Chapter 54

“Bhishma said, ‘When that night passed away, the high-souled king Kusikaawoke and went through his morning rites. Accompanied by his wife he thenproceeded towards that wood which the Rishi had selected for hisresidence. Arrived there, the monarch saw a palatial mansion madeentirely of gold. Possessed of a thousand columns each of which was madeof gems and precious stones, it looked like an edifice belonging to theGandharvas.[308] Kusika beheld in every part of that structure evidencesof celestial design. And he beheld hills with delightful valleys, andlakes with lotuses on their bosom; and mansions full of costly andcurious articles, and gateways and arches, O Bharata. And the king sawmany open glades and open spots carpeted with grassy verdure, andresembling level fields of gold. And he saw many Sahakaras adorned withblossoms, and Ketakas and Uddalakas, and Dhavas and Asokas, andblossoming Kundas, and Atimuktas. And he saw there many Champakas andTilakas and Bhavyas and Panasas and Vanjulas and Karnikaras adorned withflowers. And the king beheld many Varanapushpas and the creepers calledAshtapadika all clipped properly and beautifully.[309] And the kingbeheld trees on which lotuses of all varieties bloomed in all theirbeauty, and some of which bore flowers of every season. And he noticedalso many mansions that looked like celestial cars or like beautifulmountains. And at some places, O Bharata, there were tanks and lakes fullof cool water and at others were those that were full of warm or hotwater. And there were diverse kinds of excellent seats and costly beds,and bedsteads made of gold and gems and overlaid with cloths and carpetsof great beauty and value. Of comestible there were enormous quantities,well-dressed and ready for use. And there were talking parrots andshe-parrots and Bhringarajas and Kokilas and Catapatras with Koyashtikasand Kukkubhas, and peacocks and cocks and Datyuhas and Jivajivakas andChakoras and monkeys and swans and Sarasas and Chakravakas.[310] Here andthere he beheld bevies of rejoicing Apsaras and conclaves of happyGandharvas, O monarch. And he beheld other Gandharvas at other placesrejoicing with their dear spouses. The king sometimes beheld these sightsand sometimes could not see them (for they seemed to disappear frombefore his eyes). The monarch heard also melodious strains of vocal musicand the agreeable voices of preceptors engaged in lecturing to theirdisciples on the Vedas and the scriptures. And the monarch also heard theharmonious cackle of the geese sporting in the lakes. Beholding suchexceedingly wonderful sights, the king began to reflect inwardly, saying,’Is this a dream? Or is all this due to an aberration of my mind? Or, isit all real? O, I have, without casting off my earthly tenement, attainedto the beatitude of heaven! This land is either the sacred country of theUttara-Kurus, or the abode, called Amaravati, of the chief of thecelestials! O, what are these wonderful sights that I behold!’ Reflectingin this strain, the monarch at last saw that foremost of Rishis. In thatpalace of gold (endued) with columns (made) of jewels and gems, lay theson of Bhrigu stretched on a costly and excellent bed. With his wife byhis side the king approached with a delighted heart the Rishi as he layon that bed. Chyavana, however, quickly disappeared at this, with the beditself upon which he lay. The king then beheld the Rishi at another partof those woods seated on a mat made of Kusa grass, and engaged inmentally reciting some high Mantras. By his Yoga-power, even thus didthat Brahmana stupefy the king. In a moment that delightful wood, thosebevies of Apsaras, those bands of Gandharvas, those beautiful trees,–alldisappeared. The bank of the Ganga became as silent as usual, andpresented the old aspect of its being covered with Kusa grass andant-hills. King Kusika with his wife having beheld that highly wonderfulsight and its quick disappearance also, became filled with amazement.With a delighted heart, the monarch addressed his wife and said unto her,’Behold, O amiable one, the various agreeable scenes and sights,occurring nowhere else, which we two have just witnessed! All this is dueto the grace of Bhrigu’s son and the puissance of his penances. Bypenances all that becomes attainable which one cherishes in one’simagination. Penances are superior to even the sovereignty over the threeworlds. By penances well-performed, emancipation itself may be achieved.Behold, the puissance of the high-souled and celestial Rishi Chyavanaderived from his penances. He can, at his pleasure, create even otherworlds (than those which exist). Only Brahmanas are born in this world toattain to speech and understanding and acts that are sacred. Who elsethan Chyavana could do all this? Sovereignty may be acquired with ease.But the status of a Brahmana is not so attainable. It was through thepuissance of a Brahmana that we were harnessed to a car like well-brokenanimals!’ These reflections that passed through the king’s brain becameknown to Chyavana. Ascertaining the king’s thoughts, the Rishi addressedhim and said, ‘Come hither quickly!’ Thus addressed, the king and thequeen approached the great ascetic, and, bending their heads, theyworshipped him who deserved worship. Uttering a benediction upon themonarch, the Rishi, possessed of great intelligence, O chief of men,comforted the king and said, ‘Sit down on that seat!’ After this, Omonarch, the son of Bhrigu, without guile or insincerity of any kind,gratified the king with many soft words, and then said, ‘O king, thouhast completely subjugated the five organs of action and the five organsof knowledge with the mind as their sixth. Thou hast for this come outunscathed from the fiery ordeal I had prepared for thee. I have beenproperly honoured and adored, O son, by thee, O foremost of all personspossessed of speech. Thou hast no sin, not even a minute one, in thee!Give me leave, O king, for I shall now proceed to the place I came from.I have been exceedingly pleased with thee, O monarch! Do thou accept theboon I am ready to give.’

“Kusika said, ‘In thy presence, O holy one, I have stayed like onestaying in the midst of a fire. That I have not yet, O chief of Bhrigu’srace been consumed, is sufficient! Even this is the highest boon that hasbeen obtained, O delighter of Bhrigu! That thou hast been gratified byme, O Brahmana, and that I have succeeded in rescuing my race fromdestruction, O sinless one, constitute in my case the best boons. This Iregard, O learned Brahmana, as a distinct evidence of thy grace. The endof my life has been accomplished. Even this is what I regard the very endof my sovereignty. Even this is the highest fruit of my penances![311]If, O learned Brahmana, thou hast been pleased with me, O delighter ofBhrigu, then do thou expound some doubts which are in my mind!’