Chapter 51

“Bhishma said, ‘King Nahusha hearing the pass to which Chyavana wasreduced, quickly proceeded to that spot accompanied by his ministers andpriest. Having cleansed himself duly, the king, with joined palms andconcentrated attention, introduced himself unto the high-souled Chyavana.The king’s priest then worshipped with due ceremonies that Rishi, Omonarch, who was observant of the vow of truth and endued with a highsoul, and who resembled a god himself (in splendour and energy).’

“Nahusha said, ‘Tell me, O best of regenerate persons, what act shall wedo that may be agreeable to thee? However difficult that act may be,there is nothing, O holy one, that I shall not be able to accomplish atthy bidding.’

“Chyavana said, ‘These men that live by catching fish have all been triedwith labour. Do thou pay them the price that may be set upon me alongwith the value of these fish.’

“Nahusha said, ‘Let my priest give unto these Nishadas a thousand coinsas a price for purchasing these sacred one as he himself has commanded.’

“Chyavana said, ‘A thousand coins cannot represent my price. The questiondepends upon your discretion. Give them a fair value, settling with thyown intelligence what it should be.’

“Nahusha said, ‘Let, O learned Brahmana, a hundred thousand coins begiven unto these Nishadas. Shall this be thy price, O holy one, or dostthink otherwise?’

“Chyavana said, ‘I should not be purchased for a hundred thousand coins,O best of monarchs! Let a proper price be given unto them. Do thouconsult with thy ministers.’

“Nahusha said, ‘Let my priest give unto these Nishadas a crore of coins.If even this does not represent thy price, let more be paid unto them.’

“Chyavana said, ‘O king, I do not deserve to be purchased for a crore ofcoins or even more. Let that price be given unto those men which would befair or proper. Do thou ‘consult with the Brahmanas.’

“Nahusha said, ‘Let half of my kingdom or even the whole be given awayunto these Nishadas. I think that would represent thy price. What,however, dost thou think, O regenerate one?’

“Chyavana said, ‘I do not deserve to be purchased with half thy kingdomor even the whole of it, O king! Let thy price which is proper be givenunto these men. Do thou consult with the Rishis.’

“Bhishma continued, ‘Hearing these words of the great Rishi, Nahushabecame afflicted with great grief. With his ministers and priest he beganto deliberate on the matter. There then came unto king Nahusha an asceticliving in the woods and subsisting upon fruit and roots and born of acow. That best of regenerate persons, addressing the monarch, O king,said these words, ‘I shall soon gratify thee. The Rishi also will begratified. I shall never speak an untruth.–no, not even in jest, whatthen need I say of other occasions? Thou shouldst, without any scruple,do what I bid thee.’

“Nahusha said, ‘Do thou, O illustrious one, say what the price is of thatgreat Rishi of Bhrigu’s race. O, save me from this terrible pass, save mykingdom, and save my race! If the holy Chyavana became angry, he woulddestroy the three worlds: what need I say them of my poor self who isdestitute of penances and who depends only upon the might of his arm? Ogreat Rishi, do thou become the raft unto us that have all fallen into afathomless ocean with all our counsellors and our priest! Do thou settlewhat the price should be of the Rishi.’

“Bhishma said, ‘Hearing these words of Nahusha, the ascetic born of a cowand endued with great energy spoke in this strain, gladdening the monarchand all his counsellors, ‘Brahmanas, O king, belong to the foremost ofthe four orders. No value, however great, can be set upon them. Cows alsoare invaluable. Therefore, O chief of men, do thou regard a cow as thevalue of the Rishi.’ Hearing these words of the great Rishi, Nahushabecame, O king, filled with joy along with all his counsellors andpriest. Proceeding then to the presence of Bhrigu’s son, Chyavana, ofrigid vows, h e addressed him thus, O monarch, for gratifying him to thebest of his ability.’

‘Nahusha said, ‘Rise, rise, O regenerate Rishi, thou hast been purchased.O son of Bhirgu, with a cow as thy price. O foremost of righteouspersons, even this, I think, is thy price.’

“Chyavana said. ‘Yes, O king of kings, I do rise up. I have been properlypurchased by thee, O sinless one! I do not, O thou of unfading glory, seeany wealth that is equal to kine. To speak of kine, to hear others speakof them, to make gifts of kine, and to see kine, O king, are acts thatare all applauded, O hero, and that are highly auspicious andsin-cleansing. Kine are always the root of prosperity. There is no faultin kine. Kine always afford the best food, in the form of Havi, unto thedeities. The sacred Mantras, Swaha and Vashat, are always establishedupon kine. Kine are the chief conductresses of sacrifices. Theyconstitute the mouth of sacrifice. They bear and yield excellent andstrength-giving nectar. They receive the worship of all the worlds andare regarded as the source of nectar. On earth, kine resemble fire inenergy and form. Verily, kine represent high energy, and are bestowers ofgreat happiness upon all creatures. That country where kine, establishedby their owners, breathe fearlessly, shines in beauty. The sins, also ofthat country are all washed off. Kine constitute the stairs that lead toheaven. Kine are adorned in heaven itself. Kine are goddesses that arecompetent to give everything and grant every wish. There is nothing elsein the world that is so high or so superior!'[305]

“Bhishma continued, “Even this is what I say unto thee on the subject ofthe glory and superiority of kine, O chief of Bharata’s race. I amcompetent to proclaim a part only of the merits that attach to kine. Ihave not the ability to exhaust the subject!’

“Then Nishadas said, ‘O ascetic, thou hast seen us and hast also spokenwith us. It has been said that friendship with those that are good,depends upon only seven words[306]. Do thou then, O lord, show us thygrace. The blazing sacrificial fire eats all the oblations of clarifiedbutter poured upon it. Of righteous soul, and possessed of great energythou art among men, a blazing fire in energy. We propitiate thee, O thouof great learning! We surrender ourselves to thee. Do thou, for showingus favour, take back from us this cow.’

“Chyavana said, ‘The eye of a person that is poor or that has fallen intodistress, the eye of an ascetic, or the eye of a snake of virulentpoison, consumes a man with his very roots, even as a fire that, blazingup with the assistance of the wind, consumes a stack of dry grass orstraw. I shall accent the cow that ye desire to present me. Ye fishermen,freed from every sin, go ye to heaven without any delay, with thesefishes also that ye have caught with your nets.’

“Bhishma continued, ‘After this, in consequence of the energy of thegreat Rishi of cleansed soul, those fishermen along with all those fishthrough virtue of those words that he had uttered, proceeded to heaven.King Nahusha, beholding the fishermen ascending to heaven with thosefishes in their company, became filled with wonder, O chief of Bharata’srace. After this, the two Rishis, viz., the one born of a cow and theother who was Chyavana of Bhrigu’s race, gladdened king Nahusha bygranting him many boons. Then king Nahusha of great energy, that lord ofall the earth, filled with joy, O best of the Bharatas, said,’Sufficient!’ Like unto a second Indra, the chief of the celestials, heaccepted the boon about his own steadiness in virtue. The Rishis havinggranted him the boon, the delighted king worshipped them both with greatreverence. As regards Chyavana, his vow having been completed, hereturned to his own asylum. The Rishi that had taken his birth from thecow, and who was endued with great energy, also proceeded to his ownretreat. The Nishadas all ascended to heaven as also the fishes they hadcaught, O monarch. King Nahusha, too, having obtained those valuableboons, entered his own city. I have thus, O son, told thee everythingrespecting what thou hadst asked me. The affection that is generated bythe sight alone of others as also by the fact of living with them, OYudhishthira, and the high-blessedness of kine too, and the ascertainmentof true righteousness, are the topics upon which I have discoursed. Tellme, O hero what else is in thy breast.'”