Chapter 40

“Bhishma said, ‘It is even so as thou sayest, O thou of mighty arms.There is nothing untrue in all this that thou sayest, O thou of Kuru’srace, on the subject of women. In this connection I shall recite to theethe old history of how in days of yore the high-souled Vipula hadsucceeded in restraining women within the bounds laid down for them. Ishall also tell thee, O king, how women were created by the GrandsireBrahman and the object for which they were created by Him. There is nocreature more sinful, O son, than women. Woman is a blazing fire. She isthe illusion, O king, that the Daitya Maya created. She is the sharp edgeof the razor. She is poison. She is a snake. She is fire. She is, verily,all these united together. It has been heard by us that all persons ofthe human race are characterised by righteousness, and that they, incourse of natural progress and improvement, attain to the status ofdeities. This circumstance alarmed the deities. They, therefore, Ochastiser of foes, assembled together and repaired to the presence of theGrandsire. Informing Him of what was in their minds, they stood silent inhis presence, with downcast eyes. The puissant Grand sire havingascertained what was in the hearts of the deities, created women, withthe aid of an Atharvan rite. In a former creation, O son of Kunti, womenwere all virtuous. Those, however, that sprang from this creation byBrahman with the aid of an illusion became sinful. The grandsire bestowedupon them the desire of enjoyment, all kinds of carnal pleasure. Temptedby the desire of enjoyment, they began to pursue persons of the othersex. The puissant lord of the deities created Wrath as the companion ofLust. Persons of the male sex, yielding to the power of Lust and Wrath,sought the companionship of women. Women have no especial acts prescribedfor them. Even this is the ordinance that was laid down. The Srutideclares that women are endued with senses the most powerful, that theyhave no scriptures to follow, and that they are living lies. Beds andseats and ornaments and food and drink and the absence of all that isrespectable and righteous, indulgence in disagreeable words, and love ofsexual companionship,–these were bestowed by Brahman upon women. Men arequite unable to restrain them within bounds. The Creator himself isincapable of restraining them within the limits that are proper: whatneed then be said of men? This, O chief of men, I heard in former days,viz., how Vipula had succeeded in protecting his preceptor’s spouse inancient times. There was in days of yore a highly blessed Rishi of thename of Devasarman of great celebrity. He had a wife, Ruchi by name, whowas unequalled on earth for beauty. Her loveliness intoxicated everybeholder among the deities and Gandharvas and Danavas. The chastiser ofPaka, viz., Indra, the slayer of Vritra, O monarch, was in particularenamoured of her and coveted her person. The great ascetic Devasarman wasfully cognisant of the disposition of women. He, therefore, to the bestof his power and energy, protected her (from every kind of evilinfluence). The Rishi knew that Indra was restrained by no scruples inthe matter of seeking the companionship of other people’s wives. It wasfor this reason that he used to protect his spouse, putting forth all hispower. Once on a time, O son, the Rishi became desirous of performing asacrifice. He began to think of how (during his own absence from home)his wife could be protected. Endued with high ascetic merit, he at lasthit upon the course he should adopt. Summoning his favourite disciplewhose name was Vipula and who was of Bhrigu’s race, he said as follows:

“Devasarman said, ‘I shall leave home (for a while) in order to perform asacrifice. The chief of the celestials always covets this Ruchi of mine.Do thou, during my absence, protect her, putting forth all thy might!Thou shalt pass thy time heedfully in view of Purandara. O foremost oneof Bhrigu’s race, that Indra assumes various disguises.’

Bhishma continued, ‘Thus addressed by his preceptor, the ascetic Vipulawith senses under control, always engaged in severe penances, possessedof the splendour, O king, of fire or the sun conversant with all theduties of righteousness, and ever truthful in speech, answered him,saying, ‘So be it.’ Once more, however, as his preceptor was about to setout Vipula asked him in these words.’

“Vipula said, Tell me, O Muni, what forms does Sakra assume when hepresents himself. Of what kind is his body and what is his energy? Itbehoveth thee to say all this to me.’

“Bhishma continued, ‘The illustrious Rishi then truly described unto thehigh-souled Vipula all the illusions of Sakra, O Bharata.’

“Devasarman said, ‘The puissant chastiser of Paka, O regenerate Rishi, isfull of illusion. Every moment he assumes those forms that he chooses.Sometimes he wears a diadem and holds the thunderbolt. Sometimes armedwith the thunderbolt and wearing a crown on his head, he adorns himselfwith ear-rings, in a moment he transforms himself into the shape andaspect of Chandala. Sometimes, he appears with coronal locks on his head:soon again, O son, he shows himself with matted locks, his person cladthe while in rags. Sometimes, he assumes a goodly and gigantic frame. Thenext moment he transforms himself into one of emaciated limbs, anddressed in rags. Sometimes he becomes fair, sometimes darkish, sometimesdark of complexion. Sometimes he becomes ugly and sometimes as possessedof great comeliness of person. Sometimes he shows himself as young andsometimes as old Sometimes he appears as a Brahmana, sometimes as aKshatriya, sometimes as a Vaisya, and sometimes as a Sudra. Verily, he ofa hundred sacrifices appears at times as a person born of impure order,that is as the son of a superior father by an inferior mother or of aninferior father by a superior mother. Sometimes he appears as a parrot,sometimes as a crow, sometimes as a swan, and sometimes as a cuckoo. Heassumes the forms also of a lion, a tiger, or an elephant. Sometimes heshows himself as a god, sometimes as a Daitya, and sometimes he assumesthe guise of a king. Sometimes he appears as fat and plump. Sometimes asone whose limbs have been broken by the action of disordered wind in thesystem, sometimes as a bird, and sometimes as one of exceedingly uglyfeatures. Sometimes he appears as a quadruped. Capable of assuming anyform, he sometimes appears as an idiot destitute of all intelligence. Heassumes also the forms of flies and gnats. O Vipula, no one can make himout in consequence of these innumerable disguises that he is capable ofassuming. The very Creator of the universe is not equal to that feat. Hemakes himself invisible when he chooses. He is incapable of being seenexcept with the eye of knowledge. The chief of the celestials sometimestransforms himself into the wind. The chastiser of Paka always assumesthese disguises. Do thou, therefore, O Vipula, protect thisslender-waisted spouse of mine with great care. O foremost one ofBhrigu’s race, do thou take every care for seeing that the chief of thecelestials may not defile this spouse of mine like a wretched dog lickingthe Havi kept in view of a sacrifice. Having said these words, thehighly-blessed Muni, viz., Devasarman, intend upon performing asacrifice, set out from his abode, O chief of the Bharatas. Hearing thesewords of his preceptor, Vipula began to think, ‘I shall certainly protectthis lady in every respect from the puissant chief of the celestials. Butwhat should be the means? What can I do in this matter of protecting thewife of my preceptor? The chief of the celestials is endued with largepowers of illusion. Possessed of great energy, he is difficult of beingresisted. Indra cannot be kept out by enclosing this retreat of ours orfencing this yard, since he is capable of assuming innumerable forms.Assuming the form of the wind, the chief of the celestials may assaultthe spouse of my preceptor. The best course, therefore, for me, would beto enter (by Yoga-power) the body of this lady and remain there. Byputting forth my prowess I shall not be able to protect the lady, for thepuissant chastiser of Paka, it has been heard by me, is capable ofassuming any form he likes. I shall, therefore, protect this one fromIndra by my Yoga-power. For carrying out my object I shall with my bodyenter the body of this lady. If my preceptor, coming back, beholds hisspouse defiled, he will, without doubt, curse me through wrath, forendued with great ascetic merit, he is possessed of spiritual vision.This lady is incapable of being protected in the way in which other womenare protected by men, since the chief of the celestials is endued withlarge powers of illusion. Alas, the situation in which I find myself isvery critical. The behest of my preceptor should certainly be obeyed byme. If, therefore, I protect her by my Yoga-power, the feat will beregarded by all as a wonderful one. By my Yoga-power, therefore, I shallenter the body of my preceptor’s lady. I shall stay within her and yetnot touch her person, like a drop of water on a lotus-leaf which lies onit and yet does not drench it at all. If I be free from the taint ofpassion, I cannot incur any fault by doing what I wish to do. As atraveller, in course of his sojourn, takes up his residence (for a while)in any empty mansion he finds, I shall, after the same manner, residethis day within the body of my preceptor’s lady Verily, with mind rapt upin Yoga, I shall dwell today in this lady’s body! Giving his bestconsideration to these points of righteousness, thinking of all the Vedasand their branches, and with eye directed to the large measure ofpenances which his preceptor had and which he himself also was possessedof, and having settled in his mind, with a view only to protect the lady,to enter her person by Yoga-power. Vipula of Bhrigu’s race took greatcare (for accomplishing his purpose). Listen now to me, O monarch, as Irecite to thee what he did. Endued with great penances, Vipula sathimself down by the side of his preceptor’s spouse as she of faultlessfeatures was sitting in her cottage, Vipula then began to discourse toher bringing her over to the cause of righteousness and truth. Directinghis eyes then to hers and uniting the rays of light that emanated fromher organs of vision with those that issued from his, Vipula (in hissubtile form) entered the lady’s body even as the element of wind entersthat of ether of space. Penetrating her eyes with his eyes and her facewith his face, Vipula stayed, without moving, within her invisibly, likeher shadow. Restraining every part of the lady’s body, Vipula continuedto dwell within her, intent on protecting her from Indra. The ladyherself knew nothing of this. It was in this way, O monarch, that Vipulacontinued to protect the lady till the time of his high-souledpreceptor’s coming back after accomplishing the sacrifice which he hadgone out to perform.'”