Chapter 42

“Bhishma said, ‘Having accomplished his preceptor’s behest, Vipulapractised the most severe penances. Possessed of great energy, he at lastregarded himself as endued with sufficient ascetic merit, Priding himselfupon the feat he had achieved, he wandered fearlessly and contentedlyover the earth, O monarch, regarded by all as one possessed of great famefor what he had done. The puissant Bhargava regarded that he hadconquered both the worlds by that feat of his as also by his severepenances. After some time had passed away, O delighter of the Kurus, theoccasion came for a ceremony of gifts to take place with respect to thesister of Ruchi. Abundant wealth and corn were to be given away init.[276] Meanwhile, a certain celestial damsel endued with great beauty,was journeying through the skies. From her body as she coursed throughthe welkin, some flowers dropped down on the earth. Those flowerspossessed of celestial fragrance fell on a spot not far from the retreatof Ruchi’s husband. As the flowers lay scattered on the ground, they werepicked up by Ruchi of beautiful eyes. Soon after an invitation came toRuchi from the country of the Angas. The sister, referred to above, ofRuchi, named Prabhavati, was the spouse of Chitraratha, the ruler of theAngas. Ruchi, of very superior complexion, having attached those flowersto her hair, went to the palace of the king of the Angas in answer to theinvitation she had received. Beholding those flowers on her hair thequeen of the Angas, possessed of beautiful eyes, urged her sister toobtain some for her. Ruchi, of beautiful face, speedily informed herhusband of that request of her sister. The Rishi accepted the prayer ofhis sister-in-law. Summoning Vipula into his presence Devasarman ofsevere penances commanded his disciple to bring him some flowers of thesame kind, saying, ‘Go, go!’ Accepting without hesitation the behest ofhis preceptor, the great ascetic Vipula, O king, answered, ‘So be it!’and then proceeded to that spot whence the lady Ruchi had picked up theflowers that were coveted by her sister. Arrived at that spot where theflowers (picked up by Ruchi) had fallen from the welkin, Vipula saw someothers still lying scattered. They were all as fresh as if they had beennewly plucked from the plants whereon they had grown. None of them haddrooped in the least. He took up those celestial flowers of great beauty.Possessed of celestial fragrance, O Bharata, Vipula got them there as theresult of his severe penances. The accomplisher of his preceptor’sbehest, having obtained them, he felt great delight and set out speedilyfor the city of Champa adorned with festoons of Champaka flowers. As heproceeded, he saw on his way a human couple moving in a circle hand inhand. One of them made a rapid step and thereby destroyed the cadence ofthe movement. For this reason, O king, a dispute arose between them.Indeed, one of them charged the other, saying, ‘Thou hast made a quickerstep!’ The other answered, ‘No, verily’, as each maintained his ownopinion obstinately, each, O king, asserted what the other denied, anddenied what the other asserted. While thus disputing with each other withgreat assurance, an oath was then heard among them. Indeed, each of themsuddenly named Vipula in what they uttered. The oath each of them tookwas even this, ‘That one amongst us two who speaketh falsely, shall inthe next world, meet with the end which will be the regenerate Vipula’s!’Hearing these words of theirs, Vipula’s face became very cheerless. Hebegan to reflect, saying unto himself, ‘I have undergone severe penances.The dispute between this couple is hot. To me, again, it is painful. Whatis the sin of which I have been guilty that both these persons shouldrefer to my end in the next world as the most painful one among thosereserved for all creatures?’ Thinking in this strain, Vipula, O best ofmonarchs, hung down his head, and with a cheerless mind began torecollect what sin he had done. Proceeding a little way he beheld sixother men playing with dice made of gold and silver. Engaged in play,those individuals seemed to him to be so excited that the hair on theirbodies stood on end. They also (upon a dispute having arisen among them)were heard by Vipula to take the same oath that he had already heard thefirst couple to take. Indeed, their words had reference in the same wayto Vipula, ‘He amongst us who, led by cupidity, will act in an improperway, shall meet with that end which is reserved for Vipula in the nextworld!’ Hearing these words, however, Vipula, although he stroveearnestly to recollect failed to remember any transgression of his fromeven his earliest years, O thou of Kuru’s race. Verily he began to burnlike a fire placed in the midst of another fire. Hearing that curse, hismind burnt with grief. In this state of anxiety a long time elapsed. Atlast he recollected the manner in which he had acted in protecting hispreceptor’s wife from the machinations of Indra. ‘I had penetrated thebody of that lady, placing limb within limb, face within face, Although Ihad acted in this way, I did not yet tell my preceptor the truth!’ Eventhis was the transgression. O thou of Kuru’s race which Vipularecollected in himself. Indeed, O blessed monarch, without doubt that wasthe transgression which he had actually committed. Coming to the city ofChampa, he gave the flowers to his preceptor. Devoted to superiors andseniors, he worshipped his preceptor in due form.'”