Chapter 53

“Yudhishthira said, ‘After the Rishi had disappeared, what did the kingdo and what also did highly-blessed spouse do? Tell me this, O grandsire!’

“Bhishma said, ‘Having lost sight of the Rishi, the king, overwhelmedwith shame, toil-worn and losing his senses, returned to his palace,accompanied by his queen. Entering his mansion in a cheerless mood, hespoke not a word with any one. He thought only of that conduct ofChyavana. With a despairing heart he then proceeded to his chamber. Therehe saw the son of Bhrigu stretched as before on his bed. Beholding theRishi there, they wondered much. Indeed, they began to reflect upon thatvery strange incident. The sight of the Rishi dispelled their fatigue.Taking their seats once more by his side, they again set themselves togently press his feet as before. Meanwhile, the great ascetic continuedto sleep soundly as before. Only, he now lay on another side. Endued withgreat energy, he thus passed another period measured by one and twentyday. Agitated by their fears, the royal couple showed no change in theirattitude or sentiment towards the Rishi. Awaking then from his slumber,the ascetic addressed the king and the queen, saying, ‘Do ye rub my bodywith oil. I wish to have a bath.’ Famishing and toil-worn though theywere they readily assented, and soon approached the Rishi with a costlyoil that had been prepared by boiling it a hundred times. While the Rishiwas seated at his ease, the king and the queen, restraining speech,continued to rub him. Endued with high ascetic merit the son of Bhrigudid not once utter the word ‘Sufficient.’ Bhrigu’s son, however, saw thatthe royal couple were totally unmoved. Rising up suddenly, he entered thebathing chamber. The diverse article necessary for a bath and such aswere fit for a king’s use, were ready there. Without honouring, however,any of those articles by appropriating them to his use, the Rishi oncemore disappeared there and then by his Yoga-power, in the very sight ofking Kusika (and his spouse). This, however, O chief of the Bharatas,failed to disturb the equanimity of the royal couple. The next time thepuissant Rishi was seen seated, after a bath on the throne. Indeed, itwas from that place that he then showed himself to the king and thequeen, O delighter of the Kurus. With a cheerful face, king Kusika,together with his wife, then offered the Rishi cooked food with greatreverence. Endued with wisdom, and with heart totally unmoved, Kusikamade this offer. ‘Let the food be brought’ were the words that were thenuttered by the ascetic. Assisted by his spouse, the king soon broughtthither the food. There were diverse kinds of meat and differentpreparations also thereof. There was a great variety of vegetables alsoand pot-herbs. There were juicy cakes too among those viands, and severalagreeable kinds of confectionery, and solid preparations of milk. Indeed,the viands offered presented different kinds of taste. Among them therewas also some food–the produce of the wilderness–such as ascetics likedand took. Diverse agreeable kinds of fruit, fit to be eaten by kings,were also there. There were Vadaras and Ingudas and Kasmaryas andBhallatakas. Indeed, the food that was offered contained such things asare taken by persons leading a domestic mode of life as also such thingsas are taken by denizens of the wilderness. Through fear of the Rishi’scurse, the king had caused all kinds of food to be collected and dressedfor his guest. All this food, brought from the kitchen, was placed beforeChyavana. A seat was also placed for him and a bed too was spread. Theviands were then caused to be covered with white cloths. Soon, however,Chyavana of Bhrigu’s race set fire to all the things and reduced them toashes. Possessed of great intelligence, the royal couple showed no wrathat this conduct of the Rishi, who once more, after this made himselfinvisible before the very eyes of the king and the queen. The Royal sageKusika thereupon stood there in the same posture for the whole night,with his spouse by his side, and without speaking a word. Endued withgreat prosperity, he did not give way to wrath. Every day, good and purefood of diverse kinds, excellent beds, abundant articles needed for bath,and cloths of various kinds, were collected and kept in readiness in thepalace for the Rishi. Indeed, Chyavana failed to notice any fault in theconduct of the king. Then the regenerate Rishi, addressing king Kusika,said unto him, ‘Do thou with thy spouse, yoke thyself unto a car and bearme on it to whichever place I shall direct.’ Without the least scruple,the king answered Chyavana endued with wealth of asceticism, saying, ‘Sobe it!’ and he further enquired of the Rishi, asking, ‘Which car shall Ibring? Shall it be my pleasure-car for making progress of pleasure, or,shall it be my battle-car? Thus addressed by the delighted and contentedmonarch, the ascetic said unto him, ‘Do thou promptly equip that car ofthine with which thou penetratest into hostile cities. Indeed thatbattle-car of thine, with every weapon, with its standard and flags, itsdarts and javelins and golden columns and poles, should be made ready.Its rattle resembles the tinkling of bells. It is adorned with numerousarches made of pure gold. It is always furnished with high and excellentweapons numbering by hundreds!’ The king said, ‘So be it!’ and sooncaused his great battle-car to be equipped. And he yoked his wife theretoon the left and his own self on the right. And the king placed on thecar, among its other equipments, the goad which had three handles andwhich had a point at once hard as the thunderbolt and sharp as theneedle.[307] Having placed every requisite upon the car, the king saidunto the Rishi, ‘O holy one, whither shall the car proceed? O, let theson of Bhrigu issue his command! This thy car shall proceed to the placewhich thou mayst be pleased to indicate.’ Thus addressed the holy manreplied unto the king, saying, ‘Let the car go hence, dragged slowly,step by step. Obedient to my will, do ye two proceed in such a way that Imay not feel any fatigue, I should be borne away pleasantly, and let allthy people see this progress that I make through their midst. Let noperson that comes to me, as I proceed along the road, be driven away. Ishall make gifts of wealth unto all. Unto them amongst the Brahmanas thatmay approach me on the way, I shall grant their wishes and bestow uponall of them gems and wealth without stint. Let all this be accomplished,O king, and do not entertain any scruples.’ Hearing these words of theRishi, the king summoned his servants and said, ‘Ye should, without anyfear, give away whatever the ascetic will order.’ Then jewels and gems inabundance, and beautiful women, and pairs of sheep, and coined anduncoined gold, and huge elephants resembling hills or mountain summits,and all the ministers of the king, began to follow the Rishi as he wasborne away on that car. Cries of ‘Oh’ and ‘Alas’ arose from every part ofthe city which was plunged in grief at that extraordinary sight. And theking and the queen were suddenly struck by the Rishi with that goadequipped with sharp point. Though thus struck on the back and the cheeks,the royal couple still showed no sign of agitation. On the other hand,they continued to bear the Rishi on as before. Trembling from head tofoot, for no food had passed their lips for fifty nights, and exceedinglyweak, the heroic couple somehow succeeded in dragging that excellent car.Repeatedly and deeply cut by the goad, the royal couple became coveredwith blood. Indeed, O monarch, they then looked like a couple of Kinsukatrees in the flowering season. The citizens, beholding the plight towhich their king and queen had been reduced, became afflicted with greatgrief. Filled with fear at the prospect of the curse of the Rishi, theykept silent under their misery. Gathering in knots they said unto eachother, ‘Behold the might of penances! Although all of us are angry, weare still unable to look at the Rishi! Great is the energy of the holyRishi of cleaned soul! Behold also the endurance of the king and hisroyal spouse! Though worn out with toil and hunger, they are stillbearing the car! The son of Bhrigu notwithstanding the misery he causedto Kusika and his queen, failed to mark any sign of dissatisfaction oragitation in them.’

“Bhishma continued, ‘The perpetuator of Bhrigu’s race beholding the kingand the queen totally unmoved, began to give away very largely (wealthobtained from the king’s treasury) as if he were a second Lord ofTreasures. At this act also, king Kusika Showed no mark ofdissatisfaction. He did as the Rishi commanded (in the matter of thosegifts). Seeing all this, that illustrious and best of ascetics becamedelighted. Coming down from that excellent car, he unharnessed the royalcouple. Having freed them, he addressed them duly. Indeed, the son ofBhrigu, in a soft, deep, and delighted voice, said, ‘I am ready to givean excellent boon unto you both!’ Delicate as they were, their bodies hadbeen pierced with the goad. That best of ascetics, moved by affection,softly touched them with his hands whose healing virtues resembled thoseof nectar itself, O chief of the Bharatas. Then the king answered, ‘Mywife and I have felt no toil!’ Indeed, all their fatigue had beendispelled by the puissance of the Rishi, and hence it was that the kingcould say so unto the Rishi. Delighted with their conduct, theillustrious Chyavana said unto them, ‘I have never before spoken anuntruth. It must, therefore, be as I have said. This spot on the banks ofthe Ganga is very delightful and auspicious. I shall, observant of a vow,dwell for a little while here, O king! Do thou return to thy city. Thouare fatigued! Thou shalt come again. Tomorrow, O king, thou shalt,returning with thy spouse, behold me even here. Thou shouldst not giveway to wrath or grief. The time is come when thou shalt reap a greatreward! That which is coveted by thee and which is in thy heart shallverily be accomplished.’ Thus addressed by the Rishi, king Kusika, with adelighted heart, replied unto the Rishi in these words of grave import,’I have cherished no wrath or grief, O highly-blessed one! We have beencleansed and sanctified by thee, O holy one! We have once more becomeendued with youth. Behold our bodies have become exceedingly beautifuland possessed of great strength. I do not any longer see those wounds andcicatrices that were caused by thee on our persons with thy goad. Verily,with my spouse, I am in good health. I see my goddess become as beautifulin body as an Apsara. Verily, she is endued with as much comeliness andsplendour as she had ever been before. All this, O great ascetic, is dueto thy grace. Verily, there is nothing astonishing in all this, O holyRishi of puissance ever unbaffled.’ Thus addressed by the king, Chyavanasaid unto him, ‘Thou shalt, with thy spouse, return hither tomorrow, Omonarch!’ With these words, the royal sage Kusika was dismissed. Salutingthe Rishi, the monarch, endued with a handsome body, returned to hiscapital like unto a second chief of the celestials. The counsellors then,with the priest, came out to receive him. His troops and the dancingwomen and all his subjects, also did the same. Surrounded by them all,king Kusika, blazing with beauty and splendour, entered his city, with adelighted heart, and his praises were hymned by bards and encomiasts.Having entered his city and performed all his morning rites, he ate withhis wife. Endued with great splendour, the monarch then passed the nighthappily. Each beheld the other to be possessed anew of youth. All theirafflictions and pains having ceased, they beheld each other to resemble acelestial. Endued with the spendour they had obtained as a boon from thatforemost of Brahmanas, and possessed as they were of forms that wereexceedingly comely and beautiful, both of them passed a happy night intheir bed. Meanwhile, the spreader of the feats of Bhrigu’s race, viz.,the Rishi possessed of the wealth of penances, converted, by hisYoga-power, that delightful wood on the bank of the Ganga into a retreatfull of wealth of every kind and adorned with every variety of jewels andgems in consequence of which it surpassed in beauty and splendour thevery abode of the chief of the celestials.”