Chapter 137

“Lomasa said, ‘O son of Kunti, Bharadwaja returned to his hermitage afterperforming the ritual duties of the day, and having collected thesacrificial fuel. And because his son had been slain, the sacrificialfires which used to welcome him everyday, did not on that day comeforward to welcome him. And marking this change in the Agnihotra, thegreat sage asked the blind Sudra warder seated there, saying, ‘Why is it.O Sudra, that the fires rejoice not at sight of me? Thou too dost notrejoice as is thy wont. Is it all well with my hermitage? I hope that myson of little sense had not gone to the sage Raivya. Answer speedily, OSudra, all these questions of mine. My mind misgiveth me.’ The Sudrasaid, ‘Thy son of little sense had gone to the sage Raivya, and thereforeit is that lie lieth prostrate (on the ground), having been slain by apowerful demon. Being attacked by the Rakshasa, holding a spear, heattempted to force his way into this room, and I therefore barred his waywith my arms. Then desirous of having water in an unclean state, as hestood hopeless, he was slain by the vehement Rakshasa, carrying a spearin his hand.’ On hearing from the Sudra of this great calamity,Bharadwaja, sorely afflicted with grief, began to lament, embracing hisdead son. And he said, ‘O my son, it is for the good of the Brahmanasthat thou didst practise penances, with the intention that the Vedasunstudied by any Brahmana whatever might be manifest unto thee. Thybehaviour towards the Brahmanas had always been for their good, and thouhadst also been innocent in regard to all creatures. But, alas! (at last)thou didst lapse into rudeness. I had prohibited thee, O my son, fromvisiting the residence of Raivya; but alas! to that very hermitage,(destructive to thee) as the god of death himself, Yama, didst thourepair. Evil-minded is that man, who, (knowing that I am an old man), andalso that (Yavakri) was my only son, had given way to wrath. It isthrough the agency of Raivya that I have sustained the loss of my child.Without thee, O my son, I shall give up my life, the most precious thingin the world. In grief for the death of my son, I renounce my life; butthis I say that Raivya’s eldest son shall in a short time kill himalthough he be innocent. Blessed are those to whom children have neverbeen born, for they lead a happy life, without having to experience thegrief (incident to the death of a child). Who in this world can be morewicked than those who from affliction, and deprived of their sense bysorrow consequent upon the death of a child, curse even their dearestfriend! I found my son dead, and, therefore, have cursed my dearestfriend. Ah! what second man can there be in this world, destined tosuffer so grievous a misfortune!’ Having lamented long Bharadwajacremated his son and then himself entered into a full-blazing fire.'”