Chapter 70

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Then the king with his followers, having killedthousands of animals, entered another forest with a view to hunting. Andattended by a single follower and fatigued with hunger and thirst, hecame upon a large desert on the frontiers of the forest.

And havingcrossed this herbless plain, the king came upon another forest full ofthe retreats of ascetics, beautiful to look at, delightful to the heartand of cool agreeable breezes. And it was full of trees covered withblossoms, the soil overgrown with the softest and greenest grass,extending for many miles around, and echoing with the sweet notes ofwinged warblers. And it resounded with the notes of the male Kokila andof the shrill cicala. And it was full of magnificent trees withoutstretched branches forming a shady canopy overhead. And the beeshovered over flowery creepers all around. And there were beautiful bowersin every place. And there was no tree without fruits, none that hadprickles on it, none that had no bees swarming around it. And the wholeforest resounded with the melody of winged choristers. And it was deckedwith the flowers of every season. And there were refreshing shades ofblossoming trees.

“Such was the delicious and excellent forest that the great bowmanentered. And trees with branches beautified with clusters began to wavegently at the soft breeze and rain their flowers over the monarch’s head.And the trees, clad in their flowery attires of all colours, withsweet-throated warblers perched on them, stood there in rows with headstouching the very heavens. And around their branches hanging down withthe weight of flowers the bees tempted by the honey hummed in sweetchorus. And the king, endued with great energy, beholding innumerablespots covered with bowers of creepers decked with clusters of flowers,from excess of gladness, became very much charmed. And the forest wasexceedingly beautiful in consequence of those trees ranged around withflowery branches twining with each other and looking like so manyrainbows for gaudiness and variety of colour. And it was the resort ofbands of Siddhas, of the Charanas, of tribes of Gandharvas, and Apsaras,of monkeys and Kinnaras drunk with delight. Delicious cool, and fragrantbreezes, conveying the fragrance from fresh flowers, blew in alldirections as if they had come there to sport with the trees. And theking saw that charming forest gifted with such beauties. And it wassituated in a delta of the river, and the cluster of high trees standingtogether lent the place the look of a gaudy pole erected to Indra’shonour.

“And in that forest which was the resort of ever cheerful birds, themonarch saw a delightful and charming retreat of ascetics. And there weremany trees around it. And the sacred fire was burning within it. And theking worshipped that unrivalled retreat. And he saw seated in it numerousYotis, Valakhilyas and other Munis. And it was adorned with many chamberscontaining sacrificial fire. And the flowers dropping from the trees hadformed a thick carpet spread over the ground. And the spot lookedexceedingly beautiful with those tall trees of large trunks. And by itflowed, O king, the sacred and transparent Malini with every species ofwater-fowl playing on its bosom. And that stream infused gladness intothe hearts of the ascetics who resorted to it for purposes of ablutions.And the king beheld on its banks many innocent animals of the deerspecies and was exceedingly delighted with all that he saw.

“And the monarch, the course of whose chariot no foe could obstruct, thenentered that asylum which was like unto the region of the celestials,being exceedingly beautiful all over. And the king saw that it stood onthe margin of the sacred stream which was like the mother of all theliving creatures residing in its vicinage. And on its bank sported theChakravaka, and waves of milkwhite foam. And there stood also thehabitations of Kinnaras. And monkeys and bears too disported themselvesin numbers. And there lived also holy ascetics engaged in studies andmeditation. And there could be seen also elephants and tigers and snakes.And it was on the banks of that stream that the excellent asylum of theillustrious Kasyapa stood, offering a home to numerous Rishis of greatascetic merit. And beholding that river, and also the asylum washed bythat river which was studded with many islands and which possessed banksof so much beauty,–an asylum like unto that of Nara and Narayana lavedby the water of the Ganga–the king resolved to enter into that sacredabode. And that bull among men, desirous of beholding the great Rishi ofascetic wealth, the illustrious Kanwa of the race of Kasyapa, one whopossessed every virtue and who, for his splendour, could be gazed at withdifficulty, approached that forest resounding with the notes of maddenedpeacocks and like unto the gardens of the great Gandharva, Chitraratha,himself. And halting his army consisting of flags, cavalry, infantry, andelephants at the entrance of the forest, the monarch spoke as follows, ‘Ishall go to behold the mighty ascetic of Kasyapa’s race, one who iswithout darkness. Stay ye here until my return!’

“And the king having entered that forest which was like unto Indra’sgarden, soon forgot his hunger and thirst. And he was pleased beyondmeasure. And the monarch, laying aside all signs of royalty, entered thatexcellent asylum with but his minister and his priest, desirous ofbeholding that Rishi who was an indestructible mass of ascetic merit. Andthe king saw that the asylum was like unto the region of Brahman. Herewere bees sweetly humming and there were winged warblers of variousspecies pouring forth their melodies. At particular places that tigeramong men heard the chanting of Rik hymns by first-rate Brahmanasaccording to the just rules of intonation. Other places again were gracedwith Brahmanas acquainted with ordinances of sacrifice, of the Angas andof the hymns of the Yajurveda. Other places again were filled with theharmonious strains of Saman hymns sung by vow-observing Rishis. At otherplaces the asylum was decked with Brahmanas learned in the Atharvan Veda.At other places again Brahmanas learned in the Atharvan Veda and thosecapable of chanting the sacrificial hymns of the Saman were reciting theSamhitas according to the just rules of voice. And at other places again,other Brahmanas well-acquainted with the science of orthoepy werereciting mantras of other kinds. In fact, that sacred retreat resoundingwith these holy notes was like unto a second region of Brahman himself.And there were many Brahmanas skilled in the art of making sacrificialplatforms and in the rules of Krama in sacrifices, conversant with logicand the mental sciences, and possessing a complete knowledge of theVedas. There were those also who were fully acquainted with the meaningsof all kinds of expressions; those that were conversant with all specialrites, those also that were followers of Moksha-Dharma; those again thatwere well-skilled in establishing propositions; rejecting superfluouscauses, and drawing right conclusions. There were those having aknowledge of the science of words (grammar), of prosody, of Nirukta;those again that were conversant with astrology and learned in theproperties of matter and the fruits of sacrificial rites, possessing aknowledge of causes and effects, capable of understanding the cries ofbirds and monkeys, well-read in large treatises, and skilled in varioussciences. And the king, as he proceeded, heard their voices. And theretreat resounded also with voice of men capable of charming humanhearts. And the slayer of hostile heroes also saw around him learnedBrahmanas of rigid vows engaged in Japa (the repeated muttering of thenames of gods) and Homa (burnt-offering). And the king wondered much onbeholding the beautiful carpets which those Brahmanas offered to himrespectfully. And that best of monarchs, at the sight of the rites withwhich those Brahmanas worshipped the gods and the great Rishis, thoughtwithin himself that he was in the region of Brahman. And the more theking saw that auspicious and sacred asylum of Kasyapa protected by thatRishi’s ascetic virtues and possessing all the requisites of a holyretreat, the more he desired to see it. In fact, he was not satisfiedwith his short survey. And the slayer of heroes at last, accompanied byhis minister and his priest, entered that charming and sacred retreat ofKasyapa inhabited all around by Rishis of ascetic wealth and exaltedvows.'”