essence of sound and the\nothers that are the attributes of space and the rest. This is the third\ncreation, said to relate to Consciousness. From mind have sprung the\ngreat elements, (numbering five), O king! Know that this is the fourth\ncreation called mental, as I say. Persons conversant with the primal\nelements say that Sound and Touch and Form and Taste and Scent are the\nfifth creation, relating to the Great (primal) elements. The creation of\nthe Ear, the Skin, the Tongue, and the Scent, forms the sixth and is\nregarded as having for its essence multiplicity of thought. The senses\nthat come after the Ear and the others (i.e., the senses of action) then\narise, O monarch. This is called seventh creation and relates to the\nsenses of Knowledge. Then, O monarch, come the breath that rises upward\n(viz., Prana) and those that have a transverse motion (viz., Saman,\nUdana, and Vyana). This is the eighth creation and is called\nArjjava.[1644] Then come those breaths that course transversely in the\nlower parts of the body (viz., Samana, Udana and Vyana) and also that\ncalled Apana coursing downwards. This ninth creation, is also called\nArjjava, O king. These nine kinds of creation, and these principles, O\nmonarch, which latter number four and twenty, are declared to thee\naccording to what has been laid down in the scriptures. After this, O\nking, listen to me as I tell thee durations of time as indicated by the\nlearned in respect of these principles or attribute.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXII\n\n\"'\"Yajnavalkya said, 'Listen to me, O foremost of men, as I tell thee what\nthe duration of time is in respect to the Unmanifest (or the Supreme\nPurusha). Ten thousand Kalpas are said to constitute a single day of his.\nThe duration of his night is equal. When his night expires, he awakes, O\nmonarch, and first creates herbs and plants which constitute the\nsustenance of all embodied creatures. He then creates Brahman who springs\nfrom a golden egg. That Brahman is the form of all created things, as has\nbeen heard by us. Having dwelt for one whole year within that egg, the\ngreat ascetic Brahman, called also Prajapati (Lord of all creatures),\ncame out of it and created the whole Earth, and the Heaven above. The\nLord then, it is read in the Vedas, O king, placed the sky between Heaven\nand Earth separated from each other. Seven thousand and five hundred\nKalpas measure the day of Brahman. Persons conversant with the science of\nAdhyatma say that his night also is of an equal duration. Brahmana,\ncalled Mahan, then creates Consciousness called Bhuta and endued with\nexcellent essence.[1645] Before creating any physical bodies out of the\ningredients called the Great elements, Mahan or Brahma, endued with\npenances, created four others called his sons. They are the sires of the\noriginal sires, O best of kings, as heard by us.[1646] It hath been also\nheard by us, O monarch, that the senses (of knowledge) along with the four\ninner faculties, have sprung from the (five Great elements called)\nPitris, and that the entire universe of mobile and immobile Beings has\nbeen filled with those Great elements.[1647] The puissant Consciousness\ncreated the five Bhutas. These are Earth, Wind, Space, Water, and Light\nnumbering the fifth. This Consciousness (who is a Great Being and) from\nwhom springs the third creating, has five thousand Kalpas for his night,\nand his day is of equal duration. Sound, Touch, Form, Taste, and\nScent,--these five are called Visesha. They inhere into the five great\nBhutas. All creatures, O king, incessantly pervaded by these five, desire\none another's companionship, become subservient to one another; and\nchallenging one another, transcend one another; and led by those\nimmutable and seductive principles, creatures kill one another and wander\nin this world entering into numerous orders of Being.[1648] Three\nthousands of Kalpas represent the duration of their day. The measure of\ntheir night also is the same.[1649] The Mind roveth over all things, O\nking, led on by the Senses. The Senses do not perceive anything. It is\nthe Mind that perceives through them. The Eye sees forms when aided by\nthe Mind but never by itself. When the Mind is distracted, the Eye fails\nto perceive with even the objects fully before it. It is commonly said\nthat the Senses perceive. This is not true, for it is the Mind that\nperceives through the Senses. When the cessation takes place of the\nactivity of the Mind, the cessation of the activity of the Senses\nfollows. That is the cessation of the activity of the Senses which is the\ncessation of the activity of the Mind. One should thus regard the Senses\nto be under the domination of the Mind. Indeed, the Mind is said to be\nthe Lord of all the Senses. O thou of great fame, these are all the\ntwenty Bhutas in the Universe.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXIII\n\n\"'\"Yajnavalkya said, 'I have, one after another, told thee the order of the\ncreation, with their total number, of the various principles, as also the\nextent of the duration of each. Listen now to me as I tell thee of their\ndestruction. Listen to me how Brahman, who is eternal and undecaying, and\nwho is without beginning and without end, repeatedly creates and destroys\nall created objects. When his day expires and night comes, he becomes\ndesirous of sleep. At such a time the unmanifest and holy one urges the\nBeing called Maharudra, who is conscious of his great powers, (for\ndestroying the world). Urged by the unmanifest, that Being assuming the\nform of Surya of hundreds of thousands of rays, divides himself into a\ndozen portions each resembling a blazing fire. He then consumes with his\nenergy, O monarch, without any loss of time, the four kinds of created\nbeings, viz., viviparous, oviparous, filth-born, and vegetable. Within\nthe twinkling of the eye all mobile and immobile creatures being thus\ndestroyed, the Earth becomes on every side as bare as a tortoise shell.\nHaving burnt everything on the face of the Earth, Rudra, of immeasurable\nmight, then quickly fills the bare Earth with Water possessed of great\nforce. He then creates the Yuga-fire which dries up that Water (into\nwhich the bare Earth has been dissolved). The Water disappearing, the\ngreat element of Fire continues to blaze fiercely. Then comes the mighty\nWind of immeasurable force, in his eight forms, who swallows up quickly\nthat blazing fire of transcendent force, possessed of seven flames, and\nidentifiable with the heat existing every creature. Having swallowed up\nthat fire, the Wind courses in every direction, upwards, downwards, and\ntransversely. Then space of immeasurable existent swallowed up that Wind\nof transcendent energy. Then Mind cheerfully swallows up that\nimmeasurable Space. Then that Lord of all creatures, viz., Consciousness,\nwho is the Soul of everything, swallows up the Mind. Consciousness, in\nhis turn, is swallowed up by the Mahat-soul who is conversant with the\nPast, the Present, and the Future. The incomparable Mahat-soul or\nUniverse is then swallowed up by Sambhu, that Lord of all things, to whom\nthe Yoga attributes of Anima, Laghima, Prapti, etc., naturally inhere,\nwho is regarded as the Supreme and pure Effulgence that is Immutable. His\nhands and feet extend over every part; his eyes and head and face are\neverywhere, his ears reach every place, and he exists overwhelming all\nthings. He is the heart of all creatures; His measure is of a digit of\nthe thumb. That Infinite and supreme Soul, that Lord of all, thus\nswallows up the Universe. After this, what remains is the Undecaying and\nthe Immutable, One who is without defect of any kind, who is the Creator\nof the Past, the Present, and the Future, and who is perfectly faultless,\nI have thus, O monarch, duly told thee of Destruction. I shall now\ndiscourse to thee on the subjects of Adhyatma, Adhibhuta, and\nAdhidaivata.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXIV\n\n\"'\"Yajnavalkya said, 'Brahmanas conversant with the topics of enquiry speak\nof the two feet as Adhyatma, the act of walking as Adhibhuta, and Vishnu\nas Adhidaivatam (of those two limbs). The lower duct (anal canal) is\nAdhyatma, its function of throwing out the excreta is Adhibhuta, and\nMitra (Surya) is the Adhidaivata (of that organ). The organ of generation\nis called Adhyatma. Its agreeable function is called Adhibhuta, and\nPrajapati is its Adhidaivata. The hands are Adhyatma; their function as\nrepresented by acts is Adhibhuta; and Indra is the Adhidaivata of those\nlimbs. The organs of speech are Adhyatma; the words uttered by them are\nAdhibhuta; and Agni is their Adhidaivata. The eye is Adhyatma; vision or\nform is its Adhibhuta; and Surya is the Adhidaivata of that organ. The\near is Adhyatma; sound is Adhibhuta; and the points of the horizon are\nits Adhidaivata. The tongue is Adhyatma, taste is its Adhibhuta; and\nWater is its Adhidaivata. The sense of scent is Adhyatma; odour is its\nAdhibhuta; and Earth is its Adhidaivata. The skin is Adhyatma; touch is\nits Adhibhuta; and Wind is its Adhidaivata. Mind has been called\nAdhyatma; that with which the Mind is employed is Adhibhuta; and\nChandramas is its Adhidaivata. Consciousness is Adhyatma; conviction in\none's identity with Prakriti is its Adhibhuta; and Mahat or Buddhi is its\nAdhidaivata. Buddhi is Adhyatma; that which is to be understood is its\nAdhibhuta; and Kshetrajna is its Adhidaivata. I have thus truly expounded\nto thee, O king, with its details taken individually, the puissance of\nthe Supreme (in manifesting Himself in different forms) in the beginning,\nthe middle, and the end, O thou that art fully conversant with the nature\nof the original topics or principles. Prakriti, cheerfully and of her own\naccord, as if for sport, O monarch, produces, by undergoing modifications\nherself, thousands and thousands of combinations of her original\ntransformations called Gunahs. As men can light thousands of lamps from\nbut a single lamp, after the same manner Prakriti, by modification,\nmultiplies into thousands of existent objects the (three) attributes (of\nSattwa and Rajas and Tamas) of Purusha. Patience, joy, prosperity,\nsatisfaction, brightness of all faculties, happiness, purity, health,\ncontentment, faith, liberality, compassion, forgiveness, firmness,\nbenevolence, equanimity, truth, acquittance of obligations, mildness,\nmodesty, calmness, external purity, simplicity, observance of obligatory\npractices, dispassionateness, fearlessness of heart, disregard for the\nappearance or otherwise of good and evil as also for past\nacts, appropriation of objects only when obtained by gift, the absence\nof cupidity, regard for the interests of others, compassion for all\ncreatures,--these have been said to be the qualities that attach to the\nattribute of Sattwa. The tale of qualities attaching to the attribute of\nRajas consists of pride of personal beauty, assertion of lordship, war,\ndisclination to give, absence of compassion, enjoyment and enduring of\nhappiness and misery, pleasure in speaking ill of others, indulgence in\nquarrels and disputes of every kind, arrogance, discourtesy, anxiety,\nindulgence in hostilities, sorrow, appropriation of what belongs to\nothers, shamelessness, crookedness, disunions, roughness, lust, wrath,\npride, assertion of superiority, malice, and calumny. These are said to\nspring from the attributes of Rajas. I shall now tell thee of that\nassemblage of qualities which springs from Tamas. They are stupefaction\nof judgment, obscuration of every faculty, darkness and blind darkness.\nBy darkness is implied death, and by blind darkness is meant wrath.\nBesides these, the other indications of Tamas are greediness in respect\nof all kinds of food, ceaseless appetite for both food and drink, taking\npleasure in scents and robes and sports and beds and seats and sleep\nduring the day and calumny and all kinds of acts proceeding from\nheedlessness, taking pleasure, from ignorance (of purer sources of joy)\nin dancing and instrumental and vocal music, and aversion for every kind\nof religion. These, indeed, are the indications of Tamas.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXV\n\n\"'\"Yajnavalkya said, 'These three, O foremost of men, (viz., Sattwa, Rajas,\nand Tamas), are the attributes of Prakriti. These attach to all things of\nthe universe and always inhere to them. The Unmanifest Purusha endued\nwith the six Yoga attributes transforms himself by himself into hundreds\nand thousands and millions and millions of forms (by embracing these\nthree attributes). Those that are conversant with the science of\nAdhyatma, say that unto the attribute of Sattwa is assigned a high, unto\nRajas a middling, and unto Tamas, a low place in the universe. By the aid\nof unmixed righteousness one attains to a high end (viz., that of the\ndeities or other celestial beings). Through righteousness mixed with sin\none attains to the status of humanity. While through unmixed sin one\nsinks into a vile end (by becoming an animal or a vegetable etc.). Listen\nnow to me, O king, as I speak to thee of the intermixture or compounds of\nthe three attributes of Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas. Sometimes Rajas is seen\nexisting with Sattwa. Tamas also exists with Rajas. With Tamas may also\nbe seen Sattwa. Then also may Sattwa and Rajas and Tamas be seen existing\ntogether and in equal proportions. They constitute the Unmanifest or\nPrakriti. When the Unmanifest (Purusha) becomes endued with only Sattwa,\nhe attains to the regions of the deities. Endued with both Sattwa and\nRajas, he takes birth among human beings. Endued with Rajas and Tamas, he\ntakes birth among the intermediate order of Being. Endued with all three,\nviz., Sattwa and Rajas and Tamas, he attains to the status of humanity.\nThose high souled persons that transcend both righteousness and sin,\nattain, it is said, to that place which is eternal, immutable, undecaying,\nand immortal. Men of knowledge attain to births that are very superior,\nand their place is faultless and undecaying, transcending the ken of the\nsenses, free from ignorance, above birth and death, and full of light\nthat dispels all kinds of darkness. Thou hadst asked me about the nature\nof the Supreme residing in the Unmanifest, (viz., Purusha). I shall tell\nthee. Listen to me, O king. Even when residing in Prakriti, He is said to\nreside in His own nature without partaking of the nature of\nPrakriti.[1650] Prakriti, O king, is inanimate and unintelligent. When\npresided over by Purusha, then only can she create and destroy.'\n\n\"'\"Janaka said, 'Both Prakriti and Purusha, O thou of great intelligence,\nare without beginning and without end. Both of them are without form.\nBoth of them are undecaying. Both of them, again, incomprehensible. How\nthen, O foremost of Rishis, can it be said that one of them is inanimate\nand unintelligent? How, again, is the other said to be animate and\nintelligent? And why is the latter called Kshetrajna? Thou, O foremost of\nBrahmanas, art fully conversant with the entire religion of Emancipation.\nI desire to hear in detail of the religion of Emancipation in its\nentirety. Do thou discourse to me then of the existence and Oneness of\nPurusha, of his separateness from Prakriti, of the deities which attach\nto the body of the place to which embodied creatures repair when they\ndie, and that place to which they may ultimately, in course of time, be\nable to go. Tell me also of the Knowledge described in the Sankhya\nsystem, and of the Yoga system separately. It behoveth thee also to speak\nof the premonitory symptoms of death, O best of men. All these topics are\nwell known to thee even as an (emblic) myrobalan in thy hand!'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXVI\n\n\"'\"Yajnavalkya said, 'That which is without attributes, O son, can never be\nexplained by ascribing attributes to it. Listen, however, to me as I\nexpound to thee what is possessed of attributes and what is devoid of\nthem. High-souled Munis conversant with the truth regarding all the\ntopics or principles say that when Purusha seizes attributes like a\ncrystal catching the reflection of a red flower, he comes to be called as\npossessed of attributes; but when freed from attributes like the crystal\nfreed from reflection, he comes to be viewed in his real nature, that is,\nas beyond all attributes.[1651] Unmanifest Prakriti is by her nature\nendued with attributes. She cannot transcend them. Destitute of\nintelligence by nature, she becomes attached to attributes. Unmanifest\nPrakriti cannot know anything, while Purusha, by his nature, is possessed\nof knowledge,--There is nothing higher than myself,--even this is what\nPurusha is always conscious of. For this reason the unmanifest (or\nPrakriti), although naturally inanimate and unintelligent, still becomes\nanimate and intelligent in consequence of her union with Purusha who is\nEternal and Indestructible instead of remaining in her own nature due to\ndestructibility.[1652] When Purusha, through ignorance, repeatedly\nbecomes associated with attributes, he fails to understand his own real\nnature and therefore he fails to attain to Emancipation. In consequence of\nPurusha's lordship over the principles that flow from Prakriti, he is\nsaid to partake of the nature of those principles. In consequence also of\nhis agency in the matter of creation, he is said to possess the attribute\nof creation. In consequence of his agency in the matter of Yoga, he is\nsaid to possess the attribute of Yoga. For his lordship over those\nparticular principles known by the name of Prakriti, he is said to\npossess the nature of Prakriti.[1653] For his agency in the matter of\ncreating the seeds (of all immobile objects), he is said to partake of\nthe nature of those seeds. And because he causes the several principles\nor attributes to start into life, he is, therefore, said to be subject to\ndecay and destruction (for those principles themselves are subject\nthereto). In consequence, again, of his being the witness of everything,\nand in consequence also of there being nothing else than he, as also for\nhis consciousness of identity with Prakriti, Yatis crowned with ascetic\nsuccess, conversant with Adhyatma, and freed from fever of every kind,\nregard him as existing by himself without a second, immutable, unmanifest\n(in the form of Cause), unstable, and manifest (in the form of effects).\nThis is what has been heard by us. Those Sankhyas, however, that depend\nupon Knowledge only (for their Emancipation) and the practice of\ncompassion for all creatures, say that it is Prakriti which is One but\nPurushas are many.[1654] As a matter of fact, Purusha is different from\nPrakriti which though unstable, still appears as stable. As a blade of\nreed is different from its outer cover, even so is Purusha different from\nPrakriti. Indeed, the worm that is ensconced within the Udumvara should\nbe known as different from the Udumvara. Though existing with the\nUdumvara, the worm is not to be regarded as forming a portion of the\nUdumvara. The fish is distinct from the water in which it lives, and the\nwater is distinct from the fish that lives in it. Though the fish and\nwater exist together, yet it is never drenched by water. The fire that is\ncontained in an earthen sauce pan is distinct from the earthen sauce pan,\nand the sauce pan is distinct from the fire it contains. Although the\nfire exists in and with the sauce pan, yet it is not to be regarded as\nforming any part of it. The lotus-leaf that floats on a piece of water is\ndistinct from the piece of water on which it floats. Its co-existence\nwith water does not make it a portion of the water. The perennial\nexistence of those objects in and with those mentioned, is never\ncorrectly understood by ordinary people. They who behold Prakriti and\nPurusha in any other light are said to possess a vision that is\nincorrect. It is certain that they have repeatedly to sink into terrible\nhell. I have thus told thee the philosophy of the Sankhyas that excellent\nscience by which all things have been correctly ascertained. Ascertaining\nthe nature of Purusha and Prakriti in this way, the Sankhyas attain to\nEmancipation. I have also told thee of the systems of those others that\nare conversant with the great principles of the universe. I shall now\ndiscourse to thee on the science of the Yogins.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXVII\n\n\"'\"Yajnavalkya said, 'I have already spoken to thee of the science of the\nSankhyas. Listen now to me as I truly discourse on the science of the\nYogins as heard and seen by me, O best of kings! There is no knowledge\nthat can compare with that of the Sankhyas. There is no puissance that\ncompares with that of Yoga. These two ordain the same practices, and both\nare regarded as capable of leading to Emancipation. Those men that are\nnot blest with intelligence regard the Sankhya and the Yoga systems to be\ndifferent from each other. We, however, O king, look upon them as one and\nthe same, according to the conclusion to which we have arrived (after\nstudy and reflection). That which the Yogins have in view is the very\nsame which the Sankhyas also have in view. He who sees both the Sankhya\nand the Yoga systems to be one and the same is to be regarded as truly\nconversant with the topics or principles that ordain the universe. Know,\nO king, that the vital breaths and the senses are the chief means for\npractising Yoga. By only regulating those breaths and the senses, Yogins\nwander everywhere at their will.[1655] When the gross body is destroyed,\nYogins endued with subtile bodies possessed of the eight Yoga attributes\nof Anima, Laghima, Prapti, etc., wander over the universe, enjoying (in\nthat body) all kinds of felicities, O sinless one. The wise have, in the\nscriptures, spoken of Yoga as conferring eight kinds of puissance. They\nhave spoken of Yoga as possessed of eight limbs.[1656] Indeed, O king,\nthey have not spoken of any other kind of Yoga. It has been said that the\npractices of Yogins excellent as these are (for their results), are of\ntwo kinds. Those two kinds, according to the indications occurring in the\nscriptures, are practices endued with attributes and those freed from\nattributes. The concentration of the mind on the sixteen objects named,\nwith simultaneous regulation of the breath, O king, is one kind. The\nconcentration of the mind in such a way as to destroy all difference\nbetween the contemplator, the object contemplated, and the act of\ncontemplation along with subjugation of the senses, is of another kind.\nThe first kind of Yoga is said to be that possessed of attributes; the\nsecond kind is said to be that freed from attributes.[1657] Then, again,\nregulation of the breath is Yoga with attributes. In Yoga without\nattributes, the mind, freed from its functions, should be fixed. Only the\nregulation of the breath which is said to be endued with attributes\nshould, in the first instance, be practised, for, O ruler of Mithila, if\nthe breath (that is inhaled and suspended) be exhaled without mentally\nreflecting the while upon a definite image (furnished by a limited\nmantra), the wind in the neophyte's system will increase to his great\ninjury.[1658] In the first Yama of the night, twelve ways of holding the\nbreath are recommended. After sleep, in the last Yama of the night, other\ntwelve ways of doing the same have been laid down. Without doubt, one\nendued with tranquillity, of subdued senses, living in retirement,\nrejoicing in one's own self, and fully conversant with the import of the\nscriptures, should (regulating one's breath in these four and twenty\nways) fix one's Soul (on the Supreme Soul).[1659] Dispelling the five\nfaults of the five senses, viz., (withdrawing them from their objects of)\nsound, form, touch, taste, and scent, and dispelling those conditions\ncalled Pratibha and Apavarga, O ruler of the Mithilas, all the senses\nshould be fixed upon the mind. The mind should then be fixed on\nConsciousness, O king, Consciousness should next be fixed on intelligence\nor Buddhi, and Buddhi, should then be fixed on Prakriti. Thus merging\nthese one after another, Yogins contemplate the Supreme Soul which is\nOne, which is freed from Rajas, which is stainless, which is Immutable\nand Infinite and Pure and without defect, who is Eternal Purusha, who is\nunchangeable, who is Indivisible, who is without decay and death, who is\neverlasting, who transcends diminution, and which is Immutable Brahma.\nListen now, O monarch, to the indications of one that is in Yoga. All the\nindications of cheerful contentment that are his who is slumbering in\ncontentment are seen in the person, that is in Samadhi. The person in\nSamadhi, the wise say, looks like the fixed and upward flame of a lamp\nthat is full of oil and that burns in a breezeless spot. He is like a\nrock which is incapable of being moved in the slightest degree by ever a\nheavy downpour from the clouds. He is incapable of being moved by the din\nof conches and drums, or by songs or the sound of hundreds of musical\ninstruments beat or blown together. Even this is the indication of one in\nSamadhi. As a man of cool courage and determination, while ascending a\nflight of steps with a vessel full of oil in his hands, does not spill\neven a drop of the liquid if frightened and threatened by persons armed\nwith weapons even so the Yogin, when his mind has been concentrated and\nwhen he beholds the Supreme Soul in Samadhi, does not, in consequence of\nthe entire stoppage of the functions of his senses at such a time, move\nin the slightest degree. Even these should be known to be the indication\nof the Yogin while he is in Samadhi. While in Samadhi, the Yogin beholds\nBrahma which is Supreme and Immutable, and which is situated like a\nblazing Effulgence in the midst of thick Darkness. It is by this means\nthat he attains, after many years, to Emancipation after casting off this\ninanimate body. Even this is what the eternal Sruti declares. This is\ncalled the Yoga of the Yogins. What else is it? Knowing it, they that are\nendued with wisdom regard themselves as crowned with success.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXVIII\n\n\"'\"Yajnavalkya said, 'Listen now to me, with attention, O king, as to what\nthe places are to which those who die have to go. If the Jiva-soul\nescapes through the feet, it is said that the man goes to the region of\nthe Vishnu. If through the calves, it has been heard by us, that the man\nrepairs to the regions of the Vasus. If through the knees, he attains to\nthe companionship of those deities that are called Sadhyas. If through\nthe lower duct, the man attains to the regions of Mitra. If through the\nposteriors, the man returns to the Earth, and if through the thighs to\nthe region of Prajapati. If through the flanks, the man attains to the\nregions of the Maruts, and if through the nostrils, to the region of\nChandramas. If through arms, the man goes to the region of Indra, and if\nthrough the chest, to that of Rudra. If through the neck, the man repairs\nto the excellent region of that foremost of ascetics known by the name of\nNara. If through the mouth, the man attains to the region of the\nViswadevas and if through the ears, to the region of the deities of the\nseveral points of the horizon. If through the nose, the man attains to\nthe region of the Windgod; and if through the eyes, to the region of\nAgni. If through the brows, the man goes to the region of the Aswins; and\nif through the forehead, to that of Pitris. If through the crown of the\nhead, the man attains to the region of the puissant Brahman, that\nforemost of the gods. I have thus told thee, O ruler of Mithila, the\nseveral places to which men repair according to the manner in which their\nJiva-souls escape from their bodies. I shall now tell thee the\npremonitory indication, as laid down by the wise of those who have but\none year to live. One, who having previously seen the fixed star called\nArandhati, fails to see it, or that other star called Dhruva,[1660] or\none that sees the full Moon or the flame of a burning lamp to be broken\ntowards the south, has but one year to live. Those men, O king, who can\nno longer see images of themselves reflected in the eyes of others, have\nbut one year to live. One, who, being endued with lustre loses it, or\nbeing endued with wisdom loses it,--indeed, one whose inward and outward\nnature is thus changed,--has but six months more to live. He, who\ndisregards the deities, or quarrels with the Brahmanas, or one, who,\nbeing naturally of a dark complexion becomes pale of hue, has but six\nmonths more to live. One, who sees the lunar disc to have many holes like\na spider's web, or one, who sees the solar disc to have similar holes has\nbut one week more to live. One, who, when smelling fragrant scents in\nplace of worship, perceives them to be as offensive as the scent of\ncorpses, has but one week more to live. The depression of the nose or of\nthe ears, the discolour of the teeth or of the eye, the loss of all\nconsciousness, and the loss also of all animal heat, are symptoms\nindicating death that very day. If, without any perceptible cause a\nstream of tears suddenly flows from one's left eye, and if vapours be\nseen to issue from one's head, that is a sure indication that the man\nwill die before that day expires. Knowing all these premonitory symptoms,\nthe man of cleansed soul should day and night unite his soul with the\nSupreme Soul (in Samadhi). Thus should he go on till the day comes for\nhis dissolution. If, however, instead of wishing to die he desires to\nlive in this world, he casts off all enjoyments,--all scents and\ntastes,--O king, and lives on in abstinence. He thus conquers death by\nfixing his soul on the Supreme Soul. Indeed, the man, who is blessed with\nknowledge of the Soul, O monarch, practises the course of life\nrecommended by the Sankhyas and conquers death by uniting his soul with\nthe Supreme Soul. At last, he attains to what is entirely indestructible,\nwhich is without birth, which is auspicious, and immutable, and eternal,\nand stable, and which is incapable of being attained to by men of\nuncleansed souls.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXIX\n\n\"'\"Yajnavalkya said, 'Thou hast asked me, O monarch, of that Supreme Brahma\nwhich resides in the Unmanifest. Thy question relates to a deep mystery.\nListen to me with close attention, O king! Having conducted myself with\nhumility according to the ordinances laid down by the Rishis I obtained\nthe Yajushes, O king, from Surya. Without the austerest penances I\nformerly adored the heat-giving deity. The puissant Surya, O sinless one,\ngratified with me, saying,--\"Solicit thou, O regenerate Rishi, the boon\nupon which thou hast set thy heart, however difficult it may be of\nacquisition, I shall, with cheerful Soul, grant it to thee. It is very\ndifficult to incline me to grace!\" Bowing unto him with a bend of my head,\nthat foremost of heat-giving luminaries was addressed by me in these\nwords, \"I have no knowledge of the Yajushes. I desire to know them without\nloss of time!\"--The holy one, thus solicited, told me,--\"I shall impart the\nYajushes unto thee. Made up of the essence of speech, the goddess\nSaraswati will enter into thy body.\" The deity then commanded me to open\nmy mouth. I did as I was commanded. The goddess Saraswati then entered\ninto my body, O sinless one. At this, I began to burn. Unable to endure\nthe pain I plunged into a stream. Not understanding that what the\nhigh-souled Surya had done for me was for my good, I became even angry\nwith him. While I was burning with the energy of the goddess, the holy\nSurya told me,--\"Do thou endure this burning sensation for only a little\nwhile. That will soon cease and thou wilt be cool.\" Indeed I became cool.\nSeeing me restored to ease, the Maker of light said unto me,--\"The whole\nVedas, with even those parts that are regarded as its appendix, together\nwith the Upanishads, will appear in thee by inward light, O regenerate\none! The entire Satapathas also thou wilt edit, O foremost of regenerate\nones. After that, thy understanding will turn to the path of\nEmancipation. Thou wilt also attain to that end which is desirable and\nwhich is coveted by both Sankhyas and Yogins!\"--Having said these words\nunto me, the divine Surya proceeded to the Asta hills. Hearing his last\nwords, and after he had departed from the spot where I was, I came home\nin joy and then remembered the goddess Saraswati. Thought of by me, the\nauspicious Saraswati appeared instantly before my eyes, adorned with all\nthe vowels and the consonants and having placed the syllable Om in the\nvan, I then, according to the ordinance, offered unto the goddess the\nusual Arghya, and dedicated another to Surya, that foremost of all\nheat-giving deities. Discharging this duty I took my seat, devoted to\nboth those deities. Thereupon, the entire Satapatha Brahmanas, with all\ntheir mysteries and with all their abstracts as also their appendices,\nappeared of themselves before my mental vision, at which I became filled\nwith great joy.[1661] I then taught them to a hundred good disciples and\nthereby did what was disagreeable to my high-souled maternal uncle\n(Vaisampayana) with the disciples gathered round him.[1662] Then shining\nin the midst of my disciples like the Sun himself with his rays, I took\nthe management of the Sacrifice of thy high-souled sire, O king. In that\nSacrifice a dispute arose between me and my maternal uncle as to who\nshould be permitted to appropriate the Dakshina that was paid for the\nrecitation of the Vedas. In the very presence of Devala, I took half of\nthat Dakshina (the other half going to my maternal uncle). Thy sire and\nSumantra and Paila and Jaimini and other articles all acquiesced in that\narrangement.[1663]\n\n\"'\"'I had thus got from Surya the five times ten Yajushes, O monarch. I\nthen studied the Puranas with Romaharshan. Keeping before me those\n(original) Mantras and the goddess Saraswati I, then, O king, aided by the\ninspiration of Surya, set myself to compile the excellent Satapatha\nBrahmanas, and succeeded in achieving the task never before undertaken by\nany one else. That path which I had desired to take has been taken by me\nand I have also taught it to my disciples. Indeed, the whole of those\nVedas with their abstracts have been imparted by me to those disciples of\nmine. Pure in mind and body, all those disciples have, in consequence of\nmy instructions, become filled with joy. Having established (for the use\nof others) this knowledge consisting of fifty branches which I had\nobtained from Surya, I now meditate on the great object of that knowledge\nviz., (Brahma). The Gandharva Viswavasu, well-conversant with the Vedanta\nscriptures, desirous, O king, of ascertaining what is beneficial for the\nBrahmanas in this knowledge and what truth occurs in it, and what is the\nexcellent object of this knowledge, one questioned me. He put to me\naltogether four and twenty questions, O king, relating to the Vedas.\nFinally, he asked me a question, numbered twenty-fifth which relates to\nthat branch of knowledge which is concerned with the inferences of\nratiocination. Those questions are as follows: What is universe and what\nis not-universe? What is Aswa and what Aswa? What is Mitra? What is\nVaruna? What is Knowledge? What is Object of knowledge? What is\nUnintelligent? What is Intelligent? Who is Kah? Who is possessed of the\nprinciple of change? Who is not possessed of the same? What is he that\ndevours the Sun and what is the Sun? What is Vidya and what is Avidya?\nWhat is Immobile and what Mobile? What is without beginning, what is\nIndestructible, and what is Destructible? These were the excellent\nquestions put to me by that foremost of Gandharvas. After king Viswavasu,\nthat foremost of Gandharvas, had asked me these questions one after\nanother, I answered them properly. At first, however, I told him, Wait\nfor a brief space of time, till I reflect on thy questions! So be it,\nGandharva said, and sat in silence. I then thought once again of the\ngoddess Saraswati in my mind. The replies then to those questions\nnaturally arose in my mind like butter from curds. Keeping in view the\nhigh science of inferential ratiocination, I churned with my mind, O\nmonarch, the Upanishads and the supplementary scriptures relating to the\nVedas. The fourth science then that treats of Emancipation, O foremost of\nkings, and on which I have already discoursed to thee, and which is based\nupon the twenty-fifth, viz., Jiva, I then expounded to him.[1664] Having\nsaid all this, O monarch, to king Viswavasu, I then addressed him,\nsaying, \"Listen now to the answers that I give unto the several questions\nthat thou hast put to me. I now turn to the question, which, O Gandharva,\nthou askest, viz., What is Universe and what is not-universe? The\nUniverse is Unmanifest and original Prakriti endued with the principles\nof birth and death which are terrible (to those that are desirous of\nEmancipation). It is, besides, possessed of the three attributes (of\nSattwa, Rajas, and Tamas), in consequence of its producing principles all\nof which are fraught with those attributes.[1665] That which is\nNot-universe is Purusha divested of all attributes. By Aswa and Aswa are\nmeant the female and the male, i.e., the former is Prakriti and the\nlatter is Purusha. Similarly, Mitra is Purusha, and Varuna is\nPrakriti.[1666] Knowledge, again, is said to be Prakriti, while the\nobject to be known is called Purusha. The Ignorant (Jiva), and the\nKnowing or Intelligent are both Purusha without attributes (for it is\nPurusha that becomes Jiva when invested with Ignorance). Thou hast asked\nwhat is Kah, who is endued with change and who is unendued therewith. I\nanswer, Kah is Purusha.[1667] That which is endued with change is\nPrakriti. He that is not endued therewith is Purusha. Similarly, that\nwhich is called Avidya (the unknowable) is Prakriti; and that which is\ncalled Vidya is Purusha. Thou hast asked me about the Mobile and the\nImmobile. Listen to what my answer is. That which is mobile is Prakriti,\nwhich undergoing modification, constitutes the cause of Creation and\nDestruction. The Immobile is Purusha, for without himself undergoing\nmodifications he assists at Creation and Destruction. (According to a\ndifferent system of philosophy) that which is Vedya is Prakriti; while\nthat which is Avedya is Purusha. Both Prakriti and Purusha are said to be\nunintelligent, stable, indestructible, unborn, and eternal, according to\nthe conclusions arrived at by philosophers conversant with the topics\nincluded in the name of Adhyatma. In consequence of the indestructibility\nof Prakriti in the matter of Creation, Prakriti, which is unborn, is\nregarded as not subject to decay or destruction. Purusha, again, is\nindestructible and unchangeable, for change it has none. The attributes\nthat reside in Prakriti are destructible, but not Prakriti herself. The\nlearned, therefore, call Prakriti indestructible. Prakriti also, by\nundergoing modifications, operates as the cause of Creation. The created\nresults appear and disappear, but not original Prakriti. Hence also is\nPrakriti called indestructible. Thus have I told thee conclusions of the\nFourth Science based on the principles of ratiocinative inference and\nhaving Emancipation for its end. Having acquired by the science of\nratiocinative inference and by waiting upon preceptors, the Rich, the\nSamans, and the Yajushes, all the obligatory practices should be observed\nand all the Vedas studied with reverence, O Viswavasu! O foremost of\nGandharvas, they who study the Vedas with all their branches but who do\nnot know the Supreme Soul from which all things take their birth and into\nwhich all things merge when destruction comes, and which is the one\nobject whose knowledge the Vedas seek to inculcate. Indeed, they, who\nhave no acquaintance with that which the Vedas seek to establish, study\nthe Vedas to no purpose and bear their burthen of such study in vain. If\na person desirous of butter churns the milk of the she-ass, without\nfinding what he seeks he simply meets with a substance that is as foul of\nsmell as ordure. After the same manner, if one, having studied the Vedas,\nfails to comprehend what is Prakriti and what is Purusha, one only proves\none's own foolishness of understanding and bears a useless burthen (in\nthe form of Vedic lore).[1668] One should, with devoted attention,\nreflect on both Prakriti and Purusha, so that one may avoid repeated\nbirth and death. Reflection upon the fact of one's repeated births and\ndeaths and avoiding the religion of acts that is productive at best of\ndestructible results, one should betake oneself to the indestructible\nreligion of Yoga. O Kasyapa, if one reflects continuously on the nature of\nthe Jiva-soul and its connection with the Supreme Soul, one then succeeds\nin divesting oneself of all attributes and in beholding the Supreme Soul.\nThe Eternal and Unmanifest Supreme Soul is regarded by men of foolish\nunderstandings to be different from the twenty-fifth or Jiva-soul. They\nare endued with wisdom that behold both these as truly one and the same.\nFrightened at repeated births and deaths, the Sankhyas and Yogins regard\nthe Jiva-soul and the Supreme Soul to be one and the same.\n\n\"'\"'Viswavasu then said, \"Thou hast, O foremost of Brahmanas, said that\nJiva-soul is indestructible and truly undistinguished from the Supreme\nSoul. This, however, is difficult to understand. It behoveth thee to once\nmore discourse on this topic to me. I have heard discourses on this\nsubject from Jaigishavya, Aista, Devala, the regenerate sage Parasara,\nthe intelligent Varshaganya, Bhrigu, Panchasikha Kapila, Suka, Gautama,\nArshtisena, the high-souled Garga, Narada, Asuri, the intelligent\nPaulastya, Sanatkumara, the high-souled Sukra, and my sire Kasyapa.\nSubsequently I heard the discourses of Rudra and the intelligent\nViswarupa, of several of the deities, of the Pitris and the Daityas. I\nhave acquired all that they say, for they generally discourse that\neternal object of all knowledge. I desire, however, to hear what thou\nmayst say on those topics with the aid of thy intelligence. Thou art the\nforemost of all persons, and a learned lecturer on the scriptures, and\nendued with great intelligence. There is nothing that is unknown to thee.\nThou art an ocean of the Srutis, as described, O Brahmana, in the world\nof both the deities and Pitris. The great Rishis residing in the region\nof Brahma say that Aditya himself, the eternal lord of all luminaries, is\nthy preceptor (in the matter of this branch of knowledge). O Yajnavalkya,\nthou hast obtained the entire science, O Brahmana, of the Sankhyas, as\nalso the scriptures of the Yogins in particular. Without doubt, thou art\nenlightened, fully conversant with the mobile immobile universe. I desire\nto hear thee discourse on that knowledge, which may be likened to\nclarified butter endued with solid grains.\"\n\n\"'\"Yajnavalkya said, 'Thou art, O foremost of Gandharvas, competent to\ncomprehend every knowledge. As, however, thou askest me do thou hear me\nthen discourse to thee according as I myself have obtained it from my\npreceptor. Prakriti, which is unintelligent, is apprehended by Jiva.\nJiva, however, cannot be apprehended by Prakriti, O Gandharva. In\nconsequence of Jiva being reflected in Prakriti, the latter is called\nPradhana by Sankhyas and Yogins conversant with the original principles\nas indicated in the Srutis. O sinless one, the other, beholding, beholds\nthe twenty-fourth (Prakriti) and the twenty-fifth (Soul); not beholding,\nit beholds the twenty-sixth.[1669] The twenty-fifth thinks that there is\nnothing higher than itself. In reality, however, though beholding, it\ndoes not behold that (viz., the twenty-sixth) which beholds it.[1670] Men\npossessed of wisdom should never accept the Twenty-fourth (viz.,\nPrakriti, which is unintelligent or inert) as identifiable with the\nTwenty-fifth or the Soul which has a real and independent existence. The\nfish live in water. It goes thither impelled by its own nature. As the\nfish, though living in the water, is to be regarded as separate from it,\nafter the same manner is the Twenty-fifth to be apprehended (i.e., though\nthe Twenty-fifth exists in a state of contact with the Twenty-fourth or\nPrakriti, it is, however, in its real nature, separate from and\nindependent of Prakriti). When overwhelmed with the consciousness of meum\nor self, and when unable to understand its identity with the\nTwenty-sixth, in fact, in consequence of the illusion that invests it, of\nits co-existence with Prakriti, and of its own manner of thinking, the\nJiva-soul always skins down, but when freed from such consciousness it\ngoes upwards. When the Jiva-soul succeeds in apprehending that it is one,\nand Prakriti with which it resides is another, then only does it, O\nregenerate one, succeed in beholding the Supreme Soul and attaining to\nthe condition of Oneness with the universe. The Supreme is one, O king,\nand the Twenty-fifth (or Jiva-soul) is another. In consequence, however,\nof the Supreme overlying the Jiva-soul the wise regard both to be one and\nthe same.[1671] For these reasons, Yogins, and followers of the Sankhya\nsystem of philosophy, terrified by the birth and death, blessed with\nsight of the Twenty-sixth, pure in body and mind, and devoted to the\nSupreme Soul, do not welcome the Jiva-soul as indestructible.[1672]\nWhen one beholds the Supreme Soul and losing all consciousness of\nindividuality becomes identified with the Supreme, one then becomes\nomniscient, and possessed of such omniscience one becomes freed from the\nobligation of rebirth. I have thus discoursed to thee truly, sinless one,\nabout Prakriti which is unintelligent, and Jiva-soul which is possessed\nof intelligence, and the Supreme Soul which is endued with omniscience,\naccording to the indications occurring in the Srutis. That man, who\nbeholds not any difference between the knower or the known, is both\nKevala and not-Kevala, is the original cause of the universe, is both\nJiva-soul and the Supreme Soul.'[1673]\n\n\"'\"'Viswavasu said, \"O puissant one, thou hast duly and adequately\ndiscoursed on that which is the origin of all the deities and which is\nproductive of Emancipation. Thou hast said what is true and excellent.\nMay inexhaustible blessings always attend thee, and may thy mind be ever\nunited with intelligence!\"'\n\n\"'\"Yajnavalkya continued, 'Having said those words, the prince of\nGandharvas proceeded towards heaven, shining in resplendence of beauty.\nBefore leaving me, the high-souled one duly honoured me by taking the\naccustomed turns round my person, and I looked upon him, highly pleased.\nHe inculcated the science he had obtained from me unto those celestials\nthat dwell in the regions of Brahman and other deities, unto those that\ndwell on Earth, unto also the denizens of the nether regions, and unto\nthem that had adopted the path of Emancipation, O king. The Sankhyas are\ndevoted to the practices of their system. The Yogins are devoted to the\npractices inculcated by their system. Others there are that are desirous\nof achieving their Emancipation. Unto these latter this science is\nproductive of visible fruits, O lion among kings. Emancipation flows from\nKnowledge. Without Knowledge it can never be attained. The wise have said\nit, O monarch. Hence, one should strive one's best for acquiring true\nKnowledge in all its details, by which one may succeed in freeing oneself\nfrom birth and death. Obtaining knowledge from a Brahmana or a Kshatriya\nor Vaisya or even a Sudra who is of low birth, one endued with faith\nshould always show reverence for such knowledge. Birth and death cannot\nassail one that is endued with faith. All orders of men are Brahmanas.\nAll are sprung from Brahma. All men utter Brahma.[1674] Aided by an\nunderstanding that is derived from and directed to Brahma, I inculcated\nthis science treating of Prakriti and Purusha. Indeed, this whole\nuniverse is Brahma. From the mouth of Brahma sprung the Brahmanas; from\nhis arms, sprung the Kshatriyas; from his navel, the Vaisya; and from his\nfeet, the Sudras. All the orders, (having sprung in this way) should not\nbe regarded as pilfering from one another. Impelled by Ignorance, all men\nmeet with death and attain, O king, to birth that is the cause of\nacts.[1675] Divested of Knowledge, all orders of men, dragged by terrible\nIgnorance, fall into varied orders of being due to the principles that\nflow from Prakriti. For this reason, all should, by every means, seek to\nacquire Knowledge. I have told thee that every person is entitled to\nstrive for its acquisition. One that is possessed of Knowledge is a\nBrahmana. Others, (viz., Kshatriyas and Vaisyas and Sudras) are possessed\nof knowledge. Hence, this science of Emancipation is always open to them\nall. This, O king has been said by the Wise. The questions thou hadst\nasked me have all been answered by me agreeably to the truth. Do thou,\ntherefore, cast off all grief. Go thou to the other end of this enquiry.\nThy questions were good. Blessings on thy head for ever!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus instructed by the intelligent Yajnavalkya the\nking of Mithila became filled with joy. The king honoured that foremost\nof ascetics by walking round his person. Dismissed by the monarch, he\ndeparted from his court. King Daivarati, having obtained the knowledge of\nthe religion of Emancipation, took his seat, and touching a million of\nkine and a quantity of gold and a measure of gems and jewels, gave them\naway unto a number of Brahmanas. Installing his son in the sovereignty of\nthe Videhas, the old king began to live, adopting the practices of the\nYatis. Thinking mainly of all ordinary duties and their derelictions (as\nlaid down in the scriptures), the king began to study the science of the\nSankhyas and the Yogins in their entirety. Regarding himself to be\nInfinite, he began to reflect on only the Eternal and Independent One. He\ncast off all ordinary duties and their derelictions, Virtue and Vice,\nTruth and Falsehood, Birth and Death, and all other things appertaining\nto the principles produced by Prakriti. Both Sankhyas and Yogins,\nagreeably to the teachings of their sciences, regard this universe to be\ndue to the action of the Manifest and the Unmanifest. The learned say\nthat Brahma is freed from good and evil, is self-dependent, the highest\nof the high, Eternal, and Pure. Do thou, therefore, O monarch, become\nPure! The giver, the receiver of the gift, the gift itself, and that\nwhich is ordered to be given away, are all to be deemed as the unmanifest\nSoul. The Soul is the Soul's one possession. Who, therefore, can be a\nstranger to one? Do thou think always in this way. Never think otherwise.\nHe who does not know what is Prakriti possessed of attributes and what is\nPurusha transcending attributes, only he, not possessed as he is of\nknowledge, repairs to sacred waters and performs sacrifices. Not by study\nof the Vedas, not by penances, not by sacrifices O son of Kuru, can one\nattain to the status of Brahma. Only when one succeeds in apprehending\nthe Supreme or Unmanifest, one comes to be regarded with reverence. They\nwho wait upon Mahat attain to regions of Mahat. They who wait upon\nConsciousness, attain to the spot that belongs to Consciousness. They who\nwait upon what is higher attain to places that are higher than these.\nThose persons, learned in the scriptures, who succeed in apprehending\nEternal Brahma who is higher than Unmanifest Prakriti, succeed in\nobtaining that which transcends birth and death, which is free from\nattributes, and which is both existent and non-existent. I got all this\nknowledge from Janaka. The latter had obtained it from Yajnavalkya.\nKnowledge is very superior. Sacrifices cannot compare with it. With the\naid of Knowledge one succeeds in crossing the world's ocean which is full\nof difficulties and dangers. One can never cross that ocean by means of\nsacrifices. Birth and death, and other impediments, O king, men of\nknowledge say, one cannot pass over by ordinary exertion.[1676] Men\nattain to heaven through sacrifices, penances, vows, and observances. But\nthey have again to fall down therefrom on the Earth. Do thou, therefore,\nadore with reverence that which is Supreme, most pure, blessed,\nstainless, and sacred, and which transcends all states (being\nEmancipation itself). By apprehending Kshetra, O king, and by performing\nthe Sacrifice that consists in the acquisition of Knowledge, thou wilt\nreally be wise. In former time, Yajnavalkya did that good to king Janaka\nwhich is derivable from a study of the Upanishads. The Eternal and\nImmutable Supreme was the topic about which the great Rishi had\ndiscoursed to the king of Mithila. It enabled him to attain to that\nBrahma which is auspicious, and immortal, and which transcends all kinds\nof sorrow.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Having acquired great power and great wealth, and\nhaving obtained a long period of life, how may one succeed in avoiding\ndeath? By which of these means, viz., penances, or the accomplishment of\nthe diverse acts (laid down in the Vedas), or by knowledge of the Srutis,\nor the application of medicines, can one succeed in avoiding decrepitude\nand death?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the old narrative of\nPanchasikha who was a Bhikshu in his practices and Janaka. Once on a time\nJanaka, the ruler of the Videhas, questioned the great Rishi Panchasikha,\nwho was the foremost of all persons conversant with the Vedas and who had\nall his doubts removed in respect of the purpose and import of all\nduties. The King said,--'By what conduct, O holy one may one transcend\ndecrepitude and death? Is it by penances, or by the understanding, or by\nreligious acts (like sacrifices, and vows), or by study and knowledge of\nthe scriptures?'--Thus addressed by the ruler of the Videhas the learned\nPanchasikha, conversant with all invisible things, answered,\nsaying,--'There is no prevention of these two (viz., decrepitude and\ndeath); nor is it true that they cannot be prevented under any\ncircumstances. Neither days, nor nights, nor months, cease to go on. Only\nthat man, who, though transitory, betakes himself to the eternal path (of\nthe religion of Nivritti or abstention from all acts) succeeds in avoiding\nbirth and death. Destruction overtakes all creatures. All creatures seem to\nbe ceaselessly borne along the infinite current of time. Those that are\nborne along the infinite current of time which is without a raft (to\nrescue) and which is infested by those two mighty alligators, viz.,\ndecrepitude and death, sink down without anybody coming to their\nassistance. As one is swept along that current, one fails to find any\nfriend for help and one fails to be inspired with interest for any one\nelse. One meets with spouses and other friends only on one's road. One\nhad never before enjoyed this kind of companionship with any one for any\nlength of time. Creatures, as they are borne along the current of time,\nbecome repeatedly attracted towards one another like masses of clouds\nmoved by the wind meeting one another with loud sound. Decrepitude and\ndeath are devourers of all creatures, like wolves. Indeed, they devour\nthe strong and the weak, the short and the tall. Among creatures,\ntherefore, which are all so transitory, only the Soul exists eternally.\nWhy should he, then, rejoice when creatures are born and why should he\ngrieve when they die? Whence have I come. Who am I? Whither shall I go?\nWhose am I? Before what do I rest? What shall I be? For what reason then\ndost thou grieve for what? Who else then thou wilt behold heaven or hell\n(for what thou doest)? Hence, without throwing aside the scriptures, one\nshould make gifts and perform sacrifices!'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXXI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Without abandoning the domestic mode of life, O\nroyal sage of Kuru's race, who ever attained to Emancipation which is the\nannihilation of the Understanding (and the other faculties)? Do tell me\nthis! How may the gross and the subtile form be cast off? Do thou also, O\ngrandsire, tell me what the supreme excellence of Emancipation is.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the old narrative of the\ndiscourse between Janaka and Sulabha, O Bharata! In days of yore there\nwas a king of Mithila, of the name of Dharmadhyaja, of Janaka's race. He\nwas devoted to the practices of the religion of Renunciation. He was well\nconversant with the Vedas, with the scriptures on Emancipation, and with\nthe scriptures bearing on his own duty as a king. Subjugating his senses,\nhe ruled his Earth. Hearing of his good behaviour in the world, many men\nof wisdom, well-conversant with wisdom, O foremost of men, desired to\nimitate him. In the same Satya Yuga, a woman of the name of Sulabha,\nbelonging to the mendicant order, practised the duties of Yoga and\nwandered over the whole Earth. In course of her wanderings over the\nEarth, Sulabha heard from many Dandis of different places that the ruler\nof Mithila was devoted to the religion of Emancipation. Hearing this\nreport about king Janaka and desirous of ascertaining whether it was true\nor not, Sulabha became desirous of having a personal interview with\nJanaka. Abandoning, by her Yoga powers, her former form and features,\nSulabha assumed the most faultless features and unrivalled beauty. In the\ntwinkling of an eye and with the speed of the quickest shaft, the\nfair-browed lady of eyes like lotus-petals repaired to the capital of the\nVidehas. Arrived at the chief city of Mithila teeming with a large\npopulation, she adopted the guise of a mendicant and presented herself\nbefore the king. The monarch, beholding her delicate form, became filled\nwith wonder and enquired who she was, whose she was, and whence she came.\nWelcoming her, he assigned her an excellent seat, honoured her by\noffering water to wash her feet, and gratified her with excellent\nrefreshments. Refreshed duly and gratified with the rites of hospitality\noffered unto her, Sulabha, the female mendicant, urged the king, who was\nsurrounded by his ministers and seated in the midst of learned scholars,\n(to declare himself in respect of his adherence to the religion of\nEmancipation). Doubting whether Janaka had succeeded in attaining to\nEmancipation, by following the religion of Nivritti, Sulabha, endued with\nYoga-power, entered the understanding of the king by her own\nunderstanding. Restraining, by means of the rays of light that emanated\nfrom her own eyes, the rays issuing from the eyes of the king, the lady,\ndesirous of ascertaining the truth, bound up king Janaka with Yoga\nbonds.[1677] That best of monarchs, priding himself upon his own\ninvincibleness and defeating the intentions of Sulabha seized her\nresolution with his own resolution.[1678] The king, in his subtile form,\nwas without the royal umbrella and sceptre. The lady Sulabha, in hers,\nwas without the triple stick. Both staying then in the same (gross) form,\nthus conversed with each other. Listen to that conversation as it\nhappened between the monarch and Sulabha.\n\n\"'\"Janaka said, 'O holy lady, to what course of conduct art thou devoted?\nWhose art thou? Whence hast thou come? After finishing thy business here,\nwhither wilt thou go? No one can, without questioning, ascertain\nanother's acquaintance with the scriptures, or age, or order of birth.\nThou shouldst, therefore, answer these questions of mine, when thou has\ncome to me. Know that I am truly freed from all vanity in respect of my\nroyal umbrella and sceptre. I wish to know thee thoroughly. Thou art\ndeserving I hold, of my respect.[1679] Do thou listen to me as I speak to\nthee on Emancipation for there is none else (in this world) that can\ndiscourse to thee on that topic. Hear me also. I tell thee who that person\nis from whom in days of old I acquired this distinguishing\nknowledge.[1680] I am the beloved disciple of the high-souled and\nvenerable Panchasikha, belonging to the mendicant order, of Parasara's\nrace. My doubts have been dispelled and am fully conversant with the\nSankhya and the Yoga systems, and the ordinances as in respect of\nsacrifices and other rites, which constitutes the three well-known paths\nof Emancipation.[1681] Wandering over the earth and pursuing the while\nthe path that is pointed out by the scriptures, the learned Panchasikha\nformerly dwelt in happiness in my abode for a period of four months in\nthe rainy season. That foremost of Sankhyas discoursed to me, agreeably\nto the truth, and in an intelligible manner suited to my comprehension,\non the several kinds of means for attaining to Emancipation. He did not,\nhowever, command me to give up my kingdom. Freed from attachments, and\nfixing my Soul on supreme Brahma, and unmoved by companionship, I lived,\npractising in its entirety that triple conduct which is laid down in\ntreatises on Emancipation. Renunciation (of all kinds of attachments) is\nthe highest means prescribed for Emancipation. It is from Knowledge that\nRenunciation, by which one becomes freed, is said to flow. From Knowledge\narises the endeavour after Yoga, and through that endeavour one attains\nto knowledge of Self or Soul. Through knowledge of Self one transcends\njoy and grief. That enables one to transcend death and attain to high\nsuccess. That high intelligence (knowledge of Self) has been acquired by\nme, and accordingly I have transcended all pairs of opposites. Even in\nthis life have I been freed from stupefaction and have transcended all\nattachments. As a soil, saturated with water and softened thereby, causes\nthe (sown) seed to sprout forth, after the same manner, the acts of men\ncause rebirth. As a seed, fried on a pan or otherwise, becomes unable to\nsprout forth although the capacity for sprouting was there, after the\nsame manner my understanding having been freed from the productive\nprinciple constituted by desire, by the instruction of the holy\nPanchasikha of the mendicant order, it no longer produces its fruit in\nthe form of attachment to the object of the senses. I never experience\nlove for my spouse or hate for my foes. Indeed, I keep aloof from both,\nbeholding the fruitlessness of attachment and wrath. I regard both\npersons equally, viz., him that smears my right hand with sandal-paste\nand him that wounds my left. Having attained my (true) object, I am\nhappy, and look equally upon a clod of earth, a piece of stone, and a\nlump of gold. I am freed from attachments of every kind, though am\nengaged in ruling a kingdom. In consequence of all this I am\ndistinguished over all bearers of triple sticks. Some foremost of men\nthat are conversant with the topic of Emancipation say that Emancipation\nhas a triple path, (these are knowledge, Yoga, and sacrifices and rites).\nSome regard knowledge having all things of the world for its object as\nthe means of emancipation. Some hold that the total renunciation of acts\n(both external and internal) is the means thereof. Another class of\npersons conversant with the scriptures of Emancipation say that Knowledge\nis the single means. Other, viz. Yatis, endued with subtile vision, hold\nthat acts constitute the means. The high-souled Panchasikha, discarding\nboth the opinion about knowledge and acts, regarded the third as the only\nmeans of Emancipation. If men leading the domestic mode of life be endued\nwith Yama and Niyama, they become the equals of Sannyasins. If, on the\nother hand, Sannyasins be endued with desire and aversion and spouses and\nhonour and pride and affection, they become the equals of men leading\ndomestic modes of life.[1682] If one can attain to Emancipation by means\nof knowledge, then may Emancipation exist in triple sticks (for there is\nnothing to prevent the bearers of such stick from acquiring the needful\nknowledge). Why then may Emancipation not exist in the umbrella and the\nsceptre as well, especially when there is equal reason in taking up the\ntriple stick and the sceptre?[1683] One becomes attached to all those\nthings and acts with which one has need for the sake of one's own self\nfor particular reasons.[1684] If a person, beholding the faults of the\ndomestic mode of life, casts it off for adopting another mode (which he\nconsiders to be fraught with great merit), he cannot, for such rejection\nand adoption be regarded as one that is once freed from all attachments,\n(for all that he has done has been to attach himself to a new mode after\nhaving freed himself from a previous one).[1685] Sovereignty is fraught\nwith the rewarding and the chastising of others. The life of a mendicant\nis equally fraught with the same (for mendicants also reward and chastise\nthose they can). When, therefore, mendicants are similar to kings in this\nrespect, why would mendicants only attain to Emancipation, and not kings?\nNotwithstanding the possession of sovereignty, therefore, one becomes\ncleansed of all sins by means of knowledge alone, living the while in\nSupreme Brahma. The wearing of brown cloths, shaving of the head, bearing\nof the triple stick, and the Kamandalu,--these are the outward signs of\none's mode of life. These have no value in aiding one to the attainment\nof Emancipation. When, notwithstanding the adoption of these emblems of a\nparticular mode of life, knowledge alone becomes the cause of one's\nEmancipation from sorrow, it would appear that the adoption of mere\nemblems is perfectly useless. Or, if, beholding the mitigation of sorrow\nin it, thou hast betaken thyself to these emblems of Sannyasi, why then\nshould not the mitigation of sorrow be beheld in the umbrella and the\nsceptre to which I have betaken myself? Emancipation does not exist in\npoverty; nor is bondage to be found in affluence. One attains to\nEmancipation through Knowledge alone, whether one is indigent or\naffluent. For these reasons, know that I am living in a condition of\nfreedom, though ostensibly engaged in the enjoyments of religion, wealth,\nand pleasure, in the form of kingdom and spouses, which constitute a\nfield of bondage (for the generality of men). The bonds constituted by\nkingdom and affluence, and the bondage to attachments, I have cut off\nwith the sword of Renunciation whetted on the stone of the scriptures\nbearing upon Emancipation. As regards myself then, I tell thee that I\nhave become freed in this way. O lady of the mendicant order, I cherish\nan affection for thee. But that should not prevent me from telling thee\nthat thy behaviour does not correspond with the practices of the mode of\nlife to which thou hast betaken thyself! Thou hast great delicacy of\nformation. Thou hast an exceedingly shapely form. Thy age is young. Thou\nhast all these, and thou hast Niyama (subjugation of the senses). I doubt\nit verily. Thou hast stopped up my body (by entering into me with the aid\nof the Yoga power) for ascertaining as to whether I am really emancipated\nor not. This act of thine ill corresponds with that mode of life whose\nemblems thou bearest. For Yogin that is endued with desire, the triple\nstick is unfit. As regards thyself, thou dost not adhere to thy stick. As\nregards those that are freed, it behoves even them to protect themselves\nfrom fall.[1686] Listen now to me as to what thy transgression has been\nin consequence of thy contact with me and thy having entered into my\ngross body with the aid of thy understanding. To what reason is thy\nentrance to be ascribed into my kingdom or my palace? At whose sign hast\nthou entered into my heart?[1687] Thou belongest to the foremost of all\nthe orders, being, as thou art, a Brahmana woman. As regards myself,\nhowever, I am a Kshatriya. There is no union for us two. Do not help to\ncause an intermixture of colours. Thou livest in the practice of those\nduties that lead to Emancipation. I live in the domestic mode of life.\nThis act of thine, therefore, is another evil thou hast done, for it\nproduces an unnatural union of two opposite modes of life. I do not know\nwhether thou belongest to my own gotra or dost not belong to it. As\nregards thyself also, thou dost not know who I am (viz., to what gotra I\nbelong). If thou art of my own gotra, thou hast, by entering into my\nperson, produced another evil,--the evil, viz., of unnatural union. If,\nagain, thy husband be alive and dwelling in a distant place, thy union\nwith me has produced the fourth evil of sinfulness, for thou art not one\nwith whom I may be lawfully united. Dost thou perpetrate all these sinful\nacts, impelled by the motive of accomplishing a particular object? Dost\nthou do these from ignorance or from perverted intelligence? If, again,\nin consequence of thy evil nature thou hast thus become thoroughly\nindependent or unrestrained in thy behaviour, I tell thee that if thou\nhast any knowledge of the scriptures, thou wilt understand that\neverything thou hast done has been productive of evil. A third fault\nattaches to thee in consequence of these acts of thine, a fault that is\ndestructive of peace of mind. By endeavouring to display thy superiority,\nthe indication of a wicked woman is seen in thee. Desirous of asserting\nthy victory as thou art, it is not myself alone whom thou wishest to\ndefeat, for it is plain that thou wishest to obtain a victory over even\nthe whole of my court (consisting of these learned and very superior\nBrahmanas), by casting thy eyes in this way towards all these meritorious\nBrahmanas, it is evident that thou desirest to humiliate them all and\nglorify thyself (at their expense). Stupefied by thy pride of\nYoga-puissance that has been born of thy jealousy (at sight of my power,)\nthou hast caused a union of thy understanding with mine and thereby hast\nreally mingled together nectar with poison. That union, again, of man and\nwoman, when each covets the other, is sweet as nectar. That association,\nhowever, of man and woman when the latter, herself coveting, fails to\nobtain an individual of the opposite sex that does not covet her, is,\ninstead of being a merit, only a fault that is as noxious as poison. Do\nnot continue to touch me. Know that I am righteous. Do thou act according\nto thy own scriptures. The enquiry thou hadst wished to make, viz.,\nwhether I am or I am not emancipated, has been finished. It behoves thee\nnot to conceal from me all thy secret motives. It behoves thee not, that\nthus disguisest thyself, to conceal from me what thy object is, that is\nwhether this call of thine has been prompted by the desire of\naccomplishing some object of thy own or whether thou hast come for\naccomplishing the object of some other king (that is hostile to me). One\nshould never appear deceitfully before a king; nor before a Brahmana; nor\nbefore one's wife when that wife is possessed of every wifely virtue.\nThose who appear in deceitful guise before these three very soon meet\nwith destruction. The power of kings consists in their sovereignty. The\npower of Brahmanas conversant with the Vedas is in the Vedas. Women wield\na high power in consequence of their beauty and youth and blessedness.\nThese then are powerful in the possession of these powers. He, therefore,\nthat is desirous of accomplishing his own object should always approach\nthese three with sincerity and candour, insincerity and deceit fail to\nproduce success (in these three quarters). It behoveth thee, therefore,\nto apprise me of the order to which thou belongest by birth, of thy\nlearning and conduct and disposition and nature, as also of the object\nthou hast in view in coming to this place.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Though rebuked by the king in these unpleasant,\nimproper, and ill-applied words, the lady Sulabha was not at all abashed.\nAfter the king had said these words, the beautiful Sulabha then addressed\nherself for saying the following words in reply that were more handsome\nthan her person.\n\n\"'\"Sulabha said, 'O king, speech ought always to be free from the nine\nverbal faults and the nine faults of judgment. It should also, while\nsetting forth the meaning with perspicuity, be possessed of the eighteen\nwell-known merits.[1688] Ambiguity, ascertainment of the faults and\nmerits of premises and conclusions, weighing the relative strength or\nweakness of those faults and merits, establishment of the conclusion, and\nthe element of persuasiveness or otherwise that attaches to the\nconclusion thus arrived at,--these five characteristics appertaining to\nthe sense--constitute the authoritativeness of what is said. Listen now\nto the characteristics of these requirements beginning with ambiguity,\none after another, as I expound them according to the combinations. When\nknowledge rests on distinction in consequence of the object to be known\nbeing different from one another, and when (as regards the comprehension\nof the subject) the understanding rests upon many points one after\nanother, the combination of words (in whose case this occurs) is said to\nbe vitiated by ambiguity.[1689] By ascertainment (of faults and merits),\ncalled Sankhya, is meant the establishment, by elimination, of faults or\nmerits (in premises and conclusions), adopting tentative meanings.[1690]\nKrama or weighing the relative strength or weakness of the faults or\nmerits (ascertained by the above process), consists in settling the\npropriety of the priority or subsequence of the words employed in a\nsentence. This is the meaning attached to the word Krama by persons\nconversant with the interpretation of sentences or texts. By Conclusion\nis meant the final determination, after this examination of what has been\nsaid on the subjects of religion, pleasure, wealth, and Emancipation, in\nrespect of what particularly is what has been said in the text.[1691]\nThe sorrow born of wish or aversion increases to a great measure. The\nconduct, O king, that one pursues in such a matter (for dispelling the\nsorrow experienced) is called Prayojanam.[1692] Take it for certain, O\nking, at my word, that these characteristics of Ambiguity and the other\n(numbering five in all), when occurring together, constitute a complete\nand intelligible sentence.[1693] The words I shall utter will be fraught\nwith sense, free from ambiguity (in consequence of each of them not being\nsymbols of many things), logical, free from pleonasm or tautology,\nsmooth, certain, free from bombast, agreeable or sweet, truthful, not\ninconsistent with the aggregate of three, (viz., Righteousness, Wealth\nand Pleasure), refined (i.e., free from Prakriti), not elliptical or\nimperfect, destitute of harshness or difficulty of comprehension,\ncharacterised by due order, not far-fetched in respect of sense,\ncorrected with one another as cause and effect and each having a specific\nobject.[1694] I shall not tell thee anything, prompted by desire or wrath\nor fear or cupidity or abjectness or deceit or shame or compassion or\npride. (I answer thee because it is proper for me to answer what thou\nhast said). When the speaker, the hearer, and the words said, thoroughly\nagree with one another in course of a speech, then does the sense or\nmeaning come out very clearly. When, in the matter of what is to be said,\nthe speaker shows disregard for the understanding of the hearer by\nuttering words whose meaning is understood by himself, then, however good\nthose words may be, they become incapable of being seized by the\nhearer.[1695] That speaker, again, who, abandoning all regard for his own\nmeaning uses words that are of excellent sound and sense, awakens only\nerroneous impressions in the mind of the hearer. Such words in such\nconnection become certainly faulty. That speaker, however, who employs\nwords that are, while expressing his own meaning, intelligible to the\nhearer, as well, truly deserves to be called a speaker. No other man\ndeserves the name. It behoveth thee, therefore, O king, to hear with\nconcentrated attention these words of mine, fraught with meaning and\nendued with wealth of vocables. Thou hast asked me who I am, whose I am,\nwhence I am coming, etc. Listen to me, O king, with undivided mind, as I\nanswer these questions of thine. As lac and wood, as grains of dust and\ndrops of water, exist commingled when brought together, even so are the\nexistences of all creatures.[1696] Sound, touch, taste, form, and scent,\nthese and the senses, though diverse in respect of their essences, exist\nyet in a state of commingling like lac and wood. It is again well known\nthat nobody asks any of these, saying, who art thou? Each of them also\nhas no knowledge either of itself or of the others. The eye cannot see\nitself. The ear cannot hear itself. The eye, again, cannot discharge the\nfunctions of any of the other senses, nor can any of the senses discharge\nthe functions of any sense save its own. If all of them even combine\ntogether, even they fail to know their own selves as dust and water\nmingled together cannot know each other though existing in a state of\nunion. In order to discharge their respective functions, they await the\ncontact of objects that are external to them. The eye, form, and light,\nconstitute the three requisites of the operation called seeing. The same,\nas in this case, happens in respect of the operations of the other senses\nand the ideas which is their result. Then, again, between the functions\nof the senses (called vision, hearing, etc.,) and the ideas which are\ntheir result (viz., form, sound, etc.), the mind is an entity other than\nthe senses and is regarded to have an action of its own. With its help\none distinguishes what is existent from what is non-existent for arriving\nat certainty (in the matter of all ideas derived from the senses). With\nthe five senses of knowledge and five senses of action, the mind makes a\ntotal of eleven. The twelfth is the Understanding. When doubt arises in\nrespect of what is to be known, the Understanding comes forward and\nsettles all doubts (for aiding correct apprehension). After the twelfth,\nSattwa is another principle numbering the thirteenth. With its help\ncreatures are distinguished as possessing more of it or less of it in\ntheir constitutions.[1697] After this, Consciousness (of self) is another\nprinciple (numbering the fourteenth). It helps one to an apprehension of\nself as distinguished from what is not self. Desire is the fifteenth\nprinciple, O king. Unto it inhere the whole universe.[1698] The sixteenth\nprinciple is Avidya. Unto it inhere the seventeenth and the eighteenth\nprinciples called Prakriti and Vyakti (i.e., Maya and Prakasa). Happiness\nand sorrow, decrepitude and death, acquisition and loss, the agreeable\nand the disagreeable,--these constitute the nineteenth principle and are\ncalled couples of opposites. Beyond the nineteenth principle is another,\nviz., Time called the twentieth. Know that the births and death of all\ncreatures are due to the action of this twentieth principle. These twenty\nexist together. Besides these, the five Great primal elements, and\nexistence and non-existence, bring up the tale to seven and twenty.\nBeyond these, are three others, named Vidhi, Sukra, and Vala, that make\nthe tale reach thirty.[1699] That in which these ten and twenty\nprinciples occur is said to be body. Some persons regard unmanifest\nPrakriti to be the source or cause of these thirty principles. (This is\nthe view of the atheistic Sankhya school). The Kanadas of gross vision\nregard the Manifest (or atoms) to be their cause. Whether the Unmanifest\nor the Manifest be their cause, or whether the two (viz., the Supreme or\nPurusha and the Manifest or atoms) be regarded as their cause, or\nfourthly, whether the four together (viz., the Supreme or Purusha and his\nMaya and Jiva and Avidya or Ignorance) be the cause, they that are\nconversant with Adhyatma behold Prakriti as the cause of all creatures.\nThat Prakriti which is Unmanifest, becomes manifest in the form of these\nprinciples. Myself, thyself, O monarch, and all others that are endued\nwith body are the result of that Prakriti (so far as our bodies are\nconcerned). Insemination and other (embryonic) conditions are due to the\nmixture of the vital seed and blood. In consequence of insemination the\nresult which first appears is called by the name of \"Kalala.\" From\n\"Kalala\" arises what is called \"Vudvuda\" (bubble). From the stage called\n\"Vudvuda\" springs what is called \"Pesi.\" From the condition called \"Pesi\"\nthat stage arises in which the various limbs become manifested. From this\nlast condition appear nails and hair. Upon the expiration of the ninth\nmonth, O king of Mithila, the creature takes its birth so that, its sex\nbeing known, it comes to be called a boy or girl. When the creature\nissues out of the womb, the form it presents is such that its nails and\nfingers seem to be of the hue of burnished copper. The next stage is said\nto be infancy, when the form that was seen at the time of birth becomes\nchanged. From infancy youth is reached, and from youth, old age. As the\ncreature advances from one stage into another, the form presented in the\nprevious stage becomes changed. The constituent elements of the body,\nwhich serve diverse functions in the general economy, undergo change\nevery moment in every creature. Those changes, however, are so minute\nthat they cannot be noticed.[1700] The birth of particles, and their\ndeath, in each successive condition, can not be marked, O king, even as\none cannot mark the changes in the flame of a burning lamp.[1701] When\nsuch is the state of the bodies of all creatures,--that is when that\nwhich is called the body is changing incessantly even like the rapid\nlocomotion of a steed of good mettle,--who then has come whence or not\nwhence, or whose is it or whose is it not, or whence does it not arise?\nWhat connection does there exist between creatures and their own\nbodies?[1702] As from the contact of flint with iron, or from two sticks\nof wood when rubbed against each other, fire is generated, even so are\ncreatures generated from the combination of the (thirty) principles\nalready named. Indeed, as thou thyself seest thy own body in thy body and\nas thou thyself seest thy soul in thy own soul, why is it that thou dost\nnot see thy own body and thy own soul in the bodies and souls of others?\nIf it is true that thou seest an identity with thyself and others, why\nthen didst thou ask me who I am and whose? If it is true that thou hast, O\nking been freed from the knowledge of duality that (erroneously)\nsays--this is mine and this other is not mine,--then what use is there\nwith such questions as Who art thou, whose art thou and whence dost thou\ncome? What indications of Emancipation can be said to occur in that king\nwho acts as others act towards enemies and allies and neutrals and in\nvictory and truce and war? What indications of Emancipation occur in him\nwho does not know the true nature of the aggregate of three as manifested\nin seven ways in all acts and who, on that account, is attached to that\naggregate of three?[1703] What indications of Emancipation exist in him\nwho fails to cast an equal eye on the agreeable, on the weak, and the\nstrong? Unworthy as thou art of it, thy pretence of Emancipation should\nbe put down by thy counsellers! This thy endeavour to attain to\nEmancipation (when thou hast so many faults) is like the use of medicine\nby a patient who indulges in all kinds of forbidden food and practices. O\nchastiser of foes, reflecting upon spouses and other sources of\nattachment, one should behold these in one's own soul. What else can be\nlooked upon as the indication of Emancipation? Listen now to me as I\nspeak in detail of these and certain other minute sources of attachment\nappertaining to the four well known acts (of lying down for slumber,\nenjoyment, eating, and dressing) to which thou art still bound though\nthou professest thyself to have adopted the religion of Emancipation.\nThat man who has to rule the whole world must, indeed, be a single king\nwithout a second. He is obliged to live in only a single palace. In that\npalace he has again only one sleeping chamber. In that chamber he has,\nagain, only one bed on which at night he is to lie down. Half that bed\nagain he is obliged to give to his Queen-consort. This may serve as an\nexample of how little the king's share is of all he is said to own. This\nis the case with his objects of enjoyment, with the food he eats, and\nwith the robes he wears. He is thus attached to a very limited share of\nall things. He is, again, attached to the duties of rewarding and\npunishing. The king is always dependent on others. He enjoys a very small\nshare of all he is supposed to own, and to that small share he is forced\nto be attached (as well as others are attached to their respective\npossessions). In the matter also of peace and war, the king cannot be\nsaid to be independent. In the matter of women, of sports and other kinds\nof enjoyment, the king's inclinations are exceedingly circumscribed. In\nthe matter of taking counsel and in the assembly of his councillors what\nindependence can the king be said to have? When, indeed, he sets his\norders on other men, he is said to be thoroughly independent. But then\nthe moment after, in the several matters of his orders, his independence\nis barred by the very men whom he has ordered.[1704] If the king desires\nto sleep, he cannot gratify his desire, resisted by those who have\nbusiness to transact with him. He must sleep when permitted, and while\nsleeping he is obliged to wake up for attending to those that have urgent\nbusiness with him--bathe, touch, drink, eat, pour libations on the fire,\nperform sacrifices, speak, hear,--these are the words which kings have to\nhear from others and hearing them have to slave to those that utter them.\nMen come in batches to the king and solicit him for gifts. Being,\nhowever, the protector of the general treasury, he cannot make gifts\nunto even the most deserving. If he makes gifts, the treasury becomes\nexhausted. If he does not, disappointed solicitors look upon him with\nhostile eyes. He becomes vexed and as the result of this, misanthropical\nfeelings soon invade his mind. If many wise and heroic and wealthy men\nreside together, the king's mind begins to be filled with distrust in\nconsequence. Even when there is no cause of fear, the king entertains\nfear of those that always wait upon and worship him. Those I have\nmentioned O king, also find fault with him. Behold, in what way the\nking's fears may arise from even them! Then again all men are kings in\ntheir own houses. All men, again, in their own houses are house-holders.\nLike kings, O Janaka, all men in their own houses chastise and reward.\nLike kings others also have sons and spouses and their own selves and\ntreasuries and friends and stores. In these respects the king is not\ndifferent from other men.--The country is ruined,--the city is consumed\nby fire,--the foremost of elephants is dead,--at all this the king yields\nto grief like others, little regarding that these impressions are all due\nto ignorance and error. The king is seldom freed from mental griefs\ncaused by desire and aversion and fear. He is generally afflicted also by\nheadaches and diverse diseases of the kind. The king is afflicted (like\nothers) by all couples of opposites (as pleasure and pain, etc). He is\nalarmed at everything. Indeed, full of foes and impediments as kingdom\nis, the king, while he enjoys it, passes nights of sleeplessness.\nSovereignty, therefore, is blessed with an exceedingly small share of\nhappiness. The misery with which it is endued is very great. It is as\nunsubstantial as burning flames fed by straw or the bubbles of froth seen\non the surface of water. Who is there that would like to obtain\nsovereignty, or having acquired sovereignty can hope to win tranquillity?\nThou regardest this kingdom and this palace to be thine. Thou thinkest\nalso this army, this treasury, and these counsellers to belong to thee.\nWhose, however, in reality are they, and whose are they not? Allies,\nministers, capital, provinces, punishment, treasury, and the king, these\nseven which constitute the limbs of a kingdom exist, depending upon one\nanother, like three sticks standing with one another's support. The\nmerits of each are set off by the merits of the others. Which of them can\nbe said to be superior to the rest? At those times those particular ones\nare regarded as distinguished above the rest when some important end is\nserved through their agency. Superiority, for the time being, is said to\nattach to that one whose efficacy is thus seen. The seven limbs already\nmentioned, O best of kings, and the three others, forming an aggregate of\nten, supporting one another, are said to enjoy the kingdom like the king\nhimself.[1705] That king who is endued with great energy and who is\nfirmly attached to Kshatriya practices, should be satisfied with only a\ntenth part of the produce of the subject's field. Other kings are seen to\nbe satisfied with less than a tenth part of such produce. There is no one\nwho owns the kingly office without some one else owning it in the world,\nand there is no kingdom without a king.[1706] If there be no kingdom,\nthere can be no righteousness, and if there be no righteousness, whence\ncan Emancipation arise? Whatever merit is most sacred and the highest,\nbelongs to kings and kingdoms.[1707] By ruling a kingdom well, a king\nearns the merit that attaches to a Horse-sacrifice with the whole Earth\ngiven away as Dakshina. But how many kings are there that rule their\nkingdoms well? O ruler of Mithila, I can mention hundreds and thousands\nof faults like these that attach to kings and kingdoms. Then, again, when\nI have no real connection with even my body, how then can I be said to\nhave any contact with the bodies of others? Thou canst not charge me with\nhaving endeavoured to bring about an intermixture of castes. Hast thou\nheard the religion of Emancipation in its entirety from the lips of\nPanchasikha together with its means, its methods, its practices, and its\nconclusion?[1708] If thou hast prevailed over all thy bonds and freed\nthyself from all attachments, may I ask thee, O king, who thou preservest\nthy connections still with this umbrella and these other appendages of\nroyalty? I think that thou hast not listened to the scriptures, or, thou\nhast listened to them without any advantage, or, perhaps, thou hast\nlistened to some other treatises looking like the scriptures. It seems\nthat thou art possessed only of worldly knowledge, and that like an\nordinary man of the world thou art bound by the bonds of touch and\nspouses and mansions and the like. If it be true that thou hast been\nemancipated from all bonds, what harm have I done thee by entering thy\nperson with only my Intellect? With Yatis, among all orders of men, the\ncustom is to dwell in uninhabited or deserted abodes. What harm then have\nI done to whom by entering thy understanding which is truly of real\nknowledge? I have not touched thee, O king, with my hands, of arms, or\nfeet, or thighs, O sinless one, or with any other part of the body. Thou\nart born in a high race. Thou hast modesty. Thou hast foresight. Whether\nthe act has been good or bad, my entrance into thy body has been a\nprivate one, concerning us two only. Was it not improper for thee to\npublish that private act before all thy court? These Brahmanas are all\nworthy of respect. They are foremost of preceptors. Thou also art\nentitled to their respect, being their king. Doing them reverence, thou\nart entitled to receive reverence from them. Reflecting on all this, it\nwas not proper for thee to proclaim before these foremost of men the fact\nof this congress between two persons of opposite sexes, if, indeed, thou\nart really acquainted with the rules of propriety in respect of speech. O\nking of Mithila, I am staying in thee without touching thee at all even\nlike a drop of water on a lotus leaf that stays on it without drenching\nit in the least. If, notwithstanding instructions of Panchasikha of the\nmendicant order, thy knowledge has become abstracted from the sensual\nobjects to which it relates? Thou hast, it is plain, fallen off from the\ndomestic mode of life but thou hast not yet attained to Emancipation that\nis so difficult to arrive at. Thou stayest between the two, pretending\nthat thou hast reached the goal of Emancipation. The contact of one that\nis emancipated with another that has been so, or Purusha with Prakriti,\ncannot lead to an intermingling of the kind thou dreadest. Only those\nthat regard the soul to be identical with the body, and that think the\nseveral orders and modes of life to be really different from one another,\nare open to the error of supposing an intermingling to be possible. My\nbody is different from thine. But my soul is not different from thy soul.\nWhen I am able to realise this, I have not the slightest doubt that my\nunderstanding is really not staying in thine though I have entered into\nthee by Yoga.[1709] A pot is borne in the hand. In the pot is milk. On\nthe milk is a fly. Though the hand and pot, the pot and milk, and the\nmilk and the fly, exist together, yet are they all distinct from each\nother. The pot does not partake the nature of the milk. Nor does the milk\npartake the nature of the fly. The condition of each is dependent on\nitself, and can never be altered by the condition of that other with\nwhich it may temporarily exist. After this manner, colour and practices,\nthough they may exist together with and in a person that is emancipate,\ndo not really attach to him. How then can an intermingling of orders be\npossible in consequence of this union of myself with thee? Then, again, I\nam not superior to thee in colour. Nor am I a Vaisya, nor a Sudra. I am,\nO king, of the same order with thee, born of a pure race. There was a\nroyal sage of the name of Pradhana. It is evident that thou hast heard of\nhim. I am born in his race, and my name is Sulabha. In the sacrifices\nperformed by my ancestors, the foremost of the gods, viz., Indra, used to\ncome, accompanied by Drona and Satasringa, and Chakradwara (and other\npresiding geniuses of the great mountains). Born in such a race, it was\nfound that no husband could be obtained for me that would be fit for me.\nInstructed then in the religion of Emancipation, I wander over the Earth\nalone, observant of the practices of asceticism. I practise no hypocrisy\nin the matter of the life of Renunciation. I am not a thief that\nappropriates what belongs to others. I am not a confuser of the practices\nbelonging to the different orders. I am firm in the practices that belong\nto that mode of life to which I properly belong. I am firm and steady in\nmy vows. I never utter any word without reflecting on its propriety. I\ndid not come to thee, without having deliberated properly, O monarch!\nHaving heard that thy understanding has been purified by the religion of\nEmancipation, I came here from desire of some benefit. Indeed, it was for\nenquiring of thee about Emancipation that I had come. I do not say it for\nglorifying myself and humiliating my opponents. But I say it, impelled by\nsincerity only. What I say is, he that is emancipated never indulges in\nthat intellectual gladiatorship which is implied by a dialectical\ndisputation for the sake of victory. He, on the other hand, is really\nemancipate who devotes himself to Brahma, that sole seat of\ntranquillity.[1710] As a person of the mendicant order resides for only\none night in an empty house (and leaves it the next morning), even after\nthe same manner I shall reside for this one night in thy person (which,\nas I have already said, is like an empty chamber, being destitute of\nknowledge). Thou hast honoured me with both speech and other offers that\nare due from a host to a guest. Having slept this one night in thy\nperson, O ruler of Mithila, which is as it were my own chamber now,\ntomorrow I shall depart.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Hearing these words fraught with excellent sense and\nwith reason, king Janaka failed to return any answer thereto.\"'\"[1711]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXXII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"How was Suka, the son of Vyasa, in days of old, won\nover to Renunciation? I desire to hear thee recite the story. My\ncuriosity in this respect is irrepressible. It behoveth thee, O thou of\nKuru's race, to discourse to me on the conclusions in respect of the\nUnmanifest (Cause), the Manifest (Effects), and of the Truth (or Brahma)\nthat is in, but unattached to them, as also of the acts of the self-born\nNarayana, as they are known to thy understanding.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Beholding his son Suka living fearlessly as ordinary men\ndo in practices that are considered harmless by them, Vyasa taught him\nthe entire Vedas and then discoursed to him one day in these words:\nVyasa said, 'O son, becoming the master of the senses, do thou subdue\nextreme cold and extreme heat, hunger and thirst, and the wind also, and\nhaving subdued them (as Yogins do), do thou practise righteousness. Do\nthou duly observe truth and sincerity, and freedom from wrath and malice,\nand self-restraint and penances, and the duties of benevolence and\ncompassion. Rest thou on truth, firmly devoted to righteousness,\nabandoning all sort of insincerity and deceit. Do thou support thy life\non what remains of food after feeding gods and guests. Thy body is as\ntransitory as the froth on the surface of water. The Jiva-soul is sitting\nunattached in it as a bird on a tree. The companionship of all agreeable\nobject is exceedingly short-lived. Why then, O son, dost thou sleep in\nsuch forgetfulness? Thy foes are heedful and awake and ever ready (to\nspring on thee) and always watchful of their opportunity. Why art thou so\nfoolish as not to know this?[1712] As the days are going one after\nanother, the period of thy life is being lessened. Indeed when thy life\nis being incessantly shortened, why dost thou not run to preceptors (for\nlearning the means of rescue)? Only they that are destitute of faith (in\nthe existence of next life) set their hearts on things of this world that\nhave the only effect of increasing flesh and blood. They are totally\nunmindful of all that is concerned with the next world. Those men that\nare stupefied by erroneous understandings display a hatred for\nrighteousness. The man who walks after those misguided persons that have\nbetaken themselves to devious and wrong paths is afflicted equally with\nthem. They however, that are contented, devoted to the scriptures, endued\nwith high souls, and possessed of great might, betake themselves to the\npath of righteousness. Do thou wait upon them with reverence and seek\ninstruction from them. Do thou act according to the instructions received\nfrom those wise men whose eyes are set upon righteousness. With\nunderstanding cleansed by such lessons and rendered superior, do thou\nthen restrain thy heart which is ever ready to deviate from the right\ncourse. They whose understandings are always concerned with the present,\nwho fearlessly regard the tomorrow as something quite remote,--they who\ndo not observe any restrictions in the matter of food,--are really\nsenseless persons that fail to understand that this world is only a field\nof probation.[1713] Repairing to the flight of steps constituted by\nRighteousness, do thou ascend those steps one after another. At present\nthou art like a worm that is employed in weaving its cocoon round itself\nand thereby depriving itself of all means of escape. Do thou keep to thy\nleft, without any scruple, the atheist who transgresses all restraints,\nwho is situated like a house by the side of a fierce and encroaching\ncurrent, (for the destruction he courts), and who (to others) seems to\nstand like a bamboo with its tall head erected in pride.[1714] Do thou\nwith the raft of Yoga, cross the ocean of the world whose waters are\nconstituted by thy five senses, having Desire and Wrath and Death for its\nfierce monsters, and owning birth for its vortex. Do thou cross, with the\nraft of Righteousness, the world that is affected by Death and afflicted\nby Decrepitude, and upon which the thunder-bolts constituted by days and\nnights are falling incessantly. When death is seeking thee at all\nmoments, viz., when thou art sitting or lying down, it is certain that\nDeath may get thee for his victim at any time. Whence art thou to obtain\nthy rescue! Like the she-wolf snatching away a lamb, Death snatches away\none that is still engaged in earning wealth and still unsatisfied in the\nindulgence of his pleasures. When thou art destined to enter into the\ndark, do thou hold up the blazing lamp made of righteous understanding\nand whose flame has been well-husbanded out. Falling into various forms\none after another in the world of men, a creature obtains the status of\nBrahmanhood with great difficulty. Thou hast obtained that status. Do\nthou then, O son endeavour to maintain it (properly).[1715] A Brahman\nhath not been born for the gratification of desire. On the other hand,\nhis body is intended to be subjected to mortification and penances in\nthis world so that incomparable happiness may be his in the next world.\nThe status of Brahmanhood is acquired with the aid of long-continued and\naustere penances. Having acquired that status, one should never waste\none's time in the indulgence of one's senses. Always engaged in penances\nand self-restraint and desirous of what is for thy good, do thou live and\nact, devoted to peace and tranquillity. The period of life, of every man,\nis like a steed. The nature of that steed is unmanifest. The (sixteen)\nelements (mentioned before) constitute its body. Its nature is\nexceedingly subtile. Kshanas, and Trutis, and Nimeshas are the hair on\nits body. The twilights constitute its shoulder joints. The lighted and\nthe dark fortnights are its two eyes of equal power. Months are its other\nlimbs. That steed is running incessantly. If thy eyes be not blind,\nbeholding then that steed incessantly moving forward in its invisible\ncourse, do thou set thy heart on righteousness, after hearing what thy\npreceptors have to say on the question of the next world. They that fall\naway from righteousness and that conduct themselves recklessly, that\nalways display malice towards others and betake themselves to evil ways\nare obliged to assume (physical) bodies in the regions of Yama and suffer\ndiverse afflictions, in consequence of their unrighteous acts of diverse\nkind.[1716] That king who is devoted to righteousness and who protects\nand chastises the good and the wicked with discrimination, attains to\nthose regions that belong to man of righteous deeds. By doing diverse\nkinds of good acts, he attains to such felicity as is faultless and as is\nincapable of being attained to by undergoing even thousands of\nbirths.[1717] Furious dogs of frightful mien, crows of iron beaks, flocks\nof ravens and vultures and other birds, and blood-sucking worms, assail\nthe man who transgresses the commands of his parents and preceptors when\nhe goes to hell after death.[1718] That sinful wretch who, in consequence\nof his recklessness, transgresses the ten boundaries that have been fixed\nby the Self-born himself, is obliged to pass his time in great affliction\nin the wild wastes that occur in the dominions of the king of\nPitris.[1719] That man who is tainted with cupidity, who is in love with\nuntruth, who always takes a delight in deception and cheating, and who\ndoes injuries to others by practising hypocrisy and deception, has to go\nto deep hell and suffer great woe and affliction for his acts of\nwickedness. Such a man is forced to bathe in the broad river called\nVaitarani whose waters are scalding, to enter into a forest of trees\nwhose leaves are as sharp as swords, and then to lie down on a bed of\nbattle-axes. He has thus to pass his days in frightful hell in great\naffliction. Thou beholdest only the regions of Brahman and other deities,\nbut thou art blind to that which is the highest (viz., Emancipation).\nAlas, thou art ever blind also to that which brings Death on its train\n(viz., decrepitude and old age).[1720] Go (along the path of\nEmancipation)! Why tarriest thou? A frightful terror, destructive of thy\nhappiness, is before thee! Do thou take prompt steps for achieving thy\nEmancipation! Soon after death thou art sure to be taken before Yama at\nhis command. For obtaining felicity in the next world, strive to attain\nto righteousness through the practice of difficult and austere vows. The\npuissant Yama, regardless of the sufferings of others, very soon takes\nthe lives of all persons, that is of thyself and thy friends. There is\nnone capable of resisting him. Very soon the wind of Yama will blow\nbefore thee (and drive thee to his presence). Very soon wilt thou be\ntaken to that dread presence all alone. Do thou achieve what will be for\nthy good there. Where now is that Death-wind which will blow before thee\nvery soon? (Art thou mindful of it?) Very soon will the points of the\ncompass, when that moment arrives, begin to whirl before thy eyes. (Art\nthou mindful of that?) O son, soon (when that moment comes) will thy\nVedas disappear from thy sight as thou goest helplessly into that dread\npresence. Do thou, therefore, set thy heart on Yoga abstraction which is\npossessed of great excellence.[1721] Do thou seek to attain that one only\ntreasure so that thou mayst not have to grieve at the recollection (after\nDeath) of thy former deeds good and bad all of which are characterised by\nerror.[1722] Decrepitude very soon weakens thy body and robs thee of thy\nstrength and limbs and beauty. Do thou, therefore, seek that one only\ntreasure. Very soon the Destroyer, with Disease for his charioteer, will\nwith a strong hand, for taking thy life, pierce and break thy body. Do\nthou, therefore practise austere penance. Very soon will those terrible\nwolves that reside within thy body, assail thee from every side. Do thou\nendeavour, therefore, to achieve acts of righteousness.[1723] Very soon\nwilt thou, all alone, behold a thick darkness, and very soon wilt thou\nbehold golden trees on the top of the hill. Do thou, therefore, hasten to\nachieve acts of righteousness.[1724] Very soon will those evil companions\nand foes of thine, (viz., the senses), dressed in the guise of friends,\nswerve thee from correct vision. Do thou, then, O son, strive to achieve\nthat which is of the highest good. Do thou earn that wealth which has no\nfear from either kings or thieves, and which one has not to abandon even\nat Death. Earned by one's own acts, that wealth has never to be divided\namong co-owners. Each enjoys that wealth (in the other world) which each\nhas earned for himself. O son, give that to others by which they may be\nable to live in the next world. Do thou also set thyself to the\nacquisition of that wealth which is indestructible and durable. Do not\nthink that thou shouldst first enjoy all kinds of pleasures and then turn\nthy heart on Emancipation, for before thou art satiated with enjoyment\nthou mayst be overtaken by Death. Do thou, in view of this, hasten to do\nacts of goodness.[1725] Neither mother, nor son, nor relatives, nor dear\nfriends even when solicited with honours, accompany the man that dies. To\nthe regions of Yama one has to go oneself, unaccompanied by any one. Only\nthose deeds, good and bad, that one did before death accompany the man\nthat goes to the other world. The gold and gems that one has earned by\ngood and bad means do not become productive of any benefit to one when\none's body meets with dissolution. Of men that have gone to the other\nworld, there is no witness, better than the soul, of all act done or\nundone in life. That when the acting-Chaitanya (Jiva-soul) enters into\nthe witness-Chaitanya the destruction of the body takes place, is seen by\nYoga-intelligence when Yogins enter the firmament of their hearts.[1726]\nEven here, the god of Fire, the Sun and the Wind,--these three reside in\nthe body. These, beholding as they do all the practices of one's life\nbecome one's witnesses. Days and Nights,--the former characterised by the\nvirtue of displaying all things and the latter characterised by the\nvirtue of concealing all things,--are running incessantly and touching\nall things (and thereby lessening their allotted periods of existence).\nDo thou, therefore, be observant of the duties of thy own order.[1727]\nThe road in the other world (that leads to the regions of Yama), is\ninfested by many foes (in the form of iron-beaked birds and wolves) and\nby many repulsive and terrible insects and worms. Do thou take care of\nthy own acts, for only acts will accompany you along that road. These one\nhas not to share one's acts with others, but every one enjoys or endures\nthe fruits of those acts which every one has himself performed. As\nApsaras and great Rishis attain to fruits of great felicity, after the\nsame manner, men of righteous deeds, as the fruits of their respective\nrighteous acts, obtain in the other world cars of transcendent brightness\nthat move everywhere at the will of the riders. Men of stainless deeds\nand cleansed souls and pure birth obtain in the next world fruits that\ncorrespond with their own righteous acts in this life. By walking along\nthe high road constituted by the duties of domesticity, men acquire happy\nends by attaining to the region of Prajapati or Vrihaspati or of him of a\nhundred sacrifices. I can give thee thousands and thousands of\ninstructions. Know, however, that the puissant cleanser (viz.,\nRighteousness), keeps all foolish persons in the Dark.[1728] Thou hast\npassed four and twenty years. Thou art now full five and twenty years of\nage. Thy years are passing away. Do thou begin to lay thy store of\nrighteousness. The Destroyer that dwells within error and heedlessness\nwill very soon deprive thy senses of their respective powers. Do thou\nbefore that consummation is brought about, hasten to observe thy duties,\nrelying on thy body alone.[1729] When it is thy duty to go along that\nroad in which thyself only shalt be in front and thyself only in the\nrear, what need then hast thou with either thy body or thy spouse and\nchildren?[1730] When men have to go individually and without companions\nto the region of Yama, it is plain that in view of such a situation of\nterror, thou shouldst seek to acquire that one only treasure (viz.,\nRighteousness or Yogasamadhi). The puissant Yama, regardless of the\nafflictions of others, snatches away the friends and relatives of one's\nrace by the very roots. There is no one that can resist him. Do thou,\ntherefore, seek to acquire a stock of righteousness. I impart to thee\nthese lessons, O son, that are all agreeable with the scriptures I\nfollow. Do thou observe them by acting according to their import. He who\nsupports his body by following the duties laid down for his own order,\nand who makes gifts for earning whatever fruits may attach to such acts,\nbecomes freed from the consequences that are born of ignorance and\nerror.[1731] The knowledge which a man of righteous deeds acquires from\nVedic declarations leads to omniscience. That omniscience is identical\nwith the science of the highest object of human acquisition (viz.,\nEmancipation). Instruction, imparted to the grateful, became beneficial\n(in consequence of their leading to the attainment of that highest object\nof human acquisition).[1732] The pleasure that one takes in living amidst\nthe habitations of men is truly a fast-binding cord. Breaking that cord,\nmen of righteous deeds repair to regions of great felicity. Wicked men,\nhowever, fail to break that bond. What use hast thou of wealth, O son, or\nwith relatives, or with children, since thou hast to die: Do thou employ\nthyself in seeking for thy soul which is hidden in a cave. Where have all\nthy grandsires gone? Do that today which thou wouldst keep for tomorrow.\nDo that in the forenoon which thou wouldst keep for the afternoon. Death\ndoes not wait for any one, to see whether one has or has not accomplished\none's task. Following the body after one's death (to the crematorium),\none's relatives and kinsmen and friends come back, throwing it on the\nfuneral pyre. Without a scruple do thou avoid those men that are\nsceptics, that are destitute of compassion, and that are devoted to\nwicked ways, and do thou endeavour to seek, without listlessness or\napathy, that which is for thy highest good. When, therefore, the world is\nthus afflicted by Death, do thou, with thy whole heart, achieve\nrighteousness, aided all the while by unswerving patience. That man who\nis well conversant with the means of attaining to Emancipation and who\nduly discharges the duties of his order, certainly attains to great\nfelicity in the other world. For thee that dost not recognise death in\nthe attainment of a different body and that dost not deviate from the\npath trod by the righteous, there is no destruction. He that increases\nthe stock of righteousness is truly wise. He, on the other hand, that\nfalls away from righteousness is said to be a fool. One that is engaged\nin the accomplishment of good deeds attains to heaven and other rewards\nas the fruits of those deeds; but he that is devoted to wicked deeds has\nto sink in hell. Having acquired the status of humanity, so difficult of\nacquisition, that is the stepping-stone to heaven, one should fix one's\nsoul on Brahma so that one may not fall away once more. That man whose\nunderstanding, directed to the path of heaven, does not deviate\ntherefrom, is regarded by the wise as truly a man of righteousness and\nwhen he dies his friends should indulge in grief. That man whose\nunderstanding is not restless and which is directed to Brahma and who has\nattained to heaven, becomes freed from a great terror (viz., hell). They\nthat are born in retreats of ascetics and that die there, do not earn\nmuch merit by abstaining all their life from enjoyments and the\nindulgence of desire. He, however, who though possessed of objects of\nenjoyment casts them off and engages himself in the practice of penances,\nsucceeds in acquiring everything. The fruits of the penances of such a\nman are, I think, much higher. Mothers and sires and sons and spouses, by\nhundreds and thousands, every one had and will have in this world. Who,\nhowever, were they and whose are we? I am quite alone. I have no one whom\nI may call mine. Nor do I belong to any one else. I do not see that\nperson whose I am, nor do I see him whom I may call mine. They have\nnothing to do with thee. Thou hast nothing to do with them.[1733] All\ncreatures take birth agreeably to their acts of past lives. Thou also\nshalt have to go hence (for taking birth in a new order) determined by\nthy own acts. In this world it is seen that the friends and followers of\nonly those that are rich behave towards the rich with devotion. The\nfriends and followers of those, however, that are poor fall away during\neven the life-time of the poor. Man commits numerous evil acts for the\nsake of his wife (and children). From those evil acts he derives much\ndistress both here and hereafter. The wise man beholds the world of life\ndevastated by the acts performed by every living being. Do thou,\ntherefore, O son, act according to all the instructions I have given\nthee! The man possessed of true vision, beholding this world to be only a\nfield of action, should, from desire of felicity in the next world, do\nacts that are good. Time, exerting his irresistible strength, cooks all\ncreatures (in his own cauldron), with the aid of his ladle constituted by\nmonths and seasons, the sun for his fire, and days and nights for his\nfuel, days and nights, that is that are the witnesses of the fruits of\nevery act done by every creature. For what purpose is that wealth which\nis not given away and which is not enjoyed? For what purpose is that\nstrength which is not employed in resisting or subjugating one's foes?\nFor what purpose is that knowledge of the scriptures which does not impel\none to deeds of righteousness? And for what purpose is that soul which\ndoes not subjugate the senses and abstain from evil acts?'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Having heard these beneficial words spoken by the\nIsland-born (Vyasa), Suka, leaving his sire, proceeded to seek a preceptor\nthat could teach him the religion of Emancipation.\"'\"[1734]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXXIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"If there is any efficacy in gifts, in sacrifices, in\npenances well-performed, and in dutiful services rendered to preceptors\nand other reverend seniors, do thou, O grandsire, speak of the same to\nme.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"An understanding associated with evil causes the mind\nto fall into sin. In this state one stains one's acts, and then falls\ninto great distress. Those that are of sinful acts have to take birth as\npersons of very indigent circumstances. From famine to famine, from pain\nto pain, from fear to fear, is their change. They are more dead than\nthose that are dead. Possessed of affluence, from joy to joy, from heaven\nto heaven, from happiness to happiness, proceed they that are possessed\nof faith, that are self-restrained, and that are devoted to righteous\ndeeds. They that are unbelievers have to pass, with groping hands,\nthrough regions infested by beasts of prey and elephants and pathless\ntracts teeming with snakes and robbers and other causes of fear. What\nmore need be said of these? They, on the other hand, that are endued with\nreverence for gods and guests, that are liberal, that have proper regard\nfor persons that are good, and that make gifts in sacrifices, have for\ntheirs the path (of felicity) that belongs to men of cleansed and subdued\nsouls. Those that are not righteous should not be counted among men even\nas grains without kernel are not counted among grain and as cockroaches\nare not counted among birds. The acts that one does, follow one even when\none runs fast. Whatever acts one does, lie down with the doer who lays\nhimself down. Indeed, the sins one does, sit when the doer sits, and run\nwhen he runs. The sins act when the doer acts, and, in fact follow the\ndoer like his shadow. Whatever the acts one does by whatever means and\nunder whatever circumstances, are sure to be enjoyed and endured (in\nrespect of their fruits) by the doer in his next life. From every side\nTime is always dragging all creatures, duly observing the rule in respect\nof the distance to which they are thrown and which is commensurate with\ntheir acts.[1735] As flowers and fruits, without being urged, never\nsuffer their proper time to pass away without making their appearance,\neven so the acts one has done in past life make their appearance at the\nproper time. Honour and dishonour, gain and loss, destruction and growth,\nare seen to set in. No one can resist them (when they come). One of them\nis enduring, for disappear it must after appearance. The sorrows one\nsuffers is the result of one's acts. The happiness one enjoys flows from\none's acts. From the time when one lies within the mother's womb one\nbegins to enjoy and endure one's acts of a past life. Whatever acts good\nand bad one does in childhood, youth, or old age, one enjoys and endures\ntheir consequences in one's next life in similar ages. As the calf\nrecognises its dam even when the latter may stand among thousands of her\nspecies, after the same manner the acts done by one in one's past life\ncome to one in one's next life (without any mistake) although one may live\namong thousands of one's species. As a piece of dirty cloth is whitened\nby being washed in water, after the same manner, the righteous, cleansed\nby continuous exposure unto the fire of fasts and penances, at last\nattain to unending happiness. O thou of high intelligence, the desires\nand purposes of those whose sins have been washed off by long-continued\npenances well-performed, become crowned with fruition. The track of the\nrighteous cannot be discerned even as that of birds in the sky or that\nof fishes in the water. There is no need of speaking ill of others, nor\nof reciting the instances in which others have tripped. On the other\nhand, one should always do what is delightful, agreeable, and beneficial\nto one's own self.\"'\"[1736]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXXIV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me, O grandsire, how the high-souled Suka of\naustere penances took birth as the son of Vyasa, and how did he succeed\nin attaining to the highest success? Upon what woman did Vyasa, endued\nwith wealth of asceticism, beget that son of his? We do not know who was\nSuka's mother, nor do we know anything of the birth of that high-souled\nascetic. How was it that, when he was a mere boy, his mind became\ndirected to the knowledge of the subtile (Brahma)? Indeed, in this world\nno second person can be seen in whom such predilections could be marked\nat so early an age. I desire to hear all this in detail, O thou of great\nintelligence. I am never satiated with hearing thy excellent and\nnectar-like words. Tell me, O grandsire in their proper order, of the\ngreatness, and the knowledge of Suka and of his union with the (Supreme)\nSoul!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"The Rishis did not make merit depend upon years or\ndecrepitude or wealth or friends. They said that he amongst them was\ngreat that studied the Vedas. All this that thou enquirest about has\npenances for its root. That penance, again, O son of Pandu, rises from\nthe subjugation of the senses. Without doubt, one incurs fault by giving\none's senses the reins. It is only by restraining them that one succeeds\nin earning success. The merit that attaches to a thousand\nHorse-sacrifices or a hundred Vajapeyas cannot come up to even a\nsixteenth portion of the merit that arises from Yoga. I shall, on the\npresent occasion, recite to thee the circumstances of Suka's birth, the\nfruits he won of his penances, and the foremost end he achieved (by his\nacts), topics that are incapable of being understood by persons of\nuncleansed soul. Once on a time on the summit of Meru adorned with\nkarnikara flowers, Mahadeva sported, accompanied by the terrible spirits\nthat were his associates. The daughter of the king of mountains, viz.,\nthe goddess Parvati, was also there. There at the close vicinity of that\nsummit, the Island-born (Vyasa) underwent extraordinary austerities. O\nbest of the Kurus, devoted to the practices of Yoga, the great ascetic\nwithdrawing himself by Yoga into his own Soul, and engaged in Dharana,\npractised many austerities for the sake of (obtaining) a son. The prayer\nhe addressed to the great God was,--'O puissant one, let me have a son\nthat will have the puissance of Fire and Earth and Water and Wind and\nSpace.' Engaged in the austerest of penances, the Island-born Rishi begged\nthat of that God who is incapable of being approached by persons of\nuncleansed souls, (not by words but) by his Yoga-resolution. The puissant\nVyasa remained there for a hundred years, subsisting on air alone,\nengaged in adoring Mahadeva of multifarious form, the lord of Uma.\nThither all the regenerate Rishis and royal sages and the Regents of the\nworld and the Sadhyas along with the Vasus, and the Adityas, the Rudras,\nand Surya and Chandramas, and the Maruts, and the Oceans, and the Rivers\nand the Aswins, the Deities, the Gandharvas, and Narada and Parvata and\nthe Gandharva Viswavasu, and the Siddhas, and the Apsaras. There\nMahadeva, called also by the name of Rudra, sat, decked with an excellent\ngarland of Karnikara flowers, and blazed with effulgence like the Moon\nwith his rays. In those delightful and celestial woods populous with\ndeities and heavenly Rishis, the great Rishi remained, engaged in high\nYoga-contemplation, from desire of obtaining a son. His strength suffered\nno diminution, nor did he feel any pain. At this the three worlds were\nmuch amazed. While the Rishi, possessed of immeasurable energy, sat in\nYoga, his matted locks, in consequence of his energy, were seen to blaze\nlike flames of fire. The illustrious Markandeya it was from whom I heard\nof this. He used always to recite to me the acts of the deities. It is\nfor this that the matted locks of the high-souled and (Island-born)\nKrishna, thus emblazed by his energy on that occasion, seem to this day\nto be endued with the complexion of fire. Gratified with such penances\nand such devotion, O Bharata, of the Rishi, the great God resolved (to\ngrant him his wish). The Three-eyed deity, smiling with pleasure,\naddressed him and said,--O Island-born one, thou shalt get a son like to\nwhat thou wishest! Possessed of greatness, he shall be as pure as Fire,\nas Wind, as Earth, as Water, and as Space! He shall be possessed of the\nconsciousness of his being Brahma's self; his understanding and soul\nshall be devoted to Brahma, and he shall completely depend upon Brahma so\nas to be identifiable with it!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXXV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The son of Satyavati having obtained this high boon from\nthe great God, was one day employed in rubbing his sticks for making a\nfire. While thus engaged, the illustrious Rishi, O king, beheld the\nApsara Ghritachi, who, in consequence of her energy, was then possessed\nof great beauty. Beholding the Apsara in those woods, the illustrious\nRishi Vyasa, O Yudhishthira, became suddenly smitten with desire. The\nApsara (Ghritachi), seeing the Rishi's heart troubled by desire,\ntransformed herself into a she-parrot and came to that spot. Although he\nbeheld the Apsara disguised in another form, the desire that had arisen\nin the Rishi's heart (without disappearing) spread itself over every part\nof his body. Summoning all his patience, the ascetic endeavoured to\nsuppress that desire; with all his effort, however, Vyasa did not succeed\nin controlling his agitated mind. In consequence of the inevitability of\nwhat was to happen, the Rishi's heart was attracted by Ghritachi's fair\nform. He set himself more earnestly to the task of making a fire for\nsuppressing his emotion, but in spite of all his efforts his vital seed\ncame out. That best of regenerate ones, however, O king, continued to rub\nhis stick without feeling any scruples for what had happened. From the\nseed that fell, was born a son unto him, called Suka. In consequence of\nhis circumstance attending his birth, he came to be called by name of\nSuka. Indeed, it was thus that great ascetic that foremost of Rishis and\nhighest of Yogins, took birth from the two sticks (his father had for\nmaking fire). As in a sacrifice a blazing fire shed its effulgence all\naround when libations of clarified butter are poured upon it, after the\nsame manner did Suka take his birth, blazing with effulgence in\nconsequence of his own energy. Assuming the excellent form and complexion\nthat were his sire, Suka, O son of Kuru, of cleansed Soul, shone like a\nsmokeless fire. The foremost of rivers, viz., Ganga, O king, coming to\nthe breast of Meru, in her own embodied form, bathed Suka (after his\nbirth) with her waters. There fell from the welkin, O son of Kuru, an\nascetic's stick and a dark deer-skin for the use, O monarch, of the\nhigh-souled Suka. The Gandharvas sang repeatedly and the diverse tribes\nof Apsaras danced; and celestial kettledrums of loud sound began to beat.\nThe Gandharva Viswavasu, and Tumvuru and Varada, and those other\nGandharvas called by the names of Haha, and Huhu, eulogised the birth of\nSuka. There the regents of the world with Sakra at their head came, as\nalso the deities and the celestial and the regenerate Rishis. The\nWind-god poured showers of celestial flowers upon the spot. The entire\nuniverse, mobile, and immobile, became filled with joy. The high-souled\nMahadeva of great effulgence, accompanied by the Goddess, and moved by\naffection, came there and soon after the birth of the Muni's son invested\nhim with the sacred-thread. Sakra, the chief of the gods, gave him, from\naffection, a celestial Kamandalu of excellent form, and some celestial\nrobes. Swans and Satapatras and cranes by thousands, and many parrots and\nChasas, O Bharata, wheeled over his head. Endued with great splendour and\nintelligence, Suka, having obtained his birth from the two sticks,\ncontinued to live there, engaged the while in the attentive observance of\nmany vows and fasts. As soon as Suka was born, the Vedas with all their\nmysteries and all their abstracts, came for dwelling in him, O king, even\nas they dwell in his sire. For all that, Suka selected Vrihaspati, who\nwas conversant with all the Vedas together with their branches and\ncommentaries, for his preceptor, remembering the universal\npractice.[1737] Having studied all the Vedas together with all their\nmysteries and abstracts, as also all the histories and the science of\ngovernment, O puissant monarch, the great ascetic returned home, after\ngiving his preceptor the tuition fee. Adopting the vow of a Brahmacharin,\nhe then commenced to practise the austerest penances concentrating all\nhis attention thereon. In even his childhood, he became an object of\nrespect with the gods and Rishis for his knowledge and penances. The mind\nof the great ascetic, O king, took no pleasure in the three modes of life\nwith the domestic among them, keeping in view, as he did, the religion of\nEmancipation.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXXVI\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Thinking of Emancipation, Suka approached his sire and\npossessed as he was of humility and desirous of achieving his highest\ngood, he saluted his great preceptor and said,--'Thou art well versed in\nthe religion of Emancipation. Do thou O illustrious one, discourse to me\nupon it, so that supreme tranquillity of mind, O puissant one, may be\nmine!'--Hearing these words of his son, the great Rishi said unto him,--'Do\nthou study, O son, the religion of Emancipation and all the diverse\nduties of life!'--At the command of his sire, Suka, that foremost of all\nrighteous men, mastered all the treatises on Yoga, O Bharata, as also the\nscience promulgated by Kapila. When Vyasa beheld his son to be possessed\nof the resplendence of the Vedas, endued with the energy of Brahma, and\nfully conversant with the religion of Emancipation, he addressed him,\nsaying,--'Go thou to Janaka the ruler of Mithila. The king of Mithila will\ntell thee everything for thy Emancipation.'--Bearing the command of his\nsire, O king, Suka proceeded to Mithila for enquiring of its king about\nthe truth of duties and the Refuge of Emancipation. Before he set out,\nhis sire further told him,--'Do thou go thither by that path which\nordinary human beings take. Do not have recourse to thy Yoga-puissance\nfor proceeding through the skies.'--At this Suka was not at all surprised\n(for he was humble by nature). He was further told that he should proceed\nthither with simplicity and not from desire of pleasure.--'Along your way\ndo not seek for friends and spouses, since friends and spouses are causes\nof attachment to the world. Although the ruler of Mithila is one in whose\nsacrifices we officiate, still thou shouldst not indulge in any feeling\nof superiority while living with him. Thou shouldst live under his\ndirection and in obedience to him. Even he will dispel all thy\ndoubts.[1738] That king is well versed in all duties and well acquainted\nwith the scriptures on Emancipation. He is one for whom I officiate in\nsacrifices. Thou shouldst, without any scruple, do what he bids.'--Thus\ninstructed, the righteous-souled Suka proceeded to Mithila on foot\nalthough he was able to traverse through the skies over the whole Earth\nwith her seas. Crossing many hills and mountains, many rivers, many\nwaters and lakes, and many woods and forests abounding with beasts of\nprey and other animals, crossing the two Varshas of Meru and Hari\nsuccessively and next the Varsha of Himavat, he came at last to the\nVarsha known by the name of Bharata. Having seen many countries inhabited\nby Chins and Huns, the great ascetic at last reached Aryavarta. In\nobedience to the commands of his sire and bearing them constantly in his\nmind, he gradually passed along his way on the Earth like a bird passing\nthrough the air. Passing through many delightful towns and populous\ncities, he saw diverse kinds of wealth without waiting to observe them.\nOn his way he passed through many delightful gardens and places and many\nsacred waters. Before much time had passed he reached the country of the\nVidehas that was protected by the virtuous and high-souled Janaka. There\nhe beheld many populous villages, and many kinds of food and drink and\nviands and habitations of cowherds swelling with men and many herds of\ncattle. He beheld many fields abounding with paddy and barley and other\ngrain, and many lakes and waters inhabited by swans and cranes and\nadorned with beautiful lotuses. Passing through the Videha country\nteeming with well-to-do people, he arrived at the delightful gardens of\nMithila rich with many species of trees. Abounding with elephants and\nhorses and cars, and peopled by men and women, he passed through them\nwithout waiting to observe any of the things that were presented to his\neye. Bearing that burthen in his mind and ceaselessly dwelling upon it\n(viz., the desire of mastering the religion of Emancipation), Suka of\ncheerful soul and taking delight in internal survey only, reached Mithila\nat last. Arrived at the gate, he sent word through the keepers. Endued\nwith tranquillity of mind, devoted to contemplation and Yoga, he entered\nthe city, having obtained permission. Proceeding along the principal\nstreet abounding with well-to-do men, he reached the king's palace and\nentered it without any scruples. The porters forbade him with rough\nwords. Thereat, Suka, without any anger, stopped and waited. Neither the\nsun nor the long distance he had walked had fatigued him in the least.\nNeither hunger, nor thirst, nor the exertion he had made, had weakened\nhim. The heat of the Sun had not scorched or pained or distressed him in\nany degree. Among those porters there was one who felt compassion for\nhim, beholding him staying there like the midday Sun in his effulgence.\nWorshipping him in due form and saluting him properly, with joined hands\nhe led him to the first chamber of the palace. Seated there, Suka, O son,\nbegan to think of Emancipation only. Possessed of equable splendour he\nlooked with an equal eye upon a shaded spot and one exposed to the Sun's\nrays. Very soon after, the king's minister, coming to that place with\njoined hands, led him to the second chamber of the palace. That chamber\nled to a spacious garden which formed a portion of the inner apartments\nof the palace. It looked like a second Chaitraratha. Beautiful pieces of\nwater occurred here and there at regular intervals. Delightful trees, all\nof which were in their flowering season, stood in that garden. Bevies of\ndamsels, of transcendent beauty, were in attendance. The minister led\nSuka from the second chamber to that delightful spot. Ordering those\ndamsels to give the ascetic a seat, the minister left him there. Those\nwell-dressed damsels were of beautiful features, possessed of excellent\nhips, young in years, clad in red robes of fine texture, and decked with\nmany ornaments of burnished gold. They were well-skilled in agreeable\nconversation and maddening revelry, and thorough mistresses of the arts\nof dance and singing. Always opening their lips with smiles, they were\nequal to the very Apsaras in beauty. Well-skilled in all the acts of\ndalliance, competent to read the thoughts of men upon whom they wait,\npossessed of every accomplishment, fifty damsels, of a very superior\norder and of easy virtue, surrounded the ascetic. Presenting him with\nwater for washing his feet, and worshipping him respectfully with the\noffer of the usual articles, they gratified him with excellent viands\nagreeable to the season. After he had eaten, those damsels then, one\nafter another, singly led him through the grounds, showing him every\nobject of interest, O Bharata. Sporting and laughing and singing, those\ndamsels, conversant with the thoughts of all men, entertained that\nauspicious ascetic of noble soul. The pure-souled ascetic born in the\nfire-sticks, observant without scruples of any kind of his duties, having\nall his senses under complete control, and a thorough master of his\nwrath, was neither pleased nor angered at all this. Then those foremost\nof beautiful women gave him an excellent seat. Washing his feet and other\nlimbs, Suka said his evening prayers, sat on that excellent seat, and\nbegan to think of the object for which he had come there. In the first\npart of the night, he devoted himself to Yoga. The puissant ascetic,\npassed the middle portion of the night in sleep. Very soon waking up from\nhis slumber, he went through the necessary rites of cleansing his body,\nand though surrounded by those beautiful women, he once again devoted\nhimself to Yoga. It was in this way, O Bharata, that the son of the\nIsland-born Krishna passed the latter part of that day and the whole of\nthat night in the palace of king Janaka.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXXVII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The next morning, king Janaka, O Bharata, accompanied by\nhis minister and the whole household, came to Suka, placing his priest in\nthe van. Bringing with him costly seats and diverse kinds of jewels and\ngems, and bearing the ingredients of the Arghya on his own head, the\nmonarch approached the son of his reverend preceptor. The king, taking\nwith his own hands, from the hands of his priest, that seat adorned with\nmany gems, overlaid with an excellent sheet, beautiful in all its parts,\nand exceedingly costly, presented it with great reverence to his\npreceptor's son Suka. After the son of (the Island-born) Krishna had\ntaken his seat on it, the king worshipped him according to prescribed\nrites. At first offering him water to wash his feet, he then presented\nhim the Arghya and kine. The ascetic accepted that worship offered with\ndue rites and mantras. That foremost of regenerate persons, having thus\naccepted the worship offered by the king, and taking the kine also that\nwere presented to him, then saluted the monarch. Possessed of great\nenergy, he next enquired after the king's welfare and prosperity. Indeed,\nO king, Suka embraced in his enquiry the welfare of the monarch's\nfollowers and officers also. Receiving Suka's permission, Janaka sat down\nwith all his followers. Endued with a high soul and possessed of high\nbirth, the monarch, with joined hands, sat down on the bare ground and\nenquired after the welfare and unabated prosperity of Vyasa's son. The\nmonarch then asked his guest the object of his visit.\n\n\"'\"Suka said, 'Blessed be thou, my sire said unto me that his Yajamana, the\nruler of the Videhas, known all over the world by the name of Janaka, is\nwell-versed in the religion of Emancipation. He commanded me to come to\nhim without delay, if I had any doubts requiring solution in the matter\nof the religion of either Pravritti or Nivritti. He gave me to understand\nthat the king of Mithila would dispel all my doubts. I have, therefore,\ncome hither, at the command of my sire, for the purpose of taking lessons\nfrom thee. It behoveth thee, O foremost of all righteous persons, to\ninstruct me! What are the duties of a Brahmana, and what is the essence\nof those duties that have Emancipation for their object. How also is\nEmancipation to be obtained? Is it obtainable by the aid of knowledge or\nby that of penances?'\n\n\"'\"Janaka said, 'Hear what the duties are of a Brahmana from the time of\nhis birth. After his investiture, O son, with the sacred-thread, he should\ndevote his attention to the study of the Vedas. By practising penances\nand dutifully serving his preceptor and observing the duties of\nBrahmacharyya, O puissant one, he should pay off the debt he owes to the\ndeities and the Pitris, and cast off all malice. Having studied the Vedas\nwith close attention and subjugated his senses, and having given his\npreceptor the tuition fee, he should, with the permission of his\npreceptor, return home. Returning home, he should betake himself to the\ndomestic mode of life and wedding a spouse confine himself to her, and\nlive freeing himself from every kind of malice, and having established\nhis domestic fire. Living in the domestic mode, he should procreate sons\nand grandsons. After that, he should retire to the forest, and continue\nto worship the same fires and entertain guests with cordial hospitality.\nLiving righteously in the forest, he should at last establish his fire in\nhis soul, and freed from all pairs of opposites, and casting off all\nattachments from the soul, he should pass his days in the mode called\nSannyasa which is otherwise called the mode of Brahma.'\n\n\"'\"Suka said, 'If one succeeds in attaining to an understanding cleansed by\nstudy of the scriptures and to true conceptions of all things, and if the\nheart succeeds in freeing itself permanently from the effects of all\npairs of opposites, is it still necessary for such a person to adopt, one\nafter another, the three modes of life called Brahmacharyya, Garhastya,\nand Vanaprastha? This is what I ask thee. It behoveth thee to tell me.\nIndeed, O ruler of men, do tell me this according to the true import of\nthe Vedas!'\n\n\"'\"Janaka said, 'Without the aid of an understanding cleansed by study of\nthe scriptures and without that true conception of all things which is\nknown by the name of Vijnana, the attainment of Emancipation is\nimpossible. That cleansed understanding, again, it is said, is\nunattainable without one's connection with a preceptor. The preceptor is\nthe helmsman, and knowledge is the boat (aided by whom and which one\nsucceeds in crossing the ocean of the world). After having acquired that\nboat, one becomes crowned with success. Indeed, having crossed the\nocean, one may abandon both. For preventing the destruction of all the\nworlds and for preventing the destruction of acts (upon which the world\ndepend), the duties appertaining to the four modes of life were practised\nby the wise of old. By abandoning acts, good and bad, agreeably to this\norder of acts one succeeds, in course of many births, in attaining to\nEmancipation.[1739] That man who, through penances performed in course of\nmany births, succeeds in obtaining a cleansed mind and understanding and\nsoul, certainly becomes able to attain to Emancipation (in a new birth)\nin even the very first mode viz., Brahmacharyya.[1740] When, having\nattained to a cleansed understanding, Emancipation becomes his and in\nconsequence thereof he becomes possessed of knowledge in respect of all\nvisible things, what desirable object is there to attain by observing the\nthree other modes of life?[1741] One should always cast off faults born\nof the attributes of Rajas and Tamas. Adhering to the path of Sattwa, one\nshould know Self by Self.[1742] Beholding one's self in all creatures and\nall creatures in one's self, one should live (without being attached to\nanything) like aquatic animals living in water without being drenched by\nthat element. He who succeeds in transcending all pairs of attributes and\nresisting their influence, succeeds in casting off all attachments, and\nattains to infinite felicity in the next world, going thither like a bird\nsoaring into the sky from below. In this connection, there is a saying\nsung of old by king Yayati and borne in remembrance, O sire, by all\npersons conversant with the scriptures bearing upon Emancipation. The\neffulgent ray (i.e., the Supreme Soul) exists in one's Soul and not\nanywhere else. It exists equally in all creatures. One can see it oneself\nif one's heart be devoted to Yoga. When a person lives in such a way that\nanother is not inspired with fear at his sight, and when a person is not\nhimself inspired with fear at the sight of others, when a person ceases\nto cherish desire and hate, he is then said to attain to Brahma. When a\nperson ceases to entertain a sinful attitude towards all creatures in\nthought, word, and deed, he is then said to attain to Brahma.[1743] By\nrestraining the mind and the soul, by casting off malice that stupefies\nthe mind, and by throwing off desire and stupefaction, one is said to\nattain to Brahma. When a person assumes an equality of attitude in\nrespect of all objects of hearing and vision (and the operations of the\nother senses) as also in respect of all living creatures, and transcends\nall pairs of opposites, he is then said to attain to Brahma. When person\ncasts an equal eye upon praise and dispraise, gold and iron, happiness\nand misery, heat and cold, good and evil, the agreeable and the\ndisagreeable, life and death, he is then said to attain to Brahma. One\nobserving the duties of the mendicant orders should restrain one's senses\nand the mind even like a tortoise withdrawing its out-stretched\nlimbs.[1744] As a house enveloped in darkness is capable of being seen\nwith the aid of a lighted lamp, after the same manner can the soul be\nseen with the aid of the lamp of the understanding. O foremost of\nintelligent persons, I see that all this knowledge that I am\ncommunicating to thee dwells in thee. Whatever else should be known by\none desirous of learning the religion of Emancipation is already known to\nthee. O regenerate Rishi, I am convinced that through the grace of thy\npreceptor and through the instructions thou hast received, thou hast\nalready transcended all objects of the senses.[1745] O great ascetic,\nthrough the grace of that sire of thine, I have attained to omniscience,\nand hence I have succeeded in knowing thee. Thy knowledge is much greater\nthan what thou thinkest thou hast. Thy perceptions also that result from\nintuition are much greater than what thou thinkest thou hast. Thy\npuissance also is much greater than thou art conscious of. Whether in\nconsequence of thy tender age, or of the doubts thou hast not been able\nto dispel, or of the fear that is due to the unattainment of\nEmancipation, thou art not conscious of that knowledge due to intuition\nalthough it has arisen in thy mind. After one's doubts have been\ndispelled by persons like us, one succeeds in opening the knots of one's\nheart and then, by a righteous exertion one attains to and becomes\nconscious of that knowledge. As regards thyself, thou art one that hast\nalready acquired knowledge. Thy intelligence is steady and tranquil. Thou\nart free from covetousness. For all that, O Brahmana, one never succeeds\nin attaining to Brahma, which is the highest object of acquisition,\nwithout exertion. Thou seest no distinction between happiness and misery.\nThou art not covetous. Thou hast no longing for dancing and song. Thou\nhast no attachments. Thou hast no attachment to friends. Thou hast no\nfear in things that inspire fear. O blessed one, I see that thou castest\nan equal eye upon a lump of gold and a clod of earth. Myself and other\npersons possessed of wisdom, behold thee established in the highest and\nindestructible path of tranquillity. Thou stayest, O Brahmana, in those\nduties which obtain for the Brahmana that fruit which should be his and\nwhich is identical with the essence of the object represented by\nEmancipation. What else hast thou to ask me?'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXXVIII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Having heard these words of king Janaka, Suka of cleansed\nsoul and settled conclusions began to stay in his Soul by his Soul,\nhaving of course seen Self by Self.[1746] His object being accomplished,\nhe became happy and tranquil, and without putting further questions to\nJanaka, he proceeded northwards to the mountains of Himavat with the\nspeed of the wind and like the wind.[1747] These mountains abounded with\ndiverse tribes of Apsaras and echoed with many lofty sounds. Teeming with\nthousands of Kinnaras and Bhringarajas[1748] it was adorned, besides,\nwith many Madgus and Khanjaritas and many Jivajivakas of variegated hue.\nAnd there were many peacocks also of gorgeous colours, uttering their\nshrill but melodious cries. Many bevies of swans also, and many flights\nof gladdened Kokilas too, adorned the place. The prince of birds, viz.,\nGaruda, dwelt on that summit constantly. The four Regents of the world,\nthe deities, and diverse classes of Rishis, used always to come there\nfrom the desire of doing good to the world. It was there that the\nhigh-souled Vishnu had undergone the severest austerities for the object\nof obtaining a son. It was there that the celestial generalissimo named\nKumara, in his younger days, disregarding the three worlds with all the\ncelestial denizens, threw down his dart, piercing the Earth therewith.\nThrowing down his dart, Skanda addressing the universe, said,--'If there\nbe any person that is superior to me in might, or that holds Brahmanas to\nbe dearer, or that can compare with me in devotion to the Brahmanas and\nthe Vedas, or that is possessed of energy like unto me, let him draw up\nthis dart or at least shake it!'--Hearing this challenge, the three worlds\nbecome filled with anxiety, and all creatures asked one another,\nsaying,--'Who will raise this dart?'--Vishnu beheld all the deities and\nAsuras and Rakshasas to be troubled in their senses and mind. He\nreflected upon what should be the best to be done under the\ncircumstances. Without being able to bear that challenge in respect of\nthe hurling of the dart, he cast his eyes on Skanda, the son of the\nFire-god. The pure-souled Vishnu caught hold of the blazing dart, with\nhis left hand, and began to shake it. When the dart was being thus shaken\nby Vishnu possessed of great might, the whole Earth with her mountains,\nforests, and seas, shook with the dart. Although Vishnu was fully\ncompetent to raise the dart, still he contented himself with only shaking\nit. In this, the puissant lord only kept the honour of Skanda intact.\nHaving shaken it himself, the divine Vishnu, addressing Prahlada,\nsaid,--'Behold the might of Kumara! None else in the universe can raise\nthis dart!' Unable to bear this, Prahlada resolved to raise the dart. He\nseized it, but was unable to shake it at all. Uttering a loud cry, he\nfell down on the hill-top in a swoon. Indeed, the son of Hiranya-kasipu\nfell down on the Earth. Repairing towards the northern side of those\ngrand mountains, Mahadeva, having the bull for his sign, had undergone\nthe austerest penances. The asylum where Mahadeva had undergone those\nausterities is encompassed on all sides with a blazing fire.\nUnapproachable by persons of uncleansed souls, that mountain is known by\nthe name of Aditya. There is a fiery girdle all around it, of the width\nof ten Yojanas, and it is incapable of being approached by Yakshas and\nRakshasas and Danavas. The illustrious god of Fire, possessed of mighty\nenergy, dwells there in person employed in removing all impediments from\nthe side of Mahadeva of great wisdom who remained there for a thousand\ncelestial years, all the while standing on one foot. Dwelling on the side\nof that foremost of mountains, Mahadeva of high vows (by his penances)\nscorched the deities greatly.[1749] At the foot of those mountains, in a\nretired spot, Parasara's son of great ascetic merit, viz., Vyasa, taught\nthe Vedas unto his disciples. Those disciples were the highly blessed\nSumantra, Vaisampayana, Jaimini of great wisdom, and Paila of great\nascetic merit. Suka proceeded to that delightful asylum where his sire,\nthe great ascetic Vyasa, was dwelling, surrounded by his disciples.\nSeated in his asylum, Vyasa beheld his son approach like a blazing fire\nof scattered flames, or resembling the sun himself in effulgence. As Suka\napproached, he did not seem to touch the trees or the rocks of the\nmountain. Completely dissociated from all objects of the senses, engaged\nin Yoga, the high-souled ascetic came, resembling, in speed, a shaft let\nfrom a bow. Born on the fire-sticks, Suka, approaching his sire, touched\nhis feet. With becoming formalities he then accosted the disciples of his\nsire. With great cheerfulness he then detailed to his father all the\nparticulars of his conversation with king Janaka. Vyasa the son of\nParasara, after the arrival of his puissant son, continued to dwell there\non the Himavat engaged in teaching his disciples and his son. One day as\nhe was seated, his disciples, all well-skilled in the Vedas, having their\nsenses under control, and endued with tranquil souls, sat themselves\naround him. All of them had thoroughly mastered the Vedas with their\nbranches. All of them were observant of penances. With joined hands they\naddressed their preceptor in the following words.\n\n\"'\"The disciples said, 'We have, through thy grace, been endued with great\nenergy. Our fame also has spread. There is one favour that we humbly\nsolicit thee to grant us.' Hearing these words of theirs, the regenerate\nRishi answered them, saying, 'Ye sons, tell me what that boon is which ye\nwish I should grant you!' Hearing this answer of their preceptor, the\ndisciples became filled with joy. Once more bowing their heads low unto\ntheir preceptor and joining their hands, all of them in one voice said, O\nking, these excellent words: 'If our preceptor has been pleased with us,\nthen, O best of sages, we are sure to be crowned with success! We all\nsolicit thee, O great Rishi, to grant us a boon. Be thou inclined to be\ngraceful to us. Let no sixth disciple (besides us five) succeed in\nattaining to fame! We are four. Our preceptor's son forms the fifth. Let\nthe Vedas shine in only us five! Even this is the boon that we\nsolicit.'--Hearing these words of his disciples, Vyasa, the son of\nParasara, possessed of great intelligence, well-conversant with the\nmeaning of the Vedas, endued with a righteous soul, and always engaged in\nthinking of objects that confer benefits on a person in the world\nhereafter, said unto his disciples these righteous words fraught with\ngreat benefit: 'The Vedas should always be given unto him who is a\nBrahmana, or unto him who is desirous of listening to Vedic instructions,\nby him who eagerly wishes to attain a residence in the region of Brahman!\nDo ye multiply. Let the Vedas spread (through your exertions). The Vedas\nshould never be imparted unto one that has not formally become a\ndisciple. Nor should they be given unto one who is not observant of good\nvows. Nor should they be given for dwelling in one that is of uncleansed\nsoul. These should be known as the proper qualifications of persons that\ncan be accepted as disciples (for the communication of Vedic knowledge).\nNo science should be imparted unto one without a proper examination of\none's character, as pure gold is tested by heat, cutting and rubbing,\nafter the same manner disciples should be tested by their birth and\naccomplishments. Ye should never set your disciples to tasks to which\nthey should not be set, or to tasks that are fraught with danger. One's\nknowledge is always commensurate with one's understanding and diligence\nin study. Let all disciples conquer all difficulties, and let all of them\nmeet with auspicious success. Ye are competent to lecture on the\nscriptures unto persons of all the orders. Only ye should, while\nlecturing, address a Brahmana, placing him in the van. These are the\nrules in respect of the study of the Vedas. This again is regarded as a\nhigh task. The Vedas were created by the Self-born for the purpose of\npraising the deities therewith. That man who, through stupefaction of\nintellect, speaks ill of a Brahmana well-conversant with the Vedas, is\ncertain to meet with humiliation in consequence of such evil-speaking. He\nwho disregarding all righteous rules, solicits knowledge, and he who,\ndisregarding the rules of righteousness, communicates knowledge, either\nof them falls off and instead of that affection which should prevail\nbetween preceptor and disciple, such questioning and such communication\nare sure to produce distrust and suspicion. I have now told ye everything\nabout the way in which the Vedas should be studied and taught. Ye should\nact in this way towards your disciples, bearing these instructions in\nyour minds.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXXIX\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Hearing these words of their preceptor, Vyasa's disciples\nendued with energy, became filled with joy and embraced one another.\nAddressing one another, they said,--'That which has been said by our\nillustrious preceptor in view of our future good, will live in our\nremembrance and we shall certainly act according to it.'--Having said this\nunto one another with joyful hearts, the disciples of Vyasa, who were\nthorough masters of words, once more addressed their preceptor and\nsaid,--'If it pleases thee, O puissant one, we wish to descend from this\nmountain to the Earth, O great ascetic, for the purpose of subdividing\nthe Vedas!'--Hearing these words of his disciples, the puissant son of\nParasara replied unto them in these beneficial words that were fraught,\nbesides, with righteousness and profit,--You may repair to the Earth or\nto the regions of the celestials, as ye like. You should always be\nheedful, for the Vedas are such that they are always liable to be\nmisunderstood![1750]--Permitted by their preceptor of truthful speech,\nthe disciples left him after circumambulating him and bowing their heads\nunto him. Descending upon the Earth they performed the Agnishtoma and\nother sacrifices; and they began to officiate at the sacrifices of\nBrahmanas and Kshatriyas and Vaisyas. Happily passing their days in the\ndomestic mode of life, they were treated by the Brahmanas with great\nrespect. Possessed of great fame and prosperity, they were employed in\nteaching and officiating in sacrifices. After his disciples had gone\naway, Vyasa remained in his asylum, with only his son in his company.\nPassing his days in anxious thoughtfulness, the great Rishi, possessed of\nwisdom, kept silent, sitting in a retired corner of the asylum. At that\ntime Narada of great ascetic merit came to that spot for seeing Vyasa,\nand addressing him, said these words of melodious sound.\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'O regenerate Rishi of Vasishtha's race, why are Vedic\nsounds silent now? Why art thou sitting silent and alone engaged in\nmeditation like one taken up with an engrossing thought? Alas, shorn of\nVedic echoes, this mountain hath lost its beauty, even as the Moon shorn\nof splendour when assailed by Rahu or enveloped in dust.[1751] Though\ninhabited by the celestial Rishis, yet shorn of Vedic sounds, the\nmountain no longer looks beautiful now but resembles a hamlet of\nNishadas.[1752] The Rishis, the deities, and the Gandharvas, too, no\nlonger shine as before in consequence of being deprived of Vedic\nsound!'--Hearing these words of Narada, the Island-born Krishna answered,\nsaying,--'O great Rishi, O thou art conversant with the declarations of\nthe Vedas, all that thou hast said is agreeable to me and it truly\nbehoves thee to say it unto me! Thou art omniscient, thou hast seen\neverything. Thy curiosity also embraces all things within its sphere. All\nthat has ever occurred in the three worlds is well known to thee. Do thou\nthen, O regenerate Rishi, set thy commands on me. O, tell me what I am to\ndo! Tell me, O regenerate Rishi, what should now be done by me. Separated\nfrom my disciples, my mind has become very cheerless now.'\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'The stain of the Vedas is the suspension of their\nrecitation. The stain of the Brahmanas is their non-observance of vows.\nThe Valhika race is the stain of the Earth. Curiosity is the stain of\nwomen. Do thou with thy intelligent son recite the Vedas, and do thou\nwith the echoes of Vedic sounds dispel the fears arising from Rakshasas.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Hearing these words of Narada, Vyasa, the foremost\nof all persons conversant with duties and firmly devoted to Vedic\nrecitation, became filled with joy and answered Narada, saying,--So be\nit--With his son Suka, he set himself to recite the Vedas in a loud\nsonorous voice, observing all the rules of orthoepy and, as it were,\nfilling the three worlds with that sound. One day as sire and son, who\nwere well-conversant with all duties, were engaged in reciting the Vedas,\na violent wind arose that seemed to be impelled by the gales that blow on\nthe bosom of the ocean. Understanding from this circumstance that the\nhour was suited to sacred recitation, Vyasa immediately bade his son to\nsuspend the recitation. Suka, thus forbidden by his sire, became filled\nwith curiosity. He asked his sire, saying,--O regenerate one, whence is\nthis wind? It behoveth thee to tell me everything about the conduct of\nthe Wind.--Hearing this question of Suka, Vyasa became filled with\namazement. He answered Suka, by telling him that an omen which indicated\nthat the recitation of the Vedas should be suspended.--'Thou hast obtained\nspiritual vision. Thy mind too has, of itself, become cleansed of every\nimpurity. Thou hast been freed from the attributes of Passion and\nDarkness. Thou stayest now in the attributes of Goodness. Thou beholdest\nnow thy Soul with thy Soul even as one beholds one's own shadow in a\nmirror. Staying thyself on thy own Soul, do thou reflect on the Vedas.\nThe path of the Supreme Soul is called Deva-yana (the path of the gods).\nThe path that is made up of the attribute of Tamas is called Pitri-yana\n(the path of Pitris). These are the two paths in the world hereafter. By\none, people go to heaven. By the other, people go to hell. The winds blow\non the Earth's surface and in the welkin. There are seven courses in\nwhich they blow. Listen to me as I recount them one after another. The\nbody is furnished with the senses are dominated over by the Sadhyas and\nmany great beings of mighty strength. These gave birth to an invincible\nson named Samana. From Samana sprang a son called Udana. From Udana\nsprang Vyana arose Apana, and lastly from Apana sprung the wind called\nPrana. That invincible scorcher of all foes, viz., Prana, became\nchildless. I shall now recite to thee the different functions of those\nwinds. The wind is the cause of the different functions of all living\ncreatures, and because living creatures are enabled to live by it,\ntherefore is the wind called Prana (or life). That wind which is the\nfirst in the above enumeration and which is known by the name of Pravaha\n(Samana) urges, along the first course, masses of clouds born of smoke\nand heat. Coursing through the welkin, and coming into contact with the\nwater contained in the clouds, that wind displays itself in effulgence\namong the darts of lightning.[1753] The second wind called Avaha blows\nwith a loud noise. It is this wind that causes Soma and the other\nluminaries to rise and appear. Within the body (which is a microcosm of\nthe universe) that wind is called Udana by the wise. That wind which\nsucks up water from the four oceans, and having sucked it up imparts it\nto the clouds in the welkin, and which, having imparted it to the clouds\npresent them to the deity of rain, is third in the enumeration and known\nby the name of Udvaha. That wind which supports the clouds and divided\nthem into diverse portions, which melts them for pouring rain and once\nmore solidifies them, which is perceived as the sound of the roaring\nclouds, which exists for the preservation of the world by itself assuming\nthe form of the clouds, which bears the cars of all celestial beings\nalong the sky, is known by the name of Samvaha. The fourth in the\nenumeration, it is endued with great strength so that it is capable of\nending the very mountains. The fifth wind is fraught with great force and\nspeed. It is dry and uproots and breaks down all trees. Existing with it,\nthe clouds come to be called by the name of Valahaka. That wind causes\ncalamitous phenomena of many kinds, and produces roaring sounds in the\nfirmament. It is known by the name of Vivaha. The sixth wind bears all\ncelestial waters in the firmament and prevents them from falling down.\nSustaining the sacred waters of the celestial Ganga, that wind blows,\npreventing them from having a downward course. Obstructed by that wind\nfrom a distance, the Sun, which is really the source of a thousand rays,\nand which enlightens the world, appears as a luminous body of but one\nray. Through the action of that wind, the Moon, after waning, wanes again\ntill he displays his full disc. That wind is known, O foremost of\nascetics, by the name Parivaha.[1754] That wind which takes away the life\nof all living creatures when the proper hour comes, whose track is\nfollowed by Death and Surya's son Yama, which becomes the source of that\nimmortality which is attained by Yogins of subtile sight who are always\nengaged in Yoga meditation, by whose aid the thousands of grandsons of\nDaksha, that lord of creatures, by his ten sons, succeeded in days of old\nin attaining to the ends of the universe, whose touch enables one to\nattain to Emancipation by freeing oneself from the obligation of\nreturning so the world,--that wind is called by the name of Paravaha. The\nforemost of all winds, it is incapable of being resisted by anybody.\nWonderful are these winds all of whom are the sons of Diti. Capable of\ngoing everywhere and upholding all things, they blow all around thee\nwithout being attached to thee at any time. This, however, is exceedingly\nwonderful viz., that this foremost of mountains should thus be suddenly\nshaken by that wind which has begun to blow. This wind is the breath of\nVishnu's nostrils. When urged forth with speed, it begins to blow with\ngreat force at which the whole universe becomes agitated. Hence, when the\nwind begins to blow with violence, persons conversant with the Vedas do\nnot recite the Vedas. The Vedas are a form of wind. If uttered with\nforce, the external wind becomes tortured.'\n\n\"'\"Having said these words, the puissant son of Parasara bade his son (when\nthe wind had ceased) to go on with his Vedic recitation. He then left\nthat spot for plunging into the waters of the celestial Ganga.\"'\"[1755]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXXX\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"After Vyasa had left the spot, Narada, traversing through\nthe sky, came to Suka employed in studying the scriptures. The celestial\nRishi came for the object of asking Suka the meaning of certain portions\nof the Vedas. Beholding the celestial Rishi Narada arrived at his\nretreat, Suka worshipped him by offering him the Arghya according to the\nrites laid down in the Vedas. Pleased with the honours bestowed upon him,\nNarada addressed Suka, saying,--'Tell me, O foremost of righteous persons,\nby what means, O dear child, may I accomplish what is for thy highest\ngood!'--Hearing these words of Narada, Suka said unto him, O Bharata,\nthese words:--'It behoveth thee to instruct me in respect of that which\nmay be beneficial to me.'\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'In days of yore the illustrious Sanatkumara had said these\nwords unto certain Rishis of cleansed souls that had repaired to him for\nenquiring after the truth. There is no eye like that of knowledge. There\nis no penance like renunciation. Abstention from sinful acts, steady\npractice of righteousness, good conduct, the due observance of all\nreligious duties,--these constitute the highest good. Having obtained the\nstatus of humanity which is fraught with sorrow, he that becomes attached\nto it, becomes stupefied: such a man never succeeds in emancipating\nhimself from sorrow. Attachment (to things of the world) is an indication\nof sorrow. The understanding of person that is attached to worldly things\nbecomes more and more enmeshed in the net of stupefaction. The man who\nbecomes enmeshed in the net of stupefaction attains to sorrow, both here\nand hereafter. One should, by every means in one's power, restrain both\ndesire and wrath if one seeks to achieve what is for one's good. Those\ntwo (viz., desire and wrath) arise for only destroying one's good.[1756]\nOne should always protect one's penances from wrath, and one's prosperity\nfrom pride. One should always protect one's knowledge from honour and\ndishonour and one's soul from error.[1757] Compassion is the highest\nvirtue. Forgiveness is the highest might. The knowledge of self is the\nhighest knowledge. There is nothing higher than truth. It is always\nproper to speak the truth. It is better again to speak what is beneficial\nthan to speak what is true. I hold that that is truth which is fraught\nwith the greatest benefit in all creatures.[1758] That man is said to be\ntruly learned and truly possessed of wisdom who abandons every act, who\nnever indulges in hope, who is completely dissociated from all worldly\nsurroundings, and who has renounced everything that appertains to the\nworld. That person who, without being attached thereto, enjoys all\nobjects of sense with the aid of senses that are completely under his\ncontrol, who is possessed of a tranquil soul, who is never moved by joy\nor sorrow, who is engaged in Yoga-meditation, who lives in companionship\nwith the deities presiding over his senses and dissociated also from\nthem, and who, though endued with a body, never regards himself as\nidentifiable with it, becomes emancipated and very soon attains to that\nwhich is highest good. One who never sees others, never touches others,\nnever talks with others, soon, O ascetic, attains to what is for one's\nhighest good. One should not injure any creature. On the other hand, one\nshould conduct oneself in perfect friendliness towards all. Having\nobtained the status of humanity, one should never behave inimically\ntowards any being. A complete disregards for all (worldly) things,\nperfect contentments, abandonment of hope of every kind, and\npatience,--these constitute the highest good of one that has subjugated\none's senses and acquired a knowledge of self. Casting off all\nattachments, O child, do thou subjugate all thy senses, and by that means\nattain to felicity both here and hereafter. They that are free from\ncupidity have never to suffer any sorrow. One should, therefore, cast off\nall cupidity from one's soul. By casting off cupidity, O amiable and\nblessed one, thou shalt be able to free thyself from sorrow and pain. One\nwho wishes to conquer that which is unconquerable should live devoting\noneself to penances, to self-restraint, to taciturnity, to a subjugation\nof the soul. Such a person should live in the midst of attachments\nwithout being attached to them.[1759] That Brahmana who lives in the\nmidst of attachments without being attached to them and who always lives\nin seclusion, very soon attains to the highest felicity. That man who\nlives in happiness by himself in the midst of creatures who are seen to\ntake delight in leading lives of sexual union, should be known to be a\nperson whose thirst has been slaked by knowledge. It is well known that\nthat man whose thirst has been slaked by knowledge has never to indulge\nin grief. One attains to the status of the deities by means of good acts;\nto the status of humanity by means of acts that are good and bad; while\nby acts that are purely wicked, one helplessly falls down among the lower\nanimals. Always assailed by sorrow and decrepitude and death, a living\ncreature is being cooked in this world (in the cauldron of Time). Dost\nthou not known it? Thou frequently regardest that to be beneficial which\nis really injurious; that to be certain which is really uncertain; and\nthat to be desirable and good which is undesirable and not good. Alas,\nwhy dost thou not awake to a correct apprehension of these? Like a\nsilkworm that ensconces itself in its own cocoon, thou art continually\nensconcing thyself in a cocoon made of thy own innumerable acts born of\nstupefaction and error. Alas, why dost thou not awake to a correct\napprehension of thy situation? No need of attaching thyself to things of\nthis world. Attachment to worldly objects is productive of evil. The\nsilk-worm that weaves a cocoon round itself is at last destroyed by its\nown act. Those persons that become attached to sons and spouses and\nrelatives meet with destruction at last, even as wild elephants sunk in\nthe mire of a lake are gradually weakened till overtaken by Death.\nBehold, all creatures that suffer themselves to be dragged by the net of\naffection become subject to great grief even as fishes on land, dragged\nthereto by means of large nets! Relatives, sons, spouses, the body\nitself, and all one's possessions stored with care, are unsubstantial and\nprove of no service in the next world. Only acts, good and bad, that one\ndoes, follow one to the other world. When it is certain that thou shalt\nhave to go helplessly to the other world, leaving behind thee all these\nthings alas, why dost thou then suffer thyself to be attached to such\nunsubstantial things of no value, without attending to that which\nconstitutes thy real and durable wealth? The path which thou shalt have\nto travel through is without resting places of any kind (in which to take\nrest). There is no support along that way which one may catch for\nupholding oneself. The country through which it passes is unknown and\nundiscovered. It is, again enveloped in thick darkness. Alas, how shalt\nthou proceed along that way without equipping thyself with the necessary\nexpenses? When thou shalt go along that road, nobody will follow thee\nbehind. Only thy acts, good and bad, will follow behind thee when thou\nshalt depart from this world for the next. One seeks one's object of\nobjects by means of learning, acts, purity (both external and internal),\nand great knowledge. When that foremost of objects is attained, one\nbecomes freed (from rebirth). The desire that one feels for living in the\nmidst of human habitations is like a binding cord. They that are of good\nacts succeed in tearing that bond and freeing themselves. Only men of\nwicked deeds do not succeed in breaking them. The river of life (or the\nworld) is terrible. Personal beauty or form constitutes its banks. The\nmind is the speed of its current. Touch forms its island. Taste\nconstitutes its current. Scent is its mire. Sound is its waters. That\nparticular part of it which leads towards heaven is attended with great\ndifficulties. Body is the boat by which one must cross that river.\nForgiveness is the oar by which it is to be propelled. Truth is the\nballast that is to steady that boat. The practice of righteousness is the\nstring that is to be attached to the mast for dragging that boat along\ndifficult waters. Charity of gift constitutes the wind that urges the\nsails of that boat. Endued with swift speed, it is with that boat that\none must cross the river of life. Cast off both virtue and vice, and\ntruth and falsehood. Having cast off truth and falsehood, do thou cast\noff that by which these are to be cast off. By casting off all purpose,\ndo thou cast off virtue; do thou cast off sin also by casting off all\ndesire. With the aid of the understanding, do thou cast off truth and\nfalsehood; and, at last, do thou cast off the understanding itself by\nknowledge of the highest topic (viz., the supreme Soul). Do thou cast off\nthis body having bones for its pillars; sinews for its binding strings\nand cords; flesh and blood for its outer plaster; the skin for its outer\ncase; full of urine and faeces and, therefore, emitting a foul smell;\nexposed to the assaults of decrepitude and sorrow; forming the seat of\ndisease and weakened by pain; possessed of the attribute of Rajas in\npredominance: not permanent or durable, and which serves as the\n(temporary) habitation of the indwelling creature. This entire universe\nof matter, and that which is called Mahat or Buddhi, are made up of the\n(five), great elements. That which is called Mahat is due to the action\nof the Supreme. The five senses, the three attributes of Tamas, Sattwa,\nand Rajas,--these (together with those which have been mentioned before)\nconstitute a tale of seventeen. These seventeen, which are known by the\nname of the Unmanifest, with all those that are called Manifest, viz.,\nthe five objects of the five senses, (that is to say, form, taste, sound,\ntouch, and scent), with Consciousness and the Understanding, form the\nwell-known tale of four and twenty. When endued with these four and\ntwenty possessions, one comes to be called by the name of Jiva (or\nPuman). He who knows the aggregate of three (viz., Religion, Wealth, and\nPleasure), as also happiness and sorrow and life and death, truly and in\nall their details, is said to know growth and decay. Whatever objects\nexist of knowledge, should be known gradually, one after another. All\nobjects that are apprehended by the senses are called Manifest. Whatever\nobjects transcend the senses and are apprehended by means only of their\nindications are said to be Unmanifest. By restraining the senses, one\nwins great gratification, even like a thirsty and parched traveller at a\ndelicious shower of rain. Having subjugated the senses one beholds one's\nsoul spread out for embracing all objects, and all objects in one's soul.\nHaving its roots in knowledge, the puissance is never lost of the man who\n(thus) beholds the Supreme in his soul,--of the man, that is to say, who\nalways beholds all creatures in all conditions (in his own soul).[1760]\nHe who by the aid of knowledge, transcends all kinds of pain born of\nerror and stupefaction, never catches any evil by coming into contact\nwith all creatures.[1761] Such a man, his understanding being fully\ndisplayed, never finds fault with the course of conduct that prevails in\nthe world. One conversant with Emancipation says that the Supreme Soul is\nwithout beginning and without end; that it takes birth as all creatures;\nthat it resides (as a witness) in the Jiva-soul; that it is inactive, and\nwithout form. Only that man who meets with grief in consequence of his\nown misdeeds, slays numerous creatures for the purpose of warding off\nthat grief.[1762] In consequence of such sacrifices, the performers have\nto attain to rebirths and have necessarily to perform innumerable acts on\nevery side. Such a man, blinded by error, and regarding that to be\nfelicity which is really a source of grief, is continually rendered\nunhappy even like a sick person that eats food that is improper. Such a\nman is pressed and grinded by his acts like any substance that is\nchurned. Bound by his acts, he obtains re-birth, the order of his life\nbeing determined by the nature of his acts. Suffering many kinds of\ntorture, he travels in a repeated round of rebirths even like a wheel\nthat turns ceaselessly. Thou, however, hast cut through all thy bonds.\nThou, abstainest from all acts! Possessed of omniscience and the master\nof all things, let success be thine, and do thou become freed from all\nexistent objects. Through subjugation of their senses and the power of\ntheir penances, many persons (in days of yore), having destroyed the\nbonds of action, attained to high success and uninterrupted felicity.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXXXI\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'By listening to such scriptures as are blessed, as bring\nabout tranquillity, as dispel grief, and as are productive of happiness,\none attains to (a pure) understanding, and having attained to it obtains\nto high felicity. A thousand causes of sorrow, a hundred causes of fear,\nfrom day to day, afflict one that is destitute of understanding, but not\none that is possessed of wisdom and learning. Do thou, therefore, listen\nto some old narratives as I recite them to you, for the object of\ndispelling thy griefs. If one can subjugate one's understanding, one is\nsure to attain to happiness. By association of what is undesirable and\ndissociation from what is agreeable, only men of little intelligence,\nbecome subject to mental sorrow of every kind. When things have become\npast, one should not grieve, thinking of their merits. He that thinks of\nsuch past things with affection can never emancipate himself. One should\nalways seek to find out the faults of those things to which one begins to\nbecome attached. One should always regard such things to be fraught with\nmuch evil. By doing so, one should soon free oneself therefrom. The man\nwho grieves for what is past fails to acquire either wealth or religious\nmerit or fame. That which exists no longer cannot be obtained. When such\nthings pass away, they do not return (however keen the regret one may\nindulge in for their sake). Creatures sometimes acquire and sometimes\nlose worldly object. No man in this world can be grieved by all the\nevents that fall upon him. Dead or lost, he who grieves for what is past,\nonly gets sorrow for sorrow. Instead of one sorrow, he gets two.[1763]\nThose men who, beholding the course of life and death in the world with\nthe aid of their intelligence, do not shed tears, are said to behold\nproperly. Such persons have never to shed tears, (at anything that may\nhappen). When any such calamity comes, productive of either physical or\nmental grief, as is incapable of being warded off by even one's best\nefforts, one should cease to reflect on it with sorrow. This is the\nmedicine for sorrow, viz., not to think of it. By thinking of it, one can\nnever dispel it; on the other hand, by thinking upon sorrow, one only\nenhances it. Mental griefs should be killed by wisdom; while physical\ngrief should be dispelled by medicines. This is the power of knowledge.\nOne should not, in such matters, behave like men of little\nunderstandings. Youth, beauty, life, stored wealth, health, association\nwith those that are loved,--these all are exceedingly transitory. One\npossessed of wisdom should never covet them. One should not lament\nindividually for a sorrowful occurrence that concerns an entire\ncommunity. Instead of indulgence in it when grief comes, one should seek\nto avert it and apply a remedy as soon as one sees the opportunity for\ndoing it. There is no doubt that in this life the measure of misery is\nmuch greater than that of happiness. There is no doubt in this that all\nmen show attachment for objects of the senses and that death is regarded\nas disagreeable. That man who casts off both joy and sorrow, is said to\nattain to Brahma. When such a man departs from this world, men of wisdom\nnever indulge in any sorrow on his account. In spending wealth there is\npain. In protecting it there is pain. In acquiring it there is pain.\nHence, when one's wealth meets with destruction, one should not indulge\nin any sorrow for it. Men of little understanding, attaining to different\ngrades of wealth, fail to win contentment and at last perish in misery.\nMen of wisdom, however, are always contented. All combinations are\ndestined to end in dissolution. All things that are high are destined to\nfall down and become low. Union is sure to end in disunion and life is\ncertain to end in death. Thirst is unquenchable. Contentment is the\nhighest happiness. Hence, persons of wisdom regard contentment to be the\nmost precious wealth. One's allotted period of life is running\ncontinually. It stops not in its course for even a single moment. When\none's body itself is not durable, what other thing is there (in this\nworld) that one should reckon as durable? Those persons who, reflecting\non the nature of all creatures and concluding that it is beyond the grasp\nof the mind, turn their attention to the highest path, and, setting out,\nachieve a fair progress in it, have not to indulge in sorrow.[1764] Like\na tiger seizing and running away with its prey, Death seizes and runs\naway with the man that is employed in such (unprofitable) occupation and\nthat is still unsatiated with objects of desire and enjoyment. One should\nalways seek to emancipate oneself from sorrow. One should seek to dispel\nsorrow by beginning one's operations with cheerfulness, that is, without\nindulging in sorrow the while, having freed oneself from a particular\nsorrow, one should act in such a way as to keep sorrow at a distance by\nabstaining from all faults of conduct.[1765] The rich and the poor alike\nfind nothing in sound and touch and form and scent and taste, after the\nimmediate enjoyment thereof.[1766] Before union, creatures are never\nsubject to sorrow. Hence, one that has not fallen off from one's original\nnature, never indulges in sorrow when that union comes to an end.[1767]\nOne should restrain one's sexual appetite and the stomach with the aid of\npatience. One should protect one's hands and feet with the aid of the\neye. One's eyes and ears and the other senses should be protected by the\nmind. One's mind and speech should be ruled with the aid of wisdom.\nCasting off love and affection for persons that are known as well as for\nthose that are unknown, one should conduct oneself with humility. Such a\nperson is said to be possessed of wisdom, and such a one surely finds\nhappiness. That man who is pleased with his own Soul[1768] who is devoted\nto Yoga, who depends upon nothing out of self, who is without cupidity,\nand who conducts himself without the assistance of anything but his self,\nsucceeds in attaining to felicity.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXXXII\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'When the vicissitudes of happiness and sorrow appear or\ndisappear, the transitions are incapable of being prevented by either\nwisdom or policy or exertion. Without allowing oneself to fall away from\none's true nature, one should strive one's best for protecting one's own\nSelf. He who betakes himself to such care and exertion, has never to\nlanguish. Regarding Self as something dear, one should always seek to\nrescue oneself from decrepitude, death, and disease. Mental and physical\ndiseases afflict the body, like keen-pointed shafts shot from the bow by\na strong bowman. The body of a person that is tortured by thirst, that is\nagitated by agony, that is perfectly helpless, and that is desirous of\nprolonging his life, is dragged towards destruction.[1769] Days and\nnights are ceaselessly running bearing away in their current the periods\nof life of all human beings. Like currents of rivers, these flow\nceaselessly without ever turning back.[1770] The ceaseless succession of\nthe lighted and the dark fortnights is wasting all mortal creatures\nwithout stopping for even a moment in this work. Rising and setting day\nafter day, the Sun, who is himself undecaying, is continually cooking the\njoys and sorrows of all men. The nights are ceaselessly going away,\ntaking with them the good and bad incidents that befall man, that depend\non destiny, and that are unexpected by him. If the fruits of man's acts\nwere not dependent on other circumstances, then one would obtain whatever\nobject one would desire. Even men of restrained senses, of cleverness,\nand of intelligence, if destitute of acts, never succeed in earning any\nfruits.[1771] Others, though destitute of intelligence and unendued with\naccomplishments of any kind, and who are really the lowest of men, are\nseen, even when they do not long after success, to be crowned with the\nfruition of all their desires.[1772] Some one else, who is always ready\nto do acts of injury to all creatures, and who is engaged in deceiving\nall the world, is seen to wallow in happiness. Some one that sits idly,\nobtains great prosperity; while another, by exerting earnestly, is seen\nto miss desirable fruits almost within his reach.[1773] Do thou ascribe\nit as one of the faults of man! The vital seed, originating in one's\nnature from sight of one person, goes to another person. When imparted to\nthe womb, it sometimes produces an embryo and sometimes fails. When\nsexual congress fails, it resembles a mango tree that puts forth a great\nmany flowers without, however, producing a single fruit.[1774] As regards\nsome men who are desirous of having offspring and who, for the fruition\nof their object, strive heartily (by worshipping diverse deities), they\nfail to procreate an embryo in the womb. Some person again, who fears the\nbirth of an embryo as one fears a snake of virulent poison, finds a\nlong-lived son born unto him and who seems to be his own self come back\nto the stages through which he has passed. Many persons with ardent\nlonging for offspring and cheerless on that account, after sacrificing to\nmany deities and undergoing severe austerities, at last beget children,\nduly borne for ten long months (in the wombs of their spouses), that\nprove to be veritable wretches of their race. Others, who have been\nobtained through virtue of such blessed rites and observances, at once\nobtain wealth and grain and diverse other sources of enjoyment earned and\nstored by their sires. In an act of congress, when two persons of\nopposite sexes come into contact with one another, the embryo takes birth\nin the womb, like a calamity afflicting the mother. Very soon after the\nsuspension of the vital breaths, other physical forms possess that\nembodied creature whose gross body has been destroyed but whose acts have\nall been performed with that gross body made of flesh and phlegm.[1775]\nUpon the dissolution of the body, another body, which is as much\ndestructible as the one that is destroyed, is kept ready for the burnt\nand destroyed creature (to migrate into) even as one boat goes to another\nfor transferring to itself the passengers of the other.[1776] In\nconsequence of an act of congress, a drop of the vital seed, that is\ninanimate, is cast into the womb. I ask thee, through whose or what care\nis the embryo kept alive? That part of the body into which the food that\nis eaten goes and where it is digested, is the place where the embryo\nresides, but it is not digested there. In the womb, amid urine and\nfaeces, one's sojourn is regulated by Nature. In the matter of residence\ntherein or escape therefrom, the born creature is not a free agent. In\nfact, in these respects, he is perfectly helpless. Some embryos fall from\nthe womb (in an undeveloped state). Some come out alive (and continue to\nlive). While as regards some, they meet with destruction in the womb,\nafter being quickened with life, in consequence of some other bodies\nbeing ready for them (through the nature of their acts).[1777] That man\nwho, in an act of sexual congress, injects the vital fluid, obtains from\nit a son or daughter. The offspring thus obtained, when the time comes,\ntakes part in a similar act of congress. When the allotted period of a\nperson's life is at its close, the five primal elements of his body\nattain to the seventh and the ninth stages and then cease to be. The\nperson, however, undergoes no change.[1778] Without doubt, when persons\nare afflicted by diseases as little animals assailed by hunters, they\nthen lose the powers of rising up and moving about. If when men are\nafflicted by diseases, they wish to spend even vast wealth, physicians\nwith their best efforts fail to alleviate their pain. Even physicians,\nthat are well-skilled and well-up in their scriptures and well-equipt\nwith excellent medicines, are themselves afflicted by disease like\nanimals assailed by hunters. Even if men drink many astringents and\ndiverse kinds of medicated ghee, they are seen to be broken by\ndecrepitude like trees by strong elephants. When animals and birds and\nbeasts of prey and poor men are afflicted by ailments, who treats them\nwith medicines? Indeed, these are not seen to be ill. Like larger animals\nassailing smaller ones, ailments are seen to afflict even terrible kings\nof fierce energy and invincible prowess. All men, reft of the power of\neven uttering cries indicate of pain, and overwhelmed by error and grief,\nare seen to be borne away along the fierce current into which they have\nbeen thrown. Embodied creatures, even when seeking to conquer nature, are\nunable to conquer it with the aid of wealth, of sovereign power, or of\nthe austerest penances.[1779] If all attempts men make were crowned with\nsuccess, then men would never be subject to decrepitude, would never come\nupon anything disagreeable, and lastly would be crowned with fruition in\nrespect of all their wishes. All men wish to attain to gradual\nsuperiority of position. To gratify this wish they strive to the best of\ntheir power. The result, however, does not agree with wish.[1780] Even\nmen that are perfectly heedful, that are honest, and brave and endued\nwith prowess, are seen to pay their adorations to men intoxicated with\nthe pride of affluence and with even alcoholic stimulants.[1781] Some men\nare seen whose calamities disappear before even these are marked or\nnoticed by them. Others there are who are seen to possess no wealth but\nwho are free from misery of every kind. A great disparity is observable\nin respect of the fruits that wait upon conjunctions of acts. Some are\nseen to bear vehicles on their shoulders, while some are seen to ride on\nthose vehicles. All men are desirous of affluence and prosperity. A few\nonly have cars (and elephants and steeds) dragged (or walking) in their\nprocessions. Some there are that fail to have a single spouse when their\nfirst-wedded ones are dead; while others have hundreds of spouses to call\ntheir own. Misery and happiness are the two things that exist side by\nside. Men have either misery or happiness. Behold, this is a subject of\nwonder! Do not, however, suffer thyself to be stupefied by error at such\na sight! Cast off both righteousness and sin! Cast off also truth and\nfalsehood! Having cast off truth and falsehood, do thou then cast off\nthat with whose aid thou shalt cast off the former! O best of Rishis, I\nhave now told thee that which is a great misery! With the aid of such\ninstructions, the deities (who were all human beings) succeeded in\nleaving the Earth for becoming the denizens of heaven!'\n\n\"'\"Hearing these words of Narada Suka, endued with great intelligence and\npossessed of tranquillity of mind, reflected upon the drift of the\ninstructions he received, but could not arrive at any certainty of\nconclusion. He understood that one suffers great misery in consequence of\nthe accession of children and spouses; that one has to undergo great\nlabour for the acquisition of science and Vedic lore. He, therefore,\nasked himself, saying,--'What is that situation which is eternal and which\nis free from misery of every kind but in which there is great\nprosperity?'--Reflecting for a moment upon the course ordained for him to\nrun through, Suka, who was well acquainted with the beginning and the end\nof all duties, resolved to attain to the highest end that is fraught with\nthe greatest felicity. He questioned himself, saying,--'How shall I,\ntearing all attachments and becoming perfectly free, attain to that\nexcellent end? How, indeed, shall I attain to that excellent situation\nwhence there is no return into the ocean of diverse kinds of birth? I\ndesire to obtain that condition of existence whence there is no return!\nCasting off all kinds of attachments, arrived at certainty by reflection\nwith the aid of the mind, I shall attain to that end! I shall attain to\nthat situation in which my Soul will have tranquillity, and when I shall\nbe able to dwell for eternity without being subject to decrepitude or\nchange. It is, however, certain that that high end cannot be attained\nwithout the aid of Yoga. One that has attained to the state of perfect\nknowledge and enlightenment never receives an accession of low\nattachments through acts.[1782] I shall, therefore, have recourse to\nYoga, and casting off this body which is my present residence, I shall\ntransform myself into wind and enter that mass of effulgence which is\nrepresented by the sun.[1783] When Jiva enters that mass of effulgence,\nhe no longer suffers like Shoma who, with the gods, upon the exhaustion\nof merit, falls down on the Earth and having once more acquired\nsufficient merit returns to heavens.[1784] The moon is always seen to\nwane and once more wax. Seeing this waning and waxing that go on\nrepeatedly, I do not wish to have a form of existence in which there are\nsuch changes. The Sun warms all the worlds by means of his fierce rays.\nHis disc never undergoes any diminution. Remaining unchanged, he drinks\nenergy from all things. Hence, I desire to go into the Sun of blazing\neffulgence.[1785] There I shall live, invincible by all, and in my inner\nsoul freed from all fear, having cast off this body of mine in the solar\nregion. With the great Rishis I shall enter the unbearable energy of the\nSun. I declare unto all creatures, unto these trees, these elephants,\nthese mountains, the Earth herself, the several points of the compass,\nthe welkin, the deities, the Danavas, the Gandharvas, the Pisachas, the\nUragas, and the Rakshasas, that I shall, verily, enter all creatures in\nthe world.[1786] Let all the gods with the Rishis behold the prowess of\nmy Yoga today!'--Having said these words, Suka, informed Narada of world\nwide celebrity of his intention. Obtaining Narada's permission, Suka then\nproceeded to where his sire was. Arrived at his presence, the great Muni,\nviz., the high-souled and Island-born Krishna, Suka walked round him and\naddressed him the usual enquiries. Hearing of Suka's intention, the\nhighsouled Rishi became highly pleased. Addressing him, the great Rishi\nsaid,--'O son, O dear son, do thou stay here to-day so that I may behold\nthee for some time for gratifying my eyes.'--Suka, however, was\nindifferent to that request. Freed from affection and all doubt, he began\nto think only of Emancipation, and set his heart on the journey. Leaving\nhis sire, that foremost of Rishis then proceeded to the spacious breast\nof Kailasa which was inhabited by crowds of ascetics crowned with\nsuccess.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXXXIII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Having ascended the summit of the mountain, O Bharata, the\nson of Vyasa sat down upon a level spot free from blades of grass and\nretired from the haunts of other creatures. Agreeably to the direction of\nthe scriptures and to the ordinances laid down, that ascetic, conversant\nwith the gradual order of the successive processes of Yoga, held his soul\nfirst in one place and then in another, commencing from his feet and\nproceeding through all the limbs. Then when the Sun had not risen long,\nSuka sat, with his face turned Eastwards, and hands and feet drawn in, in\nan humble attitude. In that spot where the intelligent son of Vyasa sat\nprepared to address himself to Yoga, there were no flocks of birds, no\nsound, and no sight that was repulsive or terror-inspiring. He then\nbeheld his own Soul freed from all attachments. Beholding that highest of\nall things, he laughed in joy.[1787] He once more set himself prepared\nto Yoga for attaining to the path of Emancipation. Becoming the great\nmaster of Yoga, he transcended the element of space. He then\ncircumambulated the celestial Rishi Narada, and represented unto that\nforemost of Rishis the fact of his having addressed himself to the\nhighest Yoga.\n\n\"'\"Suka said,--'I have succeeded in beholding the path (of Emancipation), I\nhave addrest myself to it. Blessed be thou, O thou of wealth of penances!\nI shall, through thy grace, O thou of great splendour, attain to an end\nthat is highly desirable!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said,--\"Having received the permission of Narada, Suka the son\nof the Island-born Vyasa saluted the celestial Rishi and once more set\nhimself to Yoga and entered the element of space. Ascending then from the\nbreast of the Kailasa mountain, he soared into the sky. Capable of\ntraversing through the welkin, the blessed Suka of fixed conclusion, then\nidentified himself with the element of Wind. As that foremost of\nregenerate ones, possessed of effulgence like that of Garuda, was\ntraversing through the skies with the speed of the wind or thought, all\ncreatures, cast their eyes upon him. Endued with the splendour of fire or\nthe Sun, Suka then regarded the three worlds in their entirety as one\nhomogeneous Brahma, and proceeded along that path of great length. Indeed,\nall creatures mobile and immobile, cast their eyes upon him as he\nproceeded with concentrated attention, and a tranquil and fearless soul.\nAll creatures, agreeably to the ordinance and according to their power,\nworshipped him with reverence. The denizens of heaven rained showers of\ncelestial flowers upon him. Beholding him, all the tribes of Apsaras and\nGandharvas became filled with wonder. The Rishis also, that were crowned\nwith success, became equally amazed. And they asked themselves,--'who is\nthis one that has attained to success by his penances?--With gaze\nwithdrawn from his own body but turned upwards he is filling us all with\npleasure by his glances!'--Of highly righteous soul and celebrated\nthroughout the three worlds, Suka proceeded in silence, his face turned\ntowards the East and gaze directed towards the sun. As he proceeded, he\nseemed to fill the entire welkin with an all-pervading noise. Beholding\nhim coming in that way, all the tribes of the Apsaras, struck with awe, O\nking, became filled with amazement. Headed by Panchachuda and others,\nthey looked at Suka with eyes expanded by wonder. And they asked one\nanother, saying:--'What deity is this one that has attained to such a high\nend? Without doubt, he comes hither, freed from all attachments and\nemancipated from all desires!'--Suka then proceeded to the Malaya\nmountains where Urvasi and Purvachitti used to dwell always. Both of them\nbeholding the energy of the son of the great regenerate Rishi, became\nfilled with wonder. And they said,--'Wonderful is this concentration of\nattention (to Yoga) of a regenerate youth who was accustomed to the\nrecitation and study of the Vedas! Soon will he traverse the entire\nwelkin like the Moon. It was by dutiful service and humble ministrations\ntowards his sire that he acquired this excellent understanding. He is\nfirmly attached to his sire, possessed of austere penances, and is very\nmuch loved by his sire. Alas, why has he been dismissed by his\ninattentive father to proceed (thus) along a way whence there is no\nreturn?'--Hearing these words of Urvasi, and attending to their import,\nSuka, that foremost of all persons conversant with duties, cast his eyes\non all sides, and once more beheld the entire welkin, the whole Earth\nwith her mountains and waters and forests, and also all the lakes and\nrivers. All the deities also of both sexes, joining their hands, paid\nreverence to the son of the Island-born Rishi and gazed at him with\nwonder and respect. That foremost of all righteous men, Suka, addressing\nall of them, said these words,--'If my sire follow me and repeatedly call\nafter me by my name, do all of you together return him an answer for me.\nMoved by the affection all of you bear for me, do you accomplish this\nrequest of mine!'--Hearing these words of Suka, all the points of the\ncompass, all the forest, all the seas, all the rivers, and all the\nmountains, answered him from every side, saying,--'We accept thy command,\nO regenerate one! It shall be as thou sayst! It is in this way that we\nanswer the words spoken by the Rishi!'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXXXIV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Having spoken in this way (unto all things), the\nregenerate Rishi of austere penances, viz., Suka, stayed on his success\ncasting off the four kinds of faults. Casting off also the eight kinds of\nTamas, he dismissed the five kinds of Rajas. Endued with great\nintelligence, he then cast off the attribute of Sattwa. All this seemed\nexceedingly wonderful. He then dwelt in that eternal station that is\ndestitute of attributes, freed from every indication, that is, in Brahma,\nblazing like a smokeless fire. Meteors began to shoot. The points of the\ncompass seemed to be ablaze. The Earth trembled. All those phenomena\nseemed exceedingly wonderful. The trees began to cast off their branches\nand the mountains their summits. Loud reports (as of thunder) were heard\nthat seemed to rive the Himavat mountains. The sun seemed at that moment\nto be shorn of splendour. Fire refused to blaze forth. The lakes and\nrivers and seas were all agitated. Vasava poured showers of rain of\nexcellent taste and fragrance. A pure breeze began to blow, bearing\nexcellent perfumes. Suka as he proceeded through the welkin, beheld two\nbeautiful summits, one belonging to Himavat and another to Meru. These\nwere in close contact with each other. One of them was made of gold and\nwas, therefore yellow; the other was white, being made of silver. Each of\nthem, O Bharata, was a hundred yojanas in height and of the same measure\nin breadth. Indeed, as Suka journeyed towards the north, he saw those two\nbeautiful summits. With a fearless heart he dashed against those two\nsummits that were united with each other. Unable to bear the force, the\nsummits were suddenly rent in twain. The sight they thereupon presented,\nO monarch, was exceedingly wonderful to behold. Suka pierced through\nthose summits, for they were unable to stop his onward course. At this a\nloud noise arose in heaven, made by the denizens thereof. The Gandharvas\nand the Rishis also and others that dwelt in that mountain being rent in\ntwain and Suka passing through it. Indeed, O Bharata, a loud noise was\nheard everywhere at that moment, consisting of the words--Excellent,\nExcellent!--He was adored by the Gandharvas and the Rishis, by crowds of\nYakshas and Rakshasas, and all tribes of the Vidyadharas. The entire\nfirmament became strewn with celestial flowers showered from heaven at\nthat moment when Suka thus pierced through that impenetrable barrier, O\nmonarch! The righteous-souled Suka then beheld from a high region the\ncelestial stream Mandakini of great beauty, running below through a\nregion adorned by many flowering groves and woods. In these waters many\nbeautiful Apsaras were sporting. Beholding Suka who was bodiless, those\nunclad aerial beings felt shame. Learning that Suka had undertaken his\ngreat journey, his sire Vyasa, filled with affection, followed him behind\nalong the same aerial path. Meanwhile Suka, proceeding through that\nregion of the firmament that is above the region of the wind displayed\nhis Yoga-prowess and identified himself with Brahma.[1788] Adopting the\nsubtile path of high Yoga, Vyasa of austere penances, reached within the\ntwinkling of the eye that spot whence Suka first undertook his journey.\nProceeding along the same way, Vyasa beheld the mountain summit rent in\ntwain and through which Suka has passed. Encountering the Island-born\nascetic, the Rishis began to represent to him the achievements of his\nson. Vyasa, however, began to indulge in lamentations, loudly calling\nupon his son by name and causing the three worlds to resound with the\nnoise he made. Meanwhile, the righteous-souled Suka, who had entered the\nelements, had become their soul and acquired omnipresence, answered his\nsire by uttering the monosyllable Bho in the form of an echo. At this,\nthe entire universe of mobile and immobile creatures, uttering the\nmonosyllable Bho, echoed the answer of Suka. From that time to this, when\nsounds are uttered in mountain-caves or on mountain-breasts, the latter,\nas if in answer to Suka still echo them (with the monosyllable Bho).\nHaving cast off all the attributes of sound, etc., and showing his\nYoga-prowess in the manner of his disappearance, Suka in this way\nattained to the highest station. Beholding that glory and puissance of\nhis son of immeasurable energy, Vyasa sat down on the breast of the\nmountain and began to think of his son with grief. The Apsaras were\nsporting on the banks of the celestial stream Mandakini, seeing the Rishi\nseated there, became all agitated with grave shame and lost heart. Some\nof them, to hide their nudity, plunged into the stream, and some entered\nthe groves hard by, and some quickly took up their clothes, at beholding\nthe Rishi. (None of them had betrayed any signs of agitation at sight of\nhis son). The Rishi, beholding these movements, understood that his son\nhad been emancipated from all attachments, but that he himself was not\nfreed therefrom. At this he became filled with both joy and shame. As\nVyasa was seated there, the auspicious god Siva, armed with Pinaka,\nsurrounded on all sides by many deities and Gandharvas and adored by all\nthe great Rishis came thither. Consoling the Island-born Rishi who was\nburning with grief on account of his son, Mahadeva said these words unto\nhim.--'Thou hadst formerly solicited from me a son possessed of the energy\nof Fire, of Water, of Wind, and of Space. Procreated by thy penances, the\nson that was born unto thee was of that very kind. Proceeding from my\ngrace, he was pure and full of Brahma-energy. He has attained to the\nhighest end--an end which none can win that has not completely subjugated\nhis senses, nor can be won by even any of the deities. Why then, O\nregenerate Rishi, dost thou grieve for that son? As long as the hills\nwill last, as long as the ocean will last, so long will the fame of thy\nson endure undiminished! Through my grace, O great Rishi thou shalt\nbehold in this world a shadowy form resembling thy son, moving by the\nside and never deserting thee for a single moment!'--Thus favoured by the\nillustrious Rudra himself, O Bharata, the Rishi beheld a shadow of his\nson by his side. He returned from that place, filled with joy at this. I\nhave now told thee, O chief of Bharata's race, everything regarding the\nbirth and life of Suka about which thou hadst asked me. The celestial\nRishi Narada and the great Yogin Vyasa had repeatedly told all this to me\nin days of yore when the subject was suggested to him in course of\nconversation. That person devoted to tranquillity hears this sacred\nhistory directly connected with the topic of Emancipation is certain to\nattain to the highest end.\"'\"[1789]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXXXV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"If a man be a house-holder or a Brahmacharin, a\nforest-recluse or a mendicant, and if he desires to achieve success, what\ndeity should he adore? How can he certainly acquire heaven and attain\nthat which is of the highest benefit (viz., Emancipation)? According to\nwhat ordinances should he perform the homa in honour of the gods and the\nPitris? What is the region to which one goes when one becomes\nemancipated? What is the essence of Emancipation? What should one do so\nthat one, having attained to heaven, would not have to fall down thence?\nWho is the deity of the deities? And who is the Pitri of the Pitris? Who\nis he that is superior to him, who is the deity of the deities and the\nPitri of the Pitris? Tell me all this, O Grandsire!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"O thou that art well acquainted with the art of\nquestioning, this question that thou hast asked me, O sinless one, is one\nthat touches a deep mystery. One cannot answer it with the aid of the\nscience of argumentation, even if one were to strive for a hundred years.\nWithout the grace of Narayana, O king, or an accession of high knowledge,\nthis question of thine is incapable of being answered. Connected though\nthis topic be with a deep mystery, I shall yet, O slayer of foes, expound\nit to thee![1790] In this connection is cited the old history of the\ndiscourse between Narada and the Rishi Narayana. I heard it from my sire\nthat in the Krita age, O monarch, during the epoch of the Self-born Manu,\nthe eternal Narayana, the Soul of the universe, took birth as the son of\nDharma in a quadruple form, viz., as Nara, Narayana, Hari, and the\nSelf-create Krishna.[1791] Amongst them all, Narayana and Nara underwent\nthe severest austerities by repairing to the Himalayan retreat known by\nthe name of Vadari, by riding on their golden ears. Each of those cars\nwas furnished with eight wheels, and made up of the five primal elements,\nand looked exceedingly beautiful.[1792] Those original regents of the\nworld who had taken birth as the sons of Dharma, became exceedingly\nemaciated in person in consequence of the austerities they had undergone.\nIndeed, for those austerities and for their energy, the very deities were\nunable to look at them. Only that deity with whom they were propitiated\ncould behold them. Without doubt, with his heart devoted to them, and\nimpelled by a longing desire to behold them, Narada dropped down on\nGandhamadana from a summit of the high mountains of Meru and wandered\nover all the world. Possessed of great speed, he at last repaired to that\nspot whereon was situated the retreat of Vadari. Impelled by curiosity he\nentered that retreat at the hour of Nara's and Narayana's performing\ntheir daily rites. He said unto himself.--'This is truly the retreat of\nthat Being in whom are established all the worlds including the deities,\nthe Asuras, the Gandharvas, the Kinnaras, and the great snakes! There was\nonly one form of this great Being before. That form took birth in four\nshapes for the expansion of the race of Dharma which have been reared by\nthat deity. How wonderful it is that Dharma has thus been honoured by\nthese four great deities viz., Nara, Narayana, and Hari and Krishna! In\nthis spot Krishna and Hari dwelt formerly. The other two, however, viz.,\nNara and Narayana, are now dwelling here engaged in penances for the\nobject of enhancing their merit. These two are the highest refuge of the\nuniverse. What can be the nature of the daily rites these two perform?\nThey are the sires of all creatures, and the illustrious deities of all\nbeings. Endued with high intelligence, what is that deity whom these two\nworship? Who are those Pitris whom these two Pitris of all beings\nadore?'--Thinking of this in his mind, and filled with devotion towards\nNarayana, Narada suddenly appeared before those two gods. After those two\ndeities had finished their adoration to _their_ deities and the Rishis,\nthey looked at the celestial Rishi arrived at their retreat. The latter\nwas honoured with those eternal rites that are ordained in the\nscriptures. Beholding that extraordinary conduct of the two original\ndeities in themselves worshipping other deities and Pitris, the\nillustrious Rishi Narada took his seat there, well pleased with the\nhonours he had received. With a cheerful soul he cast his eyes then on\nNarayana, and bowing unto Mahadeva he said these words.\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'In the Vedas and the Puranas, in the Angas and the\nsubsidiary Angas that art sung with reverence, thou art unborn and\neternal. Thou art the Creator. Thou art the mother of the universe. Thou\nart the embodiment of Immortality and thou art the foremost of all\nthings. The Past and the Future, indeed, the entire universe has been\nestablished on thee! The four modes of life, O lord, having the domestic\nfor their first, ceaselessly sacrifice to thee that art of diverse forms.\nThou art the father and the mother and the eternal preceptor of the\nuniverse. We know not who is that deity or that Pitri unto whom thou art\nsacrificing to-day!'\n\n\"'\"The holy one said, 'This topic is one about which nothing should be\nsaid. It is an ancient mystery. Thy devotion to me is very great. Hence,\nO regenerate one, I shall discourse to thee on it agreeably to the truth.\nThat which is minute, which is inconceivable, unmanifest, immobile,\ndurable, destitute of all connection with the senses and the objects of\nthe senses, that which is dissociated from the (five) elements--that is\ncalled the in-dwelling Soul of all existent creatures. That is known by\nthe name of Kshetrajna. Transcending the three attributes of Sattwa,\nRajas, and Tamas, that is regarded as Purusha in the scriptures. From Him\nhath followed the unmanifest, O foremost of regenerate ones, possessed of\nthe three attributes of Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas. Though really\nunmanifest, she is called indestructible Prakriti and dwell in all\nmanifest forms. Know that She is the source whence we two have sprung.\nThat all-pervading Soul, which is made up of all existent and\nnon-existent things, is adored by us. Even He is what we worship in all\nthose rites that we perform in honour of the deities and the Pitris.\nThere is no higher deity or Pitri than He. O regenerate one, He should be\nknown as our Soul. It is him that we worship. This course of duties\nfollowed by men has, O regenerate one, been promulgated by Him. It is His\nordinance that we should duly perform all the rites laid down in respect\nof the deities and the Pitris. Brahman, Sthanu, Manu, Daksha, Bhrigu,\nDharma, Yama, Marichi, Angiras, Atri, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Vasishtha,\nParameshthi, Vivaswat, Shoma, he that has been called Karddama, Krodha,\nAvak, and Krita,--these one and twenty persons, called Prajapatis, were\nfirst born. All of them obeyed the eternal law of the Supreme God.\nObserving all the rites, in detail, that were ordained in honour of the\ndeities and the Pitris, all those foremost of regenerate persons acquired\nall those objects which they sought. The incorporeal denizens of Heaven\nitself bow to that Supreme deity and through His grace they attain to\nthose fruits and that end which He ordains for them. This is the settled\nconclusion of the scriptures that these persons freed from these seven\nand ten attributes, (viz., the five senses of knowledge, the five senses\nof action, the five vital breaths, and mind and understanding), who have\ncast off all acts, and are divested of the five and ten elements which\nconstitute the gross body, are said to be Emancipate. That which the\nEmancipate attain to as their ultimate end is called by the name of\nKshetrajna. He is regarded (in the scriptures) as both possessed of and\nfree from all the attributes. He can be apprehended by Knowledge alone.\nWe two have sprung from Him. Knowing him in that way, we adore that\neternal Soul of all things. The Vedas and all the modes of life, though\ncharacterised by divergences of opinion, all worship Him with devotion.\nIt is He who, speedily moved to grace, confers on them high ends fraught\nwith felicity. Those persons in this world who, filled with His spirit,\nbecome fully and conclusively devoted to Him, attain to ends that are\nmuch higher, for they succeed in entering Him and becoming merged in his\nSelf. I have now, O Narada, discoursed to thee on what is high mystery\nmoved by the love I bear to thee for thy devotion to me. Indeed, in\nconsequence of that devotion which thou professest towards me, thou hast\nsucceeded in listening to this my discourse!'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXXXVI\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Addressed by Narayana, that foremost of beings, in these\nwords, Narada, the foremost of men, then said these words unto Narayana\nfor the good of the world.\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'Let that object be accomplished for which thou, O\nself-born Being, hast taken birth in four forms in the house of Dharma! I\nshall now repair (to the White Island) for beholding thy original nature.\nI always worship my seniors. I have never divulged the secrets of others.\nO lord of the universe, I have studied the Vedas with care. I have\nundergone austere penances. I have never spoken an untruth. As ordained\nin the scriptures, I have always protected the four that should be\nprotected.[1793] I have always behaved equally towards friends and foes.\nWholly and conclusively devoted to Him, that first of deities, viz., the\nSupreme Soul, I incessantly adore Him. Having cleansed my soul by these\nacts of special merit, why shall I not succeed in obtaining a sight of\nthat Infinite Lord of the universe?'--Hearing these words of Parameshthi's\nson, Narayana, that protector of the scriptures, dismissed him,\nsaying,--'Go, O Narada!'--Before dismissing him, however, the great deity\nworshipped the celestial Rishi with those rites and ceremonies which have\nbeen laid down in the scriptures by himself. Narada also gave due honours\nto the ancient Rishi Narayana. After such honours had been mutually given\nand received, the son of Parameshthi departed from that spot. Endued with\nhigh Yoga-puissance, Narada suddenly soared into the firmament and\nreached the summit of the mountains of Meru. Proceeding to a retired spot\non that summit, the great ascetic took rest for a short while. He then\ncast his eyes towards the north western direction and beheld an\nexceedingly wonderful sight. Towards the north, in the ocean of milk,\nthere is a large island named the White Island. The learned say that its\ndistance from the mountains of Meru is greater than two and thirty\nthousand Yojanas. The denizens of that realm have no senses. They live\nwithout taking food of any kind. Their eyes are winkless. They always\nemit excellent perfumes. Their complexions are white. They are cleansed\nfrom every sin. They blast the eyes of those sinners that look at them.\nTheir bones and bodies are as hard as thunder. They regard honour and\ndishonour in the same light. They all look as if they are of celestial\norigin. Besides, all of them are endued, with auspicious marks and great\nstrength. Their heads seem to be like umbrellas. Their voices are deep\nlike that of the clouds. Each of them has four Mushkas.[1794] The soles\nof their feet are marked by hundreds of lines. They have sixty teeth all\nof which are white (and large), and eight smaller ones. They have many\ntongues. With those tongues they seem to lick the very Sun whose face is\nturned towards every direction. Indeed, they seem to be capable of\ndevouring that deity from whom hath sprung the entire universe, the\nVedas, the deities, and the Munis wedded to the attribute of tranquillity.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said,--\"O grandsire, thou hast said that those beings have\nno senses, that they do not eat anything for supporting their lives; that\ntheir eyes are winkless; and that they always emit excellent perfumes. I\nask, how were they born? What also is the superior end to which they\nattain? O chief of Bharata's race, are the indications of those men that\nbecome emancipate the same as those by which the denizens of the White\nIsland are distinguished? Do thou dispel my doubts. The curiosity I feel\nis very great. Thou art the repository of all histories and discourses.\nAs regards ourselves, we entirely depend on thee for knowledge and\ninstruction!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued,--\"This narrative, O monarch, which I have heard from\nmy sire, is extensive. I shall now recite it to thee. Indeed, it is\nregarded as the essence of all narratives. There was, in times past, a\nking on Earth of the name of Uparichara. He was known to be the friend of\nIndra, the chief of the celestials. He was devoted to Narayana known also\nby the name of Hari. He was observant of all the duties laid down in the\nscriptures. Ever devoted to his sire, he was always heedful and ready for\naction. He won the sovereignty of the world in consequence of a boon he\nhad obtained from Narayana. Following the Sattwata ritual that had been\ndeclared in days of yore by Surya himself, king Uparichara used to\nworship the God of gods (Narayana), and when his worship was over, he\nused to adore (with what remained) the grandsire of the universe.[1795]\nAfter worshipping the Grandsires (Pitris), he worshipped the Brahmanas.\nHe then divided the offerings among those that were dependent on him.\nWith what remained after serving those, the king satisfied his own\nhunger. Devoted to truth, the monarch abstained from doing any injury to\nany creature. With his whole soul, the king was devoted to that God of\ngods, viz., Janarddana, who is without beginning and middle and end, who\nis the Creator of the universe, and who is without deterioration of any\nkind. Beholding the devotion to Narayana of that slayer of foes, the\ndivine chief of the celestials himself shared with him his own seat and\nbed. His kingdom and wealth and spouses and animals were all regarded by\nhim as obtained from Narayana. He, therefore, offered all his possessions\nto that great deity.[1796] Adopting the Sattwata ritual, king Uparichara,\nwith concentrated soul, used to discharge all his sacrificial acts and\nobservances, both optional and obligatory. In the place of that\nillustrious king, many foremost Brahmanas, well conversant with the\nPancharatra ritual, used to eat before all others the food offered to the\ngod Narayana. As long as that slayer of foes continued to rule his\nkingdom righteously, no untruth ever escaped his lips and no evil thought\never entered his mind. With his limbs he never committed even the\nslightest sin. The seven celebrated Rishis, viz., Marichi, Atri, Angiras,\nPulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, and Vasishta of great energy, who came to be\nknown by the name of Chitra-sikhandins, uniting together on the breast of\nthat foremost of mountains, viz., Meru, promulgated an excellent treatise\non duties and observances that was consistent with the four Vedas. The\ncontents of that treatise were uttered by seven mouths, and constituted\nthe best compendium of human duties and observances. Known, as already\nstated, by the name of Chitra-sikhandins, those seven Rishis constitute\nthe seven (Pravriti) elements (of Mahat, Ahankara, etc.) and the Selfborn\nManu, who is the eighth in the enumeration, constituted original\nPrakriti. These eight uphold the universe, and it was these eight that\npromulgated the treatise adverted to. With their senses and minds under\ncomplete control, and ever devoted to Yoga, these eight ascetics, with\nconcentrated souls, are fully conversant with the Past, the Present and\nthe Future, and are devoted to the religion of Truth.--This is good this\nis Brahma,--this is highly beneficial,--reflecting in their minds in this\nway, those Rishis created the worlds, and the science of morality and\nduty that governs those worlds. In that treatise the authors discoursed\non Religion and Wealth and Pleasure, and subsequently on Emancipation\nalso. They also laid down in it the various restrictions and limitations\nintended for the Earth as also for Heaven. They composed that treatise\nafter having worshipped with penances the puissant and illustrious\nNarayana called also Hari, for a thousand celestial years, in company\nwith many other Rishis. Gratified with their penances and worship,\nNarayana commanded the goddess of speech, viz. Saraswati, to enter into\nthe person of those Rishis. The goddess, for the good of the worlds did\nwhat she was ordered. In consequence of the entrance of the goddess of\nspeech into their persons, those Rishis, well conversant with penances,\nsucceeded in composing that foremost of treatises in respect of vocables,\nimport, and reason.[1797] Having composed that treatise sanctified with\nthe syllable Om, the Rishis first of all read it to Narayana who became\nhighly pleased with what he heard. The foremost of all Beings then\naddressed those Rishis in an incorporeal voice and said,--'Excellent is\nthis treatise that ye have composed consisting of a hundred thousand\nverses. The duties and observances of all the worlds will flow from this\nyour work! In complete accordance with the four Vedas, viz., the\nYajushes, the Samans, and the Atharvans of Angiras, the treatise of yours\nwill be an authority in all the worlds in respect of both Pravritti and\nNivritti.[1798] Agreeably to the authority of the scriptures I have\ncreated Brahman from the attribute of Grace, Rudra from my Wrath, and\nyourselves, Ye Brahmanas, as representing the Pravriti-elements (of\nMahat, Ahankara, etc.), Surya, and Chandramas, Wind, and Earth, and Water\nand Fire, all the stars and planets and constellations, all else that is\ncalled by the name of creatures, and utterers of Brahma (or the Vedas),\nthey all live and act in their respective spheres and are all respected\nas authorities. Even this treatise that ye have composed shall be\nregarded by all persons in the same light, viz., as a work of the highest\nauthority. This is my command. Guided by this treatise, the Self-born\nManu himself will declare to the world its course of duties and\nobservances. When Usanas and Vrihaspati will arise, they also will\npromulgate their respective treatises on morality and religion, guided by\nand quoting from this your treatise.[1799] After the publication of this\ntreatise by the Self-born Manu and of that by Usanas, and after the\npublication of the treatise also by Vrihaspati, this science composed by\nyou will be acquired by king Vasu (otherwise known by the name of\nUparichara). Indeed ye foremost of regenerate ones, that king will\nacquire this knowledge of this work from Vrihaspati. That King, filled\nwith all good thoughts, will become deeply devoted to me. Guided by this\ntreatise, he will accomplish all his religious acts and observances.\nVerily, this treatise composed by you will be the foremost of all\ntreatise on morality and religion. Possessed of the excellence, this\ntreatise is fraught with instructions for acquiring both Wealth and\nReligious merit, and is full of mysteries. In consequence of the\npromulgation of this treatise of yours, ye will be progenitors of an\nextensive race. King Uparichara also will become endued with greatness\nand prosperity. Upon the death, however, of that king, this eternal\ntreatise will disappear from the world. I tell you all this.'--Having said\nthese words unto all those Rishis, the invisible Narayana left them and\nproceeded to some place that was not known to them. Then those sires of\nthe world, those Rishis that bestowed their thoughts on the ends pursued\nby the world, duly promulgated that treatise which is the eternal origin\nof all duties and observances. Subsequently, when Vrihaspati was born in\nAngiras's race in the first or the Krita age, those seven Rishis charged\nhim with the task of promulgating their treatise which was consistent\nwith the Upanishads and the several branches of the Vedas. They\nthemselves who were upholders of the universe and the first promulgators\nof duties and religious observances, then proceeded to the place they\nchose, resolved to devote themselves to penances.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXXXVII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Then upon the expiration of the great Kalpa, when the\ncelestial Purohita Vrihaspati was born in the race of Angiras, all the\ndeities became very happy. The words, Vrihat, Brahma, and Mahat all bear\nthe same sense.[1800] The celestial Purohita, O king came to be called\nVrihaspati because he was endued with all these attributes. King\nUparichara, otherwise called Vasu, became a disciple of Vrihaspati and\nsoon became the foremost of his disciples. Admitted as such, he began to\nstudy at the feet of his preceptor that science which was composed by the\nseven Rishis who were (otherwise) known by the name of Chitrasikhandins.\nWith soul cleansed from all sorts of evil by sacrifices and other\nreligious rites, he ruled the Earth like Indra ruling the Heaven. The\nillustrious king performed a great Horse-sacrifice in which his preceptor\nVrihaspati became the Hota. The sons of Prajapati (Brahman) themselves,\nviz., Ekata, Dwita, and Trita, became the Sadasyas in that\nsacrifice.[1801] There were others also who became Sadasyas in that\nsacrifice, viz., Dhanusha, Raivya, Arvavasu, Parvavasu, the Rishi\nMedhatithi, the great Rishi Tandya, the blessed Rishi Santi, otherwise\ncalled Vedasiras, the foremost of Rishis, viz., Kapila, who was the\nfather of Salihotra, the first Kalpa, Tittiri the elder brother of\nVaisampayana, Kanwa, and Devahotra, in all forming sixteen. In that great\nsacrifice, O monarch, all the requisite articles were collected. No\nanimals were slain in it. The king had ordained it so. He was full of\ncompassion. Of pure and liberal mind, he had cast off all desires, and\nwas well-conversant with all rites. The requisites of that sacrifice all\nconsisted of the products of the wilderness. The ancient God of gods\n(viz., Hari), became highly gratified with the king on account of that\nsacrifice. Incapable of being seen by any one else, the great God showed\nhimself to his worshipper. Accepting by taking its scent, the share\noffered to him he himself took up the Purodasa.[1802] The great God took\nup the offerings without being seen by any one. At this, Vrihaspati\nbecame angry. Taking up the ladle he hurled it with violence at the sky,\nand began to shed tears in wrath. Addressing king Uparichara he\nsaid,--'Here, I place this as Narayana's share of the sacrificial\nofferings. Without doubt, he shall take it before my eyes.'\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"In the great sacrifice of Uparichara, all the\ndeities appeared in their respective forms for taking their shares of the\nsacrificial offerings and were seen by all. Why is it that the puissant\nHari only acted otherwise by invisibly taking his share?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"When Vrihaspati gave way to wrath, the great king\nVasu and all his Sadasyas sought to pacify the great Rishi. With cool\nheads, all of them addressed Vrihaspati, saying,--'It behoveth thee not to\ngive way to anger. In this Krita age, this anger to which thou hast given\nway, should not be the characteristic of any one. The great deity for\nwhom the share of the sacrificial offerings was designed by thee, is\nhimself free from anger. He is incapable of being seen either by\nourselves or by thee, O Vrihaspati! Only he can see Him to whom He\nbecomes gracious.'--Then the Rishis Ekata, Dwita, and Trita, who were well\nconversant with the science of morality and duties compiled by the seven\nRishis, addressed that conclave and began the following narration.--'We\nare the sons of Brahman, begotten by a fiat of his will (and not in the\nordinary way). Once on a time we repaired to the north for obtaining what\nis for our highest good. Having undergone penances for thousands of years\nand acquired great ascetic merit, we again stood on only one foot like\nfixed stakes of wood. The country where we underwent the austerest of\npenances, lies to the north of the mountains of Meru and on the shores of\nthe Ocean of Milk. The object we had in mind was how to behold the divine\nNarayana in his own form. Upon the completion of our penances and after\nwe had performed the final ablutions, an incorporeal voice was heard by\nus, O puissant Vrihaspati, at once deep as that of the clouds and\nexceedingly sweet and filling the heart with joy. The voice said,--\"Ye\nBrahmanas, well have ye performed these penances with cheerful souls.\nDevoted unto Narayana, ye seek to know how ye may succeed in beholding\nthat god of great puissance! On the northern shores of the Ocean of Milk\nthere is an island of great splendour called by the name of White Island.\nThe men that inhabit that island have complexions as white as the rays of\nthe Moon and that are devoted to Narayana. Worshippers of that foremost\nof all Beings, they are devoted to Him with their whole souls. They all\nenter that eternal and illustrious deity of a thousand rays.[1803] They\nare divested of senses. They do not subsist on any kind of food. Their\neyes are winkless. Their bodies always emit a fragrance. Indeed, the\ndenizens of White Island believe and worship only one God. Go thither, ye\nascetics, for there I have revealed myself!\"--All of us, hearing these\nincorporeal words, proceeded by the way indicated to the country\ndescribed. Eagerly desirous of beholding Him and our hearts full of Him,\nwe arrived at last at that large island called White Island. Arrived\nthere, we could see nothing. Indeed, our vision was blinded by the energy\nof the great deity and accordingly we could not see Him.[1804] At this,\nthe idea, due to the grace of the great God Himself, arose in our minds\nthat one that had not undergone sufficient penances could not speedily\nbehold Narayana. Under the influence of this idea we once more set\nourselves to the practice of some severe austerities, suited to the time\nand place, for a hundred years. Upon the completion of our vows, we\nbeheld a number of men of auspicious features. All of them were white and\nlooked like the Moon (in colour) and possessed of every mark of\nblessedness. Their hands were always joined in prayer. The faces of some\nwere turned towards the North and of some towards the East. They were\nengaged in silently thinking on Brahma.[1805] The Yapa performed by those\nhigh-souled persons was a mental yapa (and did not consist of the actual\nrecitation of any mantras in words). In consequence of their hearts\nhaving been entirely set upon Him, Hari became highly pleased with them.\nThe effulgence that was emitted by each of those men resembled, O\nforemost of ascetics, the splendours which Surya assumes when the time\ncomes for the dissolution of the universe. Indeed, we thought that Island\nwas the home of all Energy. All the inhabitants were perfectly equal in\nenergy. There was no superiority or inferiority there among them.[1806]\nWe then suddenly beheld once more a light arise, that seemed to be the\nconcentrated effulgence of a thousand Suns, O Vrihaspati. The\ninhabitants, assembling together, ran towards that light, with hands\njoined in reverential attitude, full of joy, and uttering the one word\nNamas (we bow thee!). We then heard a very loud noise uttered by all of\nthem together. It seemed that those men were employed in offering a\nsacrifice to the great God. As regards ourselves, we were suddenly\ndeprived of our senses by his Energy. Deprived of vision and strength and\nall the senses, we could not see or feel anything.[1807] We only heard a\nloud volume of sound uttered by the assembled inhabitants. It\nsaid,--\"Victory to thee, O thou of eyes like lotus-petals! Salutations to\nthee, O Creator of the universe! Salutations to thee, O Hrishikesa, O\nforemost of Beings, O thou that art the First-born!\" Even this was the\nsound we heard, uttered distinctly and agreeably to the rules of\northoepy.[1808] Meanwhile, a breeze, fragrant and pure, blew, bearing\nperfumes of celestial flowers, and of certain herbs and plants that were\nof use on the occasion. Those men, endued with great devotion, possessed\nof hearts full of reverence, conversant with the ordinances laid down in\nthe Pancharatra, were then worshipping the great deity with mind, word,\nand deed.[1809] Without doubt, Hari appeared in that place whence the\nsound we heard arose. As regards ourselves, stupefied by His illusion, we\ncould not see him. After the breeze had ceased and the sacrifice had been\nover, our hearts became agitated with anxiety, O foremost one of Angira's\nrace. As we stood among those thousands of men all of whom were of pure\ndescent, no one honoured us with a glance or nod. Those ascetics, all of\nwhom were cheerful and filled with devotion and who were all practising\nthe Brahma-frame of mind, did not show any kind of feeling for us.[1810]\nWe had been exceedingly tired. Our penances had emaciated us. At that\ntime, an incorporeal Being addressed us from the sky and said unto us\nthese words--\"These white men, who are divested of all outer senses, are\ncompetent to behold (Narayana). Only those foremost of regenerate persons\nwhom these white men honoured with their glances, become competent to\nbehold the great God.[1811] Go hence, ye Munis, to the place whence ye\nhave come. That great Deity is incapable of being ever seen by one that\nis destitute of devotion. Incapable of being seen in consequence of his\ndazzling effulgence, that illustrious Deity can be beheld by only those\npersons that in course of long ages succeed in devoting themselves wholly\nand solely to Him. Ye foremost of regenerate one, ye have a great duty to\nperform. After the expiration of this the Krita age, when the Treta age\ncomes in course of the Vivaswat cycle, a great calamity will overtake the\nworlds. Ye Munis, ye shall then have to become the allies of the deities\n(for dispelling that calamity).\"--Having heard these wonderful words that\nwere sweet as nectar, we soon got back to the place we desired, through\nthe grace of that great Deity. When with the aid of even such austere\npenances and of offerings devoutly given in sacrifices, we failed to have\na sight of the great Deity, how, indeed, can you expect to behold Him so\neasily? Narayana is a Great Being, He is the Creator of the universe. He\nis adorned in sacrifices with offerings of clarified butter and other\nfood dedicated with the aid of Vedic mantras. He has no beginning and no\nend. He is Unmanifest. Both the Deities and the Danavas worship\nHim.'--Induced by these words spoken by Ekata and approved by his\ncompanions, viz., Dwita and Trita, and solicited also by the other\nSadasyas, the high-minded Vrihaspati brought that sacrifice to a\ncompletion after duly offering the accustomed adorations to the Deities.\nKing Uparichara also, having completed his great sacrifice, began to rule\nhis subjects righteously. At last, casting off his body, he ascended to\nheaven. After some time, through the curse of the Brahmanas, he fell down\nfrom those regions of felicity and sank deep into the bowels of the\nEarth. King Vasu, O tiger among monarchs, was always devoted to the true\nreligion. Although sunk deep into the bowels of the Earth, his devotion\nto virtue did not abate. Ever devoted to Narayana, and ever reciting\nsacred mantras having Narayana for their deity, he once more ascended to\nheaven through Narayana's grace. Ascending from the bowels of the Earth,\nking Vasu in consequence of the very highest end that he attained,\nproceeded to a spot that is even higher than the region of Brahman\nhimself.\"'\"[1812]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXXXVIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"When the great king Vasu was so wholly devoted to\nNarayana, for what reason then did he fall down from heaven and why again\nhad he to sink beneath the surface of the Earth?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited an old narrative, O Bharata,\nof a discourse between the Rishis and the gods. The gods, once on a time,\naddressing many foremost of Brahmanas, said unto them that sacrifices\nshould be performed by offering up Ajas as victims. By the word Aja\nshould be understood the goat and no other animal.\n\n\"'\"The Rishis said, 'The Vedic Sruti declares that in sacrifices the\nofferings should consist of (vegetable) seeds. Seeds are called Ajas. It\nbehoveth you not to slay goats. Ye deities, that cannot be the religion\nof good and righteous people in which slaughter of animals is laid down.\nThis, again, is the Krita age. How can animals be slaughtered in this\nepoch of righteousness?'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"While this discourse was going between the Rishis and\nthe deities, that foremost of kings, viz., Vasu, was seen to come that\nway. Endued with great prosperity, the king was coming through the\nwelkin, accompanied by his troops and vehicles and animals. Beholding\nking Vasu coming to that spot through the skies, the Brahmanas addressing\nthe deities, said,--'This one will remove our doubts. He performs\nsacrifices. He is liberal in making gifts. He always seeks the good of\nall creatures. How, indeed, will the great Vasu, speak otherwise,'--Having\nthus spoken unto each other, the deities and the Rishis quickly\napproached king Vasu and questioned him, saying,--'O king, with what\nshould one perform sacrifices? Should one sacrifice with the goat or with\nherbs and plants? Do thou dispel this doubt of ours. We constitute thee\nour judge in this matter.'--Thus addressed by them, Vasu joined his hands\nin humility and said unto them.--'Tell me truly, ye foremost of Brahmanas,\nwhat opinion is entertained by you in this matter?'\n\n\"'\"The Rishis said, 'The opinion entertained by us, O king, is that\nsacrifices should be performed with grain. The deities, however, maintain\nthat sacrifices should be performed with animals. Do thou judge between\nus and tell us which of these opinions is correct.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Learning what the opinion was that was entertained\nby the deities, Vasu, moved by partiality for them, said that sacrifices\nshould be performed with animals. At this answer, all the Rishis, endued\nwith the splendour of the Sun, became very angry. Addressing Vasu who was\nseated on his car and who had (wrongly) taken up the side of the deities,\nthey said unto him,--'Since thou hast (wrongly) taken up the side of the\ndeities, do thou fall down from heaven. From this day, O monarch, thou\nshalt lose the power of journeying through the sky. Through our curse,\nthou shalt sink deep below the surface of the Earth.' After the Rishis had\nsaid these words, king Uparichara immediately fell down, O monarch, and\nwent down a hole in Earth. At the command, however, of Narayana, Vasu's\nmemory did not leave him. To the good fortune of Vasu, the deities,\npained at the curse denounced on him by the Brahmanas, began to think\nanxiously as to how that curse might be neutralised. They said, 'This\nhigh-souled king hath been cursed for our sake. We, denizens of heaven,\nshould unite together for doing what is good to him in return for that\nwhich he has done to us.' Having quickly settled this in their minds with\nthe aid of reflection, the deities proceeded to the spot where the king\nUparichara was. Arrived at his presence, they addressed him, saying,\n'Thou art devoted to the great God of the Brahmanas (viz., Narayana). That\ngreat Lord of both the deities and the Asuras, gratified with thee, will\nrescue thee from the curse that has been denounced upon thee. It is\nproper, however, that the high-souled Brahmanas should be honoured.\nVerily, O best of kings, their penances should fructify.[1813] Indeed,\nthou hast already fallen down from the sky on the Earth. We desire,\nhowever, O best of kings, to show thee a favour in one respect. As long\nas thou, O sinless one, shalt dwell in his hole, so long shalt thou\nreceive (due sustenance, through our boon)! Those streaks of clarified\nbutter which Brahmans with concentrated minds pour in sacrifices in\naccompaniment with sacred mantras, and which are called by the name of\nVasudhara, shall be thine, through our care for thee! Indeed weakness or\ndistress shall not touch thee.[1814] While dwelling, O king of kings, in\nthe hole of the Earth, neither hunger nor thirst shall afflict thee for\nthou shalt drink those streaks of clarified butter called Vasudhara. Thy\nenergy also shall continue unabated. In consequence also of this our boon\nthat we grant thee, the God of gods, viz., Narayana will be gratified\nwith thee, and He will bear thee hence to the region of Brahman!'--Having\ngranted these boons unto the king, the denizens of heaven, as also all\nthose Rishis possessed of wealth of penances, returned each to his\nrespective place. Then Vasu, O Bharata, began to adore the Creator of the\nuniverse and to recite in silence those sacred mantras that had come out\nof Narayana's mouth in days of yore.[1815] Although dwelling in a pit of\nthe Earth, the king still worshipped Hari, the Lord of all the deities,\nin the well-known five sacrifices that are performed five times every\nday, O slayer of foes! In consequence of these adorations, Narayana,\notherwise called Hari, became highly pleased with him who thus showed\nhimself to be entirely devoted to Him, by wholly relying upon Him as his\nsole refuge, and who had completely subjugated his senses. The\nillustrious Vishnu, that giver of boons, then addressing Garuda of great\nspeed, that foremost of birds, who waited upon Him as his servant, said\nthese desirable words:--'O foremost of birds, O thou that art highly\nblessed, listen to what I say! There is a great king of the name of Vasu\nwho is of righteous soul and rigid vows. Through the wrath of the\nBrahmanas, he has fallen into a pit of the Earth. The Brahmans, have been\nsufficiently honoured (for their curse has fructified). Do thou go to\nthat king now. At my command, O Garuda, go to that foremost of kings,\nviz., Uparichara who is now dwelling in a hole of the Earth and\nincapable of any longer sailing through the sky, and bring him up without\ndelay into the welkin.' Hearing these words of Vishnu, Garuda, spreading\nhis wings and rushing with the speed of the wind, entered that hole in\nthe Earth in which king Vasu was living. Suddenly taking the king up, the\nson of Vinata soared into the sky and there released the king from his\nbeaks. At that moment, king Uparichara once more acquired his celestial\nform and re-entered the region of Brahman. It was in this way, O son of\nKunti, that great king first fell down through the curse of the Brahmanas\nfor a fault of speech, and once more ascended to heaven at the command of\nthe great God (Vishnu). Only the puissant Lord Hari, that foremost of all\nBeings, was devoutly worshipped by him. It was for this devout worship\nthat the king succeeded very soon in escaping from the curse denounced\nupon him by the Brahmanas and in regaining the felicitous regions of\nBrahman.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"I have thus told thee everything respecting the\norigin of the spiritual sons of Brahman. Listen to me with undivided\nattention, for I shall now narrate to thee how the celestial Rishi Narada\nproceeded in days of yore to White Island.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXXXIX\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Arrived at the spacious realm called White Island, the\nillustrious Rishi beheld those same white men possessed of lunar\nsplendour (of whom I have already spoken to thee). Worshipped by them,\nthe Rishi worshipped them in return by bending his head and reverencing\nthem in his mind.[1816] Desirous of beholding Narayana, he began to\nreside there, attentively engaged in the silent recitation of mantras,\nsacred to him, and observant of vows of the most difficult kind. With\nconcentrated mind, the regenerate Rishi, with arms upraised, stood in\nYoga, and then sang the following hymn unto the Lord of the universe,\nHim, viz., who is at once the soul of attributes and divested of all\nattributes.\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'Salutations to thee, O God of gods, O thou that art freed\nfrom all acts! Thou art he who is divested of all attributes, who is the\nWitness of all the worlds, who is called Kshetrajna, who is the foremost\nof all Beings, who is Infinite, who is called Purusha, who is the great\nPurusha, who is the foremost of all Purushas, who is the soul of the\nthree attributes, who is called the Foremost, who is Amrita (nectar), who\nis called Immortal, who is called Ananta (Sesha), who is Space,[1817] who\nis without beginning, who is both Manifest and Unmanifest as existent and\nnot-existent things, who is said to have his home in Truth,[1818] who is\nthe first of gods (Narayana), who is the giver of wealth (or of the\nfruits of acts), identified with Daksha and other Lords of the Creation,\nwho is the Aswattha and other big trees, who is the four-headed Brahman,\nwho is the Lord of all created Beings, who is the Lord of Speech,[1819]\nwho is the Lord of the universe (or Indra), who is the all-pervading\nSoul, who is the Sun, who is the breath called Prana, who is the Lord of\nthe waters (viz., Varuna), who is identifiable with the Emperor or the\nKing, who is identifiable with the Regents of the several points of the\ncompass, who is the refuge of the universe when it is dissolved in the\nfinal destruction,[1820] who is Undisplayed (unrevealed), who is the\ngiver of the Vedas unto Brahman, who is identifiable with the sacrifices\nand Vedic studies achieved by Brahmanas with the aid of their bodies, who\nis identifiable with the four principal orders of the deities, who is\nevery one of those four orders, who is possessed of effulgence, who is\npossessed of great effulgence, who is he unto whom the seven largest\nofferings in sacrifices are presented with the Gayatri and other sacred\nmantras, who is Yama, who is Chitragupta and the other attendants of\nYama, who is called the wife of Yama, who is that order of the deities\ncalled Tushita, who is that other order called Mahatushita, who is the\nuniversal grinder (Death), who is desire and all diseases that have been\ncreated for aiding the advent of Death, who is health and freedom from\ndisease, who is subject to desire and passions, who is free from the\ninfluence of desire and passions, who is Infinite as exhibited in species\nand forms, who is he that is chastised, who is he that is the chastiser,\nwho is all the lesser sacrifices (like Agnihotra and others), who is all\nthe larger sacrifices (like those called Brahma, etc.), who is all the\nRitwijas, who is the origin of all sacrifices (viz., the Vedas), who is\nfire, who is the very heart of all sacrifices (viz., the mantras and\nhymns uttered in them), who is he that is hymned in sacrifices, who takes\nthose shares of the sacrificial offerings that are presented to him, who\nis the embodiment of the five sacrifices, who is the maker of the five\nsections or divisions of time (viz., day, night, month, season and year),\nwho is incapable of being understood except by those scriptures that are\ncalled Pancharatra, who never shrinks from anything, who is unvanquished,\nwho is only Mind (without a physical frame), who is known only by name,\nwho is the Lord of Brahman himself, who has completed all the vows and\nobservances mentioned in the Vedas,[1821] who is the Hansa (bearer of the\ntriple stick), who is the Parama-hansa (divested of stick), who is the\nforemost of all sacrifices, who is Sankhya-yoga, who is the embodiment of\nthe Sankhya philosophy, who dwells in all Jivas, who lives in every\nheart, who resides in every sense, who floats on the ocean-water, who\nlives in the Vedas, who lies on the lotus (the image of the egg whence\nthe universe has sprung), who is the Lord of the universe, and whose\ntroops go everywhere for protecting his worshippers. Thou takest birth as\nall creatures. Thou art the origin of the universe (of all creatures).\nThy mouth is fire. Thou art that fire which courses through the waters of\nthe ocean, issuing out all the while from an Equine head. Thou art the\nsanctified butter that is poured into the sacrificial fire. Thou art the\ncar-driver (fire or heat that impels the body and causes it to live and\ngrow). Thou art Vashat. Thou art the syllable Om. Thou art Penances. Thou\nart Mind. Thou art Chandramas. Thou sanctifiest the sacrificial butter.\nThou art the Sun. Thou art the Dikgajas (Elephants) that are sanctioned\nin the four cardinal points of the compass. Thou illuminest the cardinal\npoints of the compass. Thou illuminest the subsidiary points also. Thou\nart the Equine head. Thou art the first three mantras of the Rig Veda.\nThou art the protector of the several orders of men (viz., Brahmanas,\nKshatriyas, Vaisyas, and Sudras). Thou art the five fires (beginning with\nGarhapatya). Thou art He who has thrice ignited the sacrificial fire\ncalled Nachi.[1822] Thou art the refuge of the six limbs (viz., the\nVedas).[1823] Thou art the foremost of those Brahmanas that are employed\nin singing the Samans in sacrifices and other religious rites. Thou art\nPragjyotish, and thou art he who sings the first Saman.[1824] Thou art\nthe observer of those vows that depend upon the Vedas and that are\nobserved by singers of Samanas. Thou art the embodiment of the Upanishad,\ncalled by the name of Atharvasiras. Thou art he who is the topic of the\nfive foremost of scriptures (viz., those that appertain to the worship of\nSurya, of Sakti, of Ganesa, of Siva, and of Vishnu). Thou art called the\npreceptor that subsists only on the froth of water. Thou art a\nValikhilya.[1825] Thou art the embodiment of him who has not fallen away\nfrom Yoga. Thou art the embodiment of correctness of judgment of\nreasoning. Thou art the beginning of the Yugas, thou art the middle of\nthe Yugas and thou art their end. Thou art Akhandala (Indra). Thou art\nthe two Rishis Prachina-garbha and Kausika. Thou art Purusthuta, thou art\nPuruhuta, thou art the artificer of the universe. Thou hast the universe\nfor thy form. Thy motions are infinite. Thy bodies are infinite; thou art\nwithout end and without beginning, and without middle. Thy middle is\nunmanifest. Thy end is unmanifest. Thou hast vows for thy abode. Thou\nresidest in the ocean. Thou hast thy home in Fame, in Penances, in\nSelf-restraint, in Prosperity, in Knowledge, in grand Achievements, and\nin Everything belonging to the universe. Thou art Vasudeva. Thou art the\ngrantor of every wish. Thou art Hanuman that bore Rama on his shoulders.\nThou art the great Horse-sacrifice. Thou takest thy share of offerings\nmade in great sacrifices.[1826] Thou art the grantor of boons, of\nhappiness, of wealth. Thou art devoted to Hari. Thou art Restraint of\nthe senses. Thou art vows and observances. Thou art mortifications, thou\nart severe mortifications, thou art very severe mortifications.[1827]\nThou art he who observes vows and religious and other pious rites. Thou\nart freed from all errors. Thou art a Brahmacharin. Thou tookest birth in\nthe womb of Prisni. Thou art he from whom have flowered all Vedic rites\nand acts. Thou art unborn. Thou pervadest all things. Thy eyes are on all\nthings. Thou must not be apprehended by the senses. Thou art not subject\nto deterioration. Thou art possessed of great puissance. Thy body is\ninconceivably vast. Thou art holy, thou art beyond the ken of logic or\nargument. Thou art unknowable. Thou art the foremost of Causes. Thou art\nthe Creator of all creatures and thou art their destroyer. Thou art the\npossessor of vast powers of illusion. Thou art called Chittrasikhandin.\nThou art the giver of boons. Thou art the taker of thy share of the\nsacrificial offerings. Thou hast obtained the merit of all sacrifices.\nThou art he who has been freed from all doubts. Thou art omnipresent.\nThou art of the form of a Brahmana. Thou art fond of Brahmanas. Thou hast\nthe universe for thy form. Thy form is very vast. Thou art the greatest\nfriend. Thou art kind to all thy worshippers. Thou art the great deity of\nthe Brahmanas. I am thy devoted disciple. I am desirous of beholding\nthee. Salutations to thee that art of the form of Emancipation.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXL\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Thus hymned with names that were not known to others, the\nDivine Narayana having the universe for his form showed himself to the\nascetic Narada. His form was somewhat purer than the moon and differed\nfrom the moon in some respects. He somewhat resembled a blazing fire in\ncomplexion. The puissant Lord was somewhat of the form of Vishti.[1828]\nHe resembled in some respects the feathers of the parrot, and in some a\nmass of pure crystal. He resembled in some respects a hill of antimony\nand in some a mass of pure gold. His complexion somewhat resembled the\ncoral when first formed, and was somewhat white. In some respects that\ncomplexion resembled the hue of gold and in some that of the lapis\nlazuli. In some respects it resembled the hue of the blue lapis lazuli\nand in some that of sapphire. In some respects it resembled the hue of\nthe peacock's neck, and in some that of a string of pearls. Bearing these\ndiverse kinds of hues on his person, the eternal Deity appeared before\nNarada. He had a thousand eyes and was possessed of great beauty. He had\na hundred heads and a hundred feet. He had a thousand stomachs and a\nthousand arms. He seemed to be still inconceivable to the mind. With one\nof his mouths he uttered the syllable Om and then the Gayatri following\nOm. With mind under complete control, the great Deity, called by the\nnames of Hari and Narayana, by his other mouths, multitudinous in number,\nuttered many mantras from the four Vedas which are known by the name of\nAranyaka. The Lord of all the deities, the great God who is adorned in\nsacrifices, held in his hands a sacrificial altar, a Kamandalu, few white\ngems, a pair of sandal, a bundle of Kusa blades, a deer-skin, a\ntoothstick, and a little blazing fire.[1829] With cheerful soul, that\nforemost of regenerate persons, viz., Narada of restraining speech, bowed\nunto the great God and adored Him. Unto him whose head was still bent low\nin veneration, the first of all the deities, who is free from\ndeterioration, said the following words.\n\n\"'\"The Holy one said, 'The great Rishis, Ekata, Dwita, and Trita, came to\nthis realm from desire of obtaining a sight of me. They, however, were\nunable to have the fruition of their wishes. Nor can any one have a sight\nof me save those persons that are devoted to me with their whole hearts.\nAs regards thee, thou art verily the foremost of all persons devoted to\nme with all their souls. These are my bodies, the best ones that I\nassume. These were born, O regenerate one, in the house of Dharma. Do\nthou worship them always, and do thou perform those rites that are laid\ndown in the ordinances with respect to that worship. O Brahmana, do thou\nask of me the boons thou desirest. I am gratified with thee to-day, and I\nappear unto thee now in my universal form as freed from decay and\ndeterioration.'\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'Since, O holy one, I have today succeeded in obtaining a\nsight of thee. I regard that I have won without any delay the fruits of\nmy penances, O God, of my self-restraint, and of all the vows and\nobservances that I have gone through. This, indeed, is the highest boon\nthou hast granted me for thou hast shown thyself to me today. O Eternal\nLord, Thou, O holy one, hast the universe for thy eye. Thou art the Lion.\nThy form is identifiable with everything. Possessed of puissance, thou, O\nLord, art vast and infinite.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Having thus shown Himself unto Narada, the son of\nParameshthi, the great God addressed that ascetic and said,--'Go hence, O\nNarada, and do not delay! These worshippers of mine, possessed of lunar\ncomplexions, are divested of all senses and do not subsist upon any kind\nof food. They are, again, all Emancipate; with minds wholly concentrated\nupon Me, people should think of Me. Such worshippers will never meet with\nany impediments. These men are all crowned with ascetic success and are\nhighly blessed. In ancient times they became entirely devoted to me. They\nhave been freed from the attributes of Rajas and Tamas. Without doubt,\nthey are competent to enter me and become merged into my Self.--He that\ncannot be seen with the eye, touched with the sense of touch, smelt with\nthe sense of scent, and that is beyond the ken of the sense of taste. He\nwhom the three attributes of Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas do not touch, who\npervades all things and is the one Witness of the universe, and who is\ndescribed as the Soul of the entire universe; He who is not destroyed\nupon the destruction of the bodies of all created things, who is unborn\nand unchangeable and eternal, who is freed from all attributes, who is\nindivisible and entire; He who transcends the twice twelve topics of\nenquiry and is regarded the Twenty-fifth, who is called by the name of\nPurusha, who is inactive, and who is said to be apprehended by Knowledge\nalone, He into whom the foremost of the regenerate persons enter and\nbecome emancipate. He who is the eternal Supreme Soul and is known by the\nname of Vasudeva. Behold, O Narada, the greatness and puissance of God.\nHe is never touched by acts good or bad. Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas, are\nsaid to be the three (original) attributes. These dwell and act in the\nbodies of all creatures. The Jiva-soul, called Kshetrajna, enjoys and\nendorses the action of these three attributes. He, however, transcends\nthem and they cannot touch Him. Freed from these attributes, He is again\ntheir enjoyer and endorser. Having created them Himself, He is above them\nall. O celestial Rishi, the Earth, which is the refuge of the universe,\ndisappears[1830] (when the hour for universal dissolution comes) into\nwater, Water disappears into Light, and Light into Wind, Wind disappears\ninto Space, and Space into Mind. Mind is a great creature, and it\ndisappears into Unmanifest Prakriti. Unmanifest Prakriti, O Brahmana,\ndisappears into inactive Purusha. There is nothing higher than Purusha\nwhich is Eternal. There is nothing among mobile and immobile things in\nthe universe that is immutable, except Vasudeva, the eternal Purusha.\nEndued with great puissance, Vasudeva is the Soul of all creatures.\nEarth, Wind, Space, Water, and Light forming the fifth, the primal\nelements of great puissance. Mingling together they form what is called\nthe body. Possessed of subtile prowess and invisible to all eyes, O\nBrahmana, the puissant Vasudeva then enters that combination of the five\nprimal elements, called body. Such entrance is called his birth, and\ntaking birth. He causes the body to move about and act. Without a\ncombination of the five primal elements, no body can ever be formed.\nWithout, again, the entrance of Jiva into the body, the mind dwelling\nwithin it cannot cause it to move and act. He that enters the body is\npossessed of great puissance and is called Jiva. He is known also by\nother names, viz., Sesha and Sankarshana. He that takes his rise, from\nthat Sankarshana, by his own acts, Sanatkumara, and in whom all creatures\nmerge when the universal dissolution comes, is the Mind of all creatures\nand is called by the name of Pradyumna. From Him (i.e., Pradyumna),\narises He who is the Creator, and who is both Cause and Effect. From this\nlast, everything, viz., the mobile and immobile universe, takes its rise.\nThis one is called Aniruddha. He is otherwise called Isana, and He is\nmanifest in all acts.[1831] That illustrious one, viz., Vasudeva, who is\ncalled Kshetrajna, and who is freed from attributes, should, O king of\nkings, be known as the puissant Sankarshana, when he takes birth as\nJiva.[1832] From Sankarshana arises Pradyumna who is called He that is\nborn as Mind. From Pradyumna is He who is Aniruddha. He is\nConsciousness, He is Iswara (Supreme Lord). It is from me, that the\nentire mobile and immobile universe springs. It is from me, O Narada,\nthat the indestructible and destructible, the existent and the\nnon-existent, flow. They that are devoted to me enter into me and become\nemancipate. I am known as Purusha. Without acts, I am the Twenty-fifth.\nTranscending attributes, I am entire and indivisible. I am above all\npairs of opposite attributes and freed from all attachments. This, O\nNarada, thou wilt fail to understand. Thou beholdest me as endued with a\nform. In a moment, if the wish arises, I can dissolve this form. I am the\nSupreme Lord and the Preceptor of the universe. That which thou beholdest\nof me, O Narada, is only an illusion of mine. I now seem to be endued\nwith the attributes of all created things. Thou art not competent to know\nme. I have disclosed to thee duly my quadruple form. I am, O Narada, the\nDoer, I am Cause, and I am Effect. I am the sum-total of all living\ncreatures. All living creatures have their refuge in me. Let not the\nthought be thine that thou hast seen the Kshetrajna. I pervade all\nthings, O Brahmana, and am the Jiva-Soul of all creatures. When the\nbodies of all creatures, however, are destroyed, I am not destroyed.\nThose highly blessed men who, having won ascetic success, become wholly\ndevoted to me, become freed from the attributes of both Rajas and Tamas\nand succeed, on that account, in entering me, O great ascetic. He who is\ncalled Hiranyagarbha, who is the beginning of the world, who has four\nfaces, who cannot be understood with the aid of Nirukta, who is otherwise\ncalled Brahman, who is an eternal deity, is employed in attending to many\nof my concerns. The deity Rudra, born of my wrath, is sprung from my\nforehead. Behold, the eleven Rudras are swelling (with might) on the\nright side of my body. The twelve Adityas are on the left side of my\nbody. Behold, the eight Vasus, those foremost of deities, are in my\nfront, and see, Nasatya and Dasra, those two celestial physicians (Aswini\nKumars), are in my rear. Behold also in my body all the Prajapatis and\nbehold the seven Rishis also. Behold also the Vedas, and all the\nSacrifices numbering by hundreds, the Amrita (nectar), and all the\n(medicinal) herbs and plants, and Penances, and vows and observances of\ndiverse kinds. Behold also in me the eight attributes indicative of\npuissance, viz., those particularly called the attributes of Lordship,\nall dwelling together in my body in their united and embodied form.\nBehold also Sree and Lakshmi, and Kirti, and the Earth with her hump as\nalso the goddess, Saraswati, that mother of the Vedas, dwelling in me.\nBehold, O Narada, Dhruva, that foremost of luminaries ranging the\nfirmament, as also all the Oceans those receptacles of water, and lakes,\nand rivers, dwelling in me. Behold also, O best of men, the four foremost\nones amongst the Pitris in their embodied forms, as also, the three\nattributes (of Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas) which are formless dwelling in\nme. The acts done in honour of the Pitris are superior (in point of\nmerit) to those done in honour of the deities. I am the Pitri of both the\ndeities and the Pitris, and am existing from the beginning (that is, from\na time when they were not). Becoming the Equine-head I rove through the\nWestern and the Northern ocean and drink sacrificial libations duly\npoured with mantras and solid sacrificial food offered with reverence and\ndevotion. In days of yore I created Brahman who himself adored me in\nsacrifices. Gratified with him on that account I granted him many\nexcellent boons. I said unto him that in the beginning of the Kalpa he\nwould be born unto me as my son, and the sovereignty of all the worlds\nwould vest on him, coupled with diverse names being bestowed on diverse\nobjects in consequence of the starting of Ahankara into existence.[1833]\nI also told him that none would ever violate the limits and boundaries he\nwould assign (for the observance of creatures) and, further, that he\nwould be the giver of boons unto persons that would (in sacrifices and by\nproper acts) solicit him for them. I further assured him that he would be\nan object of adoration with all the deities and Asuras, all the Rishis\nand Pitris, and the diverse creatures forming the creation. I also gave\nhim to understand that I would always manifest myself for accomplishing\nthe business of the deities and that for that matter I would suffer\nmyself to be commanded by him even as a son by his sire.[1834] Granting\nthese and other highly agreeable boons unto Brahman of immeasurable\nenergy in consequence of my being gratified with him I (once more)\nadopted the course dictated by Nivritti. The highest Nivritti is\nidentical with the annihilation of all duties and acts. Hence, by\nadopting Nivritti one should conduct oneself in complete felicity.\nLearned preceptors, with settled convictions deducted from the truths of\nthe Sankhya philosophy, have spoken of me as Kapila endued with the\npuissance of Knowledge, dwelling within the effulgence of Surya, and\nconcentrated in Yoga.[1835] In Chcchandas (Vedas) I have been repeatedly\nhymned as the illustrious Hiranyagarbha. In the Yoga scriptures, O\nBrahmana, I have been spoken of as one who takes a delight in Yoga. I am\neternal. Assuming a form that is manifest, I dwell, at present, in the\nheavens. At the end of a thousand Yugas I shall once more withdraw the\nuniverse into myself. Having withdrawn all creatures, mobile and immobile\ninto myself, I shall exist all alone with knowledge only for my\ncompanion. After the lapse of ages I shall again create the universe,\nwith the aid of that knowledge. That which is my fourth form creates the\nindestructible Sesha. That Sesha is called by the name of Sankarshana.\nSankarshana creates Pradyumna. From Pradyumna I take birth myself as\nAniruddha. I create (myself) repeatedly. From Aniruddha springs Brahman.\nThe latter takes birth from Aniruddha's navel. From Brahman spring all\ncreatures mobile and immobile. Know that Creation springs in this way\nrepeatedly at the beginning of every Kalpa. Creation and destruction\nsucceed each other even as sunrise and sunset in this world. Then, again,\nas Time, endued with immeasurable energy, forcibly brings back the Sun\nafter his disappearance, after the same manner I shall, assuming the form\nof boar and putting forth my strength, bring back the Earth with her belt\nof seas to her own position for the good of all creatures when she\nbecomes submerged in water. I shall then slay the son of Diti, named\nHiranyaksha, filled with pride of strength.[1836] Assuming the form then\nof a Man-lion (Narsingha), I shall, for benefiting the deities, slay\nHiranyakasipu the son of Diti, who will be a great destroyer of\nsacrifices. Unto Virochana (the son of Prahlada) will be born a mighty\nson of the name of Vali. That great Asura will be unslayable in the whole\nuniverse consisting of deities, Asuras and Rakshasas. He will hurl Sakra\nfrom the sovereignty of the universe. When after routing the Lord of\nSachi, that Asura will take unto himself the sovereignty of the three\nworlds. I shall take birth in Aditi's womb, by Kasyapa, as the twelfth\nAditya. I shall (taking the sovereignty of the three worlds Vali) restore\nit to Indra of immeasurable splendour, and replace the deities, O Narada,\nin their respective stations. As regards Vali, that foremost of Danavas,\nwho is to be unslayable by all the deities, I shall cause him to dwell in\nthe nether regions. In the Treta age I shall take birth as Rama in the\nrace of Bhrigu, and exterminate the Kshatriyas who will become proud of\ntheir strength and possessions. Towards the close of Treta and the\nbeginning of Dwapara, I shall take birth as Rama, the son of Dasaratha in\nIskshaku's royal line. At that time, the two Rishis viz., the two sons of\nPrajapati, called by the names of Ekata and Dwita, will in consequence of\nthe injury done by them unto their brother Trita, have to take birth as\napes, losing the beauty of the human form. Those apes that shall take\nbirth in the race of Ekata and Dwita, shall become endued with great\nstrength and mighty energy and will equal Sakra himself in prowess. All\nthose apes, O regenerate one, will become my allies for accomplishing the\nbusiness of the deities. I shall then slay the terrible lord of the\nRakshasas, that wretch of Pulastya's race, viz., the fierce Ravana, that\nthrone of all the worlds, together with all his children and followers.\nTowards the close of the Dwapara and beginning of the Kali ages, I shall\nagain appear in the world taking birth in the city of Mathura for the\npurpose of slaying Kansa. There, after slaying innumerable Danavas that\nwill be thorns in the side of the deities, I shall take up my residence\nin Kusasthali at the city of Dwaraka. While residing in that city I shall\nslay the Asura Naraka, the son of the Earth,--him, that is, who will do\nan injury to Aditi, as also some other Danavas of the names of Muru and\nPitha. Slaying also another foremost of Danavas, viz., the lord of\nPragjyotisha, I shall transplant his delightful city furnished with\ndiverse kinds of wealth into Dwaraka. I shall then subjugate the two gods\nworshipped of all the deities, viz., Maheshwara and Mahasena, who will\nbecome fond of the Danava Vana and do him diverse good offices and who\nwill exert themselves vigorously for that worshipper of theirs.[1837]\nVanquishing next the son of the Danava Vali, viz., Vana, who will be\nendued with a thousand arms, I shall next destroy all the inhabitants of\nthe Danava city called Saubha.[1838] I shall next, O foremost of\nBrahmanas, compass the death of Kalayavana, a Danava who will be endued\nwith great might in consequence of his being equipt with the energy of\nGargya.[1839] A proud Asura will appear as a king at Girivraja, of the\nname of Jarasandha, who will quarrel with all the other kings of the\nworld. His death will be compassed by me through some one else guided by\nmy intelligence. I shall next slay Sisupala in the sacrifice of king\nYudhishthira, the son of Dharma, which sacrifice all the kings of the\nworld will bring tribute. In some of these feats, only Arjuna, the son of\nVasava, will become my assistant. I shall establish Yudhishthira with all\nhis brothers in his ancestral kingdom. People will call me and Arjuna as\nNarayana and Nara, when, endued with puissance, we two, exerting our\nstrength, shall consume a large number of Kshatriyas, for doing good to\nthe world. Having lightened the burthen of the Earth according to our\npleasure, I shall absorb all the principal Sattwatas as also Dwaraka, my\nfavourite city, into my own self, recollecting my all-embracing\nKnowledge. Endued with four forms, I shall, in this way, achieve many\nfeats of great prowess, and attain at last to those regions of felicity\ncreated by me and honoured by all the Brahmanas. Appearing in the forms\nof a swan, a tortoise, a fish, O foremost of regenerate ones, I shall\nthen display myself as a boar, then as a Man-lion (Nrisingha), then as a\ndwarf, then as Rama of Bhrigu's race, then as Rama, the son of Dasaratha,\nthen as Krishna the scion of the Sattwata race, and lastly as Kalki. When\nthe auditions in the Vedas disappeared from the world, I brought them\nback. The Vedas with the auditions in them, were re-created by me in the\nKrita age. They have once more disappeared or may only be partially heard\nhere and there in the Puranas. Many of my best appearances also in the\nworld have become events of the past. Having achieved the good of the\nworlds in those forms in which I appeared, they have re-entered into my\nown Prakriti. Brahman (the Creator) himself never obtained a sight of me\nin this form of mine, which thou, O Narada, hast seen today in\nconsequence of thy entire devotion to me. I have now said everything, O\nBrahmana,--unto thee that art devoted to me wholly, I have disclosed to\nthee my ancient appearances and future ones also, O Best of men, together\nwith all their mysteries.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"The holy and illustrious\ndeity, of universal and immutable form, having said these words unto\nNarada, disappeared there and then. Narada also, endued with great\nenergy, having obtained the high favour that he had solicited, then\nproceeded with great speed to the retreat called Vadari, for beholding\nNara and Narayana. This great Upanishad, perfectly consist with the four\nVedas, in harmony with Sankhya-yoga, and called by him by the name of the\nPancharatra scriptures, and recited by Narayana himself with his own\nmouth, was repeated by Narada in the presence of many hearers in the\nabode of Brahman (his sire) in exactly the same way in which Narayana\n(while that great god had showed himself unto him) had recited it, and in\nwhich he had heard it from his own lips.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Was not Brahman, the Creator of all things,\nacquainted with this wonderful narrative of the glory of Narayana endued\nwith intelligence that he heard it from the lips of Narada? Is the\nillustrious Grandsire of all the worlds any way different from or\ninferior to the great Narayana? How then is it that he was unacquainted\nwith the puissance of Narayana of immeasurable energy?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Hundreds and thousands of great-Kalpas, hundreds and\nthousands of Creation and Dissolutions, O king of kings, have been over\nand have become incidents of the past.[1840] In the beginning of every\ncycle of Creation, Brahman, endued with great puissance and who creates\nall things, is remembered (by Narayana). Brahman knows well, O king, that\nNarayana, that foremost of all gods is very much superior to him. He\nknows that Narayana is the Supreme Soul, that he is the Supreme Lord,\nthat He is the Creator of Brahman himself. It was only unto that conclave\nof Rishis, crowned with ascetic success, that came to the abode of\nBrahman, that Narada recited his narrative which is a very ancient one,\nand which is perfectly consistent with the Vedas. The deity Surya, having\nheard that narrative from those Rishis crowned with ascetic\nsuccess,[1841] repeated it to the six and sixty thousands of Rishis, O\nking, of cleansed souls, that follow in his train. And Surya, the deity\nthat imparts heat unto all worlds, repeated that narrative unto those\nBeings also, of cleansed souls, that have been created (by Brahman) for\nalways journeying in the van of Surya.[1842] The high-souled Rishis that\nfollow in Surya's train, O son, repeated that excellent narrative unto\nthe deities assembled on the breast of Meru. That best of ascetics, viz.,\nthe regenerate Asita, then having heard the narrative from the deities,\nrepeated it unto the Pitris, O king of kings. I heard it from my sire\nSantanu, O son, who recited it to me formerly. Myself having heard it\nfrom my sire, I have repeated it to thee, O Bharata. Deities and Munis,\nwho have heard this excellent old narrative, which is a Purana--all adore\nthe Supreme Soul. This narrative, belonging to the Rishis and thus handed\ndown from one to another, should not, O king, be communicated by thee to\nany one that is not a worshipper of Vasudeva. This narrative, O king, is\nreally the essence of the hundreds of other narratives that thou hast\nheard from me. In days of yore, O monarch, the deities and the Asuras,\nuniting together, churned the Ocean and raised the Amrita. After the\nsame manner, the Brahmanas, uniting together in days of yore, churned all\nthe scriptures and raised this narrative which resembles nectar. He who\nfrequently reads this narrative, and he who frequently listens to it,\nwith concentrated attention, in a retired spot, and filled with devotion,\nsucceeds in becoming a denizen, possessed of lunar complexion, of the\nspacious island known by the name of White Island. Without doubt, such a\nman succeeds in entering into Narayana of a thousand rays. A sick person,\nby listening to this narrative from the beginning, becomes freed from his\nillness. The man that simply desires to read or listen to this narrative\nobtains the fruition of all his wishes. To devoted worshipper, by reading\nor listening to it, attains to the high end that is reserved for devoted\nworshippers. Thou also, O monarch, shouldst always adore and worship that\nforemost of all Beings. He is the father and the mother of all creatures,\nand He is an object of reverence with the entire universe. Let the\nillustrious and Eternal God of the Brahmans, viz., Janarddana of high\nintelligence, be gratified with thee, O Yudhishthira of mighty arms!\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having listened to the best of narratives, O\nJanamejaya, king Yudhishthira the just and all his brothers became\ndevoted to Narayana. And all of them, O Bharata, betaking themselves to\nthe practice of silently meditating upon Narayana (from that day),\nuttered these words for His glorification, viz., 'Victory to that holy\nand illustrious Being.' He, again, who is our best of preceptors, viz.,\nthe Island-born Krishna, devoted to penances, sung uttering the word\nNarayana that high mantra which is worthy of being recited in silence.\nSojourning through the welkin to the Ocean of Milk which is always the\nabode of nectar, and worshipping the great God there, he came back to his\nown hermitage.\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"I have now repeated to thee the narrative that was\nrecited by Narada (unto the conclave of Rishis assembled in the abode of\nBrahman). That narrative has descended from one person to another from\nvery ancient times. I heard it from my sire who formerly repeated it to\nme.\"'\"\n\nSuta continued, \"I have now told you all that Vaisampayana recited to\nJanamejaya. Having listened to Vaisampayana's narration, king Janamejaya\nproperly discharged all his duties according to the ordinances laid down\nin the scriptures. Ye have all undergo very severe penances and observed\nmany high and excellent vows. Residing in this sacred forest that is\nknown by the name of Naimisha, ye are foremost of all persons conversant\nwith the Vedas. Ye foremost of regenerate ones, ye all have come to this\ngreat sacrifice of Saunaka. Do ye all adore and worship that Eternal and\nSupreme Lord of the universe in excellent sacrifices, properly pouring\nlibations of clarified butter into the fire with the aid of mantras and\ndedicating the same unto Narayana. As regards myself, I heard this\nexcellent narrative that has descended from generation to generation,\nfrom my sire who recited it to me in former times.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXLI\n\nSaunaka said, \"How is that illustrious god, viz., the puissant Narayana\nwho is fully conversant with the Vedas and their branches, at once the\ndoer and the enjoyer of sacrifices? Endued with forgiveness, he has\nadopted, again, the religion of Nivritti (abstention). Indeed, it is that\nholy and puissant one who has himself ordained the duties of Nivritti.\nWhy then has he made many of the deities the takers of shares in\nsacrifices which, of course, are all due to the disposition of Pravritti?\nWhy has he again created some with a contrary disposition, for they\nfollow the ordinances of the religion of abstention? Do thou, O Suta,\ndispel this doubt of ours. This doubt seems to be eternal and is\nconnected with a great mystery. Thou hast heard all discourses on\nNarayana, discourses that are consistent with the (other)\nscriptures.\"[1843]\n\nSauti said, \"O excellent Saunaka, I shall recite to thee what\nVaisampayana, the disciple of the intelligent Vyasa, said when questioned\non these very topics by king Janamejaya. Having heard the discourse on\nthe glory of Narayana who is the Soul of all embodied creatures,\nJanamejaya, endued with great intelligence and wisdom, questioned\nVaisampayana on these very subjects.\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'The whole world of Beings, with Brahma, the deities,\nthe Asuras and human beings, are seen to be deeply attached to actions\nwhich have been said to be productive of prosperity. Emancipation has, O\nregenerate one, been said by thee to be the highest felicity and to\nconsist of the cessation of existence. They who, being divested of both\nmerit and demerit, become emancipate, succeed, we hear, in entering the\ngreat God of a thousand rays. It seems to be, O Brahmana, that the\neternal religion of Emancipation is exceedingly difficult of observance.\nTurning away from it, all the deities have become enjoyers of the\nlibations of clarified butter poured with mantras on sacrificial fires\nand other offerings presented to them by the same or similar means. Then,\nagain, Brahman, and Rudra, the puissant Sakra the slayer of Vala, Surya,\nChandramas (the Lord of the stars), the Wind-god, the Deity of fire, the\nDeity of the Waters, Infinite Space (as living Being), the Universe too\n(as a conscious agent), and the rest of the denizens of heaven,--they, it\nseems, are ignorant of the way of securing annihilation of conscious\nexistence, that is capable of being brought about by\nself-realisation.[1844] Hence, perhaps, they have not be taken themselves\nto the path that is certain, indestructible, and immutable. Hence\nperhaps, turning away from that path they have adopted the religion of\nPravritti which leads to conscious existence that is measured by time.\nThis, indeed, is one great fault that attaches to those that are wedded\nto actions, for all their rewards are terminable. This doubt, O\nregenerate one, is planted in my heart like a dagger. Remove it out by\nreciting to me some discourses of old on this topic. Great is my\ncuriosity to listen to thee. For what reason, O regenerate one, have the\ndeities been said to be takers of their respective shares of sacrificial\nofferings presented to them with the aid of mantras in sacrifices of\ndiverse kinds? Why again are the denizens of heaven adored in sacrifices?\nAnd, O best of regenerate persons, to whom do they, that take their\nshares of offerings in sacrifices performed to their honour, themselves\nmake offerings when they perform great sacrifices?'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'The question thou has asked me, O ruler of men,\nrelates to a deep mystery. No man that has not undergone penances, and\nthat is not acquainted with the Puranas, can speedily answer it. I shall,\nhowever, answer thee by reciting to thee what my preceptor the\nIsland-born Krishna, otherwise called Vyasa, the great Rishi who has\nclassified the Vedas, had said unto us on a former occasion when\nquestioned by us. Sumanta, and Jaimini, and Paila of firm vows, and\nmyself numbering the fourth, and Suka forming the fifth, were disciples\nof the illustrious Vyasa. We numbering five in all, endued with\nself-restraint and purity of observances, had completely subjugated wrath\nand controlled our senses. Our preceptor used to teach us the Vedas,\nhaving the Mahabharata for their fifth. Once on a time, while we were\nengaged in studying the Vedas on the breast of that foremost of\nmountains, viz., the delightful Meru, inhabited by Siddhas and Charanas,\nthis very doubt arose in our minds that has been expressed by thee today.\nWe, therefore, questioned our preceptor about it. I heard the answer\nthat our preceptor made. I shall now recite that answer to thee, O\nBharata. Hearing these words that were addressed to him by his disciples\nthat dispeller of all kinds of darkness represented by ignorance, viz.,\nthe blessed Vyasa, the son of Parasara, said these words: \"I have undergone\nvery severe, in fact, the austerest of penances. Ye best of men, I am\nfully conversant with the Past, the Present, and the Future. In\nconsequence of those penances of mine and of the restraint under which I\nkept my senses while I dwelt on the shores of the Ocean of milk, Narayana\nbecame gratified with me. As the result of the great God's gratification,\nthis omniscience with respect to the Past, the Present, and the Future,\nthat was desired by me, arose in my mind. Listen now to me as I discourse\nto you, in due order, on this great doubt that has disturbed your minds.\nI have, with the eye of knowledge, beheld all that occurred in the\nbeginning of the Kalpa. He whom both the Sankhyas and those conversant\nwith Yoga call by the name of Paramatma (the Supreme Soul) comes to be\nregarded as Mahapurusha (the Great Purusha) in consequence of his own\nacts. From Him springs forth Abyakta (the Unmanifest), whom the learned\ncall Pradhana. From the puissant Unmanifest sprang, for the creation of\nall the words, the Manifest (Byakta). He is called Aniruddha. That\nAniruddha is known among all creatures by the name of the Mahat Atma. It\nis that Aniruddha who, becoming manifest, created the Grandsire Brahman.\nAniruddha is known by another name, viz., Ahankara (consciousness) and is\nendued with every kind of energy. Earth, Wind, Space, Water, and Light\nnumbering the fifth, these are the five Mahabhutas (elements) that have\nsprung from Ahankara. Having created the Mahabhutas (five in number), he\nthen created their attributes.[1845] Combining the Mahabhutas, he then\ncreated diverse embodied Being. Listen to me as I recount them to you.\nMarichi, Angiras, Atri, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, the high-souled\nVasishtha, and the Self-born Manu, these should be known as the eight\nPrakritis. Upon these rest all the worlds. Then the Grandsire of all the\nworld, viz., Brahman, created, for the fulfilment of all creatures, the\nVedas with all their branches, as also the Sacrifices with their limbs.\nFrom these eight Prakritis have sprung this vast universe. Then sprang\nRudra from the principle of wrath, starting into life, he created ten\nothers that were like him. These eleven Rudras are called by name of\nVikara-Purushas. The Rudras, the (eight) Prakritis, and the several\ncelestial Rishis, having started into life, approached Brahman with the\nobject of upholding the universe and its operations. Addressing the\nGrandsire, they said, 'We have been created, O holy one, by thee, O thou\nof great puissance. Tell each of us, O Grandsire, the respective\njurisdiction we shall be vested with. What particular jurisdictions have\nbeen created by thee for supervising the different affairs? We, each,\nshould be endued with what kind of consciousness and shall take charge of\nwhich of these? Do thou ordain also unto each of us the measure of\nstrength that we are to have for discharging the duties of our respective\njurisdictions.' Thus addressed by them, the great god replied unto them\nin the following way.\n\n\"'\"Brahman said, 'You have done well, ye deities, in speaking to me of this\nmatter. Blessed be you all! I was thinking of this very subject that has\nengaged your attention. How should the three worlds be upheld and kept\nagoing? How should your strength and mine be utilized towards that end?\nLet all of us, leaving this place, repair to that unmanifest and foremost\nof Beings who is the witness of the world, for seeking his protection. He\nwill tell us what is for our good.' After this, those deities and Rishis,\nwith Brahman, proceeded to the northern shores of the Ocean of milk,\ndesirous of doing good to the three worlds. Arrived there, they began to\npractise those austere penances that are declared by Brahman in the\nVedas. Those austerest of penances are known by the name of Mahaniyama\n(the foremost vows and observances). They stood there with mind fixed,\nimmovable as posts of wood, and with eyes upturned and arms raised\nupwards. For a thousand celestial years they were engaged in those severe\npenances. At the conclusion of that period they heard these sweet words\nin harmony with the Vedas and their branches.\n\n\"'\"The blessed and holy one said, 'Ye deities and Rishis possessed of\nwealth of asceticism, with Brahman in your company, after according you\nall welcome, I say unto you these words. I know that is in your hearts.\nVerily, the thoughts that engage you are for the good of the three\nworlds. I shall increase your energy and strength investing the same with\nPravritti (predilection for acts). Ye gods, well have you undergone these\npenances from desire of adoring me. Ye foremost of Beings, enjoy now the\nexcellent fruits of austerities which ye have gone through. This Brahman\nis the Lord of all the worlds. Endued with puissance, he is the Grandsire\nof all creatures. Ye also are foremost of deities. Do ye all, with\nconcentrated minds perform sacrifices for my glory. In the sacrifices\nwhich you will perform, do ye always give me a portion of the sacrificial\nofferings. I shall then, ye lord of creation, assign to each of you your\nrespective jurisdictions and ordain what will be for your good!'\"\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these words of that God of gods, all\nthose deities and great Rishis and Brahman became filled with such\ndelight that the hair on their bodies stood on its end. They forthwith\nmade arrangements for a sacrifice in honour of Vishnu according to the\nordinances laid down in the Vedas. In that sacrifice, Brahman himself\ndedicated a portion of the offerings to Vishnu. The deities and the\ncelestial Rishis also, after the manner of Brahman, dedicated similar\nportions each unto the great God. The portions, thus offered with great\nreverence unto Vishnu, were, in respect of both the measure and the\nquality of the articles used, according to the ordinances laid down for\nthe Krita age. The deities and the Rishis and Brahman, in that sacrifice,\nadored the great God as one endued with the complexion of the Sun, as the\nforemost of Beings, situate beyond the reach of Tamas, vast, pervading\nall things, the Supreme Lord of all, the giver of boons, and possessed of\npuissance. Thus adored by them, the boon-giving and great God, invisible\nand bodiless, addressed those assembled celestials from heaven and said\nunto them:--\"The offerings dedicated by you in this sacrifice have all\nreached me. I am gratified with all of you. I shall bestow rewards on you\nthat will however, be fraught with ends whence there will be\nreturn.[1846] This shall be your distinctive feature, ye gods, from this\nday, in consequence of my grace and kindness for you. Performing\nsacrifices in every Yuga, with large presents, ye will become enjoyers of\nfruits born of Pravritti. Ye gods, those men also that will perform\nsacrifices according to the ordinances of the Vedas, will give unto all\nof you shares of their sacrificial offerings. In the Veda-sutras I make\nhim the receiver (in such sacrifices) of a share similar to that which he\nhas himself offered one in this sacrifice. Created to look after those\naffairs that appertain to your respective jurisdictions, do ye uphold the\nworlds according to the measures of your strength as dependent on the\nshares you receive on those sacrifices. Indeed, drawing strength from\nthose rites and observances that will be current in the several worlds,\ntaking their rise from the fruits of Pravritti, do ye continue to uphold\nthe affairs of those worlds.[1847] Strengthened by the sacrifices that\nwill be performed by men, ye will strengthen me. These are the thoughts\nthat I entertain for you all. It is for this purpose that I have created\nthe Vedas and sacrifices and plants and herbs. Duly served with these by\nhuman beings on Earth, the deities will be gratified. Ye foremost of\ndeities, till the end of this Kalpa, I have ordained your creation,\nmaking your constitution depend upon the consequence of the religion of\nPravritti. Ye foremost of Beings, do ye then, as regards your respective\njurisdictions, engage yourselves in seeking the good of the three worlds.\nMarichi, Angiras, Atri, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, and Vasishtha,--these\nseven Rishis have been created by a fiat of the will. These will become\nthe foremost of persons conversant with the Vedas. In fact, they will\nbecome the preceptors of the Vedas. They will be wedded to the religion\nof Pravritti, for they have been intended to devote themselves to the act\nof procreating offspring. This is the eternal path that I disclose of\ncreatures engaged in acts and observances. The puissant Lord who is\ncharged with the creation of all the worlds is called Aniruddha, Sana,\nSanatsujata, Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatkumara, Kapila, and Sanatana\nnumbering the seventh,--these seven Rishis are known as the spiritual\nsons of Brahman. Their knowledge comes to them of itself (without being\ndependant on study or exertion). These seven are wedded to the religion\nof Nivritti. They are the foremost of all persons conversant with Yoga.\nThey are possessed also of deep knowledge of the Sankhya philosophy. They\nare preceptors of the scriptures on duty and it is they that introduce\nthe duties of the religion of Nivritti and cause them to flow in the\nworlds. From Unmanifest (Prakriti) has flowed Consciousness and the three\ngreat attributes (of Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas). Transcending Prakriti is\nhe called Kshetrajna. That Kshetrajna is myself. The path of those that\nare wedded to Karma emerging out of Ahankara is fraught with return. One\ncannot, by that path, reach the spot whence there is no return. Different\ncreatures have been created with different ends. Some are intended for\nthe path of Pravritti and some for that of Nivritti. According to the\npath that a creature follows is the reward that he enjoys. This Brahman\nis the master of all the worlds. Endued with puissance it is he that\ncreates the universe.[1848] He is your mother and father, and he is your\ngrandfather. At my command, he will be the giver of boons unto all\ncreatures. His son Rudra, who has sprung from his brow at his command,\nwill, endued with puissance, uphold all created beings. Go ye to your\nrespective jurisdictions, and seek, according to the ordinances, the good\nof the worlds. Let all the scriptural acts flow in all the worlds. Let\nthere be no delay in this. Ye foremost of celestials, do ye ordain the\nacts of all creatures and the ends that they are to attain therefore. Do\nye appoint also the limits of the periods for which all creatures are to\nlive. This present epoch that has been set to run is the foremost of all\nepochs and should be known by the name of Krita. In this Yuga living\ncreatures should not be slain in the sacrifices that may be performed. It\nshould be as I ordain and let it not be otherwise. In this age, ye\ncelestials, Righteousness will flourish in its entirety.[1849] After this\nage will come the epoch called Treta. The Vedas, in that Yuga, will lose\none quarter. Only three of them will exist. In the sacrifice that will be\nperformed in that age, animals, after dedication with the aid of sacred\nmantras, will be slain. As regards Righteousness again, it will lose one\nquarter; only three quarters thereof will flourish. On the expiration of\nthe Treta will come the mixed Yuga known by the name of Dwapara. In that\nYuga, Righteousness will lose two quarters and only two quarters thereof\nwill flourish. Upon the expiration of Dwapara the Yuga that will set in\nwill be called Kali yuga which will come under the influence of Tisya\nconstellation. Righteousness will lose full three quarters. Only a\nquarter thereof will exist in all places.\"\n\n\"'When the great God said these words, the deities and the celestial\nRishis addressed him and said, 'If only a fourth part of Righteousness is\nto exist in that age in every place, tell us O holy one, whither shall we\nthen go and what shall we do!'\n\n\"'The blessed and holy one said, \"Ye foremost of celestials, ye should, in\nthat age, repair to such places where the Vedas and sacrifices and\nPenances and Truth and Self-restraint, accompanied by duties fraught with\ncompassion for all creatures, will still continue to flourish. Sin will\nnever be able to touch you at all!\"\n\n\"'Vyasa continued, \"Thus commanded by the great God, the deities with all\nthe Rishis bowed their heads unto him and then proceeded to the places\nthey desired. After the Rishis and denizens of heaven had left that\nplace, Brahman remained there, desirous of beholding the great Deity\neminent in the form of Aniruddha. The foremost of deities then manifested\nhimself to Brahmana, having assumed a form that had a vast equine head.\nBearing a bowl (Kamandalu) and the triple stick, he manifested himself\nbefore Brahman, reciting the while the Vedas with all their branches.\nBeholding the great Deity of immeasurable energy in that form crowned\nwith an equine head, the puissant Brahman, the Creator of all the\nworlds, moved by the desire of doing good to his Creation, worshipped\nthat boon-giving Lord with a bend of his head, and stood before him with\nhands joined in reverence. The great Deity embraced Brahman and then told\nhim these words.\n\n\"'\"The holy one said, 'Do thou, O Brahman, duly think of the courses of\nacts which creatures are to follow. Thou art the great ordainer of all\ncreated Beings. Thou art the master and the lord of the universe. Placing\nthis burthen on thee I shall soon be free from anxiety. At such times,\nhowever, when it will be difficult for thee to accomplish the purposes\nof the deities I shall then appear in incarnate forms according to my\nself-knowledge.' Having said these words, that grand form with the equine\nhead disappeared then and there. Having received his command, Brahman too\nproceeded quickly to his own region. It is for this, O blessed one, that\nthe eternal Deity, with the lotus in his navel, became the acceptor of\nthe first share offered in sacrifices and hence it is that He came to be\ncalled as the eternal upholder of all Sacrifices. He himself adopted the\nreligion of Nivritti, the end after which those creatures strive that are\ndesirous of indestructible fruits. He ordained at the same time the\nreligion of Pravritti for others, with the view to giving variety to the\nuniverse. He is the beginning, He is the middle, and He is the end of all\ncreated Beings. He is their Creator and He is their one object of\nmeditation. He is the actor and He is the act. Having withdrawn the\nuniverse into Himself at the end of the Yuga, He goes to sleep, and\nawakening at the commencement of another Yuga, He once more creates the\nuniverse, Do you all bow unto that illustrious one who is possessed of\nhigh soul and who transcends the three attributes, who is unborn, whose\nform is the universe, and who is the abode or refuge of all the denizens\nof heaven. Do you bow unto Him who is the Supreme Lord of all creatures,\nwho is the Lord of the Adityas, and of the Vasus as well. Do you bow unto\nHim who is the Lord of the Aswins, and the Lord of the Maruts, who is the\nlord of all the Sacrifices ordained in the Vedas, and the Lord of the\nVedangas. Bow unto Him who always resides in the Ocean, and who is called\nHari, and whose hair is like the blades of the Munja grass. Bow unto Him\nwho is Peace and Tranquillity, and who imparts the religion of Moksha\nunto all creatures. Bow unto Him who is the Lord of Penances, of all\nkinds of energy, and of Fame, who is ever the Lord of Speech and the Lord\nof all the Rivers also. Bow unto Him who is called Kaparddin (Rudra), who\nis the Great Boar, who is Unicorn, and who is possessed of great\nintelligence, who is the Sun, who assumed the well-known form with the\nequine head; and who is always displayed in a four-fold form. Bow unto\nHim who is unrevealed, who is capable of being apprehended by knowledge\nonly, who is both indestructible and destructible. The supreme Deity, who\nis immutable, pervadeth all things. He is the Supreme Lord who can be\nknown with the aid of the eye of knowledge alone. It was thus that, aided\nby the eye of Knowledge, I beheld in days of yore that foremost of\ndeities. Asked by you, I have told you everything in detail, ye\ndisciples, and do you act according to my words and dutifully serve the\nSupreme Lord called Hari. Do you hymn His praises in Vedic words and\nadore and worship Him also according to due rites!\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'It was thus that the arranger of the Vedas,\nendued with great intelligence, discoursed to us, questioned by us on\nthat occasion. His son, the highly righteous Suka, and all his disciples\n(viz., ourselves) listened to him while he delivered that discourse. Our\npreceptor, with ourselves, O king, then adored the great Deity with Richs\nextracted from the four Vedas. I have thus told thee everything about\nwhat thou hadst asked me. It was thus, O king, that our Island-born\npreceptor discoursed to us. He who, having uttered the words--I bow unto\nthe holy Lord,--frequently listens, with concentrated attention, to this\ndiscourse or reads or recites it to others, becomes endued with\nintelligence and health, and possessed of beauty and strength. If ill, he\nbecomes freed from that illness, bound, freed from his bonds. The man who\ncherishes desires obtains (by this) the fruition of all his desires, and\neasily attains to a long life also. A Brahmana, by doing this, becomes\nconversant with all the Vedas, and a Kshatriya becomes crowned with\nsuccess. A Vaisya, by doing it, makes considerable profits, and a Sudra\nattains to great felicity. A sonless man obtains a son. A maiden obtains\na desirable husband. A woman that has conceived brings forth a son. A\nbarren woman conceives and attains to wealth of sons and grandsons. He\nwho recites this discourse on the way succeeds in passing happily and\nwithout impediments of any kind along his way. In fact, one attains to\nwhatever objects one cherishes, if one reads or recites this narrative.\nHearing these words of the great Rishi, fraught with certainty of\nconclusion, and embodying a recital of the attributes of that high-souled\none who is the foremost of all beings, hearing this narrative of the\ngreat conclave of Rishis and other denizens of heaven,--men who are\ndevoted to the supreme Deity derive great happiness.\"'\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXLII\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'O holy one, it behoveth thee to tell me the\nsignificance of those diverse names uttering which the great Rishi Vyasa\nwith his disciples hymned the praises of the illustrious slayer of Madhu.\nI am desirous of hearing those names of Hari, that Supreme Lord of all\ncreatures. Indeed, by listening to those names, I shall be sanctified and\ncleansed even like the bright autumnal moon.'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Listen, O king, to what the significances are of the\ndiverse names, due to attributes and acts, of Hari as the puissant Hari\nhimself of cheerful soul explained them to Phalguna. That slayer of\nhostile heroes, viz., Phalguna, had at one time asked Kesava, enquiring\nafter the imports of the some of the names by which the high-souled\nKeshva is adored.\n\n\"'Arjuna said, \"O holy one, O Supreme ordainer of the Past and the Future,\nO Creator of all Beings, O immutable one, O Refuge of all the worlds, O\nLord of the universe, O dispeller of the fears of all persons, I desire\nto hear from thee in detail, O Kesava, the significance of all those\nnames of thine, O God, which have been mentioned by the great Rishis in\nthe Vedas and the Puranas in consequences of diverse acts of thine. None\nelse than thee, O Lord, is competent to explain the significations of\nthose names.\"\n\n\"'The holy one said, \"In the Rigveda, in the Yajurveda, in the Atharvans\nand the Samans, in the Puranas and the Upanishads, as also in the\ntreatises on Astrology, O Arjuna, in the Sankhya scriptures, in the Yoga\nscriptures, and in the treatises also on the Science of Life, many are\nthe names that have been mentioned by the great Rishis. Some of those\nnames are derivable from my attributes and some of them relate to my\nacts. Do thou hear, with concentrated attention, O sinless one, what the\nimport is of each of those names (in particular) that have reference to\nmy acts. I shall recite them to you. It is said that in days of yore you\nwere half my body. Salutations unto Him of great glory, Him, viz., that\nis the Supreme Soul of all embodied creatures.[1850] Salutations unto\nNarayana, unto Him that is identifiable with the universe, unto Him that\ntranscends the three (primal) attributes (of Sattwa, Rajas and Minas),\nunto Him that is, again, the Soul of those attributes. From His grace\nhath arisen Brahman and from His wrath hath arisen Rudra. He is the\nsource whence have sprung all mobile and immobile creatures. O foremost\nof all persons endued with Sattwa, the attribute of Sattwa consists of\nthe eight and ten qualities.[1851] That attribute is Supreme Nature\nhaving for her soul the Sky and Earth and succeeding by her creative\nforces in upholding the universe. That Nature is identical with the fruit\nof all acts (in the form of the diverse regions of felicity to which\ncreatures attain through their acts). She is also the pure Chit. She is\nimmortal, and invincible, and is called the Soul of the universe. From\nher flows all the modifications of both Creation and Destruction. (She is\nidentical with my Prakriti or Nature). Divested of sex, She or He is the\npenances that people undergo. He is both the sacrifice that is performed\nand the sacrificer that performs the sacrifice. He is the ancient and the\ninfinite Purusha. He is otherwise called Aniruddha and is the source of\nthe Creation and the Destruction of the universe. When Brahma's night\nwore off, through the grace of that Being of immeasurable energy, a lotus\nmade its appearance first, O thou of eyes like lotus petals. Within that\nlotus was born Brahma, springing from Aniruddha's grace. Towards the\nevening of Brahma's day, Aniruddha became filled with wrath, and as a\nconsequence of this, there sprang from his forehead a son called Rudra\nvested with the power of destroying everything (when the hour for\ndestruction comes). These two, viz., Brahma and Rudra, are the foremost\nof all the deities, having sprung respectively from the Propitiousness\nand the Wrath (of Aniruddha). Acting according to Aniruddha's direction,\nthese two deities create and destroy. Although capable of granting boons\nunto all creatures, they are, however, in the matter of the concerns to\nwhich they attend (viz., Creation and Destruction), merely instruments in\nthe hands of Aniruddha. (It is Aniruddha that does everything, making\nBrahma and Rudra the visible agents in respect of the universe). Rudra is\notherwise called Kaparddin. He has matted locks on his head, and\nsometimes displays a head that is bald. He loves to dwell in the midst of\ncrematoriums which constitute his home. He is an observer of the\nausterest vows. He is Yogin of mighty puissance and energy. He is the\ndestroyer of Daksha's sacrifice and the tearer of Bhaga's eyes. O son of\nPandu, Rudra should be known to have always Narayana for his Soul. If\nthat deity of deities, viz., Maheswara, be worshipped, then O Partha, is\nthe puissant Narayana also worshipped. I am the Soul, O son of Pandu, of\nall the worlds, of all the universe. Rudra, again, is my Soul. It is for\nthis that I always adore him. If I do not adore the auspicious and\nboon-giving Isana nobody would then adore my own self. The ordinances I\nset are followed by all the worlds. Those ordinances should always be\nadored, and it is, therefore, that I adore them. He who knows Rudra knows\nmyself, and he who knows myself knows Rudra. He who follows Rudra follows\nme, Rudra is Narayana. Both are one; and one is displayed in two\ndifferent forms. Rudra and Narayana, forming one person, pervade all\ndisplayed things and cause them to act. No one else than Rudra is\ncompetent to grant me a boon, O son of Pandu. Having settled this in my\nmind, I adored in days of yore the ancient and puissant Rudra, for\nobtaining the boon of a son. In adoring Rudra thus I adored my own self.\nVishnu never bows his head unto any deity except his own self. It is for\nthis reason that I adore Rudra, (Rudra being, as I have already told\nthee, my own self). All the deities, including Brahma and Indra and the\ndeities and the great Rishis, adore Narayana, that foremost of deities,\notherwise called by the name of Hari. Vishnu is the foremost of all\nBeings past, present, or future, and as such should always be adored and\nworshipped with reverence. Do thou bow thy head unto Vishnu. Do thou bow\nthy head unto Him who gives protection to all. Do thou bow, O son of\nKunti, unto that great boon-giving deity, that foremost of deities, who\neats the offerings made unto him in sacrifices. I have heard that there\nare four kinds of worshippers, viz., those who are eager for a religious\nlife, those who are enquirers, those who strive to comprehend what they\nlearn and those who are wise. Among them all, they that are devoted to\nrealising the self and do not adore any other deity, are the foremost. I\nam the end they seek, and though engaged in acts, they never seek the\nfruits thereof. The three remaining classes of my worshippers are those\nthat are desirous of the fruits of their acts. They attain to regions of\ngreat felicity, but then they have to fall down therefrom upon the\nexhaustion of their merits. Those amongst my worshippers, therefore, that\nare fully awakened (and, as such, that know that all happiness is\nterminable except what is attainable by persons that become identified\nwith me) obtain what is foremost (and invaluable).[1852] Those that are\nawakened and whose conduct displays such enlightenment, may be engaged in\nadoring Brahman or Mahadeva or the other deities that occur in heaven but\nthey succeed at least in attaining to myself. I have thus told thee, O\nPartha, what the distinctions are between my worshippers. Thyself, O son\nof Kunti, and myself are known as Nara and Narayana. Both of us have\nassumed human bodies only for the purpose of lightening the burden of the\nEarth. I am fully cognisant of self-knowledge. I know who I am and whence\nI am, O Bharata. I know the religion of Nivritti, and all that\ncontributes to the prosperity of creatures. Eternal as I am, I am the one\nsole Refuge of all men. The waters have been called by the name of Nara,\nfor they sprang from Him called Nara. And since the waters in former\ntimes, were my refuge, I am, therefore, called by the name of Narayana.\nAssuming the form of the Sun I cover the universe with my rays. And\nbecause I am the home of all creatures, therefore, am I called by the\nname of Vasudeva. I am the end of all creatures and their sire, O\nBharata. I pervade the entire firmament on high and the Earth, O Partha,\nand my splendour transcends every other splendour. I am He, O Bharata,\nwhom all creatures wish to attain to at the time of death. And because I\npervade all the universe, I have come to be called by the name of Vishnu.\nDesirous of attaining to success through restraint of their senses,\npeople seek to attain to me who am heaven and Earth and the firmament\nbetween the two. For this am I called by the name of Damodara. The word\nPrisni includes food, the Vedas, water, and nectar. These four are always\nin my stomach. Hence am I called by the name of Prisnigarbha. The Rishis\nhave said that once on a time when the Rishi Trita was thrown into a well\nby Ekata and Dwiti, the distressed Trita invoked me, saying,--'O\nPrisnigarbha, do thou rescue the fallen Trita!' That foremost of Rishis,\nviz., Trita, the spiritual son of Brahma, having called on me thus, was\nrescued from the pit. The rays that emanate from the Sun who gives heat\nto the world, from the blazing fire, and from the Moon, constitute my\nhair. Hence do foremost of learned Brahmanas call me by the name of\nKesava. The high-souled Utathya having impregnated his wife disappeared\nfrom her side through an illusion of the gods. The younger brother\nVrihaspati then appeared before that high-souled one's wife. Unto that\nforemost of Rishis that had repaired thither from desire of congress, the\nchild in the womb of Utathya's wife, O son of Kunti, whose body had\nalready been formed of the five primal elements, said,--'O giver of boons,\nI have already entered into this womb. It behoveth thee not to assail my\nmother.' Hearing these words of the unborn child, Vrihaspati, became\nfilled with wrath and denounced a curse on him, saying,--'Since thou\nobstructest me in this way when I have come hither from desire of the\npleasures of congress, therefore shalt thou, by my curse, be visited by\nblindness, without doubt!' Through this curse of that foremost of Rishis,\nthe child of Utathya was born blind, and blind he remained for a long\ntime. It was for this reason that the Rishi, in days of yore, came\nto be known by the name of Dirghatamas. He, however, acquired the four\nVedas with their eternal limbs and subsidiary parts. After that he\nfrequently invoked me by this secret name of mine. Indeed, according to\nthe ordinance as laid down, he repeatedly called upon me by the name of\nKesava. Through the merit he acquired by uttering this name repeatedly,\nhe became cured of his blindness and then came to be called by the name\nof Gotama. This name of mine, therefore, O Arjuna is productive of boons\nunto them that utter it among all the deities and the high-souled Rishis.\nThe deity of Fire (Appetite) and Shoma (food) combining together, become\ntransfused into one and the same substance. It is for this reason that\nthe entire universe of mobile and immobile creatures is said to be\npervaded by those two deities.[1853] In the Puranas, Agni and Soma are\nspoken of as complementary to one another. The deities also are said to\nhave Agni for their mouth. It is in consequence of these two beings\nendued with natures leading to the unification that they are said to be\ndeserving of each other and upholders of the universe.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXLIII\n\n\"'Arjuna said, \"How did Agni and Shoma, in days of yore, attain to\nuniformity in respect of their original nature? This doubt has arisen in\nmy mind. Do thou dispel it, O slayer of Madhu!\"\n\n\"'The highly and holy one said, \"I shall recite to thee, O son of Pandu,\nan ancient story of incidents originating from my own energy. Do thou\nlisten to it with rapt attention! When four thousand Yugas according to\nthe measure of the celestials elapse, the dissolution of the universe\ncomes. The Manifest disappears into the Unmanifest. All creatures, mobile\nand immobile, meet with destruction. Light, Earth, Wind, all disappear.\nDarkness spreads over the universe which becomes one infinite expanse of\nwater. When that infinite waste of water only exists like Brahma without\nsecond, it is neither day nor night. Neither aught nor naught exists;\nneither manifest nor unmanifest. Then only undifferentiated Brahman\nexisted. When such is the condition of the universe, the foremost of\nBeings, viz., springs from Tamas, the eternal and immutable Hari that is\nthe combination of the attributes (of omnipotence and the rest),\nbelonging to Narayana, that is indestructible and immortal, that is\nwithout senses, that is inconceivable and unborn, that is Truth's self\nfraught with compassion, that is endued with the form of existence which\nthe rays of the gem called Chintamani have, that causes diverse kinds of\ninclinations to flow in diverse directions, that is divested of the\nprinciples of hostility and deterioration and mortality and decay, that\nis formless and all-pervading, and that is endued with the principle of\nuniversal Creation and of Eternity without beginning, middle, or end.\nThere is authority for this assertion. The Sruti declares,--'Day was not.\nNight was not. Aught was not. Naught was not. In the beginning there was\nonly Tamas[1854] in the form of the universe, and she is the night of\nNarayana of universal form.' Even this is the meaning of the word Tamas.\nFrom that Purusha (called Hari), thus born of Tamas and having Brahman\nfor his parent, started into existence the Being called Brahman. Brahman,\ndesiring to create creatures, caused Agni and Shoma to spring from his\nown eyes. Afterwards when creatures came to be created, the created\npersons came out in their due order as Brahmanas and Kshatriyas. He who\nstarted into life as Shoma was none else than Brahma; and they that were\nborn as Brahmanas were all Shoma in reality. He who started into being as\nKshatriyas were none else than Agni. The Brahmanas became endued with\ngreater energy than the Kshatriyas. If you ask the reason why, the answer\nis that this superiority of the Brahmanas to the Kshatriyas is an\nattribute that is manifest to the whole world. It occurred as follows.\nThe Brahmanas represent the eldest creation as regards men. None were\ncreated before, that was superior to the Brahmanas. He who offers food\ninto the mouth of a Brahmana is regarded as pouring libations into a\nblazing fire (for gratifying the deities). I say that having ordained\nthings in comprising this way, the creation of creatures was accomplished\nby Brahma. Having established all created Beings in their respective\npositions, he upholds the three worlds. There occurs a declaration to the\nsame effect in the Mantras of the Srutis. Thou, O Agni, art the Hotri in\nsacrifices, and the benefactor of the universe. Thou art the benefactor\nof the deities, of men, and of all the worlds. There is (other) authority\nalso for this. Thou art, O Agni, the Hotri of the universe and of\nsacrifices. Thou art the source through which the deities and men do good\nto the universe. Agni is truly the Hotri and the performer of sacrifices.\nAgni is again the Brahma of the sacrifice. No libations can be poured\ninto sacrificial fire without uttering mantras; there can be no penances\nwithout a person to perform them; the worship of the deities and men and\nthe Rishis is accomplished by the libations poured with mantras. Hence, O\nAgni, thou hast been regarded as the Hotri in sacrifices.[1855] Thou art,\nagain, all the other mantras that have been declared in respect of the\nHoma rites of men. For the Brahmanas the duty is ordained of officiating\nfor others in the sacrifices they perform. The two other orders, viz.,\nKshatriyas and Vaisyas, that are included within the regenerate or\ntwice-born class, have not the same duty prescribed for them. Hence,\nBrahmanas are like Agni, who uphold sacrifices. The sacrifices (which the\nBrahmanas perform) strengthen the deities. Strengthened in this way, the\ndeities fructify the Earth (and thereby support all living creatures).\nBut the result that may be achieved by the foremost of sacrifices may as\nwell be accomplished through the mouth of the Brahmanas. That learned\nperson who offers food into the mouth of a Brahmana is said to pour\nlibations into the sacred fire for gratifying the deities. In this way\nthe Brahmanas have come to be regarded as Agni. They that are possessed\nof learning adore Agni. Agni, is again, Vishnu. Entering all creatures,\nhe upholds their life-breaths. In this connection there is a verse sung\nby Sanatkumara. Brahman, in creating the universe, first created the\nBrahmanas. The Brahmanas become immortal by studying the Vedas, and\nrepair to heaven through the aid of such study. The intelligence, speech,\nacts and observances, faith, and the penances of the Brahmanas uphold\nboth the Earth and the heaven like slings of strings upholding bovine\nnectar.[1856] There is no duty higher than Truth. There is no superior\nmore worthy of reverence than the mother. There is none more efficient\nthan the Brahmana for conferring felicity both here and hereafter. The\ninhabitants of those realms where Brahmanas have no certain means of\nsupport (from lands or other kinds of property assigned to them) become\nvery miserable. There the oxen do not carry the people or draw the\nplough, nor do vehicles of any kind bear them. There milk kept in jars is\nnever churned for yielding butter. On the other hand, the residents\nbecome divested of prosperity of every kind, and betake themselves to the\nways of robbers (instead of being able to enjoy the blessings of\npeace).[1857] In the Vedas, the Puranas, the histories, and other\nauthoritative writings, it is said that Brahmanas, who are the souls of\nall creatures, who are the creators of all things, and who are\nidentifiable with all existent objects, sprang from the mouth of\nNarayana. Indeed, it is said that the Brahmanas first came at the time\nwhen the great boon-giving god had restrained his speech as a penance and\nthe other orders have originated from the Brahmanas. The Brahmanas are\ndistinguished above the deities and Asuras, since they were created by\nmyself in my indescribable form as Brahma. As I have created the deities\nand the Asuras and the great Rishis so I have placed the Brahmanas in\ntheir respective situations and have to punish them occasionally. In\nconsequence of his licentious assault on Ahalya, Indra was cursed by\nGautama, her husband, through which Indra got a green beard on his face.\nThrough that curse of Kausika Indra lost, also, his own testicles, which\nloss was afterwards (through the kindness of the other deities) made up\nby the substitution of the testicles of a ram. When in the sacrifice of\nking Sarjiati, the great Rishi Chyavana became desirous of making the\ntwin Aswins sharers of the sacrificial offerings, Indra objected. Upon\nChyavana insisting, Indra sought to hurl his thunderbolt at him. The\nRishi paralysed Indra's arms. Incensed at the destruction of his\nsacrifice by Rudra, Daksha once more set himself to the practice of\nsevere austerities and attaining to high puissance caused something like\na third eye to appear on the forehead of Rudra for the destruction of\nTripurasura.[1858] When Rudra addressed himself for the destruction of\nthe triple city belonging to the Asuras, the preceptor of the Asuras,\nviz., Usanas, provoked beyond endurance, tore a matted lock from his own\nhead and hurled it at Rudra. From that matted lock of Usanas sprang many\nserpents. Those serpents began to bite Rudra, at which his throat became\nblue. During a bygone period, viz., that connected with the Self-born\nManu,[1859] it is said that Narayana had seized Rudra by the throat and\nhence did Rudra's throat become blue. On the occasion of churning the\nOcean for raising the amrita, Vrihaspati of Angira's race sat on the\nshores of the Ocean for performing the rite of Puruscharana. When he took\nup a little water for the purpose of the initial achamana, the water\nseemed to him to be very muddy. At this Vrihaspati became angry and\ncursed the Ocean, saying,--'Since thou continuest to be so dirty\nregardless of the fact of my having come to thee for touching thee, since\nthou hast not become clear and transparent, therefore from this day thou\nshalt be tainted with fishes and sharks and tortoises and other aquatic\nanimals.' From that time, the waters of the ocean have become infested\nwith diverse kinds of sea-animals and monsters. Viswarupa, the son of\nTashtri, formerly became the priest of the deities. He was, on his\nmother's side, related to the Asuras, for his mother was the daughter of\nan Asura. While publicly offering unto the deities their shares of\nsacrificial offerings, he privately offered shares thereof unto the\nAsuras. The Asuras, with their chief Hiranyakasipu at their head, then\nrepaired to their sister, the mother of Viswarupa, and solicited a boon\nfrom her, saying,--'The son Viswarupa by Tashtri, otherwise called\nTrisiras, is now the priest of the deities. While he gives unto the\ndeities their shares of sacrificial offerings publicly, he gives us our\nshares of the same privately. In consequence of this, the deities are\nbeing aggrandised, and we are being weakened. It behoveth thee,\ntherefore, to prevail upon him that he may take up our cause.' Thus\naddressed by them, the mother of Viswarupa repaired to her son who was\nthen staying in the Nandana woods (of Indra) and said unto him,--'How is\nit, O son, that thou art engaged in aggrandising the cause of thy foes\nand weakening that of thy maternal uncles? It behoveth thee not to act in\nthis way.'--Viswarupa, thus solicited by his mother, thought that he\nshould not disobey her words, and as the consequence of that reflection\nhe went over to the side of Hiranyakasipu, after having paid proper\nrespects to his mother. King Hiranyakasipu, upon the arrival of Trisiras,\ndismissed his old Hotri, viz., Vasishtha, the son of Brahma, and\nappointed Trisiras to that office. Incensed at this, Vasishtha cursed\nHiranyakasipu, saying,--'Since thou dismissest me and appointest another\nperson as thy Hotri, this sacrifice of thine shall not be completed, and\nsome Being the like of whom has not existed before will slay thee!'--In\nconsequence of this curse, Hiranyakasipu was slain by Vishnu in the form\nof a man-lion. Viswarupa, having adopted the side of his maternal\nrelations, employed himself in severe austerities for aggrandising them.\nImpelled by the desire of causing him to swerve from his vows, Indra\ndespatched to him many beautiful Apsaras. Beholding those celestial\nnymphs of transcendent beauty, the heart of Viswarupa became agitated.\nWithin a very short time he became exceedingly attached to them.\nUnderstanding that he had become attached to them, the celestial nymphs\nsaid unto him one day,--'We shall not tarry here any longer. In fact, we\nshall return to that place whence we came.' Unto them that said so, the\nson of Tashtri replied,--'Where will you go? Stay with me. I shall do you\ngood.' Hearing him say so, the Apsaras rejoined,--'We are celestial nymphs\ncalled Apsaras. We chose in days of old the illustrious and boon-giving\nIndra of great puissance.' Viswarupa then said unto them, 'This very day I\nshall so ordain that all the deities with Indra at their head shall cease\nto be.' Saying this, Trisiras began to recite mentally certain sacred\nMantras of great efficacy. By virtue of those Mantras he began to\nincrease in energy. With one of his mouths he began to drink all the Soma\nthat Brahmanas engaged in Sacrifices poured on their sacred fires with\ndue rites. With a second mouth he began to eat all food (that was offered\nin sacrifices). With his third mouth he began to drink up the energy of\nall the deities with Indra at their head. Beholding him swelling with\nenergy in every part of his body that was strengthened by the Soma he was\ndrinking, all the deities, then, with Indra in their company, proceeded\nto the Grandsire Brahma. Arrived at his presence, they addressed him and\nsaid,--'All the Soma that is duly offered in the sacrifices performed\neverywhere is being drunk by Viswarupa. We no longer obtain our shares.\nThe Asuras are being aggrandised, while we are being weakened. It\nbehoveth thee, therefore, to ordain what is for our good.'--After the\ndeities ceased, the Grandsire replied,--'The great Rishi Dadhichi of\nBhrigu's race is now engaged in performing severe austerities. Go, ye\ndeities, unto him and solicit a boon from him. Do ye so arrange that he\nmay cast off his body. With his bones let a new weapon be created called\nthe Thunderbolt.' Thus instructed by the Grandsire, the deities proceeded\nto that place where the holy Rishi Dadhichi was engaged in his\nausterities. The deities with Indra at their head addressed the sage,\nsaying,--'O holy one, your austerities, we hope, are being well performed\nand uninterrupted.'--Unto them the sage Dadhichi said,--'Welcome to all of\nyou. Tell me what I should do for you. I shall certainly do what you will\nsay.' They then told him,--'It behoveth thee to cast off thy body for\nbenefiting all the worlds.' Thus solicited, the sage Dadhichi, who was a\ngreat Yogin and who regarded happiness and misery in the same light,\nwithout being at all cheerless, concentrated his Soul by his Yoga power\nand cast off his body. When his Soul left its temporary tenement of clay,\nDhatri, taking his bones, created an irresistible weapon called the\nThunder-bolt. With the Thunder-bolt thus made with the bones of a\nBrahmana, which was impenetrable by other weapons and irresistible and\npervaded by the energy of Vishnu, Indra struck Viswarupa the son of\nTashtri. Having slain the son of Tashtri thus, Indra severed his head\nfrom the body. From the lifeless body, however, of Viswarupa, when it was\npressed, the energy that was still residing in it gave birth to a mighty\nAsura of the name of Vritra. Vritra became the foe of Indra, but Indra\nslew him also with the Thunder-bolt. In consequence of the sin of\nBrahmanicide, being thus doubled Indra became overcome with a great fear\nand as the consequence thereof he had to abandon the sovereignty of\nheaven. He entered a cool lotus stalk that grew in the Manas lake. In\nconsequence of the Yoga attribute of Anima, he became very minute and\nentered the fibres of that lotus stalk.[1860] When the lord of the three\nworlds, the husband of Sachi, had thus disappeared from sight through\nfear of the sin of Brahmanicide, the universe became lordless. The\nattributes of Rajas and Tamas assailed the deities. The Mantras uttered\nby the great Rishis lost all efficacy. Rakshasas appeared everywhere. The\nVedas were about to disappear. The inhabitants of all the worlds, being\ndestitute of a king, lost their strength and began to fall an easy prey\nto Rakshasas and other evil Beings. Then the deities and the Rishis,\nuniting together, made Nahusha, the son of Ayusha, the king of the three\nworlds and duly crowned him as such. Nahusha had on his forehead full\nfive-hundred luminaries of blazing effulgence, which had the virtue of\ndespoiling every creature of energy. Thus equipt Nahusha continued to\nrule heaven. The three worlds were restored to their normal condition.\nThe inhabitants of the universe once more became happy and cheerful.\nNahusha then said,--'Everything that Indra used to enjoy is before me.\nOnly, his spouse Sachi is not by.' Having said this, Nahusha proceeded to\nwhere Sachi was and, addressing her, said,--'O blessed lady, I have become\nthe lord of the deities. Do thou accept me.' Unto him Sachi replied,\nsaying--'Thou art, by nature, wedded to righteousness of behaviour. Thou\nbelongest, again, to the race of Shoma. It behoveth thee not to assail\nanother person's wife.'--Nahusha, thus addressed by her, said,--'The\nposition of Indra is now being occupied by me. I deserve to enjoy the\ndominions and all the precious possessions of Indra. In desiring to enjoy\nthee there can be no sin. Thou wert Indra's and therefore, should be\nmine.' Sachi then said unto him,--'I am observing a vow that has not yet\nbeen completed. After performing the final ablutions I shall come to thee\nwithin a few days.' Extracting this promise from Indra's spouse, Nahusha\nleft her presence. Meanwhile Sachi, afflicted with pain and grief,\nanxious to find her lord and assailed by her fear of Nahusha proceeded to\nVrihaspati (the chief priest of the celestials). At the first sight\nVrihaspati understood her to be struck with anxiety. He immediately had\nrecourse to Yoga-meditation and learnt that she was intent upon doing\nwhat was necessary for restoring her husband to his true position.\nVrihaspati then addressed her, saying,--'Equipt with penances and the\nmerit that will be thine in consequence of this vow that thou art\nobserving, do thou invoke the boon-giving goddess Upasruti. Invoked by\nthee, she will appear and show thee where thy husband is dwelling.'--While\nin the observance of that very austere vow, she invoked with the aid of\nproper Mantras the boon-giving goddess Upasruti. Invoked by Sachi, the\ngoddess presented herself before her and said,--'I am here at thy bidding.\nInvoked by thee I have come. What cherished wish of thine shall I\naccomplish?' Bowing unto her with a bend of the head, Sachi said,--'O\nblessed lady, it behoveth thee to show me where my husband is. Thou art\nTruth. Thou art Rita.' Thus addressed, the goddess Upasruti took her to\nthe lake Manasa. Arrived there, she pointed out to Sachi her lord Indra\nresiding within the fibres of a lotus stalk. Beholding his spouse pale\nand emaciated, Indra became exceedingly anxious. And the lord of heaven\nsaid unto himself, 'Alas, great is the sorrow that has overtaken me. I\nhave fallen off from the position that is mine. This my spouse, afflicted\nwith grief on my account, finds out my lost self and comes to me here.'\nHaving reflected in this strain, Indra addressed his dear spouse and\nsaid,--'In what condition art thou now?' She answered him,--'Nahusha\ninvites me to make me his wife. I have obtained a respite from him, having\nfixed the time when I am to go to him.' Unto her Indra then said, 'Go and\nsay unto Nahusha that he should come to thee on a vehicle never used\nbefore, viz., one unto which some Rishis should be harnessed, and arriving\nat thine in that state he should wed thee. Indra has many kinds of vehicles\nthat are all beautiful and charming. All these have borne thee. Nahusha,\nhowever, should come on such a vehicle that Indra himself had not\npossessed.' Thus counselled by her lord, Sachi left that spot with a\njoyous heart. Indra also once more entered the fibres of that\nlotus-stalk. Beholding the Queen of Indra come back to heaven, Nahusha\naddressed her saying, 'The time thou hadst fixed is over.' Unto him Sachi\nsaid what Indra had directed her to say. Harnessing a number of great\nRishis unto the vehicle he rode, Nahusha set out from his place for\ncoming to where Sachi was living. The foremost of Rishis, viz., Agastya,\nborn within a jar, of the vital seed of Maitravaruna, beheld those\nforemost of Rishis insulted by Nahusha in that way. Him Nahusha struck\nwith his foot. Unto him, Agastya said,--'Wretch, as thou hast betaken\nthyself to a highly improper act, do thou fall down on the Earth. Be\ntransformed into a snake and do thou continue to live in that form as\nlong as the Earth and her hills continue.' As soon as these words were\nuttered by the great Rishi, Nahusha fell down from that vehicle. The\nthree worlds once more became master-less. The deities and the Rishis\nthen united together and proceeded to where Vishnu was and appealed to\nhim for bringing about the restoration of Indra. Approaching him, they\nsaid,--'O holy one, it behoveth thee to rescue Indra who is overwhelmed by\nthe sin of Brahmanicide.' The boon-giving Vishnu replied unto them,\nsaying,--'Let Sakra perform a Horse-sacrifice in honour of Vishnu. He will\nthen be restored to his former position.' The deities and the Rishis began\nto search for Indra, but when they could not find him, they went to Sachi\nand said unto her,--'O blessed lady, go unto Indra and bring him here.'\nRequested by them, Sachi once more proceeded to the lake Manasa. Indra,\nrising from the lake, came to Vrihaspati. The celestial priest Vrihaspati\nthen made arrangements for a great Horse-sacrifice, substituting a black\nantelope for a good steed every way fit to be offered up in sacrifice.\nCausing Indra, the lord of the Maruts, to ride upon that very steed\n(which was saved from slaughter) Vrihaspati led him to his own place. The\nlord of heaven was then adored with hymns by all the deities and the\nRishis. He continued to rule in heaven, cleansed of the sin of\nBrahmanicide which was divided into four portions and ordained to reside\nin woman, fire, trees, and kine. It was thus that Indra, strengthened by\nthe energy of a Brahmana, succeeded in slaying his foe (and when, as the\nresult of that act of his, he had been overpowered by sin, it was the\nenergy of another Brahmana that rescued him). It was thus that Indra once\nmore regained his position.\n\n\"'\"In days of yore, while the great Rishi Bharadwaja was saying his\nprayers by the side of the celestial Ganga, one of the three feet of\nVishnu, when he assumed his three-footed form, reached that spot.[1861]\nBeholding that strange sight, Bharadwaja assailed Vishnu with a handful\nof water, upon which Vishnu's bosom received a mark (called\nSreevatsa)[1862]. Cursed by that foremost of Rishis, viz., Bhrigu, Agni\nwas obliged to become a devourer of all things. Once on a time, Aditi,\nthe mother of the deities, cooked some food for her sons. She thought\nthat, eating that food and strengthened by it, the deities would succeed\nin slaying the Asuras. After the food had been cooked, Vudha (the\npresiding deity of the luminary known by that name), having completed the\nobservance of an austere vow, presented himself before Aditi and said\nunto her,--'Give me alms.' Aditi, though thus solicited for food gave him\nnone, thinking that no one should eat of the food she had cooked, before\nher sons, the deities, had first taken it. Incensed at the conduct of\nAditi who thus refused to give him alms, Vudha, who was Brahma's self\nthrough the austere vow he had completed, cursed her, saying that as\nAditi had refused him alms she would have a pain in her womb when\nVivaswat, in his second birth in the womb of Aditi, would be born in the\nform of an egg. Aditi reminded Vivaswat at that time of the curse of\nVudha, and it is for that reason that Vivaswat, the deity who is adorned\nin Sraddhas, coming out of the womb of Aditi, came to be called by the\nname of Martanda. The Prajapati Daksha became the father of sixty\ndaughters. Amongst them, three and ten were bestowed by him upon Kasyapa;\nten upon Dharma; ten upon Manu; and seven and twenty upon Shoma. Although\nall the seven and twenty that were called Nakshatras and bestowed upon\nShoma were equal in respect of beauty and accomplishments, yet Shoma\nbecame more attached to one, viz., Rohini, than the rest. The rest of his\nspouses, filled with jealousy, leaving him, repaired to their sire and\ninformed him of this conduct of their husband, saying,--'O holy one,\nalthough all of us are equal in point of beauty, yet our husband Shoma is\nexclusively attached to our sister Rohini.'--Incensed at this\nrepresentation of his daughters, the celestial Rishi Daksha cursed Shoma,\nsaying, that thenceforth the disease phthisis should assail his\nson-in-law and dwell in him. Through this curse of Daksha, phthisis\nassailed the puissant Shoma and entered into his body. Assailed by\nphthisis in this way, Shoma came to Daksha. The latter addressed him,\nsaying,--'I have cursed thee because of thy unequal behaviour towards thy\nwives.' The Rishi then said unto Shoma,--'Thou art being reduced by the\ndisease phthisis that has assailed thee. There is a sacred water called\nHiranyasarah in the Western ocean. Repairing to that sacred water, do\nthou bathe there.'--Counselled by the Rishi, Shoma proceeded thither.\nArrived at Hiranyasarah, Soma bathed in that sacred water. Performing his\noblations he cleansed himself from his sin. And because that sacred\nwater was illumined (abhasita) by Shoma, therefore was it from that day\ncalled by the name of Prabhasa. In consequence, however, of the curse\ndenounced upon him in days of old by Daksha, Shoma, to this day, begins\nto wane from the night of the full moon till his total disappearance on\nthe night of the new moon whence he once more begins to wax till the\nnight of full moon. The brightness also of the lunar disc from that time\nreceived a stain, for the body of Shoma, since then, has come to present\ncertain dark spots. In fact, the splendid disc of the moon has, from that\nday, come to exhibit the mark of a hare. Once on a time, a Rishi of the\nname of Sthulasiras was engaged in practising very severe austerities on\nthe northern breasts of the mountains of Meru. While engaged in those\nausterities, a pure breeze, charged with all kinds of delicious perfumes,\nbegan to blow there and fan his body. Scorched as his body was by the\nvery severe austerities he was undergoing, and living as he did upon air\nalone to the exclusion of every kind of food, he became highly gratified\nin consequence of that delicious breeze which blew around him. While he\nwas thus gratified with the delicious breeze that fanned him, the trees\naround him (moved by jealousy) put forth their flowers for making a\ndisplay and extorting his praise. Displeased at this conduct of the trees\nbecause it was dictated by jealousy, the Rishi cursed them,\nsaying,--'Henceforth, ye shall not be able to put forth your flowers at\nall times.'--In days of yore, for doing good to the world, Narayana took\nbirth as the great Rishi Vadavamukha. While engaged in practising severe\nausterities on the breast of Meru, he summoned the Ocean to his presence.\nThe Ocean, however, disobeyed his summons. Incensed at this, the Rishi,\nwith the heat of his body, caused the waters of the Ocean to become as\nsaltish in taste as the human sweat. The Rishi further said.--'Thy waters\nshall henceforth cease to be drinkable. Only when the Equine-head, roving\nwithin thee, will drink thy waters, they will be as sweet as honey.' It is\nfor this curse that the waters of the Ocean to this day are saltish to\nthe taste and are drunk by no one else than the Equine-head.[1863] The\ndaughter, named Uma, of the Himavat mountains, was desired by Rudra in\nmarriage. After Himavat had promised the hand of Uma to Mahadeva, the\ngreat Rishi Bhrigu, approaching Himavat, addressed him, saying,--'Give\nthis daughter of thine unto me in marriage.' Himavat replied unto him,\nsaying,--'Rudra is the bridegroom already selected by me for my\ndaughter.'--Angry at this reply, Bhrigu said,--'Since thou refusest my suit\nfor the hand of thy daughter and insultest me thus, thou shalt no longer\nabound with jewels and gems.' To this day, in consequence of the Rishi's\nwords, the mountains of Himavat have not any jewels and gems. Even such\nis the glory of the Brahmanas. It is through the favour of the Brahmanas\nthat the Kshatriyas are able to possess the eternal and undeteriorating\nEarth as their wife and enjoy her. The power of the Brahmanas, again, is\nmade up of Agni and Shoma. The universe is upheld by that power and,\ntherefore, is upheld by Agni and Shoma united together. It is said that\nSurya and Chandramas are the eyes of Narayana. The rays of Surya\nconstitute my eyes. Each of them, viz., the Sun and the Moon, invigorate\nand warm the universe respectively. And because of the Sun and the Moon\nthus warming and invigorating the universe, they have come to be regarded\nas the Harsha (joy) of the universe. It is in consequence of these acts\nof Agni and Shoma that uphold the universe that I have come to be called\nby the name of Hrishikesa, O son of Pandu. Indeed, I am the boon-giving\nIsana, the Creator of the universe.[1864] Through virtue of the Mantras\nwith which libations of clarified butter are poured on the sacred fire, I\ntake and appropriate the (principal) share of the offerings made in\nsacrifices. My complexion also is of that foremost of gems called Harit.\nIt is for these reasons that I am called by the name of Hari. I am the\nhighest abode of all creatures and am regarded by persons conversant with\nthe scriptures to be identical with Truth or Nectar. I am, for this\nreason, called by learned Brahmanas by the name of Ritadhama (abode of\nTruth or Nectar). When in days of yore the Earth became submerged in the\nwaters and lost to the view, I found her out and raised her from the\ndepths of the Ocean. For this reason the deities adore me by the name of\nGovinda. Sipivishta is another name of mine. The word Sipi indicates a\nperson that has no hair on his body. He who pervades all things in the\nform of Sipi is known by the name of Sipivishta. The Rishi Yaksha, with\ntranquil soul, in many a sacrifice invoked me by the name Sipivishta. It\nis for this reason that I came to bear this secret name. Yaksha of great\nintelligence, having adored me by the name Sipivishta, succeeded in\nrestoring the Niruktas which had disappeared from the surface of the\nEarth and sunk into nether regions. I was never born. I never take birth.\nNor shall I ever be born. I am the Kshetrajna of all creatures. Hence am\nI called by the name of Aja (unborn).[1865] I have never uttered anything\nbase or anything that is obscene. The divine Saraswati who is Truth's\nself, who is the daughter of Brahma and is otherwise called by the name\nof Rita, represents my speech and always dwells in my tongue. The\nexistent and the non-existent have been merged by me in my Soul. The\nRishis dwelling in Pushkara, which is regarded as the abode of Brahman,\ncalled me by the name of Truth. I have never swerved from the attribute\nof Sattwa, and know that the attribute of Sattwa has flowed from me. In\nthis birth also of mine, O Dhananjaya, my ancient attribute of Sattwa has\nnot left me, so that in even this life, establishing myself on Sattwa, I\nset myself to acts without ever wishing for their fruits. Cleansed of all\nsins as I am through the attribute of Sattwa, which is my nature, I can\nbe beheld by the aid of that knowledge only which arises from adoption of\nthe attribute of Sattwa. I am reckoned also among those that are wedded\nto that attribute. For these reasons am I known by the name of\nSattwata.[1866] I till the Earth, assuming the form of a large\nplough-share of black iron. And because my complexion is black, therefore\nam I called by the name of Krishna. I have united the Earth with Water,\nSpace with Mind, and Wind with Light. Therefore am I called\nVaikuntha.[1867] The cessation of separate conscious existence by\nidentification with Supreme Brahman is the highest attribute or condition\nfor a living agent to attain. And since I have never swerved from that\nattribute or condition, I am, therefore, called by the name of\nAchyuta.[1868] The Earth and the Firmament are known to extend in all\ndirections. And because I uphold them both, therefore am I called by the\nname of Adhokshaja. Persons conversant with the Vedas and employed in\ninterpreting the words used in those scriptures adore me in sacrifices by\ncalling upon me by the same name. In days of yore, the great Rishis,\nwhile engaged in practising severe austerities, said,--'No one else in the\nuniverse than the puissant Narayana, is capable of being called by the\nname of Adhokshaja.' Clarified butter which sustains the lives of all\ncreatures in the universe constitutes my effulgence. It is for this\nreason that Brahmanas conversant with the Vedas and possessed of\nconcentrated souls call me by the name of Ghritarchis.[1869] There are\nthree well-known constituent elements of the body. They have their origin\nin action, and are called Bile, Phlegm, and Wind. The body is called a\nunion of these three. All living creatures are upheld by these three, and\nwhen these three become weakened, living creatures also become weakened.\nIt is for this reason that all persons conversant with the scriptures\nbearing on the science of Life call me by the name of Tridhatu.[1870] The\nholy Dharma is known among all creatures by the name of Vrisha, O\nBharata. Hence it is that I am called the excellent Vrisha in the Vedic\nlexicon called Nighantuka. The word 'Kapi' signifies the foremost of\nboars, and Dharma is otherwise known by the name of Vrisha. It is for\nthis reason that that lord of all creatures, viz., Kasyapa, the common\nsire of the deities and the Asuras, called me by the name Vrishakapi. The\ndeities and the Asuras have never been able to ascertain my beginning, my\nmiddle, or my end. It is for this reason that I am sung as Anadi, Amadhya\nand Ananta. I am the Supreme Lord endued with puissance, and I am the\neternal witness of the universe (beholding as I do its successive\ncreations and destructions). I always hear words that are pure and holy,\nO Dhananjaya, and never hold anything that is sinful. Hence am I called\nby the name of Suchisravas. Assuming, in days of old, the form of a boar\nwith a single tusk, O enhancer of the joys of others, I raised the\nsubmerged Earth from the bottom of the ocean. From this reason am I\ncalled by the name of Ekasringa. While I assumed the form of mighty boar\nfor this purpose, I had three humps on my back. Indeed, in consequence of\nthis peculiarity of my form at that time that I have come to be called by\nthe name of Trikakud (three-humped). Those who are conversant with the\nscience propounded by Kapila call the Supreme Soul by the name of\nVirincha. That Virincha is otherwise called the great Prajapati (or\nBrahman). Verily I am identical with Him, called Virincha, in consequence\nof my imparting animation to all living creatures, for I am the Creator\nof the universe. The preceptors of Sankhya philosophy, possessed of\ndefinite conclusions (regarding all topics), call me the eternal Kapila\nstaying in the midst of the solar disc with but Knowledge for my\ncompanion.[1871] On Earth I am known to be identical with Him who has\nbeen sung in the Vedic verses as the effulgent Hiranyagarbha and who is\nalways worshipped by Yogins. I am regarded as the embodied form of the\nRich Veda consisting of one and twenty thousand verses. Persons\nconversant with the Vedas also call me the embodiment of the Samans of a\nthousand branches. Even thus do learned Brahmans that are my devoted\nworshippers and that are very rare sing me in the Aranyakas.[1872] In the\nAdhyaryus I am sung as the Yajur-Veda of six and fifty and eight and\nseven and thirty branches.[1873] Learned Brahmans conversant with the\nAtharvans regard me as identical with the Atharvans consisting of five\nKalpas and all the Krityas.[1874] All the sub-divisions that exist of the\ndifferent Vedas in respect of branches and all the verses that compose\nthose branches, and all the vowels that occur in those verses, and all\nthe rules in respect of pronunciation, know, O Dhananjaya, are my work. O\nPartha, he that rises (at the beginning of Creation from the Ocean of\nMilk at the earnest invocation of Brahmana and all the deities) and who\ngives diverse boons unto the diverse deities, is none else than myself. I\nam He who is the repository of the science of syllables and pronunciation\nthat is treated of in the supplementary portions of the Vedas. Following\nthe path pointed out by Vamadeva, the high-souled Rishi Panchala, through\nmy grace, obtained from that eternal Being the rules in respect of the\ndivision of syllables and words (for reading the Vedas). Indeed, Galava,\nborn in the Vabhravya race, having attained to high ascetic success and\nobtained a boon from Narayana, compiled the rules in respect of the\ndivision of syllables and words (for reading the Vedas). Indeed, Galava,\nborn in the Vabhravya race, having attained to the high ascetic success\nand obtained a boon from Narayana, compiled the rules in respect of the\ndivision of syllables and words, and those about emphasis and accent in\nutterance, and shone as the first scholar who became conversant with\nthose two subjects. Kundrika and king Brahmadatta of great energy,[1875]\nrepeatedly thinking of the sorrow that attends birth and death, attained\nto that prosperity which is acquired by persons devoted to Yoga, in\ncourse of seven births, in consequence of my favour. In days of yore, O\nPartha, I was, for some reason, born as the son of Dharma, O chief of\nKuru's race, and in consequence of such birth of mine I was celebrated\nunder the name of Dharmaja. I took birth in two forms, viz., as Nara and\nNarayana. Riding on the vehicle that helps towards the performance of\nscriptural and other duties, I practised, in those two forms, undying\nausterities on the breast of Gandhamadana.[1876] At that time the great\nsacrifice of Daksha took place. Daksha, however, in that sacrifice of\nhis, refused to give a share unto Rudra, O Bharata, of the sacrificial\nofferings. Urged by the sage Dadhichi, Rudra destroyed that sacrifice. He\nhurled a dart whose flames blazed up every moment. That dart, having\nconsumed all the preparations of Daksha's sacrifice, came with great\nforce towards us (Nara and Narayana) at the retreat of Vadari. With great\nviolence that dart then fell upon the chest of Narayana. Assailed by the\nenergy of that dart, the hair on the head of Narayana became green. In\nfact, in consequence of this change in the hue of my hair I came to be\ncalled by the name of Munjakesa.[1877] Driven off by an exclamation of\nHun which Narayana uttered, the dart, its energy being lost, returned to\nSankara's hands. At this, Rudra became highly angry and as the result\nthereof he rushed towards the Rishis Nara and Narayana, endued with the\npuissance of severe austerities. Narayana then seized the rushing Rudra\nwith his hand by the throat. Seized by Narayana, the lord of the\nuniverse, Rudra's throat changed colour and became dark. From that time\nRudra came to be called by the name of Sitikantha. Meanwhile Nara, for\nthe purpose of destroying Rudra, took up a blade of grass, and inspired\nit with Mantras. The blade of grass, thus inspired, was converted into a\nmighty battle-axe. Nara suddenly hurled that battle-axe at Rudra but it\nbroke into pieces. In consequence of that weapon thus breaking into\npieces, I came to be called by the name of Khandaparasu.\"[1878]\n\n\"'Arjuna said, \"In that battle capable of bringing about the destruction\nof the three worlds, who obtained the victory, O Janarddana, do thou tell\nme this!\"\n\n\"'The blessed and holy one said, \"When Rudra and Narayana became thus\nengaged in battle, all the universe became suddenly filled with anxiety.\nThe deity of fire ceased to accept libations of even the purest clarified\nbutter duly poured in sacrifices with the aid of Vedic Mantras. The Vedas\nno longer shone by inward light in the minds of the Rishis of cleansed\nsouls. The attributes of Rajas and Tamas possessed the deities. The Earth\ntrembled. The vault of the firmament seemed to divide in twain. All the\nluminaries became deprived of their splendour. The Creator, Brahman,\nhimself fell from his seat. The Ocean itself became dry. The mountains of\nHimavat became riven. When such dire omens appeared everywhere, O son of\nPandu, Brahma surrounded by all the deities and the high-souled Rishis,\nsoon arrived at that spot where the battle was raging. The four-faced\nBrahma, capable of being understood with the aid of only the Niruktas,\njoined his hands and addressing Rudra, said,--'Let good happen to the\nthree worlds. Throw down thy weapons, O lord of the universe, from desire\nof benefiting the universe. That which is unmanifest, indestructible,\nimmutable, supreme, the origin of the universe, uniform, and the supreme\nactor, that which transcends all pairs of opposites, and is inactive,\nhas, choosing to be manifested, been pleased to assume this one blessed\nform, (for though double, the two but represent the same form). This Nara\nand Narayana (the displayed forms of Supreme Brahman) have taken birth in\nthe race of Dharma. The foremost of all deities, these two are observers\nof the highest vows and endued with the severest penances. Through some\nreason best known to Him, I myself have sprung from the attribute of His\nGrace. Eternal as thou art, for thou hast ever existed since all the past\ncreations, thou too hast sprung from His Wrath. With myself then, these\ndeities, and all the great Rishis, do thou adore this displayed form of\nBrahma, and let peace be unto all the worlds without any delay.'--Thus\naddressed by Brahma, Rudra forthwith cast off the fire of his wrath, and\nset himself to gratify the illustrious and puissant God Narayana.[1879]\nIndeed, he soon placed himself at the disposal of the adorable\nboon-giving and puissant God Narayana. That boon-giving God Narayana, who\nhath his wrath and the senses under control, soon became gratified and\nreconciled with Rudra. Well-adored by the Rishis, by Brahma, and by all\nthe deities, that great God, the Lord of the universe, otherwise called\nby the name of Hari, then addressed the illustrious Isana and said these\nwords:--'He that knows thee, knows me. He that follows thee, follows me.\nThere is no difference between thee and me. Do thou never think\notherwise. The mark made by thy lance on my chest will from this day\nassume the form of a beautiful whirl, and the mark of my hand on thy\nthroat will also assume a beautiful shape in consequence of which thou\nshalt, from this day, be called by the name of Sreekantha.'\"\n\n\"'The blessed and holy one[1880] continued. \"Having mutually caused such\nmarks on each other's person, the two Rishis Nara and Narayana thus made\nfriends with Rudra, and dismissing the deities, once more set themselves\nto the practice of penances with a tranquil soul. I have thus told thee,\nO son of Pritha, how in that battle which took place in days of yore\nbetween Rudra and Narayana, the latter got the victory. I have also told\nthee the many secret names by which Narayana is called and what the\nsignifications are, O Bharata, of one of those names, which, as I have\ntold thee, the Rishis have bestowed upon the great God. In this way, O\nson of Kunti, assuming diverse forms do I rove at will through the Earth,\nthe region of Brahma himself, and that other high and eternal region of\nfelicity called Goloka. Protected by me in the great battle, thou hast\nwon a great victory. That Being whom, at the time of all thy battles,\nthou beheldest stalking in thy van, know, O son of Kunti, is no other\nthan Rudra, that god of gods, otherwise called by the name of Kaparddin.\nHe is otherwise known by the name of Kala,[1881] and should be known as\none that has sprung from my wrath. Those foes whom thou hast slain were\nall, in the first instance, slain by him.[1882] Do thou bend thy head\nunto that god of gods, that lord of Uma, endued with immeasurable\npuissance. With concentrated soul, do thou bend thy head unto that\nillustrious Lord of the universe, that indestructible deity, otherwise\ncalled by the name of Hari. He is none else than that deity who, as I\nhave repeatedly told thee, has sprung from my wrath. Thou hast, before\nthis, heard, O Dhananjaya, of the puissance and energy that reside in\nhim!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXLIV\n\nSaunaka said, \"O Sauti, excellent is this narrative which thou hast\nrecited. Verily, these ascetics, having heard it have all been filled\nwith wonder. It is said, O Sauti, that a discourse that has Narayana for\nits topic, is more fruitful of merit than sojourns unto all the sacred\nretreats and ablutions performed in all the sacred waters on the Earth.\nHaving listened to this discourse of thine that has Narayana for its\ntopic, that is sacred and capable of cleansing one of every sin, all of\nus have certainly become holy. Adored of all the worlds, that illustrious\nand foremost of deities is incapable of being beheld by the deities with\nBrahma numbering among them and all the Rishis. That Narada was able to\nobtain a sight of the God Narayana, otherwise called Hari, was due, O son\nof Suta, to the special grace of that divine and puissant Lord. When,\nhowever, the celestial Rishi Narada had succeeded in obtaining a sight of\nthe Supreme Lord of the universe, residing in the form of Aniruddha,\nwhy did he again proceed so quickly (to the retreat of Vadari on the\nbreast of Himavat) for beholding those two foremost of godly of Rishis\nviz., Nara and Narayana? Do you, O Sauti, tell us the reason of such\nconduct on the part of Narada.\"\n\nSauti said, \"During the continuance of his snake-sacrifice, Janamejaya,\nthe royal son of Parikshit, availing himself of an interval in the\nsacrificial rites, and when all the learned Brahmanas were resting, O\nSaunaka, that king of kings, addressed the grandfather of his\ngrandfather, viz., the Island-born Krishna, otherwise called Vyasa, that\nocean of Vedic lore, that foremost of ascetics endued with puissance, and\nsaid these words.\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'After the celestial Rishi Narada had returned from\nWhite Island, reflecting, as he came, on the words spoken to him by the\nholy Narayana, what indeed, did the great ascetic next do? Arrived at the\nretreat known by the name of Vadari on the breast of the Himvat\nmountains, and seeing the two Rishis Nara and Narayana who were engaged\nin severe austerities at that spot, how long did Narada dwell there and\nwhat were the topics of conversation between him and the two Rishis? This\ndiscourse on Narayana, that is really an ocean of knowledge, has been\nraised by thy intelligent self by churning that vast history called\nBharata which consists of a hundred thousand verses. As butter is raised\nfrom curds, sandal-wood from the mountains of Malaya, the Aranyakas from\nthe Vedas, and nectar from all the medicinal herbs, after the same\nmanner, O ocean of austerities, hath this discourse that is like nectar\nand that has Narayana for its object, been raised by thee, O Brahmana,\nfrom diverse histories and Puranas existing in the world. Narayana is the\nSupreme Lord. Illustrious and endued with great puissance, He is the soul\nof all creatures. Indeed, O foremost of regenerate ones, the energy of\nNarayana is irresistible. Into Narayana, at the end of the Kalpa, enter\nall the deities having Brahman for their foremost, all the Rishis with\nthe Gandharvas, and all things mobile and immobile. I think, therefore,\nthat there is nothing holier on earth or in heaven, and nothing higher,\nthan Narayana. A sojourn unto all the sacred retreats on Earth, and\nablutions performed in all the sacred waters, are not productive of as\nmuch merit as a discourse that has Narayana for its topic. Having\nlistened from the beginning to this discourse on Hari, the lord of the\nuniverse, that destroys all sins, we feel that we have been cleansed of\nall our sins and sanctified entirely. Nothing wonderful was accomplished\nby my ancestor Dhananjaya who was the victor in the great battle on\nKurukshetra, for it should be remembered that he had Vasudeva for his\nally. I think that person could have nothing unattainable in the three\nworlds, who had for his ally Vishnu himself, that great Lord of the\nuniverse. Exceedingly fortunate and commendable were those ancestors of\nmine, since they had Janarddana himself for looking after their temporal\nand spiritual prosperity. Adored of all the worlds, the holy Narayana is\ncapable of being beheld with the aid of austerities alone. They, however,\nsucceeded in beholding Narayana, adorned with the beautiful whirl on his\nchest. More fortunate than my ancestors was the celestial Rishi Narada,\nthe son of Pramesthi. Indeed, I think that Narada, who transcends all\ndestruction, was endued with an energy that was not little, for repairing\nto White-Island he had succeeded in beholding the person of Hari. Indeed,\nit is evident that the sight he had obtained of the Supreme Lord was due\nto only the grace of that Being. Fortunate was Narada inasmuch as he had\nsucceeded in beholding Narayana as existing in the form of Aniruddha.\nHaving beheld Narayana in that form, why did Narada hasten once more to\nthe retreat of Vadari for the purpose of beholding Nara and Narayana?\nWhat was the reason, O ascetic, of this step taken by Narada? How long\nalso did Narada the son of Pramesthi, after his return from White Island\nand arrival at Vadari and meeting with the two Rishis Nara and Narayana,\nlive there, and what conversations had he with them? What did those two\nhigh-souled and foremost of Rishis say unto him? It behoveth thee to say\nall this unto me!'\"\n\n\"Vaisampayana said,[1883] 'Salutations unto the holy Vyasa of immeasurable\nenergy. Through his grace I shall recite this narrative having Narayana\nfor its topic. Arrived at White Island, Narada beheld the immutable Hari.\nLeaving that spot he quickly proceeded, O king, to the mountains of Meru,\nbearing in his mind those weighty words that Paramatma (the Supreme Lord)\nhad said unto him. Arrived at Meru he became filled with wonder at the\nthought, O king, of what he had achieved. And he said unto himself, \"How\nwonderful is it! The journey I have performed is a long one. Having\nproceeded to such a distance, I have come back safe and sound.\" From the\nmountains of Meru he then proceeded towards Gandhamadana. Traversing\nthrough the skies he quickly alighted upon that extensive retreat known\nby the name of Vadari. There he beheld those ancient deities, viz., those\ntwo foremost of Rishis, (called Nara and Narayana), engaged in the\npractice of penances, observing high vows, and devoted to the worship of\ntheir own selves. Both of those adorable persons bore on their chests the\nbeautiful whirls called Sreevatsa, and both had matted locks on their\nheads. And in consequence of the effulgence with which they illumined the\nworld they seemed to transcend the very Sun in energy. The palms of each\nbore the mark called the swan's foot. The soles of their feet bore the\nmark of the discus. Their chests were very broad; their arms reached down\nto their knees. Each of them had four \"Mushkas\".[1884] Each of them had\nsixty teeth and four arms.[1885] The voice of each was as deep as the\nroar of the clouds. Their faces were exceedingly handsome, their\nforeheads broad, their brows fair, their cheeks well-formed, and their\nnoses aquiline. The heads of those two deities were large and round,\nresembling open umbrellas. Possessed of these marks, they were certainly\nvery superior persons in appearance. Beholding them, Narada became filled\nwith joy. He saluted them with reverence and was saluted by them in\nreturn. They received the celestial Rishi, saying \"Welcome\", and made the\nordinary enquiries. Beholding those two foremost of Beings, Narada began\nto reflect within himself,--\"These two foremost of Rishis seem to be very\nlike, in appearance, unto those Rishis respected by all, whom I have seen\nin White-island.\" Thinking in this way, he circumambulated them both and\nthen sat down on the excellent seat made of Kusa grass that had been\noffered unto him. After this, those two Rishis that were the abode of\npenances, of famous achievements, and of energy,--and were endued with\ntranquillity of heart and self-restraint, went through their morning\nrites. They then, with controlled hearts, worshipped Narada with water to\nwash his feet and the usual ingredients of the Arghya. Having finished\ntheir morning rites and the observances necessary for receiving their\nguest, they sat down on two seats made of wooden planks.[1886] When those\ntwo Rishis took their seats, that place began to shine with peculiar\nbeauty even as the sacrificial altar shines with beauty in consequence of\nthe sacred fires when libations of clarified butter are poured upon them.\nThen Narayana, seeing Narada refreshed from fatigue and seated at his\nease and well-pleased with the rites of hospitality he had received,\naddressed him, saying these words.\n\n\"'Nara and Narayana said, \"Hast thou seen in White Island the Paramatma\n(Supreme Soul), who is eternal and divine, and who is the high source\nwhence we have sprung?\"\n\n\"'Narada said, \"I have seen that beautiful Being who is immutable and who\nhas the universe for his form. In Him dwell all the worlds, and all the\ndeities with the Rishis. Even now I behold that immutable Being, in\nbeholding you two. Those marks and indications that characterise Hari\nhimself of undisplayed form, characterise you two that are endued with\nforms displayed before the senses.[1887] Verily, I behold both of you by\nthe side of that great God. Dismissed by the Supreme Soul, I have today\ncome hither. In energy and fame and beauty, who else in the three worlds\ncan equal Him than you two that have been born in the race of Dharma? He\nhas told me the entire course of duties having reference to Kshetrajna.\nHe has also told me of all those incarnations which he will, in the\nfuture, have in this world. The inhabitants of White Island, whom I have\nseen, are all divested of the five senses that are owned by ordinary\npersons. All of them are of awakened souls, endued as they are with true\nknowledge. They are, again, entirely devoted to the foremost of Beings,\nviz., the Supreme Lord of the universe. They are always engaged in\nworshipping that great Deity, and the latter always sports with them. The\nholy and Supreme Soul is always fond of those that are devoted to him. He\nis fond also of the regenerate ones. Always fond of those that are\ndevoted to Him, He sports with those worshippers of His. Enjoyer of the\nuniverse, pervading everything, the illustrious Madhava is ever\naffectionate towards his worshippers. He is the Actor; He is the Cause;\nand He is the effect. He is endued with omnipotence and immeasurable\nsplendour. He is the Cause whence all things spring. He is the embodiment\nof all the scriptural ordinances. He is the embodiment of all the topics.\nHe is possessed of great fame. Uniting Himself with penances, He has\nillumined Himself with a splendour that is said to represent an energy\nthat is higher than (what occurs in) White Island. Of soul cleansed by\npenances, He has ordained Peace and Tranquillity in the three worlds.\nWith such an auspicious understanding, he is engaged in the observance of\na very superior vow which is the embodiment of holiness. That realm where\nhe resides, engaged in the austerest penances, the Sun does not warm and\nthe Moon does not shine. There the wind does not blow. Having constructed\nan altar measuring eight fingers' breadth, the illustrious Creator of the\nuniverse is practising penances there, standing on one foot, with arms\nupraised, and with face directed towards the East, reciting the Vedas\nwith their branches, he is engaged in practising the severest\nausterities. Whatever libations of clarified butter or meat are poured on\nthe sacrificial fire according to the ordinances of Brahma, by the\nRishis, by Pasupati himself, by the rest of the principal deities, by the\nDaityas, the Danavas, and the Rakshasas, all reach the feet of that great\ndivinity. Whatever rites and religious acts are performed by persons\nwhose souls are entirely devoted to him, are all received by that great\nDeity on his head. No one is dearer to him in the three worlds than those\npersons that are awakened and possessed of high souls. Dearer even than\nthose persons is one that is entirely devoted to him. Dismissed by him\nwho is the Supreme Soul, I am coming here. This is what the illustrious\nand holy Hari has himself said unto me. I shall henceforth reside with\nyou two, devoted to Narayana in the form of Aniruddha.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXLV\n\n\"'Nara and Narayana said, \"Deserving art thou of the highest praise, and\nhighly favoured hast thou been, since thou hast beheld the puissant\nNarayana himself (in the form of Aniruddha). None else, not even Brahma\nhimself who was sprung from the primal lotus, has been able to behold\nhim. That foremost of Purushas, endued with puissance and holiness, is of\nunmanifest origin and incapable of being seen. These words that we say\nunto thee are very true, O Narada. There exists no one in the universe\nthat is dearer to him than one that adores him with devotion. It is for\nthis, O best of regenerate ones, that he showed himself unto thee. No one\ncan repair to that realm where the Supreme Soul is engaged in the\nobservance of penances, except we two, O foremost of regenerate persons.\nIn consequence of that spot being adorned by Him, its splendour resembles\nthe effulgence of a thousands Suns collected together.[1888] From that\nillustrious Being, O Brahmana, from Him who is the origin of the Creator\nof the universe, O foremost of all persons endued with forgiveness,\nsprings the attribute of forgiveness which attaches to the Earth.[1889]\nIt is from that illustrious Being who seek the welfare of all beings,\nthat Rasa (Taste) hath arisen. The attribute of Rasa attaches to the\nwaters which are, again, liquid. It is from Him that Heat or Light having\nthe attribute of form or vision has arisen. It attaches itself to the sun\nin consequence of which the Sun becomes able to shine and give heat. It\nis from that illustrious and foremost of Beings that Touch also has\narisen. It is attached to the Wind, in consequence of which the Wind\nmoves about in the world producing the sensation of touch. It is from\nthat puissant Lord of the entire universe that Sound has arisen. It\nattaches to Space, which, in consequence thereof, exists uncovered and\nunconfined. It is from that illustrious Being that Mind, which pervades\nall Beings, has arisen. It attaches to Chandramas, in consequence of\nwhich Chandramas comes to be invested with the attribute of displaying\nall the things. That spot where the divine Narayana, that partaker of the\nlibations and other offerings made in sacrifices, resides with Knowledge\nalone for his companion, has in the Vedas, been called by the name of the\nproductive cause of all things or Sat.[1890] The path that is theirs, O\nforemost of regenerate persons, that are stainless and that are freed\nfrom both virtue and sin, is fraught with auspiciousness and felicity.\nAditya, who is the dispeller of the darkness of all the worlds, is said\nto be the door (through which the Emancipate must pass). Entering Aditya,\nthe bodies of such persons become consumed by his fire. They then become\ninvisible for after that they cannot be seen by anybody at any time.\nReduced into invisible atoms, they then enter (Narayana in manifested\nform and residing in the middle of the region covered by Aditya) into the\nform of Aniruddha. Losing all physical attributes and being altogether\nand transformed into Mind alone, they then enter into Pradyumna. Passing\nout of Pradyumna, those foremost of regenerate persons, including both\nthose that are conversant with Sankhya philosophy and those that are\ndevoted to the Supreme deity, then enter Sankarsana who is otherwise\ncalled Jiva. After this, divested of the three primal attributes of\nSattwa, Rajas, and Tamas, those foremost of regenerate beings quickly\nenter the Paramatma (Supreme Soul) otherwise called Kshetrajna and which\nitself transcends the three primal attributes. Know that Vasudeva is He\nwhen called Kshetrajna. Verily shouldst thou know that, that Vasudeva is\nthe abode or original refuge of all things in the universe. Only they\nwhose minds are concentrated, who are observant of all kinds of\nrestraint, whose senses are controlled, and who are devoted to One,\nsucceed in entering Vasudeva. We two, O foremost of regenerate ones, have\ntaken birth in the house of Dharma. Residing in this delightful and\nspacious retreat we are undergoing the austerest penances. We are thus\nengaged, O regenerate one, being moved by the desire of benefiting those\nmanifestations of the Supreme Deity, dear to all the celestials, that\nwill occur in the three worlds (for achieving diverse feats that are\nincapable of being achieved by any other Being). In accordance with such\nordinances as are uncommon and as apply to us two only, O best of\nregenerate persons, we are duly observing all excellent and high vows\nfraught with the austerest penances. Thou, O celestial Rishi, endued with\nwealth of penances wert beheld by us in White Island when thou wert\nthere. Having met with Narayana, thou hast made a particular resolution,\nwhich is known to us. In the three worlds consisting of mobile and\nimmobile Beings, there is nothing that is unknown to us. Of good or evil\nthat will occur or has occurred or is occurring, that God of gods, O\ngreat ascetic, has informed thee!\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having heard these words of Nara and Narayana\nboth of whom were engaged in the practice of the austerest penances, the\ncelestial Rishi Narada joined his hands in reverence and became entirely\ndevoted to Narayana. He employed his time in mentally reciting, with due\nobservances, innumerable sacred Mantras that are approved by Narayana.\nWorshipping the Supreme Deity Narayana, and adoring those two ancient\nRishis also that had taken birth in the house of Dharma, the illustrious\nRishi Narada, endued with great energy, continued to reside, thus\nemployed, in that retreat, called Vadari, on the breast of Himavat,\nbelonging to Nara and Narayana, for a thousand years as measured by the\nstandard of the celestials.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXLVI\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'On one occasion, while residing in the retreat of\nNara and Narayana, Narada the son of Pramesthi, having duly accomplished\nthe rites and observances in honour of the deities, set himself to\nperform thereafter the rites in honour of the Pitris. Beholding him thus\nprepared, the eldest son of Dharma, viz., the puissant Nara addressed\nhim, saying, \"Whom art thou worshipping, O foremost of regenerate\npersons, by these rites and observances in connection with the deities\nand the Pitris? O foremost of all persons endued with intelligence, tell\nme this, agreeably to the scriptures. What is this that thou art doing?\nWhat also are the fruits desired by thee of those rites thou hast addrest\nthyself in performing?\"\n\n\"'Narada said, \"Thou saidst unto me on a former occasion that rites and\nobservances in honour of the deities should be accomplished. Thou saidst\nthat the rites in honour of the deities constitute the highest sacrifice\nand are equivalent to the worship of the eternal Supreme Soul. Instructed\nby that teaching, I always sacrifice in honour of the eternal and\nimmutable Vishnu, through these rites that I perform in worshipping the\ndeities. It is from that Supreme Deity that Brahma, the Grandsire of all\nthe worlds, took his rise in days of yore. That Brahma, otherwise called\nPrameshthi, filled with cheerfulness, caused my sire (Daksha) to start\ninto being. I was the son of Brahma, created before all others, by a fiat\nof his will (although I had to take birth afterwards as the son of Daksha\nthrough a curse of that Rishi). O righteous and illustrious one, I am\nperforming these rites in honour of the Pitris for the sake of Narayana,\nand agreeable to those ordinances that have been laid down by himself.\nThe illustrious Narayana is the father, mother, and grandfather (of all\ncreatures). In all sacrifices performed in honour of the Pitris, it is\nthat Lord of the universe who is adored and worshipped. On one occasion,\nthe deities, who were sires, taught their children the Srutis. Having\nlost their knowledge of the Srutis, the sires had to acquire it again\nfrom those sons unto whom they had communicated it. In consequence of\nthis incident, the sons, who had thus to communicate the Mantras unto\ntheir sires, acquired the status of sires (and the sire, for having\nobtained the Mantras from their sons, acquired the status of sons).[1891]\nWithout doubt, what the deities did on that occasion is well known to you\ntwo. Sons and sires (on that occasion) had thus to worship each other.\nHaving first spread some blades of Kusa grass, the deities and the Pitris\n(who were their children) placed three Pindas thereon and in this way\nworshipped each other. I wish to know, however, the reason why the Pitris\nin days of yore acquired the name of Pindas.\"\n\n\"'Nara and Narayana said, \"The Earth, in days of yore, with her belt of\nseas, disappeared from the view. Govinda, assuming the form of a gigantic\nboar, raised her up (with his mighty tusk). Having replaced the Earth in\nher former position, that foremost of Purushas, his body smeared with\nwater and mud, set himself to do what was necessary for the world and its\ndenizens. When the sun reached the meridian, and the hour, therefore,\ncame for saying the morning prayers, the puissant Lord, suddenly shaking\noff three balls of mud from his tusk, placed them upon the Earth, O\nNarada, having previously spread thereon certain blades of grass. The\npuissant Vishnu dedicated those balls of mud unto his own self, according\nto the rites laid down in the eternal ordinance. Regarding the three\nballs of mud that the puissant Lord had shaken off from his tusks as\nPindas, he then, with sesame seeds of oily kernel that arose from the\nheat of his own body, himself performed the rite of dedication, sitting\nwith face turned towards the East. That foremost of deities then,\nimpelled by the desire of establishing rules of conduct for the denizens\nof the three worlds, said these words:\n\n\"'\"Vrishakapi said, 'I and the Creator of the worlds. I am resolved to\ncreate those that are to be called Pitris.'--Saying these words, he began\nto think of those high ordinances that should regulate the rites to be\ngone through in honour of the Pitris. While thus engaged, he saw that the\nthree balls of mud, shaken off his tusk, had fallen towards the South. He\nthen said unto himself,--'These balls, shaken off my tusk, have fallen on\nthe Earth towards the southern direction of her surface. Led by this, I\ndeclare that these should be known henceforth by the name of Pitris. Let\nthese three that are of no particular shape, and that are only round,\ncome to be regarded as Pitris in the world. Even thus do I create the\neternal Pitris. I am the father, the grandfather, and the great\ngrandfather, and I should be regarded as residing in these three Pindas.\nThere is no one that is superior to me. Who is there whom I myself may\nworship or adore with rites? Who, again, is my sire in the universe? I\nmyself am my grandfather. I am, indeed, the Grandsire and the Sire. I am\nthe one cause (of all the universe).'--Having said these words, that God\nof gods, Vrishakapi by name, offered those Pindas, O learned Brahmana, on\nthe breast of the Varaha mountains, with elaborate rites. By those rites\nHe worshipped His own self, and having finished the worship, disappeared\nthere and then. Hence have the Pitris come to be called by the name of\nPinda. Even this is the foundation of the designation. Agreeably to the\nwords uttered by Vrishakapi on that occasion, the Pitris receive the\nworship offered by all. They who perform sacrifices in honour of and\nadore the Pitris, the deities, the preceptor or other reverend senior\nguests arrived at the house, kine, superior Brahmanas, the goddess Earth,\nand their mothers, in thought, word, and deed, are said to adore and\nsacrifice unto Vishnu himself. Pervading the bodies of all existent\ncreatures, the illustrious Lord is the Soul of all things. Unmoved by\nhappiness or misery, His attitude towards all is equal. Endued with\ngreatness, and of great soul, Narayana has been said to be the soul of\nall things in the universe.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXLVII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Having heard these words of Nara and Narayana, the\nRishi Narada became filled with devotion towards the Supreme Being.\nIndeed, with his whole soul he devoted himself to Narayana. Having\nresided for a full thousand years in the retreat of Nara and Narayana,\nhaving beheld the immutable Hari, and heard the excellent discourse\nhaving Narayana for its topic, the celestial Rishi repaired to his own\nretreat on the breast of Himavat. Those foremost of ascetics viz., Nara\nand Narayana, however continued to reside in their delightful retreat of\nVadari, engaged in the practice of the severest austerities. Thou art\nborn in the race of the Pandavas. Thou art of immeasurable energy. O\nperpetuator of the race of the Pandavas, having listened to this\ndiscourse on Narayana from the beginning, thou hast certainly been\ncleansed of all thy sins and thy soul has been sanctified. His is neither\nthis world nor the world hereafter, O best of kings, who hates instead of\nloving and reverencing the immutable Hari. The ancestors of that person\nwho hates Narayana, who is the foremost of deities, and is otherwise\ncalled Hari, sink into hell for eternity. O tiger among men, Vishnu is\nthe soul of all beings. How, then, can Vishnu be hated, for in hating him\none would hate one's own self. He who is our preceptor, viz., the Rishi\nVyasa, the son of Gandhavati, has himself recited this discourse unto us\non the glory of Narayana, that glory which is the highest and which is\nimmutable. I heard it from him and have recited it to thee exactly as I\nheard it, O sinless one. This cult, with its mysteries and its abstract\nof details, was obtained by Narada, O king, from that Lord of the\nuniverse, viz., Narayana himself. Even such are the particulars of this\ngreat cult. I have, before this, O foremost of kings, explained it to\nthee in the Hari-Gita, with a brief reference to its ordinances.[1892]\nKnow that the Island-born Krishna, otherwise called Vyasa, is Narayana on\nEarth. Who else than he, O tiger among kings, could compile such a\ntreatise as the Mahabharata? Who else than that puissant Rishi could\ndiscourse upon the diverse kinds of duties and cults for the observance\nand adoption of men? Thou hast resolved upon performing a great\nsacrifice. Let that sacrifice of thine proceed as determined by thee.\nHaving listened to the diverse kinds of duties and cults, let thy\nHorse-sacrifice go on.'\"\n\nSauti continued, \"That best of kings, having heard this great discourse,\nbegan all those rites that are laid down in the ordinance, for the\ncompletion of his great sacrifice. Questioned by thee, O Saunaka, I have\nduly recited to thee and all these Rishis that are denizens of the\nNaimisha forest, that great discourse having Narayana for its topic.\nFormerly Narada had recited it to my preceptor in the hearing of many\nRishis and the sons of Pandu and in the presence of Krishna and Bhishma\nalso.[1893] The Supreme deity Narayana is the Lord of all the foremost of\nRishis, and of the three worlds. He is the upholder of Earth herself of\nvast proportions. He is the receptacle of the Srutis and of the attribute\nof humility. He is the great receptacle of all those ordinances that\nshould be practised for attaining to tranquillity of heart, as also of\nall those that go by the name of Yama. He is always accompanied by the\nforemost of regenerate persons. Let that great deity be thy refuge. Hari\never does what is agreeable and beneficial to the denizens of heaven. He\nis always the slayer of such Asuras (as become troublesome to the three\nworlds). He is the receptacle of penances. He is possessed of great fame.\nHe is the slayer of the Daityas known by the name of Madhu and Kaitabha.\nHe is the ordainer of the ends that are attained to by persons acquainted\nwith and observant of scriptural and other duties. He dispels the fears\nof all persons. He takes the foremost of those offerings that are\ndedicated in sacrifices. He is thy refuge and protection. He is endued\nwith attributes. He is freed from attributes. He is endued with a\nquadruple form. He shares the merits arising from the dedication of tanks\nand the observance of similar religious rites. Unvanquished and possessed\nof great might, it is He that always ordains the end approachable by the\nSoul alone, of Rishis of righteous deeds. He is the witness of the\nworlds. He is unborn. He is the one ancient Purusha. Endued with the\ncomplexion of the Sun, He is the Supreme Lord, and he is the refuge of\nall. Do all of you bow your heads unto Him since He who sprang from the\nwaters (viz., Narayana himself) bends his head unto Him.[1894] He is the\norigin of the universe. He is that Being who is called Amrita. He is\nminute. He is the refuge upon whom all things depend. He is the one Being\nto whom the attribute of immutability attaches. The Sankhyas and Yogins,\nof restrained souls, hold Him who is eternal in their understandings.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXLVIII\n\nJanamejaya [sic] said, \"I have heard from thee the glory of the divine and\nSupreme Soul. I have heard also of the birth of the Supreme Deity in the\nhouse of Dharma, in the form of Nara and Narayana. I have also heard from\nthee the origin of the Pinda from the mighty Baraha (Boar) (which form\nthe supreme Deity had assumed for raising by the submerged Earth). I have\nheard from thee about those deities and Rishis that were ordained for the\nreligion of Pravritti and of those that were ordained for the religion of\nNivritti. Thou hast also, O regenerate one, discoursed to us on other\ntopics. Thou hast said also unto us of that vast form, with the Equine\nhead, of Vishnu, that partaker of the libations and other offerings made\nin sacrifices,--the form, viz., that appeared in the great ocean on the\nNorth-East. That form was beheld by the illustrious Brahman, otherwise\nknown by the name of Parameshthi. What, however, were the exact features,\nand what the energy, the like of which among all great objects, had never\nappeared before, of that form which Hari, the upholder of the universe,\ndisplayed on that occasion? What did Brahman do, O ascetic, after having\nseen that foremost of deities, him whose likeness had never been seen\nbefore, him who was of immeasurable energy, him who had the Equine head,\nand him who was Sacredness itself? O regenerate one, this doubt hath\narisen in our mind about this ancient subject of knowledge. O thou of\nforemost intelligence, for what reason did the supreme Deity assume that\nform and display himself in it unto Brahman? Thou hast certainly\nsanctified us by discoursing unto us on these diverse sacred\nsubjects!\"[1895]\n\nSauti said, \"I shall recite to thee that ancient history, which is\nperfectly consistent with the Vedas, and which the illustrious\nVaisampayana recited unto the son of Parikshit on the occasion of the\ngreat Snake-sacrifice. Having heard the account of the mighty form of\nVishnu, equipt with the horse-head, the royal son of Parikshit too had\nentertained the same doubt and put the same questions to Vaisampayana.\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'Tell me, O best of men, for what reason did Hari appear\nin that mighty form equipt with a horse-head and which Brahma, the\nCreator, beheld on the shores of the great northern Ocean on the occasion\nreferred to by yourself?'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'All existent objects, O king, in this world, are the\nresult of a combination of the five primal elements, a combination due to\nthe intelligence of the Supreme Lord. The puissant Narayana, endued with\ninfinity, is the supreme Lord and Creator of the universe. He is the\ninner Soul of all things, and the giver of boons. Divested of attributes,\nhe is again possessed of them. Listen now, O best of kings, to me as I\nnarrate to thee how the Destruction is brought about of all things. At\nfirst, the element of Earth becomes merged in Water and nothing then is\nseen save one vast expanse of Water on all sides. Water then merges into\nHeat, and Heat into Wind. Wind then merges into Space, which in its turn,\nmerges into Mind. Mind merges into the Manifest (otherwise called\nConsciousness or Ego). The Manifest merges into the Unmanifest (or\nPrakriti). The Unmanifest (or Prakriti) merges into Purusha (Jivatman)\nand Purusha merges into the Supreme Soul (or Brahman). Then Darkness\nspreads over the face of the universe, and nothing can be perceived. From\nthat primal Darkness arises Brahma (endued with the principle of\nCreation). Darkness is primeval and fraught with immortality. Brahma that\narises from primeval Darkness develops (by its own potency) into the idea\nof the universe, and assumes the form of Purusha. Such Purusha is called\nAniruddha. Divested of sex, it is called otherwise by the name of\nPradhana (Supreme or Primary). That is also known by the name of\nManifest, or the combination of the triple attribute, O best of kings. He\nexists with Knowledge alone for his companion. That illustrious and\npuissant Being is otherwise called by the name of Viswaksena or Hari.\nYielding to Yoga-sleep, he lays himself down on the waters. He then\nthinks of the Creation of the Universe of diversified phenomena and\nfraught with immeasurable attributes. While engaged in thinking of\nCreation, he recollects his own high attributes. From this springs the\nfour-faced Brahma representing the Consciousness of Anirudha. The\nillustrious Brahma, otherwise called Hiranyagarbha, is the Grandsire of\nall the worlds. Endued with eyes like lotus petals, he takes birth within\nthe Lotus that springs from (the navel of) Anirudha. Seated on that\nLotus, the illustrious, puissant, and eternal Brahma of wonderful aspect\nsaw that the waters were on all sides. Adopting the attribute of Sattwa\nBrahma, otherwise called Parameshthi, then commenced to create the\nuniverse. In the primeval Lotus that was endued with the effulgence of\nthe Sun, two drops of water had been cast by Narayana that were fraught\nwith great merit. The illustrious Narayana, without beginning and without\nend, and transcending destruction, cast his eyes on those two drops of\nwater. One of those two drops of water, of very beautiful and bright\nform, looked like a drop of honey. From that drop sprang, at the command\nof Narayana, a Daitya of the name of Madhu made up of the attribute of\nTamas (Dullness). The other drop of water within the Lotus was very hard.\nFrom it sprang the Daitya Kaitabha made up of the attribute of Rajas.\nEndued thus with the attributes of Tamas and Rajas, the two Daityas\npossessed of might and armed with maces, immediately after their birth,\nbegan to rove within that vast primeval Lotus. They beheld within it\nBrahma of immeasurable effulgence, engaged in creating the four Vedas,\neach endued with the most delightful form. Those two foremost of Asuras,\npossessed of bodies, beholding the four Vedas, suddenly seized them in\nthe very sight of their Creator. The two mighty Danavas, having seized\nthe eternal Vedas, quickly dived into the ocean of waters which they saw\nand proceeded to its bottom. Seeing the Vedas forcibly taken away from\nhim, Brahma became filled with grief. Robbed of the Vedas in this way,\nBrahma then addressed the Supreme Lord in these words.\n\n\"'Brahma said, \"The Vedas are my great eyes. The Vedas are my great\nstrength. The Vedas are my great refuge. The Vedas are my high Brahman.\nAll the Vedas, however, have been forcibly taken away from me by the two\nDanavas. Deprived of the Vedas, the worlds I have created have become\nenveloped in darkness. Without the Vedas (beside me), how shall I succeed\nin causing my excellent Creation to start into existence? Alas, great is\nthe grief I suffer in consequence of the loss of the Vedas (through such\nagency). My heart is very much pained. It has become the abode of a great\nsorrow. Who is there that will rescue me from this ocean of grief in\nwhich I am sunk for the loss I have endured? Who is there that will bring\nme the Vedas I have lost? Who is there that will take compassion on\nme?\"--While Brahma was uttering these words, O best of kings, the\nresolution suddenly arose in his mind, O foremost of intelligent persons,\nfor hymning the praises of Hari in these words. The puissant Brahma then,\nwith hands joined in reverence, and seizing the feet of his progenitor,\nsang this highest of hymns in honour of Narayana.\n\n\"'Brahma said, \"I bow to thee, O heart of Brahman. I bow to thee that hast\nbeen born before me. Thou art the origin of the universe. Thou art the\nforemost of all abodes. Thou, O puissant one, art the ocean of Yoga with\nall its branches. Thou art the Creator of both what is Manifest and what\nis Unmanifest. Thou treadest along the path whose auspiciousness is of\ninconceivable extent. Thou art the consumer of the universe. Thou art the\nAntaralock (Inner Soul) of all creatures. Thou art without any origin.\nThou art the refuge of the universe. Thou art self-born; for origin thou\nhast none that is not thyself. As regards myself, I have sprung through\nthy Grace. From thee have I derived my birth. My first birth from thee,\nwhich is regarded sacred by all regenerate persons, was due to a fiat of\nthy Mind. My second birth in days of yore was from thy eyes. Through thy\nGrace, my third birth was from thy speech. My fourth birth, O puissant\nLord, was from thy ears. My fifth birth, excellent in all respects, was\nfrom thy nose, O Lord. My sixth birth was, through thee, from an egg.\nThis is my seventh birth. It has occurred, O Lord, within this Lotus, and\nit is meant to stimulate the intellect and desires of all the beings. At\neach Creation I take birth from thee as thy son, O thou that art divested\nof the three attributes. Indeed, O lotus-eyed one, I take birth as thy\neldest son, made up of Sattwa the foremost of three attributes. Thou art\nendued with that nature which is Supreme. Thou springest from thyself. I\nhave been created by thee. The Vedas are my eyes. Hence, I transcend Time\nitself. Those Vedas, which constitute my eyes, have been taken away from\nme. I have, therefore, become blind. Do Thou awake from this Yoga-sleep.\nGive me back my eyes. I am dear to thee and thou art dear to me.\" Thus\npraised by Brahma, the illustrious Purusha, with face turned towards\nevery side, then shook off his slumber, resolved to recover the Vedas\n(from the Daityas that had forcibly snatched them away). Applying his\nYoga-puissance, he assumed a second form. His body, equipt with an\nexcellent nose, became as bright as the Moon. He assumed an equine head\nof great effulgence, which was the abode of the Vedas. The firmament,\nwith all its luminaries and constellations, became the crown of his head.\nHis locks of hair were long and flowing, and had the splendour of the\nrays of the Sun. The regions above and below became his two ears. The\nEarth became his forehead. The two rivers Ganga and Saraswati became his\ntwo hips. The two oceans became his two eye-brows. The Sun and the Moon\nbecame his two eyes. The twilight became his nose. The syllable Om became\nhis memory and intelligence. The lightning became his tongue. The\nSoma-drinking Pitris became, it is said, his teeth. The two regions of\nfelicity, viz., Goloka and Brahmaloka, became his upper and lower lips.\nThe terrible night that succeeds universal destruction, and that\ntranscends the three attributes, became his neck. Having assumed this\nform endued with the equine head and having diverse things for its\ndiverse limbs, the Lord of the universe disappeared then and there, and\nproceeded to the nether regions. Having reached those regions, he set\nhimself to high Yoga. Adopting a voice regulated by the rules of the\nscience called Siksha, he began to utter loudly Vedic Mantras. His\npronunciation was distinct and reverberated through the air, and was\nsweet in every respect. The sound of his voice filled the nether region\nfrom end to end. Endued with the properties of all the elements, it was\nproductive of great benefits. The two Asuras, making an appointment with\nthe Vedas in respect of the time when they would come back to take them\nup again, threw them down in the nether region, and ran towards the spot\nwhence those sounds appeared to come. Meanwhile, O king, the Supreme Lord\nwith the equine head, otherwise called Hari, who was himself in the\nnether region, took up all the Vedas. Returning to where Brahma was\nstaying, he gave the Vedas unto him. Having restored the Vedas unto\nBrahma, the Supreme Lord once more returned to his own nature. The\nSupreme Lord also established his form with the equine head in the\nNorth-Eastern region of the great ocean. Having (in this way) established\nhim who was the abode of the Vedas, he once more became the equine-headed\nform that he was.[1896] The two Danavas Madhu and Kaitabha, not finding\nthe person from whom those sounds proceeded, quickly came back to that\nspot. They cast their eyes around but beheld that the spot on which they\nhad thrown the Vedas was empty. Those two foremost of mighty Beings,\nadopting great speed of motion, rose from the nether region. Returning to\nwhere the primeval Lotus was that had given them birth, they saw the\npuissant Being, the original Creator, staying in the form of Aniruddha of\nfair complexion and endued with a splendour resembling that of the Moon.\nOf immeasurable prowess, he was under the influence of Yoga-sleep, his\nbody stretched on the waters and occupying a space as vast as itself.\nPossessed of great effulgence and endued with the attribute of stainless\nSattwa, the body of the Supreme Lord lay on the excellent hood of a snake\nthat seemed to emit flames of fire for the resplendence attaching to it.\nBeholding the Lord thus lying, the two foremost of Danavas roared out a\nloud laugh. Endued with the attributes of Rajas and Tamas, they\nsaid.--\"This is that Being of white complexion. He is now lying asleep.\nWithout doubt, this one has brought the Vedas away from the nether\nregion. Whose is he? Whose is he? Who is he? Why is he thus asleep on the\nhood of a snake?\" Uttering these words, the two Danavas awakened Hari from\nhis Yoga-slumber. The foremost of Beings, (viz., Narayana), thus\nawakened, understood that the two Danavas intended to have an encounter\nwith him in battle. Beholding the two foremost of Asuras prepared to do\nbattle with him, he also set his mind to gratify that desire of theirs.\nThereupon an encounter took place between those two on one side and\nNarayana on the other. The Asuras Madhu and Kaitabha were embodiments of\nthe attributes of Rajas and Tamas. Narayana slew them both for gratifying\nBrahma. He thence came to be called by the name of Madhusudana (slayer of\nMadhu). Having compassed the destruction of the two Asuras and restored\nthe Vedas to Brahma, the Supreme Being dispelled the grief of Brahma.\nAided then by Hari and assisted by the Vedas, Brahma created all the\nworlds with their mobile and immobile creatures. After this, Hari,\ngranting unto the Grandsire intelligence of the foremost order relating\nto the Creation, disappeared there and then for going to the place he had\ncome from. It was thus that Narayana, having assumed the form equipt with\nthe horse-head, slew the two Danavas Madhu and Kaitabha (and disappeared\nfrom the sight of Brahma). Once more, however, he assumed the same form\nfor the sake of causing the religion of Pravritti to flow in the\nuniverse.\n\n\"'Thus did the blessed Hari assume in days of old that grand form having\nthe equine head. This, of all his forms, endued with puissance, is\ncelebrated as the most ancient. That person who frequently listens or\nmentally recites this history of the assumption by Narayana of the form\nequipt with the equine head, will never forget his Vedic or other lore.\nHaving adored with the austerest penances the illustrious deity with the\nequine head, the Rishi Panchala (otherwise known as Galava) acquired the\nscience of Krama by proceeding along the path pointed out by the deity\n(Rudra).[1897] I have thus recited to thee, O king the old story of\nHayasiras, consistent with the Vedas about which thou hadst asked me.\nWhatever forms, the Supreme Deity desires to assume with a view to\nordaining the various affairs of the universe, he assumes those forms\nimmediately within himself by exercise of his own inherent powers. The\nSupreme Deity, endued with every prosperity, is the receptacle of the\nVedas. He is the receptacle of Penances also. The puissant Hari is Yoga.\nHe is the embodiment of the Sankhya philosophy. He is that Para Brahman\nof which we hear. Truth has Narayana for its refuge. Rita has Narayana\nfor its soul. The religion of Nivritti, in which there is no return, has\nNarayana for its high abode. The other religion which has Pravritti for\nits basis, has equally Narayana for its soul. The foremost of all the\nattributes that belong to the element of Earth is scent. Scent has\nNarayana for its soul. The attributes of Water, O king, are called the\nTastes (of the various kinds). These Tastes have Narayana for their soul.\nThe foremost attribute of Light is form. Form also has Narayana for its\nsoul. Touch, which is the attribute of Wind, is also said to have\nNarayana for its soul. Sound, which is an attribute of space, has like\nthe others, Narayana for its soul. Mind also, which is the attribute of\nthe unmanifest (Prakriti), has Narayana for its soul. Time which is\ncomputed by the motion of the celestial luminaries has similarly Narayana\nfor its soul. The presiding deities of Fame, of Beauty, and of Prosperity\nhave the same Supreme Deity for their soul. Both the Sankhya philosophy\nand Yoga have Narayana for their soul. The Supreme Being is the cause of\nall this, as Purusha. He is, again the cause of everything, as Pradhana\n(or Prakriti). He is Swabhaba (the basis on which all things rest). He is\nthe doer or agent, and is the cause of that variety that is witnessed in\nthe universe. He is the diverse kinds of energy that act in the universe.\nIn these five ways he is that all-controlling invisible influence of\nwhich people speak. Those employed in investigating the several topics of\nenquiry with the aid of such reasons as are of wide application, regard\nHari to be identical with the five reasons adverted to above and as the\nfinal refuge of all things. Indeed, the puissant Narayana, endued with\nthe highest Yoga puissance, is the one topic (of enquiry). The thoughts\nof the denizen of all the worlds including Brahma and the high-souled\nRishis, of those that are Sankhyas and Yogins, of those that are Yatis,\nand of those, generally, that are conversant with the Soul are fully\nknown to Kesava, but none of these can know what his thoughts are.\nWhatever acts are performed in honour of the gods or the Pitris, whatever\ngifts are made, whatever penances are performed, have Vishnu for their\nrefuge,--who is established upon his own supreme ordinances. He is named\nVasudeva because of his being the abode of all creatures. He is\nimmutable. He is Supreme. He is the foremost of Rishis. He is endued\nwith the highest puissance. He is said to transcend the three attributes.\nAs Time (which runs smoothly without any sign) assumes indications when\nit manifests itself in the form of successive seasons, even so He, though\nreally divested of attributes (for manifesting Himself). Even they that\nare high-souled do not succeed in understanding his motions. Only those\nforemost of Rishis that have knowledge of their Souls, succeed in\nbeholding in their hearts that Purusha who transcends all attributes.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCXLIX\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'The illustrious Hari becomes gracious unto them that\nare devoted to him with their whole souls. He accepts also all worship\nthat is offered to Him agreeably to the ordinance. Of those persons that\nhave burnt off their fuel,[1898] and that are divested of both merit and\ndemerit, that have attained the Knowledge as handed down from preceptor\nto preceptor--such persons always attain to that end which is called the\nfourth, viz., the essence of the Purushottama or Vasudeva,[1899]--through\nthe three others. Those persons, however, that are devoted to Narayana\nwith their whole souls at once attain to the highest end[1900] Without\ndoubt, the religion of devotion seems to be superior (to that of\nKnowledge) and is very dear to Narayana. These, without going through the\nthree successive stages (of Aniruddha, Pradyumna, and Sankarshana), at\nonce attain to the immutable Hari. The end that is attained by Brahmanas,\nwho, attending to due observances, study the Vedas with the Upanishads\naccording to the rules laid down for regulating such study, and by those\nthat adopt the religion of Yatis, is inferior, I think, to that attained\nby persons devoted to Hari with their whole souls. Who first promulgated\nthis religion of Devotion? Was it some deity or some Rishi that declared\nit? What are the practices of those that are said to be devoted with\ntheir whole souls? When did those practices begin? I have doubts on these\ntopics. Do thou remove those doubts. Great is my curiosity to hear thee\nexplain the several points.'[1901]\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'When the diverse divisions of the Pandava and the\nKuru armies were drawn up in the array for the battle and when Arjuna\nbecame cheerless, the holy one himself explained the question of what is\nthe end and what is not the end attained by persons of different\ncharacters. I have before this recited to thee the words of the holy one.\nThe religion preached by the holy one on that occasion is difficult of\ncomprehension. Men of uncleansed souls cannot apprehend it at all. Having\ncreated this religion in days of yore, viz., in the Krita age, in perfect\nconsonance with the Samans, it is borne, O king, by the Supreme Lord,\nviz., Narayana, himself. This very topic was raised by the highly blessed\nPartha to Narada (for the latter's discourse) in the midst of the Rishis\nand in the presence of Krishna and Bhishma. My preceptor, viz., the\nIsland-born Krishna heard what Narada said. Receiving it from the\ncelestial Rishis, O best of kings, my preceptor imparted it to me in\nexactly the same way in which he had obtained it from the celestial\nRishi. I shall now recite it to thee, O monarch, in the same way as it\nhas been received from Narada. Listen, therefore, to me. In that Kalpa\nwhen Brahma the Creator, O king, took his birth in the mind of Narayana\nand issued from the latter's mouth, Narayana himself performed, O\nBharata, his Daiva and Paitra rites in accordance with this religion.\nThose Rishis that subsist upon the froth of water then obtained it from\nNarayana. From the froth-eating Rishis, this religion was obtained by\nthose Rishis that go by the name of Vaikanasas. From the Vaikanasas,\nShoma got it. Afterwards, it disappeared from the universe. After the\nsecond birth of Brahma, viz., when he sprang from the eyes of Narayana, O\nking, the Grandsire (that is, Brahma) then received this religion from\nShoma. Having received it thus, Brahma imparted this religion, which has\nNarayana for its soul, unto Rudra. In the Krita age of that ancient\nKalpa, Rudra, devoted to Yoga, O monarch, communicated it to all those\nRishis that are known by the name of Valikhilyas. Through the illusion of\nNarayana, it once more disappeared from the universe. In the third birth\nof Brahma, which was due to the speech of Narayana, this religion once\nmore sprang up, O king, from Narayana himself. Then a Rishi of the name\nof Suparna obtained it from that foremost of Beings. The Rishi Suparna\nused to recite this excellent religion, this foremost of cults, three\ntimes during the day. In consequence of this, it came to be called by the\nname of Trisauparna in the world. This religion has been referred to in\nthe Rigveda. The duties it inculcates are exceedingly difficult of\nobservance. From the Rishi Suparna, this eternal religion was obtained, O\nforemost of men, by the God of wind, that sustainer of the lives of all\ncreatures in the universe. The God of wind communicated it unto such\nRishis as subsist upon what remains of sacrificial offerings after\nfeeding guests and others. From those Rishis this excellent religion was\nobtained by the Great Ocean. It once more disappeared from the universe\nand became merged into Narayana. In the next birth of the high-souled\nBrahman when he sprang from the ear of Narayana, listen, O chief of men,\nto what happened in that Kalpa. The illustrious Narayana, otherwise\ncalled Hari, when he resolved upon Creation, thought of a Being who would\nbe puissant enough to create the universe. While thinking of this, a\nBeing sprang from his ears competent to create the universe. The Lord of\nall called him by the name of Brahma. Addressing Brahma, the Supreme\nNarayana said unto him,--\"Do thou, O son, create all kinds of creatures\nfrom thy mouth and feet. O thou of excellent vows, I shall do what will\nbe beneficial for thee, for I shall impart to thee both energy and\nstrength sufficient to render thee competent for this task. Do thou\nreceive also from me this excellent religion known by the name of\nSattwata. Aided by that religion do thou create the Krita age and ordain\nit duly.\" Thus addressed, Brahma bowed his head unto the illustrious Hari,\nthe god of the gods and received from him that foremost of all cults with\nall its mysteries and its abstract of details, together with the\nAranyakas,--viz., that cult, which sprang from the mouth of Narayana.\nNarayana then instructed Brahma of immeasurable energy in that cult, and\naddressing him, said,--\"Thou art the creator of the duties that are to be\nobserved in the respective Yugas.\" Having said this unto Brahma, Narayana\ndisappeared and proceeded to that spot which is beyond the reach of\nTamas, where the Unmanifest resides, and which is known by the men of\nacts without desire of fruits. After this, the boon-giving Brahma, the\nGrandsire of the worlds, created the different worlds with their mobile\nand immobile creatures. The age that first commenced was highly\nauspicious and came to be called by the name of Krita. In that age, the\nreligion of Sattwa existed, pervading the entire universe.[1902] With the\naid of that primeval religion of righteousness, Brahma, the Creator of\nall the worlds, worshipped the Lord of all the deities, viz., the\npuissant Narayana, otherwise called Hari. Then for the spread of that\nreligion and desirous of benefiting the worlds, Brahman instructed that\nManu who is known by the name of Swarochish in that cult.\nSwarochish-Manu, that Lord of all the worlds, that foremost of all\npersons endued with puissance, then cheerfully imparted the knowledge of\nthat cult to his own son, O king, who was known by the name of\nSankhapada. The son of Manu, viz., Sankhapada, communicated the knowledge\nof that to his own son Suvarnabha who was the Regent of the cardinal and\nsubsidiary points of the compass. When, upon the expiration of the Kriti\nYuga, the Treta came, that cult once more disappeared from the world. In\na subsequent birth of Brahman, O best of kings, viz., that which was\nderived from the nose of Narayana, O Bharata, the illustrious and\npuissant Narayana or Hari with eyes like lotus petals, himself sang this\nreligion in the presence of Brahma. Then the son of Brahma, created by a\nfiat of his will, viz., Sanatkumara, studied this cult. From Sanatkumara,\nthe Prajapati Virana, in the beginning of the Krita age, O tiger among\nKurus, obtained this cult. Virana having studied it in this way, taught\nit to the ascetic Raivya. Raivya, in his turn, imparted it to his son of\npure soul, good vows, and great intelligence, viz., Kukshi, that\nrighteous Regent of the cardinal and subsidiary points of the compass.\nAfter this, that cult, born of the mouth of Narayana, once more\ndisappeared from the world. In the next birth of Brahma, viz., that which\nhe was derived from an egg which sprang from Hari, this cult once more\nissued from the mouth of Narayana. It was received by Brahma, O king, and\npractised duly in all its details by him. Brahma then communicated it, O\nmonarch, to those Rishis that are known by the name of Varhishada. From\nthe Varhishadas it was obtained by a Brahmana well-versed in the\nSama-Veda, and known by the name of Jeshthya. And because he was\nwell-versed with the Samans, therefore was he known also by the name of\nJeshthya-Samavrata Hari.[1903] From the Brahmana known by the name of\nJeshthya, this cult was obtained by a king of the name of Avikampana.\nAfter this, that cult, derived from the puissant Hari, once more\ndisappeared from the world. During the seventh birth of Brahma due to the\nlotus, O king, that sprang from the navel of Narayana, this cult was once\nmore declared by Narayana himself, unto the Grandsire of pure soul, the\nCreator of all the worlds, in the beginning of this Kalpa. The Grandsire\ngave it in days of yore to Daksha (one of his sons created by a fiat of\nhis will). Daksha, in his turn, imparted it to the eldest of all the sons\nof his daughters, O monarch, viz., Aditya who is senior in age to\nSavitri. From Aditya, Vivaswat obtained it. In the beginning of the Treta\nYuga, Vivaswat imparted the knowledge of this cult to Manu. Manu, for the\nprotection and support of all the worlds, then gave it to his son\nIkshaku.[1904] Promulgated by Ikshaku, that cult over-spreads the whole\nworld. When the universal destruction comes, it will once more return to\nNarayana and be merged in Him. The religion which is followed and\npractised by the Yatis, has, O best of kings, been narrated to thee\nbefore this in the Hari Gita, with all its ordinances in brief. The\ncelestial Rishi Narada got it from that Lord of universe, viz., Narayana\nhimself, O king, with all its mysteries and abstract of details. Thus, O\nmonarch, this foremost of cults is primeval and eternal. Incapable of\nbeing comprehended with ease and exceedingly difficult of being\npractised, it is always upheld by persons wedded to the attribute of\nSattwa. It is by means of acts that are well-performed and accomplished\nwith a full knowledge of duties and in which there is nothing of injury\nto any creature,--that Hari the Supreme Lord becomes gratified. Some\npersons adore Narayana as possessed of only one form, viz., that of\nAniruddha. Some adore Him as endued with two forms, viz., that of\nAniruddha and Pradyumna. Some adore Him as having three forms, viz.,\nAniruddha, Pradyumna, and Sankarshana. A fourth class adore him as\nconsisting of four forms, viz., Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Sankarshana, and\nVasudeva. Hari is Himself the Kshetrajna (Soul). He is without parts\n(being ever full). He is the Jiva in all creatures, transcending the five\nprimal elements. He is the Mind, O monarch, that directs and controls the\nfive senses. Endued with the highest intelligence, He is the Ordainer of\nthe universe, and the Creator thereof. He is both active and inactive. He\nis both Cause and the Effect. He is the one immutable Purusha, who sports\nas He likes, O king. Thus have I recited to thee the religion of\ndesireless Devotees, O best of kings, incapable of being comprehended by\npersons of uncleansed souls but this I acquired through the grace of my\npreceptor. Persons are very rare, O king, that are devoted to Narayana\nwith whole souls. If, O son of Kuru's race the world had been full of\nsuch persons, that are full of universal compassion, that are endued with\nknowledge of the soul, and that are always employed in doing good to\nothers, then the Krita age would have set in. All men would have betaken\nthemselves to the accomplishment of acts without desire of fruit. It was\neven in this way, O monarch, that, that foremost of regenerate persons,\n(viz., the illustrious Vyasa), my preceptor, fully conversant with all\nduties, discoursed unto king Yudhishthira the just on this religion of\nDevotion, in the presence of many Rishis and in the hearing of Krishna\nand Bhishma. He had obtained it from the celestial Rishi Narada endued\nwith wealth of penances. Those persons that are devoted to Narayana with\ntheir whole souls and are desireless succeed in attaining to the region\nof that highest of deities, identical with Brahma, pure in complexion,\npossessed of the effulgence of the moon and endued with immutability.\"'\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'I see that those regenerate persons whose souls have\nbeen awakened practise diverse kinds of duties. Why is it that other\nBrahmanas instead of practising those duties betake themselves to the\nobservance of other kinds of vows and rites?'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Three kinds of disposition, O monarch, have been\ncreated in respect of all embodied creatures, viz., that which relates to\nthe attribute of Sattwa, that which relates to the attribute of Rajas,\nand lastly that which relates to the attribute of Tamas, O Bharata. As\nregards embodied creatures, O perpetuator of Kuru's race, that person is\nthe foremost who is wedded to the attribute of Sattwa, for, O tiger among\nmen, it is certain that he will attain to Emancipation. It is with the\naid of this very attribute of Sattwa that one endued therewith succeeds\nin understanding the person that is conversant with Brahma. As regards\nEmancipation, it is entirely dependent upon Narayana. Hence it is that\npersons striving after Emancipation are regarded as made up of the\nattribute of Sattwa. By thinking of Purushottama the foremost of Beings,\nthe man that is devoted with his whole soul to Narayana, acquires great\nwisdom. Those persons that are endued with wisdom, that have betaken\nthemselves to the practices of Yatis and the religion of\nEmancipation,--those persons of quenched thirst, always find that Hari\nfavours them with the fruition of their desire.[1905] That man subject to\nbirth (and death) upon whom Hari casts a kind eye should be known as\nendued with the attribute of Sattwa and devoted to the acquisition of\nEmancipation. The religion followed by a person that is devoted with his\nwhole soul to Narayana is regarded as similar or equal in merit to the\nsystem of the Sankhyas. By adopting that religion one attains to the\nhighest end and attains to Emancipation which has Narayana for its soul.\nThat person upon whom Narayana looks with compassion succeeds in becoming\nawakened.[1906] No one, O king, can become awakened through his own\nwishes. That nature which partakes of both Rajas and Tamas is said to be\nmixed. Hari never casts a kind eye upon the person subject to birth (and\ndeath) that is endued with such a mixed nature and that has, on that\naccount, the principle of Pravritti in him. Only Brahma, the Grandsire of\nthe worlds, looks upon the person that is subject to birth and death\nbecause of his mind being overwhelmed with the two inferior attributes of\nRajas and Tamas.[1907] Without doubt, the deities and the Rishis are\nwedded to the attributes of Sattwa, O best of kings. But then they that\nare divested of that attribute in its subtile form are always regarded to\nbe of mutable nature.'[1908]\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'How can one that is fraught with the principle of\nchange succeed in attaining to that Purushottama (the foremost of\nPurusha)? Do tell me all this, which is, no doubt, known to thee. Do thou\ndiscourse to me also of Pravritti in due order.'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'That which is the twenty-fifth (in the enumeration of\ntopics as made in the Sankhya system) viz., when it becomes able to\nabstain entirely from acts, succeeds in attaining to the Purushottama\nwhich is exceedingly subtile, which is invested with the attribute of\nSattwa (in its subtile form), and which is fraught with the essences\nsymbolised by three letters of the alphabet (viz., A, U, and M). The\nSankhya system, the Aranyaka-Veda, and the Pancharatra scriptures, are\nall one and the same and form parts of one whole. Even this is the\nreligion of those that are devoted with their whole souls to Narayana,\nthe religion that has Narayana for its essence.[1909] As waves of the\nocean, rising from the ocean, rush away from it only to return to it in\nthe end, even so diverse kinds of knowledge, springing from Narayana,\nreturn to Narayana in the end. I have thus explained to thee, O son of\nKuru's race, what the religion of Sattwa is. If thou beest competent for\nit, O Bharata, do thou practise that religion duly. Even thus did the\nhighly-blessed Narada explain to my preceptor,--the Island-born\nKrishna--the eternal and immutable course, called Ekanta, (ending in One)\nfollowed by the Whites[1910] as also by the yellow-robed Yatis. Vyasa\ngratified with Dharma's son Yudhishthira, imparted this religion to king\nYudhishthira the just who was possessed of great intelligence. Derived\nfrom my preceptor I have also communicated it to thee! O best of kings,\nthis religion is for these reasons, exceedingly difficult of practice.\nOthers, hearing it, become as much confounded as thou hast suffered\nthyself to be. It is Krishna who is the protector of the universe and its\nbeguiler. It is He who is the destroyer and the cause, O monarch.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCL\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'The Sankhya system, the Pancharatra scriptures, and the\nAranyaka-Vedas,--these different systems of knowledge or religion,--O\nregenerate Rishi, are current in the world. Do all these systems preach\nthe same course of duties, or are the courses of duties preached by them,\nO ascetic, different from one another? Questioned by me, do thou\ndiscourse to me on Pravritti in due order!'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'I bow unto that great Rishi who is the dispeller of\ndarkness, and whom Satyavati bore to Parasara in the midst of an island,\nwho is possessed of great knowledge and who is endued with great\nliberality of soul. The learned say that he is the origin of the\nGrandsire Brahma; that he is the sixth form of Narayana; that he is the\nforemost of Rishis; that he is endued with the puissance of Yoga; that as\nthe only son of his parents he is an incarnate portion of Narayana; and\nthat, born under extraordinary circumstances on an Island, he is the\ninexhaustible receptacle of the Vedas. In the Krita age, Narayana of\ngreat puissance and mighty energy, created him as his son. Verily, the\nhigh-souled Vyasa is unborn and ancient and is the inexhaustible\nreceptacle of the Vedas!'\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'O best of regenerate persons, it was thou that saidst\nbefore this that the Rishi Vasishtha had a son of the name of Saktri and\nthat Saktri had a son of the name of Parasara, and that Parasara begot a\nson named the Island-born Krishna endued with great ascetic merit. Thou\ntellest me again that Vyasa is the son of Narayana. I ask, was it in some\nformer birth that Vyasa of immeasurable energy had sprung from Narayana?\nO thou of great intelligence, do tell me of that birth of Vyasa which was\ndue to Narayana!'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Desirous of understanding the meaning of the Srutis,\nmy preceptor, that ocean of penances, who is exceedingly devoted to the\nobservance of all scriptural duties and the acquisition of knowledge,\ndwelt for some time in a particular region of the Himavat mountains.\nEndued with great intelligence, he became fatigued with his penances in\nconsequence of the great strain on his energies occasioned by the\ncomposition of the Mahabharata. At that time, Sumanta and Jaimini and\nPaila of firm vows and myself numbering the fourth, and Suka his own son,\nattended on him. All of us, O king, in view of the fatigue our preceptor\nfelt, waited dutifully upon him, engaged in doing all that was necessary\nfor dispelling that fatigue of his. Surrounded by these disciples of his,\nVyasa shone in beauty on the breast of the Himavat mountains like the\nLord of all the ghostly beings, viz., Mahadeva, in the midst of those\nghostly attendants of his. Having recapitulated the Vedas with all their\nbranches as also the meanings of all the Verses in the Mahabharata, one\nday, with rapt attention, all of us approached our preceptor who, having\ncontrolled his senses, was at time rapt up in thought. Availing ourselves\nof an interval in the conversation, we asked that foremost of regenerate\npersons to expound to us the meanings of the Vedas and the Verses in the\nMahabharata and narrate to us the incidents as well of his own birth from\nNarayana. Conversant as he was with all topics of enquiry, he at first\ndiscoursed to us on the interpretations of the Srutis and the\nMahabharata, and then set himself to narrate to us the following\nincidents relating to his birth from Narayana.\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"Listen, ye disciples, to this foremost of narratives, to\nthis best of histories that relates again to the birth of a Rishi.\nAppertaining to the Krita age, this narrative has become known to me\nthrough my penances, ye regenerate ones. On the occasion of the seventh\ncreation, viz., that which was due to the primeval Lotus, Narayana,\nendued with the austerest penances, transcending both good and ill, and\npossessed of unrivalled splendour, at first created Brahma, from his\nnavel. After Brahma had started into birth, Narayana addressed him,\nsaying: 'Thou hast sprung from my navel. Endued with puissance in respect\nof creation, do thou set thyself to create diverse kinds of creatures,\nrational and irrational.' Thus addressed by the author of his being,\nBrahma with his mind penetrated by anxiety, felt the difficulty of his\ntask and became unwilling to do what he was commenced to do. Bowing his\nhead unto the boon-giving and illustrious Hari, the Lord of the universe,\nBrahma said these words unto him,--'I bow to thee, O Lord of the deities,\nbut I ask what puissance have I to create diverse creatures? I have no\nwisdom. Do thou ordain what should be ordained in view of this.' Thus\naddressed by Brahma, the Lord of the universe, viz., Narayana,\ndisappeared there and then from Brahma's sight. The Supreme Lord, the god\nof gods, the chief of those endowed with intelligence, then began to\nthink. The Goddess of Intelligence forthwith made her appearance before\nthe puissant Narayana. Himself transcending all Yoga, Narayana then, by\ndint of Yoga, applied the Goddess of Intelligence properly. The\nillustrious and puissant and immutable Hari, addressing the Goddess of\nIntelligence who was endued with activity and goodness and all the\npuissance of Yoga, said unto her these words:--'For the accomplishment of\nthe task of creating all the worlds do thou enter into Brahma.' Commanded\nthus by the Supreme Lord, Intelligence forthwith entered Brahma. When\nHari beheld that Brahma had become united with Intelligence, He once more\naddressed him, saying--'Do thou now create diverse kinds of\ncreatures.'--Replying unto Narayana by uttering the word 'Yes,' Brahma\nreverently accepted the command of his progenitor. Narayana then\ndisappeared from Brahma's presence, and in a moment repaired to his own\nplace, known by the name of Deva (Light or Effulgence). Returning to His\nown disposition (of Unmanifestness), Hari remained in that state of\noneness. After the task of creation, however, had been accomplished by\nBrahma, another thought arose in the mind of Narayana. Indeed, he\nreflected in this strain:--'Brahma, otherwise called Parameshthi, has\ncreated all these creatures, consisting of Daityas and Danavas and\nGandharvas and Rakshasas. The helpless Earth has become burthened with\nthe weight of creatures. Many among the Daityas and Danavas and Rakshasas\non Earth will become endued with great strength. Possessed of penances,\nthey will at diverse times succeed in acquiring many excellent boons.\nSwelling with pride and might in consequence of those boons that they\nwill succeed in obtaining, they will oppress and afflict the deities and\nthe Rishis possessed of ascetic might. It is, therefore, meet that I\nshould now and then lighten the burthen of the Earth, by assuming diverse\nforms one after another as occasion would require. I shall achieve this\ntask by chastising the wicked and upholding the righteous. (Thus looked\nafter by me), the Earth, which is the embodiment of Truth, will succeed\nin bearing her load of creatures. Assuming the form of a mighty snake I\nmyself have to uphold the Earth in empty space. Upheld by me thus, she\nwill uphold the entire creation, mobile and immobile. Incarnated on the\nEarth, therefore, in different forms, I shall have to rescue her at such\ntimes from peril.' Having reflected in this way, the illustrious slayer of\nMadhu created diverse forms in his mind in which to appear from time to\ntime for accomplishing the task in view. 'Assuming the form of a Boar, of\nMan-lion, of a Dwarf, and of human beings, I shall quell or slay such\nenemies of the deities as will become wicked and ungovernable.' After\nthis, the original Creator of the universe once more uttered the\nsyllable, Bho, causing the atmosphere to resound with it. From this\nsyllable of speech (Saraswati) arose a Rishi of the name Saraswat. The\nson, thus born of the Speech of Narayana, came to be, also called by the\nname of Apantaratamas. Endued with great puissance, he was fully\nconversant with the past, the present, and the future. Firm in the\nobservance of vows, he was truthful in speech.[1911] Unto that Rishi who,\nafter birth, had bowed his head unto Narayana, the latter, who was the\noriginal Creator of all the deities and possessed of a nature that was\nimmutable, said those words: 'Thou shouldst devote thy attention to the\ndistribution of the Vedas, O foremost of all persons endued with\nintelligence.[1912] Do thou, therefore, O ascetic, accomplish what I\ncommand thee.'--In obedience to this command of the Supreme Lord from\nwhose Speech the Rishi Apantaratamas sprang into existence, the latter,\nin the Kalpa named after the Self-born Manu, distributed and arranged the\nVedas. For that act of the Rishi, the illustrious Hari became gratified\nwith him, as also for his well-performed penances, his vows and\nobservances, and his restraint of the senses or passions. Addressing\nhim, Narayana said,--'At each Manwantara, O son, thou wilt act in this\nway with respect to the Vedas. Thou shalt, in consequence of this act of\nthine, be immutable, O regenerate one, and incapable of being transcended\nby any one. When the Kali age will set in, certain princes of Bharata's\nline, to be called by the name of Kauravas, will take their birth from\nthee. They will be celebrated over the Earth as high-souled princes\nruling over powerful kingdoms. Born of thee, dissensions will break out\namong them ending in their destruction at one another's hands excepting\nyourself. O foremost of regenerate persons,[1913] in that age also,\nendued with austere penances, thou wilt distribute the Vedas into diverse\nclasses. Indeed, in that dark age, thy complexion will become dark. Thou\nshalt cause diverse kinds of duties to flow and diverse kinds of\nknowledge also. Although endued with austere penances, yet thou shalt\nnever be able to free thyself from desire and attachment to the world.\nThy son, however, will be freed from every attachment like unto the\nSupreme Soul, through the grace of Madhava. It will not be otherwise. He\nwhom learned Brahmanas call the mind-born son of the Grandsire, viz.,\nVasishtha endued with great intelligence and like unto an ocean of\npenances, and whose splendour transcends that of the Sun himself, will be\nthe progenitor of a race in which a great Rishi of the name of Parasara,\npossessed of mighty energy and prowess, will take his birth. That\nforemost of persons, that ocean of Vedas, that abode of penances, will\nbecome thy sire (when thou wilt take birth in the Kali age). Thou shalt\ntake thy birth as the son of a maiden residing in the house of her sire,\nthrough an act of congress with the great Rishi Parasara. Doubts thou\nwilt have none with respect to the imports of things past, present, and\nfuture. Endued with penances and instructed by me, thou wilt behold the\nincidents of thousands and thousands of ages long past away. Thou wilt\nsee through thousands and thousands of ages also in the future. Thou\nshalt, in that birth, behold me, O ascetic,--me that am without birth and\ndeath,--incarnated on Earth (as Krishna of Yadu's race), armed with the\ndiscus. All this will happen to thee, O ascetic, through the merit that\nwill be thine in consequence of thy ceaseless devotion to me. These words\nof mine will never be otherwise. Thou shalt be one of the foremost of\ncreatures. Great shall be thy fame. Surya's son Sani (Saturn) will, in a\nfuture Kalpa, take birth as the great Manu of that period. During that\nManwantara, O son, thou shalt, in respect of merits, be superior to even\nthe Manus of the several periods. Without doubt, thou shalt be so through\nmy grace. Whatever exists in the world represents the result of my\nexertion. The thoughts of others may not correspond with their acts. As\nregards myself, however, I always ordain what I think, without the least\nimpediment!'[1914] Having said these words unto the Rishi Apantaratamas,\notherwise called by the name of Saraswat, the Supreme Lord dismissed him,\nsaying unto him.--'Go.' I am he that was born as Apantaratamas through the\ncommand of Hari. Once more have I taken birth as the celebrated\nKrishna-Dwaipayana, a delighter of the race of Vasishtha.[1915] I have\nthus told you, my dear disciples, the circumstances, of my own former\nbirth which was due to the grace of Narayana in so much that I was a very\nportion of Narayana himself. Ye foremost of intelligent persons, I\nunderwent, in days of yore, the austerest penances, with the aid of the\nhighest abstraction of the mind. Ye sons, moved by my great affection for\nyourselves that are devoted to me with reverence, I have told you\neverything relating to what you wished to know from me, viz., my first\nbirth in days of remote antiquity and that other birth subsequent to it\n(viz., the present one)!\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'I have thus narrated to thee, O monarch, the\ncircumstances connected with the former birth of our revered preceptor,\nviz., Vyasa of unstained mind, as asked by thee. Listen to me once again.\nThere are diverse kinds of cults, O royal sage, that go by diverse names\nsuch as Sankhya, Yoga, the Pancha-ratra, Vedas, and Pasupati. The\npromulgator of Sankhya cult is said to be the great Rishi Kapila. The\nprimeval Hiranyagarbha, and none else, is the promulgator of the Yoga\nsystem. The Rishi Apantaratamas is said to be the preceptor of the Vedas,\nsome call that Rishi by the name of Prachina-garbha. The cult known by\nthe name of Pasupata was promulgated by the Lord of Uma, that master of\nall creatures, viz., the cheerful Siva, otherwise known by the name of\nSreekantha, the son of Brahma. The illustrious Narayana is himself the\npromulgator of the cult, in its entirety, contained in the Pancharatra\nscriptures. In all these cults, O foremost of kings, it is seen that the\npuissant Narayana is the one sole object of exposition. According to the\nscriptures of these cults and the measure of knowledge they contain,\nNarayana is the one sole object of worship they inculcate. Those persons\nwhose visions, O king, are blinded by darkness, fail to understand that\nNarayana is the Supreme Soul pervading the entire universe. Those persons\nof wisdom who are the authors of the scriptures say that Narayana, who is\na Rishi, is the one object of reverent worship in the universe. I say\nthat there is no other being like Him. The Supreme Deity, called by the\nname of Hari, resides in the hearts of those that have succeeded (with\nthe aid of the scriptures and of inference) in dispelling all doubts.\nMadhava never resides in the hearts of those that are under the sway of\ndoubts and that would dispute away everything with the aid of false\ndialectics. They that are conversant with the Pancharatra scriptures,\nthat are duly observant of the duties laid down therein, and that are\ndevoted to Narayana with their whole souls, succeed in entering into\nNarayana. The Sankhya and the Yoga systems are eternal. All the Vedas,\nagain, O monarch, are eternal. The Rishis, in all these systems of cult,\nhave declared that this universe existing from ancient times is\nNarayana's self. Thou shouldst know that whether acts, good or bad, are\nlaid down in the Vedas and occurrence in heaven and Earth, between the\nsky and the waters, are all caused by and flow from that ancient Rishi\nNarayana.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCLI\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'O regenerate one, are there many Purushas or is there\nonly one? Who, in the universe, is the foremost of Purushas? What, again,\nis said to be the source of all things?'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'In the speculations of the Sankhya and the Yoga\nsystems many Purushas have been spoken of, O jewel of Kuru's race. Those\nthat follow these systems do not accept that there is but one Purusha in\nthe universe.[1916] In the same manner in which the many Purushas are\nsaid to have one origin in the Supreme Purusha, it may be said that this\nentire universe is identical with that one Purusha of superior\nattributes. I shall explain this now, after bowing to my preceptor Vyasa,\nthat foremost of Rishis, who is conversant with the soul, endued with\npenances, self-restrained, and worthy of reverent worship. This\nspeculation on Purusha, O king, occurs in all the Vedas. It is well known\nto be identical with Rita and Truth. The foremost of Rishis, viz., Vyasa,\nhas thought upon it. Having occupied themselves with reflection on what\nis called Adhyatma, diverse Rishis, O king, having Kapila for their\nfirst, have declared their opinions on the topic both generally and\nparticularly. Through the grace of Vyasa of immeasurable energy, I shall\nexpound to thee what Vyasa has said in brief on this question of the\nOneness of Purusha. In this connection is cited the old narrative of the\ndiscourse between Brahma, O king, and the Three-eyed Mahadeva. In the\nmidst of the Ocean of milk, there is a very high mountain of great\neffulgence like that of gold, known, O monarch, by the name of\nVaijayanta. Repairing thither all alone, from his own abode of great\nsplendour and felicity, the illustrious deity Brahma used very often to\npass his time, engaged in thinking on the course of Adhyatma. While the\nfour-faced Brahma of great intelligence was seated there, his son\nMahadeva, who had sprung from his forehead encountered him one day in\ncourse of his wanderings through the universe. In days of yore, the\nThree-eyed Siva endued with puissance and high Yoga, while proceeding\nalong the sky, beheld Brahma seated on that mountain and, therefore,\ndropped down quickly on its top. With a cheerful heart he presented him\nbefore his progenitor and worshipped his feet. Beholding Mahadeva\nprostrated at his feet, Brahma took him up with his left hand. Having\nthus raised Mahadeva up, Brahma, that puissant and one Lord of all\ncreatures, then addressed his son, whom he met after a long time, in\nthese words.\n\n\"'The Grandsire said, \"Welcome art thou, O thou of mighty arms. By good\nluck I see thee after such a long time come to my presence. I hope, O\nson, that everything is right with thy penances and thy Vedic studies and\nrecitations. Thou art always observant of the austerest penances. Hence I\nask thee about the progress and well-being of those penances of thine!\"\n\n\"'Rudra said, \"O illustrious one, through thy grace, all is well with my\npenances and Vedic studies. It is all right, again, with the universe. I\nsaw thy illustrious self a long while ago in thy own home of felicity and\neffulgence. I am coming thence to this mountain that is now the abode of\nthy feet.[1917] Great is the curiosity excited in my mind by this\nwithdrawal of thyself into such a lone spot from thy usual region of\nfelicity and splendour. Great must the reason be, O Grandsire, for such\nan act on thy part. Thy own foremost abode is free from the pains of\nhunger and thirst, and inhabited by both deities and Asuras, by Rishis of\nimmeasurable splendour, as also by Gandharvas and Apsaras. Abandoning\nsuch a spot of felicity, thou residest alone in this foremost of\nmountains. The cause of this cannot but be grave.\"\n\n\"'Brahma said, \"This foremost of mountains, called Vaijayanta, is always\nmy residence. Here, with concentrated mind, I meditate on the one\nuniversal Purusha of infinite proportions.\"\n\n\"'Rudra said, \"Self-born thou art. Many are the Purushas that have been\ncreated by thee. Others again, O Brahma, are being created by thee. The\nInfinite Purusha, however, of whom thou speakest, is one and single. Who\nis that foremost of Purushas, O Brahma, that is being meditated by thee?\nGreat is the curiosity I feel on this point. Do thou kindly dispel the\ndoubt that has taken possession of my mind.\"\n\n\"'Brahma said, \"O son, many are those Purushas of whom thou speakest. The\none Purusha, however, of whom I am thinking, transcends all Purushas and\nis invisible. The many Purushas that exist in the universe have that one\nPurusha as their basis; and since that one Purushas is said to be the\nsource whence all the innumerable Purushas have sprung, hence all the\nlatter, if they succeed in divesting themselves of attributes, become\ncompetent to enter into that one Purusha who is identified with the\nuniverse, who is supreme, who is the foremost of the foremost, who is\neternal, and who is himself divested of and is above all attributes.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCLII\n\n\"'Brahma said,--\"Listen, O son, as to how that Purusha is indicated. He is\neternal and immutable. He is undeteriorating and immeasurable. He\npervades all things.[1918] O best of all creatures, that Purusha cannot\nbe seen by thee, or me, or others. Those that are endued with the\nunderstanding and the senses but destitute of self-restraint and\ntranquility of soul cannot obtain a sight of him. The Supreme Purusha is\nsaid to be one that can be seen with the aid of knowledge alone. Though\ndivested of body, He dwells in every body. Though dwelling, again, in\nbodies, He is never touched by the acts accomplished by those bodies. He\nis my Antaratma (inner soul). He is thy inner soul. He is the all-seeing\nWitness dwelling within all embodied creatures and engaged in marking\ntheir acts. No one can grasp or comprehend him at any time. The universe\nis the crown of his head. The universe is his arms. The universe is his\nfeet. The universe is his eyes. The universe is his nose. Alone and\nsingle, he roves through all Kshetras (Bodies) unrestrained by any\nlimitations on his will and as he likes. Kshetra is another name for\nbody. And because he knows all Kshetras as also all good and bad deeds,\ntherefore he, who is the soul of Yoga, is called by the name of\nKshetrajna.[1919] No one succeeds in perceiving how he enters into\nembodied creatures and how he goes out of them. Agreeably to the Sankhya\nmode, as also with the aid of Yoga and the due observance of the\nordinances prescribed by it, I am engaged in thinking of the cause of\nthat Purusha, but alas, I am unable to comprehend that cause, excellent\nas it is. I shall, however, according to the measure of my knowledge,\ndiscourse to thee upon that eternal Purusha and his Oneness and supreme\ngreatness. The learned speak of him as the one Purusha. That one eternal\nBeing deserves the appellation of Mahapurusha (the great supreme\nPurusha). Fire is an element, but it may be seen to blaze up in a\nthousand places under thousand different circumstances. The Sun is one\nand single, but his rays extend over the wide universe. Penances are of\ndiverse kinds, but they have one common origin whence they have flowed.\nThe Wind is one, but it blows in diverse forms in the world. The great\nOcean is the one parent of all the waters in the world seen under diverse\ncircumstances. Divested of attributes, that one Purusha is the universe\ndisplayed in infinitude. Flowing from him, the infinite universe enters\ninto that one Purusha again who transcends all attributes, when the time\nof its destruction comes. By casting off the consciousness of body and\nthe senses, by casting off all acts good and bad, by casting off both\ntruth and falsehood, one succeeds in divesting oneself of attributes. The\nperson who realises that inconceivable Purusha and comprehends his\nsubtile existence in the quadruple form of Aniruddha, Pradyumna,\nSankarshana, and Vasudeva, and who, in consequence of such comprehension,\nattains to perfect tranquillity of heart, succeeds in entering into and\nidentifying himself with that one auspicious Purusha. Some persons\npossessed of learning speak of him as the supreme soul. Others regarded\nhim as the one soul. A third class of learned men describe him as the\nsoul.[1920] The truth is that he who is the Supreme Soul is always\ndivested of attributes. He is Narayana. He is the universal soul, and he\nis the one Purusha. He is never affected by the fruits of acts even as\nthe leaf of the lotus is never drenched by the water one may throw upon\nit. The Karamta (acting Soul) is different. That Soul is sometimes\nengaged in acts and when it succeeds in casting off acts attains to\nEmancipation or identity with the Supreme Soul. The acting Soul is endued\nwith the seven and ten possessions.[1921] Thus it is said that there are\ninnumerable kinds of Purushas in due order. In reality, however, there is\nbut one Purusha. He is the abode of all the ordinances in respect of the\nuniverse. He is the highest object of knowledge. He is at once the knower\nand the object to be known. He is at once the thinker and the object of\nthought. He is the eater and the food that is eaten. He is the smeller\nand the scent that is smelled. He is at once he that touches and the\nobject that is touched. He is the agent that sees and the object that is\nseen. He is the hearer and the object that is heard. He is the conceiver\nand the object that is conceived. He is possessed of attributes and is\nfree from them. What has previously, O son, been named Pradhana, and is\nthe mother of the Mahat tattwa is no other than the Effulgence of the\nSupreme Soul; because He it is who is eternal, without destruction and\nany end and ever immutable. He it is who creates the prime ordinance in\nrespect of Dhatri himself. Learned Brahmanas call Him by the name of\nAniruddha. Whatever acts, possessed of excellent merits and fraught with\nblessings, flow in the world from the Vedas, have been caused by\nHim.[1922] All the deities and all the Rishis, possessed of tranquil\nsouls, occupying their places on the altar, dedicate to him the first\nshare of their sacrificial offerings.[1923] I, that am Brahma, the\nprimeval master of all creatures, have started into birth from Him, and\nthou hast taken thy birth from me. From me have flowed the universe with\nall its mobile and immobile creatures, and all the Vedas, O son, with\ntheir mysteries. Divided into four portions (viz., Aniruddha, Pradyumna,\nSankarshana, and Vasudeva), He sports as He pleases. That illustrious and\ndivine Lord is even such, awakened by His own knowledge. I have thus\nanswered thee, O son, according to thy questions, and according to the\nway in which the matter is expounded in the Sankha system and the Yoga\nphilosophy.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCLIII\n\nSauti said, \"After Vaisampayana had explained to king Janamejaya in this\nway the glory of Narayana, he began to discourse on another topic by\nreciting the question of Yudhishthira and the answer that Bhishma gave in\nthe presence of all the Pandavas and the Rishis as also of Krishna\nhimself. Indeed, Vaisampayana began by saying what follows.[1924]\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou hast, O grandsire discoursed to us on the\nduties appertaining to the religion of Emancipation. It behoveth thee now\nto tell us what the foremost duties are of persons belonging to the\nseveral modes of life!\"[1925]\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The duties ordained in respect of every mode of life are\ncapable, if well performed, of leading to heaven and the high fruit of\nTruth. Duties which are as so many doors, to great sacrifices and gifts\nand none of the practices inculcated by them are futile in respect of\nconsequence. One who adopts particular duties with steady and firm faith,\npraises these duties adopted by him to the exclusion of the rest, O chief\nof Bharata's race. This particular topic, however, on which thou wishest\nme to discourse was in days of yore the subject of conversation between\nthe celestial Rishi Narada and the chief of the deities, viz., Indra. The\ngreat Rishi Narada, O king, revered by all the world is a siddha i.e.,\nhis sadhana has met fulfilment. He wanders through all the worlds\nunobstructed by anything, like the all-pervading wind itself. Once upon a\ntime he repaired to the abode of Indra. Duly honoured by the chief of the\ndeities, he sat close to his host. Beholding him seated at his ease and\nfree from fatigue, the lord of Sachi addressed him, saying,--'O great\nRishi, is there any thing wonderful that has been beheld by thee, O\nsinless one? O regenerate Rishi, crowned with ascetic success, thou\nrovest, moved by curiosity, through the universe of mobile and immobile\nobjects, witnessing all things. O celestial Rishi, there is nothing in\nthe universe that is unknown to thee. Do thou tell me, therefore, of any\nwonderful incident which thou mayst have seen or heard of or felt.' Thus\nquestioned, Narada, that foremost of speakers, O king, then commented to\nrecite unto the chief of the celestials the extensive history that\nfollows. Listen now to me as I recite that story which Narada told before\nIndra. I shall narrate it in the same manner in which the celestial Rishi\nhad narrated it, and for the same purpose that he had in view!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCLIV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In an excellent town called by the name of Mahapadma\nwhich was situate on the southern side of the river Ganga, there lived,\nO best of men, a Brahmana of concentrated soul. Born in the race of\nAtri, he was endued with amiability. All his doubts had been dispelled\n(by faith and contemplation) and he was well conversant with the path he\nwas to follow. Ever observant of the religious duties, he had his anger\nunder perfect control. Always contented, he was the complete master of\nhis senses. Devoted to penances and study of the Vedas, he was honoured\nby all good men. He earned wealth by righteous means and his conduct in\nall things corresponded with the mode of life he led and the order to\nwhich he belonged. The family to which he belonged was large and\ncelebrated. He had many kinsmen and relatives, and many children and\nspouses. His behaviour was always respectable and faultless. Observing\nthat he had many children, the Brahmana betook himself to the\naccomplishment of religious acts on a large scale. His religious\nobservances, O king, had reference to the customs of his own\nfamily.[1926] The Brahmana reflected that three kinds of duties have been\nlaid down for observances. There were first, the duties ordained in the\nVedas in respect of the order in which he was born and the mode of life\nhe was leading (viz., a Brahmana in the observance of domesticity). There\nwere secondly, the duties prescribed in the scriptures, viz., those\nespecially called the Dharmasastras. And, thirdly, there were those\nduties that eminent and revered men of former times have followed though\nnot occurring either in the Vedas or the scriptures.[1927] 'Which of these\nduties should I follow? Which of them, again, followed by me, are likely\nto lead to my benefit? Which, indeed, should be my refuge?'--Thoughts like\nthese always troubled him. He could not solve his doubts. While troubled\nwith such reflections, a Brahmana of concentrated soul and observant of a\nvery superior religion, came to his house as a guest. The house-holder\nduly honoured his guest according to those ordinances of worship that are\nlaid down in the scriptures. Beholding his guest refreshed and seated at\nease, the host addressed him in the following words.\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'O sinless one, I have become exceedingly attached to\nthee in consequence of the sweetness of thy conversation. Thou hast\nbecome my friend. Listen to me, for I wish to say something unto thee. O\nforemost of Brahmanas, after making over the duties of a householder to\nmy son, I wish to discharge the highest duties of man. What, O regenerate\none, should be my path? Relying upon the Jiva soul, I wish to achieve\nexistence in the one (supreme) soul. Alas, bound up in the ties of\nattachment, I have not the heart to actually set myself to the\naccomplishment of that task.[1928] And since the best portion of my life\nhas passed away in the observance of domesticity, I desire to devote the\nremnant of my life in earning the means of defraying the expenses of my\njourney in respect of the time to come. The desire has arisen in my mind\nof crossing the ocean of the world. Alas, whence shall I get the raft of\nreligion (with which to accomplish my purposes)? Hearing that even the\nvery deities are persecuted and made to endure the fruits of their acts,\nand beholding the rows of Yama's standards and flags floating over the\nheads of all creatures, my heart fails to derive pleasure from the\ndiverse objects of pleasure with which it comes into contact. Beholding\nalso that the Yatis depend for their sustenance upon alms obtained in\ncourse of their rounds of mendicancy, I have no respect for the religion\nof the Yatis as well. O my reverend guest, do thou, aided by that\nreligion which is founded upon the basis of intelligence and reason, set\nme to the observance of a particular course of duties and\nobservance!'\"[1929]\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Endued with great wisdom, the guest, hearing this\nspeech of his host which was consistent with righteousness, said these\nsweet words in a melodious voice.\n\n\"'\"The guest said, 'I myself also am confounded with respect to this topic.\nThe same thought occupies my mind. I am unable to arrive at definite\nconclusions. Heaven has many doors. There are some that applaud\nEmancipation. Some regenerate persons praise the fruits attainable by the\nperformance of sacrifices. Some there are that take refuge in the forest\nmode of life. Some, again, betake themselves to the domestic mode of\nlife. Some rely upon the merits attainable by an observance of the duties\nof kings. Some rely upon the fruits of that culture which consists in\nrestraining the soul. Some think that the merits resulting from a dutiful\nobedience to preceptors and seniors are efficacious. Some betake\nthemselves to restraints imposed on speech. Some by waiting dutifully\nupon their mothers and fathers, have gone to heaven. Some have ascended\nto heaven by practising the duty of compassion, and some by practising\nTruth. Some rush to battle, and after laying down their lives, have\nattained to heaven. Some, again, attaining to success by practising the\nvow called Unccha, have betaken themselves to the path of heaven. Some\nhave devoted themselves to the study of the Vedas. Endued with\nauspiciousness and wedded to such study, these men, possessed of\nintelligence, with tranquil souls, and having their senses under complete\ncontrol, attain to heaven. Others characterised by simplicity and truth,\nhave been slain by men of wickedness. Endued with pure souls, such men of\ntruth and simplicity, have become honoured denizens of heaven. In this\nworld, it is seen, that men betake themselves to heaven, through a\nthousand doors of duty, all standing wide open. My understanding has been\ntroubled by thy question, like a fleecy cloud before the wind.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCLV\n\n\"'\"The guest continued, 'For all that, O Brahmana, I shall endeavour to\ninstruct thee duly. Listen to me as I recite to thee that which I have\nheard from my preceptor. In that place whence, in course of a former\ncreation, the wheel of righteousness was set in motion, in that forest\nwhich is known by the name of Naimisha, and which is situate on the banks\nof the Gomati, there is a city called after the Nagas. There, in that\nregion, all the deities, being assembled together, had in days of old\nperformed a grand sacrifice. There the foremost of earthly kings,\nMandhatri, vanquished Indra, the chief of the celestials. A mighty Naga,\nof righteous soul, dwells in the city that stands in that region. That\ngreat Naga is known by the name of Padmanabha or Padma. Walking in the\ntriple path (of acts, knowledge, and adoration) he gratifies all\ncreatures in thought, word, and deed. Reflecting upon all things with\ngreat care, he protects the righteous and chastises the wicked by\nadopting the quadruple policy of conciliation, provoking dissensions,\nmaking gifts or bribes, and using force. Repairing thither, thou shouldst\nput to him the questions thou wishest. He will show thee truly what the\nhighest religion is. That Naga is always fond of guests. Endued with\ngreat intelligence, he is well conversant with the scriptures. He is\npossessed of all desirable virtues the like of which are not to be\nnoticed in any other person. By disposition he is always observant of\nthose duties which are performed with or in water.[1930] He is devoted to\nthe study of the Vedas. He is endued with penances and self-restraint. He\nhas great wealth. He performs sacrifice, makes gifts, abstains from\ninflicting injury and practises forgiveness. His conduct in all respects\nis excellent. Truthful in speech and freed from malice, his behaviour is\ngood and his senses are under proper control. He eats after feeding all\nhis guests and attendants. He is kind of speech. He has knowledge of what\nis beneficial and what is simple and right and what is censurable. He\ntakes stock of what he does and what he leaves undone. He never acts with\nhostility towards any one. He is always engaged in doing what is\nbeneficial to all creatures. He belongs to a family that is as pure and\nstainless as the water of a lake in the midst of the Ganges.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCLVI\n\n\"'\"The host replied, 'I have heard these words of thine, that are so\nconsoling, with as much gratification as is felt by a person heavily\nloaded when that load is taken off his head or shoulders. The\ngratification that a traveller who has made a long journey on foot feels\nwhen he lies down on a bed, that which a person feels when he finds a\nseat after having stood for a long while for want of room, or that which\nis felt by a thirsty person when he finds a glass of cool water, or that\nwhich is felt by a hungry man when he finds savoury food set before him,\nor that which a guest feels when a dish of desirable food is placed\nbefore him at the proper time, or that which is felt by an old man when\nafter long coveting he gets a son, or that which is experienced by one\nwhen meeting with a dear friend or relative about whom one had become\nexceedingly anxious, resembles that with which I have been filled in\nconsequence of these words uttered by thee.[1931] Like a person with\nupturned gaze I have heard what has fallen from thy lips and am\nreflecting upon their import. With these wise words of thine thou hast\ntruly instructed me! Yes, I shall do what thou hast commanded me to do.\nThou mayst go tomorrow at dawn, passing the night happily with me and\ndispelling thy fatigue by such rest. Behold, the rays of the divine Surya\nhave been partially dimmed and the god of day is proceeding in his\ndownward course!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Hospitably waited upon by that Brahmana, the learned\nguest, O slayer of foes, passed that night in the company of his host.\nIndeed, both of them passed the night happily, conversing cheerfully with\neach other on the subject of the duties of the fourth mode of life, viz.,\nSannyasa (Renunciation). So engrossing was the nature of their\nconversation that the night passed away as if it were day. When morning\ncame, the guest was worshipped with due rites by the Brahmana whose heart\nhad been eagerly set upon the accomplishment of what (according to the\ndiscourse of the guest) was regarded by him to be beneficial for himself.\nHaving dismissed his guest, the righteous Brahmana, resolved to achieve\nhis purpose, took leave of his kinsmen and relatives, and set out in due\ntime for the abode of that foremost of Nagas, with heart steadily\ndirected towards it.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCLVII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Proceeding by many delightful forests and lakes and\nsacred waters, the Brahmana at last arrived at the retreat of a certain\nascetic. Arrived there, he enquired of him, in proper words, about the\nNaga of whom he had heard from his guest, and instructed by him he\npursued his journey. With a clear idea of the purpose of his journey, the\nBrahmana then reached the house of the Naga. Entering it duly, he\nproclaimed himself in proper words, saying,--'Ho! who is there! I am a\nBrahmana, come hither as a guest!'--Hearing these words, the chaste wife\nof the Naga, possessed of great beauty and devoted to the observance of\nall duties, showed herself. Always attentive to the duties of\nhospitality, she worshipped the guest with due rites, and welcoming him,\nsaid, 'What can I do for you?'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'O lady, I am sufficiently honoured by thee with the\nsweet words thou hast said unto me. The fatigue of my journey has also\nbeen dispelled. I desire, O blessed lady, to see thy excellent lord. This\nis my high object. This is the one object of my desire. It is for this\nreason that I have come today to the residence of the Naga, thy husband.'\n\n\"'\"The wife of the Naga said, 'Reverend sir, my husband has gone to drag\nthe car of Surya for a month. O learned Brahmana, he will be back in\nfifteen days, and will, without doubt show himself unto thee. I have thus\ntold thee the reason of my husband's absence from home. Be that as it\nmay, what else is there that I can do for thee? Tell me this!'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'O chaste lady, I have come hither with the object of\nseeing thy husband. O reverend dame, I shall dwell in the adjacent\nforest, waiting for his return. When thy husband comes back, do kindly\ntell him that I have arrived at this place impelled by the desire of\nseeing him. Thou shouldst also inform me of his return when that event\noccurs. O blessed lady, I shall, till then, reside on the banks of the\nGomati, waiting for his return and living all the while upon frugal fare.'\nHaving said this repeatedly unto the wife of the Naga, that foremost of\nBrahmanas proceeded to the banks of the Gomati for residing there till\nthe time of the Naga's return.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCLVIII\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"The Nagas of that city became exceedingly distressed\nwhen they saw that that Brahmana, devoted to the practice of penances,\ncontinued to reside in the forest, entirely abstaining all the while from\nfood, in expectation of the arrival of the Naga chief. All the kinsmen\nand relatives of the great Naga, including his brother and children and\nwife, assembling together, repaired to the spot where the Brahmana was\nstaying. Arrived on the banks of the Gomati, they beheld that regenerate\nperson seated in a secluded spot, abstaining from food of every kind,\nobservant the while of excellent vows, and engaged in silently reciting\ncertain Mantras. Approaching the presence of the Brahmana and offering\nhim due worship, the kinsmen and relatives of the great Naga said unto\nhim these words fraught with candour:--'O Brahmana, endued with wealth of\nasceticism, this is the sixth day of thy arrival here, but thou sayest no\nword about thy food. O regenerate one, thou art devoted to righteousness.\nThou hast come to us. We two are here in attendance upon thee. It is\nabsolutely necessary that we should do the duties of hospitality to thee.\nWe are all relations of the Naga chief with whom thou hast business.\nRoots or fruits, leaves, or water, or rice or meat, O best of Brahmanas,\nit behoveth thee to take for thy food. In consequence of thy dwelling in\nthis forest under such circumstances of total abstention from food, the\nwhole community of Nagas, young and old, is being afflicted, since this\nthy fast implies negligence on our part to discharge the duties of\nhospitality. We have none amongst us that has been guilty of\nBrahmanicide. None of us has ever lost a son immediately after birth. No\none has been born in our race that has eaten before serving the deities\nor guests or relatives arrived at his residence.'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'In consequence of these solicitations of you all, I\nmay be regarded to have broken my fast. Eight days are wanting for the\nday to come when the chief of the Nagas will return.[1932] If, on the\nexpiry of the eighth night hence, the chief of the Nagas does not come\nback, I shall then break this fast by eating. Indeed, this vow of\nabstaining from all food that I am observing is in consequence of my\nregard for the Naga chief. You should not grieve for what I am doing. Do\nyou all return to whence you came. This my vow is on his account. You\nshould not do anything in consequence of which this my vow may be\nbroken.'--The assembled Nagas, thus addressed by the Brahmana, were\ndismissed by him, whereupon, O foremost of men, they returned to their\nrespective residences.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCLIX\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Upon the expiry of the period of full fifteen days, the\nNaga chief (Padmanabha), having finished his task of dragging the car of\nSurya and obtained the latter's permission, came back to his own house.\nBeholding him come back, his spouse approached him quickly for washing\nhis feet and dutifully discharging other tasks of a similar nature.\nHaving gone through these tasks, she took her seat by his side. The Naga\nthen, refreshed from fatigue, addressed his dutiful and chaste wife,\nsaying, 'I hope, my dear wife, that during my absence thou hast not been\nunmindful of worshipping the deities and guests agreeably to the\ninstructions I gave thee, and according to the ordinances laid down in\nthe scriptures. I hope, without yielding to that uncleansed understanding\nwhich is natural to persons of thy sex, thou hast, during my absence from\nhome, been firm in the observance of the duties of hospitality. I trust\nthat thou hast not transcended the barriers of duty and righteousness.'\n\n\"'\"The wife of the Naga said, 'The duty of disciples is to wait with\nreverence upon their preceptor accomplishing his bidding; that of\nBrahmanas is to study the Vedas and bear them in memory; that of servants\nis to obey the commands of their masters; that of the king is to protect\nhis people by cherishing the good and chastising the wicked. It is said\nthat the duties of a Kshatriya embrace the protection of all creatures\nfrom wrong and oppression. The duty of the Sudra is to serve with\nhumility persons of the three regenerate orders, viz., Brahmanas,\nKshatriyas and Vaisyas. The religion of the house-holder, O chief of the\nNagas, consists in doing good to all creatures. Frugality of fare and\nobservance of vow in due order, constitute merit (for persons of all\nclasses) in consequence of the connection that exists between the senses\nand the duties of religion.[1933] \"Who am I? Whence have I come? What are\nothers to me and what am I to others?\"--these are the thoughts to which\nthe mind should ever be directed by him who leads that course of life\nwhich leads to Emancipation. Chastity and obedience to the husband\nconstitute the highest duty of the wife. Through thy instruction, O chief\nof the Nagas, I have learnt this well. I, therefore, that am well\nconversant with my duty, and that have thee for my husband--thee that art\ndevoted to righteousness,--O, why shall I, swerving from the path of\nduty, tread along the path of disobedience and sin? During thy absence\nfrom home, the adorations to the deities have not fallen off in any\nrespect. I have also, without the slightest negligence, attended to the\nduties of hospitality towards persons arrived as guests in thy abode.\nFifteen days ago a Brahmana has come here. He has not disclosed his\nobject to me. He desires to have an interview with thee. Dwelling the\nwhile on the banks of the Gomati he is anxiously expecting thy return. Of\nrigid vows, that Brahmana is sitting there, engaged in the recitation of\nthe Vedas. O chief of the Nagas, I have made a promise to him to the\neffect that I would despatch thee to him as soon as thou wouldst come\nback to thy abode. Hearing these words of mine, O best of Nagas, it\nbehoveth thee to repair thither. O thou that hearest with thy eyes, it\nbehoveth thee to grant unto that regenerate person the object that has\nbrought him hither!'\"'\"[1934]\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCLX\n\n\"'\"The Naga said, 'O thou of sweet smiles, for whom hast thou taken that\nBrahmana? Is he really a human being or is he some deity that has come\nhither in the disguise of a Brahmana? O thou of great fame, who is there\namong human beings that would be desirous of seeing me or that would be\ncompetent for the purpose? Can a human being, desiring to see me, leave\nsuch a command with thee about dispatching me to him for paying him a\nvisit at the place where he is dwelling? Amongst the deities and Asuras\nand celestial Rishis, O amiable lady, the Nagas are endued with great\nenergy. Possessed of great speed, they are endued again with excellent\nfragrance. They deserve to be worshipped. They are capable of granting\nboons. Indeed, we too deserve to be followed by others in our train. I\ntell thee, O lady, that we are incapable of being seen by human\nbeings.'[1935]\n\n\"'\"The spouse of the Naga chief said, 'Judging by his simplicity and\ncandour I know that that Brahmana is not any deity who subsists on air. O\nthou of great wrath, I also know this, viz., that he reveres thee with\nall his heart. His heart is set upon the accomplishment of some object\nthat depends upon thy aid. As the bird called Chataka, which is fond of\nrain, waits in earnest expectation of a shower (for slaking its thirst),\neven so is that Brahmana waiting in expectation of a meeting with\nthee.[1936] Let no calamity betake him in consequence of his inability to\nobtain a sight of thee. No person born like thee in a respectable family\ncan be regarded to remain respectable by neglecting a guest arrived at\nhis house.[1937] Casting off that wrath which is natural to thee, it\nbehoveth thee to go and see that Brahmana. It behoveth thee not to suffer\nthyself to be consumed by disappointing that Brahmana. The king or the\nprince, by refusing to wipe the tears of persons that come to him from\nhopes of relief, incurs the sin of foeticide. By abstaining from speech\none attains to wisdom. By practising gifts one acquires great fame. By\nadhering to truthfulness of speech, one acquires the gift of eloquence\nand comes to be honoured in heaven. By giving away land one attains to\nthat high end which is ordained for Rishis leading the sacred mode of\nlife. By earning wealth through righteous means, one succeeds in\nattaining to many desirable fruits. By doing in its entirety what is\nbeneficial for oneself, one can avoid going to hell. That is what the\nrighteous say.'\n\n\"'\"The Naga said, 'I had no arrogance due to pride. In consequence,\nhowever, of my birth, the measure of my arrogance was considerable. Of\nwrath, which is born of desire, O blessed lady, I have none. It has all\nbeen consumed by the fire of thy excellent instructions. I do not behold,\nO blessed dame, any darkness that is thicker than wrath. In consequence,\nhowever, of the Naga having excess of wrath, they have become object of\nreproach with all persons.[1938] By succumbing to the influence of wrath,\nthe ten-headed Ravana of great prowess, became the rival of Sakra and was\nfor that reason slain by Rama in battle. Hearing that the Rishi Rama of\nBhrigu's race had entered the inner apartments of their palace for\nbringing away the calf of the Homa cow of their sire, the sons of\nKartavirya, yielding to wrath, took such entry as an insult to their\nroyal house, and as the consequence thereof, they met with destruction at\nthe hands of Rama. Indeed, Kartavirya of great strength, resembling the\nThousand-eyed Indra himself, in consequence of his having yielded to\nwrath, was slain in battle by Rama of Jamadagni's race. Verily, O amiable\nlady at thy words I have restrained my wrath, that foe of penances that\ndestroyer of all that is beneficial for myself. I praise my own self\ngreatly since, O large-eyed one, I am fortunate enough to own thee for my\nwife,--thee that are possessed of every virtue and that hast\ninexhaustible merits. I shall now proceed to that spot where the Brahmana\nis staying. I shall certainly address that Brahmana in proper words and\nhe shall certainly go hence, his wishes being accomplished.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCLXI\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Having said these words unto his dear spouse, the chief\nof the Nagas proceeded to that place where the Brahmana was sitting in\nexpectation of an interview with him. As he proceeded, he thought of the\nBrahman and wondered as to what the business could be that had brought\nhim to the Naga city. Arrived at his presence, O chief of men, that\nforemost of Nagas devoted by his nature to righteousness, addressed his\nguest in sweet words, saying, 'O Brahmana do not yield to wrath. I address\nthee in peace. Do not be angry. After whom hast thou come hither? What is\nthy object? Coming to thee, I ask thee in affection, O regenerate one\nwhom dost thou adore in this retired spot on the banks of the Gomati!'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'Know that my name is Dharmaranya, and that I have\ncome hither for obtaining a sight of the Naga Padmanabha, O foremost of\nall regenerate persons. With him I have some business. I have heard that\nhe is not at home and that, therefore, I am not now near his present\nquarters. Like a Chataka waiting in expectation of the clouds, I am\nwaiting for him whom I regard as dear to me. For dispelling all evil from\nhim and bringing about what is beneficial to him, I am engaged in\nreciting the Vedas till he comes and am in Yoga and passing my time\nhappily.'\n\n\"'\"The Naga said, 'Verily, thy conduct is exceedingly good. Pious thou art\nand devoted to the good of all righteous persons. O highly blessed\nBrahmana, every praise is due to thee. Thou beholdest the Naga with eyes\nof affection. I am that Naga, O learned Rishi, whom thou seekest. Do thou\ncommand me, as thou wishest, in respect of what is agreeable to thee and\nwhat I should do for thee. Having heard from my spouse that thou art\nhere, I have approached this spot, O regenerate one, for beholding thee.\nWhen thou hast come hither, thou art certain to return hence with thy\nobject fulfilled. It behoveth thee, O foremost of regenerate persons, to\nemploy me to any task with all confidence. All of us have certainly been\npurchased by thee with thy merits,[1939] since thou, disregarding what is\nfor thy own good, hast employed thy time in seeking the good of\nourselves.'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'O highly blessed Naga, I have come hither, moved by\nthe desire of obtaining a sight of thee. I have come here, ignorant as I\nam with all things, for asking thee about something. O Naga, relying on\nthe Jiva-soul, I desire to attain to the Supreme Soul which is the end of\nthe Jiva-soul. I am neither attached to, nor dissociated from, the\nworld.[1940] Thou shinest with the effulgence of thy own merits covered\nby pure fame,--with an effulgence that is as agreeable as that of the\nmoon. O thou that livest on air alone, do thou first answer a question\nthat I wish to put to thee. Afterwards I shall inform thee of the object\nthat has brought me hither!'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCLXII\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'Thou goest away for dragging the one-wheeled car of\nVivaswat according to thy turn. It behoveth thee to describe to me\nanything wonderful that thou mayst have noticed in those regions through\nwhich thou sojournest!'\n\n\"'\"The Naga said, 'The divine Surya is the refuge or home of innumerable\nwonders. All the creatures that inhabit the three worlds have flowed from\nSurya. Innumerable Munis, crowned with ascetic success, together with all\nthe deities, reside in the rays of Surya like birds perching on the\nbranches of trees. What, again, can be more wonderful than this that the\nmighty Wind, emanating from Surya, takes refuge in his ray and thence\nyawns over the universe? What can be more wonderful than this, O\nregenerate Rishi, that Surya, dividing the Wind into many portions from\ndesire of doing good to all creatures, creates rain that falls in the\nrainy season? What can be more wonderful than this that the Supreme Soul,\nfrom within the solar disc, himself bathed in blazing effulgence, looketh\nupon the universe? What can be more wonderful than this that Surya has a\ndark ray which transforms itself into clouds charged with rain and pours\nshowers of rain when the season comes? What can be more wonderful than\nthis that drinking up for eight months the rain he pours down, he pours\nit down once again in the rainy season? In certain rays of Surya, the\nSoul of the universe is said to reside. From Him is the seed of all\nthings, and it is He that upholds the Earth with all her mobile and\nimmobile creatures. What can be more wonderful, O Brahmana, than this,\nthat the foremost of Purushas, eternal and mighty-armed, endued with\nexceeding effulgence, eternal, and without beginning and without end,\nresides in Surya? Listen however, to one thing I shall tell you now. It\nis the wonder of wonders. I have seen it in the clear sky, in consequence\nof my adjacence to Surya. In former times, one day at the hour of noon,\nwhile Surya was shining in all his glory and giving heat to everything we\nbeheld a Being coming towards Surya, who seemed to shine with effulgence\nthat was equal to that of Surya himself. Causing all the worlds to blaze\nup with his glory and filling them with his energy, he came, as I have\nalready told thee, towards Surya, rending the firmament, as it were, for\nmaking his path through it. The rays that emanated from his body seemed\nto resemble the blazing effulgence of libations of clarified butter\npoured into the sacrificial fire. In consequence of his energy and\nsplendour he could not be looked at. His form seemed to be indescribable.\nIndeed, he appeared to us to be like a second Surya. As soon as he came\nnear, Surya extended his two hands (for giving him a respectful\nreception). For honouring Surya in return, he also extended his\nright-hand. The latter then, piercing through the firmament, entered into\nSurya's disc. Mingling then with Surya's energy, he seemed to be\ntransformed into Surya's self. When the two energies thus met together,\nwe were so confounded that we could not any longer distinguish which was\nwhich. Indeed, we could not make out who was Surya whom we bore on his\ncar, and who was the Being that we had seen coming through the sky.\nFilled with confusion, we then addressed Surya, saying,--\"O illustrious\none who is this Being that has mixed himself with thee and has been\ntransformed into thy second self?\"'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCCLXIII\n\n\"'\"'Surya said, \"This Being is not the god of fire, he is not an Asura. Nor\nis he a Naga. He is a Brahmana who has attained to heaven in consequence\nof his having been crowned with success in the observance of the vow\ncalled Unccha.[1941] This person had subsisted upon fruits and roots and\nupon the fallen leaves of trees. He had sometimes subsisted upon water,\nand sometimes upon air alone, passing his days with concentrated soul.\nThe deity Mahadeva had been gratified by him with constant recitation of\nthe Samhitas. He had endeavoured to accomplish those acts that lead to\nheaven. Through the merits of those acts he hath now attained to heaven.\nWithout wealth and without desire of any kind, he had observed the vow\ncalled Unccha in the matter of his sustenance. This learned Brahmana, ye\nNagas, had been devoted to the good of all creatures. Neither deities,\nnor Gandharvas, nor Asuras, nor Nagas, can be regarded as superior to\nthose creatures that attain to this excellent end of coming into the\nsolar disc?\"--Even such, O regenerate one, was the wonderful incident that\nI beheld on that occasion. That Brahmana, who was crowned with success by\nthe observance of the Unccha vow and who thus obtained an end that\npersons crowned with ascetic success acquire, to this day, O regenerate\none, goes round the Earth, staying in the disc of Surya!'\"'\"\n\n\n\n[NOTE: There was no section CCLXIV in the source edition.--JBH]\n\nSECTION CCCLXV\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'Without doubt, this is very wonderful, O Naga, I\nhave been highly gratified by listening to thee. By these words of thine\nthat are fraught with subtile meaning, thou hast shown me the way I am to\nfollow. Blessed be thou, I desire to depart hence. O best of Nagas, thou\nshouldst recollect me now and then and enquire after me by sending thy\nservant.'\n\n\"'\"The Naga said, 'The object that brought thee here is still in thy\nbreast, for thou hast not as yet disclosed it to me. Where then wilt thou\ngo? Tell me, O regenerate one, what should be done by me, and what that\nobject is which brought thee hither. After the accomplishment of thy\nbusiness, whatever it is, expressed or unexpressed in speech, thou mayst\ndepart, O foremost of regenerate persons, saluting me and dismissed by me\ncheerfully, O thou of excellent vows. Thou hast conceived a friendship\nfor me. O regenerate Rishi, it behoveth thee not to depart from this\nplace after having only seen me, thyself sitting under the shade of this\ntree. Thou hast become dear to me and I have become dear to thee, without\ndoubt. All the persons in this city are thine. What objection then is\nthere, O sinless one, to pass some time in my house?--'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'It is even so, O thou of great wisdom, O Naga that\nhast acquired a knowledge of the soul. It is very true that the deities\nare not superior to thee in any respect. He that is thyself, is verily\nmyself, as he that is myself is truly thyself. Myself, thyself, and all\nother creatures, shall all have to enter into the Supreme Soul. Doubt\npenetrated my mind, O chief of Nagas, in the matter of the best means for\nwinning righteousness or merit. That doubt has been dispelled by thy\ndiscourse, for I have learnt the value of the Unccha vow. I shall hence\nfollow that which is so very efficacious in the matter of beneficial\nconsequences. That, O blessed one, has become my certain conclusion now,\nbased on excellent reasons. I take thy leave. Blessings to thee. My\nobject has been accomplished, O Naga.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Having saluted that foremost of Nagas in this way, the\nBrahmana (named Dharmaranya), firmly resolved to follow the Unccha mode\nof life, proceeded to the presence, O king, of Chyavana of Bhrigu's race,\nfrom desire of being formally instructed and initiated in that vow.[1942]\nChyavana performed the Samskara rites of the Brahmana and formally\ninitiated him into the Unccha mode of life. The son of Bhrigu, O monarch,\nrecited this history to king Janaka in his place. King Janaka, in his\nturn, narrated it to the celestial Rishi Narada of high soul. The\ncelestial Rishi Narada too, of stainless acts, repairing on one occasion\nto the abode of Indra, the chief of the deities, gave to Indra this\nhistory upon being asked by him. The chief of the celestials, having\nobtained it thus from Narada, recited this blessed history to a conclave\nconsisting of all the foremost Brahmanas, O monarch. On the occasion,\nagain, of my dreadful encounter with Rama of Bhrigu's race (on the field\nof Kurukshetra), the celestial Vasus, O king, recited this history to\nme.[1943] Asked by thee, O foremost of righteous men, I have recited this\nhistory that is excellent and sacred and fraught with great merit. Thou\nhadst asked me about what constitutes the highest duty, O king. This\nhistory is my answer to thy query. A brave man he was, O monarch, that\nbetook himself to the practice of the Unccha vow in this way, without\nexpectation of any fruit. Firmly resolved, that Brahmana, instructed, by\nthe chief of Nagas in this way about his duty, betook himself to the\npractice of Yama and Niyama, and subsisting the while upon such food as\nwas allowed by the Unccha vow, proceeded to another forest.\"'\"\n\nThe end of Santi Parva.\n\n\n\nFOOTNOTES\n\n1. Literally, the period of impurity. The period of mourning is the\nperiod of impurity, according to the Hindu scriptures. By performing the\nSraddha rite, one becomes pure again. Till then, one can perform no\nreligious rites.\n\n2. Literally, \"shall not appear to thee by inward light.\"\n\n3. The meaning is this, \"This weapon shall not dwell with thee up to thy\nlast moments. Thou shalt forget it or it shall not appear at thy bidding,\nwhen thy death becomes nigh, though at other times, thou mayst be master\nof it.\"\n\n4. The Kurus, our foes, having fallen in battle, have all gone to heaven,\nwhile grief has become our lot.\n\n5. Sanjata Valaratnesu is the true reading.\n\n6. The Bombay reading Jayaphalam is correct. The Bengal reading\nJammaphalam, however, is not unmeaning.\n\n7. What Yudhishthira says here is this: all the warriors that have been\nslain in this battle have perished, they have not attained to heaven; if,\nindeed, heaven has been theirs, then the slayers too would obtain heaven,\nthe scriptural ordinance having said so. It is impossible, however, to\nsuppose that men of wrath who have done such wicked deeds should obtain\nsuch regions of bliss hereafter.\n\n8. Pairs of opposites, such as heat and cold, joy and grief, etc. Comp.\nGita.\n\n9. Because wealth enables its possessor to practise the rites of religion.\n\n10. The sense is that when I will not wrong the denizens of even the\nwoods, there is little chance of my wronging men of the world.\n\n11. There is a class of recluses who support life by gathering the fallen\nfruits of trees. Taking the tree for a living person, they walk under its\nshade and beg of it its fruits. Those fruits that fall down on such\noccasions are regarded as the alms granted by the tree to its mendicant\nguest.\n\n12. All the possessions of a man depend upon the acts of a previous life.\nWives, children and kinsmen, therefore, as agents of happiness or the\nreverse, depend upon one's past acts. They are effects of pre-existing\ncauses. Then again, they may be causes of effects to be manifested in the\nnext life, for their acts also are supposed to affect the next life of\nhim to whom they belong.\n\n13. i.e., they for whom he acts do not take the consequences of his acts.\n\n14. Bhagena is explained by Nilakantha as swargaisysaryena.\n\n15. The sense is that as the Ordainer cannot be censured, therefore, that\nwhich He has ordained for the Kshatriyas cannot be deserving of censure.\n\n16. The meaning is that they who perform sacrifice and partake of the\nsacrificial food after offering it unto gods and guests, acquire such\nreligious merit that the like of it cannot be acquired by other men.\nSacrifice, therefore, is the highest act in life and the most meritorious\nthat man can do.\n\n17. The iti after vadi is really eti, the absence of sandhi in the proper\nform is Arsha. Literally rendered, the line becomes,--According to the\nmanner in which the person of firm conviction approaches the Soul, is the\nsuccess that he gets here. As the Srutis declare, if one firmly regards\noneself to be Siva, the success one attains here and hereafter is after\nthe kind of that deity.\n\n18. The brevity of such passages is the chief obstacle to their clear\ncomprehension. Fortunately the allusions are very plain. What is meant is\nthat those who die during the lighted fortnights of the summer solstice\nattain to solar regions of bliss. Those that die during the dark\nfortnights of the winter solstice, attain to lunar regions. These last\nhave to return after passing their allotted periods of enjoyment and\nhappiness. While those that are freed from attachments, whatever the time\nof their Death, go to Stellar regions which are equal to that of Brahma.\n\n19. Without attaining to the companionship of the gods and Pitris, and\nwithout obtaining Brahma, they sink in the scale of being and become\nworms and vermin.\n\n20. The sense is that the gods themselves have become so by action.\n\n21. The first word is compounded of an and astika.\n\n22. Deva-yana is the Yana or way along which the deities have gone, the\nstrict observance of the Vedic rites.\n\n23. Renouncer of his own self, because he dries up his very body by\ndenying himself food.\n\n24. Such a person also is not a true renouncer. For a Kshatriya, again,\nsuch a mode of life would be sinful.\n\n25. Nilakantha thinks that the object of this verse is to show that even\nsuch a life properly appertains to a Brahmana and not to a Kshatriya.\nTherefore, if Yudhishthira would, without reigning, live quietly in the\nkingdom governed by some brother of his, he would then be equally sinning.\n\n26. Acts done from vanity, i.e., with the bragging consciousness of one\nbeing himself the actor and the arranger of everything. Acts done from a\nspirit of renunciation, i.e., without hope of reaping their fruits.\n\n27. The threefold aims, i.e., Religion, Pleasure and Profit.\n\n28. Antarala is thus explained by Nilakantha.\n\n29. Sariram is contra-distinguished from Vahyam. The first is explained\nas appertaining to or encased in Sarira, i.e., the mind.\n\n30. What Sahadeva wishes to say is that everything proceeds from\nselfishness is productive of death, while everything proceeding from an\nopposite frame of mind leads to Brahma or immortality.\n\n31. The meaning entirely depends upon the word Swabhavam, manifestation\nof self. In the second line, if Vrittam be read for Bhutam the sense\nwould remain unaltered.\n\n32. The three kinds of angas referred to, as explained by Nilakantha are\n(1) the strength that depends on the master, (2) that depending on good\ncounsels, and (3) that depending on the perseverance and the courage of\nthe men themselves.\n\n33. Literally, \"crushed with the rod of chastisement.\"\n\n34. Censure is the only punishment for a Brahmana offender. A Kshatriya\nmay be punished by taking away all property, but care should be taken to\ngive him food sufficient for maintaining life. A Vaisya should be\npunished by forfeiture of possessions. There is practically no punishment\nfor a Sudra, for being unable to possess wealth, dispossession of wealth\ncannot be a punishment in his case; again, service being his duty, the\nimposition of labour on him cannot be a punishment. For all that, hard\nwork may be imposed upon him.\n\n35. A fisherman who would not slay fish would go without food.\n\n36. The sense is that if in supporting life one kills these creatures, he\ndoes not in any way commit sin.\n\n37. Bhoga is explained by Nilakantha as Palanaya (maryyadaya).\n\n38. The meaning seems to be that the milch cow suffers herself to be\nmilked, only through fear of chastisement, and maidens also marry,\nwithout practising free love, through fear of chastisement by the king,\nsociety, or Yama in the next world.\n\n39. If this does not come up to the grossness of the doctrine--spare the\nrod and ruin the child,--it at least is plain that the fear of being\nregarded a dunce and a fool and incurring the ridicule or displeasure of\nthe tutor and class-mates, induces one to acquire knowledge.\n\n40. The illustration used by the commentator is that it is better to kill\nthe tiger that has invaded the fold than remain quiet for fear of\ninjuring that beast of prey and commit sin. For that slaughter there is\nmerit, for if not slaughtered, the beast will slaughter the kine before\nthe spectator's eyes and the latter would incur sin by passively\nwitnessing the sight. At any rate, to be more general, it is better to\ninjure, says Arjuna, from righteous motives than not to injure from fear\nof sin.\n\n41. Otherwise named phlegm, bile and wind.\n\n42. The sense is that thou wert ever superior to joy and grief and never\nsufferedst thyself, to be elated with joy or depressed with grief.\n\n43. The argument seems to be this: if it is thy nature to call back thy\nwoes even when happiness is before thee, why dost thou not then recollect\nthe insult to your wife? The recollection of this insult will fill thee\nwith wrath and convince thee that in slaying thy foes,--those insulters\nof thy wife--thou hast acted very properly.\n\n44. The meaning is that in consequence of thy abandonment of prosperity\nand kingdom and, therefore, of the means of effecting thy salvation by\nsacrifice and gifts and other act of piety, thou shalt have to be\nre-born and to renew this mental battle with thy doubts.\n\n45. This is a difficult verse, and I am not sure that I have understood\nit correctly. Gantavyam is explained by Nilakantha as connected with\nparamavyaktarupasya. According to Nilakantha, this means that thou\nshouldst go to, i.e. conquer, and identify thyself with, the param or foe\nof that which is of unmanifest form, the mind; of course, this would mean\nthat Yudhishthira should identify himself with his own soul, for it is\nthe soul which is his foe and with which he is battling. Such conquest\nand identification implies the cessation of the battle and, hence, the\nattainment of tranquillity.\n\n46. The condition of Draupadi's lock,--i.e., thou hast been restored to\nthe normal condition. Draupadi had kept her locks dishevelled since the\nday they had been seized by Duhsasana. After the slaughter of the Kurus,\nthose locks were bound up as before, or restored to their normal\ncondition.\n\n47. The Bengal tiger acts as a fisher to both animals and men. When the\ntiger goes on a fishing expedition, what it usually does is to catch\nlarge fishes from shallow streams and throw them landwards far from the\nwater's edge. The poor beast is very often followed, unperceived, by the\nsmaller carnivorous animals, and sometimes by bands of fishermen. I have\nseen large fishes with the claw-marks of the tiger on them exposed for\nsale in a village market.\n\n48. The sense seems to be that unless kings perform such penances they\ncannot escape hell. Such penances, however, are impossible for them as\nlong as they are in the midst of luxuries. To accept wealth and not use\nit, therefore, is impracticable.\n\n49. i.e., Thou art not liberated from desire.\n\n50. The false speech, in this instance, consists in professing one's self\nto be really unattached while enjoying wealth and power, i.e., the\nhypocritical profession of renunciation in the midst of luxuries. As\nalready said by Yudhishthira, such renunciation is impracticable.\n\n51. The path of the Pitris means the course of Vedic rites by which one\nattains to bliss hereafter. The path of the gods means the abandonment of\nreligious rites for contemplation and pious conduct.\n\n52. This truth has been expressed in various forms of language in various\npassages of the Mahabharata. The fact is, the unification of infinite\nvariety and its identification with the Supreme Soul is attainment of\nBrahma. One, therefore, that has attained to Brahma ceases to regard\nhimself as separate from the rest of the universe. Selfishness, the root\nof sin and injury, disappears from him.\n\n53. i.e., Sacrifice.\n\n54. Literally, 'thy resolution is of one kind, while thy acts are of\nanother kind!'\n\n55. Paratantreshu is explained by Nilakantha as \"dependent on destiny.\"\nIf this means the fate that connects one's present life with the acts of\na former one, the explanation is not incorrect. The more obvious meaning,\nhowever, is \"dependent on action.\"\n\n56. A wedded wife is the companion of one's religious acts.\n\n57. Thou shouldst not, therefore, abandon action.\n\n58. The meaning seems to be this: if a person can truly act up to his\nresolution of complete renunciation of everything, then that person\nstands alone in the midst of the world, and he is nobody's, and nobody is\nhis. Hence, he can neither be pleased nor displeased with any one. King\nJanaka's abandonment, therefore, of wife and kingdom, is inconsistent\nwith that perfect renunciation or withdrawal of self within self. He\nmight continue to enjoy his possessions without being at all attached to\nor affected by them.\n\n59. Such libations, to be efficacious, ought to be poured upon fires\nproperly kindled with mantras.\n\n60. Therefore, Janaka should resume his kingdom and practise charity;\notherwise, religious mendicants would be undone.\n\n61. Such an man might rule even a kingdom without forfeiting his title to\nbe regarded a mendicant, for he might rule without attachment.\n\n62. Refers to the well-known definition of the soul or mind in the Nyaya\nphilosophy, which says that it is distinguished by the attributes of\ndesire, aversion, will, pleasure and pain, and the cognitive faculties.\n\n63. The soul, though really bereft of attributes, nevertheless revolves\nin a round among creatures, i.e., enters other bodies on the dissolution\nof those previously occupied. The reason of this round or continual\njourney is Avidya or illusion, viz., that absence of true knowledge in\nconsequence of which men engage themselves in action. When the soul is\nfreed from this Avidya, action ceases, and the soul becomes revealed in\nits true nature, which consists in the absence of all attributes.\n\n64. Hetumantah Panditah means--learned in the science of reasoning;\nDridhapurve is explained by Nilakantha as persons endued with strong\nconvictions of a past life: Suduravartah means difficult of being made to\nunderstand.\n\n65. The sense is that instead of performing sacrifices after acquisition\nof wealth, it is better not to perform sacrifices if they cannot be\nperformed without wealth. Nilakantha, by interpreting Dhanahetu as\nsacrifices which have wealth for the means of their accomplishment, would\ncome to this meaning directly.\n\n66. Atmanam is explained by Nilakantha as meaning something that is\nregarded as dear as self, i.e., wealth. Such a person incurs the sin of\nkilling a foetus, because that sin proceeds from killing one's own self.\nImproper use of wealth is, of course, regarded as killing one's own self.\n\n67. The Srutis declare that he who frightens others is frightened\nhimself; while he who frightens not, is not himself frightened. The\nfruits won by a person correspond with his practices. Yudhishthira is,\ntherefore, exhorted to take the sovereignty, for sovereignty, righteously\nexercised and without attachment, will crown him with bliss hereafter.\n\n68. Naikam na chapare is explained by Nilakantha thus. Literally, this\nmeans that it is not that others do not (praise) ekam or contemplation,\ni.e., some there are that praise contemplation or meditation.\n\n69. Literally, the absence of contentment with present prosperity.\n\n70. Adadana is explained as a robber or one who forcibly takes other\npeople's property. Some texts read nareswarah. The sense should remain\nunaltered.\n\n71. Manu also mentions a sixth of the produce as the king's share.\n\n72. Santyakatatma is explained by Nilakantha as without pride or resigned\nself.\n\n73. Yoga is explained as vigour in action, nyasa as the abandonment of\npride.\n\n74. And that have, by their death, escaped from all grief.\n\n75. Murcchitah is explained by Nilakantha as Vardhitah.\n\n76. True knowledge is knowledge of Brahma. What is said here is that our\nconduct (acts) should be framed according to the opinion of persons\npossessed of such knowledge.\n\n77. What the poet says here is this: it is better not to wish for or\ncovet wealth as a means for the performance of sacrifices than to covet\nit for performing sacrifices. A poor man will act better by not\nperforming sacrifices at all than by performing them with wealth acquired\nby the usual means.\n\n78. The meaning is that I must undergo such a severe penance in order\nthat in my next life I may not be born as an inferior animal but\nsucceed in taking birth among men.\n\n79. Even such i.e., spring from such causes.\n\n80. Man covets freedom from decay and immortality, but instead of\nobtaining what he covets for, decay and death become his portion on Earth.\n\n81. i.e., these appear and disappear in the course of Time.\n\n82. Literally, the science of Life.\n\n83. This inevitable and broad path is the path of Life. What is said here\nis that every creature is subject to birth.\n\n84. The first line of this verse refers to the disputed question of\nwhether the body exists independent of life, or the creature exists\nindependent of the body. This is much disputed by Hindu philosophers. The\ngross body may be dissolved, but the linga sarira (composed of the\nsubtlest elements) exists as a cause for the unborn Soul. This is\nmaintained by many.\n\n85. Param here is explained by Nilakantha as Paramatma. Pay court i.e.,\nseek to obtain and enjoy them.\n\n86. This sacrifice is one in which the performer parts with all his\nwealth.\n\n87. Vasumati means possessed of wealth (from Vasu and the syllable mat).\n\n88. The Bengal reading chainam in the first line of 31 is better than the\nBombay reading chetya, which, Nilakantha explains, means chetanavan bhava.\n\n89. These seven sacrifices were the Agnishtoma, the Atyagnishtoma, the\nUkthya, the Shodashi, the Vajapeya, the Atiratra, and the Aptoryama. Each\nof these required the consecration of the Soma.\n\n90. The expression used is \"He caused one umbrella only to be set up.\"\nThe custom is well-known that none but kings could cause umbrellas to be\nheld over their heads.\n\n91. Kanwa had brought up in his retreat Bharata's mother Sakuntala who\nhad been deserted, immediately after her birth, by her mother, Menaka,\nBharata himself was born in Kanwa's retreat.\n\n92. Jaruthyan is explained by Nilakantha as Stutyan. It may also mean\nTriguna-dakshinan.\n\n93. The legend about the bringing down of Ganga is very beautiful. Ganga\nis nothing else than the melted form of Vishnu. For a time she dwelt in\nthe pot (Kamandalu) of Brahman. The ancestors of Bhagiratha having\nperished through Kapila's curse, Bhagiratha resolved to rescue their\nspirits by calling down Ganga from heaven and causing her sacred waters\nto roll over the spot where their ashes lay. He succeeded in carrying out\nhis resolution after conquering many difficulties. Urvasi literally means\none who sits on the lap.\n\n94. Triple-coursed, because Ganga is supposed to have one stream in\nheaven, one on the earth, and a third in the nether regions.\n\n95. The sense, I think, is that such was the profusion of Dilipa's wealth\nthat no care was taken for keeping gold-decked elephants within guarded\nenclosures.\n\n96. Satadhanwan is explained by Nilakantha as one whose bow is capable of\nbearing a hundred Anantas.\n\n97. Literally, \"Me he shall suck.\"\n\n98. The Burdwan translators take Asita and Gaya as one person called\nAsitangaya, and K.P. Singha takes Anga and Vrihadratha to be two\ndifferent persons. Of course, both are wrong.\n\n99. Samyapat is explained as hurling a heavy piece of wood. What it meant\nhere is that Yayati, having erected an altar, took up and hurled a piece\nof wood forward, and upon the place where it fell, erected another altar.\nIn this way he proceeded till he reached the very sea shore.\n\n100. Dakshinah is explained by Nilakantha as men possessed of Dakshya. It\nmay mean liberal-minded men.\n\n101. Literally, 'there was but one umbrella opened on the earth in his\ntime.'\n\n102. The word in the original is nala. Nilakantha supposes that it has\nbeen so used for the sake of rhythm, the correct form being nalwa,\nmeaning a distance of four hundred cubits.\n\n103. Literally, one whose excreta are gold.\n\n104. A Kshatriya should protect a Brahmana in respect of his penances and\na Vaisya in respect of the duties of his order. Whatever impediments a\nBrahmana or a Vaisya might encounter in the discharge of his duties, must\nbe removed by a Kshatriya.\n\n105. i.e., thou shouldst think that the consequences of all acts must\nattach to the Supreme Being himself, he being the urger of us all.\n\n106. Na Para etc., i.e., there is no Supreme Being and no next world.\n\n107. No one being free in this life, all one's acts being the result of\nprevious acts, there can be no responsibility for the acts of this life.\n\n108. The manner in which this great battle has been brought about shows\nevidence of design and not mere Chance. Nilakantha reads hatam which is\nevidently wrong. There can be no doubt that the correct reading is hatham.\n\n109. Nilakantha explains this in a different way. He thinks that the\nexpression Kritantavidhisanjuktah means,--'through their own faults.'\n\n110. The performer of a hundred sacrifices.\n\n111. i.e., charges his pupils a fee for teaching them the scriptures.\n\n112. i.e., not in a sacrifice.\n\n113. Jighansiat is Jighansi and iat, i.e., may proceed with intention to\nslay.\n\n114. i.e., one who knows that the Soma is used in sacrifices for\ngratifying the gods.\n\n115. The rule laid down is that he should eat in the morning for the\nfirst three days, in the evening for the second three days, eat nothing\nbut what is got without soliciting, for the next three days, and fast\naltogether for the three days that follow. This is called\nKrischara-bhojana. Observing this rule for six years, one may be cleansed\nof the sin of slaying a Brahmana.\n\n116. The harder rule referred to is eating in the morning for seven days;\nin the evening for the next seven days; eating what is got without\nsoliciting, for the next seven days; and fasting altogether for the next\nseven.\n\n117. These are the five products of the cow, besides earth, water, ashes,\nacids and fire.\n\n118. Appropriation etc., as in the case of the king imposing fines on\noffenders and appropriating them to the uses of the state. Untruth, as\nthat of the loyal servant or follower for protecting the life of his\nmaster. Killing, as that of an offender by the king, or in the exercise\nof the right of self-defence.\n\n119. There were, as now, persons with whom the reading or recitation of\nthe scriptures was a profession. The functions of those men were not\nunlike those of the rhapsodists of ancient Greece.\n\n120. i.e., one possessed of a knowledge of the Vedas.\n\n121. With very slight verbal alterations, this verse, as also the first\nhalf or the next, like many others, occurs in Manu, Vide Manu, Ch. II, V,\n157-58.\n\n122. Pratyasanna-vyasaninam is explained by Nilakantha as 'I stand near\nthese distressed brothers of mine' (for whose sake only I am for\naccepting sovereignty). This is certainly very fanciful. The plain\nmeaning is, 'I am about to lay down my life.'\n\n123. The priest of the Kauravas.\n\n124. Sami is the Acacia suma; Pippala is the Piper longum; and Palasa is\nthe Butea frondosa. Udumvara is the Ficus glomerata.\n\n125. These are peace, war, marching, halting, sowing dissensions, and\ndefence of the kingdom by seeking alliances and building forts, &c.\n\n126. For if he had acted otherwise, he would have been called ungrateful.\n\n127. The literal meaning of Purusha, as applied to the Supreme Being, is\n'One that pervades all forms in the Universe.'\n\n128. i.e., Aditi and of Aditi's self as born in different shapes at\ndifferent times.\n\n129. Yugas may mean either the three ages Krita, Treta and Dwapara, or,\nthe three pairs such as Virtue and Knowledge, Renunciation and Lordship,\nand Prosperity and Fame.\n\n130. Virat is one superior to an Emperor and Swarat is one superior to a\nVirat.\n\n131. Vishnu, assuming the form of a dwarf, deluded the Asura Vali into\ngiving away unto him three worlds which he forthwith restored to Indra.\n\n132. The son of Uttanapada, who in the Krita age had adored Vishnu at a\nvery early age and obtained the most valuable boons.\n\n133. Sudharman was the priest of the Kurus. How came Dhaumya, who was the\npriest of the Pandavas, to have from before an abode in the Kuru capital?\n\n134. This is an allusion to Krishna's having covered the three worlds\nwith three of his steps for deluding the Asura Vali and depriving him of\nuniversal sovereignty.\n\n135. There are three states of consciousness in the case of ordinary men,\nviz., waking, dream, and sound sleep. The fourth state, realisable by\nYogins alone, is called Turiya. It is the state of perfect\nunconsciousness of this world, when the soul, abstracted within itself,\nis said to be fixed upon the Supreme Being or some single object.\n\n136. Mind, as used generally in Hindu philosophy, is the seat of the\nsenses and the feelings. Buddhi is the Understanding or the cognitive\nfaculties of the Kantian school. The Bombay reading of the second line is\ncorrect. It is Gunadevah Kshetrajne etc. Nilakantha correctly explains it\nas Savdadiguna-bhajodevah, i.e., the senses.\n\n137. The Supreme Being is called here and elsewhere Hansa, i.e., swan,\nbecause as the swan is supposed to transcend all winged creatures in the\nrange of its flight, so the Supreme Being transcends all creatures in the\nuniverse. He is called That, as in the Vedic formula of Praise, \"Thou art\nThat,\" meaning, \"Thou art inconceivable and incapable of being described\nin words.\"\n\n138. Created things have attributes. It is Brahma only that has no\nattributes, in the sense that no attributes with which we are familiar\ncan be affirmed of him.\n\n139. The Vaks are the mantras; the Anuvaks are those portions of the\nVedas which are called Brahmanas; the Nishads are those portions of the\nVedic ritual which lead to an acquaintance with the gods. The Upanishads\nare those portions which treat exclusively of the knowledge of the Soul.\n\n140. Quadruple soul, i.e., Brahma, Jiva, Mind, and Consciousness. The\nfour names under which the Supreme Being is adored by the faithful are\nVasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha.\n\n141. Penances are ever present in thee, in the sense thou art never\nwithout them, penances constituting thy essence. Performed by creatures,\nthey live in thy limbs, in the sense that penances performed are never\nlost.\n\n142. In ancient India, the Rishis living in the woods got their fire by\nrubbing two sticks together. These they called Arani. Brahma on earth is\nexplained by Nilakantha to mean the Vedas, the Brahmanas, and the\nSacrifices.\n\n143. These are the twelve Adityas or chief gods.\n\n144. Thou art pure Knowledge and resident beyond the darkness of\nignorance. I bow to thee not in any of those forms in which thou art\nordinarily adored but in that form of pure light which Yogins only can\nbehold by spiritual sight.\n\n145. The five libations are Dhana, Karambha, Parivapa, and water. The\nseven woofs are the seven mantras (Cchandas) predominating in the Vedic\nhymns, such as Gayatri, etc.\n\n146. The Prajapatis who are the creators of the universe performed a\nsacrifice extending for a thousand years. The Supreme Being appeared in\nthat sacrifice as an act of grace to the sacrificers.\n\n147. Sandhis are those changes of contiguous vowels (in compounding two\nwords) that are required by the rules of euphony. Akshara is literally a\ncharacter or letter; word made up of characters or letters.\n\n148. The manifest is the body. The Rishis seek thy unmanifest self within\nthe body, in their own hearts. Kshetra is buddhi or intelligence. The\nSupreme Being is called Kshetrajna because he knows every mind.\nIntelligence or mind is one of his forms.\n\n149. The sixteen attributes are the eleven senses and the five elements\nin their subtle forms called Mahabhutas. Added to this is Infinity. The\nSupreme Being, according to the Sankhya doctrine, is thus the embodiment\nof the number seventeen. Thy form as conceived by the Sankhyas, i.e., thy\nform as Number.\n\n150. In cases of those that are reborn, there is always a residuum of sin\nand merit for which they have, in their earthly life, to suffer and\nenjoy. In the case, however, of those that have betaken themselves to a\nlife of renunciation the great endeavour is to exhaust this residuum.\n\n151. i.e. that which is chewed, that which is sucked, that which is\nlicked, and that which is drunk.\n\n152. All creatures are stupefied by love and affection. The great end\nwhich the Yogins propose to themselves is to tear those bonds rising\nsuperior to all the attractions of the flesh to effect their deliverance\nor emancipation from rebirth.\n\n153. i.e. Brahmacharin.\n\n154. Linum usitatissimun.\n\n155. Samsara is the world or worldly life characterised by diverse\nattachments. Reflection on Hari frees one from those attachments. Or,\nSamsara may mean the repeated deaths and births to which the\nunemancipated soul is subject. Contemplation of the divine Being may\nprevent such repeated births and deaths by leading to emancipation.\n\n156. i.e. One that goes thither is not subject to rebirth.\n\n157. The Vedas constitute the speech of the Supreme Being. Everything\nabout morality occurs in them.\n\n158. Literally, 'Everything thou knowest shall appear to thee by inward\nlight.'\n\n159. The sense is, I who have already the full measure of fame can\nscarcely add to my fame by doing or saying anything.\n\n160. Literally,--'the eternal bridge of virtue.'\n\n161. In the sense of being liberal. A king should not too minutely\nenquire into what is done with the things belonging to him.\n\n162. Literally, 'worthy of being used by the king.'\n\n163. Literally 'the Brahmana that would not leave his home.' The verse\nhas been quoted in this very Parvan previously.\n\n164. These seven limbs are the king, army, counsellors, friends,\ntreasury, territory, and forts.\n\n165. These six are peace (with a foe that is stronger), war (with one of\nequal strength), marching (to invade the dominions of one who is weaker),\nhalting, seeking protection (if weak in one's own fort), and sowing\ndissensions (among the chief officers of the enemy).\n\n166. Asambhayan is explained by Nilakantha as 'incapable of being\noverreached by foes.'\n\n167. In the sense that without royal protection, the world soon comes to\ngrief.\n\n168. The duties of the cow-herd should lead him to the fields. If without\nmanifesting any inclination for going to the fields he likes to loiter\nwithin the village he should not be employed. Similarly the barber's\nduties require his presence within the village. If without being present\nthere he likes to wander in the woods, he should never be employed, for\nit may then be presumed that he is wanting in that skill which experience\nand habit bring. These two verses are often quoted in conversation by\nboth the learned and unlearned equally.\n\n169. Eloquent Brahmanas learned in the scriptures are heroes of speech.\nGreat Kshatriya kings are heroes of exertion.\n\n170. Men, by pouring libations of clarified butter on sacrificial fires,\nfeed the gods. The latter, fed by those libations, pour rain on the earth\nwhence men derive their sustenance. Men therefore are said to pour\nupwards and the gods pour downwards.\n\n171. Conversation in respect of the wealth of traders and merchants;\nGrowth in respect of the penances of ascetics; and Destruction in respect\nof thieves and wicked men. All these depend upon Chastisement.\n\n172. The Burdwan Pundits have been very careless in translating the Santi\nParva. Their version is replete with errors in almost every page. They\nhave rendered verse 78 in a most ridiculous way. The first line of the\nverse merely explains the etymology of the word Dandaniti, the verb ni\nbeing used first in the passive and then in the active voice. The idam\nrefers to the world, i.e., men in general. K.P. Singha's version of the\nSanti is better, and, of course, gives the correct sense of this verse.\n\n173. Literally, rose above the five in the sense of having renounced the\nworld. The Burdwan Pundits erroneously render it \"died.\"\n\n174. A Manwantara is a very long period of time, not unequal to a\ngeological age.\n\n175. \"Numbered among human gods,\" i.e., among kings.\n\n176. The correct reading is charanishpanda as given in the Bombay edition.\n\n177. In both the vernacular versions the second line of 130 has been\nrendered wrongly. The two lines are quite unconnected with each other.\nNilakantha rightly supposes that Karyam is understood after Mahikshitah.\nKarana, however, is not kriya as explained by Nilakantha but\nopportunities and means.\n\n178. Nilakantha explains this verse erroneously. He thinks that the\nmeaning is--\"The king becomes obedient to that person who beholds his\nface to be amiable, etc., etc.\" It should be borne in mind that Bhishma\nis answering Yudhishthira's query as to why the whole world adores one\nman. One of the reasons is a mysterious influence which induces every man\nwho beholds the amiable face of the king to render him homage.\n\n179. The difference between a Ritwija and a Purohita is that the former\nis engaged on special occasions, while the services of the latter are\npermanent and constant.\n\n180. viz., returning unwounded from battle.\n\n181. For without battle, he cannot extend his kingdom and acquire wealth\nto give away and meet the expenses of sacrifices.\n\n182. A Beshtana is literally a cloth tied round (the head); hence, a\nturban or pagree. The word Ousira is applied to both beds and seats. The\nHindu Upanaha had wooden soles.\n\n183. The Burdwan Pundits understand this verse to mean that the Sudra\nshould offer the funeral cake unto his sonless master and support masters\nif old and weak. There can be little doubt that they are wrong.\n\n184. Atirekena evidently means 'with excessive zeal.' Nilakantha explains\nit as 'with greater zeal than that which is shown in supporting his own\nrelations.' It cannot mean, as K.P. Singha puts it, 'with the surplus left\nafter supporting his own relations.'\n\n185. A Paka-yajna is a minor sacrifice, such as the propitiation of a\nplanet foreboding evil, or worship offered to the inferior deities called\nViswadevas. A Purnapatra is literally a large dish or basket full of\nrice. It should consist of 256 handfuls. Beyond a Purnapatra, the Sudra\nshould not give any other Dakshina in any sacrifice of his.\n\n186. This ordinance lays down that the Dakshina should be a hundred\nthousand animals such as kine or horses. In the case of this particular\nSudra, that ordinance (without its mantras) was followed, and a hundred\nthousand Purnapatras were substituted for kine or horses of that number.\n\n187. Hence the Sudra, by devotion to the members of the three other\nclasses, may earn the merit of sacrifices though he is not competent to\nutter mantras.\n\n188. For this reason the Sudra earns the merit of the sacrifices\nperformed by their Brahmana masters and progenitors.\n\n189. The Brahmana conversant with the Vedas is himself a god. The Sudra,\nthough incompetent to read the Vedas and utter Vedic mantras, has\nPrajapati for his god whom he can worship with rites other than those\nlaid down in the Vedas. The Brahmanas have Agni for their god, and the\nKshatriyas, Indra. Upadravah means a servant or attendant, hence, a Sudra.\n\n190. Sacrifices are performed by the body, by words, and by the mind. The\nBrahmana can perform sacrifices by all the three. The Kshatriya and the\nVaisya cannot perform sacrifices by means of their bodies. They must\nemploy Brahmanas in their sacrifices. These two orders, however, can\nutter mantras and perform mental sacrifices. The Sudra alone cannot\nemploy his body or utter mantras in sacrifices. The holy sacrifice in his\ncase is the mental sacrifice. A mental sacrifice is a resolve to give\naway in honour of the gods or unto the gods without the aid of the Vedic\nritual. The resolve must be followed by actual gifts.\n\n191. i.e.. for the Sudras also.\n\n192. All sacrificial fires, as a rule, are procured from the houses of\nVaisyas. The sacrificial fire of the Sudra is called Vitana.\n\n193. Though originally one, the Vedas have become diverse. Similarly,\nfrom the Brahmana, who created first, all the rest have sprung.\n\n194. Literally, 'with eyes, head, and face on all sides.'\n\n195. The sense seems to be that influenced by past acts everyone acts in\nsubsequent lives. If he is a hunter in this life, it is because the\ninfluence of many cruel acts of a past life pursues him even in this.\n\n196. Men, therefore, have not always balances of good acts to their\ncredit. These are, however, free agents; the new acts they do determine\nthe character of their next lives.\n\n197. i.e., Their services as priests should not be taken.\n\n198. Although I adopt Nilakantha's explanation of Susrushu here, yet I\nthink that word may be taken here, as elsewhere, to have been used in the\nsense of one doing (menial) service.\n\n199. The king is entitled to a sixth of the merits acquired by his\nsubjects. The total merit, therefore, of the king, arising from\nrenunciation, is very great. Besides, the merit of every kind of\nrenunciation belongs to him in that way.\n\n200. i.e., for ascertaining whether kingly duties are superior to those\nlaid down for the several modes of life.\n\n201. Probably, in the sense of there being exceptions and limitations in\nrespect to them.\n\n202. i.e., 'spread confusion on earth.'\n\n203. The sense seems to be that having failed, after such comparison, to\nresolve their doubts, they waited upon Vishnu.\n\n204. The Bengal reading satwatah seems to be an error. The Bombay text\nhas saswatah.\n\n205. Yama is explained by Nilakantha to mean Kshatriya dharmena.\n\n206. Nilakantha thinks that Lingantargatam means omniscient. He is for\ntaking this verse to mean--'Listen now to those duties about which thou\naskest my omniscient self.' Bhishma having acquired omniscience through\nKrishna's boon, refers to it here. The interpretation seems to be very\nfar-fetched.\n\n207. That object is Brahma.\n\n208. i.e.. such a man acquires the merits of all the modes of life.\n\n209. Dasadharmagatam is explained by Nilakantha as 'overcome with fear,\netc.' Keeps his eye on the duties of all men,' i.e., protects all men in\nthe discharge of their duties.\n\n210. If this verse has a reference to kings, nyastadandah would mean one\nwho punishes without wrath.\n\n211. In this and the preceding verse, Sattwa, without being taken as used\nfor intelligence, may be taken to mean 'the quality of goodness' as well.\n\n212. Anidram is explained by Nilakantha as a kingdom where anarchy\nprevails, sleeplessness being its certain indication.\n\n213. The sense seems to be that men patiently bear the injuries inflicted\nupon them by others, without seeking to right themselves by force,\nbecause they can invoke the king to punish the offenders. If there were\nno kings, immediate vengeance for even the slightest injuries would be\nthe universal practice.\n\n214. i.e., becoming foremost and happy here, attains to blessedness\nhereafter.\n\n215. The Wind is said to be the charioteer of Fire, because whenever\nthere is a conflagration, the Wind, appearing aids in extending it.\n\n216. i.e., no one should covet the possessions of the king.\n\n217. Kalya means able or strong; anakrandam is 'without allies';\nanantaram means, 'without friends'; and Vyasaktam is 'engaged at war with\nanother.'\n\n218. Tatparah is explained by Nilakantha as Karshanaparah.\n\n219. I follow Nilakantha in reading this verse.\n\n220. Chaitya trees are those that are regarded holy and unto which\nworship is offered by the people.\n\n221. Nilakantha thinks that ucchvasa means breath or air. The small\ndoors, he thinks, are directed to be kept for the admission of air.\n\n222. The tirthas are eighteen in number, such as the council-room etc.\n\n223. Pays off his debt, i.e., discharges his obligations to the subjects.\n\n224. The ablative has here the sense of \"towards.\"\n\n225. The correct reading seems to be sreshtham and not srishtam. If the\nlatter reading be preferred, it would mean \"the age called Krita that\ncomes in Time's course.\"\n\n226. i.e., these are the true sources of the royal revenue.\n\n227. The meaning is that if a king attends only to the acquisition of\nwealth, he may succeed in acquiring wealth, but he will never succeed in\nearning religious merit.\n\n228. Literally, 'never flourishes.'\n\n229. The charcoal-maker uproots trees and plants, and burns them for\nproducing his stock-in-trade. The flowerman, on the other hand, waters\nhis trees and plants, and gathers only their produce.\n\n230. Dharmakosha literally means the 'repository of all duties.'\n\n231. Children is a euphemism for subjects, suggested by the word pitris\nto which it is antithetical.\n\n232. Mahapathika is believed to mean a person making a voyage by the sea\nor the ocean, The literal meaning seems to be 'a person making a long or\ndistant voyage.'\n\n233. A Ritwij is a priest employed on a special occasion. A Purohita is\none who always acts as a priest.\n\n234. Ama is raw food, such as paddy or uncooked rice, or fruits, etc.\n\n235. The allusion is to such men as Utanka and Parasara, who although\nthey performed such cruel acts as the snake-sacrifice and the Rakshasa\nsacrifice, were none-the-less entitled to heaven. So Kshatriya kings, by\ninvading the kingdoms of their foes and slaying thousands of Mali and\nanimals, are nevertheless regarded to be righteous and ultimately go to\nheaven.\n\n236. Kshatrarthe, i.e., for protecting the subjects. Anya means someone\nwho is not a Kshatriya. Abhibhavet means 'subdues.'\n\n237. Idam sastram pratidhanam na is thus explained by Nilakantha. In\ncases of incapacity, again, to give the prescribed Dakshina, the\nsacrificer is directed to give away all he has. This direction or command\nis certainly terrible, for who can make up his mind to part with all his\nwealth for completing a sacrifice?\n\n238. The falsehood consists in finding substitutes for the Dakshina\nactually laid down. They are morsels of cooked food for a living cow, a\ngrain of barley for a piece of cloth; a copper coin for gold; etc.\n\n239. The fact is that although the sacrificer may not be able to give the\nDakshina actually laid down in the Vedas, yet by giving its substitute he\ndoes not lose any merit, for a single Purnapatra (256 handfuls of rice)\nis as efficacious if given away with devotion, as the richest Dakshina.\n\n240. i.e., such a sacrifice, instead of producing no merit, becomes the\nmeans of extending the cause of sacrifices. In other words, such a\nsacrifice is fraught with merit.\n\n241. A Pavitra is made by a couple of Kusa blades for sprinkling\nclarified butter upon the sacrificial fire.\n\n242. The fact is that Ahuka and Akrura were bitterly opposed to each\nother. Both of them, however, loved Krishna. Ahuka always advised Krishna\nto shun Akrura, and Akrura always advised him to shun Ahuka. Krishna\nvalued the friendship of both and could ill dispense with either. What he\nsays here is that to have them both is painful and yet not to have them\nboth is equally painful.\n\n243. The belief is still current that a wounded snake is certain to seek\nvengeance even if the person that has wounded it places miles of distance\nbetween himself and the reptile. The people of this country, therefore,\nalways kill a snake outright and burn it in fire if they ever take it.\n\n244. i.e., as long as they are paid and have in their hands what has been\ngiven to them.\n\n245. i.e., shows these virtues in his conduct.\n\n246. Tryavarah is explained by Nilakantha as \"not less than three.\" The\nnumber laid down generally is five. In no case it should be less than\nthree.\n\n247. Water-citadels are those that are surrounded on all sides by a river\nor rivers, or the sea. Earth-citadels are those that are built, on plains\nfortified with high walls and encircled with trenches all around.\nHuman-citadels are unfortified cities properly protected by guards and a\nloyal population.\n\n248. Nilakantha says that this has reference to the second variety of\ncitadels mentioned in the previous verse.\n\n249. Such as banian, peepul, etc. These afford refreshing shade to\nsunburnt travellers.\n\n250. 'Take wisdom,' i.e., consult with them. 'Should not always wait upon\nthem, etc.' lest robbers should kill them, suspecting them to be\ndepositories of the king's wealth.\n\n251. The sense seems to be that if a sufficient margin of profit, capable\nof maintaining one at ease, be not left, one would refrain absolutely\nfrom work. The king, therefore, in taxing the outturns of work, should\nleave such a margin of profit to the producers.\n\n252. The sense is that the subjects then, on occasions of their\nsovereign's want, hasten to place their resources at his disposal.\n\n253. i.e., without injuring the source.\n\n254. The Bengal reading of the first I me of this verse is vicious. The\nBombay reading kinchidanapadi (for Kasyanchidpadi) is the correct one.\nThe commentator explains that this has reference to alms, loans, and\ntaxes. Both the Bengal translators have made nonsense of this and the\nfollowing verse.\n\n255. Karmabhedatah is explained differently by Nilakantha. He thinks that\nit means 'lest those acts suffer injury.'\n\n256. Anga is literally a part. The idea, however, is that the wealthy\nform an estate in the realm. Kakud is the hump of the bull. The meaning,\nof course, is that the man of wealth occupies a very superior position.\n\n257. i.e., before the Brahmanas get their fill.\n\n258. The Brahmanas are authorities for guiding other men. When,\ntherefore, a particular Brahmana leaves the kingdom, the people lose in\nhim a friend, teacher, and guide.\n\n259. The king should dissuade in the manner indicated in verse 4. If that\ndoes not suffice, and if the person intending to leave refers to the\nking's previous neglect, the king should ask forgiveness and, of course,\nassign to him the means of maintenance.\n\n260. The original is elliptical in construction. The etat of the first\nline has been supplied in the translation. In rendering the second line,\nthe second half should come first. The Burdwan version, as usual, is\nerroneous. K.P. Singh's also is incomplete and inaccurate.\n\n261. The word used is Dasyus, literally, robbers; here, enemies of\nsociety and order.\n\n262. Some texts read Yoddhyavyam for Boddhyavyam, and bhunjita for\nyunjita.\n\n263. i.e., thou shouldst care for such opinion, without being angry with\nthose that censure or blame thee.\n\n264. i.e., they who have to undergo such privations in carrying on their\nuseful occupation should not be taxed heavily.\n\n265. The correct reading is bharanti. Taranti also may give the same\nmeaning. K. P. Singh has erroneously rendered the second line.\n\n266. i.e., goes to heaven.\n\n267. Bhishma says that this discourse is very old. Probably this verse\nhas reference to the writer's idea of the motives that impelled the\nRishis of Brahmavarta when they devised for their Indian colony the\nkingly form of government.\n\n268. This verse gives the etymology of the word Rajan and Vrishala. He in\nwhom righteousness shines (rajate) is a Rajan; and he in whom\nrighteousness, called Vrisha, disappear, is a Vrishala. Vide next verse.\n\n269. The address Bharatarshabha is misplaced, seeing that it is Utathya\nwho is speaking and Mandhatri who is listening. The sense of the verse is\nthat it is the king who causes the age, for if he acts righteously, the\nage that sets in is Krita; if, on the other hand, he acts sinfully, he\ncauses the Kali age to set in; etc. etc.\n\n270. He who protects Weakness wins heaven, while he who persecutes it\ngoes to hell. Weakness, thus, is a great thing. Its power, so to say, is\nsuch that it can lead to heaven and hell everyone with whom it may come\ninto contact.\n\n271. The keeper of a cow has to wait, till it calves, for milk.\n\n272. The sense is, I suppose, that if the king be overtaken by\ndestruction, his officers also do not escape.\n\n273. Rajnah, Nilakantha thinks, is an accusative plural.\n\n274. Some texts read Saranikan, meaning traders that make journeys and\nvoyages.\n\n275. The king is God (incarnate) unto all righteous men, because they may\nexpect everything from him. As regards the second line, the meaning\ndepends upon bharati, which as the commentator explains means, \"obtains\naffluence or prosperity.\" For Patukah some texts read Pavakah. The\nmeaning then would be \"becomes as a fire,\" i.e., destroys his own roots,\nor, probably, becomes destructive to others.\n\n276. K.P. Singh, I think, translates this verse erroneously. The Burdwan\nversion is correct. The speaker, in this verse, desires to illustrate the\nforce of righteous conduct. Transcriber's note: There was no\ncorresponding footnote reference in the text, so I have assigned this\nfootnote to an arbitrary location on the page--JBH.\n\n277. Teshu i.e., unto the ministers already spoken of.\n\n278. The sense of the passage is that the king should not ride vicious\nelephants and horses, should guard himself against poisonous reptiles and\nthe arts of women, and should take particular care while ascending\nmountains or entering inaccessible regions such as forests and woody\nvalleys.\n\n279. The sense is that although it is laid down that kings should fight\nwith those only that are of the kingly order, yet when the Kshatriyas do\nnot arm themselves for resisting an invader, or other orders may fight\nfor putting down those that so arm themselves against the kings.\n\n280. The Bengal reading of this verse, which I adopt, is better than the\nBombay reading. The Bengal reading is more consistent with what follows\nin verse 8. If the Bombay reading be adopted, the translation would run\nthus:--\"One should not fight a Kshatriya in battle unless he has put on\narmour. One should fight with one, after challenging in those\nwords--'Shoot, for I am shooting at thee.'\" K.P. Singh's rendering is\nsubstantially correct. The Burdwan version, as usual, is wrong.\n\n281. The distress referred to here is of being unhorsed or deprived of\ncar or of weapons, etc.\n\n282. The original is very elliptical. I, therefore, expand it after the\nmanner of the commentator. Regarding the last half of the second line, I\ndo not follow Nilakantha in his interpretation.\n\n283. This verse also is exceedingly elliptical in the original.\n\n284. The sense seems to be that in fighting with the aid of deceit the\nenemy should not be slain outright, such slaughter being sinful. Slaying\nan enemy, however, in fair fight is meritorious.\n\n285. This verse is not intelligible, nor does it seem to be connected\nwith what goes before.\n\n286. The meaning is that king Pratardana took what is proper to be taken\nand hence he incurred no sin. King Divodasa, however, by taking what he\nshould not have taken, lost all the merit of his conquests.\n\n287. Nilakantha takes Mahajanam to mean the Vaisya traders that accompany\nall forces. Following him, the vernacular translators take that word in\nthe same sense. There can be little doubt, however, that this is\nerroneous. The word means \"vast multitudes.\" Why should Yudhishthira\nrefer to the slaughter of only the Vaisyas in the midst of troops as his\nreason for supposing Kshatriya practices to be sinful? Apayana means\n\"flight.\" I prefer to read Avayana meaning 'march.'\n\n288. The protection of subjects is likened here to the performance of a\nsacrifice that has the merit of all sacrifices. The final present in that\nsacrifice is the dispelling of everybody's fear.\n\n289. i.e., not at the weapon's edge, but otherwise.\n\n290. Ajya is any liquid substance, generally of course clarified butter,\nthat is poured upon the sacrificial fire.\n\n291. Sphis is the wooden stick with which lines are drawn on the\nsacrificial platform.\n\n292. The van of the hostile army is the place of his wives, for he goes\nthither as cheerfully as he does to such a mansion. Agnidhras are those\npriests that have charge of the celestial fires.\n\n293. To take up a straw and hold it between the lips is an indication of\nunconditional surrender.\n\n294. I do not understand how this is an answer to Yudhishthira's\nquestion. Nilakantha thinks that truth, in the above, means the\nordinances in respect of Kshatriya duties; that Upapatti, which I\nunderstand means reasoning (or conclusion), indicates a disregard for\nlife, for those ordinances lead to no other conclusion. Good behaviour,\naccording to him, means encouraging the soldiers, speaking sweetly to\nthem, and promoting the brave, etc. Means and contrivances consist in\npunishing desertion and cowardliness, etc. If Nilakantha be right, what\nBhishma says is that battles (which, of course, are intended for the\nprotection of righteousness) become possible in consequence of these four\ncauses.\n\n295. The seven stars of this constellation are supposed to be the seven\ngreat Rishis, viz., Marichi, Atri, Angira, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, and\nVasishtha.\n\n296. Venus.\n\n297. Like Bhurisravas on the field of Kurukshetra.\n\n298. Probably, one that has begun a sacrifice extending for a long\nperiod. The Yadava hero Akrura avoided challenges to battle by beginning\na sacrifice. See Harivansa, the sections on the Syamantaka stone.\n\n299. A form of expression meaning shameless.\n\n300. This refers to death and physical pain, as explained by Nilakantha.\n\n301. Skandha, Nilakantha thinks, means Samuha here.\n\n302. i.e., the soldiers should be drawn up as to form a wedge-like\nappearance with a narrow head.\n\n303. Kulinja has many meanings. Nilakantha think that the word, as used\nhere, means 'snake.'\n\n304. The object of these two verses is to indicate that a learned\nastrologer and a learned priest are certain means for procuring victories\nby warding off all calamities caused by unpropitious fate and the wrath\nof the gods.\n\n305. If a single deer takes fright and runs in a particular direction,\nthe whole herd follows it without knowing the cause. The simile is\npeculiarly appropriate in the case of large armies. Particularly of\nAsiatic hosts, if a single division takes to flight, the rest follows it.\nFear is very contagious. The Bengal reading jangha is evidently\nincorrect. The Bombay reading is sangha. The Burdwan translators have\nattempted the impossible feat of finding sense by adhering to the\nincorrect reading. The fact is, they did not suspect the viciousness of\nthe text.\n\n306. I have endeavoured to give the very construction of the original. It\nis curious to see how the Burdwan Pundits have misunderstood the simple\nverse.\n\n307. Samiti is explained by Nilakantha to mean battle, and vijasyasya as\nvijigishamanasya. Unless it be an instance of a cruce, vijasyasya can\nscarcely be understood in such a sense.\n\n308. i.e., the king should try conciliation, sending at the same time an\ninvading force, or making an armed demonstration. Such politic measures\nsucceed in bringing about peace.\n\n309. i.e., ascertaining everything regarding him.\n\n310. The French had taken Alsace and Lorraine. That was an impolitic\nstep, though, perhaps, Germany also, by taking back those provinces after\nthey had been completely Frenchified, has committed the same mistake.\nSuch injuries rankle in the heart and are never forgotten.\n\n311. i.e., ruin him outright.\n\n312. Brahma-dandah is the chastisement through the gods. When foes are\nnot seen, i.e., when they are at a distance, the king should employ his\npriest to perform the rites of the Atharvan for bringing destruction upon\nthem. In the case, however, of foes being seen, i.e., when they are near,\nhe should move his troops without depending upon Atharvan rites.\n\n313. Nipunam is explained by Nilakantha as Kusalam; and after drabhet\npestum is understood.\n\n314. The sixfold forces are foot, horse, elephants, cars, treasury, and\ntraders following the camp.\n\n315. I adopt Nilakantha's explanation of this verse. Loss of crops, etc.\nare the inevitable consequences of expeditions. The king, on such\noccasions, is obliged also to take particular care of the seven branches\nof administration. As these are all unpleasant, they should be avoided.\n\n316. i.e., starts such subjects for conversation as do not arise\nnaturally, for what he has in view is the proclaiming of the faults of\nother people, a topic in which he alone is interested and not his hearers.\n\n317. In the Bengal texts there is an error of reading viz., Satru for\nYatra in the first line of verse 3. The Burdwan Pundits repeat the error\nin their vernacular version. K.P. Singha, of course, avoids it.\n\n318. The Bengal texts, in the second line of verse 7, contain an error,\nSaktincha is evidently a misreading for Sokancha. The Burdwan version, as\na matter of course, repeats the error, while K.P. Singha avoids it.\n\n319. i.e., though dispossessed of my kingdom, I cannot yet cast off the\nhope of recovering it.\n\n320. i.e., he should think that his wealth has been given to him for the\nsake of friends and relatives and others. He will then succeed in\npractising charity.\n\n321. Nilakantha explains Kusalah as niamatsarah and anyatra as Satrau. I\ndo not follow him.\n\n322. The Bengal texts read Vidhitsa dhanameva cha. This is evidently\nerroneous. The correct reading, as given in the Bombay text, is\nVidhitsasadhanena cha. Both the Bengali versions are incorrect.\n\n323. The Vilwa is the fruit of the Egle marmelos.\n\n324. The sense seems to be that by causing thy foe to be attached to\nthese things, the treasury of thy foe is likely to be exhausted. If this\ncan be brought about, thy foe will soon be ruined.\n\n325. i.e., for the ruler of Videhas.\n\n326. Jitavat is explained by Nilakantha as prapta jaya.\n\n327. The word is Gana. It literally means an assemblage. There can be no\ndoubt that throughout this lesson the word has been employed to denote\nthe aristocracy of wealth and blood that surround a throne.\n\n328. If the king, moved by avarice, taxes them heavily, the aristocracy\nresent it and seek to pull down the king.\n\n329. i.e., learned men of humility.\n\n330. Probably, with the king.\n\n331. The Burdwan Pundits make a mess of the last two verses. In 31, there\nis an incorrect reading in the Bengal texts. It is Pradhanaccha for\npradanaccha. The Burdwan version repeats the error. K.P. Singha, of\ncourse, avoids it, but his version is rather incomplete.\n\n332. Literally, \"One should not follow that course of duty which they do\nnot indicate. That again is duty which they command. This is settled.\"\n\n333. Pratyasannah is explained by Nilakantha in a different way. I think,\nhis interpretation is far-fetched.\n\n334. i.e., who knows when truth becomes as harmful as untruth, and\nuntruth becomes as righteous as truth.\n\n335. Vide ante, Karna Parva.\n\n336. Alludes to ante, Karna Parva. The Rishi, by pointing out the place\nwhere certain innocent persons had concealed themselves while flying from\na company of robbers, incurred the sin of murder.\n\n337. The allusion is to the story of an owl going to heaven for having,\nwith his beaks, broken a thousand eggs laid by a she-serpent of deadly\npoison. The Burdwan Pundits have made nonsense of the first line of verse\n8. There is no connection between the first and the second lines of this\nverse. K.P. Singha has rendered it correctly.\n\n338. This refers to the well-known definition of Dharma ascribed to\nVasishtha, viz., \"That which is laid down in the Srutis and Smritis is\nDharma.\" The defect of this definition is that the Srutis and the Smritis\ndo not include every duty. Hence Vasishtha was obliged to add that where\nthese are silent, the examples and practices of the good ought to be the\nguides of men, etc.\n\n339. The Burdwan translator has made a mess of verse 21. K.P. Singha\nquietly leaves it out. The act is, Swakaryastu is Swakariastu, meaning\n'let the appropriator be.'\n\n340. The construction is elliptical. Yah samayam chikrashet tat kurvit.\n\n341. The meaning is that though born in a low race, that is no reason why\nI should act like a low person. It is conduct that determines the race\nand not the race that determines conduct. There may be pious persons\ntherefore, in every race. The Burdwan version of this line is simply\nridiculous.\n\n342. Yatram means, as explained by the commentator, the duties of\ngovernment.\n\n343. Nilakantha explains aparasadhanah as aparasa adhanah, i.e., without\nrasa or affection and without dhana or wealth. This is very far-fetched.\n\n344. Perhaps the sense is that men of vigorous understanding think all\nstates to be equal.\n\n345. The true policy, therefore, is to wait for the time when the foe\nbecomes weak.\n\n346. Mridustikshnena is better than Mridutikshnena.\n\n347. A bird that is identified by Dr. Wilson with the Parra Jacana.\n\n348. In India, the commonest form of verbal abuse among ignorant men and\nwomen is 'Do thou meet with death,' or, 'Go thou to Yama's house.' What\nBhishma says is that as these words are uttered in vain, even so the\nverbal accusations of wicked men prove perfectly abortive.\n\n349. The Burdwan Pundits have totally misunderstood the first line of\nthis verse. K.P. Singha has rendered it correctly.\n\n350. A dog is an unclean animal in Hindu estimation.\n\n351. The antithesis consists, as pointed out by Nilakantha, in this,\nviz., the man of high birth, even if ruined undeservedly, would not\ninjure his master. The man however, that is of low birth, would become\nthe foe of even a kind master if only a few words of censure be addressed\nto him.\n\n352. Nilakantha explains that na nirddandvah means na nishparigrahah.\n\n353. i.e., 'speak in brief of them, or give us an abridgment of thy\nelaborate discourses.'\n\n354. i.e., as the commentator explains, keenness, when he punishes and\nharmlessness when he shows favour.\n\n355. i.e., 'should assume the qualities (such as keenness, etc.),\nnecessary for his object.' K.P. Singha's version of the last line of 8 is\nerroneous. The Burdwan version is right.\n\n356. Vrihadvrikshamivasravat is explained by Nilakantha as Vrihantak\nVrikshah Yatra; asravat is explained as rasamprasravat. I think\nVrihadvriksham may be taken as a full-grown Palmyra tree. The sense\nis that as men always draw the juice from a full-grown tree and not from\na young one, even so the king should take care as to how taxes should be\nlaid upon subjects that are unable to bear them.\n\n357. i.e., by tampering with the governors of the citadels and the\ngarrisons of his foes, as the commentator explains.\n\n358. i.e., that king who is vain and covetous.\n\n359. Whether it belongs to himself or to any other person.\n\n360. The sense seems to be that a king should always be guided by the\nprecepts of the science of king-craft without depending upon chance.\n\n361. i.e., he who earns religious merit is sure to obtain such regions;\nand as great merit may be acquired by properly discharging kingly duties\none may, by such conduct, win much felicity hereafter.\n\n362. Vyavahara is vi and avahara, hence that through which all kinds of\nmisappropriation are stopped. It is a name applied to Law and\nadministration of justice.\n\n363. The commentator, in a long note, gives very fanciful explanations\ntouching every one of these peculiarities of form. He understands\nMrigaraja to mean the black antelope. I cannot reject the obvious meaning\nof the word. The object of the poet is simply to create a form that is\nfrightful.\n\n364. These are Righteousness, Law, Chastisement, God, and Living Creature.\n\n365. The nearest approach in English to what is meant here by Vyavahara\nis Law. Three kinds of Vyavahara or Law are here spoken of. The first is\nthe ordinary Law, according to which the disputes of litigants are\ndecided, it includes both civil and criminal law, it is quaintly\ndescribed here as Vattripratyayalakskana, i.e., 'characterised by a\nbelief in either of two litigant parties.' When a suit, civil or\ncriminal, is instituted, the king or those that act in the king's name\nmust call for Evidence and decide the matter by believing either of the\ntwo parties. Then follows restoration or punishment. In either case, it\nis a form of Chastisement. The second kind of Vyavahara or Law is the\necclesiastical law of the Vedas. These are the precepts or injunctions\nlaid down in those sacred books for regulating every part of human duty.\nThe third kind of Vyavahara or Law is the particular customs of families\nor races. It is also called kulachara. Where Kulachara is not\ninconsistent or in open variance with the established civil or criminal\nLaw, or is not opposed to the spirit of the ecclesiastical law as laid\ndown in the Vedas, it is upheld. (Even the British courts of law uphold\nKulachara, interpreting it very strictly). What Bhishma says here is that\neven Kulachara should not be regarded as inconsistent with the scriptures\n(Vedas and Smritis).\n\n366. In the verse 52 Bhishma says that the first kind of Vyavahara or\nLaw, i.e., the ordinary civil and criminal law of a realm, must be\nregarded as resting on the king. But as this kind of law has the Veda for\nits soul and has originally flowed from Brahman, a king incurs no sin by\nadministering it and by inflicting chastisement in its administration.\nThe purport in brief of verse 54 is that Manu and others, in speaking of\nMorality and duty have said that it is as binding as the ordinary law\nthat is administered by kings.\n\n367. Jataharamadisat may also mean 'ordered the removal of his matted\nlocks'--in other words, 'had a shave.'\n\n368. i.e., to acknowledge thee as a tutor.\n\n369. The sense is that inasmuch as the Grandsire, who was the governor of\nthe universe, assumed the mild and peaceful aspect of a sacrificer,\nChastisement which had dwelt in his furious form could no longer exist.\n\n370. Though Sula is mentioned, yet it is Vishnu and not Mahadeva, that is\nimplied. Generally the word means any weapon.\n\n371. The whole account contains more than one inconsistency. The\ncommentator is silent. I think the inconsistencies are incapable of being\nexplained. It is very probable that there have been interpolations in the\npassage. Verse 34 is probably an interpolation, as also verse 36.\n\n372. i.e., Self-denial or discipline.\n\n373. I have not the faintest idea of what is intended by these verses,\nviz., 43 and 51. Nilakantha is silent. It is very doubtful if they have\nreally any meaning.\n\n374. The commentator illustrates this by the action of a virtuous husband\nseeking congress with his wedded wife in the proper season. There is\nreligious merit in the performance of the rites known by the name of\nGarbhadhana; there is pleasure in the act itself; and lastly, wealth or\nprofit in the form of a son is also acquired.\n\n375. There are three qualities or attributes that characterise human\nacts, viz., Goodness, Passion, and Darkness. Vide the latter sections of\nthe Bhagavadgita. Such Virtue and Wealth and Pleasure, therefore, are not\nvery high objects of pursuit. Things possessing the attribute of\nGoodness only are worthy of pursuit.\n\n376. i.e., one should seek virtue for only compassing purity of soul;\nWealth in order that one may spend it in acts undertaken without desire\nof fruit; and Pleasure for only supporting the body.\n\n377. Dharmadinkamanaishthikan, i.e., having Dharma for the first and\nKarna for the last, hence Virtue, Wealth and Pleasure.\n\n378. Pisitaudanam is food mixed with pounded meat; a kind of Pilau, or,\nperhaps, Kabab.\n\n379. Vagagravidyanam is explained by Nilakantha to mean persons whose\nlearning is at the end of their tongues and not buried in books; hence,\npersons of sharp memory.\n\n380. The asker wishes to rob Prahlada of his conduct.\n\n381. This lake is at a great height on the Himalayas.\n\n382. The spirits of those two immortal sages are supposed to dwell for\never, in that retreat in the enjoyment of true happiness.\n\n383. i.e., Hope is slender; while things unconnected with Hope are the\nreverse.\n\n384. The sense is that such persons should always be distrusted. Yet\nthere are men who hope for good from them. Such hope, the sage says, is\nslenderer than his slender body.\n\n385. The word maya repeated in verses 14 to 18 is explained by Nilakantha\nas having the sense of mattah. The meaning, of course, is very plain. Yet\nthe Burdwan translator has strangely misunderstood it. K.P. Singha, of\ncourse, gives an accurate version.\n\n386. For the king's disregard of the sage in former days.\n\n387. The distress, which Yudhishthira felt at the thought of the\nslaughter in battle.\n\n388. i.e., this is not a subject upon which one can or should discourse\nbefore miscellaneous audiences.\n\n389. i.e., by ingenious contrivances a king may succeed in filling his\ntreasury, or his best ingenuity and calculations may fail.\n\n390. i.e., with a pure heart.\n\n391. i.e., when the season of distress is over.\n\n392. i.e., under ordinary situations of circumstances.\n\n393. i.e., he should perform expiations and do good to them whom he has\ninjured, so that these may not remain discontented with him.\n\n394. He should not seek to rescue the merit of other or of himself, i.e.,\nhe should not, at such times, refrain from any act that may injure his\nown merit or that of others; in other words, he may disregard all\nconsiderations about the religious merits of others and of himself His\nsole concern at such a time should be to save himself, that is, his life.\n\n395. Sankhalikhitam, i.e., that which is written on the forehead by the\nOrdainer.\n\n396. Literally, \"cause to be removed.\"\n\n397. The army and the criminal courts.\n\n398. The commentator explains it in the following way. The ordinary\ntexts, without exceptions of any kind, laid down for seasons of distress,\npermit a king to fill his treasury by levying heavy contributions on both\nhis own subjects and those of hostile kingdoms. An ordinary king, at such\na time, acts in this way. A king, however, that is endued with\nintelligence, while levying such contributions, takes care to levy them\nupon those that are wicked and punishable among his own subjects and\namong the subjects of other kingdoms, and refrains from molesting the\ngood. Compare the conduct of Warren Hastings in exacting a heavy tribute,\nwhen his own treasury was empty, from Cheyt Singh, whose unfriendliness\nfor the British power was a matter of notoriety.\n\n399. The sense seems to be that there are persons who hold that priests\nand Brahmanas should never be punished or taxed. This is the eternal\nusage, and, therefore, this is morality. Others who approve of the\nconduct of Sankha towards his brother Likhita on the occasion of the\nlatter's appropriating a few fruits belonging to the former, are of a\ndifferent opinion. The latter class of persons Bhishma says, are as\nsincere as the former in their opinion. They cannot be blamed for holding\nthat even priests and Brahmanas may be punished when offending.\n\n400. Duty depending on all the four foundations, i.e., as laid down in\nthe Vedas; as laid down in the Smritis; as sanctioned by ancient usages\nand customs; and as approved by the heart or one's own conscience.\n\n401. i.e., yield with ease.\n\n402. Grammatically, the last line may mean,--'The very robbers dread a\nking destitute of compassion.'\n\n403. Their wives and children ought to be saved, and their habitations\nand wearing apparel and domestic utensils, etc., should not be destroyed.\n\n404. i.e., 'he that has wealth and forces.'\n\n405. The sense seems to be that a poor man can have only a little of all\nearthly things. That little, however, is like the remnant of a strong\nman's dinner.\n\n406. It is always reproachful to accept gifts from persons of\nquestionable character.\n\n407. The king should similarly, by punishing the wicked, cherish the good.\n\n408. The sense seems to be that sacrifice proceeds more from an internal\ndesire than from a large sum of money lying in the treasury. If the\ndesire exists, money comes gradually for accomplishing it. The force of\nthe simile consists in the fact that ants (probably white ants) are seen\nto gather and multiply from no ostensible cause.\n\n409. The meaning is that as regards good men, they become friends in no\ntime. By taking only seven steps in a walk together, two such men become\nfriends.\n\n410. Virtue prolongs life, and sin and wickedness always shorten it. This\nis laid down almost everywhere in the Hindu scriptures.\n\n411. i.e., if ex-casted for irreligious practices.\n\n412. The correct reading is Jatakilwishat.\n\n413. The sense, of course, is that such a man, when filled with fear,\nbecomes unable to ward off his dangers and calamities. Prudence requires\nthat one should fear as long as the cause of fear is not at hand. When,\nhowever, that cause has actually presented itself, one should put forth\none's courage.\n\n414. The hostility between Krishna and Sisupala was due to the first of\nthese causes; that between the Kurus and the Pandavas to the second; that\nbetween Drona and Drupada to the third; that between the cat and the\nmouse to the fourth; and that between the bird and the king (in the\npresent story) to the fifth.\n\n415. The sense seems to be that the act which has led to the hostility\nshould be calmly considered by the enemy before he gives way to anger.\n\n416. If it is Time that does all acts, there can be no individual\nresponsibility.\n\n417. i.e., they are indifferent to other people's sorrow.\n\n418. Honey-seekers direct their steps through hill and dale by marking\nintently the course of the flight of bees. Hence they meet with frequent\nfalls.\n\n419. Everything decays in course of time. Vide the characteristics of the\ndifferent Yugas, ante.\n\n420. i.e., do any of these or all as occasion may require.\n\n421. The king should imitate the cuckoo by causing his own friends or\nsubjects to be maintained by others; he should imitate the boar by\ntearing up his foes by their very roots; he should imitate the mountains\nof Meru by presenting such a front that nobody may transgress him he\nshould imitate an empty chamber by keeping room enough for storing\nacquisitions he should imitate the actor by assuming different guises;\nand lastly, he should imitate devoted friend in attending to the\ninterests of his loving subjects.\n\n422. The crane sits patiently by the water side for hours together in\nexpectation of fish.\n\n423. i.e., if he passes safely through the danger.\n\n424. The triple aggregate consists of Virtue, Wealth, and Pleasure. The\ndisadvantages all arise from an injudicious pursuit of each. Virtue\nstands as an impediment in the way of Wealth; Wealth stands in the way of\nVirtue; and Pleasure stands in the way of both. The inseparable adjuncts\nof the three, in the case of the vulgar, are that Virtue is practised as\na means of Wealth, Wealth is sought as a means of Pleasure; and Pleasure\nis sought for gratifying the senses. In the case of the truly wise, those\nadjuncts are purity of the soul as the end of virtue, performance of\nsacrifices as the end of Wealth; and upholding of the body as the end of\nPleasure.\n\n425. Literally, 'preservation of what has been got, and acquisition of\nwhat is desired.'\n\n426. These depend on the king, i.e., if the king happens to be good,\nprosperity, etc., are seen. On the other hand, if the king becomes\noppressive and sinful, prosperity disappears, and every kind of evil sets\nin.\n\n427. In India, during the hot months, charitable persons set up shady\nthatches by the sides of roads for the distribution of cool water and raw\nsugar and oat soaked in water. Among any of the principal roads running\nthrough the country, one may, during the hot months, still see hundreds\nof such institutions affording real relief to thirsty travellers.\n\n428. Such as Rakshasas and Pisachas and carnivorous birds and beasts.\n\n429. Abandoning his Homa fire.\n\n430. i.e., flowers already offered to the deities.\n\n431. No one of the three regenerate orders should take dog's meat. If\nthou takest such meat, where would then the distinction be between\npersons of those orders and men like Chandalas?\n\n432. Agastya was a Rishi. He could not do what was sinful.\n\n433. The idea that man comes alone into the world and goes out of it\nalone. Only the wife is his true associate for she alone is a sharer of\nhis merits, and without her no merit can be won. The Hindu idea of\nmarriage is a complete union. From the day of marriage the two persons\nbecome one individual for the performance of all religious and other acts.\n\n434. The sense seems to be that our strength, though little, should be\nemployed by us in attending to the duties of hospitality in our own way.\n\n435. Literally, 'thou art at home,' meaning I will not spare any trouble\nin making thee feel and enjoy all the comforts of home in this place.\n\n436. Mahaprasthana is literally an unreturning departure. When a person\nleaves home for wandering through the world till death puts a stop to his\nwanderings, he is said to go on Mahaprasthana.\n\n437. The theory is that all distresses arise originally from mental error\nwhich clouds the understanding. Vide Bhagavadgita.\n\n438. Making gifts, etc.\n\n439. Here amum (the accusative of adas) evidently means 'that' and not\n'this.' I think the reference, therefore, is to heaven and not to this\nworld.\n\n440. These are Mleccha tribes of impure behaviour.\n\n441. i.e., for my instructions.\n\n442. So great was the repugnance felt for the slayer of a Brahmana that\nto even talk with him was regarded a sin. To instruct such a man in the\ntruths of the Vedas and of morality was to desecrate religion itself.\n\n443. The version of 5 is offered tentatively. That a person possessed of\naffluence should become charitable is not wonderful. An ascetic, again,\nis very unwilling to exercise his power. (Witness Agastya's unwillingness\nto create wealth for gratifying his spouse.) What is meant by these two\npersons not living at a distance from each other is that the same cause\nwhich makes an affluent person charitable operates to make an ascetic\ncareful of the kind of wealth he has.\n\n444. That which is asamikshitam is samagram karpanyam.\n\n445. Nilakantha explains that vala here means patience (strength to bear)\nand ojas (energy) means restraints of the senses.\n\n446. Both the vernacular translators have rendered the second line of\nverse 25 wrongly. They seem to think that a person by setting out for any\nof the sacred waters from a distance of a hundred yojanas becomes\ncleansed. If this meaning be accepted then no man who lives within a\nhundred yojanas of any of them has any chance of being cleansed. The\nsense, of course, is that such is the efficacy of these tirthas that a\nman becomes cleansed by approaching even to a spot within a hundred\nyojanas of their several sites.\n\n447. These mantras form a part of the morning, noon and evening prayer of\nevery Brahmana. Aghamarshana was a Vedic Rishi of great sanctity.\n\n448. In the first line of 26 the correct reading is Kutah not Kritah as\nadopted by the Burdwan translators.\n\n449. i.e., beasts and birds. The vernacular translators wrongly render\nit--'Behold the affection that is cherished by those that are good\ntowards even the beasts and birds!'\n\n450. The correct reading is Murtina (as in the Bombay text) and not\nMrityuna. The Burdwan version adopts the incorrect reading.\n\n451. The allusion is to the story of Rama having restored a dead Brahmana\nboy. During Rama's righteous reign there were no premature deaths in his\nkingdom. It happened, however, one day that a Brahmana father came to\nRama's court and complained of the premature death of his son. Rama\ninstantly began to enquire after the cause. Some sinful act in some\ncorner of the kingdom, it was suspected, had caused the deed. Soon enough\nRama discovered a Sudra of the name of Samvuka engaged in the heart of a\ndeep forest in ascetic penances. The king instantly cut off the man's\nhead inasmuch as a Sudra by birth had no right to do what that man was\ndoing. As soon as righteousness was upheld, the deceased Brahmana boy\nrevived. (Ramayana, Uttarakandam).\n\n452. Literally, 'by giving up their own bodies'.\n\n453. i.e., he is sure to come back to life.\n\n454. The word sramana is used in Brahmanical literature to signify a\ncertain order of ascetics or yatis that have renounced work for\nmeditation. It is also frequently employed to mean a person of low life\nor profession. It should be noted, however, that in Buddhistic literature\nthe word came to be exclusively used for Buddhist monks.\n\n455. This is how Nilakantha seems to explain the line, Bhishma is anxious\nabout the effect of his instructions. He says that those instructions\nwould bear fruit if the gods will it; otherwise, his words would go for\nnothing, however carefully he might speak.\n\n456. The commentator explains that including the first, altogether 12\nquestions are put by Yudhishthira.\n\n457. This is an answer to the first question viz., the general aspect of\nignorance.\n\n458. The word Sreyas has a peculiar meaning. It implies, literally, the\nbest of all things; hence, ordinarily, in such passages, it means beatitude\nor the highest happiness that one may acquire in heaven. It means also\nthose acts of virtue by which that happiness may be acquired. It should\nnever be understood as applicable to anything connected with earthly\nhappiness, unless, of course, the context would imply it.\n\n459. The sense is that such a man never sets his heart upon things of\nthis world, and accordingly these, when acquired, can never satisfy him.\nHis aspirations are so great and so high above anything this world can\ngive him that the attainment of even the region of Brahma cannot, as the\ncommentator explains, gratify him. At first sight this may look like want\nof contentment, but in reality, it is not so. The grandeur of his\naspirations is sought to be enforced. Contentment applies only to\nordinary acquisitions, including even blessedness in heaven.\n\n460. i.e., such a man is sure of attaining to a blessed end.\n\n461. Such as distinctions of caste, of dress, of food, etc., etc.\n\n462. A reference to the region of Brahma, which is supposed to be located\nwithin every heart. One reaches that region through penances and\nself-denial. The sense, of course, is that his is that pure felicity of\nthe heart who has succeeded in driving off all evil passions therefrom.\n\n463. The word used here is Buddhasya (genitive of Buddha.) May not this\nverse be a reference to the Buddhistic idea of a Buddha?\n\n464. i.e., both are equally efficacious.\n\n465. In the Bengal texts, verse 9 is a triplet. In the second line the\ncorrect reading is nirvedat and not nirdesat. Avadya is fault.\nVinivartate is understood at the end of the third line, as suggested by\nNilakantha. Both the Bengali versions of 9 are incomplete, the Burdwan\none being also incorrect.\n\n466. The commentator explains that compassion, like the faults enumerated\nabove, agitates the heart and should be checked for the sake of\nindividual happiness or tranquillity of soul.\n\n467. In India, from the remotest times, preceptors are excluded from\ncharging their pupils any fees for the instruction they give. No doubt, a\nfinal fee, called Gurudakshina, is demandable, but that is demandable\nafter the pupil has completed his studies. To sell knowledge for money is\na great sin. To this day in all the indigenous schools of the country,\ninstruction is imparted free of all charges. In addition to this, the\npupils are fed by their preceptors. The latter, in their turn, are\nsupported by the charity of the whole country.\n\n468. Dakshina is the present or gift made in sacrifices.\n\n469. Vahirvyedichakrita, etc., is the correct reading.\n\n470. i.e., such a person may perform a grand sacrifice in which Soma is\noffered to the gods and drunk by the sacrificer and the priests.\n\n471. The Burdwan translator, misled by the particle nah, supposes that\nthis verse contains an injunction against the spoliation of a Sudra. The\nfact is, the nah here is equal to 'ours'.\n\n472. Who has fasted for three whole days.\n\n473. Aswastanavidhana is the rule of providing only for today without\nthinking of the morrow.\n\n474. The sense, of course, is that if a Brahmana starves, that is due to\nthe king having neglected his duty of providing for him.\n\n475. I follow Nilakantha in rendering abrahmanam manyamanah. It may also\nmean 'regarding himself to be a fallen Brahmana (for the time being)'.\n\n476. It should be noted that the word foeticide used in such texts\nfrequently means all sins that are regarded as equivalent to foeticide.\nHence, killing a Brahmana is foeticide, etc.\n\n477. There is a material difference of reading in this verse. Following\nthe Bengal texts, the above version is given. The Bombay text runs as\nfollows: 'upon his body being burnt therewith, or by death, he becomes\ncleansed.' The Bombay text seems to be vicious. Drinking is regarded as\none of the five heinous sins. The severer injunction contained in the\nBengal texts seems therefore, to be the correct reading.\n\n478. The true reading is nigacchati and not niyacchati. The Burdwan\ntranslator has misunderstood the word papam in this verse.\n\n479. Nilakantha correctly explains the connection of Susamsitah.\n\n480. Nilakantha explains that the question of Nakula excited the heart of\nBhishma and caused a flow of blood through his wounds. Hence Bhishma\ncompares himself to a hill of red-chalk.\n\n481. Durvarani, Durvaradini, Durvachadini, are some of the readings of\nthe first line.\n\n482. Literally, family or clan; here origin.\n\n483. The second line of 19 is unintelligible.\n\n484. Taddhitwa is tat hi twa. Nilakantha thinks that twa here is twam.\n\n485. In the Bengal texts, 41 is made a triplet, and 42 is made to consist\nof a single line; 42 is represented as Vaisampayana's speech. This is\nevidently an error; 41 a couplet. 42 also is so. Rajna etc., refer to\nBhima. K.P. Singha avoids the error; the Burdwan translator, as usual,\nmakes a mess of 41 by taking it to be a triplet.\n\n486. There can be very little doubt that the second line has a distinct\nreference to the principal article of faith in Buddhism. Emancipation\nhere is identified with Extinction or Annihilation. The word used is\nNirvana. The advice given is abstention from attachments of every kind.\nThese portions of the Santi are either interpolations, or were written\nafter the spread of Buddhism.\n\n487. The doctrine set forth in 48 is the doctrine of either Universal\nNecessity as expounded by Leibnitz, or that of Occasional Causes of the\nCartesian school. In fact, all the theories about the government of the\nuniverse are strangely jumbled together here.\n\n488. i.e., they that have wives and have procreated children.\n\n489. Raktamivavikam and not Raktamivadhikam, is the correct reading. The\nBurdwan translator accepts the incorrect reading.\n\n490. The true reading is Brahmavarjitah and not that word in the\naccusative. Both the Bengali versions have adhered to the incorrect\nreading of the Bengal texts.\n\n491. i.e., it was not a piece torn off from a full piece, but both its\ndasas or ends were there.\n\n492. To this day there are many Brahmanas in India who are\nasudra-pratigrahins, i.e., who accept no gift, however rich, from a Sudra.\n\n493. Kimpurusha is half-man and half-horse. The body is supposed to be\nthat of a horse, and the face that of a man.\n\n494. Literally, 'for obtaining goods'.\n\n495. At such entertainments, Hindus, to this day, sit on separate seats\nwhen eating. If anybody touches anybody else's seat, both become impure\nand cannot eat any longer. Before eating, however, when talking or\nhearing, the guests may occupy a common seat, i.e., a large mat or\nblanket or cloth, etc., spread out on the floor.\n\n496. Agni or fire is a deity that is said to have Vayu (the wind-god) for\nhis charioteer. The custom, to this day, with all travellers in India is\nto kindle a large fire when they have to pass the night in woods and\nforests or uninhabited places. Such fires always succeed in scaring off\nwild beasts. In fact, even tigers, raging with hunger, do not approach\nthe place where a blazing fire is kept up.\n\n497. Surabhi is the celestial cow sprung from the sage Daksha.\n\n498. Whether the word is chirat or achirat is difficult to make out.\n\n499. In Sanskrit the ablative has sometimes the sense of 'through'. Here,\nmitrat means both from and through. What is said is that wealth, honours,\netc., may be acquired through friends, i.e., the latter may give wealth\nor be instrumental in its acquisition, etc.\n\n500. It is very difficult to literally translate such verses. The word\nDharma is sometimes used in the sense of Religion or the aggregate of\nduties. At other times it simply means a duty or the course of duties\nprescribed for a particular situation. Tapah is generally rendered\npenance. Here, however, it has a direct reference to sravana (hearing),\nmanana (contemplation), and nididhyasana (abstraction of the soul from\neverything else for absolute concentration). The Grammar of the second\nhalf of the first line is Sati apretya etc., Sat being that which is\nreal, hence, the Soul, or the Supreme Soul, of which every individual\nSoul is only a portion.\n\n501. And not the Soul, as the commentator explains. With the death of the\nbody joy and grief disappear.\n\n502. The art by which the body could, as in Egypt, be preserved for\nthousands of years was not known to the Rishis.\n\n503. The commentator explains the sense of this as follows: The cow\nbelongs to him who drinks her milk. Those who derive no advantage from\nher have no need for showing her any affection. One should not covet what\nis above one's want. It has been said, that (to a thirsty or hungry or\ntoil-worn man), a little quantity of vaccine milk is of more use than a\nhundred kine; a small measure of rice more useful than a hundred barns\nfilled with grain; half a little bed is of more use than a large mansion.\n\n504. I follow Nilakantha in rendering this verse. His interpretation is\nplausible. Mudatamah, according to him, are those who are in deep sleep.\nThere are four stages of consciousness. These are (1) wakefulness, (2)\ndream, (3) dreamless or deep slumber, and (4) Turiya or absolute Samadhi\n(which the Yogin only can attain to).\n\n505. The two extremes, of course, are dreamless slumber and Turiya or\nSamadhi. The two intermediate ones are wakefulness and sleep with dream.\n\n506. Pride in consequences of having insulted or humiliated others; and\nsuccess over others such as victories in battle and other concerns of\nthe world.\n\n507. The first half of the second line is read variously. The sense,\nhowever, in effect, remains unaltered. What is said here is that man who\nsucceeds in attaining to a state of Brahma by true Samadhi or abstraction\nfrom the world, can never be touched by grief.\n\n508. In all treatises on Yoga it is said that when the first stage is\npassed, the neophyte succeeds in looking at his own self. The meaning\nseems to be that he experiences a sort of double existence so that he\nsucceeds in himself looking at his own self.\n\n509. This is the same as 46. The Bombay edition does not repeat it.\n\n510. The house referred to is the body. The single column on which it is\nsupported is the backbone, and the nine doors are the eyes, the ears, the\nnostrils, etc. etc.\n\n511. The sense is that women always regard their human lovers as dear\nwithout regarding the Supreme Being to be so, although He is always with\nthem.\n\n512. i.e., coursing on, without waiting for any one.\n\n513. Literally, intelligent.\n\n514. The true reading is Jnanena and not ajnanena. Then, in the last\nfoot, the word is a-pihitah and not apihitah. The words with ava and api\nfrequently drop the initial a. Hence a-pihitah means not covered.\n\n515. The word used in the text is Devanam (of the gods). There can be no\ndoubt however, that the word deva is here used for implying the senses.\n\n516. i.e., wild beasts and lawless men.\n\n517. Asatyajyam and Asatyadyam are both correct. The sense is the same.\nThe first means 'having untruth for the libation (that it eats up).' The\nsecond means 'having untruth for the food (it devours)'.\n\n518. Santi is tranquillity. The Santi-sacrifice is the endeavour to\npractise self-denial in everything; in other words, to restrain all sorts\nof propensities or inclinations. The Brahma-sacrifice is reflection on\ntruths laid down in the Upanishads. The Word-sacrifice consists in the\nsilent recitation (japa) of the Pranava or Om, the initial mantra. The\nMind-sacrifice is contemplation of the Supreme Soul. The Work-sacrifice\nconsists in baths, cleanliness, and waiting upon the preceptor.\n\n519. Both readings are correct, viz., Kshetrayajna and Kshetrayajna.\nKshetra is, of course, the body. If the latter reading be accepted, the\nmeaning will be 'a sacrifice like that of a Kshatriya, i.e., battle.'\nHence, all kinds of acts involving cruelty.\n\n520. or, seek Brahma in thy understanding. The word Atman is often\nsynonymous with Supreme Self.\n\n521. The commentator explains that the object of Yudhishthira's question\nis this: in the preceding section or lesson it has been inculcated that\none may seek the acquisition of the religion of moksha or emancipation\neven when he is young. Yudhishthira enquires whether wealth (so necessary\nfor the performance of sacrifices) is needed for the acquisition of that\nreligion. If wealth be necessary, the poor then would not be able to\nacquire that religion. Hence the enquiry about the way in which joy and\nsorrow come to the wealthy and to the poor.\n\n522. The verses are said to be old. Nilakantha accordingly supposes that\nit was not Sampaka who recited them to Bhishma, but some one else. I\nfollow the commentator; but the grammar of the concluding verse of this\nsection must have to be twisted for supporting him.\n\n523. Kakataliyam is, literally, 'after the manner of the crow and the\npalmyra fruit.' The story is that once when a crow perched upon a palmyra\ntree a fruit (which had been ripe) fell down. The fruit fell because of\nits ripeness. It would be a mistake to accept the sitting of the crow as\nthe cause of the fall. The perching was only an accident. Yet men very\nfrequently, in tracing causes, accept accidents for inducing causes. Such\nmen are said to be deceived by 'the fallacy of the crow and the palmyra\nfruit.'\n\n524. Exertion to be successful must depend on circumstances. The\ncombination of circumstances is destiny.\n\n525. It is difficult to resist the belief that many of the passages of\nthe Santi are later additions. Suka was the son of Vyasa. To quote a\nsaying of Suka (or, as he was called Sukadeva Goswamin), if Vyasa was the\nreal writer of this passage, is rather suspicious.\n\n526. i.e., arrive at such a point that nothing was left for him to desire.\n\n527. i.e., with the view of doing thee good, I shall emancipate myself\nfrom all attachments and enjoy the blessedness of tranquillity.\n\n528. Here the theory of desire seems to be reversed. Desire is mere wish\nafter anything. When its gratification is sought, the form it assumes is\nthat of determination or will. If, however, Kama be taken as the\nformulated desire after specific objects, then, perhaps, the Will may be\nregarded as its foundation, at least, in respect of the distress and\ndifficulties that come in its train.\n\n529. I think the Bombay reading of this verse is incorrect. Bhuttagramah\n(nom. sing.) should be Bhutagramam (accusative sing.). The Yah is Kamah.\nIt is Desire that is exhorted to go away whithersoever it chooses. If the\nelements be thus exhorted, then it is death that the speaker desires.\nThis would be inconsistent with the spirit of the passage.\n\n530. The use of the plural Yushmashu might lead at first sight to take it\nas standing for the elements. It is plain, however, that it refers to all\nattributes that are founded on Rajas and Tamas.\n\n531. Beholding all creatures in my own body and mind i.e., identifying\nmyself with all creatures or never taking them as distinct and separated\nfrom me: in other words, professing and practising the principle of\nuniversal love.\n\n532. The two lines are antithetical. What is said here is that though\nthere is misery in property, there is no real happiness in affluence.\nHence Nilakantha is right in supposing that the last word of the first\nline is not dhane but adhane the Sandhi being Arsha.\n\n533. Nilakantha explains that by Saranga here is meant the bee. The\nanweshanam following it is 'going behind.' The whole compound means\n'imitation of the bee in the forest.'\n\n534. The allusion is to the story of Pingala, in Section 74 ante.\n\n535. The story, evidently a very ancient one, is given in full in the\nBhagavat. Once on a time, a maiden, residing in her father's house,\nwished to feed secretly a number of Brahmanas. While removing the grain\nfrom the barn, her anklets, made of shells, began to jingle. Fearing\ndiscovery through that noise, she broke all her anklets except one for\neach hand.\n\n536. Animittatah is explained by Nilakantha as one that has no cause,\ni.e., Brahma. The commentator would take this speech as a theistic one. I\nrefuse to reject the plain and obvious meaning of the word. All phases of\nspeculative opinion are discussed in the Santi. It is very possible that\na religious indifferentism is preached here.\n\n537. The sense of the passage is that as everything depends upon its own\nnature, it cannot, by its action, either gladden or grieve me. If a son\nbe born to me I am not delighted. If he dies, I am not grieved. His birth\nand death depend upon his own nature as a mortal. I have no power to\nalter that nature or affect it in any way.\n\n538. The word Ajagara implies 'after the manner of a big snake that\ncannot move.' it is believed that such snakes, without moving, lie in the\nsame place in expectation of prey, eating when anything comes near,\nfamishing when there is nothing.\n\n539. The meaning is that even copious drafts do not slake thirst\npermanently, for after being slaked, it is sure to return.\n\n540. In the Bengal texts, 44 is made a triplet. The correct reading,\nhowever, is to take 44 as a couplet and 45 as a triplet. Nilakantha\npoints out that Icchantaste, etc., is grammatically connected with 45.\n\n541. The auspicious constellations are such as Pushya and others; the\ninauspicious are Mula Aslesha, Magha, etc; yajnaprasava may also mean the\nfruits of sacrifices.\n\n542. Anwikshikim may also mean 'microscopic'.\n\n543. The word dattam, generally rendered 'gifts' or 'charity,' means and\nincludes protection of suppliants, abstention from injury as regards all\ncreatures, and actual gifts made outside the sacrificial altar.\nSimilarly, the maintenance of the sacred fire, penances, purity of\nconduct, the study of the Vedas, hospitality to guests, and offer of food\nto the Viswedevas, are all included in the word Ishta which is ordinarily\nrendered 'sacrifice.'\n\n544. i.e., even if he seeks to avoid it.\n\n545. i.e., becomes his inseparable associate.\n\n546. What is meant is that if once the consequences of the acts of a past\nlife are exhausted, the creature (with respect to whom such exhaustion\ntakes place), is freed from all vicissitudes of life. Lest, however, such\ncreatures become emancipated, the orthodox view is that a balance is\nalways left of both merit and demerit, so that a new birth must take\nplace and the consequences of what is thus left as a balance must begin\nto be enjoyed or suffered. This is not referred to here, but this is the\nview of all orthodox Hindus.\n\n547. The first word of this verse is diversely read. The reading I adopt\nis samunnam meaning drenched in water. If it be samjuktam it would mean\nunited, with filth, of course. Another reading is samswinnam, meaning\n'drenched with sweat.' Nilakantha explains upavasah here as equivalent to\nthe renunciation of all earthly possessions. Ordinarily it means 'fasts.'\n\n548. This verse occurs in the Santi Parva. It is difficult to understand\nin what sense it is said that the track of the virtuous cannot be marked.\nPerhaps, it is intended that such men do not leave any history or record\nbehind them, they having abstained from all kinds of action good or bad.\n\n549. Manasa means 'appertaining to the mind,' or rather, the Will. Mahat\nliterally means great.\n\n550. Veda is here used in the sense of Knowledge and Power.\n\n551. Sarvabhutatmakrit is explained by Nilakantha thus. He who is\nSarvabhutatman is again bhutakrit. On the authority of the Srutis the\ncommentator adds,--ye ete pancha akasadayodhatavo-dharana-karmanah sa eva\nBrahma.\n\n552. The word Devah here is evidently used in the sense of luminous or\nshining ones and not in that of gods or deities.\n\n553. The Rishis supposed that the pouring of water created the air\ninstead only of displaying it.\n\n554. All created things are called Bhutas, but the five principal\nelements, viz., fire, air, earth, water, and space, are especially called\nBhutas or Mahabhutas.\n\n555. This is certainly curious as showing that the ancient Hindus knew\nhow to treat diseased plants and restore them to vigour.\n\n556. K.P. Singha wrongly renders this verse. The Burdwan translator is\nright.\n\n557. Both the Bengal and the Bombay texts read bhutani. The correct\nreading, however, appears to be bhutanam.\n\n558. The word for duct is Srotas. It may also be rendered 'channel.' Very\nlike the principal artery or aorta.\n\n559. Notwithstanding much that is crude anatomy and crude physiology in\nthese sections, it is evident, however, that certain glimpses of truth\nwere perceived by the Rishis of ancient times. Verse 15 shows that the\ngreat discovery of Harvey in modern times was known in ancient India.\n\n560. In works on yoga it is laid down that the main duct should be\nbrought under the control of the will. The soul may then, by an act of\nvolition, be withdrawn from the whole physical system into the\nconvolutions of the brain in the head. The brain, in the language of\nyogins, is a lot us of a thousand leaves. If the soul be withdrawn into\nit, the living creature will then be liberated from the necessity of food\nand sleep, etc., and will live on from age to age, absorbed in\ncontemplation of divinity and in perfect beatitude.\n\n561. It is often said that in an advanced stage of yoga, one is enabled\nto behold one's Soul, or, a sort of double existence is realised in\nconsequence of which the Soul becomes an object of internal survey to the\nSoul itself. Very probably, writers on yoga employ this language in a\nfigurative sense.\n\n562. The commentator explains that the words expressive of hue or colour\nreally mean attributes. What is intended to be said is that the Brahmanas\nhad the attribute of Goodness (Sattwa); the second order had the\nattribute of Passion (Rajas); the third got a mixture of the two, i.e.,\nboth goodness and passion (Sattwa and Rajas); while the lowest order got\nthe remaining attribute, viz., Darkness (Tamas).\n\n563. The distinction here laid down seems to be this: the eternal\ncreation is due to the yoga or mental action of the Primeval Deity. That\ncreation which we behold is the result of the penances of those sages who\nwere first created. Perhaps, what is intended to be said is that the\nprinciple of life, of life proceeding from life, and primal matter with\nspace, etc., are all due to the fiat of God; while all visible and\ntangible objects, resulting from the action of those principles and from\nprimal matter and space, are attributable to the ancient sages.\n\n564. The word Ghrina may also mean aversion. Of course, here it would\nmean, if used in that sense, aversion for all unrighteous acts.\n\n565. The first half of the first line of 6 is differently read in the\nBombay edition. Both readings are noticed by Nilakantha. I have adhered\nto the Bengal reading, though the Bombay reading is clearer in sense.\nVisati is a transitive verb having Pratishtha or some such noun for its\nobject. The literal meaning is he who acquires fame, etc.\n\n566. Here the speaker describes the character of Karma-sannyasa\n(renunciation of acts). Samarambha generally means all kinds of acts.\nHere, however, only sacrifices and other scriptural rites are intended. I\nfollow Nilakantha in rendering the second line, although the plain\nmeaning would seem to be \"who poureth everything in gift.\"\n\n567. The gross world is perceivable by the ordinary senses. Behind the\ngross world is a subtile one which the subtile senses i.e., the senses\nwhen sharpened by yoga, can perceive. With death, the gross body alone is\ndissolved, the subtile body or form, called the Linga-sarira, and made up\nof what is called the Tanmatras of the primal elements, remains. Even\nthat retains all the characteristics of the world in an incipient form.\nThe Linga-sarira also must be destroyed before absorption into Brahma can\ntake place.\n\n568. The felicity that is obtained in heaven is not everlasting, being\nlimited in point of duration by the degree or measure of merit that is\nachieved here.\n\n569. The Pauranic theory of both the solar and the lunar eclipse is that\nthe Sun and the Moon are sought to be devoured by the Daitya, Rahu.\n\n570. The sense seems to be that Vedas declare those fruits in order that\nmen may strive for them when they lead to happiness.\n\n571. Nearly the whole of this section is prose.\n\n572. It is difficult to understand in what senses the word Dharma is used\nin the three successive questions here.\n\n573. In the first line the correct reading is Brahmana and not\nBrahmarshi. The answer attributed to Bhrigu settles this.\n\n574. A pupil should never solicit his preceptor for instruction. He\nshould attend only when the preceptor calls him. To this day, the rule is\nrigidly observed in all schools throughout India. It should be added to the\ncredit of those engaged in teaching that they very seldom neglect their\npupils. The story is authentic of the grandfather of the great Baneswar\nVidyalankar of Nuddea, himself as great a professor as Baneswar, of\ncontinuing to teach his pupils in the outer apartments even after\nreceiving intelligence of his son's death within the inner apartments of\nthe family dwelling. The fact is, he was utterly absorbed in his work,\nthat when his good lady, moved by his apparent heartlessness, came out to\ntax him he answered her, in thorough absence of mind, saying, 'Well, do\nnot be disturbed. If I do not weep for my son, I will do so for that\ngrandchild in your arms.' The pupils at last recalled him to the\nrealities of the hour.\n\n575. i.e., by picking up fallen grains from the field after the crop has\nbeen cut away and removed by the owner.\n\n576. Upaskara means renunciation.\n\n577. It is generally said that by procreating offspring, one gratifies\nthe Pitris or pays off the debt one owes to one's deceased ancestors.\nHere Bhrigu says that by that act one gratifies the Creator. The idea is\nthe same that forms the root of the command laid on the Jews,--Go and\nmultiply.\n\n578. The end of these attributes is Moksha or Emancipation.\n\n579. Sishta is explained by Nilakantha as one who has been properly\ninstructed by wise Preceptors.\n\n580. Niyama is explained by the commentator as a rite; upayoga as a vow\nabout food; charyya as an act like visiting sacred waters; vihita is\nvidhana.\n\n581. The Hindus had no poor laws. The injunctions of their scriptures\nhave always sufficed to maintain the poor, particularly their religious\nmendicants. The mendicants themselves are restrained from disturbing the\nhouseholders often. None again save the well-to-do were to be visited by\nthe mendicants, so that men of scanty means might not be compelled to\nsupport the recluses.\n\n582. The words used by Bharadwaja in the question are capable of being\nconstrued as an enquiry after the next world. Bhrigu also, in his answer,\nuses the word Paro lokah. The reference to Himavat, therefore, is\nexplained by the commentator as metaphorical. The whole answer of Bhrigu,\nhowever, leaves little room for doubt that the sage speaks of a region on\nearth and not in the invisible world after death.\n\n583. Nilakantha would read amritya for mritya. It is a forced correction\nfor keeping up the metaphorical sense.\n\n584. All knowledge there is certain.\n\n585. i.e., to practise yoga. The Bengal reading is dharanam. The\ncommentator goes for explaining all the verses as metaphorical.\nConsiderable ingenuity is displayed by him, and he even cites the Srutis\nin support.\n\n586. This at least is a verse that evidently refers to the other or the\nnext world, and, therefore, lends colour to the supposition that\nthroughout the whole passage, it is the next world and no fictitious\nregion north of the Himalayas that is described. Some western scholars\nthink that a verbal translation is all that is necessary. Such passages,\nhowever, are incapable of being so rendered. The translator must make his\nchoice of, either taking the verses in a plain or a metaphorical sense.\nIf he inclines towards the latter, he cannot possibly give a verbal\nversion. The genius of the two tongues are quite different.\n\n587. Pushkara in Rajputanah is supposed to be the spot where Brahman\nunderwent his penances.\n\n588. The Burdwan translator makes a mess of this verse 21 runs into 22 as\nexplained by the commentator. K.P. Singha avoids the blunder, although in\nrendering the last line of 22 he becomes rather inaccurate.\n\n589. The five limbs which should be washed before eating are the two\nfeet, the two hands, and the face.\n\n590. This may be a general direction for washing one's hand after eating;\nor, it may refer to the final Gandusha, i.e., the act of taking a little\nwater in the right hand, raising it to the lips, and throwing it down,\nrepeating a short formula.\n\n591. The Burdwan translator has misunderstood this verse completely.\n\n592. It is difficult to understand what this verse means. Nilakantha\nproposes two different kinds of interpretation. What then is Sankusuka or\nSanku cuka? The above version is offered tentatively. The commentator\nimagines that the true sense of the verse is that it declares such men to\nbe unable to attain to Mahadayu which is Brahma and not long life.\n\n593. Prishtamangsa is explained by the commentator as 'the meat forming\nthe remnant of a Sraddha offering.' I do not see the necessity of\ndiscarding the obvious meaning.\n\n594. in the sense of being moved or used. The commentator adds that the\nsacred thread also should be wound round the thumb, as the Grihyasutras\ndeclare.\n\n595. In every instance, the person who receives should\nsay--'All-sufficient,' 'Gratify to the fill', and 'Has fallen copiously'\nor words to that effect. Krisara or Kricara is food made of rice and\npease, or rice and sesame; probably what is now called Khichree.\n\n596. The polite form of address is Bhavan. It is in the third person\nsingular. The second person is avoided, being too direct.\n\n597. It is not plain in what way the sinful acts come to the sinner. The\nHindu idea, of course, is that the consequences of those deeds visit the\ndoer without fail. This verse, however, seems to say that the\nrecollection of those sins forces itself upon the sinner and makes him\nmiserable in spite of himself.\n\n598. The Hindu moralist, in this verse, declares the same high morality\nthat Christ himself preached. Merit or sin, according to him, does not\ndepend on the overt act alone. Both depend on the mind. Hence the\ninjunction against even mentally harming others.\n\n599. The sense seems to be that if one succeeds in ascertaining the\nordinances about virtue or piety, but if the mind be sinful, no associate\ncan be of any help. The mind alone is the cause of virtue and piety.\n\n600. Adhyatma is anything that depends on the mind. Here it is, as\nexplained by the commentator, used for yoga-dharma as depending upon or\nas an attribute of the mind. Generally speaking, all speculations on the\ncharacter of the mind and its relations with external objects are\nincluded in the word Adhyatma.\n\n601. After Bhrigu's discourse to Bharadwaja this question may seem to be\na repetition. The commentator explains that it arises from the\ndeclaration of Bhishma that Righteousness is a property of the mind, and\nis, besides, the root of everything. (V 31, sec. 193, ante). Hence the\nenquiry about Adhyatma as also about the origin of all things.\n\n602. The word rendering 'perceptions' is Vijnanani. 'Cognitions' would\nperhaps, be better.\n\n603. Generally, in Hindu philosophy, particularly of the Vedanta school,\na distinction is conceived between the mind, the understanding, and the\nsoul. The mind is the seat or source of all feelings and emotions as also\nall our perceptions, or those which are called cognitions in the Kantian\nschool, including Comparison which (in the Kantian school) is called the\nVernuft or Reason. This last is called the Understanding or buddhi. The\nsoul is regarded as something distinct from both the body and the mind.\nIt is the Being to whom the body and the mind belong. It is represented\nas inactive, and as the all-seeing witness within the physical frame. It\nis a portion of the Supreme Soul.\n\n604. Goodness includes all the higher moral qualities of man. Passion\nmeans love, affection, and other emotions that appertain to worldly\nobjects. Darkness means anger, lust, and such other mischievous\npropensities.\n\n605. I follow Nilakantha in his grammatical exposition of this verse. The\nmeaning, however, is scarcely clear. The identity of the Understanding or\nintelligence with the senses and the mind may be allowed so far as the\naction of the three qualities in leading all of them to worldly\nattachments is concerned. But what is meant by the identity of the\nUnderstanding with all the objects it comprehends? Does Bhishma preach\nIdealism here? If nothing exists except as it exists in the\nUnderstanding, then, of course, with the extinction of the Understanding,\nall things would come to an end.\n\n606. Brown and other followers of Reid, whether they understood Reid or\nnot, regarded all the perceptions as only particular modifications of the\nmind. They denied the objective existence of the world.\n\n607. The commentator explains this verse thus, although as regards the\nsecond line he stretches it a little. If Nilakantha be right, K.P. Singha\nmust be wrong. Generally, however, it is the known incapacity of the\nocean to transgress its continents that supplies poets with\nillustrations. Here, however, possibly, the rarity of the phenomenon,\nviz., the ocean's transgressing its continents, is used to illustrate the\nrare fact of the intelligence, succeeding by yoga power, in transcending\nthe attributes of Rajas, Tamas and Sattwa.\n\n608. on the other hand, directing one's thoughts boldly to it, one should\nascertain its cause and dispel that cause, which, as stated here, is\nPassion.\n\n609. The first two words of the second line are those of verse 5. See\nI, Manu.\n\n610. Kathanchit is explained by Nilakantha as 'due to great ill-luck.'\n\n611. I do not follow Nilakantha in rendering this verse.\n\n612. The soul is said to be only a witness or spectator and not an actor.\nThe Rishis understood by the soul the being to whom the mind, the senses,\netc., all belong. Could the idea of the inactive and unsinning Soul have\narisen from observation of the moral principle of Conscience which\ndiscriminates between right and wrong, and acts, therefore, as an\nimpartial judge, or watches everything like an uninterested spectator?\nEuropean moralists generally attribute two other functions to the\nConscience, viz., impelling us to do the right and avoid the wrong, and\napproving when right is done and wrong avoided. But these functions may\neasily be attributed to some other principle. At any rate, when the\nquestion is one of nomenclature only, the last two functions may be taken\naway and the word Soul applied to indicate the Conscience as the faculty\nof discrimination only.\n\n613. The qualities here referred to are those of Sattwa (goodness), Rajas\n(passion), and Tamas (darkness). What is meant by this verse is that such\na person transcends the qualities instead of the qualities transcending\nhim and his acts.\n\n614. Nilakantha takes the third line as elliptical and is for supplying\nte labhante.\n\n615. I follow the commentator in his exposition of this verse.\nAnavisandhipurvakam is explained as nishkamam. Ubhayam is\nprachinamaihikam cha karmam. Apriyam is equivalent to vadham. The\nsubstance of priyam, etc., is thus given: Moksham prati tu karmanah\nkaranatwam duranirastam.\n\n616. Aturam is explained as pierced by lust, wrath, etc. Asuyate is\nequivalent to dhikkaroti. Janah is explained by the commentator as\nparikshakah but it would be better to take it as standing for people\ngenerally. Tasya is an instance of the genitive for the accusative. Tat\nrefers to nindyam karma, sarvatah means sarvashu yonishu. Janayati Janena\ndadati. The object of the verse is to show that sinful acts produce fear\nboth here and hereafter.\n\n617. Loka is in the locative case, the final vowel indicating to the\nlocative having been dropped for sandhi. Niravishan is an adverb,\nequivalent to samyak-abhinivesam kurvan. Tattadeva means \"those and\nthose\" i.e., possessions, such as putradaradikam. Kusalan is\nsarasaravivekanipunan. Ubhayam is explained as karma-mukhin and\nsadyomuktim. Bhisma here points out the superiority of the latter kind of\nEmancipation over the former; hence Vedic acts or rites must yield to\nthat yoga which drills the mind and the understanding and enables them to\ntranscend all earthly influences.\n\n618. The soul-state is the state of purity. One falls away from it in\nconsequence of worldly attachments. One may recover it by yoga which aids\none in liberating oneself from those attachments.\n\n619. The three words used here are vichara, viveka, and vitarka. They are\ntechnical terms implying different stages of progress in yoga. The\ncommentator explains them at length.\n\n620. Everything that man has is the product of either exertion or\ndestiny; of exertion, that is, as put forth in acts, and destiny as\ndependent on the acts of a past life or the will of the gods or pure\nchance. Yoga felicity is unattainable through either of these two means.\n\n621. Sankhya is understood by the commentator as implying Vedanta-vichara.\n\n622. This verse is a triplet. The commentator explains that Vedanta in\nthe second line means Sankhya. I think, this is said because of the\nagreement between the Vedanta and the Sankhya in this respect\nnotwithstanding their difference in other respects. The object of the\nverse is to say that according to the Sankhya, there is no necessity for\nsilent recitation of mantras. Mental meditation, without the utterance of\nparticular words, may lead to Brahma.\n\n623. Both declare, as the commentator explains, that as long as one does\nnot succeed in beholding one's Soul, one may silently recite the Pranava\nor the original word Om. When, however, one succeeds in beholding one's\nSoul, then may one give up such recitation.\n\n624. There are two paths which one in this world may follow. One is\ncalled Pravritti dharma and the other Nrivritti dharma. The first is a\ncourse of actions; the second of abstention from actions. The attributes\nindicated in 10 and 11 belong to the first course or path. They are,\ntherefore, called Pravartaka yajna or Sacrifice having its origin in\nPravritti or action.\n\n625. i.e., he should first cleanse his heart by observing the virtues\nabove enumerated.\n\n626. Samadhi is that meditation in which the senses having been all\nwithdrawn into the mind, the mind, as explained previously, is made to\ndwell on Brahma alone.\n\n627. The end declared by Bhishma in the previous section is the success\nof yoga, or freedom from decrepitude and death, or death at will, or\nabsorption into Brahma, or independent existence in a beatific condition.\n\n628. It should be noted that 'hell,' as here used, means the opposite of\nEmancipation. Reciter may attain to the joys of heaven, but compared to\nEmancipation, they are hell, there being the obligation of rebirth\nattached to them.\n\n629. Even this is a kind of hell, for there is re-birth attached to it.\n\n630. Aiswvarya or the attributes of godhead are certain extraordinary\npowers attained by yogins and Reciters. They are the power to become\nminute or huge in shape, or go whither soever one will, etc. These are\nlikened to hell, because of the obligation of re-birth that attaches to\nthem. Nothing less than Emancipation or the absorption into the Supreme\nSoul is the end that should be striven for.\n\n631. In the Bengal texts there is a vicious line beginning with Prajna,\netc. The Bombay text omits it, making both 10 and 11 couplets, instead of\ntaking 11 as a triplet.\n\n632. Na samyuktah is explained by the commentator as aviraktopi hathena\ntyaktabhogah.\n\n633. For there no forms exist to become the objects of such functions.\nAll is pure knowledge there, independent of those ordinary operations\nthat help created beings to acquire knowledge.\n\n634. The six Angas are Siksha, Kalpa, Vyakarana, Nirukta, Chhandas,\nJyotish.\n\n635. i.e., an insight not obtained in the ordinary way but by intuition.\n\n636. K.P. Singha mistranslates the word sadhaye. It means 'I go', and not\n'I will strive etc.' The Burdwan translator is correct.\n\n637. Work and Abstention from work are the two courses of duty prescribed\nor followed.\n\n638. It seems that Vikrita had given away a cow. He had then made a gift\nto Virupa of the merit he had won by that righteous act.\n\n639. Picking solitary grains from the crevices in the fields after the\ncrops have been gathered and taken away.\n\n640. He gave me the merit he won by giving away one cow. I wish to give\nhim in return the merit I have won by giving away two cows.\n\n641. Verses 107 and 108 are rather obscure. What the king says in 107\nseems to be that you two have referred your dispute to me who am a king.\nI cannot shirk my duty, but am bound to judge fairly between you. I\nshould see that kingly duties should not, so far as I am concerned,\nbecome futile. In 108 he says, being a king I should discharge the duties\nof a king, i.e., I should judge disputes, and give, if need be, but never\ntake. Unfortunately, the situation is such that I am obliged to act as a\nBrahmana by taking what this particular Brahmana is desirous of offering.\n\n642. This verse also seems to be very obscure. The king's natural\ninclination, it seems, prompts him to oblige the Brahmana by accepting\nhis gift. The ordinances about kingly duties restrain him. Hence his\ncondemnation of those duties. In the second line, he seems to say that he\nis morally bound to accept the gift, and intends to make a gift of his\nown merits in return. The result of this act, he thinks, will be to make\nboth courses of duty (viz., the Kshatriya, and the Brahmana's) produce\nthe same kind of rewards in the next world.\n\n643. This is not Emancipation, but merely terminable felicity.\n\n644. Attains to Emancipation or Absorption into the essence of Brahma.\n\n645. These are Direct knowledge (through the senses), Revelation,\nInference, and Intuition.\n\n646. The first six are Hunger, Thirst, Grief, Delusion, Disease, and\nDeath. The other sixteen are the five breaths, the ten senses, and the\nmind.\n\n647. I think, K.P. Singha misunderstands this verse. Three different ends\nare spoken of. One is absorption into Brahma; the other's enjoyment of\nordinary felicity, which, of course, is terminable, and the last is the\nenjoyment of that felicity which is due to a freedom from desire and\nattachments; 126 speaks of this last kind of felicity.\n\n648. In the second line saraddham is not an indeclinable; or, if it be\ntaken as such, the sense may still remain unaltered. What the monarch\ndoes is to call upon the Brahmana to share with the monarch the rewards\nthat the monarch had won.\n\n649. The sense seems to be that yogins attain to Brahma even here;\nwhereas Reciters attain to him after death.\n\n650. The fact is, I do not know anything of Him, but still I profess to\nworship him. This is false behaviour. How shall I be rescued from such\nfalsehood? This is what Vrihaspati says.\n\n651. The Chhandas are the rules of Prosody as applicable to the Vedic\nhymns. Jyotish is astronomy. It forms an Anga of the Vedas. Nirukta\nfurnishes rules for interpreting obscure passages of the Vedas, and also\ngives the meanings of technical or obscure words used therein. Kalpa is\nthe description of religious rites. Siksha is the science of\npronunciation as applied to Vedic hymns and mantras.\n\n652. They who believe that happiness is not eternal and that, therefore,\nthey should not pursue it, withdraw themselves from pious acts which lead\nto that happiness. They seek Knowledge as the best means for avoiding all\nthat is transitory and changeful. They seek moksha or complete\nEmancipation which has been described in the previous sections.\n\n653. The meaning of 'hell' as applied in such passages has been explained\nbefore.\n\n654. This is a highly aphoristic line. I give the sense by expanding the\nwords. By 'acts' here is meant 'sacrifices and other religious\nobservances.' The intention of Vrihaspati is to enforce the propriety of\nacts, for without acts, the ends of life cannot, he maintains, be secured.\n\n655. The sense is that one should devote oneself to acts as a sort of\npreparation. Afterwards one should abandon them for obtaining the higher\nend. Acts, therefore, have their use, and help one, though mediately, in\nthe acquisition of Brahma.\n\n656. The mind and acts have created all things. This has been explained\nin the last verse of section 190 ante. Both are good paths, for by both,\ngood end may be attained, viz., the highest, by drilling the mind, as also\n(mediately) by acts (as explained in verse 14 above). The fruits of\nactions must be mentally abandoned if the highest end is to be attained;\ni.e., acts may be gone through, but their fruits should never be coveted.\n\n657. Nilakantha explains the grammar of the first line differently. His\nview is yatha chakshurupah praneta nayako, etc. A better construction\nwould be yatha chaksha pranetah (bhavati) etc.\n\n658. This verse may be said to furnish the key of the doctrine of karma\nor acts and why acts are to be avoided by persons desirous of Moksha or\nEmancipation. Acts have three attributes: for some are Sattwika (good),\nas sacrifices undertaken for heaven, etc., some are Rajasika (of the\nquality of Passion), as penances and rites accomplished from desire of\nsuperiority and victory; and some are Tamasika (of the quality of\nDarkness), as those undertaken for injuring others, notably the Atharvan\nrites of Marana, Uchatana, etc.: this being the case, the Mantras,\nwithout acts, cannot be accomplished, are necessarily subject to the same\nthree attributes. The same is the case with rituals prescribed. It\nfollows, therefore, that the mind is the chief cause of the kind of\nfruits won, i.e., it is the motive that determines the fruits, viz., of\nwhat kind it is to be. The enjoyer of the fruit, of course, is the\nembodied creature.\n\n659. There can be no doubt that Nilakantha explains this verse correctly.\nIt is really a cruce. The words Naro na samsthanagatah prabhuh syat must\nbe taken as unconnected and independent. Na samsthana gatah is before\ndeath. Prabhuh is adhikari (jnanphale being understood). K.P. Singha\ngives the sense correctly, but the Burdwan translator makes nonsense of\nthe words.\n\n660. The subject of this verse as explained by the commentator, is to\ninculcate the truth that the result of all acts accomplished by the body\nis heaven where one in a physical state (however subtile) enjoys those\nfruits. If Emancipation is to be sought, it must be attained through the\nmind.\n\n661. The sense depends upon the word acts. If acts are accomplished by\nthe mind, their fruits must be enjoyed by the person in a state in which\nhe will have a mind. Emancipation cannot be achieved by either recitation\n(japa) or Dhyana (meditation), for both these are acts. Perfect\nliberation from acts is necessary for that great end.\n\n662. viz., Taste, etc.\n\n663. Existent, line atom; non-existent, line space; existent-nonexistent,\nline Maya or illusion.\n\n664. Aswabhavam is explained by the commentator as Pramatri-twadi vihinam.\n\n665. i.e., one sees one's own soul.\n\n666. i.e., which, though one, divides itself into a thousand form like\nthe image of the moon in a quantity of agitated water.\n\n667. The analogy consists in this: good and evil fruits, though\nincompatible, dwell together; similarly, knowledge, though not material,\nresides in the material body. Of course, knowledge is used here in the\nsense of the mind or the understanding.\n\n668. It is difficult to understand why the idea of lamps set on trees is\nintroduced here.\n\n669. The analogy is thus explained. Fire, when fed, bursts into flames.\nWhen not fed, it dies out, but is not destroyed, for with new fuel the\nflames may be brought back. The current of the wind ceases, but does not\nsuffer extinction; for if it did, there would be no current again. The\nsame is the case with the rays of the Sun. They die in the night, to\nreappear in the morning. The rivers are dried up in summer and refilled\nduring the rains. The body, once dissolved, appears in another form. It\nwill be seen that the weakness of the reasoning is due only to incorrect\nnotions about the objects referred to.\n\n670. Exists in its own nature, i.e., unaffected by attributes and\nqualities and accidents.\n\n671. Some of the Bengal texts read sumahan and subuddhih in the second\nline. Of course, this is incorrect. The true reading is samanah and\nsabuddhih, meaning 'with mind and with understanding.' In the Bombay\nedition occurs a misprint, viz., sumanah for samanah. Nilakantha cites\nthe correct readings.\n\n672. The Burdwan translator misunderstands the word Linga as used in both\n14 and 15. K.P. Singha also wrongly renders that word as it occurs in 15.\nThe commentator rightly explains that Linga has no reference to\nLinga-sarira or the invisible body composed of the tanmatra of the primal\nelements, but simply means the gross body. In 14, he says, Lingat\nsthuladehat, Lingam tadeva dehantaram. In 15, anena Lingena Savibhutena.\nAdristhah means alakshitah. A little care would have removed such\nblunders.\n\n673. The commentator cites the Gita which furnishes a parallel passage,\nviz., Indriyani paranyahurindriyebhyah param manah, etc.\n\n674. This verse seems to show that the Rishis had knowledge of\nspectacles, and probably also, of microscopes. The instrument that shewed\nminute objects must have been well known, otherwise some mention would\nhave been made of it by name. The commentator calls it upanetra.\n\n675. By death on sleep.\n\n676. Yugapat means simultaneous; atulyakalam means differing in point of\ntime in respect of occurrence; kritsnam qualifies indriyartham; Vidwan\nmeans Sakshi; and ekah, independent and distinct. What is intended to be\nsaid here is that when the soul, in a dream, musters together the\noccurrences and objects of different times and places, when, in fact,\ncongruity in respect of both time and place does not apply to it, it must\nbe regarded to have an existence that is distinct and independent of the\nsenses and the body.\n\n677. The object of this is to show that the Soul has only knowledge of\nthe pleasures and pains arising in consequence of Sattwa and Rajas and\nTamas and in connection with the three states of the understanding due to\nthe same three attributes. The Soul, however, though knowing them, does\nnot enjoy or suffer them. He is only the silent and inactive Witness of\neverything.\n\n678. The object of the simile is to show that as wind is a separate\nentity although existing with the fire in a piece of wood, so the Soul,\nthough existing with the senses is distinct from them.\n\n679. The Bengal texts read indriyanam which I adopt. The Bombay edition\nreads indriyendriyam, meaning the sense of the senses, in the same way as\nthe Srutis declare that is the Prana of Prana, the eye of the eye, the\near of the ear, etc., Sravanena darsanam tatha kritam is 'apprehended by\nthe ear,' i.e., as rendered above, 'apprehended through the aid of the\nSrutis.'\n\n680. The commentator uses the illustration of a tree. Before birth the\ntree was not; and after destruction, it is not; only in the interim, it\nis. Its formlessness or nothingness is manifest from these two states,\nfor it has been said that which did not exist in the past and will not\nexist in the future cannot be regarded as existing in the present.\nTadgatah is explained by the commentator as udayastamanagatah or\ntaddarsinah.\n\n681. Both the vernacular translators render the second line incorrectly.\nThe first line is elliptical, and would be complete by supplying asannam\npasyanti. The paraphrase of the second line is Pratyayannam Jneyam\nJnanabhisamhitam(prati)ninisante. Jneyam is explained by the commentator\nas prapancham. Jnanabhisamhitam means that which is known by the name of\nKnowledge, i.e., Brahma, which has many similar names some of which the\ncommentator quotes such as Satyam (truth), Jananam (knowledge), Anantam\n(infinite), Vijnanam (true knowledge), Anandam (joy or happiness).\n\n682. Tamas is another name for Rahu. The first line, therefore, refers to\nthe manner in which an eclipse occurs. There is no absolute necessity,\nhowever, for taking it as an allusion to the eclipse. The meaning may be\nmore general. Every day, during the lighted fortnight, the moon gains in\nappearance, as, indeed, every day, during the dark fortnight, it loses in\nappearance. It may, therefore, be said that darkness approaches it or\nleaves it for eating it away or discovering it more and more. The actual\nprocess of covering and discovering cannot be noticed. This circumstance\nmay be taken as furnishing the simile. In verse 21, similarly, tamas is\ncapable of a wider meaning. In 22, the word Rahu is used. It should be\nexplained, however, that Rahu is no imaginary monster as the Puranas\ndescribe but the descending node of the moon, i.e., a portion of space in\nand about the lunar orbit.\n\n683. This is a very difficult verse and the distinction involved in it\nare difficult to catch. Of course, I follow the commentator in rendering\nit. What is said here is that in a dream, Vyakta (manifest body) lies\ninactive, while the Chetanam (the subtile form) walks forth. In the state\ncalled Sushupti (deep slumber which is like death) the indriyasamyuktam\n(the subtile form) is abandoned, and Jnanam (the Understanding), detached\nfrom the former, remains. After this manner, abhava (non-existence, i.e.,\nEmancipation) results from destruction of bhavah or existence as subject\nto its known conditions of dependence on time, manner of apprehension,\netc., for Emancipation is absorption into the Supreme Soul which is\nindependent of all the said conditions. The commentator explains that\nthese observations become necessary to show that Emancipation is\npossible. In the previous section the speaker drew repeated illustrations\nfor showing that the soul, to be manifest, depended on the body. The\nhearer is, therefore, cautioned against the impression that the soul's\ndependence on the body is of such an indissoluble kind that it is\nincapable of detachment from the body, which of course, is necessary for\nEmancipation or absorption into the Supreme Soul.\n\n684. Caswasasya is an instance of Bhavapradhananirdesa, i.e., of a\nreference to the principal attribute connected by it.\n\n685. Indriaih rupyante or nirupyante, hence Indriyarupani.\n\n686. The objects to be abandoned are those which the senses apprehend and\nthose which belong to primordial matter. Those last, as distinguished\nfrom the former, are, of course, all the linga or subtile forms or\nexistents which are made up of the tanmatras of the grosser elements.\n\n687. Or, regains his real nature.\n\n688. I adopt the Bombay reading aptavan instead of the Bengal reading\natmavit. Pravrittam Dharmam, as explained previously, is that Dharma or\npractice in which there is pravritti and not nivritti or abstention.\n\n689. The sense is this: by abstaining from the objects of the senses one\nmay conquer one's desire for them. But one does not succeed by that\nmethod alone in totally freeing oneself from the very principle of\ndesire. It is not till one succeeds in beholding one's soul that one's\nprinciple of desire itself becomes suppressed.\n\n690. The separate existence of an objective world is denied in the first\nclause here. All objects of the senses are said here to have only a\nsubjective existence; hence the possibility of their being withdrawn into\nthe mind. The latest definition of matter, in European philosophy, is\nthat it is a permanent possibility of sensations.\n\n691. Te is explained by the commentator as Brahmabhigatah. K.P. Singha\nwrongly renders the last foot of the second line. The Burdwan version is\ncorrect.\n\n692. Te in the first line is equal to tava.\n\n693. I follow the commentator in so far as he is intelligible. It is\nevident that the words Jnanam and Jneyam are used in the original not\nconsistently throughout.\n\n694. The meaning seems to be this: ordinary men regard all external\nobjects as possessing an independent existence, and their attributes also\nas things different from the substances which own them. The first step to\nattain to is the conviction that attributes and substances are the same,\nor that the attributes are the substances. This accords with the European\nIdealism. The next stage, of course, is to annihilate the attributes\nthemselves by contemplation. The result of this is the attainment of\nBrahma.\n\n695. Antaratmanudarsini is explained by the commentator as \"that which\nhas the Antaratman for its anudarsin or witness.\" The Burdwan translator\nis incorrect in rendering the second line.\n\n696. The first 'knowledge' refers to the perception of the true\nconnection between the Soul and the not-Soul. 'Fruits' mean the physical\nforms that are gained in new births. The destruction of the understanding\ntakes place when the senses and the mind are withdrawn into it all of\nthem, united together, are directed towards the Soul. Jneyapratishthitam\nJnanam means, of course, knowledge of Brahma.\n\n697. The commentator explains that sorrow arises from the relation of the\nknower and the known. All things that depend upon that relation are\ntransitory. They can form no part of what is eternal and what transcends\nthat relation.\n\n698. I take the obvious meaning, instead of the learned explanation\noffered by Nilakantha.\n\n699. The very Yogins, if led away by the desire of acquiring\nextraordinary powers and the beatitude of the highest heaven do not\nbehold the Supreme.\n\n700. Gunam, literally, attributes; hence objects possessed of attributes.\n\n701. That which is called the external world has no objective existence.\nIt is purely subjective. Hence, it is the mind that sees and hears and\ntouches the mind itself.\n\n702. This verse is a cruce. There can be no doubt that Nilakantha's\nexplanation is correct. Only, as regards budhyavara I am disposed to\ndiffer from him very slightly. The grammar of the first line is this:\n'Gunadane manah sada budhiyaraya; viprayoge cha tesham budhyavaraya.' Now\n'Gunadana' means the 'adana' (destruction) of 'guna'. (This root da means\nto cut). What is meant by the destruction of 'guna' or attribute or\nearthly objects is merging them in the buddhi by yoga; in other words, a\nwithdrawal of the senses into the mind, and the senses and the mind into\nthe understanding. \"Viprayoga cha tesham\" means 'in their separation,'\ni.e., when these objects are believed to be real and as existing\nindependently of the mind. The result of this would be the acquisition of\n'budhyavara,' implying the acquisition of those very objects. In the case\nof yogins, whose minds may be in such a frame, the powers called\n'asiswaryya' are acquired. There is no especial necessity, however, for\ntaking the case of yogins.\n\n703. What is said here is that Happiness and Sorrow have an end, though\nit may not be seen, and the Soul will surely come to its final resting\nplace. This accords with the doctrine of infinite spiritual improvement.\n\n704. Rishavam sarvattwam literally means 'the bull of Sattwatas'.\nOrdinarily, it is an appellation of Krishna, the prince of the Sattwatas\nor Yadavas. Here, however, the word is used to signify persons prizing\nthe attribute of Goodness; hence righteous persons.\n\n705. Prajapati literally means 'lord of creatures.' It is a name applied\nto those sons of Brahman who begat children.\n\n706. Samavartin is another name for Yama the punisher of the wicked.\n\n707. Nirapekshan is explained by Nilakantha as nirayameva ikshante tan,\ni.e., those who have their gaze directed towards hell alone. The Burdwan\ntranslator takes it as indicative of houseless or nomadic habits, upon\nwhat authority, it is not plain.\n\n708. K.P. Singha takes Naravara as the name of a tribe. Of course, it is\na careless blunder.\n\n709. I think K.P. Singha misunderstands this verse. All the texts agree\nin reading it in the same way. To take it, therefore, as implying that\nthe sinful races, by warring with one another, suffered destruction is\ndoing violence to the word Rajanath. There can be no doubt that\nSandhyakala means the period of junction between the two ages (Treta and\nDwapara). It is called terrible. It was at this time that, that dreadful\nfamine occurred which compelled the royal sage Viswamitra to subsist on a\ncanine haunch. Vide Ante.\n\n710. The correct reading is Mahatmana (instrumental) implying Krishna.\nThe Bengal reading Mahatmavan is vicious. K.P. Singha has rendered the\nverse correctly. The Burdwan translator, with Nilakantha's note before\nhim (for he uses the very words of the commentator), adheres to the\nvicious reading and mistranslates the verse.\n\n711. This verse evidently shows that there was dispute about Krishna's\nsupremacy, as Professor Weber guesses. The Krishna-cult was at first\nconfined among a small minority, Sisupala's and Jarasandha's\nunwillingness to admit the divinity of Krishna distinctly points to this.\n\n712. This is certainly a very fanciful etymology of the word Sanatana\nwhich ordinarily implies eternal.\n\n713. Atma Atmanah is explained by Nilakantha as jivasya paramarthikam\nswarupam.\n\n714. Swamatmanam is Pratyathatmyam.\n\n715. The sense is that when all men are equal in respect of their\nmaterial cause, why are such differences in the srutis and the smritis\nabout the duties of men?\n\n716. The meaning seems to be this: in the beginning of every celestial\nyuga, i.e., when the Supreme Being awaking from sleep desires to create\ncreatures anew, and creatures or beings start again into life. With such\nstarting of every being, the rules that regulate their relations and acts\nalso spring up, for without a knowledge of those rules, the new creation\nwill soon be a chaos and come to an end. Thus when man and woman start\ninto life, they do not eat each other but combine to perpetuate the\nspecies. With the increase of the human species, again, a knowledge\nsprings up in every breast of the duties of righteousness and of the\ndiverse other practices, all of which help to regulate the new creation\ntill the Creator himself, at the end of the yuga, once more withdraws\neverything into himself.\n\n717. i.e., the body.\n\n718. What is meant seems to be this: there can be no river without water.\nA river cannot exist without water. When a river is mentioned, water is\nimplied. The connection between a river and water is not an accident but\na necessary one. The same may be said of the sun and its rays. After the\nsame manner, the connection between the Soul and the body is a necessary\none and not an accident. The Soul cannot exist without a body. Of course,\nthe ordinary case only is referred to here, for, by yoga, one can\ndissociate the Soul from the body and incorporate it with Brahma.\n\n719. The mind has no existence except as it exists in the Soul. The\ncommentator uses the illustration of the second moon seen by the eye in\nwater, etc., for explaining the nature of the Mind. It has no real\nexistence as dissociated from the Soul.\n\n720. Swabhavahetuja bhavah is explained by the commentator as the\nvirtuous and vicious propensities. (Swabhava purvasamskara; sa eva\nheturyesham karmanam layah bhavah). 'All else,' of course, means Avidya\nor Maya, which flows directly from Brahma without being dependent on past\nacts. The meaning, then, is this: as soon as the Soul takes a new form or\nbody, all the propensities and inclinations, as dependent on its past\nacts, take possession of it, Avidya or Maya also takes possession of it.\n\n721. Both the vernacular translators have wrongly rendered this verse,\nnotwithstanding the help they have derived from Nilakantha's gloss. The\nfact is, the gloss itself sometimes requires a gloss. Verses 3 and 4 and\nconnected with each other. In verse 3, the speaker mentions two\nanalogies viz., first, that of iron, which is inanimate, following the\nloadstone, and, second, of Swabhavahetuja bhavah (meaning, as already\nexplained, all such consequences as are born of the acts of previous\nlives), as also anyadapi, i.e., all else of a similar nature, meaning, of\ncourse, the consequences of 'Avidya' or 'Maya' which flow directly from\nBrahma instead of former acts. In verse 4, reference is again made to\navyaktajabhavah, meaning propensities and possessions born of 'Avidya' or\n'Maya'. This is only a repetition, in another form, of what has already\nbeen stated in the second line of verse 3. The commentator explains this\nvery clearly in the opening words of his gloss. After this comes the\nreference to the higher propensities and aspirations that are in the\nSoul. The grammar of the line is this: Tadvat Kartuh karanalakshanah\n(bhavah) karanat abhisanghathah. The plain meaning, of course, is that\nlike all the darker and indifferent propensities and possessions that\ncome to the Soul in its new life, born of the acts of past lives, all the\nhigher aspirations also of the Soul come to it from Brahma direct. The\nword karana is used in both instances for Brahma as the Supreme Cause of\neverything.\n\n722. The sense is this: In the beginning there was nothing save the\nChit-Soul. Existent objects exist only because of Ignorance having\ndefiled the Soul. Their connection again with the Soul is not absolute\nand necessary. That connection may be destroyed without the Soul losing\nanything. What is intended to be conveyed by this verse is that at first,\ni.e., before the creation, there was nothing, except jiva or the Soul\nwith Knowledge alone for its indicating attribute. The things mentioned,\nviz., earth, etc., were not. Nor do they inhere to jiva with even\nIgnorance or Delusion for its indicating attribute, i.e., to the born\nSoul. The born Soul may seem to manifest all those attributes, but it is\nreally independent of or separate from them. Their connection with the\nSoul, as already said, is neither absolute nor eternal. In the next\nverse, the speaker explains the nature of those manifestations.\n\n723. The connection between earth, etc., with the Soul has before been\nsaid to be neither absolute nor eternal. Whence then that connection? In\n6, it is said that all the apprehensions of the Soul with regard to\nearth, etc., are due to Ignorance or Delusion flowing directly from\nBrahma and assailing it thereafter. The apprehension of the Soul that it\nis a man or an animal, that it has a body, that it is acting, etc., are\nto borrow the commentator's illustration, just like that of one's being a\nking in a dream who is not, however, really a king, or of one's being a\nchild who is not, however, really a child. Being eternal or without\nbeginning its first existence under the influence of Delusion is\nuntraceable. As long, again, as it has Knowledge alone for its attribute,\nit remains indestructible, i.e., free from the mutations of existence. It\noccurs in every creature, i.e., in man and beast.\n\n724. The sense seems to be this: In consequence of desires the Soul\nmanifests itself in some form of existence. In that state it acts. Those\nacts again lead to desires anew, which, in their turn, bring on new forms\nor states of existence. The circle of existence or life thus goes on,\nwithout beginning and without end.\n\n725. The Cause is ignorance. The Effect is the body and the senses of a\nparticular form of existence. When the creature, in consequence of this\nunion, engages in acts, these latter become causes for new states of\nexistence.\n\n726. The object of this verse is to reiterate the doctrine that the\npossession of the body and the senses, etc., does not alter the state of\nthe Soul. The Soul is really unattached to these though it may apparently\nexist in a state of union with them, like the wind, which existing in a\nstate of apparent union with the dust it bears away is even at such times\npure by itself and as a substance, exists separately.\n\n727. The Vedas contain declarations of both kinds, viz., they urge to\naction as also to abstention from action. The former is necessary as a\nstepping stone to the latter. Such men are rare as understand the\ndeclarations of the Vedas in this way and as conform by their conduct to\nthose declarations thus. What is seen, on the other hand, is that some\nbetake themselves to acts and some to abstention from acts. The second\nline of the verse has been expanded a little in the translation,\nfollowing Nilakantha's gloss.\n\n728. Deha-yapanam means destruction of the connection the body has with\nthe soul. In the second line, the performance of acts is prescribed only\nas a preparation, for they contribute to purity of the Soul. Acts should\nnot, the speaker says, be performed from desire of fruit, viz., heaven,\nby one desirous of Emancipation. K.P. Singha omits the first line of the\nverse, but gives the sense of the second line correctly. The Burdwan\ntranslator mis-understands the gloss he quotes and makes nonsense of the\nverse.\n\n729. Vipakram is explained by Nilakantha as pakahinam; and\napakvakashayakhyam as apakva-kashaye pumsi akhya upadesah yasya lam etc.\n\n730. Anuplavan is anusaran; akramya means upamridya.\n\n731. Vijnana here means the loss or absence of knowledge.\n\n732. Yathartham, i.e., for the true objects of life, viz., for acting\nrighteously and accomplishing emancipation.\n\n733. At first there was only jiva or the Soul having knowledge alone for\nits attribute. When it became clothed with Ignorance, the universe sprang\nup around it. Consciousness is due to that union of the Soul with\nIgnorance. Hence, all things rest on Consciousness, and Consciousness is\nthe root of all sorrow.\n\n734. The sense of this verse seems to be this: if all things rest on\nConsciousness which is an attribute of Ignorance or Delusion, why then\nthis uniformity instead of the irregularity that characterises all\nperceptions in dreams? The answer is that the uniformity is the result of\npast acts, of acts which are due to Consciousness. These produce\nuniformity of perceptions even as time, subject to its own laws, produces\nthe phenomena of the seasons with uniformity.\n\n735. I have expanded the last line for bringing out the meaning of the\nword nasyati clearly. Of course, I follow Nilakantha's explanation of the\nsimile.\n\n736. In the Srutis it is said that Brahma has two attributes, Vidya\n(Knowledge), and Avidya (Ignorance) with Maya (delusion). It is in\nconsequence of this Maya that chit-souls or jivas become attached to\nworldly things. It is in consequence of this Maya that persons, even when\nthey understand that all is nought, cannot totally dissociate themselves\nfrom them.\n\n737. Mana is explained by the commentator as worship of one's own self;\nDarpa is freedom from all restraints; and Ahankara is a complete\ndisregard of others and centering all thoughts on ones own self. Here\nAhankara is not Consciousness.\n\n738. Kritalakshanah is explained by the Commentator as Kritaswikarah.\n\n739. The force of the simile lies in this: Prakriti binds Kshetrajna or\nthe Soul and obliges it to take birth, etc. Women are Prakriti, men are\nSouls. As the Soul should seek to avoid the contact of Prakriti and\nstrive for emancipation, even so should men seek to avoid women. It\nshould be added that women, in almost all the dialects of India derived\nfrom Sanskrit, are commonly called Prakriti or symbols of Prakriti, thus\nillustrating the extraordinary popularity of the philosophical doctrine\nabout Prakriti and Purusha.\n\n740. Kritya is mantra-power or the efficacy of Atharvan rites. What is\nsaid here is that women are as frightful as Atharvan rites which can\nbring destruction upon even unseen foes. Rajasi antarhitah means that\nthey are sunk so completely in that attribute as to become invisible,\ni.e., completely enveloped by that attribute.\n\n741. The sense is this: parasitical vermin spring from sweat and other\nfilth emitted by the body. Children spring from the vital seed. In the\nformer case, it is Swabhava (nature) that supplies the active energy. In\nthe latter, the undying influence of previous acts and propensities\nsupply the active force. One's offspring, therefore, are like parasitical\nvermin on one's body. Wisdom should teach disregard or indifference for\neither.\n\n742. This is a repetition of what has been asserted in various forms\nbefore. Rajas (passion) is the cause of Pravritti or propensity for acts.\nSattwa (goodness) is enlightenment or the higher aspirations that lead to\nBrahma. Both rest on Tamas (Darkness), the first immediately, the last\nmediately. Chit or Jiva is pure Knowledge. When overtaken by Tamas or\nAvyakta, it becomes clothed with that existence which is called life or\nwhich we realise in the world, the conditions of that life being\nConsciousness and Intelligence.\n\n743. The Chit or Soul is all-Knowledge. When overspread with Ignorance or\nDarkness, it becomes manifested by Intelligence and Consciousness, i.e.,\nassumes a form or body. Knowledge overspread by Darkness, therefore, or\nKnowledge with the attributes of Intelligence and Consciousness, is the\ncause of Chit or soul or Jiva assuming a body. Such knowledge, therefore,\nis called the seed of the body. Then, again, the tadvijam (the second\nexpression), i.e., the foundation on which knowledge overspread by\nignorance (or knowledge with the attributes of intelligence and\nconsciousness) rests, is, of course, pure Knowledge or chit or jiva or\nSoul as it existed before life. It is only another form of repeating a\nstatement made several times before. Both the vernacular translators have\nmisunderstood the last half of the second line.\n\n744. The meaning, of course, is that while in the mother's womb, the Soul\nremembers the acts of past lives, and those acts influence and determine\nthe growth of its senses as also the character it will display in its new\nlife.\n\n745. I do not follow Nilakantha in his grammatical exposition of the\nsecond line. That exposition seems to be very far-fetched. Besides\ntebhyah tyagat for tesham tyagat is no violence to grammar, the use of\nthe ablative in this sense not being infrequent in these writings.\n\n746. Women have before (vide verse 9 of this section) been said to be the\nembodiment of the senses and as antarhitah in Rajas or Passion. The\nsenses, therefore, are, it is concluded here, originated in Rajas. By the\ndestruction, again, of Rajas, they may be destroyed. What is wanted,\ntherefore, is the conquest of Rajas or Passion. This may be effected with\nthe aid of the eye whose vision has been sharpened by scriptural\nknowledge.\n\n747. After indriyartham, as explained by the commentator, prapyapi is\nunderstood. There are two classes of indriyas, viz., those of knowledge\nand those for the performance of acts. Escapes the obligation of rebirth,\ni.e., attains to Emancipation.\n\n748. Arthasamanyam is explained by Nilakantha as Phalasamyam Mokshakhyam\nniratisayam. The Burdwan translator, while using the very words of the\ncommentator, mistranslates this verse: The speaker desires to show the\ndifference between the religion of Pravritti or acts and that of Nivritti\nor abstention from acts. Those that follow the former cannot attain to\nEmancipation. What they gain are certain good qualities mentioned in the\nnext verse, which, however, are equally gained by the followers of the\nreligion of Nivritti.\n\n749. The vow of Krichcchra consists of certain fasts. Pass three days in\nwater, i.e., stand in tank or stream with water up to the chin.\n\n750. The three Riks begin with Ritancha, Satyancha etc. Every Brahmana\nwho knows his morning and evening prayers knows these three Riks well.\n\n751. \"With the aid of the mind\" means yoga. Dehakarma means one whose acts\nare undertaken only for the purpose of sustaining the body, i.e., one who\ndoes no act that is not strictly necessary for supporting life; hence, as\nthe commentator explains, one who is free from all propensities leading\nto external objects. Manovaham Pranan nudan, i.e., bringing to sending\nthe vital breaths to the duct called Manovaha or Sushumna. Though a\nphysical act, its accomplishment becomes possible only by a long course\nof penances consisting in the withdrawal of the mind from external\nobjects. \"Reducing the (three) attributes to a state of uniformity,\" as\nexplained by the commentator, means arriving at Nirvikalpa, i.e., at that\nstate of knowledge which is independent of the senses.\n\n752. The Knowledge here spoken of is that knowledge which is independent\nof the senses. What the speaker says is that such Knowledge is no myth\nbut is sure to arise. When it arises, its possessor comes to know that\nthe external world, etc., is only the mind transformed, like the sights\nseen and sounds heard and thoughts cherished in a dream. In the second\nline the results of that knowledge are declared. The mind of a Mahatma is\nmantra-siddha, i.e., has won success by the meditation of the initial\nmantra, or om; it is nitya, i.e., eternal, meaning probably that though\nthe result of Maya or Avidya, it is no longer subject to rebirth; it is\nvirajas, i.e., free from desire and passion, and lastly it is Jyotishmat\nor luminous, meaning Omniscient and Omnipotent. The commentator cites a\npassage from Vasishtha's treatise on yoga which declares the same results\nas consequent on the attainment of Knowledge. It is, of course, implied\nthat in attaining to such a state, the mind as mind must be destroyed or\nmerged into the Soul and the Soul, with knowledge only for its attribute,\nmust exist. In the previous verse emancipation after death has been\nspoken of. In this jivan-mukti or emancipation in life is referred to.\n\n753. \"Freeing oneself from the attributes of Passion and Darkness\", i.e.,\nby practising the religion of abstention from acts.\n\n754. Adatte from da meaning to cut or destroy. Manasam volam as explained\nby the commentator, is sankalpam, i.e., desires or purposes. The man of\nripe understanding, by doing this, attains to that knowledge which is not\nsubject to decay with age. Hence, such knowledge is superior to knowledge\nacquired in the ordinary way.\n\n755. Compassion may sometimes lead to excess of attachment, as in the\ncase of Bharata towards his little deer. The universe is the result of\nacts because acts determine the character of the life the soul assumes.\nIn the case of Bharata, he was obliged to take birth as a deer in his\nnext life in consequence of all his thoughts in the previous life having\nbeen centred on a deer.\n\n756. K.P. Singha wrongly translates this verse. Tat should be supplied\nbefore asnute; there is redundant va in the first line. The Burdwan\ntranslator renders it correctly.\n\n757. The buddhi here referred to is intelligence cleansed by scriptures.\nSamahitam manak is, as explained by the commentator, mind freed from\nanger and malice, etc., i.e., properly trained.\n\n758. One should not covet, etc., like kingdoms and thrones in the case of\nordinary men. \"Non-existent objects,\" such as sons and wives that are\ndead or that are unborn or unwed.\n\n759. Samsara, as explained by the commentator, means both this and the\nother world. It is bound in speech in this sense, viz., that whatever is\nspoken is never destroyed and affects permanently both the speaker and\nthe listener, so that not only in one life, but in the infinite course of\nlives, the speaker will be affected for good or for evil by the words\nthat escape his lips. This fully accords with the discovery of modern\nscience, so eloquently and poetically enunciated by Babbage, of the\nindestructibility of force or energy when once applied. How appalling is\nthe sanction (which is not a myth) under which evil speaking is forbidden.\n\n760. Such self-disclosure destroys the effects of those acts and prevents\ntheir recurrence.\n\n761. Robbers laden with booty are always in danger of seizure. Even so\nunintelligent men bearing the burdens of life are always liable to\ndestruction.\n\n762. Nishpraiharena means Niruddhena as explained by the commentator.\n\n763. I adopt the reading prakasela and the interpretation that Nilakantha\nputs upon it.\n\n764. K.P. Singha translates these words very carelessly. The Burdwan\ntranslator, by following the commentator closely, has produced a correct\nversion. Kulmasha means ripe grains or seeds of the Phaselous radiatus.\nPinyaka is the cake of mustard seed or sesamum after the oil has been\npressed out. Yavaka means unripe barley, or, as the commentator explains,\nraw barley powdered and boiled in hot water.\n\n765. What is meant by the first line of the verse is this. The Soul had,\nbefore the creation, only Knowledge for its attribute. When Ignorance or\nDelusion, proceeding from Supreme Brahma, took possession of it, the Soul\nbecame an ordinary creature, i.e., consciousness, mind, etc., resulted.\nThis Ignorance, therefore, established itself upon Knowledge and\ntransformed the original character of the Soul. What is stated in the\nsecond line is that ordinary knowledge which follows the lead of the\nunderstanding is affected by ignorance, the result of which is that the\nSoul takes those things that really spring from itself to be things\ndifferent from itself and possessing an independent existence.\n\n766. The correct reading, I apprehend, is upagatasprihah and not\napagatasprihah. Nilakantha is silent. All that he says is that the first\nverse has reference to 'yogins,' the second to yogins and 'non-yogins'\nalike. Both the vernacular translators adhere to apagatasprihah.\n\n767. I expand verse 8 a little for giving its meaning more clearly than a\nliteral version would yield. All the impressions, it is said here, in\ndreams, are due either to the impressions of this life or those received\nby, the mind in the countless lives through which it has passed. All\nthose impressions, again, are well-known to the Soul though memory may\nnot retain them. Their reappearance in dreams is due to the action of the\nSoul which calls them up from the obscurity in which they are concealed.\nAvisena's theory of nothing being ever lost that is once acquired by the\nmind and the recollection of a past impression being, due to a sudden\nirradiation of the divine light, was, it seems, borrowed from Hindu\nphilosophy.\n\n768. The sense is this: a particular attribute among the three, viz.,\nGoodness or Passion or Darkness, is brought to the mind by the influence\nof past acts of either this or any previous life. That attribute\nimmediately affects the mind in a definite way. The result of this is\nthat the elements in their subtile forms actually produce the images that\ncorrespond with or appertain to the affecting attribute and the manner in\nwhich it affects the mind.\n\n769. Nothing less than yoga can discard or destroy them, for they really\nspring from desires generated by past acts.\n\n770. The Bombay reading Manohrishyan is better.\n\n771. Both the external and the internal worlds are due to Consciousness,\nwhich, in its turn, arises from delusion affecting the Soul. That which\nis called the Mind is only a product of the Soul. The world both external\nand internal, is only the result of Mind as explained in previous\nsections. Hence the Mind exists in all things. What is meant by all\nthings existing in the Soul is that the Soul is omniscient and he who\nsucceeds in knowing the Soul wins omniscience.\n\n772. The body is called the door of dreams because the body is the result\nof past acts, and dreams cannot take place till the Soul, through past\nacts, becomes encased in a body. What is meant by the body disappearing\nin the mind is that in dreamless slumber the mind no longer retains any\napprehension of the body. The body being thus lost in the mind, the mind\n(with the body lost in it) enters the Soul, or becomes withdrawn into it.\nNidarsanam is explained as Nischitadarsanam Sakshirupam. The sense of the\nverse is that in dreamless slumber the senses are withdrawn into the\nmind; the mind becomes withdrawn into the Soul. It is the Soul alone that\nthen lives in its state of original purity, consciousness and all things\nwhich proceed from it disappearing at the time.\n\n773. i.e., the mind becoming pure, he gains omniscience and omnipotence.\n\n774. The Burdwan translator, using the very words of Nilakantha, jumbles\nthem wrongly together and makes utter nonsense of both the original and\nthe gloss.\n\n775. Brahma cannot, as the commentator properly explains, be seized like\na creature by the horns. All that one can do is to explain its nature by\nreason and analogy. It can be comprehended only in the way indicated,\ni.e., by Pratyahara.\n\n776. The commentator thinks that the Rishi alluded to in this verse is\nNarayana, the companion and friend of Nara, both of whom had their\nretreat on the heights of Vadari where Vyasa afterwards settled himself.\nTattwa here does not, the commentator thinks, mean a topic of discourse\nbut that which exists in original purity and does not take its colour or\nform from the mind. Anaropitam rupam yasya tat.\n\n777. The religion of Pravritti consists of acts. It cannot liberate one\nfrom rebirth. The whole chain of existences, being the result of acts,\nrests upon the religion of Pravritti. The religion of Nivritti, on the\nother hand, or abstention from acts, leads to Emancipation or Brahma.\n\n778. Nidarsarkah is explained by the commentator as equivalent to\ndrashtum ichcchan.\n\n779. Avyakta or Unmanifest is Prakriti or primordial matter both gross\nand subtile. That which transcends both Prakriti and Purusha is, of\ncourse the Supreme Soul or Brahma. Visesham, is explained by the\ncommentator as 'distinguished from everything else by its attributes.'\n\n780. i.e., as the commentator explains, Purusha is non-creating and\ntranscends the three attributes.\n\n781. Asamhatau is explained by the commentator as atyantaviviktau.\nPurushau implies the two Purushas, i.e., the 'Chit-Soul' and the Supreme\nSoul.\n\n782. The four topics are these: the points of resemblance between\nPrakriti and Purusha, the points of difference between them: the points\nof resemblance between Purusha and Iswara; and the points of difference\nbetween them. The four considerations that cover these topics are absence\nof beginning and end, existence as chit and in animation, distinction\nfrom all other things, and the notion of activity.\n\n783. Yoginastam prapasyanti bhagavantam santanam--even this is what\npeople always say to yoga and yogins.\n\n784. The commentator in a long note explains that what is really implied\nby this verse is that one should betake oneself to some sacred spot such\nas Kasi for casting off one's life there. Death at Kasi is sure to lead\nto Emancipation, for the theory is that Siva himself becomes the\ninstructor and leads one to that high end.\n\n785. When divested of Rajas, i.e., freed from the senses and the\npropensities derived from their indulgence.\n\n786. Adehat is explained by the commentator as Dehapatat. Dehantat\napplies to the destruction of all the three bodies. By the destruction\n(after death) of the gross body is meant escape from the obligation of\nrebirth. The karana body is a subtiler form of existence than the\nLinga-sarira: it is, of course, existence; Prakriti as mentioned in\nverse 21.\n\n787. Paropratyasarge means on the rise of a knowledge of Brahma. Niyati\nis Necessity, in consequence of which jiva goes through an endless wheel\nof existences; Bhavantaprabhavaprajna is\nbhavanamanta-prabhavayorevaprajna yesham. The object of the verse is to\nshow that such mistaken persons as take the body, the senses, etc., and\nall which are not-Self, to be Self, are always taken up with the idea\nthat things die and are born, but that there is nothing like emancipation\nor a complete escape from rebirth.\n\n788. 'By the aid of patience' is explained by the commentator as without\nleaving their seats and changing the yoga attitude, etc. 'Withdrawing\nthemselves from the world of senses' means attaining to a state that is\nperfectly independent of the senses and, therefore, of all external\nobjects. 'Adore the senses in consequence of their subtility,' as\nexplained by the commentator, is thinking of Prana and the Indriyas as\nSelf or Soul. I do not understand how this amounts to the statement that\nsuch yogins attain to Brahma.\n\n789. 'Proceeding according to (the stages indicated in) the scriptures'\nalludes to the well-known verses in the Gita, beginning with Indriyebhyah\nparahyartha, etc. The several stages, as mentioned in those verses, are\nas follows: Superior to the senses are their objects. Superior to the\nobjects is the mind. Superior to the mind is the understanding. Superior\nto the understanding is the Soul. Superior to the Soul is the Unmanifest.\nSuperior to the Unmanifest is Purusha (Brahma). There is nothing above\nPurusha. Dehantam is explained as that which is superior to Avyakta or\nUnmanifest, hence Brahma or Purusha.\n\n790. A flash of lightning repeatedly realised becomes a mass of blazing\nlight. Perhaps this is intended by the speaker.\n\n791. In the Bengal texts, verse 28 is a triplet. In the second line the\ncorrect reading is Dehantam.\n\n792. Mara, Prakriti, and Purusha, or Effects, their material Cause, and\nthe Supreme Soul.\n\n793. Nanapashandavashinah is another reading which is noticed by the\ncommentator. It is explained as 'censurers of diverse sects of\nLokayatikas.'\n\n794. Panchasrotas implies the mind which is said to have five currents.\n\n795. These are the annamaya, the pranamaya, the manomaya, the\nvijnanamaya, and the anandamaya. For particulars, vide Wilson's Dict.\n\n796. The verb used is nyavedayat, literally, 'represented,' i.e.,\n'started' for discourse, or enquired into. The Burdwan translator renders\nit 'exposed' or 'promulgated,' which, I think, is incorrect.\n\n797. The Burdwan translator makes a ridiculous blunder by supposing that\nAsuri obtained this knowledge in consequence of the questions of his\ndisciple. The fact is, samprishtah, as correctly explained the\ncommentator, means samyak prishta prasno yasya. K.P. Singha avoids the\nerror.\n\n798. Kutumvini means a matron or the wife of a house-holder.\n\n799. Either Markandeya or Sanatkumara, according to the commentator.\n\n800. I slightly expand Sarvanirvedam according to the explanation given\nby Nilakantha. The Sankhya doctrine proceeds upon the hypothesis that all\nstates of life imply sorrow. To find a remedy for this, i.e., to\npermanently escape all sorrow, is the end of that philosophy.\n\n801. These are the characteristics of that Delusion under which man takes\nbirth in this world and goes on living till he can permanently conquer\nall sorrow.\n\n802. The construction of the first foot is Atmano mrityuh Anatma, meaning\nthe Soul's death (or that which is called death) is the Soul's\nextinction. Verse 24 recites the opinion of the Sceptics, not that of the\nspeaker. K.P. Singha mistranslates the verse. The Burdwan translator\nrenders it correctly.\n\n803. This and all the following verses are statements of the sceptic's\narguments.\n\n804. Verse 29 is highly terse. The words are grammatically unconnected\nwith one another. Only a few substantives have been used. These represent\nthe heads of the different arguments urged by sceptics for showing the\nnon-existence of anything besides the body which is seen and felt. I\nhave, of course, followed the commentator in his elaboration of the sense\nof the verse. There can be no doubt that the commentator is right.\n\n805. Some idea may be formed by the English reader of the extreme\nterseness of these verses by attending to the elaborations contained\nwithin the parentheses above. The exigencies of English grammar as also\nof perspicuity have obliged me to use, even in the portions unenclosed,\nmore words than what occur in the original Sanskrit. All these verses are\ncruces intended to stagger Ganesa.\n\n806. Both the vernacular translators have rendered this verse wrongly.\nThis fact is, without clearly understanding either the text or the gloss,\nthey have used bits of the gloss without being able to convey any\nintelligible idea. The gloss sometimes requires gloss to make it\nintelligible. The commentator says that the theory of rebirth mentioned\nin verse 34 is that of the Sugatas or Buddhists. That theory is refuted\nin verse 35. The objection to the Buddhistic theory is that mere ignorance\nand karma cannot explain rebirth. There must be an indestructible Soul.\nThis the Buddhists do not allow, for they believe that Nirvana or\nannihilation is possible. The argument, as sketched, proceeds in this\nway: the being that is the result of the rebirth is apparently a\ndifferent being. What right have we to assert its identity with the being\nthat existed before? Ignorance and karma cannot _create_ a Soul though\nthey may affect the surroundings of the Soul in its new birth. The\nobjections to the Buddhistic theory became clear in the verses that\nfollow.\n\n807. The sense is this: it is never seen in the world that the acts of\none person affect for good or for evil another person. If Chaitra exposes\nhimself to the night air, Maitra never catches cold for it. This direct\nevidence should settle the controversy about the unseen, viz., whether\nthe acts of one in a previous life can affect another in a subsequent\nlife if there be no identity between the two beings in two lives.\n\n808. It is needless to say that I have considerably elaborated the second\nline of the verse, as a literal rendering would have been entirely\nunintelligible. For example's sake I give that rendering; \"That which is\nseparate Consciousness is also different. That from which it is, does not\nrecommend self.\"\n\n809. If (as has already been said) the second Consciousness be the\nresulting effect of the loss or destruction itself of the previous\nConsciousness, then destruction is not annihilation, and, necessarily,\nafter Nirvana has been once attained, there may be a new Consciousness or\nnew birth, and, thus, after having again attained to Nirvana the same\nresult may follow. The Buddhistic Nirvana, therefore, cannot lead to that\nfinal Emancipation which is indicated into the Brahmanical scriptures.\n\n810. The Buddhists then, according to this argument, are not at all\nbenefited by asserting the existence of a permanent Soul unto which each\nrepeated Consciousness may inhere. The Soul, according to the Brahmanical\nscriptures, has no attributes or possessions. It is eternal, immutable,\nand independent of all attributes. The affirmance of attributes with\nrespect to the Soul directly leads to the inference of its\ndestructibility, and hence the assertion of its permanency or\nindestructibility under such conditions is a contradiction in terms,\naccording to what is urged in this verse.\n\n811. The commentator explains that the object of this verse is to point\nout that the senses, when destroyed, merge into their productive causes\nor the substances of which they are attributes. Of course, those causes\nor substances are the elements or primordial matter. This leads to the\ninference that though attributes may meet with destruction, yet the\nsubstances (of which they are attributes) may remain intact. This may\nsave the Buddhist doctrine, for the Soul, being permanent and owing\nconsciousness, etc., for its attributes, may outlive, like primordial\nmatter, the destruction of its attributes. But the speaker urges that\nthis doctrine is not philosophical and the analogy will not hold.\nSubstance is conjunction of attributes. The attributes being destroyed,\nthe substance also is destroyed. In European philosophy too, matter, as\nan unknown essence to which extension, divisibility, etc., inhere, is no\nlonger believed in or considered as scientific.\n\n812. Here the speaker attacks the orthodox Brahmanical doctrine of the\ncharacter of the Soul.\n\n813. Possibly because they art based on Revelation.\n\n814. The first five are the effects of intelligence; the vital breaths,\nof wind; and the juices and humours, of stomachic heat.\n\n815. Intelligence is called avyaya because it leads to Emancipation which\nis such. It is also called mahat because of its power to lead to Brahma\nwhich is mahat. Tattwanischaya is called the seed of Emancipation because\nit leads to Emancipation.\n\n816. That path consists of yoga.\n\n817. By casting off the mind one casts off the five organs of action. By\ncasting off the understanding, one casts off the organs of knowledge with\nthe mind.\n\n818. i.e., in each of these operations three causes must exist together.\n\n819. The inference is that the functions being destroyed, the organs are\ndestroyed, and the mind also is destroyed, or, the mind being destroyed,\nall are destroyed.\n\n820. The commentator correctly explains that na in nanuparyeta is the\nnom. sing. of nri (man), meaning here, of course, the dreamer.\nNilakantha's ingenuity is certainly highly commendable.\n\n821. Uparamam is yugapadbhavasya uchcchedam or extinction of the state of\nassociation of the Soul with the understanding, the mind, and the senses.\nThis dissociation of the Soul from the understanding, etc., is, of\ncourse, Emancipation. Emancipation, however, being eternal, the temporary\ndissociation of the soul from the understanding, etc., which is the\nconsequence of dreamless sleep, is the result of Tamas or Darkness. That\ndissociation is certainly a kind of felicity, but then it differs from\nthe felicity of Emancipation, which is everlasting, and which is not\nexperienced in the gross body.\n\n822. In this verse the speaker points out that the felicity of\nEmancipation may at first sight seem to be like the felicity of dreamless\nsleep, but that is only an error. In reality, the former is untouched or\nunstained by darkness. Na krichechramanupasyati is the reading I take,\nmeaning \"in which no one sees the slightest tincture of sorrow.\" The kind\nof sorrow referred to is the sorrow of duality or consciousness of knower\nand known. In Emancipation, of course, there cannot be any consciousness\nof duality. Both the vernacular versions are thoroughly unmeaning.\n\n823. In this verse the speaker again points out the similarity between\ndreamless sleep and Emancipation. In both swakarmapratyayah Gunah is\ndiscarded. Gunah, as explained by Nilakantha, means here the whole range\nof subjective and objective existences from Consciousness to gross\nmaterial objects, swakarmapratyayah means karmahetu kavirbhava, i.e.,\nhaving acts for the cause of their manifestation; this refers to the\ntheory of rebirth on account of past acts.\n\n824. The sense of the verse is this: all creatures are perceived to\nexist. That existence is due to the well-known cause constituted by\nAvidya and desire and acts. They exist also in such a way as to display a\nunion between the body and Soul. For all common purposes of life we treat\ncreatures that we perceive to be really existing. The question then that\narises is--which (the body or the Soul) is destructible?--We cannot\nanswer this question in any way we like, like for swaswato va katham\nuchcchedavan, bhavet (i.e., how can the Soul, Which is said by the\nlearned to be Eternal, be regarded as destructible?) Vartamaneshu should\nbe treated as, Laukikavyavareshu. Uchcchedah is, of course, equivalent to\nUchcchedavan.\n\n825. i.e., the gross body disappears in the subtile; the subtile into the\nkarana (potential) form of existence; and this last into the Supreme Soul.\n\n826. Merit and sin, and with them their effects in the form of happiness\nand misery both here and hereafter, are said to be destroyed when men\nbecome unattached to everything and practise the religion of abstention\nor nivritti. The paraphrase of the second line is asaktah alepamakasam\nasthaya mahati alingameva pacyanti. Alepamakasam asthaya is explained by\nthe commentator as Sagunam Brahma asthaya.\n\n827. Urnanabha is generic term for all worms that weave threads from\nwithin their bellies. It does not always mean the spider. Here, it\nimplies a silk-worm. The analogy then becomes complete.\n\n828. Nipatatyasaktah is wrongly rendered by the Burdwan translator. K.P.\nSingha gives the sense correctly but takes nipatali for utpatati.\n\n829. Samudayah is explained by the commentator as equivalent to hetu.\n\n830. Giving food and clothes to the poor and needy in times of scarcity\nis referred to.\n\n831. The reading I adopt is Vrataluvdhah. If, however, the Bengal reading\nvrataluplah be adopted, the meaning would be \"such men are deceived by\ntheir vows,\" the sense being that though acquiring heaven and the other\nobjects of their desire, yet they fall down upon exhaustion of their\nmerit and never attain to what is permanent, viz., emancipation, which is\nattainable by following the religion of nivritti only.\n\n832. The object of Bhishma's two answers is to show that the giving of\npain to others (sacrificing animals) is censurable, and the giving of\npain to one's own self is equally censurable.\n\n833. Existence comes into being and ceases. Non-existence also comes into\nbeing and ceases. This is the grammatical construction. The words, of\ncourse, imply only the appearance and disappearance of all kinds of\nphenomena.\n\n834. This refers to the theory set forth in the previous sections about\nthe Soul's real inactivity amidst its seeming activity in respect of all\nacts.\n\n835. The Burdwan translator renders the second line as \"six thousand\nGandharvas used to dance before thee seven kinds of dance.\"\n\n836. Both the vernacular translators have misunderstood this verse. A\nsamya is explained as a little wooden cane measuring about six and thirty\nfingers breadth in altitude. What Vali did was to go round the Earth\n(anuparyagah, i.e., parihrityagatavan) throwing or hurling a samya. When\nthrown from a particular point by a strong man, the samya clears a\ncertain distance. This space is called a Devayajana. Vali went round the\nglobe, performing sacrifices upon each such Devayajana.\n\n837. Pravyaharaya is explained by the commentator as prakrishtokaye.\n\n838. I follow Nilakantha's gloss in rendering this verse. Hatam is\nexplained as nirjivam deham, i.e., the body divested of Soul. He who\nslays another is himself slain, means that a person who regards his own\nself as the slayer is steeped in ignorance, for the Soul is never an\nactor. By thinking that he is the actor a person invests his Soul with\nthe attributes of the body and the senses. Such a man (as already said)\nis Hatah or slain (i.e., steeped in ignorance). Comparing this with verse\n19 of Sec. 11 of the Gita, we find that the same thing is asserted\ntherein a slightly different way. 'He who regards the Soul as the slayer\nand he who regards it as slain are both mistaken. The Soul does not slay\nnor is slain.'\n\n839. Compare this with the saying usually credited to Napoleon that St.\nHelena was written in the book of Fate.\n\n840. The original, if literally rendered, would be 'Time cooks\neverything.'\n\n841. Bhujyante is explained by the commentator as equivalent to palyante\nor samhriyante.\n\n842. Brahma is indestructible as jiva or Soul, and is destructible as\ndisplayed in the form of not-Self.\n\n843. I expand verse 50 for giving its sense as a literal version would be\nunintelligible.\n\n844. One that is borne with great difficulty.\n\n845. Literally, the desire for action; hence abundance or plenty that is\nthe result of action or labour.\n\n846. All these names imply plenty and prosperity.\n\n847. i.e., with hands not washed after rising from his meals or while\ngoing on with his meals.\n\n848. The commentator explains that according to the Pauranic theory, the\nworld stands all around the mountains of Meru. The region of Brahman\nstands on its top. The Sun travels round Meru and shines over all the\ndirections or points of the compass. This happens in the age called the\nVaivaswata Manwantara (the age or epoch of Manu the son of Vivaswat). But\nafter the lapse of this age, when the Savarnika Manwantara comes, the sun\nwill shine upon only the region on the top of Meru, and all around there\nwill be darkness.\n\n849. i.e., all things are destructible instead of being eternal.\n\n850. The commentator explains that Hridyam means Hritstham swarupam. By\nKalyanam, of course, Moksha or Emancipation is intended.\n\n851. As explained in previous verses, one striving to attain Emancipation\nmust set himself to yoga. As a consequence of yoga, one acquires (without\nwishing for them) many wonderful powers. The accomplishment of one's\nobjects then follows as a matter of course.\n\n852. The sense is this: a wise man never regards himself as the actor;\nand hence never feels sorrow. Whatever sorrow overtakes him he views\nunmoved and takes it as the result of what had been ordained. Not so the\nfoolish man. He deems himself to be the actor and looks upon sorrow as\nthe result of his own acts. Hence, he cannot view it unmoved. Sorrow,\ntherefore, lies in one's regarding oneself as the actor; the true view\nbeing that one instead of being an actor is only an instrument in the\nhands of the great Ordainer.\n\n853. The object of this verse is to show that right conclusions in\nrespect of duties are very rare.\n\n854. This is a hard hit, The listener, viz., Indra, had violated, under\ncircumstances of the most wicked deception, the chastity of Gautama's\nspouse Ahalya. Gautama had to punish his wife by converting her into a\nstone. This punishment, however, reacted upon Gautama inasmuch as it put\na stop to his leading any longer a life of domesticity. In spite of such\na dire affliction Gautama did not suffer his cheerfulness to depart from\nhis heart. The effect of the allusion is to tell Indra that the speaker\nis not like him but like Gautama, i.e., that Namuchi was not the slave of\nhis passions but that he was the master of his senses and the heart.\n\n855. The we here is the pronoun of dignity, applying to the speaker only\nand not to both the speaker and the listener.\n\n856. The sentence is an interrogative one. The Burdwan translator\nmistakes the meaning. K.P. Singha is correct.\n\n857. These things had not happened for many days in consequence of the\nwickedness of the Asuras. With the victory of Indra, sacrifices returned,\nand with them universal peace.\n\n858. The words are Dhruvadwarabhavam. The commentator is silent. Probably\na Himalayan Pass. The vernacular translators think it is the region of\nthe Pole-star that is intended. Dhruva is a name of Brahman the Creator.\nIt may mean, therefore, the river as it issues out of Brahman's loka or\nregion. The Pauranic myth is that issuing from the foot of Vishnu, the\nstream enters the Kamandalu of Brahman and thence to the earth.\n\n859. The reader of Lord Lytton's works may, in this connection, be\nreminded of the discourse between Mejnour and the neophyte introduced to\nhim by Zanoni, in course of their evening rambles over the ridges of the\nAppenines.\n\n860. K.P. Singha wrongly translates this verse.\n\n861. It is difficult to give to non-Hindu people the idea of what is\nuchchhishta. The hand becomes uchchhishta when set to food that is being\neaten. Without washing that hand with pure water, it is never used by a\nHindu for doing any work. The food that remains in a dish after some\nportion of it has been eaten is uchchhishta. The idea is particular to\nHinduism and is not to be seen among other races or peoples in the world.\n\n862. Yavasa is pasture grass.\n\n863. Payasa is a kind of pudding prepared of rice boiled in sugared milk.\nKrisara is milk, sesamum, and rice. Sashkuli is a sort of pie, made of\nrice or barley boiled in sugared water.\n\n864. No merit attaches to the act of feeding an illiterate person.\n\n865. The correct reading is Vyabhajat. The Bengal reading vyabhayat would\nimply a tautology, for the second line would then give the same meaning\nas the first.\n\n866. Everything else liable to be affected by primordial nature. Only the\nSupreme Soul cannot be affected. Hence, Brahma is often said to be \"above\nPrakriti.\" Prakriti, here, is of course used in its largest sense.\n\n867. The second line of verse 8, and the last clause of the first line of\nverse 9, are wrongly rendered by both the vernacular translators. K.P.\nSingha omits certain portions, while the Burdwan translator, as usual,\nwrites nonsense. The verb is nihnuvanti, meaning 'conceal': i.e., 'do not\nbrag of.' The verb vadishyanti is to be repeated after ahite hitam. For\nhitam ahitam may be read by way of antithesis.\n\n868. K.P. Singha mistranslates this verse.\n\n869. The Burdwan translator misunderstands the word anavajnata. K.P.\nSingha skips over it.\n\n870. The sense is this: though really unattached, he seems to be\nattached. In this there is especial merit. A man doing the duties of a\nhouseholder, without, however, being attached to wife and children and\npossessions, is a very superior person. Such a one has been compared to a\nlotus leaf, which, when dipped in water, is never soaked or drenched by\nit. Some, seeing the difficulty of the combat, fly away. In this there is\nlittle merit. To face all objects of desire, to enjoy them, but all the\nwhile to remain so unattached to them as not to feel the slightest pang\nif dissociated from them, is more meritorious.\n\n871. Kalajnanena nishthitam are the words of the original. Vyasa's answer\nis taken up with assigning limits to the successive periods of Creation\nand Non-existence, or the durations of Brahman's wakeful and sleeping\nperiods.\n\n872. Agre is explained by the commentator as srishteh prak.\n\n873. The Krita extends in all for 4,800 years. The Treta for 3,600; the\nDwapara for 2,400; and the Kali for 1,200. These are, however, the years\nof the deities. Verses 15-17 and 20-21 occur in Manusmriti, Chapter 1.\n\n874. This verse occurs in Manusmriti, corresponding with 81 of Chapter 1.\nThe reading, however, in Manusmriti, is slightly different, for the last\nclause is Manushyanpavartate. In rendering verse 23, I take this reading\nand follow Medhatithi's gloss. If Nilakantha's gloss and the reading in\nboth the Bengal and the Bombay texts be followed, the passage would run\nthus,--\"No instruction or precept of that age ran along unrighteous ways,\nsince that was the foremost of all ages.\" Nilakantha explains parah as sa\ncha parah. K.P. Singha skips over the difficulty and the Burdwan\ntranslator, as usual, gives an incorrect version.\n\n875. The total comes up to 12,000 years. These constitute a Devayuga. At\nthousand Devayugas compose a day of Brahman. Verse 28 occurs in\nManusmriti, Chapter 1.\n\n876. The reader who has gone through the previous Sections can have no\ndifficulty in understanding this. The external world is nothing but Mind\ntransformed. Mind, therefore, is spoken of here as Vyaktatmaka or that\nwhich is the soul of the vyakta or that is manifest, or that which is the\nvyakta, or between which and the vyakta there is no difference whatever.\nSome of the Bengal texts do not conclude Section 231 with the 32nd verse\nbut go on and include the whole of the 232nd Section in it. This,\nhowever, is not to be seen in the Bombay texts as also in some of the\ntexts of Bengal that I have seen.\n\n877. Tejomayam is explained by the commentator as Vasanamayam or having\nthe principle of desire or wish within it, otherwise Creation could not\ntake place. Yasya is used for yatah.\n\n878. By Mahat is meant Pure or Subtile Intelligence. The Manifest starts\ninto existence from Mind or has Mind for its soul. Hence, as explained in\nprevious Sections, Mind is called Vyaktatmakam.\n\n879. These seven great Beings or entities are Mahat, the same speedily\ntransformed into Mind, and the five elemental entities of Space, etc.\n\n880. Verses 4, 5, 6 and 7 occur in Manusmriti, corresponding with the\nlatter's 75, 76, 77 and 78 of Chapter 1.\n\n881. Chit or Jiva is called Purusha or resider in body, because when\noverlaid with Avidya by the Supreme Soul, it is not possible for it to\nexist in any other way than by being invested with a covering or case\nmade of primordial matter determined by the power of acts. Here, however,\nit means limbs or avayavam.\n\n882. What is stated in verse 10, 11 and 12 is this: the seven great\nentities, in their gross form, are unable, if separate, to produce\nanything. They, therefore, combine with one another. Thus uniting, they\nfirst form the asrayanam of sarira i.e., the constituent parts of the\nbody. They, at this stage, must be known by the name of Purusha of\navayava, i.e., mere limbs. When these limbs again unite, then murtimat\nshodasatmakam sartram bhavati, i.e., the full body, possessed of form and\nhaving the six and ten attributes, comes into existence. Then the subtile\nMahat and the subtile bhutas, with the unexhausted residue of acts, enter\nit. The plural form 'mahanti' is used because, as the commentator\nexplains, 'pratipurusham mahatadinam bhinnatwapratipadanertham,' i.e.,\nthe same 'mahat,' by entering each different form apparently becomes\nmany. Thus there are two bodies, one gross, and the other subtile called\n'linga-sarira.' The residue of acts is thus explained: all creatures\nenjoy or suffer the effects of their good and bad acts. If, however, the\nconsequences of acts, good and bad, be all exhausted, there can be no\nrebirth. A residue, therefore, remains in consequence of which rebirth\nbecomes possible. Creation and destruction, again, are endlessly going\non. The beginning of the _first_ Creation is inconceivable. The Creation\nhere described is one of a series. This is further explained in the\nverses that follow.\n\n883. The six and ten parts are the five gross bhutas, and the eleven\nsenses of knowledge and action including mind. The great creatures are\nthe tan-mantras of the gross elements, i.e., their subtile forms. At\nfirst the gross body (with the principle of growth) is formed, into it\nenters the subtile body or the linga-sarira. At first (as already said)\nthe gross elements come together. Then the subtile ones with the residue\nof acts. Then enters the Soul which is Brahma itself. The Soul enters\ninto the subtile form for witnessing, or surveying. All creatures are\nonly manifestations of that Soul due to the accident of Avidya or Maya.\nTapas means, as the commentator explains, alochana.\n\n884. i.e., this variety of Being and this variety of relations.\n\n885. Anubhe is explained as ubhayavyatiriktam. Sattwasthas are those that\ndepend upon the really existent, i.e., those that regard Brahma as the\nsole cause competent for the production of all effects.\n\n886. It is exceedingly difficult to understand the true meaning of these\nverses. A verbal translation is not calculated to bring out the sense.\nApparently, the statement that all things are contained in the Vedas is\nnonsense. In reality, however, what is intended to be said is that as the\nVedas are Speech or Words, the Creator had to utter words symbolizing his\nideas before creating anything. It is remarkable that there is a close\nresemblance between the spirit of the first chapter of Genesis with what\nis contained in the Srutis on the subject of Creation. Let there be\nEarth, and there was Earth, says the inspired poet of Genesis. Nilakantha\ncites exactly similar words from the Srutis as those which Brahman\nuttered for creating the Earth, such as, Bhuriti vyaharau as\nBhumimasrijat. Then the four modes of life with the duties of each, the\nmodes of worship, etc., were also indicated, hence, all acts also are in\nthe Vedas which represent the words of Brahma.\n\n887. All things are Sujata or well-made by him. In Genesis it is said\nthat God uttered particular words and particular objects sprang into\nexistence, and He saw that they were good.\n\n888. The first line contains only technical terms. Nama means Rigveda.\nHence, it stands for study of all the Vedas. Bheda stands for half, i.e.,\nfor the wife, who must be associated with her husband in all religious\nacts. Tapah is penance; hence it stands for all kinds of observances like\nchandrayana, and modes of life, vanaprastha, etc. Karma means such acts\nas the saying of morning and evening prayers, etc. Yama is sacrifice like\njyotishtoma etc. Akhya means such acts as lead to good fame, like the\ndigging of tanks, the making of roads, etc. Aloka, meaning meditation, is\nof three kinds. Lastly, comes Siddhi, meaning that emancipation which is\narrived at by one during this life. The instrumental plural kramaih\nshould be construed as dasabhih karmaih namadibhi sahita Vedeshu\nprechate. K.P. Singha has correctly rendered the verse, omitting\nreference to Siddhi. The Burdwan translator has totally misunderstood it.\n\n889. Gahanam is explained by the commentator as duravagaham Brahma;\nvedavadeshu means, according to him, the rites and observances laid down\nin the Vedas. It is better, however, to take it literally, i.e., for the\nwords of the Vedas. Vedanteshu means 'in the Upanishads,' which come\n_after_ the Vedas, Both the Vernacular translators have misunderstood\nthis verse.\n\n890. This verse is, no doubt, pleonastic. The commentator interprets it\nin the way I have rendered it. Yathadharmam, according to him, means\n'without transgressing acts and duties consistent with virtue';\nyathagamam means 'following the authority of the scriptures'; vikriyate\nimplies 'do from motives of advantage and gain.' The sense seems to be\nthat in the three other yugas, men, without absolutely abandoning virtue,\nperform good acts and Vedic sacrifices and rites and scriptural vows and\nobservances, from motives of low gain and not as a Preparation for\nEmancipation. Thus even in the Kali age, Vedic rites are not absolutely\nunknown. The motive, however, from which these are undertaken is\nconnected with some low or sordid gain.\n\n891. Samayah sthanam matam; sa eva bhutani bhavati; sa eva tan dadhati.\nThis is the construction, as explained by the commentator.\n\n892. From what has been said in the previous Sections, the reader will\nhave no difficulty in understanding what is meant by abhivyaktatmakam\nmanah. It is mind that is the essence of all that is abhivyakta or\nmanifest. That mind swallows up the attribute of Space. Hence it is\navyaktam, that swallows up the manaso vyaktam. This swallowing up is\nBrahmah sampratisancharah or destruction of the outward universe in its\nmanifest vastness. The commentator gives the substance of the verse in\nthese words: manahkalpito virat manasi eva liyate. From the verses that\nfollow it would seem that the object of this section is to describe the\nyogin's pratyahara and not the actual dissolution of the universe.\n\n893. Verses 16 and 17 are exceedingly difficult. The commentator has\nshown great learning in expounding them. Unfortunately, the subject is a\nyoga mystery, and the explanation and illustrations of the commentator\nrefer to things beyond the reach of ordinary experience and intelligence.\nThe words Chandramas, Kala, and Valam, and Akasa also and Ghosa (in verse\n17), are technical terms of yoga. I referred the passage to more than one\nlearned Pundit. My referees are of opinion that a yoga mystery is here\nexpounded, which yogins alone can understand. European scholars will\nprobably smile at the statement that there is a hidden meaning in these\nwords. Most readers will take the verses for nonsense. Reflection,\nhowever, has convinced me that yoga is not nonsense. One who has not\nstudied the elements of Geometry or Algebra, cannot, however intelligent,\nhope to understand at once a Proposition of the Principia or the theorem\nof De Moivre. Failing to give the actual sense, I have contented myself\nwith giving a verbal translation.\n\n894. Jatakarma is the ceremony that is performed with certain Vedic\nmantras immediately after a child's birth. There are many such ceremonies\nto be performed till Samavartana or return from the preceptor's home\nafter completion of the period of pupilage. These ceremonies are\nnecessarily such that they must be performed by the child's father or\nsomebody else whom the latter might call in.\n\n895. In this country, no fees are charged for tuition. The pupil,\nhowever, after completing his studies, may give his preceptor a final fee\nwhich is determined by the choice of the preceptor himself and which\nvaries according to the means of the pupil leaving the preceptor's home\nfor his own.\n\n896. By begetting children, one pays off one's debt to ancestors; by\nstudying the Vedas, one pays off one's debt to the Rishis; and by\nperforming sacrifices one pays off one's debt to the deities.\n\n897. It is a deadly sin to take anything from the father-in-law or other\nrelatives (by marriage) of a daughter. What is got from such sources is,\nto this day, spent freely. Those persons that sell their daughters in\nmarriage are universally reckoned as fallen.\n\n898. The fact is, the duty of the householder obliges him to worship the\ndeities and the Pitris, and to become hospitable to the others named. The\nBrahmana, however, has no ostensible means for discharging this duty. The\nonly means open to him is acceptance of gifts. In this case, acceptance,\ntherefore, for such ends is not productive of demerit.\n\n899. Kritadapi is explained by the commentator as pakvannadapi.\n\n900. The sense is that there is no gift which is too valuable for such\npersons.\n\n901. The first and the fourth verses are triplets in the Bengal texts.\n\n902. These are, of course, religious acts.\n\n903. In the Bengal texts verse 12 consists of one line. This, I think, is\ncorrect. Verses 13, 14, 15, and 16 form one sentence. Verse 12 is\ncomplete by itself. The udaka in kalodaka should be taken as meaning\nstream or river otherwise ahoratrajalena would be pleonastic. Again\narthakamajalena, to avoid redundancy, should be taken as implying the\nsprings that supply the water. Vihinsa-taruvahina is, 'having benevolence\nfor the trees that float on its water.' This idea is beautiful. Creatures\nthat are being borne away in the stream of Time may catch these trees of\nbenevolence for saving themselves. The Burdwan translator misunderstands\nvihinsa and makes nonsense of the idea. Altogether, though highly ornate,\nthe metaphors are original. Of course, the idea is eminently oriental.\nEastern rhetoric being fond of spinning out metaphors and similes, which,\nin the hands of Eastern poets, become highly elastic.\n\n904. K.P. Singha misunderstands this verse. The Burdwan translator is\nalso inaccurate.\n\n905. The place should be a level spot, not impure (such as a crematorium,\netc.), free from kankars, fire, and sand, etc.; solitary and free from\nnoise and other sources of disturbance. Acts include abstention from food\nand sports and amusements, abstention from all kinds of work having only\nworldly objects to accomplish, abstention also from sleep and dreams.\nAffection means that for good disciples or for progress in yoga. Objects\nrefer to sacred fuel, water, and suppression of expectancy and anxiety,\netc. Means refer to the seat to be used, the manner of sitting, and the\nattitude of the body. Destruction refers to the conquest of desire and\nattachments, i.e., renunciation of all attractive things. Certainty means\nthe unalterable belief that what is said about yoga in the Vedas and by\npreceptors is true. The nom. sing. inflection stands for the instrumental\nplural. Eyes include the other senses. All these should be restrained.\nFood means pure food. Suppression refers to the subjugation of our\nnatural inclination towards earthly objects. Mind here has reference to\nthe regulation of the will and its reverse, viz., irresolution. Survey\nmeans reflection on birth, death, decrepitude, disease, sorrow, faults,\netc. In giving these meanings, I, of course, follow Nilakantha.\n\n906. Notwithstanding Nilakantha's gloss which shows great ingenuity and\nwhich has been apparently followed by both of them, the Vernacular\ntranslators have misunderstood Portions of these verses which sketch out\nthe course of life which one desirous of attaining to Emancipation or\nBrahma is to follow. Particular virtues or attributes have been\nrepresented as particular limbs of the car. It does not appear that there\nis (except in one or two instances), any especial aptitude in any of\nthose virtues or attributes for corresponding with One instead of with\nanother limb of the figurative car. Upastha is that part of the car on\nwhich the driver sits. Varutha is the wooden fence round a car for\nprotecting it against the effects of collision. Shame is the feeling that\nwithdraws us from all wicked acts. Kuvara is the pole to which the yoke\nis attached. Upaya and Apaya, which have been called the kuvara, are\n'means' and destruction'--explained in verse above. Aksha is the wheel.\nYuga is the yoke. Vandhura is that part of yuga where it is attached to\nthe pole, i.e., its Middle, about which appears something like a\nprojecting knob. Nemi is the circumference of the wheel. Nabhi is the\ncentral portion of the car upon which the rider or warrior is seated.\nPratoda is the goad with which the driver urges, the steeds. The\ncommentator explains that jiva-yuktah means having such a jiva as is\ndesirous of attaining to Emancipation or Moksha. Such elaborate figures\nare favourite conceits of Oriental poets.\n\n907. Adopting the Kantian distribution of the mental phenomena, viz., the\nthree great divisions of Cognitive faculties, Pleasure and Pain, and\nDesire and Will, Sir William Hamilton subdivides the first (viz., the\nCognitive faculties), into the acquisitive faculty, the retentive\nfaculty, the reproductive faculty, the representative faculty, and reason\nor judgment by which concepts are compared together. Dharana corresponds\nwith the exercise of the Representative faculty or the power by which the\nmind is held to or kept employed upon a particular image or notion. It is\nthis faculty that is especially trained by yogins. Indeed, the initial\nstop consists in training it to the desirable extent.\n\n908. The seven kinds of Dharanas appertain respectively to Earth, Wind,\nSpace, Water, Fire, Consciousness and Understanding.\n\n909. All these have been explained lower down.\n\n910. The construction of both these lines is difficult to understand. The\nprose order of the line is 'yogatah yuktesu (madhye) yasya yatha, etc.,\nvikrama (tatha vakshyami); atmani pasyatah (janasya) yuktasya yogasya\n(yatha) siddhi (tatha vakshyami).' Yogatah means upayatah, i.e.,\naccording to rules and ordinances. Vikrama is used in a peculiar sense,\nviz., anubhavakramah, i.e., the order of conception or conceptions in\nother order. Atmani pasyatah means 'of him who looks into himself,' i.e.,\nwho withdraws his mind from the outer world and turns it to view his own\nself. Without Nilakantha's aid, such verses would be thoroughly\nunintelligible.\n\n911. Pasyatah means 'of that which sees,' i.e., of the Atman or Soul.\n\n912. The Understanding is called the _soul_ of the five elements and of\nthe consciousness of individuality because these six things rest on it or\nhave it for their refuge. The reader will easily understand this from\nwhat has been said in the previous Sections.\n\n913. It is from the Unmanifest or the Supreme Soul that the world or all\nthat is Manifest, springs or emanates. The Yogin, in consequence of his\nsuperior knowledge, apprehends all that is Manifest to be but the\nUnmanifest Supreme Soul.\n\n914. Na kritina, i.e., kriti eva. 'Nirakriti' is regardless of dress and\nappearance. K.P. Singha wrongly translates both these words.\n\n915. i.e., who has neither friend nor foe. This means that he regards all\ncreatures with an equal eye, showing particular favour to none, and\nhaving no dislike for any. Coldness of heart is not implied, but\nimpartial and equal benevolence for all. Taking praise and blame equally,\ni.e., never rejoicing at praise nor grieving at blame.\n\n916. It is said that with the practice of Yoga, during the first stages,\ncertain extraordinary powers come to the Yogin whether he wishes for them\nor not. In a previous Section it has been said that that Yogin who\nsuffers himself to be led away by these extraordinary acquisitions, goes\nto hell, i.e., fails to attain to Emancipation beside which heaven itself\nwith the status of Indra is only hell. Hence, he who transcends the\npuissance that Yoga brings about becomes Emancipate.\n\n917. Dhirah is explained as dhyanavan. Santi has reference to\nEmancipation, for it is Emancipation alone that can give tranquillity or\nfinal rest. The commentator points out that in this verse the speaker\nshows a decided preference for the Sankhya philosophy.\n\n918. Vide Gita, verses 4 and 5, Chapter V.\n\n919. Brahmanam is arsha for Brahmam.\n\n920. I follow Nilakantha's gloss in rendering the words Vidya, Pravritti\nand Nivritti, as used in this verse. By the first, the commentator\nthinks, is meant that course of instruction in consequence of which error\nmay be dispelled and truth acquired. The usual illustration of the cord\nand the snake is given. The former may be mistaken for the latter, but\nwhen the mistake ceases, correct apprehension follows. Pravritti has been\nsufficiently indicated in the text in which the words of the gloss has\nbeen incorporated. By Nivritti is meant the doctrine of the Sunyavadins\nand Lokayatikas (evidently the Buddhists) who seek annihilation or\nextinction as the only true Emancipation. Both the Vernacular translators\nare wrong. The Burdwan translator, as usual, citing the very words of the\ngloss, misunderstands them completely.\n\n921. The construction of the first line is 'yastu achetanah bhavam vina\nswabhavena (sarvam bhati iti) pasyan, etc., etc., pushyate (sa na\nkinchana labhate).' Bhavan is explained as 'adhishthanasattam.' The\ncommentator is of opinion that the speaker refers in this verse to the\nSunyavadins.\n\n922. The Bombay text reads Putwatrinamishikamva.\n\n923. Enam is singular. The commentator thinks it should be taken\ndistributively. In verse 3, the doctrine of the Nihilists (Sunyavadins)\nhas been referred to. In verse 4, that of the Lokayatikas. In both,\nNature is spoken of as the cause, with this difference that the former\nregard the universe to be only an erroneous impression of an existent\nentity, while the latter regard it as a real entity flowing from and\nmanifesting itself under its own nature. Both doctrines, the speaker\nsays, are false.\n\n924. Both the Vernacular translators skip over the word paribhava in the\nsecond line of verse 6. The commentator correctly explains that swabhava\nin 6 means swasyaiva bhavah sattakaranam iti, ekah pakshah. Paribhava, he\nexplains is paritah swasya itaresham bhavah. The first refers to the\nNihilists, the second to the Lokayatikas or to verses 3 and 4\nrespectively.\n\n925. It is by the wisdom that all these results are achieved. Wisdom is\nthe application of means for the accomplishment of ends. Nature never\nrears palaces or produces vehicles and the diverse other comforts that\nman enjoys. He that would rely upon Nature for these would never obtain\nthem however long he might wait. The need for exertion, both mental and\nphysical, and the success which crowns that exertion furnish the best\nanswer, the speaker thinks, to both the Nihilist sand the Lokayatikas.\nThe word tulyalakshanah is skipped over by both the Bengali translators.\n\n926. By para is meant the Chit or Soul, by avara, all else, i.e., non-ego\nor matter. The words Prajna, Jnana, and Vidya are all as used here,\nequivalent. The second line of this verse is wrongly rendered by both the\nBengali translators, the Burdwan translator, as usual, not understanding\nthe words of the gloss he quotes.\n\n927. It is difficult to render the word cheshta as used here. Ordinarily\nit implies effort or action. It is plain, however, that here it stands\nfor intelligent energy, implying both mental and physical effort or\naction, for its function is to distinguish or differentiate.\n\n928. The itarani do not refer to Pisachas as rendered by K.P. Singha, but\nto birds which are called Khechare or denizens of the sky or air.\nKhechara may include Pisachas, but these are also Bhuchara or denizens of\nthe surface of the earth.\n\n929. The commentator explains that for ascertaining who are uttama or\nforemost, the middling, or intermediate ones are first spoken of and\ntheir distinctions mentioned in the following verses. Of course, the\nforemost are foremost, and the intermediate ones can never be superior to\nthem. For all that, intermediate ones are observers of the duties of\ncaste; the foremost ones are not so, they having transcended such\ndistinctions; hence, tentatively, the ignorant or popular opinion is\nfirst taken, to the effect that the observers of caste are superior to\nthose who do not observe Jatidharma.\n\n930. This probably means that as the Vedas had not been reduced to\nwriting, their contents rested or dwelt in memories of men versed in them.\n\n931. To understand what is birth and what is death, and to avoid birth\n(and, therefore, death), are the highest fruits of knowledge of the Soul.\nThose that have no knowledge of the Soul have to travel in a round of\nrepeated rebirths.\n\n932. i.e., of power that comes of Yoga.\n\n933. The word para (the locative form of which is used here) always means\nthat which is high or foremost. It is frequently employed to mean either\nBrahma or the Soul, and as Soul is regarded to be a part of Brahma, para\nhas but one and the same meaning. The Burdwan translator takes it for\n'Scriptures other than the Vedas.' K.P. Singha skips over it. Of course,\nsavda-Brahma stands for the Vedas.\n\n934. To look upon everything in the universe as one's own. Soul is the\nhighest aspiration of a righteous person. It is yoga that enables one to\nattain to this highest ideal of existence. One who realises this is said\nto be a true Brahmana, a really regenerate person, in fact, a god on\nEarth. Adhiyajna and Adhidaivata are words that signify the Soul.\n\n935. What the distinction is between anta and nidhan is not obvious. The\ncommentator is silent. K.P. Singha translates the verse correctly. The\nBurdwan translator makes utter nonsense of the words in the second line.\n\n936. Whether karma is swabhava or jnanam means (as the commentator\nexplains) whether it is obligatory or optional. Jnanam, of course, means\nhere jnana-janakam, i.e., leading to knowledge. Knowledge is essential to\nsuccess or emancipation. If acts become necessary for leading to\nknowledge, the doubt may then arise that they cease to be obligatory, for\nknowledge may be supposed to be attainable otherwise than by acts. K.P.\nSingha translates this verse correctly, the Burdwan translator\nincorrectly, and, as usual, misunderstands the gloss completely.\n\n937. The first line of this verse is exceedingly terse. The construction,\nas explained by the commentator, is Tatra (samsaye) purusham prati Jnanam\n(jnanajanakam) chet (karma) syat, (tarhi) sa (eva) Vedavidhih. One cannot\nhelp admiring Nilakantha for his patience and ingenuity.\n\n938. Daiva is explained by the commentator as Grahah or Kalah. I think,\nit is used to signify some kind of blind force whose origin is\nuntraceable. Hence, I render it necessity. Vritti in verse 5 is evidently\nExertion, for the word implies course of conduct, Avivekam is\nsamuchchayam or a combination of all the three.\n\n939. 'Inspired with doubt,' with reference to the declarations of the\nSrutis. 'Possessed of tranquil souls,' i.e., not penetrated by doubts of\nany kind.\n\n940. In the Treta and the other Yugas people are seen professing\nattachment or devotion to one only of the Vedas and not to the others, be\nit the Richs, the Samans, or the Yajuses. The speaker, dissatisfied with\nthis refers to the Krita age as one in which such difference of faith\nwere not observable. The men of that age regarded all the Vedas equally,\nand, in fact, as even identical.\n\n941. Jiva or Chit becomes puissant and succeeds in creating the universe\nby means of penance. By penance one attains to Brahma, and, therefore,\nuniversal puissance. This has been sufficiently explained in the previous\nSections.\n\n942. This is one of the most important verses in this section, for, as\nthe commentator explains, this furnishes the answer to the question\nproposed in the previous section, viz., 'what is that knowledge?' In the\nVedas both acts and knowledge have been spoken of. In the province of\nacts, Brahma has been represented as Indra and the other gods. Brahma,\ntherefore, as spoken of there, is 'gahana', or hidden to (or\ninconceivable by) even those that are conversant with that province or\nsphere of the Vedas. In the Vedanta, again, knowledge or Vidya has been\nspoken of as the means by which to attain to Brahma. The knowledge or\nVidya, therefore, which is the subject of the question, is not what is\nimplied by Pravritti dharma or by Nivritti as used in the previous\nsection.\n\n943. The second line of this verse corresponds with the second line of\nverse 87 of Chapter II of Manusmriti.\n\n944. They are seen and not seen is an idiomatic expression for 'becoming\ninvisible.'\n\n945. i.e., kine do not yield copious and sweet milk; the soil ceases to\nbe fertile; water ceases to be sweet; and the medicinal and edible herbs\nlose their virtues of healing as also their flavour.\n\n946. The commentator thinks that Swadharmasthah is connected with asramah\nin the first line. I prefer the more obvious construction.\n\n947. Varshati means pushnati. Angani means the observances necessary for\nthe practice of Yoga as also all kinds of rites and vows. The Vedas cause\nthese to grow, and they, in their turn, aid all students of the Vedas in\nachieving their purposes.\n\n948. Prabhavah is uttpattih, or origin; sthanam is poshanam. Both the\nVernacular translators skip over the last word, thinking that\nprabhavasthanam, is one word. The commentator notices them as separate.\nIn the beginning of the second line, yatra is understood, Swabhavena, is\nexplained by the commentator as Brahmabhavena, natu vikritena rupena. I\nthink the explanation is correct, and have adopted it accordingly in the\ntext.\n\n949. Yatha in the first line of verse means, as the commentator explains,\nyat prakarakam.\n\n950. The commentator points out that by these four words the four modes\nof life are indicated.\n\n951. The commentator explains that this means that amongst embodied\ncreatures they that are ignorant take those great entities which are\nreally non-ego for either the ego or its Possessions.\n\n952. The commentator explains that the object of this verse is to show\nthat the Yoga view of the Soul being only the enjoyer but not the actor,\nis not correct. On the other hand, the Sankhya view of the Soul being\nneither the enjoyer nor the actor, is true. The deities, remaining in the\nseveral senses, act and enjoy. It is through ignorance that the Soul\nascribes to itself their enjoyments and their actions.\n\n953. I render Bhutatma by knowledge, following the commentator who uses\nthe words buddhyupadhirjivah for explaining it.\n\n954. Niyama and Visarga are explained by the commentator as 'destruction'\nand 'creation.' I prefer to take them as meaning 'guiding or\nrestraining,' and 'employing.' Practically, the explanations are\nidentical.\n\n955. What is meant by the objects of the senses residing within the\nbodies of living creatures is that (as the commentator explains) their\nconcepts exist in 'the cavity of the heart' (probably, mind) so that when\nnecessary or called for, they appear (before the mind's eye). Swabhava is\nexplained as 'attributes' like heat and cold, etc.\n\n956. This is a very difficult verse. I have rendered it, following\nNilakantha's gloss. In verse the speaker lays down what entities dwell in\nthe body. In the rest he expounds the nature of Sattwa which the\ncommentator takes to mean buddhi or knowledge. He begins with the\nstatement that Sattwasya asrayah nasti. This does not mean that the\nknowledge has no refuge, for that would be absurd, but it means that the\nasraya of the knowledge, i.e., that in which the knowledge dwells, viz.,\nthe body, does not exist, the true doctrine being that the body has no\nreal existence but that it exists like to its image in a dream. The body\nbeing non-existent, what then is the real refuge of the knowledge? The\nspeaker answers it by saying Gunah, implying that primeval Prakriti\ncharacterised by the three attributes is that real refuge. Then it is\nsaid that Chetana (by which is implied the Soul here) is not the refuge\nof the knowledge for the Soul is dissociated from everything and\nincapable of transformation of any kind. The question is then mentally\nstated,--May not the Gunas be the qualities of the knowledge (instead of\nbeing, as said above, its refuge)? For dispelling this doubt, it is\nstated that Sattwa is the product of Tejas (Desire). The Gunas are _not_\nthe product of Tejas. Hence the Gunas, which have a different origin\ncannot be the properties of Sattwa. The Gunas exist independently of\nDesire. Thus the knowledge, which has Desire for its originating cause,\nrests on the Gunas or has them for its refuge. In this verse, therefore,\nthe nature of the body, the knowledge, and the Gunas, is expounded. The\ngrammatical construction of the first line is exceedingly terse.\n\n957. Such men behold Brahma in all things. Abhijanah is explained by the\ncommentator as sishyakuladih. This seems to be the true meaning of the\nword here.\n\n958. In rendering this word tatam (where it occurs in the Gita), it has\nbeen shown that to take it as equivalent to 'spread' is incorrect. In\nsuch connections, it is evident that it means 'pervaded.'\n\n959. If I have understood the gloss aright, this is what the first line\nof 21 means. Vedatma is explained as Vedic sound, i.e., the instructions\ninculcated in the Vedas. The word atma in the second clause means simply\noneself or a person or individual. The sense then is this. The Vedas\nteach that all is one's soul. The extent to which one succeeds in\nrealising this is the measure of one's attainment of Brahma. If one can\nrealise it fully, one attains to Brahma fully. If partially, one's\nattainment of Brahma also is partial.\n\n960. The track of such a person, it is said, is as invisible as the\nskies. The commentator explains that the very gods become stupefied in\nrespect of the object which such a man seeks, the object, of course,\nbeing Brahma.\n\n961. That, of course, in which Time is cooked, is Brahma.\n\n962. By this the speaker says that Brahma is not to be found in any\nparticular spot however holy.\n\n963. Because Brahma is infinite.\n\n964. 'Niyatah' is explained by the commentator as achanchalah, and vasi\nas without the fault of upadhi. 'Hansati, i.e., gachechati ite,' hence\ngatimati.\n\n965. The sense is that the Soul residing within the body is identical\nwith the Supreme Soul, and men of wisdom only know it.\n\n966. The construction is Hansoktancha yat aksharam tat (eva) kutastham\naksharam, meaning that there is no difference between Jivatman and\nParamatman. Both are identical.\n\n967. Sattwena is explained as 'by intelligence or the knowledge.'\n\n968. The construction, as explained by the commentator, is Brahma\ntejomayam sukram; yasya sukrasya sarvam idam tasyapi Brahma rasah. The\nlast word means sarah.\n\n969. Both the Vernacular translators have skipped over this line. The\nmeaning is this: Brahma opened his eyes for becoming many, as the Srutis\ndeclare, and thereupon he became many. This, as the commentator explains,\nIkshana-kartritvena sarvatmakatwam gatam, or by a glance Brahma became\nthe Soul of all things mobile and immobile.\n\n970. The commentator explains that Brahmanah padam means prakritim. He\nthinks, therefore, that the last clause of the second line means 'should\nseek to subdue prakriti which is the layasthanam of mahattattwa.' I\nprefer the obvious sense of the words.\n\n971. Parimitam Kalam is explained by the commentator as equivalent to six\nmonths as the srutis declare.\n\n972. These two verses set forth the Yoga ideal. By the practice of Yoga\nall these are capable of being acquired or attained. But then the Yogin\nwho suffers himself to be led away by those valuable possessions is said\nto fall in hell, for the enjoyment of this kind is nothing but hell\ncompared to the high object for which Yogins should strive. Pramoha,\nBrahma, and Avarta, are technical terms. Equality with the wind means\nspeed of motion, power to disappear at will, and capacity to move through\nthe skies.\n\n973. A chaitya is a sacred or a large tree which stands firm on its roots\nand about which all round a platform of earth is raised. Vrikshagra means\n'in the front of a tree,' probably implying 'under the shade of its\nspreading branches.'\n\n974. The commentator explains that he should imitate the wind by becoming\nasangah, i.e., unattached to all things. Aniketah means without a house\nor fixed abode.\n\n975. It is difficult to understand what is meant by\nSavda-Brahmativartate. I follow the commentator. 'Brahma as represented\nby sound, is, of course, Pranavah or Om, the mystic monosyllable standing\nfor the trinity.' K.P. Singha, taking Savda-Brahma for an accusative,\nregards it as implying,--'such a man transcends all Vedic rites.' This is\nprecisely the meaning attached to it by the commentator where it occurs\nin verse 7 of section 236 ante.\n\n976. The inferior order here referred to is, of course, the Sudra order.\nThe commentator points out that whereas only the three superior orders\nare regarded to be eligible for the study of Sankhya and for inculcation\nof such Srutis as Tattwamasi (That thou art), here Vyasa lays down that\nas regards the Yoga path, _all_ are eligible to betake themselves to it.\n\n977. 'Fixed senses,' i.e., when the senses are fixed on the mind and the\nmind on the understanding. Ajaram is immutable or unchanging, or that in\nwhich there is no change for the worse (or for the better). By subtility\nis indicated the incapacity of being apprehended, and by mahattaram is\nmeant infinity.\n\n978. The anu anudrisya is explained as Guruvachanamanu. Thus seems to be\nthe true meaning, otherwise avekshya would be pleonastic, abhutagatim is\nbhutasamplavaparyantam, i.e., till the destruction of all beings. Imam is\nsastraprasiddham.\n\n979. The Vedas proclaim the efficacy of both acts and knowledge. Acts are\nnot laid down for those that have knowledge.\n\n980. Subhashita is explained by the commentator as ayam tu paramo dharma\nyat yogena atmadarsanam.\n\n981. Na vartate does not mean annihilated but, as the commentator\nexplains, aham asmi iti na jana atmanam.\n\n982. Manasena karmana is explained by the commentator as sankalpena.\n\n983. The meaning is this: the man of acts is like the new-born moon,\ni.e., subject to growth and decay.\n\n984. This has been explained in a previous section.\n\n985. The soul resides in the body without partaking of any of the\nattributes of the body. It is, therefore, likened to a drop of water on a\nlotus leaf, which, though on the leaf, is not yet attached to it, in so\nmuch that it may go off without at all soaking or drenching any part of\nthe leaf. Yogajitatmakam is yogena jito niruddha atma chittam yena tam,\nas explained by the commentator.\n\n986. Literally, 'Tamas and Rajas and Sattwa have the attribute of Jiva\nfor their essence.' The particular attribute of Jiva here referred to is\nthe Jnanamaya kosha. Jiva, again, is all accident of the Soul. The Soul\ncomes from the Supreme Soul. Thus the chain of existence is traced to the\nSupreme Soul. In verse 20 again it is said that the body, which by itself\nis inanimate, when it exists with the Soul, is an accident of Jiva as\nuninvested with attributes.\n\n987. I follow Nilakantha substantially in his interpretation of this\nverse. Two kinds of creation are here referred to as those of which Vyasa\nhas spoken in the previous Sections. The first is Ksharat prabhriti yah\nsargah, meaning that creation which consists of the four and twenty\nentities commencing with Kshara or Prakriti. The other creation,\nconsisting of the senses with their objects, represents buddhaiswarya or\nthe puissance of the buddhi, these being all buddhikalpitah. This second\ncreation is also atisargah which means, according to the commentator,\nutkrishtah and which is also pradhanah or foremost, the reason being\nbandhakatwam or its power to bind all individuals. I take atisargah to\nmean 'derivative creation,' the second kind of creation being derived\nfrom or based upon the other, or (as I have put it in the text)\ntranscends or overlies the other.\n\n988. It is explained in previous sections how the course of righteousness\nis regulated by the character of the particular Yuga that sets in.\n\n989. Vyasa has already explained the character of the two apparently\nhostile declarations. The meaning of Suka's question, therefore, is that\nif two declarations are only apparently hostile,--if, as explained in the\nGita, they are identical,--how is that identity to be clearly\nascertained? The fact is, Suka wishes his sire to explain the topic more\nclearly.\n\n990. The course of conduct of human beings,' i.e., the distinctions\nbetween right and wrong. Vimuktatma is taken by the commentator to imply\ntyaktadehah. The second line may also mean 'having cast off (by Yoga) the\nconsciousness of body, I shall behold my own Soul.'\n\n991. I do not follow the commentator in his interpretation of this line.\n\n992. 'When the huts become smokeless,' i.e., when the cooking and the\neating of the inmates are over. 'When the sound of the husking rod is\nhushed,' i.e., when the pestle for cleaning rice no longer works, and\nconsequently when the inmates are not likely to be able to give much to\nthe mendicant.\n\n993. There is an apparent conflict between the two declarations. If both\nare authoritative, they cannot be regarded to be scriptural declarations\nin consequence of their conflict; if one is so and the other not so, the\nscriptural character of the latter at least is lost. The scriptures\ncannot but be certain and free from fault. How then (the question\nproceeds) is the scriptural character of both to be maintained?\n\n994. The Burdwan translator makes a ridiculous blunder in rendering\nJaghanyasayi, which he takes to mean 'sleeping on a wretched bed.'\nJaghanya implies, here as elsewhere, subsequence in point of time.\n\n995. Both the Vernacular translators have misunderstood the last part of\nthe second line. It does not mean that the disciple should approach the\npreceptor when summoned, implying that he should be prompt to answer the\nsummons, but that he should not disturb his Preceptor by clamouring for\nlessons or instruction. He should go to his preceptor for taking lessons\nonly when his preceptor summons him for it.\n\n996. Meaning, he should cast submissive or humble glances instead of\nstaring boldly or rudely.\n\n997. Learning was never sold in this country in ancient times. The final\nfee is not a return for the services of the preceptor but a token of\ngratitude from the pupil. Its value depended upon the ability of the\ndisciple, though there are stories in the scriptures of disciples coming\nto grief on account of their persistent forwardness in pressing the\nacceptance of this fee. Vide the story of Galava in the Udyoga Parva.\n\n998. The fourth kind of conduct, called kapoti is also called unchha. It\nconsists of collecting such seeds of grain as have fallen down from the\nears and as have been abandoned by the reapers.\n\n999. Thus the second is more meritorious than the first, the third than\nthe second, and the fourth than the third. The fourth or last, therefore,\nis the first in point of merit.\n\n1000. It is said that the householder who cooks must give a share of the\ncooked food to a Brahmacharin or Yati or any one who comes as a guest. If\nhe does not do it but eats the whole of what has been cooked, he is\nregarded as eating what belongs to a Brahmana. This, of course, is a high\nsin.\n\n1001. The commentator supposes that these relatives and kinsmen are named\nbecause of the great likelihood there is of disputes arising with them on\naccount of shares of inheritance.\n\n1002. The sense is this: these various persons, if duly reverenced by the\nhouseholder, are able to send the latter to the places indicated or make\nhim comfortable in those places.\n\n1003. Vide verses 2 and 3 of this Section. Of the four courses, the first\nor Kusaladhanya, is left out here. The three others, of course, are the\nKumbhadhanya, the Aswastana (otherwise called Unchhasila), and the\nKapoti. The Burdwan translator makes a blunder in enumerating the three\nkinds of domesticity here referred to.\n\n1004. The Burdwan version of this verse is incorrect.\n\n1005. The cow is a sacred animal and there is merit in feeding and\nproperly tending a cow. Forest recluses kept kine for merit as also for\nhoma or sacrifice with the ghee obtained from them. The story of\nVasishtha's cow is well-known.\n\n1006. These five are Agnihotra, Darsapurnamasi, Chaturmasya, Pasu\nsacrifice and Soma sacrifice.\n\n1007. The Burdwan translator misunderstands the words abhravakasah. It is\na well-known word occurring in almost every lexicon. Wilson explains it\ncorrectly.\n\n1008. i.e., They do not use a regular husking or cleaning apparatus for\ncleaning the grain they use as food.\n\n1009. So that very small portion of the grain comes out for drink or\nmixes with the water.\n\n1010. i.e., who had no fixed residence and who never sought with any\neffort for the necessaries of life. The Burdwan translator takes both\nyathavasah and akritacramah for two independent names of Rishis instead\nof taking them as adjectives of Sudivatandi.\n\n1011. i.e., whose wishes were immediately crowned with success, in\nrespect of both blessings and curses, etc.\n\n1012. Niranandah is explained as krichcchrachandrayanadiparatwat.\n\n1013. Anakstrah is explained by the commentator as 'different from stars\nand planets but still freed from darkness' and, therefore, effulgent or\nluminous. Anadhrishyah is fearless.\n\n1014. Atmayaji is explained as one who performs his own sraddha or\nobsequial rites. The Sandhi in the next word is arsha; atmakrida is one\nwho does not take pleasure in wife or children but whose source of\npleasure is his own self: Similarly, atmasraya is one who without\ndepending upon kings or others takes refuge in himself.\n\n1015. Such sacrifice, for example, as those called Brahma-yajna, etc.\n\n1016. Yajinam yajna is the sacrifice of ordinary sacrifices, i.e., the\nusual sacrifices consisting of tangible offerings unto the deities, and\nperformed with the aid of Vedic mantras. The ablative implies cause.\nAtmani ijya is sacrifice in Self, i.e., Yoga. The meaning of the first\nline, therefore, is when through performance of ordinary sacrifices and\nrites, the mind becomes pure and the sacrificer is enabled to practise\nyoga. Unto the three fires he should duly sacrifice on his own self,\nmeans, of course, that without any longer adoring his fires by visible\nrites and actual recitation of mantras, he should, for the sake of\nemancipation, worship in his own self or seek the extinction of mind and\nknowledge in Yoga.\n\n1017. To this day every orthodox Brahmana or Kshatriya or Vaisya never\neats without offering at the outset five small mouthfuls unto the five\nvital breaths, i.e., Prana, Apana, Samana, Udana, and Vyana.\n\n1018. Vapya or Vapayitwa means causing or obtaining a shave. The Burdwan\ntranslator makes a blunder by supposing it to mean parivyapta. The\nSannyasa mode of life, as well-known, can never be entered without a\nprevious shave. K.P. Singha gives the correct version.\n\n1019. It is difficult to render the word abhaya into English. 'To give\nabhaya to all creatures' is to pledge oneself to a life of total\nharmlessness, or to practise universal compassion or benevolence.\nAbstention from every kind of injury is the great duty of the fourth mode\nof life.\n\n1020. The duties included in yama (as explained by the commentator) are\nuniversal benevolence, truthfulness, faith, Brahmacharya, and freedom\nfrom attachment. Those that are included in niyama are purity (of body\nand mind), contentment, study of the Vedas, meditation on the Supreme,\netc. Swasastra sutra means the sutras of his own sastras--i.e., the\nduties laid down in respect of that Sannyasa which he has adopted; the\nchief of which is enquiry after the Soul or Self: Bhutimanta implies\nVedic recitation and the sacred thread. He who has taken to Sannyasa\nshould display energy in these, i.e., persistently enquire after the Soul\nand throw away all caste-marks, and other indications. 'The desirable\nend' is of course, gradual Emancipation of that obtained at once.\nFollowing the commentator, K.P. Singha gives the correct version. The\nBurdwan version, containing the very words of the gloss, is based upon a\ncomplete misconception of their meaning.\n\n1021. The commentator correctly explains that by the first line of this\nverse, Vyasa answers his son's question. The two modes referred to are\nthe first and the second, and not the second and the third as K.P. Singha\nin his vernacular version wrongly states. Having answered the question,\nthe speaker (in the second line) proceeds to indicate the simple or\nstraight path for reaching the highest object of men's endeavour, viz.,\nParamartham or Brahma.\n\n1022. Bhava-samahitah is explained as chitta-samadhanavan.\n\n1023. The skull is to be used as a drinking vessel. Kuchela, which I\nrender 'rags', is supposed by the commentator to signify reddish or brown\ncloth which has, from age, lost its colour.\n\n1024. Elephants, when hurled into a well, become utterly helpless and\nunable to come out. That person, therefore, into whom words enter like\nelephants into a well, is he who answers not the evil speeches of others.\nWhat is said here is that only a person of such forbearance should betake\nhimself to mendicancy or Sannyasa.\n\n1025. I have given a closely literal version of this verse. The\ncommentator explains that first line refers to the person who deems\nhimself to be everything and everything to be himself. The second line\nrefers to the same individual who, by Yoga, can withdraw his senses and\nthe mind and consequently make the most populous place appear as totally\nsolitary or unoccupied. This is the Yoga process called Pratyahara and is\ndescribed in section 233 ante. The Burdwan translator gives an incorrect\nversion. K.P. Singha follows the commentator.\n\n1026. Suhitya, whence sauhitya, means no satiety but the full measure of\ngratification from eating. The speaker wishes to lay down that a\nmendicant or renouncer should never take food to the full measure of\ngratification. He should eat without completely appeasing his hunger.\n\n1027. I follow the commentator in his exposition of kaunjara which he\nderives as kun (earth or the body which is made of earth) jaravati iti\nkunjarah, i.e., a Yogin in Samadhi. The sense seems to be that the fruits\nof Yoga include or absorb the fruits of every other act. The rank and\nstatus of Indra himself is absorbed within what is attained to by Yoga.\nThere is no kind of felicity that is not engulfed in the felicity of\nEmancipation, which Yoga alone can confer.\n\n1028. The commentator thinks that by the 'one duty of abstention from\ninjury' is implied the fourth mode of life or Sannyasa. What is said,\ntherefore, is that the observance of the single duty of harmlessness\nincludes that of every other duty; or, what amounts to the same thing,\nthe fourth mode of life is singly capable of giving merit which all the\nothers may give together.\n\n1029. Haryartham means 'for the sake of Hari.' i.e., one who takes away\nmerit, implying a disciple or attendant. Some texts read Ratyrtham,\nmeaning 'for the happiness (of others).'\n\n1030. Because all acts are fraught with injury to others. Whether 'acts'\nbetaken in its general sense or in the particular sense of 'religious\nacts,' their character is such.\n\n1031. Both the vernacular translators have completely misunderstood the\nsecond line of this Verse. The commentator correctly explains that\nTikshnam tanum means the religion of injury, i.e., the religion of\nsacrifices and acts. 'So' for 'sa' is arsha; as also anantyam for\nanantyam which, of course, implies moksham or Emancipation. The\ncommentator correctly supplies yatah after apnoti and shows that\nprajabhyah is equivalent to prajanam. The last clause of the second line,\ntherefore, means sa moksham apnoti, yatah prajabhyah (or prajanam)\nabhayam. The dative, not ablative as the vernacular translators take it,\nis not bad grammar, although the genitive is more agreeable with usage.\n\n1032. A tentative version is offered here, following the actual words\nused in the original.\n\n1033. All these expressions apply to the Supreme Soul. Immeasurable in\nthe firmament implies that the Supreme Being is vaster than the\nfirmament. 'Made of gold' means, as the commentator explains, Chit having\nknowledge only for its attribute.' 'Born of the egg,' i.e., belonging to\nthe universe. 'Within the egg' means 'capable of being apprehended in the\nheart.' 'Equipped with many feathers,' i.e., having many limbs each of\nwhich is presided over by a particular deity. The two wings are absence\nof attachment or complete dissociation from everything, and joy and\ngladness and aptitude for enjoyment. 'Rendered effulgent by many rays of\nlight,' i.e., transformed into a living and active agent by means of\neyes, cars, etc.\n\n1034. The sense is that he who understands the wheel of Time is a person\nworthy of universal regard. The excellent joints of that wheel are the\nparva days, viz., those sacred lunations on which religious rites are\nperformed.\n\n1035. I give a little version of verse 33, following the commentator as\nregards the meaning of samprasadam. The sense, however, of the verse is\nthis: Brahma, in the previous sections, has often been spoken of as\nSushupti or the unconsciousness of dreamless slumber. The universe flows\nfrom Brahma. Unconsciousness, therefore, is the cause or origin or body\nof the universe. That unconsciousness, therefore, pervades all things,\nviz., gross and subtile. Jiva, finding a place within that\nunconsciousness existing in the form of gross and subtile, gratifies the\ndeities, prana and the senses. These, thus gratified by jiva, at last\ngratify the open mouth of the original unconsciousness that waits to\nreceive or swallow them. All these verses are based upon the figurative\nideas that find expression in the Upanishads.\n\n1036. Smriti is memory. One whose smriti is lost means one whose\nconceptions of right and wrong are confounded. Atmanah sampradanena is\n'by the surrender of oneself' to one's own passions or Kamadibhyah as the\ncommentator explains.\n\n1037. Chittam is explained by the commentator as the gross understanding,\nand Sattwa as the subtile understanding. The understanding that is\nconcerned with the images brought by the mind or the senses is called\ngross; while that which is concerned with ideas about Brahma is called\nsubtile. Kalanjara is explained by the commentator either as standing for\nthe mountain of that name, i.e., irremovable as the mountain so called;\nor, as one who destroys the effect of Time, i.e., one who subdues Time\ninstead of being subdued by that universal conqueror.\n\n1038. The purification here referred to consists in transcending the\nconsciousness of duality. Righteousness should be avoided because of its\nincapacity to lead to Emancipation which is much higher than heaven.\nAtmani sthitwa means living in one's real or true nature, i.e., merging\neverything into the Soul. This is attained when the consciousness of\nduality is transcended.\n\n1039. Atmanam in the first line is the Jiva-soul, and atmani is the\nSupreme Soul. In the second line also, the same distinction is observed\nbetween the two words.\n\n1040. Brahmanas, who having completed the study of the Vedas have betaken\nthemselves to the domestic mode of life, are so called. Here, probably,\nthe reference is to persons having faith in the Vedas and of pure conduct.\n\n1041. Adhyatma is topic bearing on the Soul. Here it signifies the seven\nand twenty usual topics of philosophical discourse, viz., the five organs\nof action, the five organs of knowledge, the mind and three others called\nChitta, etc., the five vital breaths, the five elementary substances,\nDesire. Acts, and Avidya.\n\n1042. The second clause of the second line is explained by the\ncommentator as yasmin kamani nimitte sati yat anupasyati.\n\n1043. The grammatical construction is Gunebhyah paramagatah gunan na\nativartante. The meaning is this: Mind, Understanding, and Nature (or\nindividual disposition of man or animal or vegetable, etc) are all due to\ntheir own previous states. Nature in particular being the result of the\ndesires of a past state of existence. Such being their origin, they too\nare due to the five entities named. As regards their functions, it is\nsaid that having reached to that which is Gunebhyah parama, i.e.,\nSrotradikaryam swarupam, they do not transcend the gunas themselves; or\nin other words having become endued with the faculty or power of seizing\nparticular attributes (such as scent, form, etc)., they actually seize or\napprehend them.\n\n1044. In other words, the senses and the mind are nothing but the\nunderstanding displayed in a particular shape or form. The principal\nfunction of the mind is to cherish and discard impressions. The\nunderstanding is nischayatmika or engaged in arriving at certainty of\nconclusions.\n\n1045. Everything above the soles of the feet and below the crown of the\nhead, is, of course, the whole body or self or the person. Asmin kritye\nis, aham iti yat darsanam tasmin karaniye. There can be no doubt that the\ncommentator correctly explains the meaning.\n\n1046. Neniyate is as the commentator explains, an instance of\nkarmakartari prayogah. Hence, the meaning is that both the attributes of\nform etc., and the senses with mind which apprehend those attributes, are\nthe understanding itself, so that when the understanding is not, these\nalso are not. The object of this verse is to establish the identity of\nthe understanding with the senses, the mind, and the attribute with the\nsenses and the mind apprehend. Both the vernacular versions are\ninaccurate.\n\n1047. The three attributes of Rajas, Tamas, and Sattwa do not spring\nfrom any different thing but from their own counterparts existing in a\nprevious state of existence or life. They arise from their respective\nstates as they existed with the Chitta or understanding in a previous\nlife. Hence Chitta, and the objects of the senses and the senses also\narising from it, are all affected by these three Gunas.\n\n1048. The last word in the first line is not prabodhita but aprabodhita.\n\n1049. In the original, the word atman is used in various senses.\nSometimes it stands for the Jiva-soul, sometimes for the Supreme Soul,\nsometimes for essence or the principal portion of anything, sometimes for\none's own self, and sometimes even for the person or body. It is not\ndifficult to distinguish in which sense the word is used in what place.\n\n1050. Vela is tide or current. The Understanding, although it exists with\nthe three states of Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas, can yet transcend them by\nYoga. The ordinary and extraordinary states of the understanding are\nspoken of in this verse.\n\n1051. The Bengal texts make this a verse of one line. In the Bombay text,\nverse 9 is made a triplet, so that this line is included in it. Medhyani\nis explained as medha, rupadi jnanam, tatra tani.\n\n1052. If I have understood this verse correctly, the theory of perception\nlaid down is a sort of idealism which has not, perhaps, its counterpart\nin European metaphysics. The senses are first said to be only\nmodifications of the understanding. The mind also is only a modification\nof the same. A particular sense, say the eye, becomes subservient to the\nunderstanding at a particular moment. As soon as this happens, the\nunderstanding, though in reality it is only the eye, becomes united with\nthe eye, and entering the mind raises an image there, the consequence of\nwhich is that that image is said to be seen. External world there is, of\ncourse, as independent of mind and understanding. That which is called a\ntree is only an idea or image created in the mind by the understanding\nwith the aid of the sense of vision.\n\n1053. The speaker here combats the theory that the qualities of Sattwa,\nRajas, and Tamas inhere to the objects themselves of the senses. His own\nview is that they inhere to the Mind, the Understanding, and\nConsciousness. The qualities may be seen to exist with objects, but in\nreality they follow objects in consequence of their permanent connection\nwith the mind, the understanding, and consciousness which have agency in\nthe production of objects. The commentator cites the instance of a wife's\nbeautiful and symmetrical limbs. These excite pleasure in the husband,\nenvy in a co-wife, and desire (mixed with pain at its not being\ngratified) in a weak-hearted gazer. All the while the limbs remain\nunchanged. Then again, the husband is not always pleased with them, nor\nis the co-wife always filled with envy at their sight, nor is the gazer\nalways agitated. Like the spokes of a wheel which are attached to the\ncircumference and which move with circumference, the qualities of Sattwa,\netc., attached to the mind, understanding and consciousness, move along\nwith them, i.e., follow those objects in the production of which the\nmind, etc., are causes.\n\n1054. This version of verse is offered tentatively. I give the substance\nwithout following the exact order of the original. Compare this verse\nwith 42 of section 194 ante.\n\n1055. As soon as the darkness of the understanding is dispelled and true\nknowledge succeeds, the Soul becomes visible.\n\n1056. i.e., who adopts the Sannyasa or the last mode of life after having\nduly gone through the preceding modes.\n\n1057. Gunan in the first line means Vishayan, in the second line it means\nSattivadin, Vikriyatah is vikram bhajamanan. How the understanding\ncreates objects has been explained in previous sections.\n\n1058. Na nivartante is explained by the commentator as na ghatadivat\nnasyanti kintu rajjuragadiva badha eva, etc., and he concludes by saying\nthat according to this theory niranvayanasa eva gunanam, or, in other\nwords, that the Gunas are not so destroyed by knowledge that they do not\nreturn.\n\n1059. According to the speaker then, there is not much practical\ndifference between the two opinions here adverted to, and one's course of\nconduct will not be much affected by either of the theories that one may,\nafter reflection, adopt.\n\n1060. Janmasamartham is explained as certain to be acquired by virtue of\nbirth or of the practice of the duties laid down for one's own order.\nParayanam is moksha-prapakam.\n\n1061. The Bengal reading buddhah is preferable to the Bombay reading\nSuddhah which would be pleonastic in view of what follows in the second\nline.\n\n1062. Lokam is explained as lokyate iti lokah, i.e., objects of enjoyment\nsuch as wife, etc., aturam, is afflicted with faults or defects. Ubhayam\nkritakritam is as the commentator explains, sokasokarupam or aropitam and\nanaropitam.\n\n1063. Many of the verses of this and the previous section correspond with\nthose of section 194 ante. Many verbal changes, however, are noticeable.\nIn consequences of those changes, the meaning sometimes becomes lightly\nand sometimes materially different.\n\n1064. Gocharaebhyah, literally, pastures, is used here to signify all\nexternal and internal objects upon which the senses and the mind are\nemployed. Their proper home or abode is said to be Brahma.\n\n1065. The absence of anything like precision in the language employed in\nsuch verses frequently causes confusion. The word atma as used in the\nfirst line is very indefinite. The commentator thinks it implies\nachetanabuddhi, i.e., the perishable understanding. I prefer, however, to\ntake it as employed in the sense of Chit as modified by birth. It comes,\nI think, to the same thing in the end. The 'inner Soul' is, perhaps, the\nSoul or Chit as unmodified by birth and attributes.\n\n1066. Abhavapratipattyartham is explained by the commentator as 'for the\nattainment of the unborn or the soul.'\n\n1067. The commentator explains the first line thus: yatha sarvani matani\ntatha etani vachansi me. He takes the words: yatha tatha kathitani maya\nas implying that 'I have treated of the topic yathatathyena.'\n\n1068. The commentator explains that tasya tasya has reference to\ngandhadeh. Pracharah means vyavahara. Pasyatah is Vidushah.\n\n1069. i.e., one that only knows the Vedas and has observed the vow of\nBrahmacharya is not a superior Brahmana. To become so requires something\nmore.\n\n1070. I follow the commentator closely in rendering this verse. Sarvavit\nis taken in the sense of Brahmavit. Akamah is one contented with\nknowledge of Self. Such a man, the Srutis declare, never dies or\nperishes. The two negatives in the last clause nullify each other. The\nBurdwan translator, with the gloss before him, for he cites copiously\nfrom it, misunderstands the negatives. K.P. Singha is correct.\n\n1071. Avidhanat is explained as dayanaishkainyayorananusaranat.\n\n1072. Kamakantah is explained as kamaih kantah, i.e., manoharah.\n\n1073. Heaven is Brahma invested with attributes. Tranquillity of soul is\nBrahma uninvested with attributes. Upanishat is explained as rahasyam.\nThis renders 'recondite object'. The sense of the verse is that each of\nthe things mentioned is useless without that which comes next; and as\ntranquillity or Brahma uninvested with attributes is the ultimate end,\nthe Vedas and truth, etc., are valuable only because they lead to\ntranquillity.\n\n1074. Both the Vernacular translators have rendered this verse wrongly.\nIn the first place, ichcchasi is equivalent to ichccheta. Santoshat is\nfor the sake of santosha. Sattwam is buddhiprasadam. Manas is explained\nas sankalpa or samsaya. The grammatical order is sokamanasoh santapya\nkledanam. The commentator adds santapamiti namulantam, i.e., formed by\nthe suffix namul.\n\n1075. Samagrah is literally 'full or complete,' implying that such a man\nbecomes jnana-triptah. Only five attributes are mentioned in this verse\nbut santosha mentioned in verse 13 should be taken to make up six.\n\n1076. Both the vernacular translators have rendered this verse\nincorrectly. In the first place shadbhih has reference to the six things\nmentioned in verse 11 and 12 above. These six again should be\nsatwagunopetaih, i.e., destitute of the attributes of Rajas and Tamas.\nUnless freed from those two, even the six, of themselves, will not lead\nto knowledge of the Soul. Tribhih has reference to Sravana, manana, and\nnididhyasana. Ihastham is 'residing within the body.' Pretya implies\ntranscending consciousness of body or jivati eva dehe\ndehabhimanadutthaya. Tam gunam is muktalakshanam. The sense, in simple\nwords, is this: transcending all consciousness of body they that succeed\nin knowing the Soul which resides within the body become emancipated. The\nfirst line of the verse simply points out how the Soul may be known.\n\n1077. Anweti is explained as vardhate.\n\n1078. The reading I adopt is saviseshani, and not aviseshani although the\nlatter is not incorrect. In treatises on yoga, viseshah imply the gross\nelements and the eleven senses including the mind. Aviseshah imply the\nfive subtile elements (tanmatrani) and buddhi. By Gunan is meant Mahat\nand Avyakta or Prakriti. If aviseshani be taken, the reference to the\nsubtile elements would imply that the grosser once have already been\ntranscended.\n\n1079. Atikrantaguna-kshayam, i.e., one who has transcended disregards the\nvery puissance that the destruction of the gunas is said to bring about.\n\n1080. Karyyatam is Prakriti which alone is active, Purusha being\ninactive. Paramam karanam is, of course, Brahma uninvested with\nattributes.\n\n1081. Dwandwani is governed by anushthitah. Mahat here is elaborate. The\nspeaker, having first discussed the subject elaborately, intends to speak\nof it in brief in this Section.\n\n1082. Panchasu is explained by the commentator as Panchatmakeshu. Hence,\nhe properly points out that bhava and abhava and kala are included by the\nspeaker within bhutas or primary elements. Bhava implies the four\nentities called karma, samanya, visesha and samavaya. By abhava is meant\na negative state with respect to attributes not possessed by a thing. We\ncannot think of a thing without thinking of it as uninvested with certain\nattributes whatever other attributes it may possess.\n\n1083. Enlarged, the constructions of the original becomes thus:\n'uttareshu (bhuteshu) (purvabhuta) gunah (santi).'\n\n1084. Uttarah imply the three entities known by the names of Avidya\n(Ignorance), Kama (desire), and Karma (acts). This part of the verse is\nskipped over by the vernacular translators.\n\n1085. i.e., the soul when invested with Avidya and desire becomes a\nliving creature and engages in acts. It is through consequences then that\nare derived from acts that the infinite Soul (or Chit) becomes Jivatman.\n\n1086. This is a very difficult verse and no wonder that both the\nvernacular versions are defective. K.P. Singha gives the substance,\nskipping over many of the words. The Burdwan translator, though citing\nlargely from the gloss, misunderstands both verse and gloss completely.\nThe grammatical construction is this: Ebhih sarvaih kalatmakaih bhavaih\nanwitam sarvam yah akalushiam pasyati (sah) samoham karma nanuvartate.\nSarvam here refers to pranijatam or the entire assemblage of living\ncreatures. Kalatmakaih bhavaih is punyapapadi samskaratmabhih. Bhavaih is\ntaken by the commentator as equivalent to bhavanabhih. I prefer to take\nit in the sense of entity. He who looks upon these as akalusham, i.e., as\nunstained Chit (that is, he who has a knowledge of the Soul), becomes\nfreed from samoham karma, i.e., succeeds in becoming nishkamah in\nconsequence of his acquaintance with atmatattwa.\n\n1087. 'Conversant with the scriptures,' i.e., Yogin; 'acts laid down in\nthe scriptures' are the practices connected with Yoga. Saririnam, the\ncommentator takes, implies the Soul as invested with a subtile body; of\ncourse, Saririn as distinguished from Sariram generally means the Soul or\nthe owner of the Sariram without reference to the body. Hence, the word\ncannot be taken as referring to the Soul as uninvested with the\nlingasarira.\n\n1088. I follow the commentator in his exposition of this verse. Sahitah\nis nividah; drisyamanah is explained as 'though unseen by the eye is yet\nrealised through instruction and by the aid of reason.'\n\n1089. Tapah is rasmi-mandalam. Prati-rupam is pratyupa-dhi. Sattwam is\nsattwapradhanalingam. The sense, in simple words, seems to be that the\nYogin beholds within his own body and those of others the Souls or Chits\nresiding there as invested in subtile forms.\n\n1090. Both atmachintitam and karmajam rajas are governed by Jahatam. The\nfirst means all that is: 'kalpitah in self' i.e., the creations of the\nunderstanding or the mind, implying, of course, the objects of the senses\nor the external world. The second means kamadi vyasanam, i.e., the\ncalamities constituted by desire, etc. Pradhanadwaidhamuktah is one who\nis freed from identity with Pradhana or the Universal cause; hence, the\npuissance that Yoga brings about. Such Yogins have their subtile forms\nunder complete control under all conditions and at all times. They can\nenter at will into other forms. Sattwatma is linga-dehah.\n\n1091. Satatam qualifies anwitah. Nityam qualifies charishnuh. Sadanityah\nis explained by the commentator as in reality terminable, though the\nwords always etc., have been used. The plain meaning of the verse is that\nYogins, in their linga body, rove everywhere, not excluding the most\nblissful regions in heaven itself.\n\n1092. The meaning is this: like Yogins, ordinary men even have the\nlinga-sariram. In dreams, the gross body is inactive. Only the subtile\nbody acts and feels. The Burdwan translator misunderstands this verse\ncompletely.\n\n1093. Atikramanti is understood at the end of the verse. Vajropamani is\nexplained by the commentator as 'so undying that they are not destroyed\nat even the universal destruction; hence, of course, the karana bodies.'\nThe karana bodies are the potentialities, existing in the tanmatra of the\nelemental substances, of forming diverse kinds of linga bodies in\nconsequence of the acts of Jiva in previous periods of existence.\n\n1094. Etat is: maduktam vakyam; yogam implies yogapradhanam. Samadhau\nsamam has reference to 'yogam.' What the speaker wishes to say in\nthis verse is that dhyana is not laid down for Sannyasins alone but it is\nlaid down for all others as well.\n\n1095. Pradhanam is Avidya or Ignorance. Viniyoga is Viparinama. The\nparticle anu always interpreted as 'following' the scriptures or some\nspecial branch of knowledge that treats of the subject spoken of.\n\n1096. The correct reading is ayasaih meaning 'made of iron,' and not\n'ayasaih.' K.P. Singha adheres to the incorrect reading. The chains of\niron here are either the diverse longings cherished by worldly men, or,\nperhaps, the bodies with which men are invested.\n\n1097. The dual genitive duhkhayoh is used because worldly sukha also is\nregarded as duhkha. 'Tyajamannah' is equivalent to 'tyaktum ichccha.' It\nis an instance of hetau sanach.\n\n1098. Yena is explained as Stryadina hetuna. 'Sah' is Stryadih.\nSamrohati is Vardhayati. 'Tam' is Vardhakam.\n\n1099. 'Uddhriyate' is literally 'tears up.' The use of the word 'asina'\nsuggests also 'cutting.' The root of the tree, of course, is Avidya or\nIgnorance.\n\n1100. K.P. Singha wrongly translates the first line. The Burdwan\ntranslator quotes the gloss without understanding it. The first half of\nthe first line, literally rendered, is 'the senses are the\nmind-citizens,' meaning, as the commentator rightly explains, that they\nare citizens under the lead of the mind. 'Tadartham' means 'for the sake\nof the senses,' i.e., 'for cherishing them.' Prakritih is mahati kriya\npravrittih, Tadartham is kriyaphalam, i.e., happiness or misery. The\nmeaning, in brief, is this: the body is a city. The understanding is its\nmistress. The mind is her principal servitor. The senses are the citizens\nunder the lead of the mind. In order to cherish the senses the mind\nengages in acts productive of visible and invisible fruits i.e.,\nsacrifices and gifts, and the acquisition of houses and gardens, etc.\nThose acts are liable to two faults, viz., Rajas and Tamas. The senses\n(both in this life and the succeeding ones) depend upon the fruits\n(happiness or misery) of those acts.\n\n1101. The meaning is this: the senses, the mind, the understanding, etc.,\nare all due to acts. These, therefore, are said to rest upon acts and\ndraw their sustenance therefrom.\n\n1102. I expand the first line of 14 for giving the meaning clearly.\n\n1103. The sense is that the understanding, being stained or afflicted,\nthe Soul also becomes stained or afflicted. Enam is atmanam. Vidhritam is\n'placed like an image upon a mirror.'\n\n1104. Because the son had not yet obtained the light of full knowledge.\n\n1105. It is curious to note how carelessly this verse is rendered in the\nBurdwan version. In the Bengal texts there is a misprint, viz., tatha for\nrasah. The Burdwan translator does not notice it, but gives just eight\nqualities instead of ten. Capacity to be congealed is to be inferred from\ncha. K.P. Singha is correct.\n\n1106. The Rishis, it is evident, regarded an entity not as an unknown\nsubstance in which certain known properties inhered, but as the sum total\nof those properties themselves. So far as the human mind is concerned,\nthere is no warrant for the proposition that matter is an unknown\nsubstance in which extension, and divisibility etc., inhere; on the other\nhand, matter, as it appears to us, is only extension, divisibility, etc.,\nexisting in a combined state.\n\n1107. The elements are five in number. Their properties number fifty. The\nfive especial properties of the understanding should be added to those\nfive and fifty. The total, therefore, of the properties of the\nunderstanding comes up to sixty.\n\n1108. This is a difficult verse. Anagatam is agama-viruddham. The\ngrammatical construction, as explained by the commentator, is this: tat\n(tasmin or purvaslokokokte vishaya yat) anagatam tava uktam tat\nchintakalilam. (Twam tu) samprati iha (loke) tat (maduktam)\nbhutarthatattwamsarvam avapya bhuta-prabhavat santabuddhi bhava.\nBhutarthah is Brahma, and bhutaprabhavat is Brahmaiswaryat. (This is an\ninstance of the ablative with 'lyap' understood). What Bhishma wishes\nYudhishthira to do is not so much to attend to the various theories about\nthe origin of the universe but to carefully attend to the method of\nattaining to Brahma. To be of tranquil heart, of course, implies the\npossession of a nirvrittika buddhi.\n\n1109. i.e., they could be slain by only their equals who were engaged\nwith them, meaning that all those warriors were very superior men. They\ncould not possibly be slain by others than those with whom they fought.\n\n1110. In the case of gods and Rishis, thinking and summoning are the same.\n\n1111. The commentator explains that the accusatives in the first line of\nverse 5 governed by hareyam in the previous verse.\n\n1112. A Padmaka consists of ten digits, i.e., a thousand millions or a\nbillion according to the French method of calculation.\n\n1113. To lead a life in the woods with the deer and after the manner of\nthe deer confers great merit. Vide the story of Yayati's daughter Madhavi\nin the Udyoga Parvam ante.\n\n1114. The commentator explains that this means that Death would attain to\nthe status of all-pervading Brahma. Even this is the boon that the\nSelf-born grants her for protecting her against iniquity and allaying her\nfears.\n\n1115. i.e., being freed from wrath and aversion.\n\n1116. Vasishtha's work commences with the query--What is dharmah? The\nfirst answer is 'anything consistent with the Srutis and the Smritis.'\nThen comes Sishtacharah or the conduct of those called Sishta or the good.\n\n1117. However casuists may argue and moralists pretend, a lie like that\nof Sir Henry Lee for saving his prince from the hands of Cromwell (vide\nWoodstock), or like that of the goldsmith's son, even when he was dying,\nfor saving the prince Chevalier from the hands of his would-be captors,\nis excusable in the estimation of many and even meritorious according to\nsome. The world again is agreed that if an adulterer be called into the\nwitness box, perjury would be a venal offence compared with the meanness\nof betraying the honour of a confiding woman. Hence, the exclusion of\nsuch a witness (according to almost every system of law) in trials for\nadultery. The Rishis wrote for men and not angels. The conduct referred\nto is that of the good and pious.\n\n1118. In explaining verse 7, the commentator uses the words that I have\nenclosed within parenthesis. According to him, verse 9 hath reference to\nthe robbed thief while he goes to the king for invoking justice.\n\n1119. There is another reason why one should not give way to intoxication\nof might and should not set at naught the eternal injunction against\ntaking what belongs to another. K.P. Singha incorrectly translates this\nline.\n\n1120. Implying that such a man is always alive to his own faults. He\nnever thinks that others are guilty of an offence which he, in a moment\nof temptation, may have committed.\n\n1121. K.P. Singha wrongly translates this line.\n\n1122. The construction is not at all difficult; yet both the vernacular\ntranslators have misunderstood it, the Burdwan version being thoroughly\nunintelligible. This is only another form of the well-known saying--'do\nto others as you would that they should do to you.'\n\n1123. The Burdwan translator gives an incorrect version of the second\nline: yad is equivalent to yadi: anyasya stands for anyam. The genitive\ninflection is used for the accusative. Tatah stands for tasmin implying\naupapatye vishaye. Kuryat is driggochari-kuryat.\n\n1124. The surplus should not be coveted for its own sake but for such use.\n\n1125. The second line is incorrectly rendered by K.P. Singha.\n\n1126. Priyabhyupagatam is priyena praptam and not hinsaya.\n\n1127. I am not sure that I have understood the original correctly.\nNilakantha says that the sense intended to be conveyed is that\nYudhishthira finds fault with Bhishma's previous course on the\nindications of righteousness.\n\n1128. The argument, as explained by the commentator is this: Bhishma has\nsaid that righteousness and its reverse arise from one's acts producing\nhappiness or misery to others, and that they both affect one's future\nlife in respect to the happiness and misery enjoyed or endured therein.\nBut living creatures, says Yudhishthira, are seen to take their births,\nexist, and die, of their own nature. Nature, therefore, seems to be the\nefficient cause of birth, existence, and death, and not the declarations\nin the Srutis, consistent though those declarations be with\nconsiderations of felicity or the reverse. The study of the Vedas,\ntherefore, cannot alone lead to a knowledge of righteousness and its\nreverse.\n\n1129. Distress may be of infinite variety. Derogation also from duty may,\ntherefore, be of infinite variety. It is impossible to note these\nderogations (justifiable in view of the degree of distress felt) in any\ncode of morals, however comprehensive.\n\n1130. The commentator cites the example of Sudras listening to forbidden\nscriptures in expectation of merit. They commit sin by such acts. Then\nagain high Brahmanas like Agastya, by cursing the denizens of the Dandaka\nforest, achieved great merit. In persons universally called ordinary or\neven low, indications are observable of good behaviour, and in those\nacknowledged to be good and respectable, acts may be noticed that are not\ngood. That therefore, which is called the conduct of the good is\nextremely unascertainable.\n\n1131. The commentator cites the instance of the stoppage of the\nHorse-sacrifice in consequence of the interference of Indra with\nJanamejaya while the latter was bent upon celebrating one for the\nacquisition of merit.\n\n1132. The vapoury edifices and forms seen in the distant sky are called\nGandharva-nagara from the peculiar belief that they are cities or towns\ninhabited by the Gandharvas, a class of beings superior to men. They\nappear to the view only to disappear very soon. What the speaker wishes\nto say is that sacrifices and religious acts at first appear romantic and\ndelightful in consequence of the fruits they hold forth, viz., heaven and\nfelicity. But when they are examined by the light of philosophy, they\ndisappear or shrink into nothingness, for as acts, they are transitory\nand their consequences too are of the same character.\n\n1133. The object of this verse is to show that it is extremely difficult\nto ascertain who the good are whose conduct should be taken as the\nstandard of righteousness.\n\n1134. The commentator cites the instance of Drona and others of that\nclass. These men must be regarded as Mahajanas and Sadhus, but how can\ntheir conduct be regarded as righteous? What Yudhishthira means to say is\nthat the standards of righteousness or that by which a good man may be\nknown, is difficult of ascertainment.\n\n1135. The example of Viswamitra, Jamadagnya, and Vasishtha are cited by\nthe commentator. The first won pre-eminence by his mastery over weapons.\nThe second lost his character as a Brahmana by the profession of arms.\nThe third lost nothing although he punished Viswamitra's insolence by\nusing even carnal weapons.\n\n1136. What Yudhishthira says here is that righteousness or virtue or duty\ndoes not depend upon the Srutis or the Smritis, nor upon considerations\nof happiness or misery. On the other hand, righteousness is arbitrary in\nrespect of its standard, that being called righteous which was called so\nby the learned of ancient times. As regards happiness or misery, its\ncause is eternal nature.\n\n1137. 'In this connection,' i.e., the subject of the true cause to which\nis to be ascribed the dispensation of happiness or its reverse.\n\n1138. His gross body was within the water. Nevertheless, by Yoga power,\nhe was able to rove over the world in his subtile body and beheld\neverything he wished to see.\n\n1139. Criya is explained by the commentator as implying the possession of\nVedic lore.\n\n1140. This was a new vow that Jajali began to observe, the vow, viz., of\ntravelling over the entire earth, sleeping there where evening overtook\nhim.\n\n1141. A Beniya's shop is a miscellaneous depot. It contains chiefly\nspices and drugs, but there is no article for domestic use that may not\nbe found in such a shop.\n\n1142. Bhandajivanah is one who lays out capital and lives upon its\nprofits.\n\n1143. Charin is sancharanam for food.\n\n1144. In some of the Bengal texts, verse consists of 3 lines. The 3rd\nline, however, is omitted in the Bombay edition.\n\n1145. The commentator observes that in the second line the speaker\nexplains what morality with its mysteries is.\n\n1146. Padmaka or Padma-kashta is the rootstock of Nymphoea lotus. A kind\nof medicinal wood also is indicated by it, which is brought from Malwa\nand Southern India. To this day, it enters into the composition of many\ndrugs used by Hindu Physicians. Tunga is either the filaments of the\nlotus, or the tree called Punnaga which is identified with the\nCalophyllum inophyllum of the Linnean genera. The Bombay reading\nparichcchinnaih for parachcchinnaih does not seem to be correct.\n\n1147. In the Bengal editions, verse consists of one line. In the Bombay\ntext, it is included with the 10th verse which is made a triplet. The\nmeaning is that weighing creatures I regard all of them as equal. In my\nscales a Brahmana does not weigh heavier than a Chandala, or an elephant\nheavier than a dog or cat.\n\n1148. The sense is this: there is variety in this world. It is, however,\nlike the variety of aspects which the sky shows. It is the same Godhead\nthat manifests itself in diverse forms even as it is the same sky that\nputs forth various aspects in consequence of the appearance and\ndisappearance of clouds.\n\n1149. Devairapihita-dwarah means persons whose doors (senses) have been\nclosed by the deities, i.e., men with senses that are defective or lost.\n\n1150. That state is Brahma, and there is no fear of return from it.\nHence, it is called abhayam padam.\n\n1151. The commentator explains that the mention of putra-pautrinam\nindicates that kulachara or family practices (if not very cruel) are\nauthoritative.\n\n1152. The correct reading seems to be vimuchyate.--The sense is this:\nthere is an eternal course of righteousness as laid down in the Vedas.\nThat which is called the conduct of the good may sometimes be stained by\nsome errors. Fools, led by this, give up righteousness itself. On the\nother hand, wise men, avoiding those errors, take what is good and are\nsaved. An old saying is cited by the commentator to the effect that when\nall is threatened, a wise man gives up half for saving the remainder. A\nfool, however, gives up the whole when only half is threatened with\ndestruction.\n\n1153. The word iha in verse is the only indication of the speaker's\ndesire to allude to the union of relatives in this world.\n\n1154. K.P. Singha quietly omits the second half of the second line. The\nBurdwan translator, as usual, blunders in rendering it. The fact is,\nkrosatah is not an adjective of vrikat, but stands for the roaring Vadava\nfire. The commentator distinctly mentions drishtante Vadavagnih.\n\n1155. Both the Vernacular translators have misunderstood this verse.\n\n1156. Alpahrillekhah is explained by the commentator as alpam vahyasukham\nhridilekheva pratishthitam yesham; hence, men who seek ordinary felicity,\nviz., that which has a termination. The patavah are of course, the truly\nwise, i.e., those that seek felicity that is unending. Kritsna is Brahma;\ntadartham abhayadanamitinirnaya yesham, i.e., the truly wise practice it\nfor the sake of Brahma. It is almost impossible to understand verses such\nas these without the aid of the commentator.\n\n1157. Padashinah has reference to Devah. The sandhi in Devapi is arsha.\nThe deities become stupefied in his _track_, i.e., fail to see or find it\nout, for such a man is apadah, i.e., transcends the highest regions of\nfelicity, such as even the region of Brahman, because of their\nnon-eternity. Such a man attains to Brahma, which is infinite and eternal.\n\n1158. Bhuta is explained by the commentator as Brahma, and Bhavya, as\nheaven or the regions of felicity in the next world. In the Vedas both\nkinds of duties occur, such as Samah, etc., for Brahma, and sacrifices,\n&c., for heaven.\n\n1159. The commentator cites some conflicting ordinances about the\nslaughter of kine. The subject of duty, is thus confused, contradictory\ndeclarations being noticeable in the Vedas.\n\n1160. Badha here means striking or beating. If taken in the sense of\n'death' the meaning would be putting some to death so that others may be\nfrightened. These verses are a noble protest against the institution of\nslavery.\n\n1161. Some texts read Prishadhro-gamlavanniva, meaning Prishadhara\nperpetrated a great sin by killing a cow (mistaking it for a tiger, as\nthe story goes).\n\n1162. The cow is called the mother because of the use to which she is\nsubservient. Her milk nourishes every infant as much as the mother's\nbosom. The bull, again, is Prajapati, because like Prajapati he creates\noffspring and assists man in the production of food.\n\n1163. Nahusha had killed a cow and a bull for honouring the Rishis. The\nlatter, however, expressed their dissatisfaction at the act, and cleansed\nhim of the sin in the manner indicated in the text. The commentator cites\nthe instance of how Indra was cleansed of the sin of Brahmanicide. The\nRishis, in compassion, distributed the sin among all beings of the\nfeminine sex. That sin manifests itself in their periodical flows and the\nconsequent impurity.\n\n1164. The commentator explains that the Rishis addressed Nahusha in that\nstyle even when they knew that he had not intentionally slain the cow and\nthe bull. The object of the speaker is to show the enormity of the act\nwhen done intentionally.\n\n1165. The fact is, all Sacrifices, in which injury is done to animal and\nvegetable life are Sacrifices for Kshatriyas. The only Sacrifice that\nBrahmanas should perform is Yoga.\n\n1166. Sacrifices are always attractive for the fame they bring. Their\nperformance depends upon wealth. The acquisition of wealth leads to the\ncommission of many evil acts.\n\n1167. The sense is that in former days when the true meaning of Sacrifice\nwas understood and all men performed them without being urged by the\ndesire of fruit, the beneficial consequences that flowed were the\nproduction of crops without tillage (and without injury to animals that\nlive in holes and burrows). The good wishes the Rishis cherished for all\ncreatures were sufficient to produce herbs and plants and trees. May not\nthis be taken as an indication of the traditional idea of the happiness\nof Eden before the fall of man?\n\n1168. 'Bereft of wisdom' is explained by the commentator as implying the\nnon-attainment of emancipation.\n\n1169. This verse is exceedingly terse and condensed. In the second line,\nthe words Brahmana vartate loke, literally rendered, mean 'who believes\nthat only Brahma exists in the world.' The commentator takes these words\nas implying 'who regards every essential of Sacrifice as Brahma.'\nAlthough I have followed the commentator, yet I think his interpretation\nto be rather far-fetched. Why may not the words be taken in a literal\nsense? He who takes Brahma to be all things and all things to be Brahma,\nbecomes sinless and deserves to be called a Brahmana. The last word of\nthe second tine simply means 'who does not regard his own self as the\nactor.' The view expressed in the Gita is that we should do all acts\nbelieving ourselves to be only agents or instruments of the Supreme\ndeity. Acts are His, we are only His tools. Such a conviction is sure to\nguard us against all evil acts.\n\n1170. What is said in verse 17 is that when Sacrifices are done from a\nsense of duty, notwithstanding their incompleteness, they become\nefficacious. It is only when they are performed from desire of fruit that\nexpiation becomes necessary if their completion be obstructed by any\ncause. Having thus applauded the Sacrifices (represented by acts) of the\ntruly wise, other kinds of Sacrifices are indicated in verse 18. K.P.\nSingha translates 18 correctly. The Burdwan version is erroneous.\n\n1171. Swayajna is literally 'sacrifice in one's own self'; hence, Yoga,\nBrahmam vedam is Pranava or Om.\n\n1172. K.P. Singha erroneously translates this verse. The Burdwan version,\nso far as it goes, is correct. Sarvam Brahma is explained as Pranava,\nwhich is akhilam daivatam, for the Srutis declare that Omkarah\nsarvadaivatyah, Brahmani is Brahmavidi. What is intended to be said in\nthis verse is that when such a man eats and is gratified, the whole\nuniverse becomes gratified. In the Vana Parvam, Krishna, by swallowing a\nparticle of pottage gratified the hunger of thousands of Durvasa's pupils.\n\n1173. Such a man regards all things as Brahma, and himself as Brahma.\n\n1174. K.P. Singha blunders in rendering the second half of the first\nline. Yasah, the commentator explains, is Mahadyasah or Brahma. 'The path\nof the righteous,' the commentator thinks, is Yoga.\n\n1175. i.e., they perform mental Sacrifices.\n\n1176. 'For the reason,' i.e., because they cannot officiate at the\nSacrifices of those that are truly good. In the second line (28 is a\ntriplet), the nominative sadhavah is understood. The meaning is that such\nmen, that is, the truly good, accomplish their own duties not for\nbenefiting their own selves but for the good of others. What is said in\nthe third line is that observing both kinds of behaviour, i.e., that of\nthe good and that of the misguided, I follow the path of the former by\nabstaining from every kind of injury.\n\n1177. Yajneshu is 'among Sacrifices.' Yani has reference to the different\nkinds of the Sacrifices, viz., those performed from desire of fruit and\nconsequently productive of Return, and those not performed from desire of\nfruit and consequently leading to Emancipation. Tena stands for tena\nYajnena. What the speaker wishes to lay down is that only a certain class\nof sacrificers succeed in attaining to an end whence there is no return.\n\n1178. The sense seems to be that they perform mental Sacrifices, and not\nactual sacrifices after having created by Yoga-power all the necessary\narticles.\n\n1179. The sin of slaughtering a cow will not touch such a person, his\nsoul being above the influence of acts.\n\n1180. i.e., I have for this reason spoken in praise of Renunciation and\nnot that frame of mind in which one acts from desire of fruit.\n\n1181. These are, of course, the indications of complete Renunciation.\nSuch a man never bends his head to another and never flatters another,\nfor he is above all want.\n\n1182. Verse 35 is a triplet. In the first two lines the speaker says that\none who does not accomplish the acts specified, fails to attain to a\ndesirable end. In the last line, idam, refers to the duties of a true\nBrahmana or the indications of the Renunciation as laid down in verse 34.\nDaivatam kritwa, is explained by the commentator as Daivatamiva sevaniyam\nkritwa, Yajnam is Vishnu or Brahma as the Srutis declare.\n\n1183. The Munis referred to in the first line are those mentioned in\nverse 31 above. They are the atmayajins or mental sacrificers. Kashtam is\ngahanam. Asya in the second line refers to the particular Yoga of those\nMunis. Lest the Yoga propounded by Tuladhara be regarded as altogether\nnew, a circumstance that would detract from their merit, the commentator\nexplains the words natah as preceded by Avekshamana api understood.\n\n1184. Yasmin here is equivalent to Yadi, it being, as the commentator\nexplains, Vibhaktipratirupakam avyayam. Eva is equivalent to Evam,\nmeaning Twaduktaprakarena; atmatirtha means atmaiva tirtham or\nYajnabhumistatra. Prapnuyat in the second line stands for prapnuyuh. The\nuse of the singular for the plural is arsha.\n\n1185. What is said here is this: the sacrifices of some men become lost\nthrough absence of faith. These men, it is plain, are not worthy of\nperforming any kind of sacrifice internal or external. The performance of\nsacrifice, however, is easy. The cow and her products can minister to all\nsacrifices. In the case of those that are able, full libations of\nclarified butter, of milk, and of curds, are sufficient to enable them to\nperform whatever sacrifice they wish. As regards those that are poor, the\ndust of a cow's hoof and the water in which a cow's tail and horns have\nbeen washed, are quite sufficient to enable them to perform their\nsacrifices. Purnahuti should not, I think, be taken as different from\nclarified butter, etc.\n\n1186. All these verses are exceedingly terse. Anena vidhina is the mode\nwhich the speaker himself advocates, viz., the performance of sacrifices\nwithout slaughter of animals. Niyojayan is an instance hetau satri. After\nprakaroti Sraddham is understood. Ishtam here means Yagam. Yajunam (as in\nverse 35 above) is Brahma.\n\n1187. The soul is itself a tirtha. A tirtha, of course, is a spot\ncontaining sacred water. One should seek the acquisition of merit in the\nsoul instead of going to places called sacred and lying in different\nparts of the earth. 'According to his own ability' means 'according to\nthe best of his power.' If one can perform a sacrifice with clarified\nbutter, one should not do it with the dust of a cow's hoofs.\n\n1188. Dharmasya vachanat kila is explained by the commentator as\nDharmasya ahinsatmakasya samvandhino vachanat. I think the words may also\nmean, 'obeying the voice of Dharma.'\n\n1189. The two negatives in the second line amount to an affirmative\nassertion.\n\n1190. Vaivaswati is 'appertaining to Vivaswat or prakasarapachidatma',\nhence 'Brahma-vishayini'. 'Daughter of Surya' means Sattwiki. Faith is\nvahirvangamanasi, i.e., is 'the outward form of speech and mind,'\nimplying that it 'transcends (the merit born of) speech (recitation) and\nmind (meditation).'\n\n1191. 'Defects of speech' are the incorrect utterance of mantras.\n'Defects of mind' are such as listlessness, haste, etc.\n\n1192. Kadarya is explained by the commentator as 'miserly.' I think it\nmay be taken also in a more extended sense. Then again vardhushi is a\nusurer and not necessarily a dealer in corn.\n\n1193. The commentator is entirely silent upon this verse. The two Bengali\nversions have proceeded in two different ways. The four classes of\npersons indicated in the previous verses are (1) he that is destitute of\nfaith but is (outwardly) pure, (2) he that has faith but is not\n(outwardly) pure, (3) a miserly person possessed of learning, and (4) a\nusurer endued with liberality. The answer of Brahman, without touching\nother points, refers particularly to faith. The liberal man's food is\nsanctified by faith. The food of him that has no faith is lost. For this\nreason, the liberal man's food, even if he happens to be a usurer, is\nworthy of acceptance, and not so the food of the miser even though he may\nbe possessed of Vedic lore.\n\n1194. The commentator takes the word divam as implying hardakasam. They\nsported (not in the ordinary felicity of heaven but) in the puissance of\nYoga.\n\n1195. Gograhe is explained by the commentator as 'a sacrifice in which\nkine are slain.' Yajnavatasya is an instance of the genitive for the\naccusative. It means Yajnavatsthan nirdayan Brahmanan. The expression may\nalso mean 'in the cow-pen within the sacrificial enclosure.'\n\n1196. Avyaktaih is explained by the commentator as Yajnadi-dwaraiva\nkhyatimichchhadbhih.\n\n1197. Kamakara may also mean recklessness, Vahirvedyam is 'on the outer\nVedi or altar.' The actual slaughter takes place on this vedi. The\nBurdwan translator misunderstands the word.\n\n1198. Upasya, is explained by the commentator as 'living near an\ninhabited place.' Vedakritah Srutih are the fruits indicated in the Vedas\nof the acts laid down in them. Acharah has reference to the duties of\nthe domestic mode of life. Acharah should be made anacharah, i.e., should\nnot be followed. The Sannyasa mode of life is thus recommended.\n\n1199. The meaning is this: ordinary men abstain from tainted meat,\nregarding all meat as tainted which is obtained from animals that are not\nkilled in sacrifices and in course of religious acts. The speaker,\nhowever, holds that this practise is not worthy of applause, for all meat\nis tainted, including that of animals slain in sacrifices. K.P. Singha\ngives the sense correctly though his rendering is not literal. The\nBurdwan translator, misunderstanding text and commentary, jumbles them\ntogether and gives an incorrect rendering.\n\n1200. Hence there is no need for sacrifices with slaughter of animals,\nand alcohol, etc.\n\n1201. The sense is this: dangers are always seeking to destroy the body.\nThe body is always seeking to destroy those destroyers. This perpetual\nwar or struggle implies the desire to injure. How then, asks\nYudhishthira, is it possible for any man to lead a perfectly harmless\nlife, harm being implied in the very fact of continued existence?\n\n1202. The sense, of course, is that one should acquire religious merit\nwithout wasting one's body; one should not, that is, cause one's body to\nbe destroyed for the sake of earning merit.\n\n1203. On the occasion of the Jata-karma the sire says 'be thou as hard as\nadamant,' 'be thou an axe (unto all my foes).' The upakarma or subsidiary\nrite is performed on the occasion of the samavartana or return from the\npreceptor's abode. It is called subsidiary because it does not occur\namong the rites laid down in the Griha Sutras. The words uttered on that\noccasion are, 'Thou art my own self, O Son.'\n\n1204. Bhogya implies such articles as dress,--etc. Bhojya implies food,\netc. Pravachana is instruction in the scriptures. Garbhadhana is the\nceremonial in connection with the attainment of puberty by the wife.\nSimantonnayana is performed by the husband in the fourth, sixth or eighth\nmonth of gestation, the principal rite being the putting of the minimum\nmark on the head of the wife. The mark is put on the line of partition of\nher locks.\n\n1205. In India in every house two sticks were kept for producing fire by\nrubbing. These were replaced by the flint-stone and a piece of steel. Of\ncourse, Bryant and May's matches have now replaced those primitive\narrangements almost everywhere, and in the hands of children have become\na source of great danger to both life and property.\n\n1206. Prana is the organ of generation. Samslesha is union. The desires\ncherished are indicated in the Griha Sutras. 'Let our child be fair of\ncomplexion.' 'Let him be long-lived!' Though both parents cherish such\nwishes, yet their fruition depends more on the mother than the father.\nThis is a scientific truth.\n\n1207. The sense seems to be this. The mother only has correct knowledge\nof who the father is. The commands of the father, therefore, may be set\naside on the ground of the suspicion that attaches to his very status as\nfather. Then, again, if the father be adulterous, he should not be\nregarded on account of his sinfulness. Chirakarin asks, 'How shall I know\nthat Gautama is my father? How again shall I know that he is not sinful?'\n\n1208. The object of this verse is to indicate that when Gautama had\nceased to protect his wife he had ceased to be her husband. His command,\ntherefore, to slay her could not be obeyed.\n\n1209. The commentator argue that 'man being the tempted, takes the guilt\nupon himself; woman, being the tempted, escapes the guilt.'\n\n1210. The sense is this: the sire is all the deities together, for by\nreverencing the sire, all the deities are pleased. The mother, however,\nis all mortal and immortal creatures together, for by gratifying her one\nis sure to obtain success both here and hereafter.\n\n1211. Dharmasya is explained by the commentator as Yogadharma-sambandhi.\nProbably, Gautama blames his own carelessness in not having provided, by\nYoga-puissance, against the commission of the offence. The commentator\nobserves that the Rishi's exculpation of Indra himself is due to his own\npurity of nature and the entire absence of a desire to wrong other\npeople. In reality, however, there can be no doubt that it was Indra who\nwas to blame.\n\n1212. i.e., prince Satyavat said that the persons brought out for\nexecution should not be executed. The power of kings did not extend over\nthe lives of their subjects. In other words the prince argued against the\npropriety of inflicting capital punishment upon even grave offenders.\n\n1213. Verse 10 is a triplet.\n\n1214. The Burdwan translator gives a very incorrect version of this\nverse. He misunderstands both text and commentary completely. K.P. Singha\nis correct.\n\n1215. The commentator explains that the object of this line is to show\nthat the very Sannyasin, when he offends, deserves to be chastised. K.P.\nSingha misunderstands the line completely. The Burdwan version is correct.\n\n1216. Both the vernacular versions of this verse are incorrect. The first\nhalf of the first line should be taken independently. The commentator\nexplains that after gariyamsam the words api sasyu should be supplied.\nAparadhe tu punah punah, etc., is said of offenders in general, and not\neminent offenders only.\n\n1217. i.e., punishments were not necessary in former times, or very light\nones were sufficient. The Burdwan version of this verse is thoroughly\nridiculous.\n\n1218. Hence extermination is the punishment that has become desirable.\n\n1219. Hence, by slaying them no injury is done to any one in this or the\nother world.\n\n1220. Padma means, the ornaments of corpses. Grave-stealers that were in\nevery country. Pisachat is Pisachopahatat. Evidently, idiots and mad men\nwere the persons who were regarded to have been possessed by evil\nspirits. Daiyatam is an accusative which, like, Samayam is governed by\nthe transitive verb Kurvita. Yah kaschit means yah kaschit mudyhah, na tu\nprajnah. The Burdwan version of this verse shows that the person\nentrusted with this portion of the Canti was altogether incompetent for\nthe task. K.P. Singha gives the meaning correctly.\n\n1221. The commentator supposes that after sadhun the word kartum is\nunderstood. The line may also be taken as meaning,--'If thou dost not\nsucceed in rescuing the honest without slaying (the wicked).' Bhuta\nbhavya is sacrifice. The prince speaks of exterminating the rogues by\nslaying them as animals in a sacrifice because of the declaration in the\nSrutis that those killed in sacrifices ascend to heaven, purged of all\ntheir sins. Such acts, therefore, seem to be merciful to the prince,\ncompared to death by hanging or on the block.\n\n1222. The world thus improves in conduct and morality through the king\nonly behaving in a proper way. Cruel punishments are scarcely needed to\nreform the world.\n\n1223. The period of human life decreases proportionately in every\nsucceeding age, as also the strength of human beings. In awarding\npunishments, the king should be guided by these considerations.\n\n1224. The word satya is used here for Emancipation. Mahaddahrmaphalam is\ntrue knowledge, so called because of its superiority to heaven, etc. The\nway pointed out by Manu is, of course, the religion of harmlessness. In\nverse 35, there is an address to prince Satyavat. It seems, as I have\npointed out, that verses 32 to 35 represent the words of the grandsire to\nwhom the prince refers in verse 31.\n\n1225. The redundant syllable is arsha.\n\n1226. Both acts and knowledge have been pointed out in the Vedas. The\nVedas, therefore, being authority for both, one or the other cannot be\ncensured or applauded.\n\n1227. Arsha means here Vedic injunctions declared through the mouths of\ninspired Rishis and compiled by Rishis. Viditatmanah is the Supreme Being\nhimself. The object of the speaker is to show that no part of the Vedas\ncan be censured, for every word in them is equally authoritative, all\nbeing God's own.\n\n1228. Deva-yanah is explained by the commentator as Devam atmanam janti\nebhiriti, i.e., those by which the Soul is reached. The relative strength\nor weakness of the four modes of life hath been thus indicated. The\nSannyasin attains to Moksha or Emancipation; the forest recluse to the\nregion of Brahman; the house-holder attains to heaven (region of the\ndeities presided over by Indra) and the Brahmacharin attains to the\nregion of the Rishis.\n\n1229. The commentator explains that having commenced with the assertion\nthat men should sacrifice from desire of heaven, the speaker fears that\nthe hearer may deny the very existence of heaven. Hence, he takes a surer\nground for justifying slaughter, viz., the ground that is connected with\nthe consideration of food. Living creatures must eat in order to live.\nThe very support of life requires the slaughter of life. Slaughter,\ntherefore, is justified by the highest necessity.\n\n1230. i.e., there are the essential requisites of sacrifice.\n\n1231. The seven domestic animals are cow, goat, man, horse, sheep, mule,\nand ass. The seven wild ones are lion, tiger, boar, buffalo, elephant,\nbear, and monkey.\n\n1232. Vichinwita is Vivechayet with alamvartham understood; atmanah is\nequivalent to jivat.\n\n1233. All the products of the cow that are named here are not required in\nall sacrifices. Some are required in some, others in others. Those then\nthat _are_ required, when coupled with Ritwijas and Dakshina, complete\nthe respective sacrifices or uphold or sustain them.\n\n1234. Samhritya means Ekikritya and not 'destroying' as the Burdwan\ntranslator wrongly takes it.\n\n1235. The Burdwan translator, notwithstanding the clear language of both\nthe text and commentary, wrongly connects the first line of verse 31 with\nthe last line of 30, and makes nonsense of both verses.\n\n1236. By taking the two lines of 32 with the last line of 30, the Burdwan\ntranslator makes nonsense of the passage.\n\n1237. 'Brahmanas' here means that part of the Vedas which contains the\nritual.\n\n1238. Each constitutes the refuge of the other.\n\n1239. There are many such expletives, such as hayi, havu, etc.\n\n1240. For, as the commentator explains, one who has acquired an empire\ndoes not seek the dole of charity. In view of the high end that\nRenunciation is certain to bring, what need has a person of the domestic\nmode of life which leads to rewards that are insignificant compared to\nthe other.\n\n1241. Varhi is grass or straw. Oshadhi here implies paddy and other\ngrain. Vahiranya adrija implies 'other kinds of Oshadhi born on\nmountains,' i.e., the Soma and other useful hill plants and shrubs.\nTeshamapi mulam garhastyam should be supplied after the first line.\nDomesticity is the root of these, because these are cultivated or\ncollected by persons leading the domestic mode of life. The argument in\nthe second line is this: Oschadhibhyah pranah, pranat vahihna kinchit\ndrisyate, atah viswasyapi mulam garhastyam.\n\n1242. Literally rendered, the words are,--'Without doubt, Vedic mantras\nenter into persons of the regenerate classes in respect of acts whose\neffects are seen and acts whose effects instead of being seen depend upon\nthe evidence of the scriptures.' Practically, what is said here is that\nall the acts of a Brahmana are performed with the aid of Vedic mantras.\n\n1243. Mantras are necessary in cremating a Brahmana's dead body. Mantras\nare needed for assisting the dead spirit to attain to a brilliant form\n(either in the next world or in this if there be rebirth). These mantras\nare, of course, uttered in Sraddhas. After the dead spirit has been\nprovided, with the aid of mantras, with a body, food and drink are\noffered to him with the aid of mantras. Kine and animals are given away\nby the representatives of the dead for enabling the dead ancestor to\ncross the Vaitarani (the river that flows between the two worlds) and for\nenabling him to become happy in heaven. The funeral cake, again,\naccording to the ordinance, is sunk in water for making it easily\nattainable by him to whom it is offered. By becoming a human being one\ninherits three debts. By study he pays off his debt to the Rishis, by the\nperformance of sacrifices he pays off his debt to the gods, and by\nbegetting children he frees himself from the debt he owes to the Pitris.\nThe argument then is this: when the Vedas, which are the words of Supreme\nGodhead, have laid down these mantras for the attainment of such objects\nin the next world, how can Emancipation, which involves an incorporeal\nexistence transcending the very Karana (form) be possible? The very\ndeclarations of the Vedas in favour of acts are inconsistent with\nincorporeal existence or with the negation of existence with dual\nconsciousness of knower and known.\n\n1244. The mention of 'Devan' as the commentator points out--Rishis and\nalso Pitris. The amrita here that these covet is, of course, the\nSacrificial libation. 'Brahma-sanjnitah' implies 'conversant with\nBrahma,' for the Srutis say that 'Brahmavid Brahmaiva bhavati.'\n\n1245. The terseness of the original has not been removed in the\ntranslation. Enam is the universal Soul dwelling within this physical\nframe. It refers to the person who constitutes himself to be the soul of\nall creatures or one who is conversant with Brahma or has become Brahma\nitself. That soul is said to have a fourfold nature, viz., it is virat\n(all-embracing), sutra (fine as the finest thread and pervading\neverything), antaryamin (possessed of omniscience), and suddha\n(stainless). Its four mouths, by which are meant the four sources of\nenjoyment or pleasure, are the body, the senses, the mind, and the\nunderstanding. What the speaker wishes to point out by this is the\nBhotkritwa (power of enjoyment) of the Soul. The Kartritwa (power of\naction) is then pointed out by the mention of the doors which are the two\narms, the organ of speech, the stomach and the organ of the pleasure\n(generation). These last operate as doors for shutting or confining the\nsoul within its chamber. They are the screens or avaranas that conceal\nits real nature. The very gods feel their force, being unable to\ntranscend them or their demands. He who would transcend them and shine in\nhis own stainless nature should seek to control or restrain them.\nPractically, it is Yoga that is recommended for enabling one to attain to\nthe position of the universal Soul.\n\n1246. 'One who has cast off his upper garment' is one who clothes himself\nvery scantily only for the sake of decency and not for splendour.\n\n1247. Dwandwarama very likely means here the joys of wedded couples and\nnot 'the pleasures derived from pairs of opposites'. The sense seems to\nbe this that man is a Brahmana who, without marrying succeeds in enjoying\nsingly all the felicity that attaches to married life.\n\n1248. In reality all things are, of course, Brahma. Their external\naspects are only transformations. The end of all creatures is death and\nrebirth till absorption takes place into Brahma by means of Yoga.\n\n1249. The original is very terse. I have expanded it, following the\ncommentator. Dana-yajna kriya phalam is chitta suddhi of purity or heart;\nantarena is equivalent to vina; anujananti governs Brahmanyam understood.\nAnyat phalam in the second line implies heaven and its joys (which\nsatisfy ordinary men). The particle anu before jananti is taken to imply\ngurum anu, i.e., following the instructions of preceptors.\n\n1250. These three verses run together and are extremely abstruse. There\ncan be no doubt that the commentator is right. The construction is this:\nYam sadacharam asritya samsritanam swakarmabhih (sahitam) tapah ghoratwam\nagatam, tam (sadacharam) puranam puranam saswatam dhruvam dharmeshu cha\nsutritamkitichit charitum asaknuvantah phalavanti vyushtimanti dhruvam\ncha karmani (mudah) vigunani, etc., pasyanti. The second line of 36\nstands by itself as an explanatory sentence referring to some of the\ncharacteristics of the sadachara that is spoken of. Samsritanam, refers\nto men observing the different modes of life; ghoratwam agatam is\nsamsarandhakaranasakam bhavati. What is meant by this is that the\npenances of such men, along with the duties they are called upon to\nobserve by the particular mode of life they follow, become a terrible\nweapon, in consequence of their sadacharah, for destroying the evils of\nworldliness. The sadacharah spoken of here is nishkamadharmah. The latter\nis no new-fangled theory of men of learning but is puranam saswatam, and\ndhruvam. The phalavanti vyushtimanti, and dhruva karmani which fools\nregard to be vigyunani and anaikatitikani are, of course, those acts\nwhich are included within the word 'Yoga.' In brief, the speaker, in\nthese three verses, wishes to inculcate that wise men, whatever their\nmode of life, observe its duties. But by virtue of the nishkama dharma\nthey follow, they convert those duties and their penances into efficient\nmeans for dispelling the darkness of ignorance. Fools, on the other hand,\nunable to practise that nishkama dharma, look upon it and Yoga itself as\nfruitless and valueless although the rewards these confer are visible.\n\n1251. The sciences that have disputation only for their foremost object,\nare, according to the commentator, the sciences of the Lokayatikas, the\nSaughatas (or Buddhists), the Kapalikas, etc. The other sciences based on\nLogic that are included within the word Agama are the two Mimamsas,\nSankhya, and Patanjala.\n\n1252. Aikatmyam is explained by the commentator as Eka eva dwaita darsana\nhina atma yatra bhavati. Practically, it is that state of the mind in\nwhich one perceives one's identity with everything in the universe. This\nis that true knowledge which brings about Emancipation or is Emancipation\nitself.\n\n1253. They are called 'robbers of the scriptures' because they always\nseek to rob the scriptures of their true meaning. They are 'depredators\nof Brahma' because they deny the very existence of Godhead. Nirarambhah\nis Camadyarambha-sunyah.\n\n1254. The particle anu means 'following the instructions of preceptors.'\nSamyame refers to Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. Some texts read Siddhante\nfor samyame.\n\n1255. What is intended to be said here is that only a life of\nRenunciation, so hard to follow, can lead to Emancipation. The Burdwan\ntranslator makes nonsense of the second line of 64 by connecting it with\nthe first line of 65, K.P. Singha omits it entirely.\n\n1256. The Vedas are Savda-Brahma or Brahma as represented by sound.\n\n1257. I have expanded this verse, following the lead of the commentator.\nSome idea may be given of the extreme terseness of such verses by\noffering a literal rendering: 'That lump of matter which is made a\n(human) body by what is contained in the Veda, is (afterwards) made (a\nbody by the same means).' One approaches one's wife after performing the\nrite of Garbhadhana. In this rite, different deities are invoked to\ndevelop different organs and parts of the body of the child to be\nbegotten. Thus begotten, the body of the child is, subsequent to birth,\ncleansed or purified. All this requires the aid of the Vedic mantras.\nWhat Kapila wishes to teach is that commencing with acts, knowledge\nshould finally be acquired.\n\n1258. Yoga is the only way to true knowledge, hence Jnana-nishthah is\nYoga-nishthah.\n\n1259. These and men like these are pointed out as persons deserving of\ngifts.\n\n1260. i.e., in Brahma as possessed of attributes and as freed from\nattributes.\n\n1261. Matra is explained as miyante vishya anya i.e., the understanding.\nWhat is meant by guile in the practice of righteousness may be\nexemplified as follows. Individual grains of barley may be given away\ninstead of clothes by one unable to obtain clothes for gift. But one\ngiving away barley grains when perfectly able to give away clothes would\nbe guilty of guile.\n\n1262. The scriptures frequently lay down ordinances in the alternative.\nThe absolute or substantive provisions are for the able. Those in the\nalternative are for them that are unable.\n\n1263. What is meant by the sacrifices, etc., of such men being identical\nwith infinite Brahma is that these men were identical with Brahma and\nwhatever they did was Brahma. They had no consciousness of self, or they\ndid nothing for self. They were the Soul of the universe.\n\n1264. What is said here in effect is that at first there was only one\ncourse of duties, called sadachara or good conduct, for all men. In\nprogress of time men became unable to obey all its dictates in their\nentirety. It then became necessary to distribute those duties into four\nsubdivisions corresponding with the four modes of life.\n\n1265. Both K.P. Singha and the Burdwan translator have completely\nmisunderstood verse 23 and the first line of 24, which, as the\ncommentator explains, should be construed together. The construction is\nTam (sadacharam) santah grihebhyah nishkramya eva (sannyasam kritwaiva)\nvidhivatprapya paramam gatim gachcchanti. Anye santo vanamasritah tam\nvidhivat prapya, etc. Similarly, Grihameva bhisamsritya anye santah,\netc. Jato-anye, etc. Thus, all the four modes, commencing with the last,\nare spoken of.\n\n1266. It is impossible for any one to read the Burdwan version of such\nverses without pitying the Pandit responsible for its accuracy. Without\nunderstanding the commentary in the least, the words of the great\ncommentator have been reproduced in the Burdwan version in a strange\norder, rejecting some of the connecting links without any excuse, and\nmaking the Collocation utterly unintelligible. K.P. Singha gives the\nsubstance very briefly without endeavouring to translate the words. And\nyet the verse presents almost no difficulty. The last line of 29 and the\nfirst line of 30 make one sentence. Chaturthopanishaddharmah is explained\nby the commentator as implying paramatma-vishayini vidya, tadartham\ndharmah. There are four states of consciousness: 1st, wakefulness; 2nd,\ndream; 3rd, dreamless slumber (sushupti); and 4th, Turiya, which is\nreached by Samadhi (abstraction of Yoga-meditation), and in which Brahma\nbecomes realisable. What is said in these two lines is simply this: the\nduties (dharmah), relating to the Chaturthopanishat or, the Knowledge of\nParamatman, are sadharanah or common to all the four orders of men and\nmodes of life. Those duties, of course, are sama, dama, uparama,\ntitiksha, sraddha, samadhi. What is said in the last line of 30 is that\nBrahmanas of pure hearts and restrained souls always succeed (by the help\nof those duties) in acquiring or attaining to that Turiya or\nconsciousness of Brahma.\n\n1267. Apavargamiti is explained by the commentator as apavargaprada vidya\nor Brahmasakshatkararupa vrittiryasmin iti. Nityin is avasyakah.\nYatidharmah is a life of Renunciation. What is meant by sanatanah is\nsampradayagatah.\n\n1268. Sadharana is opposed to kevala. Yathavalam implies yathavaira-gyam,\nGachcchatam Gachcchatam means purushamatrasyavanigvya-dhadeh. The Burdwan\ntranslator misses the sense altogether and K.P. Singha quietly passes\nover the entire second line of this triplet. Durvala means he who is\nwanting in vairagya.\n\n1269. The commentator explains that the object of this verse is to show\nthat even if there be equality in respect of the end that is attained in\nnext life, there is more of real felicity in a life of Renunciation than\nin a life of enjoyment. The Burdwan translator misses the sense entirely.\n\n1270. The Burdwan translator gives a very erroneous version of this verse.\n\n1271. For by Knowledge Emancipation is obtained.\n\n1272. Vatarechaka is bhastra or a bellows. What is implied is, perhaps,\nthat such a man breathes or lives in vain.\n\n1273. Nasti is explained by the commentator as the past and the future.\nNishtha is swarupam. Literally, what is said is that everything is the\nVedas, or the Vedas are everything. This is, perhaps, only an exaggerated\nmode of saying that the Vedas deal with everything.\n\n1274. The sense seems to be that while they that are ignorant regard the\nuniverse to be as existent and durable as the thunder or adamant, the man\nof knowledge regards it to be truly non-existent though it puts forth the\nappearance of existence.\n\n1275. I have endeavoured to give a literal version of verse 45. It is\ndifficult, however, to seize the meaning from such versions. The word\nused in the first line is Tyaga implying Renunciation. The commentator\ncorrectly explains that this is that complete Renunciation which takes\nplace in Samadhi or the perfect abstraction of Yoga. Samaptam is samyak\naptam (bhavati). This samyak is Brahma. Similarly, santosha is not\nordinary contentment but Brahmananda or the Supreme felicity of one who\nhas attained to Brahma. The meaning, then, is this: in the complete\nabstraction of Yoga (i.e., Samadhi) is Brahma. This all the Vedas teach.\nIn Emancipation again is the Supreme felicity of Brahma. Apavargah is not\nannihilation but Emancipation, which is existence in Brahma without the\ndual consciousness of knower and known.\n\n1276. I have followed the commentator in his exposition of almost all the\nadjectives in the text.\n\n1277. The grammatical construction of this verse is very difficult to\ncatch. There can be no doubt that the commentator is right. Tehjah,\nkshama, santih,--these are anamayam subham, i.e., nirdukhasya\nsukhasyapraptau hetuh. Tatha, separates these from what follows. Abidham\nVyoma Santanam, and dhruvam are governed by gamyate, Etaih sarvaih refers\nto Tejah and the two others. Abidham is explained as akittrimam; vyoma as\njagatkaranam. The Burdwan translator gives a correct version, although\nhis punctuation is incorrect. He errs, however, in not taking anamayam\nsubham as one and the same. K.P. Singha errs in connecting anamayam with\nwhat follows tatha.\n\n1278. Nishkriti is literally escape. There is escape for those referred\nto; of course, the escape is to be sought by expiation. There is none for\nan ingrate, for ingratitude is inexpiable.\n\n1279. Asubheshu is explained as asubheshu karmashu upasthiteshu.\n\n1280. The Brahman evidently refers to the indifference of Kundadhara\ntowards him. He had thought that Kundadhara would, in return for his\nadorations, grant him wealth. Disappointed in this, he says, when\nKundadhara does not mind my adorations, who else will? I had, therefore,\nbetter give up all desire for wealth and retire into the woods. The\npassage, however, seems to be inconsistent with the Brahmana's\nindifference to the fine fabrics of cloth lying around him.\n\n1281. Persons who have won ascetic success utter a wish and it is\nimmediately fulfilled. 'I give thee this,' and forthwith what is given in\nwords appears bodily, ready to be taken and appropriated. The words of\nsuch persons do not follow their meanings, but meanings follow their\nwords.\n\n1282. The Burdwan translator makes nonsense of this verse. He forgets his\ngrammar so completely as to take etaih as qualifying lokah.\n\n1283. The verse is not difficult; the commentator, again, is very clear.\nThe Burdwan translator, however, while citing the very words of the\ncommentary, totally misunderstands them and makes utter nonsense of them.\nEkarthanam is explained as Ekam chitiasuddhih Iswarapritirva tadarthanam\nmadhya. The question asked is dharmartham yo yajnah samahitah\n(viniyuktah) tadeva vruhi and not that Yajna which sukhartham (bhavati).\n\n1284. One that subsists upon grains of corn picked up from the fields\nafter the reapers have abandoned them is called a person leading the\nunchha mode of life. The Burdwan translator commits the ridiculous error\nof taking unchhavrittih as the _name_ of the Brahmana. The commentator\nsupposes that Yajna here implies Vishnu, as expounded in the Srutis.\n\n1285. Syamaka is a variety of paddy called Panicum frumentaceum.\n'Suryaparni' is otherwise called 'Mashaparni' (Ayurvedhartha chandrika).\nIt is identified with Tiramus labialis, syn.--Glycine deblis.\n'Suvarchala' is a name applied to various plants. Here, very probably,\n'Brahmisaka,' or Herpestes Monnjera (syn.--Gratiola Monniera, Linn) is\nintended.\n\n1286. i.e., he never slaughtered living animals for offering them in\nsacrifices because of his inability to procure them. He, therefore,\nsubstituted vegetable products for those animals. His sacrifices,\nintended to take him to heaven, were really cruel in intention.\n\n1287. Following the Bombay text I read the last line of 8 as Sukrasya\npunarajatih Parnadonamadharmavit, or Sukrasya punarjnabhih, etc.; ajatih\nis a 'descendant.' If ajnabhih be taken as the reading it would mean 'at\nthe repeated commands of Sukra.' The Bengal reading apadhyanat adharmavit\nseems to be vicious. Both the vernacular versions are incorrect; K.P.\nSingha supplying something of his own will for making sense of what, he\nwrites, and the Burdwan translator writing nonsense as usual.\n\n1288. K.P. Singha wrongly translates this verse; for once, the Burdwan\ntranslator is correct.\n\n1289. Both the vernacular versions of this verse were incorrect. The\ncommentator explains that the grammar is rasatalam didrikshuh sa\nYajna-pavakam pravishtah. Yajne duscharitam kinnu, samipavarti mudo janah\ni.e., fearing to see many other defects in the sacrifice which was being\ncelebrated by an ignorant person.\n\n1290. Vaddhanjalim is an adverb, qualifying ayachata. The Burdwan\ntranslator wrongly takes it as an adjective of Satyam.\n\n1291. In verse 8, it is said that it was a descendant of Sukra, viz., the\nvirtuous Parnada, who had become a deer and lived in those woods as the\nBrahmana's neighbour. Here it is said that it was the deity Dharma who\nhad become so. The two statements may be reconciled supposing that Dharma\nfirst became the Rishi Parnada and then, as Parnada, was metamorphosed\ninto a deer. Tasya nishkritim adhatta is explained by the commentator in\na very far-fetched way. He takes these words to mean that Dharma, who had\nbecome a deer, provided at this juncture for his liberation from that\nmetamorphosis. I think tasya has reference to the misled Brahmana.\n\n1292. Yajnia is explained as yajnaya hita.\n\n1293. Samadhanam is the absorption of meditation, or that state of mind\nin which one has no longer any affection for the world, Bharyayh is\ngenitive, but the Burdwan translator takes it for the instrumental\nsingular.\n\n1294. Yo dhamah is the reading I take, and not no dharmah.\n\n1295. The commentator explains the grammar as panchanam (madhya ekam)\nartham prapya, etc.\n\n1296. This is the mastery or puissance that is brought by Yoga, so that\nthe person succeeds, fiats of the will, in creating whatever he desires.\n\n1297. The Burdwan translator gives a ridiculous version of this verse. He\ncites the commentator's words without understanding them aright.\n\n1298. What he does is to abandon sakamah dharmah for betaking himself to\nnishaamah dharmah or the practice of duties without desire of fruit, for\nonly such a course of conduct can lead to Emancipation.\n\n1299. By dharma here is meant nishkama dharma, for the fruits of sakama\ndharma are not eternal, heaven like all things else having an end.\n\n1300. What is said in this verse is this: when a man wants an earthen\njar, he works for creating one. When he has got one, he no longer finds\nhimself in the same state of mind, his want having been satisfied.\nSimilarly, with men desirous of heaven and earthly prosperity as the\nreward of virtue, the means is Pravritti or acts. This or these cease to\noperate with those who having acquired such virtue set themselves for the\nachievement of Emancipation, for with them the religion of Nivritti is\nall in all.\n\n1301. i.e., by abandoning all kinds of idleness, as explained by the\ncommentator.\n\n1302. i.e., by Yoga-meditation one should regulate and finally suspend\none's breath. The Yogin can suspend all physical functions and yet live\non from age to age.\n\n1303. Nidra here is explained as ananusandhana or the absence of\ninquisitiveness or curiosity. By pratibha is meant inquiry after improper\nthings or things that are of no interest.\n\n1304. The truth is that the world is unreal and has no end.\n\n1305. Hunger is to be subdued by Yoga, i.e., by regulating the wind\nwithin the body. Doubt is to be dispelled by certainty; this implies that\ncertain knowledge should be sought for by driving off doubt. The\ncommentator thinks that this means that all sceptical conclusions should\nbe dispelled by faith in the scriptures. By 'fear,' in this verse, is\nmeant the source of fear, or the world. That is to be conquered by the\nconquest of the six, i.e., desire, wrath, covetousness, error, pride, and\nenvy.\n\n1306. What is laid down here is the same course of training that is\nindicated for Yoga. First, the senses are to be merged into the mind,\nthen the mind is to be merged into the Understanding, then the\nUnderstanding is to be merged into the Soul or what is known as the Ego.\nThis Ego is to be merged at last into the Supreme Soul. When the Ego is\nunderstood, it comes to be viewed as Brahma.\n\n1307. 'Pure acts' are, of course, those that are included in 'Nishkama\ndharmah,' and 'tranquillity of soul' is the cleansing of the soul by\ndriving away all passions and desires.\n\n1308. Such restraint of speech, etc., or niyamah is yogah. Kamaoanyatha\nis kama-vaiparityena. The sense, the commentator adds, is that one should\nnot desire 'yoga-siddhi,' for then, as has been repeatedly indicated in\nthe previous Sections, the Yogin would fall into hell and succeed not in\nattaining to Emancipation, heaven itself being hell in comparison with\nthe felicity of Emancipation. K.P. Singha quietly skips over the last\nline and the Burdwan translator offers a ridiculously incorrect version.\n\n1309. Yebhyah means 'the materials from which.' (Srijati) has Paramatma\nfor its nominative (understood). Kale is the time of creation as selected\nby the Supreme Soul in his own wisdom. Bhavaprachoditah is 'induced by\nthe desire of becoming many, or led by the desire of existence as many or\nin infinite diversity.'\n\n1310. Kala here is, perhaps, the embodiment of the abstract idea of life\nof living creatures. Impelled by the Understanding, Kala or life sets\nitself to the creation of other creatures. These last also are equally\nthe result of the same five primal essences.\n\n1311. The construction of the second line is this: etan shad\nabhinivrittan (sarveshu karyeshu anugatam) vettha; then ete yasya rasayah\n(karyani, tat asat). The sense of the last clause is that all this is the\neffect of those primal essences. All this, therefore, is of those\nessences. The latter are included in the word asat, or unreal, as\ndistinguished from sat or real of substantial. The soul is sat,\neverything else is asat.\n\n1312. In previous Sections it has been explained how when the Chit, which\nhas pure knowledge for its attribute, becomes invested with Ignorance, it\nbegins to attract the primal essences towards itself in consequence of\nthe potencies of past acts and take birth in various shapes. (The idea of\npast acts is due to the infinite cycles of creation and destruction, the\nvery first creation being inconceivable). The causes of creation are,\ntherefore, the five primal essences, Jiva (or chit), the potencies of\npast acts, and Ignorance.\n\n1313. Jnanani is Jnana-karanani, i.e., perceptions for causes of\nperception.\n\n1314. The second line of 13 is very condensed. The meaning is this: the\neye is the sense of vision. Vision or sight is its function. The object\nit apprehends is form. The eye has light for its cause, and form is an\nattribute of light. Hence the eye seizes or apprehends form. By the\ninference of reason, there is similitude, in respect of attribute or\nproperty, between the eye, vision, and form. The commentator explains\nthis clearly Drashtri-darsanadrisya nam trayanamapi gunatamatyam\nupapannam. This is indicated with a little variation in the next verse.\nK.P. Singha skips over the line. The Burdwan translator gives an\nincorrect version.\n\n1315. Manas is mind, Buddhi is Understanding, and Kshetrajna is the Soul.\nWhat, however, is Chitta is difficult to ascertain, unless it means vague\nor indefinite perception. In some systems of philosophy the Chitta is\nplaced above the Understanding.\n\n1316. The Bengal reading yathagantam is preferable to the Bombay reading\nyatha mama.\n\n1317. The first line of 27 is grammatically connected with the last line\nof 26. The second line of 27 is very abstruse. The grammatical\nconstruction is this: tayorbhavayogamanam (sushuptau) pratyaksham\n(drishtam); (tadeva) nityam, ipsitam (cha). What is meant by this is that\nin ordinary men, the notions during wakefulness are not the notions they\ncherish during dreams: nor are their notions during dreams identifiable\nwith those they entertain while wakeful. There is similarity but not\nidentity. In eternal Sushupti, however, which is Emancipation, the\nnotions of wakefulness pass into those of dream and those of dream pass\ninto those of wakefulness, i.e., both (or, rather, the same, for there is\nthen perfect identity between them) become directly apprehensible in\nSushupti or Emancipation. Sushupti or Emancipation, therefore, is a\nstate, in which there is neither the consciousness of wakefulness nor\nthat of dream, but both run together, their differences disappearing\ntotally.\n\n1318. This is a triplet.\n\n1319. Brahmabhava is explained as follows: when one succeeds in\nunderstanding Brahma, one is said to attain to Brahma, as the Srutis\ndeclare. The commentator explains that Pasyanti is used with reference to\nthose that are learned in the scriptures. They behold the attainment of\nthe highest end by Jiva _not_ with their physical eyes but with the eye\nof the scriptures, for they that are themselves emancipated cannot be\nsaid to behold the emancipation of another. This is grave trifling for\nexplaining the use of the word pasyanti.\n\n1320. The commentator points out that possessions of value include even\nthe region of Brahman. Men of knowledge, who seek Emancipation, do not\nset any value on even the joy of the region of the Creator.\n\n1321. The commentator explains that one should not cherish the desire\nfor wealth even for the sake of acquiring virtue therewith. When,\nhowever, wealth is obtained without effort, such wealth should be applied\nto the acquisition of virtue. One is also directed to give up the desire\nof acquiring wealth (by even innocent means) the reason being that\ndesire, when cherished, is sure to increase and get the better of one's\nheart.\n\n1322. The commentator observes that the first line means that the man of\nknowledge should wish for happiness to all, and never wish sorrow to any\none. Sarvam includes virtue and vice. Of course, the practice of nishkama\ndharma is recommended.\n\n1323. All Brahmanas have to pluck flowers in the morning for offering\nthem to the deities they worship. The task takes many minutes, because a\ngood many have to be plucked for the purpose. This being a daily\noccupation and they going as they do to places where flowers abound, the\nact of plucking goes on while the plucker is mentally engaged with other\nthings.\n\n1324. The Bengal reading sputam vyaghro mrigamiva, etc. is preferable to\nthe Bombay reading sputam vyaghram mahaughova. If the Bombay reading be\naccepted, the meaning would be 'Him Death snatches away as a mighty wave\nsweeps away a sleeping tiger.' The idea of a sleeping tiger being swept\naway by a surging wave is very unfamiliar.\n\n1325. Devas here evidently refer to the senses. The senses are, as it\nwere, cattle. Their true fold is the forest and not peopled cities and\ntowns. In the forest there are no temptations to try them as in the midst\nof cities and towns.\n\n1326. Jivitarthapanayenaih is connected with hinsati. To take it (as the\nBurdwan translator does) as an adjective qualifying 'pranibhih' would be\nincorrect.\n\n1327. The Sacrifice of Peace is opposed to the Sacrifice of Slaughter.\nThe Sacrifice of Brahma is Yoga which leads to a knowledge of the Soul.\nThe Sacrifice of Speech is Vedic recitation or Japa. The Sacrifice of\nMind is contemplation, and that of Acts is baths, performance of other\nacts of purity, waiting dutifully upon the preceptor, etc.\n\n1328. To perform the Sacrifice of Self is to merge the Soul in the\nSupreme Soul.\n\n1329. The Bombay reading danda-vidhanam is a blunder for the Bengal\nreading danda nidhanam. To interpret vidhanam as equivalent to\nabandonment or giving up, by taking the prefix vi, in the sense of vigata\nwould be an act of violence to the word.\n\n1330. The guha or cave referred to is the body.\n\n1331. By Prakriti, as explained in previous Sections, is meant primal\nnature consisting of the five great essences of earth, water, etc.\n\n1332. Samupodeshu is explained as upasthiteshu api, i.e., even when such\nobjects are present and ready for enjoyment.\n\n1333. Maitrayangatah, as explained by the commentator, is\nSuryavat-pratyaha-vibhinna-margah, i.e., roving like the Sun every day in\na different path. The object of the speaker is to lay it down that one\nsolicitous of Emancipation should never confine oneself to one spot, but\nrove or wander over the world without owning a fixed habitation or home.\nK.P. Singha translates the word wrongly.\n\n1334. In the first line, the Bengal reading madhya na chacharet is better\nthan madhya cha nacharet. Pradakshinam is ankulam, and savyam is\npratikulam. The grammar of the second line is not difficult. Besides, the\ncommentator explains it clearly. The Burdwan translator, leaving out the\nwords bhaikshacharyam and taking anapannah as equivalent to vipadapannah,\ngives a thoroughly ridiculous version. K.P. Singha, also, is not correct.\nThe commentator explains that charyam means anekagrihatanam; anapannam is\nakurvan. The second foot is unconnected with the first.\n\n1335. Muni, here, is one who has restrained his senses, or who has\nbetaken himself to the path of Renunciation. Patrasamchara, I think, is\nthe act of setting the dishes for those who are to dine off them. The\ncommentator explains that it means 'the motion of those who are to\ndistribute the food.' Of course, their motions from the kitchen to the\ndining hall and back are implied if the word is taken for 'setting of\ndishes.' The sense remains unaltered. The Muni must be abstemious and\nhence he should select an hour like this for begging his dole, when there\nwould be very little in the house to give.\n\n1336. Matra is a technical word signifying the taking of food to the\nextent of only gratification of hunger, or, as explained by Chakrapani\nDatta in his commentary on Charaka, triptimatram. When matra is to be\ndisregarded, clothes, etc., need not be mentioned. Vihanyeta is\nequivalent to hinsito na syat.\n\n1337. The second line is passed over by K.P. Singha. What is meant by it\nis that when such a man is respectfully presented with anything, he\nshould hold it in reprobation. Vide the Sanatsujatiya Sections in Udyoga\nParva, particularly the verses beginning with Yatra akathayamanasya, etc.\n\n1338. The second line is skipped over by K.P. Singha. The Burdwan\ntranslator gives a wrong version. The commentator explains that anyam\nrefers to paisachim, and anyatra to atmani. In the Sanatsujatiya Sections\nalso, a Brahmana's practices are directed to be concealed. 'To enter his\nown Self' is to turn self on Self, i.e., to withdraw oneself from\neverything for understanding and contemplating the Soul.\n\n1339. By totally abstaining from acts he should avoid both merit and\ndemerit.\n\n1340. This is a triplet. The Burdwan translator misses the meaning of the\nfirst half of the first line. The commentator explains that abhayastam is\ncontinuous; bhautikam is tattwajatam, atmanodehendriyadi. Hence, bhutanam\nmeans anyesham bhutanam.\n\n1341. To think beforehand of the food one is to take is to convert\noneself into gourmand. The Sannyasin, without thinking of the food he\nwould take, and without mentally indulging in a foretaste thereof should\ntake what he gets without exertion.\n\n1342. Sanjnakam from the root jna meaning marana or killing.\n\n1343. The two negatives in the first line are equivalent to an\naffirmative. Prasangatah is explained by the commentator in a slightly\ndifferent way. Affluence, in consequence of the attachment it generates,\nstands in the way of Emancipation. Hence, i.e., in consequence of this\nconsideration, the king's opinion regarding affluence, is correct. With\nrespect to the certainty of attaining to Emancipation, compare Gita,\nVahunam janmanamante jnanavan mam prapadyate, etc.\n\n1344. The object of this verse, as explained by the commentator, is to\nexhort Yudhishthira to strive after Emancipation without being at all\nmoved by his happiness or misery which (as stated here) come to Jiva as\naccidents.\n\n1345. The wind has space for its progenitor. Jiva has the stainless and\nimmutable Chit for his progenitor. Like the wind, which is hueless,\ncatching hues from surrounding objects and making its own hueless\nprogenitor look as if it has hues, Jiva also, though in reality\nstainless, catches stains from Ignorance and Acts and makes his own\nprogenitor, the stainless and immutable Chit, display stains of every\nkind. This is how the commentator puts the simile, supplying the points\nthat have been omitted in the text.\n\n1346. These aphorisms are very abstruse. What is meant by saying that the\nattainment of Brahma does not depend upon Acts is this: Acts are\nterminable. Their consequences also are terminable. Acts, therefore, can\nnever be the means by which Brahma can be attained, for Brahma is\ninterminable and eternal, not like the felicity of heaven which is\nchangeful. The only means by which Jiva may revert to Brahma is by\ndispelling Ignorance through Knowledge; or, as the Upanishads declare,\none attains to it as one gets one's forgotten necklace of gold, which all\nthe while is on the neck though sought for with assiduity everywhere.\nK.P. Singha misunderstands it completely. What is meant by the direction\nabout reverencing persons who have attained to Brahma is this: the\nexistence of Brahma and the possibility of Jiva's reverting to that\nImmutable status are matters that depend upon the conception of such men.\nBrahma, again, is so difficult to keep, that the great sages never desist\nfor a moment from the culture that is necessary for its retention.\n\n1347. Intermediate i.e., as animals and birds and reptiles and worms, etc.\n\n1348. i.e., if righteous, one attains to happiness; if otherwise, to the\nreverse.\n\n1349. Verse 21 and the first line of 22 are grammatically connected.\n\n1350. Me in the second line is equivalent to Maya. Tatah is tatra\nyuddhakale. Hari had come to aid Indra, and hence Vritra had beheld him.\nHe is called Hari because he takes away one's sins. Besides the\nwell-known derivation of the word Narayana, the commentator here offers\nanother, viz., the ayanam or layasthanam of Nara or Jivasangha.\n\n1351. Vaikuntha has various etymologies. The commentator inclines to\nexplain it as 'one who brings together all creatures.' Purusha is full;\nas applied to Narayana, it, of course, means one who has no defect but\nwho is the sole representative of fullness. Sukla or Suddha or pure.\nVishnu is all-pervading. Sanatan is kutastha or uniform or immutable.\nMunjakesa, is possessed of yellow hair, or hair of the hue of Munja\ngrass. Harismasru is having a tawny beard.\n\n1352. Penances are meritorious. The very sight of Hari that I obtain was\nas efficacious as a course of the austerest penances. Of course, in\nconsequence of that and my other penances great have been the rewards\nthat I have enjoyed. It seems, however, that the full measure of rewards\nhas not been reaped; the remnant is to be enjoyed by me now, for I am\nabout to ask thee about the fruits of acts. Sacred and highly auspicious\nis my enquiry. To make it is, in itself, a reward.\n\n1353. Vaya acts are, of course, sacrifices and other religious acts; by\nabhyantara acts are meant santi, danti, uparati, titiksha, and samadhi,\ni.e., the usual course of mental training necessary for Yoga. What the\nspeaker intends to lay down in this verse is that sacrifices are not\nentirely useless. These may lead to chitta-suddhi or the cleansing of the\nheart, which, when attained, leads to knowledge of Him or the Soul or to\nEmancipation or Infinity.\n\n1354. The comparison lies in the fact of the desirability of the two\nacts. No one likes the stains the body may catch to remain unwashed or\nunwiped off. Similarly, no one should neglect to wash off the faults that\nthe heart may catch. There is no comparison between the two acts with\nregard to the degree of effort necessary to accomplish each.\n\n1355. 'Efforts born of practice' refer to both external and internal\nSadhana.\n\n1356. Karmaviseshan is explained by the commentator as equivalent to\nragaviraga-hetun.\n\n1357. Sampravartante and tishthanti are thus explained by the commentator.\n\n1358. In the previous verses the speaker describes the training that one\nshould undergo. In this and the following ones, he speaks of the object\nto be known. Sreeman is explained as asriyate iti srih, i.e., upadhih,\ntadvan. Hari is Sambharata. Narayana is saravasrayah. Prabhu is\nsarvaniyanta. Deva is dyotate-iti i.e., Chinmatrah. These etymologies\nmust be grasped for understanding this verse.\n\n1359. The 'mutable' in all creatures is the combination of the five\nprimal essences. The 'immutable' in them is Jiva, or Chit as invested\nwith ignorance. The eleven modifications that constitute. His essence are\nthe eleven senses of knowledge and action with the mind. Equipped with\nthese eleven. He drinketh the universe, i.e., enjoys it. The rays are\nthese senses themselves. Equipped with the senses. He enjoys the universe\nwith the senses.\n\n1360. 'His mind is _in_ the Moon.' i.e., His mind is the Moon. The\nexpression 'waters in the Ganges,' implies a distinction that does not\nexist between container and contained, for 'Ganges,' means the water so\nnamed.\n\n1361. The sandhi between sa and acramanam is arsha.\n\n1362. Dharma has various meanings all of which, however, are closely\ncreated with one another. As duty, or the assemblage of all acts which we\nshould do, it is both Righteousness and Religion.\n\n1363. The Sacrificial grahas or patras (vessels) are called after the\nnames of the deities Indra, Vayu, Soma, etc. The sixteen Ritwijes are\nBrahman, Hotri, Adhyaryu, Udgatri, etc.\n\n1364. Verse 21 to 23 show the unity of the Divine Being. The variety\nperceived is only apparent, not real.\n\n1365. Verse 31 and 32 are not difficult; yet the Burdwan translator makes\nnonsense of the same.\n\n1366. This is elaborated in the Vishnu Purana, Part I, Sec. V. There are\nthree primary creations, viz., Mahat, the five primal essences in their\nsubtile forms and the senses. From the Six colours again six other\ncreations have sprung. To the Dark colour is due all immobile creatures;\nto the Tawny all the intermediate order of creatures (viz., the lower\nanimals and birds, etc.); to the Blue are due human beings, to the Red\nthe Prajapatyas; to the Yellow the deities; and to the White are due the\nKumara, i.e., Sanatkumara and others.\n\n1367. Emancipation is so difficult.\n\n1368. The construction of the first line is this: subham darsanam\n(auspicious scriptures) gatwa (prapya) Devah yam gatim (identical with)\ndarsanam (atmanubhavatmikam) aha, Gati is naturally dependent on Varna,\nand Varna upon 'Time or acts.'\n\n1369. There are ten senses of knowledge and action. To this must be added\nManas, Buddhi, Ahankara and Chitta, which are sometimes called the four\nKaranas. In consequence of these fourteen, fourteen different kinds or\nmerit and demerit may be achieved by Jiva who is their possessor. These\nfourteen kinds of merit and demerit also, are subdivided into hundreds of\nthousands each. Jiva, in course of his wanderings through the universe,\nascends in the scale of Being, stays in particular rungs, and falls down\nfrom them into lower rungs, accordingly, What the speaker wishes to\ninculcate is that these fourteen should always be towards the attribute\nof Sattwa or Goodness.\n\n1370. This life, it should be noted, leadeth to Jiva's transformation as\nan immobile object. A creature of Dark hue becomes addicted to wicked\nacts and rots in hell His existence as an immobile object is hell itself.\n\n1371. Prajavisargah is the period for which one Creation lasts, being\nequal to what is called a Kalpa.\n\n1372. The Dark and the Tawny hues of their corresponding states of\nexistence, viz., the immobile and the intermediate, are regarded as\nstates of endurance. Hence, when the misery that is their portion has\nbeen fully endured, the recollection is suddenly irradiated into the\nmind, of the righteousness that distinguished Jiva in ages far remote.\nAnisa is helpless or cheerless.\n\n1373. Cha at the end of the second line is equivalent to va. Unless cha\nbe taken as equivalent to va the verse would yield no meaning. After\nTawny comes Blue, i.e., after attainment of existence as an Intermediate\ncreature Jiva attains to humanity. This occurs when Sattwa does not\npredominate. Hence anyatha should be supplied after upaiti.\n\n1374. Vyatite is a finite verb in indicative mood, as pointed out by the\ncommentator. It comes from root i with suffix vi. After sate supply jate\nsati. The Burdwan translator takes it as a participial adjective in the\nlocative singular, which is, of course, wrong. The version he gives of\nthis line is most ridiculous, containing as it does a self-contradictory\nassertion. K. P. Singha gives the right meaning.\n\n1375. When Jiva becomes a Deva, he has still the ten senses, the five\nPranas, and the four internal possessions of mind, understanding, Chitta,\nand Ahankara, amounting in all to nineteen. These nineteen impel him to\nthousands of acts. Hence, even when transformed into Deva, Jiva is _not_\nfreed from acts, but is in niraya or hell,--acts being, under all\ncircumstances, equivalent to hell.\n\n1376. Vyuha implies the varied forms of one and the same thing Daivani in\nSattwa-pradhanani. The five senses, with the mind, the understanding form\na total of seven. The acts achieved through each of these may be\nsubdivided a hundredfold. As these seven possessions adhere to Jiva till\nhe becomes emancipated, he acts through these seven in a variety of ways,\nRelying, therefore, upon these seven hundred kinds of acts (which are but\nvaried forms of one and the same thing, viz., Action), Jiva successively\nbecomes Red and Yellow and White. Arrived at White, he courses through\ncertain highly effulgent regions which are superior to the region of\nBrahman himself, and which leave behind or beneath them the Eight Puris\n(by which, perhaps, is meant the puri of Indra, that of Varuna, etc., or,\nKasi, Mathura, Maya, etc., or symbolical stages of progress, which are\nfraught with great felicity). Those highly effulgent and adorable regions\nare obtainable by Knowledge alone or the fruit of Yoga.\n\n1377. This is an exceedingly abstruse verse. The Burdwan version, in\nwhich unconnected bits of the commentary have been jumbled together, is\nutter nonsense. K.P. Singha skips over nearly the whole verse. The Eight\npuris referred to in the previous verse are here stated to be identical\nwith the Sixty well-known incidents of even Sukla or White existence.\nThis tale of Sixty is arrived at in this way: 1st, the state of\nwakefulness; 2nd, the gross body made up of the five primal essences;\n3rd, the five attributes of sound, scent, form, taste, and touch; these\ncome up to seven. Then come the ten senses of action and knowledge; the\nfive breaths; mind, understanding, consciousness, and chitta: these form\n19. Then come Avidya, Kama, and Karma. With Soul or the Beholder, the sum\ncomes up to 30. The number becomes doubled when the state of Dream is\ntaken into consideration, for like Wakefulness existing with the 29,\nDream also exists with the 29. With those that are effulgent, i.e., with\nBeings that are Sukla or White, these 60 are simply mano-viruddhani or\nmanomatrani eva. Unlike other Beings in lower spheres of existence, they\nthat are effulgent or Sukla do not regard the states of Wakefulness and\nDream as different but as the same. Hence, the para gati of such Beings\nis a state of existence that transcends both Wakefulness and Dream, and\ntranscends Dreamless slumber also (for in Dreamless slumber the 30 exist\nsuspended, to be revived with the return of wakefulness), and is\nidentical with the fourth state called Turiya.\n\n1378. What the speaker wishes to lay down here is that even he that is\nJivanmukta or has achieved his Emancipation though living like other, is\nincapable of transcending the effects of his past acts. Every kind of\nexistence or life (save that which is identical with Brahma) is anistha\nor inauspiciousness. That Yogin who is Jivan-mukta but who is not able to\ncast off the felicities of Yoga-puissance, resides in one and the same\nbody for a full century of Kalpas, in a superior form of life, and after\nthe expiry, of that century of Kalpas, he passes through four other\nregions named Mahar, Jana, Tapas, and Satya. Now, _this_ is the end of\nsuch a Yogin, who, of course, belongs to the sixth colour which is White,\nand who is freed from attachments and who is unsuccessful though\nsuccessful, i.e., who has achieved Yoga-success but who has not still\nbeen able to achieve that success which consists in beholding Brahma or\nBrahma-sakshatkara. By anisah in this verse is meant that Yogin who is\nincapable of casting off the felicities brought about by Yoga-puissance.\nK.P. Singha gives the substance of the verse not very accurately. The\nBurdwan translator, in the version he gives, introduces three nominatives\nin the three sentences into which he splits it, viz., Jiva, the Yogin who\nis unable to cast off the felicities brought about by Yoga-puissance, and\nthe Yogin who has achieved Brahma-sakshatkara, without understanding that\nall three refer to one and the same person.\n\n1379. Anisah here means one who, after having attained to eminence by\nYoga, falls off from Yoga. Tatra means heaven or the superior regions\nthat are his in consequence of Yoga-eminence. For a century of Kalpas\nsuch a person has to dwell in heaven, with the unexhausted remnant of his\nsenses, i.e., the senses of knowledge with mind and understanding, being\nalways predisposed towards the attribute of Sattwa. Upon the expiry of\nthat century of Kalpas, such a person, without ascending, descends to the\nworld of men, but then here eminence of station becomes his.\n\n1380. Saptakritwah is seven times. Paraiti is 'courseth through.' Lokah\nrefers to the seven regions called respectively, Bhur, Bhuvar, Sivah,\nMahar, Jana, Tapas, and Satya (or Brahmaloka). What is intended to be\nsaid here is this: If the Yogin, having attained to only the first stage\nof Yoga, dies, he ascends to heaven. Thence falling down on Earth, he\nbecomes an Emperor and thus conquers the Earth or Bhu. In this way, as\nthe Yogin gradually ascends in the path of Yoga, he ascends higher and\nhigher. In this verse Sambarevikshepa has been used to signify Samadhi\nand awakening from Samadhi, for in the first the universe is destroyed,\nand in the second it is re-created. At the end, he reaches the region of\nSatya or Brahma. Thence even he has to return if he has not been able to\nachieve Brahma-sakshatkara.\n\n1381. The seven that the Yogin desirous of Emancipation casts off are\neither the seven regions already referred to viz., Bhu, Bhuva, Swah,\nMaha, Jana, Tapa, and Satya, or the five senses of knowledge with mind\nand understanding. Samharam is equivalent to Samhritya, having been\nformed by the suffix namul. Upaplavoni are sources of grief or\nmisfortune. The first Devasya refers to Mahadeva. The Saivas call that\nregion Kailasa. The Vaishnavas call it Vaikuntha. The Hiranya-garbhas\ncall it Brahman's or Brahmaloka. Sesha is Ananta, a particular form of\nNarayana. They who call it the region of Nara are, of course, the\nSankhyas, for these regard Emancipation as the goal of Jiva or every\ncreature. The Devasya vishnoh (in the third line) is Dyotamanasya\nBrahmanah i.e., Chinmatrasya, or of the pure Chit when uninvested with\nignorance or Avidya. The Aupanishadas regard it as the region of\nPara-Brahma. The commentator clearly points out what the seven regions\nare. K.P. Singha, misunderstanding the verse, mentions only five; the\nBurdwan translator six.\n\n1382. This verse is not at all difficult; yet the Burdwan translator\nmakes utter nonsense of it. K.P. Singha gives the substance of the first\nline, but skips over the second. Without giving a literal version of the\nfirst line, I expand it, following the lead of the commentator.\n\n1383. Sa here indicates the person conversant with Brahma. The\nconstruction is Sa yavat saseshabhuk asti tavat prajah tathaiva te sukle\ndyvyau cha tadangeshu (vartante). Etat in the second line is this\nparidrisyamanam viyadadi. What the speaker wishes to inculcate in this\nverse is that unto one conversant with Brahma, the whole universe up to\ncomplete identity with Brahma is as contiguous as a plum in the palm of\nthe hand. When the Chitta is cleansed by Yoga as practised by Dhyana,\nDharana, and Samadhis, then the perceptible universe appears to him as\nidentical with his own senses. The two white sciences referred to are\nParavidya and Aparavidya, i.e., all knowledge including that of Brahma.\n\n1384. Suddhena manasa,--with cleansed mind, i.e., with the aid of Sarvana\n(hearing), Manana (attention), Dhyana (contemplation), and Abhyasa\n(repeated meditation). Two stages are indicated in this verse. The first\nis the attention of the suddham and paramam gatim or the stainless and\nhigh end. This is equivalent to Brahma-sakshatkara. After this comes the\nsecond stage, which is the avayam sthanam or the spot which knows no\ndeterioration, i.e., Emancipation. This is identical with the attainment\nof Eternal Brahma which is dushprapyam or difficult of attainment.\n\n1385. The commentator says that the object of this verse is to inculcate\nthe Impersonality of God. God is at the Root of all things, i.e., (as the\ncommentator supposes according to the teaching of the Vedanta\nphilosophy). He exists in His own unmodified nature, even as pure Chit.\nBoth Vidya (Knowledge) and Avidya (Ignorance or illusion) exist in Him.\nIn consequence of the latter he is Bhagavan, i.e., endued with the six\ngrand attributes of puissance, etc.\n\n1386. In the form of all things,--causes and effects--which constitute\nthem.\n\n1387. A Pyakta-parsant is explained by the commentator in this way.\nVritra was a firm devotee of Vishnu. He did not, therefore, deserve\ndefeat and fall. How, then, was he vanquished by Indra? Avyaktam is\nequivalent to aspashtam.\n\n1388. The word used in verse 4 is vinihatah and that in verse 5 is\nnirjitah. There can be no doubt that both imply the same idea.\n\n1389. Astha is efforts.\n\n1390. Rathantara is another name for certain Samans, which are so called\nbecause of men being able to cross the world with their aid as by a car.\n(Ratha car, and tri to cross).\n\n1391. 'Praising thee, for thy victory, etc.,' i.e.. the Rishis are\nuttering hymns of praise for conferring victory on thee.\n\n1392. Raudrah may mean also 'appertaining to Rudra, which is another name\nof Mahadeva.'\n\n1393. This account of the encounter between Vritra and Indra is\nsubstantially different from what occurs in the Vana Parva. Then again\nthe part the Rishis are made to take in the slaughter of the Asura is\ncertainly censurable. The great Rishis, even for benefiting the three\nworlds, would not certainly injure any creature. In the above account,\nVasishtha and Vrihaspati and the others are very much represented as\npersons who have bet largely on Indra's success. In the account occurring\nin the Vana Parva, Indra is represented as standing in awful dread of\nVritra and hurling his thunderbolt without even deliberate aim, and\nrefusing to believe that his foe was dead till assured by all the\ndeities. The present account seems to be a much older than that in the\nVana Parva.\n\n1394. Amanusham is literally inhuman. The use of such words are due to\ntemporary forgetfulness in such connections. Like Homer, Vyasa also nods.\n\n1395. Vadhya is the slaughter in her embodied form.\n\n1396. Dwijapravarvadhya means the slaughter of a superior person of the\nregenerate order. Indeed, Vritra was a lineal descendant of the great\nsage Kasyapa, the common progenitor of the Devas and Asuras. Then, again,\nVritra was certainly a very superior person.\n\n1397. The rules or ordinance referred to it is about the killer of a\nBrahmana being liable to be overtaken by the sin of Brahmanicide.\n\n1398. Anadhrishyam is, literally, unvanquishable.\n\n1399. Uma or Parvati, the daughter of Himavat, the spouse of Siva.\n\n1400. The self-created Brahman at first created, by fiats of his holy\nwill, certain beings who were charged to procreate for filling the\nuniverse with living creatures. These are the Prajapatis or lords of all\ncreatures. Amongst them was Daksha. Other accounts represent Daksha as\nthe grandson of Brahman.\n\n1401. There are three vocatives in this verse, expressive, of course, of\ngreat surprise. I omit them in the translation.\n\n1402. A kind of substance like lac that oozes out of the stones of\ncertain mountains during the hot months. It is also called Silajit, is\ntaken internally by many men in the belief that it increases digestion\nand strength.\n\n1403. The Indian cuckoo, noted for his clear musical kuhus. This is the\nfavourite bird of Indian poets.\n\n1404. i.e., Thou, however, art not so; therefore, it is a matter of\nsurprise that thou shouldst not yet know me. The sense is not at all\ndifficult, but K.P. Singha skips over it.\n\n1405. Both the vernacular translators have erred in rendering this line.\nWhat Mahadeva says to Uma is, how is it that you have thus been\nstupefied? It is thou that stupefiest others! To see thee stupefied has\ncreated surprise in me.\n\n1406. Mahadeva is called Virupaksha in consequence of his three eyes, the\nthird eye making his features dreadful to behold. He is also called\nTryaksha for his possession of three eyes.\n\n1407. Every worshipper of Mahadeva must fill his mouth with air and then,\nshutting his lips, strike his cheeks, letting the air gently out at each\nstroke, and helping it with air from the lungs for keeping the current\nsteady. By doing this a kind of noise is made like Bom, Bom, Babam, Bom.\nMahadeva is himself fond of this music and is represented as often making\n???.\n\n1408. Vrisha is explained by the commentator as vrishti-kartri; Vrishya\nas Dharmavriddhikartri; Go-vrisha as Nandirupa; Katankata as\nNityagamanasila; Danda as Niyantri.\n\n1409. Godhead is frequently likened to anahatasavda or sound not\nperceptible by the ear, or sound in its nascent state.\n\n1410. Huns are mystic sounds that stand as emblems for various things.\n'Beyond three Huns' means, perhaps, 'beyond the influence of wrath.'\n\n1411. In Sacrifice the butter is poured with mantras into the mouth of a\nselected Brahmana who represents the gods, and into also the sacred fire.\nWhat is said here is that the great god is of the form of that Brahmana\nand of the sacred fire.\n\n1412. This alludes to the sports of Krishna in the groves of Vrinda with\nthe rustic children who were his companions.\n\n1413. The sacred stream of the Ganges, issuing out of Vishnu's feet, is\nheld by Brahman in his Kamandalu or jar. Thence it issues out, and\ncoursing through the heavens fall down on the head of Siva, for Siva\nalone is mighty enough to bear that fall. The matted locks of Siva bear\nthe mark of the fall. This six well-known acts here referred to are\nYajana, Yajana, Adhyayana, Adhyapana, Dana, and Pratigraha (i.e.,\nperforming sacrifices, assisting at the sacrifices of others, studying,\nteaching, making gifts, and accepting gifts). The three acts in which\nSiva is engaged are Yajana, Adhyayana, and Dana (i.e., the first, the\nthird, and the fifth in the above enumeration).\n\n1414. The commentator explains that by Sankhya the speaker means 'the\npropounder of the sceptical philosophy.' By Sankhya-mukhya which I\nrender, 'the foremost of Sankhyas' is meant 'follower of the theistic\nphilosophy of Patanjala.' By Sankhya-yoga is meant both Vedanta and Yoga.\n\n1415. 'That hast a car and that hast no car' means, as the commentator\nexplains, 'capable of coursing, without obstruction, through Water, Fire,\nWind, and Space.'\n\n1416. Isana is 'much desired' or 'much coveted by all persons.'\n\n1417. i.e., thou createst and destroyest these repeatedly or settest them\nin motion.\n\n1418. These are syllables which all singers of the Samans utter for\nlengthening short words in order to keep up the metre.\n\n1419. i.e., He who is adored in these hymns is thyself and no other.\n\n1420. These are the ten colours known to the Rishis.\n\n1421. Lohitantargata-drishtih is explained by the commentator as Lohita\nantargata cha drishtirasya. By 'red eyes' is, of course, meant eyes of\nthe colour of the lotus. By 'eyes turned inwards' is meant one whose gaze\nis upon his soul, i.e., one who is engaged in Samadhi.\n\n1422. Chalachalah is explained as exceedingly chalah or swift. Achalah is\nnasti chalo yasmat; hence chaleshu (api) achalah is swift amongst the\nswift, or swifter than the swiftest.\n\n1423. The great god is a fish wandering in the waters, i.e., as Jiva\nwanders in space; he is a fish in the net, i.e., as Jiva, invested with\nDarkness or Illusion, is obliged to take birth.\n\n1424. Meghakala is the time when clouds appear, i.e., the time of the\nuniversal deluge. Samvartaka and Valahaka are the two clouds that appear\non the occasion of the universal destruction.\n\n1425. Mili-Mili is explained by the commentator differently. According to\nhim, one connected with all things as cause is Mili. It is duplicated to\nshow that Siva is always so. I prefer taking the word as meaning 'cause\nof causes.' 'The bearer of Danda, with, again, a bald head' is a\nParamahansa, i.e., one who has renounced the world and its ways.\n\n1426. The four Sacrificial fires are Treta, Avasathya, Dakshina, and\nSahya.\n\n1427. Silpika is one who is not well-skilled, or is ill-skilled, in the\narts. It implies a common artisan.\n\n1428. Dhatri is adikartri or Vishnu. Vidhatri is the four-headed. Brahman\nSandhatri is he who joins all things into one; the second Vidhatri means\nthe designer of destinies.\n\n1429. The identity of Maheswara with Narayana or Krishna is here\npreached. In his incarnation of Krishna, Vishnu sported with the children\nof the cowherds of Vrinda and sportively lowed as a cow. He also\nprotected the kine of Vrinda from floods, poison, etc. Govrisheswara is\nNandi, the attendant of Mahadeva.\n\n1430. The word Go in Gomargah is used to signify the senses.\n\n1431. Durvaranah is explained by the commentator as 'irresistible when\ncoming as Death.' Durvishah is 'destroyer of all kinds of poison in thy\nform of Amrita.' Durdharshah is incapable of being frightened. Durvishah\nis incapable of being measured.\n\n1432. Vishagnipah is drinker of poison and fire. Siva is represented as\nthe acceptor of all things that are rejected by others. In this consists\nhis true divinity, for to the Deity nothing in the universe can be\nunacceptable or worthy of being cast off. The ashes of the funeral pyre\nare his, the poison produced by the churning of the ocean was his. He\nsaved the universe by swallowing the poison on that occasion.\n\n1433. Tushitadyapah is the correct reading. Thou protectest him who is\nthe adya of the tushita, i.e., thou protectest Brahman himself.\n\n1434. The commentator explains that what is meant by Mahadeva's staying\n'alone' is that he is the knower, the known, and knowledge. 'On the other\nside of the ocean' means 'on the other side of desire and attachment,\netc.' 'Overwhelming many thousands of persons' means 'overwhelming all\ncreatures,' i.e., transcending them by his energy and knowledge.\n\n1435. Of course, Yogins are spoken of.\n\n1436. The eclipses of both the Moon and the Sun are caused, according to\nthe Pauranic mythology, by Rahu devouring the Moon and the Sun at certain\nwell-known intervals. Rahu is an Asura whose head only is still alive.\nVide Adi Parva, On Churning of the Ocean.\n\n1437. Garbhah means embryos or infants in the womb. The deities were\nreferred to by this word, for they are embryos that have been born in\nMahadeva. Patitah has twattah understood after it. Anu means 'after'\ni.e., 'after Brahman's creation.'\n\n1438. These Beings are Rudras or portions of the great Rudra.\n\n1439. Tasmaih paramgatah,--param is utkrishtam i.e., Renunciation and\nother superior practices. Tasmai is 'for the sake of That,' i.e., for\nIswarah.\n\n1440. Hence in this, the present Kalpa too, I am obliged to do the same,\nfor all Kalpas must be similar in respect of the events that transpire in\nthem.\n\n1441. Matri-pakshe seems to be a misreading for bhartripakshe.\n\n1442. By gunah which I have rendered 'virtues,' is, of course, intended\nall that constitute the body, including mind and understanding, all, in\nfact, that become the accompaniments of the Soul.\n\n1443. Karma-buddhi is to be taken as one. It means the consciousness or\napprehension of functions. Each sense or organ instinctively knows what\nits object is and apprehends that object immediately. This apprehension\nof its own functions, which every sense possesses, is here designated as\nKarma-buddhi. Mana-shashththani here simply means 'mind completing the\ntale of six.' It has no reference to the five senses having the mind for\nthe sixth, for the senses have already been named in the previous verses.\n\n1444. Acts here means the acts of past lives, or the desire dwelling in\nan incipient form, due to the acts of past lives. The commentator\nexplains that the cha in the second line means the five attributes\nindicated in the first line.\n\n1445. The word Buddhya in the first line is taken by the commentator as\nan instrumental and not as a genitive. Hence he takes it that Kalpitani\nis understood after it.\n\n1446. i.e., occupies them one after another.\n\n1447. Murti is a misreading for apurti or discontentedness. The Burdwan\ntranslator retains murti in his Bengali version. It is not clear which\nreading K.P. Singha adopts. The Bengali substitute he gives is murchccha\nor stupefaction.\n\n1448. i.e., there are no materials of which it is constituted. Hence\nSattwa or Buddhi has no asrayah or upadana.\n\n1449. What the speaker inculcates in verses 41 and 42 is this: some are\nof opinion that with the apparent destruction of the body, the attributes\nthat make up the body do not cease to exist. It is true that they cease\nto become apprehensible by the senses; but then, though removed from the\nken of the senses, their existence may be affirmed by inference. The\nargument is that, if destroyed, their reappearance would be impossible.\nThe reappearance, however, is certain. (For rebirth is a doctrine that is\nbelieved to be a solemn truth requiring no argument to prove it). Hence,\nthe attributes, when apparently destroyed, do continue to exist. They are\nregarded as then inhering in the linga or subtile body. The counter\nopinion is that, when destroyed, they are destroyed for ever. The latter\nopinion is condemned by the speaker.\n\n1450. In the second line the word is Gadhamavidwansah, i.e., 'ignorant of\nits bottom or depth.' K.P. Singha gives the meaning correctly, without\ntranslating the verse literally. The Burdwan translator makes nonsense of\nit. Both however, wrongly take agadha as the final word in yathagadha,\nforgetting that agadham is a masculine adjective incapable of qualifying\nnadim which is feminine. Ayam is Jiva. The last clause is to be taken as\nbuddhiyogam anuprachyuta ayam tatha.\n\n1451. This is not a difficult verse, yet both the vernacular translators\nhave misunderstood it. What is said in the first line is this: yat\nvahudosham karoti, yat (cha) purakritam, ekatah cha dushyati. Both the\nfinite verbs have jnanin (the man of knowledge) for their nominative\nunderstood. Dushyati means nasyati or destroys. The meaning then is that\nthe man of Knowledge destroys his sinful acts of both this and past\nlives. The commentator cites the well-known simile of the lotus leaf not\nbeing drenched or soaked with water even when dipped in water. Now, this\nis that unseen fruit of Knowledge. In the second line, the visible fruits\nare indicated. The man of Knowledge refrains from censuring the wicked\nacts of others and from perpetrating any wicked act himself. Yat cha\ndushyati means yat parakritam anishtam dushyati or nindati, yat karoti\nmeans yat swayam ragadi-doshat karoti; tadubhayam apriyam (sa) na karoti,\nthe reason being dwaitadarsana-bhavah. Such a man truly regards the\nuniverse as identifiable with himself.\n\n1452. i.e., in even thy direst distress thou dependest on thyself. To\ncross the fearful river of life without a raft and with the aid of only\none's bare arms implies great self-dependence.\n\n1453. That which did not exist and will not exist, exists not at the\npresent moment. Everything, therefore, which is of the nature of asat is\nnon-existent. Our sorrows are connected with the asat. Knowing this, I\nhave cast off all sorrows.\n\n1454. I have understood that acts are for sorrow; that the fruits also of\nacts are for sorrow in spite of the apparent character of some; and that\nthe fruits of acts are varied, sometimes other fruits appearing than\nthose expected. Hence, I do not indulge in sorrow, for I avoid acts and\ndo not grieve for not obtaining the fruits of acts or for the accession\nof fruits other than those apparently agreeable.\n\n1455. The sense is that we who avoid acts, are not dead; in fact, we live\nquite as others do; and those others, how unequally circumstanced! The\nBurdwan translator makes nonsense of the first line simple though it is.\n\n1456. Ignorance lies at the root of sorrow. By casting off ignorance, we\nhave avoided sorrow. Hence, neither religion or religious acts such as\nSacrifices, etc., can do us any good or harm. As regards happiness and\nmisery again, these two cannot agitate us at all, since we know their\nvalue, both being ephemeral in comparison with the period for which we\nare to exist.\n\n1457. Hence, no one should indulge in pride, saying, 'I am happy,' nor\nyield to sorrow, saying, 'I am miserable.' Both happiness and misery are\ntransitory. The man of wisdom should never suffer himself to be agitated\nby these transitory states of his mind.\n\n1458. The first word is read either as bhavatmakam or bhavatmakam. The\nfirst means samsararupam; the second, drisyatmakam.\n\n1459. I am obliged to behold them because I am a living being having a\nbody, but then I behold them as an unconcerned witness.\n\n1460. The scriptures contain both kinds of instruction. There are\ndeclarations that are entirely in favour of Acts or observances. There\nare again declarations in favour of Knowledge. What the speaker asks is\nthat the Rishi should discourse upon what the speaker should do, i.e.,\nwhether he should betake himself to the acquisition of Knowledge or to\nthe doing of acts.\n\n1461. i.e., Each Asrama speaks of particular observances and courses of\nconduct as beneficial. This, therefore, is a source of confusion to men\nof plain understandings. Is there no distinction then among duties or\nobservances in respect of their beneficial character? This is the\nquestion propounded. The commentator thinks by the word asramas is meant\nthe four principal faiths and _not_ the modes of life.\n\n1462. I retain the word asrama in the English version as it is very\ndoubtful in what sense it has been used in the original. The commentator\nexplains that by four asramas are meant the four principal forms of creed\nprevalent at one time in India. The first is that there is no such thing\nas virtue or righteousness. This is ascribed to Sakya Simha or Buddha.\nThe second is that righteousness consists in only the worship of trees,\netc. The third is that only is righteousness which the Vedas have laid\ndown. The fourth is that transcending righteousness and its reverse there\nis something for whose attainment one should strive. Yatha samkalpitah is\nexplained by the commentator as yo yena sreyastena bhavitastasya tadeva\nsreyah.\n\n1463. Gunoddesam is Gunakirtanam or the announcement of merits. What\nNarada says here is this: the asramas are four. The merits of each have\nbeen proclaimed by their respective founders. The principal merit each\nclaims is that it leads to knowledge of Self. Now, the announcement is\nnanarupam; it is also prithak; and lastly, it is viprasthitam or\ncontradictory, for, as the commentator points out, that which a\nparticular asrama announces to be righteous is according to another\nunrighteous. Both the vernacular translators give incorrect versions.\n\n1464. Te refers to asramas. Abhipretam is atma-tattwarupam. Yanti is\nequivalent to prapayanti.\n\n1465. Mitranam is taken by the commentator to be equivalent to\nsarva-bhuta-labhayapadanam, i.e., they who have given the pledge of\nharmlessness to all creatures. By enemies is meant here the envious and\nharmful.\n\n1466. In previous Sections the nature of Truth has been discussed. A\nformal truth may be as sinful as a lie, and a lie may be as meritorious\nas a Truth. Hence, the ascertainment of Truth is not easy.\n\n1467. Atiyoga and Ayoga are well-known words which have no chance of\nbeing misunderstood in the way in which they have been misunderstood by\nboth the vernacular translators. Indeed, K.P. Singha blunders\nridiculously, while the Burdwan translator limits them to only the use of\nfood, supposing the commentator's concrete examples exhaust the meaning.\n\n1468. i.e., where an intermingling takes place of the four orders of men,\nviz., where Varna-sankara occurs.\n\n1469. Mere companionship with the righteous leads to righteous acts;\nwhile that with the sinful leads to acts of sinfulness.\n\n1470. Anuvishayam is vishayam anu vartate, i.e., rasah or flavour. An\neater of vighasa is a good or pious man. What is said here is that such\nmen eat for only filling their stomachs and not because eating is source\nof enjoyment or gratification. Atmavishayan is Buddherviseshatovandhakan,\ni.e., rasa-viseshan.\n\n1471. Agamayamanam is Agamam pramanajam jnanam atmana ichcchatam.\n\n1472. Akasasthah is niralamvanah, i.e., men who have no foundations to\nstand upon. The Bombay text reads dosham, the Bengal texts, doshan; the\nsense remains unaltered. The Bombay reading is atmapujabhikama, while the\nBengal reading is the same word in the plural form. I accept the singular\nform and take it as qualifying panditah.\n\n1473. Some of the Bengal texts read khattam. The Bombay reading is\nkhatwam. The commentator explains that khatwam samarudhah Tibra\nduhkha-grastah. Anusayi means purvakarmavasanavan. The sense seems to be\nthis: the desires born of one's past acts, i.e., acts of previous lives,\nadhere to the mind. Nothing can wipe them off, save Nivritti and\nTattwajnanam or knowledge of truth. One should, therefore, practise the\nreligion of Nivritti and seek to acquire knowledge of Truth.\n\n1474. Both the vernacular translators quietly skip over the word\npratyanantarah.\n\n1475. i.e., where the people are virtuous and given to the performance of\ntheir duties.\n\n1476. Kamesah is possessor of all objects of desire or enjoyment. The\nsense is this: where the king, casting off desire, wins prosperity for\nhimself; i.e., though possessed of wealth, is not attached to wealth. The\nexpression may also mean 'master of desire,' i.e., where the king casts\noff desire and masters his desires without allowing the latter to master\nhim.\n\n1477. Pratyupasthite is pritipatwena upasthite, i.e., hiyantanesati.\n\n1478. I am not sure that I have understood aright the second line of this\nverse. It may also mean, 'No one is able to enumerate all that is\nbeneficial for the Soul in consequence of the wideness of subject.'\n\n1479. Vrittam has uddisya understood after it. The Bombay text reads\npranihitatmanah; the Bengal reading is pranihitatmanah. If the Bengal\nreading be accepted, it would mean 'whose soul is fixed or established on\nYoga.' Tapasa is explained by the commentator as swadharmena, in view of\nthe question of Galava which Narada answers. The sense, however, would\nremain unaltered if it be taken as standing for Self-control or penances.\n\n1480. Sampadam is explained by the commentator as upadesa-yogyata-sriyam.\n\n1481. Some texts read sakyam; the reading sakyah also occurs. If the\nformer be accepted, it must be taken as referring to tadawayam as the\ncommentator explains. No alteration in sense occurs by adhering to the\none reading or the other.\n\n1482. In the second line some of the Bengal texts read lobheshu. The\ncorrect reading is lokeshu. Both the vernacular translators adhere to the\nwrong reading.\n\n1483. Mokshartha is moksha-prayojanah.\n\n1484. The argument contained in these verses is this: as thou dost not\nknow what becomes of thy relatives when they die, thou canst not help\nthem then. It seems plain, therefore, that when thou shalt die thy\nrelatives will not be able to do thee any good. Hence, thou gainest\nnothing by bestowing thy thoughts on thy relatives, forgetting thy own\ngreat concern, viz., the acquisition of Emancipation. Similarly, when thy\nrelatives live and suffer irrespective of thy life or death, and thou too\nmust enjoy or endure irrespective of their existence or efforts, it is\nmeant that thou shouldst not be forgetful of thy own highest good by\nbusying thyself with the concerns of thy relatives.\n\n1485. The sense is that one who takes only a handful of corn for the\nsupport of life even when millions upon millions of carts loaded with\ncorn await his acceptance, is certainly to be regarded as freed.\nLiterally rendered, the second line is--'who beholds a shed of bamboo or\nreeds in a palace,' meaning, of course, as put above, 'one who sees no\ndifference between the two.'\n\n1486. Avritti is want of the means of sustaining life: thence, scarcity\nor famine.\n\n1487. The sense is that as the maintenance of wives and children is\npainful, one should withdraw from the world and retire into solitude.\n\n1488. The sense seems to be this: Is it a life of domesticity that thou\nwouldst lead? There is no harm in thy doing this, provided thou behavest\nin the way pointed out. Is it Emancipation that thou wouldst pursue (in\nthe usual way), i.e., by retiring into solitude and betaking thyself to\nSannyasa? Thou mayst then behave in the way pointed out, and, indeed,\nthat is the way of Sannyasa which leads to Emancipation.\n\n1489. The planet Venus is supposed to be the sage Usanas or Sukra.\n\n1490. The commentator explains the allusion by saying that formerly\nVishnu, induced by the deities, used his discus for striking off the head\nof Usanas' mother. Hence the wrath of Usanas against the deities and his\ndesire to succour their foes, the Danavas.\n\n1491. The construction of this verse is very difficult. The order of the\nwords, is--Indrotha jagatah prabhuh. Dhanada, etc., tasya kosasaya\nprabhavishnuh.\n\n1492. Persons crowned with Yoga-success are competent to enter the bodies\nof others and deprive the latter of the power of will. Indeed, the belief\nis that the latter then become mere automata incapable of acting in any\nother way except as directed by the enlivening possessor.\n\n1493. The etymology of Pinaka is panina anamayat. The initial and final\nletter of pani (pi) and the middle letter of anamayat (na), with the\nsuffix ka make Pinaka.\n\n1494. The last half of the last line may be taken as applying to Usanas.\n\n1495. The vriddhim that Mahadeva saw could not be his own, for the\ngreatest cannot be greater. The commentator, therefore, is right in\nholding that vriddhim refers to the greatness of Usanas within Mahadeva's\nstomach.\n\n1496. The sa refers to Usanas and not to Mahadeva, as the commentator\nrightly points out.\n\n1497. i.e., the religions of all the orders and all the modes of life.\n\n1498. The scriptural injunctions are that one should sacrifice in honour\nof the gods, pour libations on the sacred fire, make gifts etc. In these\nexists Righteousness.\n\n1499. The grammar of the third line is a little involved. Tasmin refers\nto Dharme. Supply nisthavantah after tasmin. The sense, of course, is\nthat believing in the efficacy of righteousness, people of all modes of\nlife accomplish the duties of their respective modes.\n\n1500. The sinful become intermediate animals. The virtuous attain to\nheaven. They that are both virtuous and sinful attain to the status of\nhumanity. They that acquire Knowledge become Emancipated.\n\n1501. Destiny here means the result of the acts of past lives.\n\n1502. The reading I adopt is jatikritam karma etc. Hence, this Verse also\nrepresents the arguments of the sceptic or the Charvakas. The four kinds\nof acts are Nitya, Naimittika, Kamya, and Nishiddha. If, however, for\n'jatikritam karma, etc.,' the reading yantyakritam karma be adopted, the\nmeaning would be--'In one's next life one does not meet with fruits that\nare not the results of one's acts of past life.' This must be so, for the\nopposite opinion would imply the destruction of acts and their\nconsequences. Then again, such an opinion would conflict with the\nreceived opinion of mankind, for men, when they obtain the fruits of any\nact, always recollect the four kinds of acts of a past life for\nexplaining the accession of those fruits.\n\n1503. Verses 12 to 14 represent the theory of the sceptic, and I have\nrendered them as such. Only by reading verse 13 as 'yantyakritam karma,\netc.,' the commentator points out that it may be taken as an observation\nof Parasara himself. As regards verse 15, it represents the ipse dixit of\nthe speaker. He does not think that the sceptic is at all entitled to a\nreply. It is scarcely necessary to say that the Burdwan translator makes\na thorough mess of these verses. K.P. Singha gives the substance\ncorrectly.\n\n1504. The commentator shows that this is an answer to the sceptic's\naverment about Nature being the cause of everything. Fire is hot by\nnature, therefore, it does not become hot at one time, cold at another,\nand _lukewarm_ at another time. One becomes either wholly happy or wholly\nunhappy or wholly happy and unhappy at the same time. Man's nature should\nnot be such. The difference of state is produced by difference of causes.\n\n1505. A Brahmana is precluded from eating many things. Many things again\nthat he is competent to eat on all days of the year. In fact, there are\nmany rules for regulating the fare of a Brahmana. To this day, an\northodox Brahmana abstains from many kinds of food. A Brahmana,\ntherefore, who is unscrupulous in respect of his food, is no Brahmana and\ndeserves to be pitied. Similarly, a man who cooks food for himself is an\nobject of pity. Raw food, such as fruits, etc., one may take without\noffering a share thereof to guests and others. But cooked food can never\nbe taken without a share thereof being given to others. Yati cha\nBrahmachari cha pakvannaswaminavubhau, hence he that takes cooked food\nwithout giving a share to these is said to eat Brahmaswam or that which\nbelongs to a Brahmana.\n\n1506. This is a very abstruse verse. The grammatical construction of the\nfirst line is asritena manasa vrittihinasya seva sasyate. Asritena is\nniralamvanena. By seva is meant homage paid to the Supreme in the form of\ndevotion and concentrated meditation. It implies, of course, a thorough\nreliance on God. Vrittihina is one who has cast off the means of\nlivelihood, implying one who abstains from worldly objects. In the second\nline, dwija is a vocative. Nirvritta is nishpanna, qualifying seva.\nAtihastat is 'from one who has transcended the use of the hand,' i.e., the\nnecessity of acts. Atihastanirvritta, means 'obtained from a competent\npreceptor.' In brief, what is stated here is that such seva should be\nlearnt from competent preceptors and not by discussion among persons in\nthe stage of spiritual progress.\n\n1507. The object of this verse, the commentator points out, is to show\nthe desirability of practising that seva soon or without loss of time.\n\n1508. In the discourse of Sanatkumara to Vritra, these six colours have\nbeen mentioned, and the nature of the acts by which one attains to a\nsuperior colour or falls down from a superior to an inferior one. Vide\nSec. 280, ante.\n\n1509. A particular kind of Chandala is called kusalin.\n\n1510. Pratyapannasya is viparita-drishteh. Natma is dehadih. Tatah is\npapaddhetoh. Virochate, is viseshena atmatwena rochate.\n\n1511. Pratyapattih is Vairagyam or Renunciation. As regards Prasthitasya\nit may be taken either as implying one that is dead or one that has\nbetaken himself to Yoga. In the latter case, the verse would mean that\nthat man who betakes himself to Yoga without adopting Renunciation meets\nwith much sorrow.\n\n1512. The object of this verse is to show that conscious sin can never be\ndestroyed by expiation. The only means by which sin can be destroyed is\nby enduring its fruits.\n\n1513. The Burdwan translator makes utter nonsense of this verse.\nGuna-yuktam is explained by the commentator as equivalent to punyakarma.\nPrakasam is equivalent to budhipurvakam prakasya or jnatwa. It is formed\nby the suffix namul.\n\n1514. Yathatatham is sthula-sukshma-taratamyena. The sense is that all\nacts done knowingly produce fruits according to their nature. If gross,\nthe fruits produced are gross; if subtile, the fruits produced are\nsubtile.\n\n1515. The speaker's opinion is that all acts are productive of fruits. If\ngood, the fruits are good. If bad, the fruits are bad. There is this\ndifference, however, between acts done knowingly and those done in\nignorance: the former produce commensurate fruits i.e., if gross, their\nfruits are gross; if subtile, the fruits are subtile; but the latter\nproduce fruits that are not so, so that even if heinous, the fruits do\nnot involve a large but only a small measure of misery. There is no other\ndifference between the two kinds of acts.\n\n1516. The object of this verse is to show that such acts form the\nexception and they are kept out of my sight in this discourse on acts.\nThe Rishi Viswamitra caused the death of the hundred sons of Vasishtha,\nand yet he had not to go to hell for it.\n\n1517. The sense seems to be that when even such near relatives are cast\noff if found to be wanting in affection, the fact cannot be gainsaid that\npeople never do good to others except when they hope to benefit\nthemselves by such acts.\n\n1518. What is intended to be said is that the acceptance of a gift from a\nsuperior person is equal in point of merit to a gift made by a poor\nperson. A wealthy man, by making a gift, earns greater merit than by\naccepting a gift.\n\n1519. i.e., by Dhyana and Dharana.\n\n1520. This has reference to Usanas' attaining to the status of a planet\n(Venus) in the firmament.\n\n1521. Nadantah is one word. It means Hinsa-sunyah. Danti cchinatti iti\ndanta. Its reverse is Nadantah.\n\n1522. Nirdishta refers to Seva.\n\n1523. i.e., they take the hues of the society they keep. Hence, it is\nvery desirable for them to live with the good.\n\n1524. This son of Dhatri is the god of the clouds.\n\n1525. The Burdwan translator gives a most ridiculous version of the\nexpression Dhigdandasasanah. Unable to catch the sense, which however is\ncertainly very plain, he actually interprets the words to mean 'living\nunder the sway of king Dhigdanda.' K.P. Singha gives the correct meaning.\n\n1526. In this verse also, the Burdwan translator takes Dhigdanda as the\nname of a king. He gives an equally ridiculous version of the second\nline. Abhyagachchan is explained by the commentator as having vishayan\nunderstood after it. The sense is that they began to enjoy all objects of\nthe senses to an excess. Both Devan and Brahman are accusatives governed\nby Avamanya. K.P. Singha translates both the lines correctly.\n\n1527. This verse is taken as a metaphorical statement. The three Asuras\nare, of course, Kama, Krodha, and Lobha. Gaganagah (staying in the\nfirmament) is interpreted as 'existing in Maya'. Sapurah as 'with their\ngross, subtile, and potential forms;' 'felled on the earth is explained\nas 'merged into the pure chit.' The whole is taken to imply a spiritual\ndestruction of all the evil passions and a restoration of man to his\noriginal state of purity.\n\n1528. This chief of the Asura passions was Mahamoha or great\nHeedlessness. The word Devas here is taken to mean the senses. Of course,\nif verse 16 be not taken metaphorically, then may Devas be taken in its\nordinary sense of the deities.\n\n1529. The genius of the two languages being different, it is very\ndifficult to render the phraseology of the first line. Literally\nrendered, the line would read 'they remain or stay on those acts, and\nestablish them.' Besides being unidiomatic, the sentence would be\nunmeaning. 'To stay or remain on any act' is to adhere to it. 'To\nestablish it' is to regard it as a precedent and cause it to be regarded\nby others as a precedent.\n\n1530. Samsiddhadhigamam is explained by the commentator thus: Samsiddhah\nis nityasiddah, i.e., atman; tadadhigamam is atmajnanam.\n\n1531. The very gods are subject to prosperity and adversity, and their\neffects of loves and hates. There is no mode of life in which these may\nnot be found.\n\n1532. After sukham supply bhavati or some such verb. Tyajatam stands by\nitself and refers to kamya karma, meaning they that abstain from such\nacts as are not nitya but as are only kamya or optional.\n\n1533. The sense is that those who betake themselves to penances as the\nconsequence of despair, are many. Those men, however, are very rare who\nadopt penances, being at once impressed that the happiness of domesticity\nis unreal and ends in misery.\n\n1534. i.e., their penances of past lives.\n\n1535. I am not sure that I have correctly understood the second line of\nthis verse. Akrita-karmanam is explained by the commentator as\nanut-pannatattwajnanam and upabhogavarityagah is Renunciation or\nVairagyam phalani has tapasah understood before it. But why phalani\ninstead of phalam?\n\n1536. The second line of this verse concludes the argument. The tasmat\nhas reference to all the statements before, and _not_ to only the first\nline of 26. The statement in the second line is the same as the second\nline of verse 13 above.\n\n1537. I expand the second line a little for making it intelligible.\n\n1538. By 'stainless penances' is meant nishkamam tapah or penances\nundertaken without desire of fruit.\n\n1539. Tyaktwa has nishkalmasham tapah understood after it. The order of\nthe words is Phalarthi apriyani etc., vishyatmakam tat phalam prapnoti.\nThe distinction between nishkamam and sakamam tapah is this; through the\nformer one attains to happiness. Even the earthly wealth he earns becomes\nfraught with happiness; through the latter, however, one meets with\ndiverse kinds of sorrow resulting from the earthly possessions he\nsucceeds in obtaining.\n\n1540. The grammar of the first line is this: Dharme tapasi dane cha (sati\navihitakarme) vidhitsa, etc. If vidhitsa be taken with 'dharma, etc.,'\nthe verse would be unmeaning.\n\n1541. The first line is difficult to construe. Tatah means 'inconsequence\nof the pain that attends the gratification of the senses.' Sarvasya\nrefers to vivekinah; jyayase phalartham is 'for the sake of the highest\nfruit,' which, of course, is Emancipation. Gunah is 'same', 'dama, etc.'\n\n1542. The commentator points out that the object of this verse is to show\nthat everything one owns or does is not the result of the past acts.\nSpouses, food, drink, etc., one obtains as the result of past acts or\npraravdha karma. In respect of these, purushakara or Exertion is weak.\nHence, to put forth Exertion for their acquisition would not be wise. As\nregards the acquisition of righteousness, however, there Exertion is\nefficacious. Hence, one should, with Exertion, seek to conform to one's\nown duties as laid down in the scriptures. Without such a distinction\nbetween destiny (praravdha) and Exertion (purushakara), the injunctions\nand interdictions of the Scriptures would be unmeaning. The Burdwan\ntranslator, citing portions of the commentary without at all\nunderstanding them, makes utter nonsense of the verse. K.P. Singha gives\nthe meaning correctly.\n\n1543. Sacrifices and all other acts undertaken from a sense of vanity,\nare destructible as regards their consequences, for heaven is terminable.\nPenances, however, that are undertaken without desire of fruit are not\nso, for these lead to Emancipation. Tesham refers to those mentioned in\nthe first line of verse 37. It should not be taken to mean men in\ngeneral, as the Burdwan translator wrongly does.\n\n1544. Kam is Brahmanam. The commentator explains that Brahmana (the\nCreator) is equivalent to Brahmana; and that Vishnu is equivalent to\nKshatriya. What is said, therefore, in this verse (according to him) is\nthat a Sudra, by practising the common duties of all the four orders,\nsucceeds in his next life in becoming a Brahmana. Thus say Brahmanas\nlearned in the scriptures; but the opinion of Parasara is that such a\nSudra, in his next life, takes birth as a Kshatriya.\n\n1545. I am not sure that I have understood these two verses correctly.\nVerse 33 is evidently a cruce.\n\n1546. Yathakarman means 'from one stage to another.' Karmapatham is\nyogam. The stages here referred to are vichara, vitarka, Ananda, and\nAsmita. What is stated in this verse is that one who casts off all\nattachments, and who devotes himself to Yoga, succeeds in attaining to\nthe felicity of Emancipation.\n\n1547. The Burdwan translator wrongly renders the second line of this\nverse. All the texts read this line in the same way.\n\n1548. Snigdhais implies affectionate seniors such as mothers, etc.;\nkarmani is explained by the Commentator as abhyanga-karmani, i.e., the\nrubbing of oil, etc., Such acts, when children are ill, are often done\nunto them by mothers. This is forbidden, for they are menial offices\nwhich seniors should never be permitted to perform.\n\n1549. Vinasamabhikankhatam is explained in the alternative by the\ncommentator in a very fanciful way. Kriyavatam is explained as 'observant\nof the duties of Tirthavasins.'\n\n1550. The commentator is for explaining the second line exoterically.\n\n1551. Dehat is Deham prapya. Yena is yena pumsa. Upapaditam has reference\nto panchatwam in the previous verse. The sense of the verse is this: he\nwho meets with a sudden death in a tirtha or sacred place, does not\nbecome emancipated but obtains another body in his next life similar to\nthe one he loses. Adhyanam gatakah is that though set or placed on the\npath of Emancipation, yet he becomes a traveller: his state is due to the\ninglorious manner of his dissolution.\n\n1552. The object of this verse is to show that the man dying in a sacred\nplace becomes reborn as a Rudra or a Pisacha and quickly attains to\nEmancipation in consequence of his contiguity to Siva. Mokshabhuteshu is\nMoksha-yogyeshu. The neuter form of taddeham is arsha.\n\n1553. Gunanancha in the second line of verse 14 refers to the objects of\nthe senses, which, as explained in previous Sections, have no independent\nexistence, for they exist only as they exist in desire. The compound of\nthe primal essences and the other things mentioned assumes different\nshapes through the force of the desires of previous lives.\n\n1554. Acts are all perishable in respect of their consequences.\n\n1555. It is difficult to give foreigners an idea of what is called\nApamrityu. All deaths that are caused by such accidents as involve\nignominy are called Apamrityu. Death from snake-bite, from a fall, by\ndrowning, at the horns of an animal, etc., are instances of Apamrityu.\n\n1556. Both yasya and sa refer to the foe called Ignorance. Rajaputra is\na vocative. Paraiti is nasyati.\n\n1557. Vanchate is preceded by kamena understood.\n\n1558. It has been explained in previous sections that sreyas or nisreyas\nmeans good or excellent as applied to moral merit.\n\n1559. By buddhiman is meant the man who is freed from attachment.\nSimilarly, by durbuddhih is meant the man who is the slave of attachments.\n\n1560. Karanapekshi is thus explained by the commentator:\nkaranaphaladanatmika kriya tannirvittyapekshi. The sense is that sin can\nnever be destroyed except by endurance of its fruits.\n\n1561. The sense is that after the manner of the fabulous gem, Jiva\nattracts to itself, through Yoga, the status of Brahma.\n\n1562. The Burdwan translator, without understanding the commentary, makes\nutter nonsense of this verse. K.P. Singha is not far wrong, but he does\nnot bring out the principal point which is sought to be inculcated here.\nSesame seeds are repeatedly mixed with fragrant oil. The more they are so\nmixed the more fragrant do they become. After the same manner, men\nacquire the quality of Sattwa by associating with persons of cleansed\nsouls. The measure of Sattwa is dependent on the measure of the\nassociation.\n\n1563. The track is that of Knowledge. Vide verse 3 above.\n\n1564. Having used the words vistaran (Diverse) and samkshepah (Few), in\nthe second line of this triplet, the speaker explains their meaning in\nthe third. By 'Diverse' is meant all those fruits that consist of\nunstable enjoyments; hence, the diverse acts laid down in the Vedas and\nother scriptures. By 'Few' is meant Renunciation, or abstention from\nacts. What is said, therefore, in this verse is this: they that betake\nthemselves to acts, which for their fruits all sorts of enjoyment, meet\nwith misery; while they that abstain from acts or practise Renunciation\nmeet with happiness. Both the vernacular versions are incorrect.\n\n1565. It is difficult to understand what is meant by this verse. By\nprogress in Yoga, the Soul can certainly cast off the mind and other\nattributes by which it is invested. The simile is unintelligible. The\nstalk of the lotus has its roots in mire. Does the first line mean,\ntherefore, that the stalk speedily springs upwards and leaves the mire at\nits roots?\n\n1566. The commentator explains that the intention of this verse is to\nexplain that the universe which is created by the mind is destroyed\nafterwards by the mind itself.\n\n1567. The sense is that one who has cast off objects of enjoyment and\nbecome emancipated, does not obtain rebirth.\n\n1568. I follow the commentator in his exposition of this verse. The\npractice of fishermen (in India) is to sink their boats when they leave\nthem for their homes, and to raise them again when they require them the\nnext day. They do not leave their boats afloat for fear of the injury the\nwaves may do to them by tossing them too much.\n\n1569. By Prakriti here is meant the harmony of Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas.\nAs long as these three qualities are in harmony with one another, i.e.,\nas long as there is no preponderance in any of them over the other two,\nso long there cannot be creation or the operations of the buddhi or\nunderstanding.\n\n1570. In this verse the word Prakriti is used in an entirely different\nsense. It means here Ignorance.\n\n1571. Sariragriha-sanjnasya is 'of one who regards his body to be an\naccompaniment of the Soul instead of regarding it to be the Soul.' 'Who\nregards purity as its sacred water', i.e., who, without resorting to the\nsacred waters whither others go for cleansing themselves, thinks that\npurity, both internal and external, is capable of cleansing him.\n\n1572. Vide note to verse 21 above.\n\n1573. The object of the verse is to show that one should not, for the\nsake of friends and kinsmen and spouses and children, abstain from\npursuing one's true end. The practice of charity again is the true diet\nwhich supports a man.\n\n1574. Astapadapada is a weight of gold. The word, as used in this verse,\nmeans a quantity of gold. Whether the reading be mudreva or sutrena, the\nsense remains unchanged. What is said here is that the mother, etc., are\nlike lines traced with gold by the side of real gold; i.e., the mother,\netc., are of no value or use in the acquisition of prosperity. K.P.\nSingha misses the meaning. The Burdwan translator, however, makes a most\nridiculous exhibition of himself. Without understanding the commentary at\nall, in fact, not having been able to read the words of the commentary\naright, he has produced a ridiculous jargon that is utterly\nunintelligible. Daksha is a vocative, meaning 'possessed of cleverness.'\nThe words he daksha yatha, etc., of the commentator are read by the\nBurdwan Pundit as: deha-kshaya, etc.\n\n1575. Apariharavan is incapable of being resisted. Samagatih as wind.\nAsmasara-vihitam is 'made by means of iron or the saw.' Asmasara stands\nhere for krakacha or karapatra.\n\n1576. The commentator explains that by tapah is meant the practice or\nobservance of one's own duties. Damah is restraining the senses. Satyam\nis truthfulness of speech, and atmaguptih is subjugation of the mind. The\nknots are attachments and desires, etc.\n\n1577. i.e., the assailant, finding his victim forgiving, himself burns\nwith repentance.\n\n1578. Vishayena yami is the correct reading; i.e., then here is palatal,\nand vishayena is in the instrumental case. The Bengal reading is vicious,\nfor it reads Vishaye nayami.\n\n1579. The Moon is endued with nectar, and, therefore, might have been\nsuch a man's equal; but the Moon waxes and wanes; therefore, the Moon\ncannot approach to an equality with such a man who is the same under all\nchanges. Similarly, the wind, though unstained by the dust it bears is\nnot the equal of such a man; for the wind is changeful, having slow,\nmiddling and quick motion. The Burdwan translator makes utter nonsense of\nthe reference to the Moon and the wind. K.P. Singha gives the sense\ncorrectly.\n\n1580. The commentator explains that the object of this verse is to show\nthe merits of that man whose ignorance has disappeared.\n\n1581. i.e., when Brahmanas incur obloquy they are said to become impure;\nthey are again regarded as possessing the status of humanity only because\nthey die.\n\n1582. The examples of Viswamitra and others may be cited in this\ninstance.\n\n1583. Dharana is holding the soul in self-reflection, preventing it the\nwhile from wandering. Samadhi is complete abstraction.\n\n1584. Akhandam is Sarvakalam; uposhya is tyaktwa. K.P. Singha wrongly\ntranslates this verse. He takes mansam for masam; but no difference of\nreading occurs between the Bengal and Bombay texts.\n\n1585. The ten properties included in Sattwa or Goodness are gladness,\ncheerfulness, enthusiasm, fame, righteousness, contentment, faith,\nsincerity, liberality, and lordship. The nine properties included in\nRajas or Passion are belief in the deities, (ostentatious) charity,\nenjoyment and endurance of happiness and sorrow, disunion, exhibition of\nmanliness, lust and wrath, intoxication, pride, malice, and disposition\nto revile. The eight qualities included in Tamas or Darkness are\nunconsciousness, stupefaction, excess of stupefaction, muddiness of the\nunderstanding, blindness (of results), sleep, heedlessness, and\nprocrastination. The seven incidents of Buddhi or the Understanding are\nMahat, consciousness, and the five subtile essences. The six incidents of\nMind are Mind and the five senses. The five incidents appertaining to\nSpace are space, water, wind, light, and earth. According to a different\nschool of philosophy, Buddhi, or the Understanding is said to have four\nincidents appertaining to it, viz., doubt, ascertainment, pride, and\nmemory. Tamas (darkness) also is otherwise regarded to have only three\nincidents, viz., inability of comprehension, partial comprehension, and\ntotally erroneous comprehension. Rajas (Passion) is (according to this\nschool) regarding as having only the two incidents of inclination (to\nact) and sorrow. Sattwa has but one incident viz., Enlightenment.\n\n1586. 'Durga' is an inaccessible region such as a forest or wilderness\nwhich cannot be passed through except with great pain and danger.\n\n1587. The correct reading seems to be sthira-vratati-samkulam.\n\n1588. Udadhi is, literally, a water-jar. In this country most people,\nwhile swimming, use water jars as buoys. The mouth of jar being dipped\ninto the water the air confined within it serve to support heavy weights.\nI have heard that the most rapid currents are crossed by milkmaids in\nthis way, all the while bearing milk pails on their heads.\n\n1589. In the second line of 72, dustaram janma means janma-yuktam\ndustaram.\n\n1590. The sense seems to be that by practising the Sankhya doctrine men\ncease to have any regard for even their gross bodies. They succeed in\nrealising their existence as independent of all earthly or heavenly\nobjects. What is meant by the Sun bearing them in his rays and conveying\nto them all things from every part of the universe is that these men\nacquire great puissance. This is not the puissance of Yoga but of\nknowledge. Everything being regarded as unsubstantial and transitory, the\nposition of Indra himself, or of Brahman, is looked upon as desirable and\nunworthy of acquisition. Sincere conviction of this kind and the course\nof conduct that is confirmable to it is literally puissance of the\nhighest kind, for all the purposes of puissance are capable of being\nserved by it.\n\n1591. This is taken as meaning that the Sankhyas are conveyed to the\nfirmament of the heart. Perhaps, what is intended by it is that they\nbecome withdrawn from external objects and even the impressions of all\nexternal things.\n\n1592. Perhaps, this means the pleasures of heaven.\n\n1593. i.e., they who have identified themselves with Brahma.\n\n1594. Yudhishthira's question seems to be this. Is there or is there not\nconsciousness in the emancipate state? Different scriptures answer this\nquestion differently. If it be said that there is consciousness in that\nstate, then why discard heaven and its pleasures, or the religion of\nPravritti or acts which lead to those pleasures? Where is the necessity\nthen of Sannyasa or the religion of Nivritti or abstention from all acts?\nOn the supposition of there being consciousness in the emancipate state,\nthe Religion of Pravritti should be taken as superior. If, on the other\nhand, the existence of consciousness be denied, that would be an error.\nDnkshataram is ayuktaram.\n\n1595. Although I make use of the word 'perceive' yet remembering that the\nmind is included among the senses and regarded as the sixth sense, the\nfunctions of recollection, representation, etc., are also implied by the\nword pasyati. The Burdwan translator gives a ridiculously erroneous\nversion of this verse.\n\n1596. The commentator explains that the simile of the froth is introduced\nin consequence of its disappearance with the disappearance of water. K.\nP. Singha is incorrect in taking the instance of froth as illustrative of\nthe quickness of the destruction.\n\n1597. Sarvatra does not mean 'through every part of the sleeper's body'\nas K. P. Singha takes it, but sarvavishaye as the commentator correctly\nexplains it.\n\n1598. Iha is sapne Anisah is nasti isah or pravartaah yasya.\n\n1599. For the Soul, in dreams, sees and hears and touches and smells\netc., precisely as it does while awake.\n\n1600. The sense seems to be that a person who becomes emancipate in this\nlife becomes so in Samadhi. When the state of Samadhi is over, his mind\nand senses return; and returning they do the bidding of the Supreme,\ni.e., bring about both happiness and misery, which, of course, are the\nconsequences of the acts of past lives though that happiness and misery\nare not felt. In the next verse is said that these men very soon leave\ntheir bodies and become freed from rebirth.\n\n1601. There are two kinds of Emancipation: one is attainable here, in\nthis body, it is Jivan-mukti; the other is Videha-kaivalya or that which\nbecomes one's when one is bodiless. In 98, Jivan-mukti has been spoken\nof. In this verse, the observations apply to Videha-kaivalya.\n\n1602. Vadanti is stuvanti. Such men hymn its praises by regarding it as\nSupreme Deity possessed of attributes. Those attributes, of course, are\nthe result of illusion, for in its real nature there can be no attributes\nin Brahma.\n\n1603. Brahma is knowledge without duality i.e., knowledge without the\nconsciousness of knower and known. The knowledge or cognition of an\nobject, when object is annihilated, assumes the form of that knowledge\nwhich is called Brahma.\n\n1604. The commentator explains that the object of this verse is to show\nthat among mobile creatures those endued with knowledge are superior, and\namong all kinds of knowledge, the knowledge occurring in the Sankhya\nsystem is the highest.\n\n1605. i.e., if in consequence of any defect of practice or Sadhana, the\nSankhyas fail to attain to Emancipation, they at least become translated\ninto gods.\n\n1606. i.e., it is everything.\n\n1607. That Narayana who does all this is the embodiment of the Sankhya\nsystem.\n\n1608. The commentator explains the compound Adhyatmagatinischayam\ndifferently.\n\n1609. Both the vernacular translator render this verse wrongly.\n\n1610. Vasyante is explained by the commentator as implying Brahmanah ante\nand not 'at the end of that night'. The line occurs in Manu (Chap. 1. 74)\nwhere ante refers to Brahmana's day and night. Vasishtha here refers to\nMohapralaya and not any intermediate Pralaya.\n\n1611. In the creation of Mahan or Prajapati or Virat, and of\nConsciousness, the element of Tamas or ignorance predominates.\n\n1612. This is a very abstruse verse. I am not sure that I have understood\nit correctly, What is said here seems to be this from Akshara arose\nHiranyagarbha: from Hiranyagarbha arose Virat. This, that or the other is\nworshipped by ordinary men, while persons possessed of real insight do\nnot invest any of them with attributes worthy of worship. The speaker\nsays that the ascription of attributes, called Ignorance, and the\nnon-ascription for destruction of that ascriptions called Knowledge,\n(with respect to Virat or Hiranyagarbha or Akshara) then arose. It might\nbe asked that when there were no men as yet to worship or to condemn such\nworship, how could the two arise? The answer is that the two, in their\nsubtile forms, came into existence and were afterwards availed of by men\nwhen men come into being.\n\n1613. From Akshara or the Indestructible is Hiranyagarbha. From\nHiranyagarbha is Mahan or Virat and Consciousness. From the last are the\nsubtile elements.\n\n1614. The meanings of such verses depend upon the grammatical\nsignifications of certain words that are used. They can scarcely be\nrendered accurately into any other language not derived from Sanskrit.\nWhat is said here is that it is Prakriti which must be said to be the\nAdhishthatri of the universe. Vishnu is not so. Vishnu, Brahma, Akshara,\nor the Indestructible, however, is said to cover or _pervade_ the\nuniverse (vyapnoti). Vishnu is Vyapka but not Adhishthatri.\n\n1615. In the previous section it has been said that through Tamas he\ntakes birth among the intermediate orders, through Rajas among human\nbeings, and through Sattwa among gods. The root kshi in Gunakshayat means\naisarvya or puissance.\n\n1616. The soul weaves a cocoon with attributes (or, acts which result\nfrom attributes), and though free deprives himself of freedom.\n\n1617. Made of Chit and Not-Chit combined.\n\n1618. The sense seems to be that the obligation to explain a treatise in\nthe midst of a conclave always stimulates the best faculties, and if it\nis a conclave of the learned the friction of intellects is sure to bring\nout the correct sense.\n\n1619. For enables them to conquer Ignorance.\n\n1620. When Pranayama is performed with the aid of mantras or yapa, it is\nsaid to be saguna or sagarbha or endued with substance. Concentration of\nmind, however, is made without the aid of such yapa.\n\n1621. The two and twenty sanchodans of Preranas are the two and twenty\nmodes of transmitting the Prana breath from the toe of the foot to the\ncrown of the head. That which transcends Prakriti is the Supreme Soul.\n\n1622. The reading I adopt is na-kathyate.\n\n1623. Atmanah is Iswarat parah.\n\n1624. Parisankhyadarsanam is explained by the commentator thus:\nParisankhyanam, is parivarianam, i.e., the gradual pravilapam of errors;\nLena darsanam or sakshatkaram.\n\n1625. The commentator explains that nistattwah means nirgatam tattwam\naparoksham yasmat.\n\n1626. Param Aparam, and Avyayam are theirs in consequence of\nAjksharabhavatwa. Aparam means satyakamatwa, satyasamkalpatwa, etc.\ni.e., puissance. Param is the indescribable felicity of Samadhi. The\nSrutis declare that knower of Brahma becomes Brahma.\n\n1627. Hence, as the commentator explains, by knowing what is called the\nUnmanifest one is capable of attaining to omniscience.\n\n1628. What is stated here is this, the Unmanifest or Prakriti, by\nmodification, produces Mahat and the other principles. But the agency of\nPurusha also is necessary for such production, for Prakriti can do\nnothing without Purusha, and Purusha also can do nothing without\nPrakriti. The principles of Mahat and the rest, therefore, may be said to\nhave their origin as much in Purusha as in Prakriti. Beside, the two\nbeing naturally dependent on each other, if Prakriti be called Kshara,\nPurusha also may be so called.\n\n1629. i.e., Jiva or Purusha.\n\n1630. High, such as gods, middling, such as human beings and low, such as\nanimals.\n\n1631. Budha is Bodha or pure Knowledge. Abudha is the reverse of Budha.\nThe Supreme Soul is Knowledge, while Jiva is Ignorance.\n\n1632. In consequence of Jiva's union with or attachment to Prakriti. Jiva\ntakes this object for a vessel; that for a mountain, and that other for a\nthird. When knowledge comes, Jiva succeeds in understanding that all his\nimpressions are erroneous and that the external world is only a\nmodification of Self. In consequence of Jiva's capacity to comprehend\nthis, he is called Budhyamana or Comprehender.\n\n1633. Drisya and Adrisya, are the Seen and the Unseen, that is the gross\nand the subtile, or effects and causes. Swabhavena anugatam is inhering\n(unto all of them,) in its own nature, that is, Brahma pervades all\nthings and unites with them without itself being changed as regards its\nown nature. Vudyate has manishibhih understood it.\n\n1634. Tattwa is explained by the commentator as anaropitaruom, i.e.,\ninvested with any form in consequence of Ignorance; Not-Tattwa is\nnityaparoksham i.e., always within the ken of the understanding.\n\n1635. That indication is 'I am Brahma.' Such conviction or knowledge even\nwhich characterises those that are awakened or Buddha, is cast off by the\ntwenty-sixth.\n\n1636. These examples are often used to explain the difference between the\nJiva-soul and the Supreme Soul. The Udumvara is the fruit of the Ficus\nglomerate. When ripe and broken, the hollow centre is seen to contain\nmany full-grown gnats. The gnat lives in the fruit but is not the fruit,\njust as the fish though living in the water is not the water that is its\nhome. Jiva, after the same way, though living in the Supreme Soul, is not\nthe Supreme Soul.\n\n1637. Parah is Anyah or Chidatman. Paradharma means 'partaking' of the\nnature of Kshetra in which he resides. Sameyta is 'kshetrena iva ekebhya.'\n\n1638. This is a simile very often used for illustrating the danger of\npursuing objects of the senses. Collectors of honey used to rove over\nmountains, guided by the sight of flying bees. These men frequently met\nwith death from falls from precipices.\n\n1639. The Burdwan translator renders this verse incorrectly.\n\n1640. This has been repeatedly laid down in the Hindu scriptures. Gifts\nproduce no merit unless made to deserving persons. If made to the\nundeserving, instead of ceasing to produce any merit, they become\npositively sinful. The considerations of time and place also are to be\nattended to. By failing to attend to them, sin is incurred where merit is\nexpected. Truth becomes as sinful as a lie, under particular\ncircumstances; and a falsehood becomes as meritorious as truth under\ncircumstances. The Hindu scriptures make circumstance the test of acts.\n\n1641. These, including Mind, form the tale of sixteen called Vikriti or\nmodifications of Prakriti.\n\n1642. These are the subtile principles or Tanmatras and not the gross\nelements.\n\n1643. Mahat is sometimes called Buddhi hence the creation of\nConsciousness from Mahat must be creation relating to Buddha.\n\n1644. Arjjava mean 'relating to straight paths or courses,' so called\nfrom the straight course of these winds or breaths. By reference to these\nbreaths is intended the other limbs of the physical system besides those\nalready indicated.\n\n1645. Rishi here means Mahan or Great. Consciousness is said to have an\nexcellent essence, and is also a Bhuta because of its capacity to produce\nthe Great Bhutas, five in number.\n\n1646. These, the commentator explains, are Mind, Buddhi or Understanding\nConsciousness, and Chitwa, considered as Vyashti instead of as Samashthi.\nThese are the sires of the primeval sires, i.e., from these sprung the\nMahabhutas or Great creatures (viz., the five primal elements).\n\n1647. Devah's is explained by the commentator as meaning the Senses and\nthe four inner faculties. Devaih he thinks, refers to the Bhutas or Great\nelements. Literally rendered, the verse would read as 'the Devas are the\nChildren of the Pitris; with the Devas, all the worlds of Mobile Being\nhave been covered.' It is not safe to reject the learned commentator.\n\n1648. These two verses refer to the power of the attributes of sound\netc., over Jiva. Loves and hates, and all kinds of relationship of Jiva\nare due to the action of the attributes named.\n\n1649. The duration here given has reference to the day and the night of\nthe Mahabhutas.\n\n1650. Prakritisthah means 'in his own Prakriti or nature.' The sense of\nthe line is that Purusha, even when residing in the case that Prakriti\nprovides him with, does not partake of the nature of Prakriti but\ncontinues to be undefiled by her.\n\n1651. I expand this verse for bringing out the meaning. A verbal\nrendering will become unintelligible.\n\n1652. This is a difficult verse, I am not sure that I have understood it\ncorrectly. The sense to be that Prakriti, which is really unintelligent\nand incapable of enjoyment or endurance, becomes intelligent and capable\nof enjoyment or endurance in consequence of being united with Purusha who\nis intelligent. Thus when pleasurable or painful sensation are felt, it\nis the body that seems to feel it only in consequence of the Soul that\npresides over it.\n\n1653. The first line of 7 is the same in sense as the second line of 8.\nIn the Bombay text, only the second line of 8 occurs, while the first\nline of 7 has been justly omitted. In fact, Tattwa and the Prakriti are\nthe same thing.\n\n1654. This refers to the opinion of the atheistic Sankhyas.\n\n1655. By the word Rudra is meant Prana and the other breaths. The\ncommentator explains that the etymology is utkramana kale dehinam\nrodayanti iti Rudrah Pranah. By regulating the vital breaths and the\nsenses, Yogins attain to Yoga puissance and succeed in roving wherever\nthey please in their linga-sarira or subtile bodies.\n\n1656. The eight limbs of Yoga are Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dhyana, Dharana,\nTarka, Samadhi, with the two additional ones of Yama and Niyama.\n\n1657. In the first line of 9 the word Pranayama is used to mean\nregulation of the vital breaths. In the second line, the same word\nimplies the ayamah or nigraha of the senses with the mind. By Dharana is\nmeant the fixing of the mind, one after another, on the sixteen things\nnamed in treatises on Yoga. By ekagrata of the mind is meant that\nconcentration in which there is no longer any consciousness of difference\nbetween Dhyatri, Dhyeya, and Dhyana.\n\n1658. It is difficult for those who do not practise Pranayama to\nunderstand this fully. The fact is, Saguna Pranayama, when the breath is\ninhaled, the inhalation is measured by the time taken up in mentally\nreciting a well-known mantra. So when inhaled breath is suspended, the\nsuspension is measured by the time taken in mentally reciting a\nparticular mantra. When therefore, the suspended breath should be\nexhaled, it should be done by similarly measuring the time of exhaling.\nFor beginners, this Saguna Pranayama is recommended. Of course only\nexhalation has been spoken of but it applies equally to inhalation and\nsuspension. These three processes, in Yoga language, are Puraka,\nKumbhaka, and Rechaka.\n\n1659. Ekantasilin means a Sannyasin, Atmarama is one who takes pleasure\nin one's soul instead of in spouses and children.\n\n1660. The pole-star.\n\n1661. Chakre literally means 'I made'. The commentator explains it as\nequivalent to swayam avirbhut.\n\n1662. Vipriya evidently means 'what is not agreeable.' There was\nevidently a dispute between Yajnavalkya and his maternal uncle\nVaisampayana, the celebrated disciple of Vyasa. This dispute is\nparticularly referred to in the next verse. Vaisampayana had been a\nrecognised teacher of the Vedas and had collected a large number of\ndisciples around him. When, therefore, the nephew Yajnavalkya, having\nobtaining the Vedas from Surya, began to teach them, he was naturally\nlooked upon with a jealousy, which culminated (as referred to in the next\nverse) into an open dispute about the Dakshina to be appropriated in the\nSacrifice of Janaka. The Burdwan translator incorrectly renders the word\nvipriya which he takes to mean as 'very agreeable.' In the Vishnu Purana\nit is mentioned that a dispute took place between Yajnavalkya and Paila.\nThe latter's preceptor, Vyasa, came, and taking his side, asked\nYajnavalkya to return him the Vedas which he had obtained from him.\nYajnavalkya vomited forth the Vedas. These were instantly devoured by two\nother Rishis in the form of Tittiri birds. These afterwards promulgated\nthe Taittiriya Upanishads.\n\n1663. This shows that I was then regarded as the equal of Vaisampayana\nhimself in the matter of Vedic knowledge. Sumanta and Paila and Jaimini,\nwith Vaisampayana, were the Rishis that assisted the great Vyasa in the\ntask of arranging the Vedas.\n\n1664. This is called the fourth science, the three others being the three\nVedas, Axis culture, and the science of morality and chastisement.\n\n1665. Prakriti is regarded as something in which Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas\nreside in exactly equal proportion. All the principles of Mahat, etc.\nwhich flow from Prakriti, are characterised by these three attributes in\ndiverse measure.\n\n1666. By Mitra is meant here the deity giving light and heat. By Varuna\nis meant the waters that compose the universe.\n\n1667. Kah, the commentator explained, is anandah or felicity.\n\n1668. The comparison lies in the folly of the two persons indicated. One\nchurning ass's milk for butter is only a fool. Similarly, one failing to\nunderstand the nature of Prakriti and Purusha from the Vedas is only a\nfool.\n\n1669. Gives a literal rendering of this verse for showing how difficult it\nis to understand the meaning. The commentator correctly explains the\nsense which is as follows: anyah or the other is the Soul as\ndistinguished from its reflection upon Prakriti, that is the Soul in its\nreal character as independent of Prakriti. What is said here is that when\nthe Soul, in its real character beholds, or acts as a witness of\neverything (i.e., as exists in the states of wakefulness and dream),\nbecomes conscious of both itself (the Twenty-fifth) and Prakriti (the\nTwenty-fourth) when, however, it ceases to behold or act as such witness\n(i.e., in the state of dreamless slumber of Yoga-samadhi), it succeeds in\nbeholding the Supreme Soul or the Twenty-sixth. In simple language what\nis said here is that the Soul becomes conscious of both itself and\nPrakriti in the state of wakefulness and dream. In Samadhi alone, it\nbeholds the Supreme Soul.\n\n1670. What is said here is that the Twenty-sixth or the Supreme Soul\nalways beholds the Twenty-fifth or the Jiva-soul. The latter, however,\nfilled with vanity, regards that there is nothing higher than it. It can\neasily, in Yoga-samadhi, behold the Twenty-sixth. Though thus competent\nto behold the Supreme Soul, it fails ordinarily to behold it. The\ncommentator sees in this verse a repudiation of the doctrine of the\nCharvakas and the Saugatas who deny that there is a Twenty-sixth Tattwa\nor even a Twenty-fifth which they identify with the Twenty-fourth.\n\n1671. Tatsthanat is explained by the commentator as Varasya\navaradhisrhanat, i.e., in consequence of vara overlying the avara. The\ninstance of the string and the snake is cited. At first the string is\nerroneously taken for the snake. When the error is dispelled, the string\nappears as the string. Thus the Supreme and the Jiva-soul come to be\ntaken as one when true knowledge comes.\n\n1672. The ordinary doctrine is that the Jiva-soul is indestructible, for\nit is both unborn and deathless, its so called births and deaths being\nonly changes of the forms which Prakriti undergoes in course of her\nassociation with it, an association that continues as long as the\nJiva-soul does not succeed in effecting its emancipation. In this verse\nthe ordinary doctrine is abandoned. What is said here is that the\nJiva-soul is _not_ deathless, for when it becomes identified with the\nSupreme Soul, that alteration may be taken as its death.\n\n1673. This is a very difficult verse. Pasya and apasya are drashtri and\ndrisya, i.e., knower and known (or Soul and Prakriti) Kshemaya and Tattwo\nare drik and drisya, i.e., knowledge and known. One that sees no\ndifference between these that is, one that regards all things as one and\nthe same, is both Kevala and not-Kevala, etc, meaning that such a person,\nthough still appearing as a Jiva (to others) is in reality identifiable\nwith the Supreme Soul.\n\n1674. This may mean that as men speak, and as speech is Brahma, all men\nmust be regarded as utterers of Brahma. If, again, Brahma be taken to\nmean the Vedas in special, it may imply that all men utter the Vedas or\nare competent to study the Vedas. Such an exceedingly liberal sentiment\nfrom the mouth of Yajnavalkya is compatible only with the religion of\nEmancipation which he taught.\n\n1675. The doctrine is that unless acts are destroyed, there can be no\nEmancipation.\n\n1676. Literally, 'these are not obstacles by external nature,' and are\ntherefore irremovable by personal exertion of the ordinary kind.\n\n1677. Sanchodayishyanti implies questioned. Here it means questioning the\nking internally or by Yoga power.\n\n1678. Utsmayan is explained by the Commentators as 'priding himself upon\nhis own invincibleness.' Ayaya bhavam implies her determination to make\nthe king dumb. Visesayan is abhibhavan.\n\n1679. Sammantum is explained by the Commentator as equivalent to samyak\njnatum.\n\n1680. It is difficult to say in what sense the word vaiseshikam is used\nhere. There is a particular system of philosophy called Vaiseshika or\nKanada; the system believed to have been originally promulgated by a\nRishi of the name of Kanada. That system has close resemblance to the\natomic theory of European philosophers. It has many points of striking\nresemblance with Kapila's system or Sankhya. Then, again, some of the\noriginal principles, as enunciated in the Sankhya system, are called by\nthe name of Visesha.\n\n1681. The mention of Vidhi indicated, as the commentator explains,\nKarmakanda. The value of Karma in the path of Emancipation is to purify\nthe Soul.\n\n1682. K. P. Singha wrongly translates this verse.\n\n1683. There is equal reason in taking up etc., implies that the bearing\nof the sceptre is only a mode of life like that of holders of the\ntriple-stick. Both the king and the Sannyasin are free to acquire\nknowledge and both, therefore, may attain to Emancipation notwithstanding\ntheir respective emblems. In the emblems themselves there is no efficacy\nor disqualification.\n\n1684. The object of this verse is to show that all persons, led by\ninterest, become attached to particular things. The littleness or\ngreatness of those things cannot aid or bar people's way to Emancipation.\n'I may be a king, says Janaka, and thou mayst be a mendicant. Neither thy\nmendicancy nor my royalty can aid or obstruct our Emancipation. Both of\nus, by Knowledge, can achieve what we wish, notwithstanding our outward\nsurroundings.'\n\n1685. Hence, by changing my royal life for that of a bearer of the\ntriple-stick I can gain nothing.\n\n1686. Yukte in the first line means in the Yogin. The Bombay reading\nTridandanke is a mistake for Tridandakam. The Bombay text reads na\nmuktasyasti gopana, meaning that 'there is no relief for one that has\nfallen down after having arisen in Yoga.' The Bengal text reads\nvimuktasya. I adopt the Bengal reading.\n\n1687. What the king says is that he, the king, had made no assignation\nwith the lady is consequence of which she could be justified in entering\nhis body. The word Sannikarsha here means sanketa. Both the vernacular\ntranslators render this word wrongly.\n\n1688. These faults and merits are set forth in the verses that follow.\n\n1689. Saukshmyam, is literally minuteness. It means ambiguity here. I\nhave rendered verse 81 very closely to give the reader an idea of the\nextreme terseness of these verses. For bringing out the meaning of the\nverse, the following illustration may serve. A sentence is composed\ncontaining some words each of which is employed in diverse senses, as the\nwell-known verse of Parasara which has been interpreted to sanction the\nremarriage of Hindu widows. Here, the object indicated by the words used\nare varied. Definite knowledge of the meaning of each word is arrived at\nby means of distinctions, i.e., by distinguishing each meaning from every\nother. In such cases, the understanding before arriving at the definite\nmeaning, rests in succession upon diverse points, now upon one, now upon\nanother. Indeed, the true meaning is to be arrived at in such cases by a\nprocess of elimination. When such processes become necessary and or\nseizing the sense of any sentence, the fault is said to be the fault of\nminuteness or ambiguity.\n\n1690. To take the same example; first take the well-known words of\nParasara as really sanctioning the remarriage of widows. Several words in\nthe verse would point to this meaning, several others would not. Weighing\nprobabilities and reasons, let the meaning be tentatively adopted that\nsecond husbands are sanctioned by the Rishi for the Hindu widow. This is\nSankhya.\n\n1691. Having tentatively adopted the meaning the second husbands are\nsanctioned by the verse referred to, the conclusion should be either its\nacceptance or rejection. By seeing the incompatibility of the tentative\nmeaning with other settled conclusions in respect of other texts or other\nwriters, the tentative meaning is capable of being rejected, and the\nfinal conclusion arrived at, to the effect, that the second husband is to\nbe taken only according to the Niyoga-vidhi and not by marriage.\n\n1692. By prayojanam is meant the conduct one pursues for gratifying one's\nwish to acquire or avoid any object. Wish, in respect of either\nacquisition or avoidance, if ungratified, becomes a source of pain. The\nsection or conduct that one adopts for removing that pain is called\nPrayojanam. In the Gautama-sutras it is said that yamarthamadhikritya\npravartate, tat prayojanam. The two definitions are identical.\n\n1693. By occurrence of these five characteristics together is meant that\nwhen these are properly attended to by a speaker or writer, only then can\nhis sentence be said to be complete and intelligible. In Nyaya\nphilosophy, the five requisites are Pratijna, Hetu, Udaharana, Upanaya,\nand Nigamana. In the Mimansa philosophy, the five requisites have been\nnamed differently. Vishaya, Samsaya, Purvapaksha, Uttara, and Nirnaya.\n\n1694. These characteristics, the commentator points out, though numbering\nsixteen, include the four and twenty mentioned by Bhojadeva in his\nRhetoric called Saraswati-kanthabharana.\n\n1695. Parartham means, as the commentator explains, of excellent sense.\nIt does not mean Paraprayojanam as wrongly rendered by the Burdwan\ntranslator. The latter's version of the text is thoroughly unmeaning.\n\n1696. What Sulabha says here is this: the great primal elements are the\nsame whether they make up this body or that other body; and then it is\nthe same Chit that pervades every combination of the great elements. The\nobject of this observation is to show that Janaka should not have asked\nthese questions about Sulabha, he and she being essentially the same\nperson. To regard the two as different would indicate obscuration of\nvision.\n\n1697. What is meant by this is that when creatures are said to possess\nmore of sattwa and less of sattwa, sattwa seems to be a principle that is\nexistent in the constitutions of creatures.\n\n1698. By the word Kala is meant the 16 principles beginning with Prana.\nWhat is intended to be said is that as long as the principle of Desire\nexists, rebirth becomes possible. The universe, therefore, rests on the\nprinciple of Desire or Vasana. The senses, etc. all arise from this\nprinciple of Vasana.\n\n1699. By Vidhi is meant that righteousness and its reverse which\nconstitute the seed of Desire. By Sukra is meant that which helps that\nseed to grow or put forth its rudiments. By Vala is meant the exertion\nthat one makes for gratifying one's desire.\n\n1700. The fact then of continual change of particles in the body was\nwell-known to the Hindu sages. This discovery is not new of modern\nphysiology. Elsewhere it has been shown that Harvey's great discovery\nabout the circulation of the blood was not unknown to the Rishis.\n\n1701. The instance mentioned for illustrating the change of corporal\nparticles is certainly a very happy one. The flame of a burning lamp,\nthough perfectly steady (as in a breezeless spot), is really the result\nof the successive combustion of particles of oil and the successive\nextinguishment of such combustion Both this and the previous verse have\nbeen rendered inaccurately by K.P. Singha.\n\n1702. Hence the questions of Janaka, asking as to who the lady was or\nwhose, were futile.\n\n1703. The seven ways are as follows: Righteousness and Wealth and\nPleasure independently and distinct from one another count three, then\nthe first and second, the first and third, and second and third, count\nthree and lastly, all three existing together. In all acts, one or other\nof these seven may be found. The first and second exist in all acts whose\nresult is the righteous acquisition of wealth; the first and third exist\nin the procreation of children in lawful wedlock; the second and third in\nordinary acts of worldly men. Of acts in which all three combine, the\nrearing of children may be noticed, for it is at once a duty, a source of\nwealth, and a pleasure. K.P. Singha omits all reference to these seven\nways, while the Burdwan translator, misunderstanding the gloss, makes\nutter nonsense of it.\n\n1704. The king may order some men to do some things. These men, after\nobeying those orders, return to him to report the fact of what they have\naccomplished. The king is obliged to grant them interviews for listening\nto them.\n\n1705. The commentator explains that the three others are Vriddhi, Kshaya,\nand Sthana, all of which arise from policy. Some of the seven limbs are\ninanimate, such as the treasury. But it is said that the treasury\nsupports the ministers, and the ministers support the treasury.\n\n1706. Hence, when every kingdom has a king, and kings too are many, no\none should indulge in pride at the thought of his being a king.\n\n1707. The object of this verse is to show that as Janaka rules his\nkingdom without being attached to it, he cannot lay claim to the merit\nthat belongs to kings.\n\n1708. Upaya or means implies here the attitude of sitting (as in Yoga).\nUpanishad or method implies sravana and manana i.e., listening and\nthinking. Upasanga or practices imply the several limbs of Dhyana, etc.\nNischaya or conclusion has reference to Brahma.\n\n1709. I expand this verse fully.\n\n1710. The na in the second line is connected with Vyayachcchate.\n\n1711. The object of this verse is to show that the words uttered by\nSulabha were unanswerable. To attain to Emancipation one must practise a\nlife of Renunciation instead of continuing in the domestic mode.\n\n1712. These foes are, of course, the passions.\n\n1713. Literally, the world is only a hold of action, implying that\ncreatures, coming here, have to act: these actions lead to rewards and\npunishments, both here and hereafter. The way to Emancipation is, as has\nbeen often shown before, by exhausting the consequences of acts by\nenjoyment or sufferance and by abstaining from further acts by adopting\nthe religion of Nivritti.\n\n1714. Kulapatam is explained by the commentator as Mahanadipuram. In\nNaram etc, venumivodahritam (as in the Bombay text) or venumivoddhhatam\n(as in the Bengal text) is rather unintelligible unless it be taken in\nthe sense in which I have taken it. K. P. Singha mistranslates Kulapatam,\nand the Burdwan translator misunderstands both Kulaparam and\nvenumivoddhatam.\n\n1715. i.e., to uphold it by doing the duties of a Brahmanas.\n\n1716. Prachalita-dharma etc, implies those that have fallen away from\nrighteousness. The Burdwan translator misunderstands the verse.\nKaranabhih is kriabhih.\n\n1717. The Commentator explains that this verse is for assuring\nYudhishthira that kings are competent to obtain felicity in the next\nworld. Anupagatam is explained by the Commentator as not attainable in\neven thousands of births.\n\n1718. Rudhirapah is blood-sucking worms. Uparatam is dead.\n\n1719. The ten boundaries or commandments, as mentioned by the\nCommentator, are the five positive ones, viz., Purity, Contentment,\nPenances, Study of the Vedas, Meditation on God, and the five negative\nones, viz., abstention from cruelty, from untruth, from theft, from\nnon-observance of vows, and from acquisition of wealth.\n\n1720. Chirasya is grammatically connected with na vudhyase, meaning 'that\nthou art always blind etc.' The Burdwan translator misunderstands it\ncompletely and takes it as equivalent to achirena. K. P. Singha skips\nover it.\n\n1721. The Burdwan translator gives a ridiculous version of the verse.\n\n1722. Kevalam nidhim is literally, 'one's only treasure'. It may imply\neither Samadhi or Brahma. Acts, whether good or bad, all arise from\nerror. Abstention from acts is the true way to Emancipation.\n\n1723. The passions are spoken of as wolves.\n\n1724. The sight of golden trees is a premonitory sign of Death.\n\n1725. Literally rendered, the verse would run thus: Before the cooking is\ncomplete of the Yavaka of a rich man, in fact, while it is still\nuncooked, thou mayst meet with death. Do thou, therefore, hasten. By\nYavaka is meant a particular kind of food made of ghee and flour or\nbarley.\n\n1726. In verse 53 it is said that the Soul is the witness in the other\nworld of all acts and omission in this life. In verse 54, what is said is\nthat the existence of the Soul when the body is not, is possible, for\nYogins, in Yoga, live in their Soul, unconscious the while of their\nbodies. The entrance of the acting-Chaitanya into that Chaitanya which\nsurvives as the witness means the death of the body.\n\n1727. The Burdwan translator gives an erroneous version of this verse.\n\n1728. I think the sense is that only righteousness can bring a man to the\npath that leads to happiness and not mere instructions howsoever repeated.\n\n1729. The Commentator explains that Pramadagah is equivalent to\nPramadagrihavasin and refers to Antakah. Chamum is Indriyasenam. Grahitam\nis body. Yathagrahitam is dehamanatikramya. In this verse pura may mean\neither in the near future or soon, or pura may mean before, i.e., before\nthe Destroyer makes thy senses so, etc.\n\n1730. The road in which thyself shalt be in front and thyself in the rear\nis the road of Self-knowledge. The Burdwan translator does not understand\nhow the first line comes to mean Knowledge of Self! Accordingly, though\nhe uses the word amajnana (following the Commentator), yet he erroneously\nrepeats some of the words used in the line.\n\n1731. The last word of the second line is muchyate and not yujyate. If\nyujyate be adhered to, meaning would be 'freed the consequences of\nignorance and error, he would succeed in attaining to Brahma.'\n\n1732. This is a very abstruse verse. I have rendered it, following the\nlead of the Commentator, Srutam, he explains it 'the knowledge, born of\nvedic declarations like Tattwamasi etc.' Sarvamasnute is equivalent to\nsamastam Brahmandam vyapnoti, meaning such knowledge leads to sarvatmyam,\ni.e., omniscience Tadetat etc., i.e., that omniscience is the darsanam,\nof parampurushartha or Moksha. Kritajna upadishtam artham is Samhitam.\n\n1733. The sense is that in course of our repeated rebirths we have got\nthese relations repeatedly and will get them as repeatedly. But we are,\nin reality, quite unconnected with them. Their union with us like the\nunion of pieces of wood floating in a river, now joined together\ntemporarily, now separated.\n\n1734. Mokshadaisikam is explained by the commentator as\nMokshandeshataram. K. P. Singha wrongly renders this word. This section\nis called pavakadhyayanam, meaning chitta-sodhakadhyayanam, that is, the\nlesson which, when read and mastered, is to lead to the cleansing of the\nheart.\n\n1735. Time, as a personified agent, is throwing all creatures at unequal\ndistances. Some are thrown near and some to a great distance. These\ndistances are regulated by the nature of the acts done by the creatures\nthrown. Some are cast among animals, some among men. Throwing or hurling\nthem thus, Time drags them again, the binding-cords being always in his\nhands.\n\n1736. Both the vernacular translators have misunderstood the first line\nof this verse although there is no difficulty in it. Apastamva says\ndrishto dharma-vyatikrama; Sahasancha purvesham. What Bhishma says here\nis that one should not speak of those instances of Vyatikramah and\nSahasam.\n\n1737. Although the Vedas came to Suka of their own accord, yet he was in\ndeference to the universal custom, obliged to formally acquire them from\na preceptor.\n\n1738. Vyasa was the priest or Ritwija of the house of Mithila and as such\nthe kings of Mithila were his Yajyas or Yajamanas. The duty of a Yajamana\nis to reverence every member of the priest's family. The sire, therefore,\ncautions the son that he should not, while living with the king of\nMithila, assert his superiority over him in any respect.\n\n1739. It is certain that one must abandon all acts before one can attain\nto Emancipation. But then acts should not be cast off all at once. It is\naccording to this order that they should be abandoned, i.e., in the order\nof the several modes.\n\n1740. The karanas are the inner faculties.\n\n1741. i.e., when Emancipation and omniscience have been attained in the\nvery first mode of life, no further need exists for conforming to the\nthree other modes of life.\n\n1742. i.e., behold the Supreme Soul by his own Soul.\n\n1743. Instead of papakam some texts read pavakam, meaning of the nature\nof fire.\n\n1744. After manasa, saha is understood. It does not mean that the senses\nare to be restrained by the mind, but the words imply that the mind and\nthe senses are to be restrained. K. P. Singha renders the line correctly.\nThe Burdwan translator, as usual, is careless.\n\n1745. K. P. Singha skips over this verse.\n\n1746. i.e., he turned his soul's gaze on his soul and withdrew himself\nfrom every worldly object.\n\n1747. He no longer walked like ordinary men. Without trailing along the\nsolid support of the Earth, he proceeded through the sky.\n\n1748. Popularly, Bhimaraja, the Lanius Malabaricus.\n\n1749. It is believed that a person, by performing austere penances,\nscorches the three worlds. It is in consequence of this effect of\npenances that the superior deities were always compelled by the Asuras\nand Danavas to grant them whatever boons they solicited.\n\n1750. The sense is that if the Vedas are not constantly studied, they are\nlikely to be forgotten.\n\n1751. Upaplava is Rahu or the ascending node. In many parts of Upper\nIndia, during the hot months in particular, large quantities of dust are\nraised by whirl winds in the afternoon or at evening called Andhi the\nclouds of dust cover the moon for hours together.\n\n1752. The lowest order of men, living by slaying animals.\n\n1753. The verse in the Bengal texts is a triplet. In the Bombay edition,\nthe third line is excluded from verse 36. There is no inconvenience in\nthis, only, it should be construed as referring to the wind called\nSamana or Pravaha.\n\n1754. Some texts read Jaytamvarah. If this be accepted, it should be an\nadjective of Parivaha, meaning the foremost of all in the strength or\nenergy.\n\n1755. The sacred river Ganga has it is said, three courses or streams.\nOne flows on the surface of the Earth, the second flows through the\nnether regions, and the third flows through heaven.\n\n1756. The first line runs into the second.\n\n1757. Penances should be protected from wrath. By penances one attains to\ngreat power. The ascetic's puissance frequently equals that of Brahman\nhimself. If, however, the ascetic indulges in wrath and curses one from\nwrath, his puissance becomes diminished. For this reason, forgiveness is\nsaid to be the highest virtue a Brahmana can practise. A Brahmana's might\nlay in forgiveness. Knowledge also should be protected from honour and\ndishonour, i.e. one should never _receive_ honour for his knowledge, that\nis, do anything for the object of achieving honour. Similarly, one should\nnever do anything which may have the effect of dishonouring one's\nknowledge. These are some of the highest duties preached in scriptures.\n\n1758. The saying Satyadapi hitam vadet is frequently misunderstood. The\nscriptures do not say that truth should be sacrificed in view of what is\nbeneficial, for such view will militate with the saying that there is\nnothing higher than truth. The saying has reference to those exceptional\ninstances where truth becomes a source of positive harm. The story of the\nRishi who spoke the truth respecting the place where certain travellers\nlay concealed, when questioned by certain robbers who were for killing\nthe travellers, is an instance to the point. The goldsmith's son who died\nwith a falsehood on his lips for allowing his lawful prince to escape\nfrom the hands of his pursuers did a meritorious act of loyalty. Then,\nagain, the germ of the utilitarian theory may be detected in the second\nline of this verse.\n\n1759. To conquer the unconquerable means to attain to Brahma.\n\n1760. In the Srutis, Paravara is an equivalent for the Supreme Soul. The\ncorrect reading is nasyati at the end of the first line, and not pasyati\nas in some of the Bengal texts. Adhering to pasyati (which gives no\nmeaning), the Burdwan translator gives a ridiculous and unmeaning version\nof this verse. K. P. Singha, of course, adopts the correct reading.\n\n1761. This verse is not at all difficult. The sense is that the man who\ntranscends all attachments never comes to grief if brought into union\nwith other creatures. The Burdwan translator gives a thoroughly unmeaning\nversion of this couplet.\n\n1762. The object of this verse is to show that men of knowledge do not\nperform sacrifices, in which, as a matter of course, a large number of\ncreatures is slain. Men wedded to the religion of Pravriti perform\nsacrifices. Coming into the world in consequence of past acts, they seek\nhappiness (by repairing to heaven) along the way of sacrifices and\nreligious rites. A large number of creatures is slain, for besides the\nvictims ostensibly offered, an infinite number of smaller and minuter\ncreatures are killed in the sacrificial fires and in course of the other\npreparations that are made in sacrifices.\n\n1763. Sorrow increases by indulgence.\n\n1764. This is a very doubtful verse. The commentator is silent. I follow\nthe meaning as it lies on the surface. The object of the verse seems to\nbe this: there are men that are employed in reflecting upon the nature of\nthings: these should know that such occupation is useless, for truly the\nnature of things is beyond the grasp of the mind. The greatest\nphilosopher is ignorant of all the virtues of a blade of grass, the\npurpose for which it exists, the changes that it undergoes every instant\nof time and from day to day. Those men, however, who have such\nunprofitable occupation for walking along the highest path (the path,\nthat is, which leads to Brahma) free themselves from grief.\n\n1765. I am not sure that I have understood this verse correctly.\n\n1766. What is intended to be said is that the gratification of the senses\nleaves nothing behind. The pleasure lasts as long as the contact\ncontinues of the objects with the senses. The Burdwan translator, not\nsuspecting that the word used is adhana, gives a ridiculous version.\n\n1767. What is said here is this: a man has spouses and children, or\nwealth, etc.: there was no sorrow when these were not: with his union\nwith these his sorrow commences. Hence, when these things disappear, an\nintelligent man should not indulge in any sorrow. Bonds or attachments\nare always productive of grief. When bonds are severed or destroyed,\nthere ought to be no grief.\n\n1768. i.e., whose pleasures do not depend upon external objects such as\nspouses and children.\n\n1769. Vidhitsabhih is pipasabhih. It comes from dhe meaning drinking.\n\n1770. Vyasa lived in northern India and was evidently unacquainted with\nthe tides that appear in the Bengal rivers.\n\n1771. The object of this verse is to show the utility and necessity of\nacts. Without acting no one, however clever, can earn any fruit. Both the\nvernacular translators give ridiculous versions of this plain aphorism.\n\n1772. Asi is used in the sense of akansha.\n\n1773. Naprapyanadhigachchati is na aprayam etc.\n\n1774. I do not quite understand in what the fault lies that is referred\nto here. Perhaps the sense is this. In Hindu philosophy, the vital seed\nis said to be generated by the sight of a desirable woman. When sexual\ncongress takes place with one whose sight has not originated the vital\nseed but with another it fails to be productive. Whoever indulges in such\nintercourse is to blame.\n\n1775. Parasarirani has prapnuvanti understood after it. Chinnavijam means\nwhose seed has broken, that is the creature whose gross body has met with\ndestruction. The gross body is called the Vijam or seed of (heaven and\nhell). The sense of the verse is that every one, after death, attains to\na new body. A creature can never exist without the bonds of body being\nattached to him. Of course, the case is otherwise with persons who\nsucceed in achieving their Emancipation by the destruction of all acts.\nThe Burdwan translator, following the commentator faithfully, renders\nthis verse correctly. K. P. Singha skips over it entirely.\n\n1776. This is not a difficult verse. Then, again, the commentator\nexplains it carefully. K. P. Singha gives a ridiculous version. The\nBurdwan translator is correct. Nirddagdham and vinasyantam imply the\ndying or dead. Jivar paradeham chalachalam ahitam bhavati means another\nbody, as much subject to destruction, is kept ready.\n\n1777. I expand this verse a little for bringing out its meaning. What is\nsaid here is that some come out of the womb alive; some die there before\nbeing quickened with life, the reason being that their acts of past lives\nbring for them other bodies even at that stage.\n\n1778. This verse is certainly a 'crux.' The commentator, I think,\ndisplays considerable ingenuity in explaining it. The order of the words\nis Gatayushah tasya sahajatasya pancha saptamim navamim dasam\nprapnuvanti; tatah na bhavanti; sa na. The ten stages of a person's life\nare (1) residence within the womb, (2) birth, (3) infancy, up to 5 years,\n(4) childhood, up to 12 years, (5) Pauganda up to 16 years, (6) youth, up\nto 48 years, (7) old age, (8) decrepitude, (9) suspension of breath, (10)\ndestruction of body.\n\n1779. Niyuktah means employed. I take it to imply employed in the task of\nconquering Nature. It may also mean, set to their usual tasks by the\ninfluence of past acts. Nature here means, of course the grand laws to\nwhich human existence is subject, viz., the law of birth, of death, of\ndisease and decrepitude etc.\n\n1780. Uparyupari implies gradual superiority. If one becomes wealthy, one\ndesires to be a councillor; if a councillor, one wishes to be prime\nminister; and so on. The sense of the verse is that man's desire to rise\nis insatiable.\n\n1781. The reading I prefer is asathah and not sathah. If the latter\nreading be kept, it would mean of both descriptions are seen to pay court\nto the wicked.\n\n1782. Avavandhah is low attachments, implying those that appertain to the\nbody. In fact, the acquisition of the body itself is such an attachment.\nWhat is said here is that Jiva who has become enlightened becomes freed\nfrom the obligation of rebirth or contact with body once more.\n\n1783. The mass of effulgence constituting the Sun is nothing else than\nBrahma. Brahma is pure effulgence. Savitri-mandala-madhyavartir-Narayanah\ndoes not mean a deity with a physical form in the midst of the solar\neffulgence but incorporeal and universal Brahma. That effulgence is\nadored in the Gayatri.\n\n1784. The commentator takes Shomah to mean Shomagath Jivah. He does not\nexplain the rest of the verse. The grammatical construction presents no\ndifficulty. If Shomah be taken in the sense in which the Commentator\nexplains it, the meaning would be this. He who enters the solar\neffulgence has not to undergo any change, unlike Shomah and the deities\nwho have to undergo changes, for they fall down upon the exhaustion of\ntheir merit and re-ascend when they once more acquire merit. Both the\nvernacular translators have made a mess of the verse. The fact is, there\nare two paths, archiradi-margah and dhumadi-margah. They who go by the\nformer, reach Brahma and have never to return. While they who go by the\nlatter way, enjoy felicity for some time and then come back.\n\n1785. Here, the words Sun and Moon are indicative of the two different\npaths mentioned in the note immediately before.\n\n1786. What Suka says here is that he would attain to universal Brahma and\nthus identify himself with all things.\n\n1787. Jahasa hasam is an instance in Sanskrit of the cognate government\nof neuter verbs.\n\n1788. The Rishis knew that the height of the atmosphere is not\ninterminable.\n\n1789. In this Section, Bhishma recites to Yudhishthira the fact of Suka's\ndeparture from this world, and Vyasa's grief at that occurrence. He\nspeaks of the fact as one that had been related to him bygone times by\nboth Narada and Vyasa himself. It is evident from this that the Suka who\nrecited the Srimad Bhagavat to Parikshit, the grandson of Arjuna, could\nnot possibly be the Suka who was Vyasa's son.\n\n1790. What Bhishma says here is that without faith this subject is\nincapable of being understood.\n\n1791. This is a triplet. The last word of the third line, viz.,\nSwayambhuvah refers to Krishnah, but it has no special meaning. It is an\nadjective used more for the sake of measure than for anything else.\n\n1792. The golden cars referred to here are the fleshly bodies of the two\ndeities. The body is called the car because like the car, it is propelled\nby some force other than the Soul which owns it for a time, the Soul\nbeing inactive. It is regarded as golden because every one becomes\nattached to it as something very valuable. The eight wheels are Avidya\nand the rest.\n\n1793. i.e., the hands, the feet, the stomach, and the organ of pleasure.\nThe hands are said to be protected when they are restrained from the\ncommission of all improper acts; the feet are said to be duly protected\nwhen they are restrained from touching all improper places. The stomach\nis said to be protected when one never takes any kind of improper food,\nand when one abstains from all evil acts for appeasing one's hunger. And\nlastly, one is said to restrain the organ of pleasure when one abstains\nfrom all acts of improper congress.\n\n1794. The word Mushka as ordinarily understood, implies the scrotum or\ntestes. The commentator Nilakantha supposes that it may stand for the\nshoulder-knot. He believes that the phrase implies that the people of\nthis island had each four arms.\n\n1795. The Sattwata ritual is explained by the Commentator to mean the\nPancharatra ritual. Tachecheshena implies with what remained after\nVishnu's worship was over.\n\n1796. i.e., dedicated his possessions to the service of Narayana, and\nheld them as the great God's custodian. In other words, he never regarded\nhis wealth as his own, but was always ready to devote it to all good and\npious purposes.\n\n1797. i.e., the treatise those Rishis composed was the foremost of its\nkind in respect of choice and harmony of vocables, of import or sense and\nof reasons with which every assertion was fortified.\n\n1798. There are two religions, viz., that of Pravritti, implying act and\nobservances, and that of Nivritti, implying a complete abstention from\nall acts and observances. The last is also called the religion of\nEmancipation.\n\n1799. Whether any work on morality and religion was over actually\ncomposed by the seven Rishis or not, no such work, it is certain, is in\nexistence now. Besides this mention of the work in the Mahabharata, no\nreference to it has been made anywhere else. As to Sukra-niti it is\nextant, Vrihaspati's niti-sastram is defunct. It is probable, however,\nthat before Saba-niti there was an anterior work, brief if not exhaustive\non the same subjects.\n\n1800. Paryyaya literally means a list. The fact is, in all Sanskrit\nlexicons words expressive of the same meanings occur together. These\nlists are known by the name of Paryyaya. A more definite idea of the\nmeaning of this word may be had by the English reader when he remembers\nthat in a lexicon like Roget's Thesaurus, groups are given of words\nexpressive of the same signification. Such groups are called Paryyayas.\n\n1801. The Hotri has to pour libations on the sacrificial fire, reciting\nmantras the while. Sadasyas are persons that watch the sacrifice, i.e.,\ntake care that the ordinances of the scriptures are duly complied with.\nThey are, what is called, Vidhidarsinas.\n\n1802. Clarified butter offered in sacrifices, with cakes of powdered\nbarley steeped in it.\n\n1803. Professor Weber supposes that in this narrative of the three Rishis\nEkata, Dwita, and Trita, the poet is giving a description of either Italy\nor some island in the Mediterranean, and of a Christian worship that\ncertain Hindu pilgrims might have witnessed. Indeed, a writer in the\nCalcutta Review has gone so far as to say that from what follows, the\nconjecture would not be a bold one that the whole passage refers to the\nimpression made on certain Hindu pilgrims upon witnessing the celebration\nof the Eucharist according to the ordinances of the Roman Catholic\nChurch. The Honble K. P. Telang supposes that the whole passage is based\non the poets imagination. Ekantabhavepagatah is taken by some to mean\nworshippers of the divine Unity. I do not think that such a rendering\nwould be correct.\n\n1804. The Bombay reading is tadapratihato abhavat. This seems to be\nbetter than the Bengal reading tato-apratihata. If the Bengal reading be\nadhered to, apratihatah should be taken in the sense of nasti\npratihatoyasmat. The meaning, of course, would remain the same.\n\n1805. Yapa means the silent recitation of certain sacred mantras or of\nthe name of some deity. In the case of the inhabitants of White Island,\nthe silent recitation was no recitation of mantras or words, but was a\nmeditation on incorporeal Brahma. The next verse makes this clear.\n\n1806. This would seem to show that it was the Roman Republic which the\npilgrims saw.\n\n1807. Professor Weber thinks that this has reference to the absence of\nidols or images. The pilgrims saw no deities there such as they had in\ntheir own temples.\n\n1808. Professor Weber wrongly renders the words Purvaja and\nsikshaksharaiamanwitah. The first word does not, as he renders it, imply,\neldest son of God, but simply first-born. It is seen in almost every hymn\nin the Mahabharata to the Supreme Deity. It is synonymous with\nAdipurusha. Then siksha etc. does not, as he thinks, mean 'accompanied by\nteaching,' but it is the science of Orthoepy and is one of the Angas\n(limbs) of the Vedas. The Vedas were always chanted melodiously, the\nscience of Orthoepy was cultivated by the Rishis with great care.\n\n1809. The Pancha-kala, or Pancha-ratra, or Sattwatas vidhi, means certain\nordinances laid down by Narada and other Rishis in respect of the worship\nof Narayana.\n\n1810. The sense is this: as all of them were practising that frame of\nmind which resembles Brahma, they did not regard us, i.e., neither\nhonoured nor dishonoured us.\n\n1811. Both the vernacular translators have erred in rendering this simple\nverse.\n\n1812. The construction seems to be this: Parangatimanuprapta iti\nBrahmanah samanantaram naishthikam sthanam, etc. It does not mean, as K.\nP. Singha puts it, that he proceeded to Brahman's region, nor, as the\nBurdwan translator puts it, that having gone to Brahman's region he\nattained to the highest end. The sense, on the other hand, is that as his\nwas the very highest end, he, therefore, ascended to a spot that is\nhigher than Brahman's region. The simple meaning is that king Uparichara\nattained to identification with Brahma.\n\n1813. i.e., when they have cursed thee, their curse should fructify. Thou\nshouldst not do anything that may have the effect of nullifying that\ncurse.\n\n1814. To this day, in many religious rites, these streaks of ghee are\npoured with mantras recited the while. They are called Vasudhara and are\npoured along the surface of a wall. First, a waving line of red is drawn\nhorizontally on the wall. Then seven spots are made under that line. Then\nwith the sacrificial ladle, Ghee is poured from each of the spots in such\na way that a thick streak is poured along the wall. The length of those\nstreaks is generally 3 to 4 feet and their breadth about half an inch.\n\n1815. The mantras recited by Vasu were Vedic mantras.\n\n1816. The Burdwan translator, as also K. P. Singha, both err in\ntranslating the first line of this verse. It does not mean that Narada\nworshipped them with a bend of his head and that they in return\nworshipped him mentally.\n\n1817. In the sense of His being unmodified, even as space is an entity\nthat cannot be modified in any way.\n\n1818. i.e., as the commentator expands, who is displayed without any\nmodification, all else being modifications of Thyself.\n\n1819. i.e., from whom speech has flowed, or who is Vrihaspati the\ncelestial priest, so famous for his learning and intelligence.\n\n1820. i.e., the original home of the universe. The idea is that when the\nuniversal dissolution comes, all things take refuge in thee. I follow the\ncommentator in all the interpretations he gives.\n\n1821. i.e., who has performed the avabhrita or final bath upon the\ncompletion of all vows and observances and sacrifices.\n\n1822. i.e., thou hast performed sacrifices.\n\n1823. The Vedas have six limbs or divisions.\n\n1824. Pragjyotish is the name of a particular Saman. The Rich beginning\nwith Murdhanam etc. when sung, comes to be called by the name of jeshtha\nSaman. What is said here, therefore, is that thou art both the foremost\nof Samanas and he that sings that Saman.\n\n1825. In the Bombay text, the reading for Vainagarbha is Vaikhanasa which\nmeans a class or sect of ascetics.\n\n1826. The commentator explains that by Mahayajna--great sacrifice--is\nmeant Yoga. The Jiva-Soul is like the libation poured in the sacrifice,\nfor by Yoga the Jiva-Soul is annihilated and merged into the Supreme Soul.\n\n1827. In treatises on the Smriti, the indications of these three kinds or\ndegrees of modifications are given.\n\n1828. By this word is meant a particular conjunction of heavenly bodies.\nThis conjunction is represented as having a peculiar form.\n\n1829. The word Upanaha used here in the dual number, has puzzled many\npersons. It is difficult to conceive why the great God should appear with\na pair of shoes in one of his hands. Probably, the Upanaha, in ancient\ntimes, was a wooden sandal, and what the poet means to say is that\nNarayana, appeared with all the requisites of a Brahmacharin on his\nperson.\n\n1830. i.e., merges into.\n\n1831. This cosmogony is agreeable to the Vaishnava scriptures. Above all,\nwithout beginning is Vasudeva. From Vasudeva is Sankarshana. From\nSankarashana is Pradyumna. From Pradyumna is Aniruddha. Some persons find\nin this quadruple creation the distinct trace of the Christian Trinity.\nIt is very difficult, however, to say which doctrine, the Hindu or the\nChristian, is the original and which is derived from which.\n\n1832. The reader is requested to mark the address 'king of kings'. This\nis evidently a slip of the pen. The whole speech is that of Narayana and\nNarada is the listener.\n\n1833. The commentator is silent. The sense seems to be that as Brahman is\nto be the son of Narayana in the beginning of a Kalpa when there is no\nother existent object mobile or immobile, the same Brahman is to be\nvested with dominion over all things which he would himself create\nthrough Ahankara. Of course, as long as Brahman is without Ahankara so\nlong there can be no Creation, i.e., no subjects mobile and immobile, to\nbe known by different names.\n\n1834. Nityada is always. Some persons believe that Narayana has to\nmanifest himself always for achieving the business of the deities. This\nEarth is not the only world where such manifestations needed. As to the\nobject of the manifestations considerable difference of opinion prevails.\nIn the Gita, the great deity himself explains that that object is to\nrescue the good and destroy the wicked. Others hold that this is only a\nsecondary object, the primary one being to gladden the hearts of the\ndevout by affording them opportunities of worshipping him and applauding\nhis acts, and to indulge in new joys by serving his own worshippers.\n\n1835. This is a reference to the well-known description of Narayana as\nSavitrimandalamadhyavartih etc. It is not the visible Sun whose disc is\nmeant, but that pure fountain of effulgence which is inconceivable for\nits dazzling brightness that is implied.\n\n1836. The tense used in the original is future. What is meant, however,\nis that the great deity does these acts at the beginning of every Kalpa\nwhen he recreates the Earth. All cycles or Kalpas are similar in respect\nof the incidents that occur in them.\n\n1837. Maheswara is Mahadeva or Siva, Mahasena is Kartikeya, the\ngeneralissimo of the celestial forces.\n\n1838. Vana, the son of Vali, was a devout worshipper of Mahadeva. Mina's\ndaughter Usha fell in love with Krishna's grandson Aniruddha. Aniruddha\nwas imprisoned by Vana. It was to rescue Aniruddha that Krishna fought\nwith Vana, after having vanquished both Mahadeva and Kartikeya. The\nthousand and one arms of Vana, less two, were lopped off by Krishna. The\nepisode of the love of Aniruddha and Usha is a very beautiful one.\n\n1839. Saubha was the name of a flying city of the Danavas. Krishna felled\nthis city into the ocean, having killed all its Danava inhabitants. As to\nKala-yavana, his death was brought about by Krishna under the following\ncircumstances. Pursued by the Danava, Krishna took refuge in a\nmountain-cave in which a king of the Satya Yuga was lying asleep.\nEntering the cave, Krishna stood at the head of the sleeping king. The\nDanava, entering the cave after Krishna, found the sleeping king and\nawaked him. As soon as the king looked at the Danava, the latter was\nconsumed into ashes, for the gods had given a boon to the king that he\nwho would awake him would be consumed by a glance of his.\n\n1840. The idea of Eternity without any conceivable beginning and\nconceivable end was so thoroughly realised by the Hindu sages that the\nchiefdom of Heaven itself was to them the concern of a moment. Nothing\nless than unchangeable felicity for all times was the object they\npursued. All other things and states being mutable, and only Brahman\nbeing immutable, what they sought was an identification with Brahma. Such\nidentification with the Supreme Soul was the Emancipation they sought. No\nother religion has ever been able to preach such a high ideal. The\nHindu's concern is with Eternity. He regards his existence here as having\nthe duration of but the millionth part of a moment. How to prevent\nre-birth and attain to an identification with the Supreme Soul is the\nobject of his pursuit.\n\n1841. K. P. Singha has completely misunderstood the sense of verse 113,\nBhishma does not certainly mean that Brahman was unacquainted with the\nnarrative. What Bhishma says is that it was not to Brahman, but to the\nSiddhas assembled in Brahman's abode, that Narada recited his narrative.\n\n1842. K. P. Singha misunderstands verses 115 and 116 completely. The fact\nis, Surya recited the narrative unto those that precede and those that\nfollow him in his journey through the firmament. K. P. Singha confounded\nthe two classes of persons together. The Burdwan translator, as usual,\nmakes nonsense of verse 116. The correct reading (as given in the Bombay\ntext) is lokan, the grammatical construction being lokan tapatah suryasya\netc. The Burdwan translator makes Surya repeat the narrative to the\nworlds created and placed before Surya.\n\n1843. The drift of Saunaka's queries seems to be this the religion of\nPravritti is opposed to that of Nivritti. How is it that both have been\ncreated by the same Narayana. How is it that he has made some with\ndispositions to follow the one, and others with dispositions to follow\nthe others.\n\n1844. Atmanah parinirmitam pralayam means that destruction or cessation\nof existences which is brought about by self-realization. What the king\nsays here is,--If the religion of Nivritti be so superior in consequence\nof its superior end, why is it that the deities who are all superior to\nus did not pursue it? Were they ignorant of the method by which\nEmancipation is attainable? Were they ignorant of the means by which to\nwin cessation of existence? K. P. Singha renders the verse correctly. The\nBurdwan translator misunderstands it although he repeats the exact words\nof the second foot of the second line.\n\n1845. That is, the attributes of vision to Light, taste to Water, sound\nto Space, touch to Wind, and smell to Earth.\n\n1846. Avritti lakshanam means that the reward to be bestowed shall not be\nEmancipation whence there is no return, but such reward (as the felicity\nof heaven) whence there will be a return for each of the receivers.\n\n1847. Taking their rise from the fruits of Pravritti implies having their\norigin in their desire for such fruits as appertain to the religion of\nPravritti or acts.\n\n1848. What is stated here is that creature following the path of\nPravritti cannot hope to reach the spot whence there is no return. It is\nby the path of Nivritti that spot is capable of being reached. The path\nof Pravritti is always fraught with return. One may become, by walking\nalong that path the very chief of the celestials, but that status is not\neternal. Since the beginning (if a beginning can be conceived), millions\nand millions of Indras have arisen and fallen down.\n\n1849. Literally, with their four quarters entire.\n\n1850. This salutation of Krishna unto the Supreme Soul is very\ncharacteristic. He salutes himself by saluting the Supreme Soul.\n\n1851. Sattwa is the attribute of righteousness. It is said to consist of\neight and ten qualities. The commentator mentions them all.\n\n1852. i.e., Emancipation or complete identification with the Supreme Soul.\n\n1853. The object of this verse, the commentator says, is to explain the\nmeaning of the word Hrishikesa. Agni is the digestive fire, and Shoma is\nfood. Uniting together, Agni and Shoma, therefore uphold the universe. In\nthe form of digestive fire and food, Agni and Shoma are two gladdeners of\nthe universe. They are called on this account Hrishi (in the dual\nnumber). And since they are, as it were, the kesa or hair of Narayana,\ntherefore is he called Hrishikesa. All these etymologies are very\nfanciful. Elsewhere the word Hrishikesa is explained as the Isa or lord\nof Hrishika or the senses.\n\n1854. Sat is existent or aught. Asat is naught or non-existent. Very\ngenerally, these two words are used to imply Effects and Causes, the\nformer being gross or manifest, and the latter, subtile or unmanifest.\nTamas here does not mean one of the three primal attributes but primeval\ndarkness. Compare Manu, asitidam tamobhutam etc.\n\n1855. I do not know whether I have understood correctly the last part of\nthis sentence. I think what is stated is that by honouring Hari and\nMantra, one honours the deities and men and the Rishis. By men, I think,\ndead men or the Pitris are referred to.\n\n1856. The reading vagamritam is an error. The correct reading is\ngavamritam.\n\n1857. In former times kings and chiefs always used to assign rent-free\nlands to learned Brahmanas for their support. Those countries where\nBrahmanas had not such lands assigned to them, were, as it were, under a\nban. What is said in this verse is that in such countries the blessings\nof peace are wanting. The inhabitants are borne on vehicles drawn by oxen\non steeds.\n\n1858. In consequence of this third eye on Rudra's forehead, he came to be\ncalled by the name of Virupaksha or the ugly or fierce-eyed.\n\n1859. A Manwantarah consists of about 72 Chaturyugas, i.e., 288 yugas\naccording to the measurement of the celestials. The present yuga is\ncalled the Vaivaswat Manwantarah, i.e., the period connected with Manu\nthe son of Vivaswat. At each Manwantorah a new Manu appears. The\nself-born Manu was a different person.\n\n1860. By practising Yoga one acquires certain superhuman powers. These\nare called Yogaiswaryya. They include Anima, by which one can become very\nminute; Laghima, by which one can become very gross, etc.\n\n1861. The river Ganga has three currents. One flows through heaven, one\nis visible on the Earth, and a third flows through the nether regions.\nPersons of the regenerate classes, when saying their morning, midday, or\nevening prayers, have to touch water often. What is meant, therefore, by\n'Bharadwaja touching the water' is that Bharadwaja was saying his\nprayers. Vishnu assumed his three-footed form for beguiling Vali of the\nsovereignty of the universe. With one foot he covered the Earth, with\nanother he covered the firmament. There was no space left for placing his\nthird foot upon.\n\n1862. The Sreevatsa is a beautiful whirl on Vishnu's bosom.\n\n1863. The Hindu scriptures mention that there is an Equine-head of vast\nproportions which roves through the seas. Blazing fires constantly issue\nfrom its mouth and these drink up the sea-water. It always makes a\nroaring noise. It is called Vadava-mukha. The fire issuing from it is\ncalled Vadavanala. The waters of the Ocean are like clarified butter. The\nEquine-head drinks them up as the sacrificial fire drinks the libations\nof clarified butter poured upon it. The origin of the Vadava fire is\nsometimes ascribed to the wrath of Urva, a Rishi of the race of\nJamadagni. Hence it is sometimes called Aurvya-fire.\n\n1864. The etymology of the word Hrishikesa is thus explained. Agni and\nShoma are called by the name of 'Hrishi' in the dual number. He is called\nHrishikesa who has those two for his kesa or hair. Elsewhere, the word is\nexplained as the Isa or lord of Hrishika.\n\n1865. I am the Soul of all creatures, and, therefore, unborn, the Soul\nbeing Eternal, Unbeginning and Unending. Hence am I called the Unborn.\n\n1866. The race in which Krishna took birth was known by the name of\nSattwata. All these etymologies are, of course, exceedingly fanciful. Not\nthat the etymologies do not correspond with the rules of Sanskrit\nGrammar, but that they are not accepted by lexicographers. The fact is\nthat each root in Sanskrit has a variety of meanings.\n\n1867. This verse refers to Panchikarana. The fact is, Earth, Water,\nLight, Wind and Space are the five primal elements. Each of these is\ndivided into five portions and the portions so arrived at are then united\nor mingled together forming the different substances of the universe, the\nproportions in which they are mingled being unequal.\n\n1868. Achyuta has been variously rendered into English. Its true sense is\nhere explained. Unswerving is the meaning. He who never swerves (from his\nhighest nature or Brahma) is Achyuta. Hence, ordinarily, immutable or\nundeteriorating is the rendering that I have adopted.\n\n1869. Clarified butter is the great sustainer of the universe, for the\nlibations poured on the sacrificial fire uphold the deities, and the\ndeities, thus upheld, pour rain which causes crops and other food to\ngrow, upon which, of course, the universe of living creatures live.\n\n1870. The constituent elements, called Dhatu, of the body, are, of course\nBile, Phlegm and Wind. They are due to actions because birth itself is\ndue to actions. There can be no birth without a body, and no body without\nthese three. Hence, these three have their origin in previous actions\nun-exhausted by enjoyment or endurance.\n\n1871. Narayana is said to always dwell in the midst of Savitri-mandala.\nThe solar disc represents eternal effulgence, or Milton's 'flaming\namount' at which even the highest angels cannot gaze.\n\n1872. Durlabha may also mean not easily attainable: i.e., they that are\nmy devoted worshippers are as unattainable as I myself. People cannot\nreadily obtain their grace as they cannot mine.\n\n1873. The Yajur-Veda consists, according to this calculation, of one\nhundred and one branches.\n\n1874. The Krityas are acts of incantation, performed with the aid of\nAtharvan Mantras. They are of great efficacy. Brahmanas conversant with\nthe Atharvans are competent, with the aid of Krityas to alter the laws of\nNature and confound the very universe.\n\n1875. The path pointed out by Varna is the path of Dhyana or\ncontemplation. Vama is Mahadeva or Rudra. Panchala is Galava of the\nVabhravya race. The Burdwan translator makes a mess of these verses. He\nrepresents Galava as belonging to the Kundarika race. The fact is, as the\nCommentator explains, that Kundarika is a name derived from that of the\nGotra or race to which the person belonged, Panchala is the same person\nas Galava of the Vabhravya race.\n\n1876. Elsewhere it is said that Narayana took birth in Dharma's house in\nfour forms named Nara, Narayana, Krishna, and Hari. Dharmayanam samarudau\nmeans riding on the Dharma-car, i.e., endued with bodies with which to\nperform all the scriptural duties.\n\n1877. Munja literally means green, or a grass of particular kind.\n\n1878. Nara and Narayana were the same person. Hence, Nara's weapon having\nbeen broken into pieces, Narayana came to be called by this name.\nElsewhere it is explained that Mahadeva is called Khandaparasu in\nconsequence of his having parted with his parasu (battle-axe) unto Rama\nof Bhrigu's race.\n\n1879. He has been pleased to assume the forms of Rishis Nara and Narayana.\n\n1880. i.e., he that was speaking to Arjuna.\n\n1881. Kala is literally Time or Eternity. It frequently means, however,\ndeath or destruction, or he that brings about death or destruction.\n\n1882. The sense is that Arjuna was only the ostensible instrument.\n\n1883. The questions of Janamejaya, it would seem, were addressed to\nVyasa. All the editions, however, make Vaisampayana answer those\nquestions.\n\n1884. It is difficult to say what this word means. I think with the\ncommentator that it means shoulder joints.\n\n1885. The Bengal reading is ashta-bhujau. The Bombay reading\nashta-dangshtrau does not seem to be correct. By accepting the Bengal\nreading, the word mushka becomes clear.\n\n1886. Avyagran means with tranquil souls. It is said that with most young\nmen what occurs is that their hearts at first leave them when they see a\nrespected guest arrived who is to be received with due honours. A little\nwhile after, they get back their hearts. In the Nara and Narayana,\nhowever, nothing of this kind happened when they saw Narada first,\nalthough Narada was one to whom their reverence was due.\n\n1887. Nara and Narayana are the displayed forms of the undisplayed Hari.\n\n1888. cf. Milton's description of the mount of God. The highest angels\nare not competent to bear its effulgence, being obliged to cover their\neyes with their wings in looking at it.\n\n1889. Prithivi or Earth is said to be sarvamsaha. As forgiving as the\nEarth is a common form of expression in almost every Indian dialect.\n\n1890. By Sat is meant all existent things. The correlative word is Asat\nor non-existent. Hence, aught and naught are the nearest approaches to\nthese words. There are many secondary significations, however of these\ntwo words, Sat, for example, indicates effects or all gross objects; and\nasat indicates causes, etc.\n\n1891. The story is that once on a time the deities, on the eve of going\nout on a campaign against the Asuras, communicated the Vedas unto their\nchildren, Agnishatta and others. In consequence, however, of the length\nof time for which they were occupied on the field, they forgot their\nVedas. Returning to heaven, they had actually to re-acquire them from\ntheir own children and disciples. The Scriptures declare that the\npreceptor is ever the sire, and the disciple is the son. Difference of\nage would not disturb the relationship. A youth of sixteen might thus be\nthe father of an octogenarian. With Brahmanas, reverence is due to\nknowledge, not age.\n\n1892. The Hari-Gita is the Bhagavad-Gita. It is sometimes called also\nNarayana-Gita.\n\n1893. It is not clear who is the Guru referred to in this verse. The\ncommentator thinks that it is Vrihaspati, the preceptor of the\ncelestials. The celestial preceptor never came to the Pandavas. It is\nprobable that either Vyasa or Vaisampayana is meant.\n\n1894. In these verses, it is to Vasudeva that the speaker is referring.\nThe witness of the worlds means that he has witnessed innumerable\nCreation and Destructions and will witness them through eternity.\n\n1895. This speech is really that of Saunaka. Some incorrect texts\nrepresent it as the speech of Janamejaya. The following speech is that of\nSauti, though the texts alluded to above make it that of Vaisampayana. It\nis true in the speech the vocative 'Brahman' occurs, but we may easily\ntake it as a slip of this pen. K. P. Singha makes the correction. The\nBurdwan translator, without perceiving the absurdity, adheres to the\nincorrect texts.\n\n1896. It is difficult to settle the reading of this verse. The Bengal\ntexts have alayah, the Bombay edition has alayam. At any rate, verse 58\nseems to contradict the previous verse. If after resorting the Vedas to\nBrahmana, Narayana to his own nature, where would his form be that had\nthe horse-head?\n\n1897. Both the Vernacular translators give ridiculous versions of this\nverse. K. P. Singha takes Panchala to be a king and understands the verse\nto mean that king Panchala got back his kingdom through the grace of\nNarayana. The Burdwan translator errors as usual, by taking krama to\nimply gati or end. The fact is this verse repeats what has been already\nsaid in verses 100 to 102 of section 343 ante. Krama means the science by\nwhose aid the words used in the Vedas are separated from each other.\n\n1898. 'Those who have burnt of their fuel' means men that have freed\nthemselves from desire. Param paryyagati means knowledge as handed down\nfrom preceptor to preceptor.\n\n1899. Vasudeva is called the Fourth because below Him is Sankarshana,\nPradyumna, and Aniruddha.\n\n1900. What is stated in these two verses is the difference between the\nends of those that rely on Knowledge, and those that are devoted to\nNarayana with their whole souls. The former attain to Vasudeva, it is\ntrue, but then they have to pass gradually through the three others one\nafter another, viz., Aniruddha, Pradyumna, and Sankarshana. The latter,\nhowever, at once attain to Vasudeva. It is curious to note how the\nBurdwan translator, with the commentary before him and from which he\nquotes, misunderstands the second verse completely. K. P. Singha's\nversion also is not clear though not incorrect.\n\n1901. The word Ekantin is explained by the commentator to mean a nishkama\nworshipper, i.e., one who adores the Supreme Deity without the\nexpectation of any fruit whatever. There can be no error, however in\nrendering it as one devoted with his whole soul. Such devotion verily\nimplies nishkama worship.\n\n1902. i.e., all creatures were righteous and compassionate. Of evil,\nthere was nothing in that age.\n\n1903. One of the foremost of Samans is called by the name of Jeshthya.\nOne conversant with the Jeshthya Saman would have this name.\n\n1904. Ikshaku was the progenitor of the solar race of kings.\n\n1905. This desire, of course, relates to the acquisition of Emancipation.\nYoga-kshema literally means the acquisition of what is desired and the\nprotection of what has been acquired.\n\n1906. Buddha or Pratibuddha literally implies _awakened_. The sense, of\ncourse, is that such a person has succeeded in casting off all impurities\nand desires. He has, as it were been awakened from the slumber of\nignorance or darkness.\n\n1907. Those that follow the religion of Pravritti acquire heaven, etc.,\nthrough their merits. Merits however, are exhaustible. They have,\ntherefore, to fall down from heaven. The Creator Brahma casts his eye on\n[(illegible--JBH)] that follow Pravritti. The religion of Nivritti,\nhowever, leads to Emancipation. It is Narayana that looks upon men that\nbetake to Nivritti.\n\n1908. What is stated here is this the deities and Rishis are certainly\nendued with Sattwa. But then that Sattwa is of a great form. Hence, they\ncannot attain to Emancipation. It is only that Sattwa which is of subtile\nform that leads to Emancipation. The deities, without being able to\nattain to Emancipation, remain in a state that is mutable or fraught with\nchange.\n\n1909. That is, the practices which constitute the religion of the\nEkantins are not really different for those laid down in the scriptures\nadverted to above.\n\n1910. Who are the Whites referred to in this place? The commentator\nexplains that the word has reference to persons leading the domestic mode\nof life. Yatis wear robes that are coloured yellow or yellowish red.\nHouseholds, however, use cloth that is white. The word may also mean the\ninhabitants of White Island.\n\n1911. The name Apantara-tamas implies one whose darkness or ignorance has\nbeen dispelled.\n\n1912. Vedakhyane Srutih karyya, literally, I think, means thou shouldst\nturn thy ears to the description of the Vedas, implying that thou\nshouldst set thyself to a distribution or arrangement of the Vedic hymns\nand Mantras.\n\n1913. It is difficult to understand what is the precise meaning of the\nexpression twamrite. Literally it means without thee. Whether however,\nthe speaker means that all the princes will meet with destruction except\nthee or that they will be destroyed without thy being present among them,\nor that such destruction will overtake them without thyself being the\ncause of it, it is difficult to determine.\n\n1914. Anyo hanyam chintayati seems to mean that the thoughts of others do\nnot correspond with their act.\n\n1915. It is scarcely necessary to remark that the word nandana means both\nsons and delighter. The etymological meaning is, of course, delighter.\nThe son or grand-son is so called because of his being a source of\ndelight to the sire or the grandsire with the other members of the\nfamily. In verse 58, nandana seems to be used in the sense of delighter.\n\n1916. The commentator explains these verses in this way. So far as\nordinary purposes are concerned, both the Sankhyas and Yogins speak of\nmany Purushas. In reality, however, for purposes of the highest truth,\nthere is but one Purusha. I do not see this limitation in the verse\nitself. The fact is what the commentator says is to be seen in the next\nVerse.\n\n1917. The abode of thy feet means thy abode. To this day, in mentioning\npersons that are entitled to reverence, the Hindu speaks of them as the\n\"feet of so and so\".\n\n1918. The commentator explains the meanings of the words used in this\nverse in this way--He is called Purusha, because of the attribute of\nfulness eternal, because he has neither beginning nor end; immutable,\nbecause there is no change in him; undeteriorating, because he has no\nbody that may be subject to decay; immeasurable, because the mind cannot\nconceive of him in his fulness.\n\n1919. Acts are called seeds. Seeds produce tree. Acts lead to the\nattainment of bodies. For the production of bodies, therefore, acts\noperate like seeds.\n\n1920. The sense seems to be this: in the Yoga system He is called the\nSupreme Soul, for Yogins affirm the existence of two souls, the Jivatman\nand the Supreme Soul, and assert the superiority of the latter over the\nformer. The Sankhyas regard the Jiva-soul and the Supreme Soul to be one\nand the same. A third class of men think everything as Soul, there being\nno difference between the one Soul and the universe displayed in\ninfinitude.\n\n1921. The acting Soul is ensconced in the Linga-sarira with which it\nbecomes now a human being, now a deity, now an animal, etc. given and ten\npossessions are five pranas, mind, intelligence and ten organs of senses.\n\n1922. Dhaturadyam Vidhanam is supposed by the commentator to imply what\nis known as Mahat i.e., the existence of Jiva before the consciousness of\nEgo arises.\n\n1923. Pragvansa is a certain part of the altar. Both the vernacular\ntranslators omit the word in their renderings.\n\n1924. This portion does not occur in all the texts. I have thought fit to\nadd it for explaining the connection. Most texts begin abruptly by\nsaying--Yudhishthira said, etc. etc.\n\n1925. The object of the question is to ascertain which is the foremost of\nall the modes of life. Although Renunciation has been described to be the\nbest of all modes, still the duties of that mode are exceedingly\ndifficult of practice. Hence, Yudhishthira wishes to know if the duties\nof any other mode can be regarded as superior.\n\n1926. Family customs are always observed with great care. Even when\ninconsistent with the ordinances of the scriptures, such customs do not\nlose their binding force. Reprehensible as the sale of a daughter or\nsister is, the great king Salya, when he bestowed his sister Madri on\nPandu, insisted upon taking a sum of money, alleging family custom not\nonly as an excuse but as something that was obligatory. To this day,\nanimals are slain in the sacrifices of many families which follow the\nVaishnava faith, the justification being family custom.\n\n1927. The Vedas are, strictly speaking, not scriptures, for they are\n_heard_ the scriptures being those ordinances that are written down. Of\ncourse, the Vedas have been reduced into writing, but for all that, they\ncontinue to be called the Srutis, as the Common Law of England, though\nreduced into writing, is still called the unwritten law etc. etc.\n\n1928. Some texts erroneously read sthitah for sthitim. Eka eva atmani\nsthitim kartum literally rendered, is to achieve existence in the one\nsoul. This means to realise the union of the Jiva-soul with the 'Supreme\nSoul.' 'Relying upon the Soul I shall try to exist in the one Soul,' in\nbrief, means, I shall try to unite the Jiva with Supreme Soul. The\ndifference between Kankhami and Ichcchemi is well illustrated by the\ncommentator by referring to the case of the man of weak stomach who\ncraves for food of every kind but who does not wish to actually eat from\nfear of increasing his illness.\n\n1929. Sattwikani implies the deities and others that are endued with the\nattribute of Sattwa. Samyujyamanani refers to their births and deaths as\ndeities and men in consequence of the fruits reaped of acts done.\nNiryyatyamanani is distressed or afflicted in consequence of such birth\nand deaths. The rows of Yama's standards and flags refer to the diverse\ndiseases that afflict all creatures.\n\n1930. The commentator explains that nityah-salilah means pure as water. I\nthink this is not the sense of the word here.\n\n1931. It is desirable to note that the word atithi which is rendered\nguest here and elsewhere, means a person who enters without invitation\nthe abode of a householder. Such an individual is adorable. All the\ndeities reside in his person. He is supposed to favour the householder by\ngiving him an opportunity of performing the rites of hospitality.\nWhatever the respect, however, that is paid to a guest, he cannot expect\nto be served with food till the householder, has done his best for\nserving him as sumptuously as his circumstances would permit. Hence, by\nthe time the food is placed before him, the guest becomes very hungry.\n\n1932. Some of the Bengal texts have dwigunam for dwiruna. Less than ten\nby two is the meaning.\n\n1933. This verse seems to be unintelligible. I think the sense is this.\nFrugality of fare and observance of vows constitute merit for person of\nall classes. These imply the restraint of the senses, for if the senses\nbe not restrained, no one can observe vows or practise frugality. There\nis a connection, thus between the duties of religion and the senses.\n\n1934. Darsana-sravas means one who hears with the eye. The Nagas or\nsnakes are believed to have no ears, but to use their eyes both for\nseeing and hearing. Who the Nagas of the Mahabharata or the Puranas were,\nit is difficult to determine. They seem to have been a superior order of\nbeings, having their abode in the nether regions.\n\n1935. The meaning of annyayinah is that we should be followed by others,\ni.e., we deserve to walk at the head of others.\n\n1936. The Indian bird Chataka has a natural hole on the upper part of its\nlong neck in consequence of which it is seen to always sit with beaks\nupturned, so that the upper part of the neck keeps the hole covered. The\nChataka is incapable of slaking its thirst in a lake or river, for it\ncannot bend its neck down. Rain water is what it must drink. Its cry is\nshrill and sharp but not without sweetness. 'Phate-e-ek-jal' is supposed\nto be the cry uttered by it. When the Chataka cries, the hearers expect\nrain. Eager expectation with respect to anything is always compared to\nthe Chataka's expectation of rain water.\n\n1937. The Burdwan translator erroneously renders this verse. The\ncommentator explains that hitwa is equivalent to vina and sums up the\nmeaning of the first line in these words, viz., twaddarsanam vina asya\nkopi vighnomabhut. In the second line, naprayupasate is equal to\nparitajya na aste.\n\n1938. It is a pity that even such verses have not been rendered correctly\nby the Burdwan translator. K. P. Singha gives the sense correctly, but\nthe translation is not accurate.\n\n1939. A form of expression meaning that 'we are your slaves'.\n\n1940. Atmanam is Brahma; atmasthah is 'relying in the Soul', i.e.,\nwithdrawn from all worldly objects; atmanogatim implies the end of the\nJiva-soul, i.e., the Supreme Soul; the last is an adjective of atmanam.\n\n1941. It has been explained in the previous sections that the Unccha vow\nconsists in subsisting on grains picked up from the fields after the corn\nhas been reaped and taken away by the owners. It is a most difficult vow\nto observe. The merit attaching to it is, therefore, very great.\n\n1942. The formal initiation or diksha is a ceremony of great importance.\nNo sacrifice or vow, no religious rite, can be performed without the\ndiksha. The rite of diksha is performed with the assistance of a\npreceptor or priest. In leaving the domestic mode for the life of a\nforest recluse, the diksha is necessary. In following the Unccha vow,\nthis rite is needed. Any religious act performed by one without having\nundergone the formal diksha, becomes sterile of results.\n\n1943. Bhishma abducted, with the might of his single arms, the three\ndaughters of the king of Kasi, viz., Amva, Amvika, and Amvalika. He\nwished to marry the princesses to his brother Vichitravirya. The eldest\nprincess, having previously to her abduction selected king Salwa for her\nlord was let off. When, however, she presented herself before her lover,\nthe latter refused to wed her. She, therefore, applied to Rama for\nwreaking vengeance on Bhishma whom she regarded as the author of her\nwrongs. Rama took up her cause and fought with Bhishma, but was obliged\nto acknowledge defeat at the hands of his antagonist who was his disciple\nin arms. For fuller particulars, vide Amvopakhyana Parvan in Udyoga Parvan.","title":"The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 3: Books 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":809870}