Chapter 183

Vaisampayana continued,–“The sons of Pandu said to the high-souledMarkandeya, ‘We long to hear of the greatness of the Brahmanas Do thoutell us of it!’ Thus asked, the revered Markandeya, of austere virtue andhigh spiritual energy, and proficient in all departments of knowledge,replied, ‘A strong-limbed, handsome young prince of the race of theHaihayas, a conqueror of hostile cities, (once) went out hunting. And(while) roaming in the wilderness of big trees and thickets of grass, hesaw, at no great distance from him, a Muni with the skin of a blackantelope for his upper garment, and killed him for a deer. Pained at whathe had done, and his senses paralysed with grief, he repaired to thepresence of the more distinguished of the Haihaya chiefs. The louts-eyedprince related to them the particulars. On hearing the account, O my son,and beholding the body of the Muni who had subsisted on fruits and roots,they were sorely afflicted in mind. And they all set out enquiring hereand there as they proceeded, as to whose son the Muni might be. And theysoon after reached the hermitage of Arishtanemi, son of Kasyapa. Andsaluting that great Muni, so constant in austerity, they all remainedstanding, while the Muni, on his part, busied himself about theirreception. And they said unto the illustrious Muni, ‘By a freak ofdestiny, we have ceased to merit thy welcome: indeed, we have killed aBrahmana!’ And the regenerate Rishi said to them, ‘How hath a Brahmanacome to be killed by you, and say where may be he? Do ye all witness thepower of my ascetic practices!’ And they, having related everything tohim as it had happened went back, but found not the body of the deadRishi on the spot (where they had left it). And having searched for him,they returned, ashamed and bereft of all perception, as in a dream. Andthen, O thou conqueror of hostile cities, the Muni Tarkshya, addressedthem, saying, ‘Ye princes, can this be the Brahmana of your killing? ThisBrahmana, endowed with occult gifts from spiritual exercises, is, indeed,my son!’ Seeing that Rishi, O lord of the earth, they were struck withbewilderment. And they said, ‘What a marvel! How hath the dead come tolife again? Is it the power of his austere virtue by which he hathrevived again? We long to hear this, O Brahmana, if, indeed, it can bedivulged?’ To them, he replied, ‘Death, O lords of men, hath no powerover us! I shall tell ye the reason briefly and intelligibly. We performour own sacred duties; therefore, have we no fear of death; we speak wellof Brahmanas but never think any ill of them; therefore hath death noterror for us. Entertaining our guests with food and drink, and ourdependants with plenty of food, we ourselves (then) partake of what isleft; therefore we are not afraid of death. We are peaceful and austereand charitable and forbearing and fond of visiting sacred shrines, and welive in sacred places; therefore we have no fear of death. And we live inplaces inhabited by men who have great spiritual power; therefore hathdeath no terror for us. I have briefly told ye all! Return ye now alltogether, cured of all worldly vanity. Ye have no fear of sin!’ Sayingamen, O foremost scion of Bharata’s race, and saluting the great Muni,all those princes joyously returned to their country.”