Chapter 173

“Bhishma said, ‘The Rakshasa king then caused a funeral pyre to be madefor that prince of cranes and adorned it with jewels and gems, andperfumes, and costly robes. Setting fire to it with the body of thatprince of birds, the mighty chief of the Rakshasas caused the obsequialrites of his friend to be performed according to the ordinance. At thattime, the auspicious goddess Surabhi, the daughter of Daksha, appeared inthe sky above the place where the pyre had been set up. Her breasts werefull of milk.[497] From her mouth, O sinless monarch, froth mixed withmilk fell upon the funeral pyre of Rajadharman. At this, the prince ofcranes became revived. Rising up, he approached his friend Virupaksha,the king of the Rakshasas. At this time, the chief of the celestialshimself came to the city of Virupaksha. Addressing the Rakshasa king,Indra said, ‘By good luck, thou hast revived the prince of cranes.’ Thechief of the deities further recited to Virupaksha the old story of thecurse denounced by the Grandsire upon that best of birds namedRajadharman. Addressing; the king he said, ‘Once on a time, O monarch,this prince of cranes absented himself from the region of Brahman (whenhis presence was expected). In wrath the Grandsire said unto this princeof birds, ‘Since this vile crane hath not presented himself today in myassembly, therefore, that wicked-souled one shall not soon die (so as tobe able to leave the earth).’ In consequence of these words of theGrandsire, the prince of cranes, though slain by Gautama, has come backto life, through the virtue of the nectar with which his body wasdrenched.’ After Indra had become silent, Rajadharman, having bowed untothe chief of the celestials, said ‘O first of gods, if thy heart beinclined towards me for grace, then let my dear friend Gautama berestored to life!’ Hearing these words of his, Vasava, O foremost of men,sprinkled nectar over the Brahmana Gautama and restored him to life. Theprince of cranes, approaching his friend Gautama, who still bore on hisshoulders the load of gold (that he had got from the king of theRakshasas) embraced him and felt great joy. Rajadharman, that prince ofcranes, dismissing Gautama of sinful deeds, together with his wealth,returned to his own abode. At the due hour he repaired (the next day) tothe Grandsire’s region. The latter honoured the high-souled bird withsuch attentions as are shown to a guest. Gautama also, returning to hishome in the village of the hunters, begot many sinful children upon hisSudra wife. A heavy curse was denounced upon him by the gods to theeffect that having begotten, within a few years,[498] upon the body ofhis remarried wife many children that ungrateful sinner should sink intoa terrible hell for many years. All this, O Bharata, was recited to meformerly by Narada. Recollecting the incidents of this grave story, Obull of Bharata’s race, I have recited to thee all its details duly.Whence can an ungrateful person derive fame? Where is his place? Whencecan he have happiness? An ungrateful person does not deserve to betrusted. One that is ungrateful can never escape. No person should injurea friend. He that injures a friend sinks into terrible and everlastinghell. Every one should be grateful and every one should seek to benefithis friends. Everything may be obtained from a friend. Honours may beobtained from friends.[499] In consequence of friends one may enjoyvarious objects of enjoyment. Through the exertions of friends, one mayescape from various kinds of danger and distress. He that is wise wouldhonour his friend with his best attentions. An ungrateful, shameless, andsinful wight should be shunned by those that are wise. One that injureshis friends is a wretch of his race. Such a sinful wight is the vilest ofmen. I have thus told thee, O foremost of all virtuous men, what thecharacteristics are of that sinful wretch who is stained by ingratitudeand who injures his friend. What else dost thou wish to hear?’

“Vaisampayana continued, ‘Hearing these words spoken by the high-souledBhishma, Yudhishthira, O Janamejaya, became highly gratified.’