Chapter 36

Vaishampayana said, “Baladeva (as already said), proceeded next to thetirtha called Udapana in the Sarasvati, that had formerly been theresidence, O king, of the illustrious (ascetic) Trita. Having given awaymuch wealth and worshipped the Brahmanas, the hero having the plough forhis weapon bathed there and became filled with joy. Devoted torighteousness, the great ascetic Trita had lived there. While in a hole,that high-souled one had drunk the Soma juice. His two brothers, dashinghim down into that pit, had returned to their home. That foremost ofBrahmanas, Trita, had thereupon cursed them both.”

Janamejaya said, “What is the origin of Udapana? How did the greatascetic (Trita) fall into a pit, there? Why was that foremost ofBrahmanas thrown into that pit by his brothers? How did his brothers,after throwing him into that hole, return home? How did Trita perform hissacrifice and how did he drink Soma? Tell me all this, O Brahmana, ifthou thinkest that I may listen to it without impropriety!”

Vaishampayana continued, “In a former Yuga, O king, there were threebrothers that were ascetics. They were called Ekata, Dwita, and Trita,and all three were endued with effulgence like that of the sun. They werelike Lords of the creation and were blessed with children. Utterers ofBrahma, they had by their penances, acquired the privilege of attainingto the regions of Brahman (after death). With their penances, vows, andself-restraint, their sire Gautama, who was ever devoted to virtue,became highly and always pleased with them. Having obtained great joy inconsequence of his sons, the adorable Gautama, after passing a long lifehere, went at last to the region (in the other world) that was fit forhim. Those kings, however, O monarch, that had been the Yajamanas ofGautama, continued to worship Gautama’s sons after the sire had proceededto heaven. Amongst them, however, Trita, by his acts and study (of theVedas), O king, became the foremost, even like his sire Gautama. Then allthe highly blessed ascetics, characterised by righteousness, began toworship Trita as they had worshipped his sire Gautama before him. Onceupon a time, the two brothers Ekata and Dwita thought of performing asacrifice and became anxious for wealth. The plan they formed, O scorcherof foes, was to take Trita with them, and calling upon all theirYajamanas and collecting the needful number of animals, they wouldjoyfully drink the Soma juice and acquire the great merits of sacrifice.The three brothers then, O monarch, did as settled. Calling upon alltheir Yajamanas for (obtaining) animals, and assisting them in theirsacrifices and receiving a large number of animals from them, and havingduly accepted them in gift in consequence of those priestly serviceswhich they rendered, those high-souled and great Rishis came towards theeast. Trita, O king, with a cheerful heart was walking before them. Ekataand Dwita were in his rear, bringing up the animals. Beholding that largeherd of animals, they began to reflect as to how they two couldappropriate that property without giving a share unto Trita. Hear, Oking, what those two sinful wretches, Ekata and Dwita, said whileconversing with each other! They said, ‘Trita is skilled in assisting atsacrifices. Trita is devoted to the Vedas. Trita is capable of earningmany other kine. Let us two, therefore, go away, taking the kine with us!Let Trita go whithersoever he chooses, without being in our company!’ Asthey proceeded, night came upon them on the way. They then saw a wolfbefore them. Not far from that spot was a deep hole on the bank of theSarasvati. Trita, who was in advance of his brothers, seeing the wolf,ran in fright and fell into that hole. That hole was fathomless andterrible and capable of inspiring all creatures with fear. Then Trita, Oking, that best of ascetics, from within that hole, began to utter wailsof woe. His two brothers heard his cries. Understanding that he hadfallen into a pit, his brothers Ekata and Dwita, moved by fear of thewolf as also by temptation, went on, deserting their brother. Thusdeserted by his two brothers, who were moved by the temptation ofappropriating those animals, the great ascetic Trita, O king, whilewithin that lonely well covered with dust and herbs and creepers, thoughthimself plunged, O chief of the Bharatas, into hell itself like a sinfulwretch. He feared to die inasmuch as he had not earned the merit ofdrinking Soma juice. Possessed of great wisdom, he began to reflect withthe aid of his intelligence as to how he could succeed in drinking Somaeven there. While thinking on that subject, the great ascetic, standingin that pit, beheld a creeper hanging down into it in course of itsgrowth. Although the pit was dry, the sage imagined the existence ofwater and of sacrificial fires there. Constituting himself the Hotri (inimagination), the great ascetic imagined the creeper he saw to be theSoma plant. He then mentally uttered the Richs, the Yayushes and theSamans (that were necessary for the performance of a sacrifice). Thepebbles (lying at the bottom of the well) Trita converted into grains ofsugar (in imagination). He then, O king, (mentally) performed hisablutions. He conceived the water (he had imagined) to be clarifiedbutter. He allotted to the celestials their respective shares (of thosesacrificial offerings). Having next (mentally) drunk Soma, he began toutter a loud noise. Those sounds, O king, first uttered by thesacrificing Rishi, penetrated into heaven, and Trita completed thatsacrifice after the manner laid down by utterers of Brahma. During theprogress of that sacrifice of the high-souled Trita, the whole region ofthe celestials became agitated. None knew, however, the cause. Brihaspati(the preceptor of the gods) heard that loud noise (made by Trita). Thepriests of the celestials said unto the latter, ‘Trita is performing asacrifice. We must go there, ye gods! Endued with great ascetic merit, ifangry, he is competent to create other gods!’ Hearing these words ofBrihaspati, all the gods, united together, repaired to that spot wherethe sacrifice of Trita was going on. Having proceeded to that spot, thegods beheld the high-souled Trita installed in the performance of hissacrifice. Beholding that high-souled one resplendent with beauty, thegods addressed him, saying, ‘We have come hither for our shares (in thyofferings)!’ The Rishi said unto them, ‘Behold me, ye denizens of heaven,fallen into this terrible well, almost deprived of my senses!’ Then,Trita, O monarch, duly gave unto them their shares with proper mantras.The gods took them and became very glad. Having duly obtained theirallotted shares, the denizens of heaven, gratified with him, gave himsuch boons as he desired. The boon, however, that he solicited was thatthe gods should relieve him from his distressful situation (in the well).He also said, ‘Let him that bathes in this well, have the end that isattained by persons that have drunk Soma!’ At these words, O king, theSarasvati with her waves appeared within that well. Raised aloft by her,Trita came up and worshipped the denizens of heaven. The gods then saidunto him ‘Be it as thou wishest!’ All of them, then, O king, went to theplace whence they had come, and Trita, filled with joy, proceeded to hisown abode. Meeting with those two Rishis, his brothers, he became enragedwith them. Possessed of great ascetic merit, he said certain harsh wordsunto them and cursed them, saying, ‘Since, moved by covetousness, you ranaway, deserting me, therefore, you shall become fierce wolves with sharpteeth and range the forest, cursed by me in consequence of that sinfulact of yours! The offspring also that you shall have will consist ofleopards, and bears and apes!’ After Trita had said these words, Omonarch, his two brothers were seen to be very soon transformed intothese shapes in consequence of the words of that truthful sage. Ofimmeasurable prowess, Valadeva touched the waters of Udapana. And he gaveaway diverse kinds of wealth there and worshipped many Brahmanas.Beholding Udapana and applauding it repeatedly, Valadeva next proceededto Vinasana which also was on the Sarasvati.”