Chapter 127

“Bhishma said, ‘Then that best of Rishis, viz., the regenerate Rishabha,sitting in the midst of all those Rishis, smiled a little and said thesewords: ‘Formerly, O tiger among kings, while travelling among sacredplaces, I arrived, O lord, at the beautiful asylum of Nara and Narayana.There lies the delightful spot called Vadri, and there also is that lakein the firmament (whence the sacred Ganga takes her rise).[381] There thesage Aswasiras, O king, (always) reads the eternal Vedas. Havingperformed my ablutions in that lake and offered with due rites oblationsof water unto the Pitris and the dogs, I entered the asylum. Within thatretreat the Rishis Nara and Narayana always pass their time in truepleasure.[382] Not far from that spot I repaired to another retreat fortaking up my abode. While seated there I beheld a very tall and emaciatedRishi, clad in rags and skins, approaching towards me. Possessed of thewealth of penances, he was named Tanu. Compared, O mighty-armed one, withother men, his height seemed to be eight times greater. As regards hisleanness, O royal sage, I can say that I have never beheld its like. Hisbody, O king, was as thin as one’s little finger. His neck and arms andlegs and hair were all of extra-ordinary aspect. His head wasproportionate to his body, and his cars and eyes also were the same. Hisspeech, O best of kings, and his movements were exceedingly feeble.Beholding that exceedingly emaciated Brahmana I became very cheerless andfrightened. Saluting his feet, I stood before him with joined hands.Having informed him of my name and family, and having told him also thename of my father, O bull among men, I slowly sat myself down on a seatthat was indicated by him. Then, O monarch, that foremost of virtuousmen, viz., Tanu, began to discourse in the midst of the Rishis dwellingin that asylum upon topics connected with Righteousness and Profit. Whileengaged in discourse, a king, possessed of eyes like lotus petals andaccompanied by his forces and the ladies of his household, came to thatspot on a car drawn by fleet steeds. The name of that king wasViradyumna. Of handsome features, he was possessed of great fame. Hisson’s name was Bhuridyumna. The child had been missing, and the sire,exceedingly cheerless, came there in course of his wanderings amid theforest in pursuit of the missing one. ‘I shall find my son here!’ ‘Ishall find my son here!’ Dragged on by hope in this way, the kingwandered through that forest in those days. Addressing the emaciatedRishi he said, ‘Without doubt that highly virtuous son of mine isexceedingly difficult to be traced by me. Alas he was my only child. Heis lost and can nowhere be found! Though incapable of being found out, myhope, however, of finding him is very great. Filled with that hope (whichis being constantly disappointed), I am verily on the point of death.’Hearing these words of the king, that foremost of Munis, viz., the holyTanu, remained for a short while with head hanging down and himselfburied in contemplation. Beholding him buried in contemplation, the kingbecame exceedingly cheerless. In great grief he began to say slowly andsoftly, ‘What, O celestial Rishi, is unconquerable and what is greaterthan hope? O holy one, tell me this if I may hear it without impropriety.’

“The Muni said, ‘A holy and great Rishi had been insulted by thy son. Hehad done it through ill-luck, moved by his foolish understanding. TheRishi had asked thy son for a golden jar and vegetable barks. Thy soncontemptuously refused to gratify the ascetic. Thus treated by thy son,the great sage became disappointed. Thus addressed, the king worshippedthat ascetic who was worshipped by all the world. Of virtuous soul,Viradyumna sat there, spent with fatigue even as thou, O best of men, nowart. The great Rishi, in return, offered the king according to the ritesobserved by the dwellers of the forests water to wash his feet and theusual ingredients that make up the Arghya. Then all the Rishis, O tigeramong kings, sat there, surrounding that bull among men like the stars ofthe constellation of Ursa Major surrounding the Pole star. And they askedthe unvanquished king as to the cause of his arrival at that asylum.'”