Chapter 235
“Vaisampayana said, ‘O thou of Kuru’s race, the Rishi Mandapala becamevery anxious about his children, although he had spoken of them to thegod of fierce rays. Indeed, his mind was not in peace.
Distressed onaccount of his sons, he addressed Lapita (his second wife with whom hethen was), saying, ‘O Lapita, as my children are incapable of the powerof moving, how are they? When the fire will grow in strength and the windbegin to blow violently, my children will scarcely be able to savethemselves. How will their mother be able to rescue them? That innocentwoman will be afflicted with great sorrow when she will find herselfunable to save her offspring. Oh, how will she compose herself, utteringvarious lamentations on account of my children who are all incapable oftaking wing or rising up into the air. Oh, how is Jaritari, my son, andhow is Sarisrikka, and how is Stamvamitra, and how is Drona, and how alsois their helpless mother?’
“Unto the Rishi Mandapala thus weeping in the forest, Lapita, O Bharata,thus replied, under the influence of jealousy, ‘Thou need not worry forthy children who, as thou hast assured me, are all Rishis endued withenergy and prowess! They can have no fear from fire. Didst thou not speakto Agni in my presence, in their behalf? Has not the illustrious deitypromised to save them? One of the regents of the universe as Agni is, hewill never falsify his speech. Thou hast no anxiety, nor is thy heartinclined towards benefiting friends. It is only by thinking of her–myrival (Jarita) that thou art so distracted! Certain it is that the lovethou bearest to me is not equal to what thou hadst for her at first. Hethat hath two parties dividing his attention, can easily behold one ofthose suffer all sorts of pangs; but he should not disregard the partythat is next to his heart. Then go thou to Jarita, for whom thy heart issorrowing! As for myself, I shall henceforth wander alone, as a fitreward for my having attached myself to a wicked person.’
“Hearing these words, Mandapala replied, ‘I do not wander over the earthwith such intentions as thou conceivest. It is only for the sake ofprogeny that I am here. And even those that I have are in danger. He whocasteth off what he hath for the sake of what he may acquire, is a wickedperson. The world disregardeth and insulteth him. (Therefore, go I must).As for thyself thou art free to do what thou choosest. This blazing firethat licketh up the trees causeth sorrow in my anxious heart and raiseththerein evil presentiments.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ‘Meanwhile, after the fire had left the spotwhere the Sarngakas dwelt, Jarita, much attached to her children, hastilycame thither to see how they were. She found that all of them had escapedfrom the fire and were perfectly well. Beholding their mother, they beganto weep, though safe and sound. She too shed tears upon beholding themalive. And she embraced, one by one, all her weeping children. Just atthat time, O Bharata, the Rishi Mandapala arrived there. But none of hissons expressed joy, upon beholding him. The Rishi, however, began tospeak to them one after another and unto Jarita also, repeatedly. Butneither his sons nor Jarita spoke anything well or ill unto him inreturn.’
“Mandapala then said, ‘Who amongst these is thy first born, and who thenext after him? And who is the third, and who the youngest? I am speakingunto thee woefully; why dost thou not reply to me? I left thee, it istrue, but I was not happy where I was.’
“Jarita then said, ‘What hast thou to do with the eldest of these, andwhat with him that is next? And what with the third and what with theyoungest? Go now unto that Lapita of sweet smiles and endued with youth,unto whom thou didst go of old, beholding me deficient in everything!’Mandapala replied, ‘As regards females, there is nothing so destructiveof their happiness whether in this or the other world as a co-wife and aclandestine lover. There is nothing like these two that, inflames thefire of hostility and causes such anxiety. Even the auspicious andwell-behaved Arundhati, celebrated amongst all creatures, had beenjealous of the illustrious Vasishtha of great purity of mind and alwaysdevoted to the good of his wife. Arundhati insulted even the wise Muniamongst the (celestial) seven. In consequence of such insulting thoughtsof hers, she has become a little star, like fire mixed with smoke,sometimes visible and sometimes invisible, like an omen portending nogood (amongst a constellation of seven bright stars representing theseven Rishis). I look to thee for the sake of children. I never wrongedthee, like Vasishtha who never wronged his wife. Thou hast, therefore, bythy jealousy behaved towards me like Arundhati of old towards Vasishtha.Men should never trust women even if they be wives. Women, when they havebecome mothers, do not much mind serving their husbands.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ‘After this, all his children came forward toworship him. And he also began to speak kindly towards them all, givingthem every assurance.'”
