Chapter 94

“Bhishma said, “In this connection is cited the old history of the oaths(taken by many Rishis one after another) on the occasion of a sojourn tothe sacred waters. O best of the Bharatas, the act of theft had been doneby Indra, and the oaths were taken by many royal and regenerate Rishis.Once on a time, the Rishis, having assembled together, proceeded to thewestern Prabhasa. They held a consultation there which resulted in aresolve on their part to visit all the sacred waters on earth. There wereSakra and Angiras and Kavi of great learning and Agastya and Narada andPravata; and Bhrigu and Vasishtha and Kasyapa and Gautama and Viswamitraand Jamadagni, O king! There were also the Rishi Galava, and Ashtaka andBharadwaja and Arundhati and the Valakhilyas; and Sivi and Dilipa andNahusha and Amvarisha and the royal Yayati and Dhundhumara and Puru.These foremost of men, placing the high-souled Satakratu, the slayer ofVritra, at their head, went to all the sacred waters one after another,and at last reached the highly sacred Kausiki on the day of the full moonin the month of Magha. Having cleansed themselves of all sins byablutions performed in all the sacred waters, they at last proceeded tothe very sacred Brahmasara. Bathing in that lake, those Rishis enduedwith energy like that of fire began to gather and eat the stalks of thelotus. Amongst those Brahmanas, some had extracted the stalks of thelotus and some the stalks of the Nymphoea stellata. Soon they found thatthe stalks extracted by Agastya (and deposited on the bank) had beentaken away by somebody. The foremost of Rishis, Agastya, addressing themall, said, ‘Who has taken away the good stalks which I had extracted anddeposited here? I suspect some one amongst you must have done the act.Let him who has taken them away give them back to me. It behoves you notthus to misappropriate my stalks! It is heard that Time assails theenergy of Righteousness. That Time has come upon us. Hence, Righteousnessis afflicted. It is meet that I should go to heaven for good, beforeunrighteousness assails the world and establishes itself here![427]Before the time comes when Brahmanas, loudly uttering the fully Vedas,within the precincts of villages and inhabited places, cause the Sudrasto hear them, before the time comes when kings often against the rules ofRighteousness from motives of policy, I shall go to heaven for good!Before men cease to regard the distinctions between the lower, themiddle, and the higher classes, I shall go to heaven for good. BeforeIgnorance assails the world and envelops all things in darkness, I shallgo to heaven for good.[428] Before the time comes when the strong beginto lord it over the weak and treat them as slaves, I shall go to heavenfor good. Indeed, I dare not remain on earth for witnessing thesethings.’ The Rishis, much concerned at what he said, addressed that greatascetic and said, ‘We have not stolen thy stalks! Thou shouldst notharbour these suspicions against us. O great Rishi, we shall take themost frightful oaths!’ Having said these words, conscious of their owninnocence, and desirous of upholding the cause of righteousness, thoseRishis and sages of royal descent then began to swear, one after another,the following oaths.'”

“Bhrigu said, ‘Let him who has stolen thy stalks censure when censured,assail when assailed, and eat the flesh that is attached to the back-boneof animals (slaughtered in sacrifice)!'”[429]

“Vasishtha said, ‘Let him who has stolen thy stalks neglect his Vedicstudies, leash hounds, and having, taken himself to the mendicant orderlive in a city or town!'[430]

“Kasyapa said, ‘Let him who has stolen thy stalks sell all things in allplaces, misappropriate deposits, and give false evidence!’

“Gautama said, ‘Let him who has stolen thy stalks live, displaying pridein all things, with an understanding that does not see all creatures withan equal eye, and always yielding himself to the influence of desire andwrath! Let him be a cultivator of the soil, and let him be inspired bymalice!'[431]

“Angiras said, ‘Let him who has stolen thy stalks be always impure! Lethim be a censurable Brahmana (for his misdeeds). Let him leash hounds.Let him be guilty of Brahmanicide. Let him be averse to expiations afterhaving committed transgressions!'”

“Dhundhumara said, ‘Let him who has stolen thy stalks be ungrateful tohis friends! Let him take birth in a Sudra woman! Let him eat alone anygood food (coming to the house), without sharing it with others!'”[432]

“Dilipa said, ‘Let him who has stolen thy stalks descend to those regionsof misery and infamy which are reserved for that Brahmana who re-sides ina village having but one well and who has sexual congress with a Sudrawoman!'”[433]

“Puru said, ‘Let him who has stolen thy stalks adopt the occupation of aphysician! Let him be supported by the earnings of his wife! Let him drawhis sustenance from his father-in-law!'”

“Sukra said, ‘Let him who has stolen thy stalks eat the flesh of animalsnot slain in sacrifices! Let him have sexual congress at day-time! Lethim be a servant of the king!'”

“Jamadagni said, ‘Let him who has stolen thy stalks study the Vedas onforbidden days or occasions. Let him feed friends at Sraddhas performedby him! Let him eat at the Sraddha of a Sudra!’

“Sivi said, ‘Let him who has stolen thy stalks die without havingestablished a fire (for daily worship)! Let him be guilty of obstructingthe performance of sacrifices by others! Let him quarrel with those thatare observant of penances!'”

“Yayati said, ‘Let him who has stolen thy stalks be guilty of havingsexual congress with his wife when she is not in her season and when heis himself in the observance of a vow and bears matted locks on his head!Let him also disregard the Vedas!'”

“Nahusha said, ‘Let him who has stolen thy stalks live in domesticityafter having betaken himself to the vow of mendicancy! Let him act inwhatever way he pleases (and without restraint of any kind), after havingundergone the initiatory rites in view of a sacrifice or some solemnobservance! Let him take pecuniary gratification for prelections todisciples (on any branch of knowledge that the latter come to learn)!’

“Amvarisha said, ‘Let him who has stolen thy stalks be cruel andunrighteous in his behaviour towards women and kinsmen and kine! Let himbe guilty also of Brahmanicide!'”

“Narada said, ‘Let him who has stolen thy stalks be one that identifiesthe body with the soul! Let him study the scriptures with a preceptorthat is censurable! Let him chant the Vedas, offending at each stepagainst the rules of orthoepy! Let him disregard all his seniors!'”

“Nabhaga said, ‘Let him who has stolen thy stalks always speakfalse-hoods and quarrel with those that are righteous! Let him bestow hisdaughter in marriage after accepting a pecuniary gratification offered byhis son-in-law!'”

“Kavi said, ‘Let him who has stolen thy stalks he guilty of striking acow with his foot. Let him make water, facing the sun! Let him cast offthe person that seeks shelter at his hands!'”

“Viswamitra said, ‘Let him who has stolen thy stalks become a servantthat behaves with deceit towards his master! Let him be the priest of aking! Let him be the Ritwik of one that should not be assisted at hissacrifices!'”

“Parvata said, ‘Let him who has stolen thy stalks be the chief of avillage! Let him make journeys on asses! Let him leash hounds for aliving!'”

“Bharadwaja said, ‘Let him who has stolen thy stalks be guilty of all thedemerits that become his who is cruel in his behaviour and untruthful inspeech!'”

“Ashtaka said, ‘Let him who has stolen thy stalks be a king destitute ofwisdom capricious and sinful in his behaviour, and disposed to rule theEarth unrighteously!'”

“Galava said, ‘Let him who has stolen thy stalks be more infamous than asinful man! Let him be sinful in his acts towards his kinsmen andrelatives! Let him proclaim the gifts he makes to others!'”

“Arundhati said, ‘Let her who has stolen thy stalks speak ill of hermother-in-law! Let her feel disgust for her lord. Let her eat alone anygood food that comes to her house!'”

“The Valakhilyas said, ‘Let him who has stolen thy stalks stand on onefoot at the entrance of a village (for earning his subsistence)! Let him.while knowing all duties, be guilty of every breach!'”[434]

“Sunahsakha said, ‘Let him who has stolen thy stalks be a Brahmana thatsleeps in happiness, having disregarded his daily Homa! Let him, afterbecoming a religious mendicant, behave in whatever way he pleases,without observing any restraint!'”

“Surabhi said, ‘Let her who has stolen thy stalks be milked, with her(hind) legs bound with a rope of human hair, and with the aid of a calfnot her own, and, while milked, let her milk be held in a vessel of whitebrass!'[435]

“Bhishma continued, ‘After the Rishis and the royal sages had sworn thesediverse oaths, O Kuru king, the thousand-eyed chief of the deities,filled with joy, cast his looks on the angered Rishi Agastya. Addressingthe Rishi who was very angry at the disappearance of his lotus-stalks,Maghavat thus declared what was passing in his mind. Hear, O king, whatthe words were that Indra spoke in the midst of those regenerate andcelestial Rishis and royal sages.'”

“Sakra said, ‘Let him who has stolen thy stalks be possessed of the meritof him who bestows his daughter in marriage upon a Brahmana that has dulyobserved the vow of Brahmacharya or that has duly studied the Samans andthe Yajuses! Let him also have the merit of one that undergoes the finalbath after completing one’s study of the Atharva Veda! Let him who hasstolen thy stalks have the merit of having studied all the Vedas. Let himbe observant of all duties and righteous in his behaviour! Indeed, lethim go to the region of Brahman!’

“Agastya said, ‘Thou hast, O slayer of Vala, uttered a benedictioninstead of a curse! (It is evident), thou hast taken my stalks!” Givethem to me, for that is the eternal duty!'”

“Indra said, ‘O holy one, I did not remove thy stalks, led by cupidity!Indeed, I removed them from desire of hearing this conclave recite whatthe duties are that we should observe. It behoveth thee not to give wayto anger! Duties are the foremost of Srutis. Duties constitute theeternal path (for crossing the sea of the world)! I have listened to thisdiscourse of the Rishis (on duties) that is eternal and immutable, andthat transcends all change![436] Do thou then, O foremost of learnedBrahmanas, take back these stalks of thine! O holy one, it behoves theeto forgive my transgression, O thou that art free from every fault!'”

“Bhishma continued, ‘Thus addressed by the chief of the deities, theascetic, viz., Agastya, who had been very angry, took back his stalks.Endued with great intelligence, the Rishi became cheerful. After this,those denizens of the woods proceeded to diverse other sacred waters.Indeed, repairing to those sacred waters they performed their ablutionseverywhere. The man who reads this narrative with close attention onevery Parva day, will not have to become the progenitor of an ignorantand wicked son. He will never be destitute of learning. No calamity willever touch him. He will, besides, be free from every kind of sorrow.Decrepitude and decay will never be his. Freed from stains and evil ofevery kind, and endued with merit, he is sure to attain to Heaven. He whostudies this Sastra observed by the Rishis, is sure, O prince of men, toattain to the eternal region of Brahman that is full of felicity!'”[437]