Chapter 96

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Hearing these words uttered by the high-souledKesava, all the persons who sat in that assembly remained silent, theirhair standing on their ends. And all the kings thought within themselvesthat there was no man who could dare reply to that speech. And seeingthat all the kings sat silent, Jamadagni’s son (addressing Duryodhana)then said these words in that assembly of Kurus, ‘Listen confidingly tomy words illustrated by an example, and seek thy own good if my speechrecommends itself to thee. There was a king of yore named Dambhodbhava,who was the Head of the earth. It hath been heard by us that hissovereignty extended over the whole world. And that mighty car-warrior,rising every morning after the night had passed away, called theBrahmanas and the Kshatriyas unto himself and asked them, saying, ‘Be hea Sudra, a Vaisya, a Kshatriya, or a Brahmana, is there any one who issuperior or even equal to me in battle?’ And uttering these words thatking wandered over the earth, intoxicated with pride and thinking ofnothing else. And it so happened that certain Brahmanas endued with highsouls, conversant with the Vedas, and fearing nothing on earth,counselled the monarch, repeatedly boasting of his prowess, to curb hispride. But though forbidden by those Brahmanas to boast in that way, theking continued to ask the Brahmanas as before the same question day afterday. And some high-souled Brahmanas then, endued with ascetic merit andacquainted with the proofs furnished by the Vedas, were inflamed withanger, and addressing that proud and boastful king intoxicated withprosperity, told him, ‘There are two persons who are foremost of all menand who are always victorious in battle. Thou, O king, wilt by no meansbe equal to them if thou seekest an encounter with any one of them.’ Andthus addressed by them, the king asked those Brahmanas, saying, ‘Wheremay those two heroes be found? In what race are they born? What featshave they achieved? And who are they? And the Brahmanas answered him,saying, It had been heard by us that those two persons are asceticscalled Nara and Narayana. They have both taken their births in the raceof man. Go and fight with them, O king. It is that illustrious pair, Naraand Narayana, who are now practising the severest of penances in somehidden region of the mountains of Gandhamadana.’ Hearing those words ofthe Brahmanas, that king speedily mustered his large army consisting ofsix kinds of forces,[7] and unable to bear their reputation, marched tothe spot where those unvanquished ascetics were, and arrived at therugged and frightful mountains of Gandhamadana. He began to search afterthose Rishis, and at last, came upon them concealed within the woods. Andbeholding those two best of persons emaciated with hunger and thirst,their veins swollen and visible, and themselves much afflicted with coldwinds, and the hot rays of the sun, he approached them, and touchingtheir feet, enquired after their welfare. And the two Rishis received theking hospitably, with fruits and roots, and a seat and water. And theythen enquired after the king’s business, saying, ‘Let it be done.’ Andthus addressed by them, the king said unto them the same words that hewas in the habit of saying unto all. And he said, ‘The whole earth hasbeen conquered by the might of my arms. All my foes have been slain.Desiring a battle with you both I have come to this mountain. Offer methis hospitality. I have been cherishing this wish from a long time.’Thus addressed, Nara and Narayana said, ‘O best of kings, wrath andcovetousness have no place in this retreat. How can a battle, therefore,be possible here? There are no weapons here, and nothing ofunrighteousness and malice. Seek battle elsewhere. There are manyKshatriyas on earth.’

“Rama continued, ‘Although thus addressed, the king still pressed themfor giving him battle. The Rishis, however, continually soothed him andoverlooked his importunity. King Dambhodbhava, still desirous of battle,repeatedly summoned those Rishis to fight. Nara, then, O Bharata, takingup a handful of grass-blades, said, ‘Desirous of battle as thou art,come, O Kshatriya, and fight! Take up all thy arms, and array thy troops.I will curb thy eagerness for battle hereafter!’ Dambhodbhava then said,If, O ascetic, thou thinkest this weapon of thine fit to be used againstus, I shall fight with thee though thou mayest use that weapon, for Ihave come hither desirous of fighting.’ Saying this, Dambhodbhava withall his troops, desirous of slaying that ascetic, covered all sides witha shower of arrows. That ascetic, however, by means of those blades ofgrass, baffled all those terrible shafts of the king that were capable ofmangling the bodies of hostile warriors. The invincible Rishi then letoff towards the king his own terrible weapon made of grass-blades andwhich was incapable of being counteracted. And highly wonderful was thatwhich happened, for that ascetic, incapable of missing his aim, piercedand cut off, by those grass-blades alone, the eyes and ears and noses ofthe hostile warriors, aided also by his power of illusion. And beholdingthe entire welkin whitened by those grass-blades, the king fell at thefeet of the Rishi and said, ‘Let me be blessed! Ever inclined to grantprotection unto those that sought it, Nara then, O king, said unto thatmonarch, ‘Be obedient to the Brahmanas and be virtuous. Never do soagain. O king, O tiger among monarchs, a conqueror of hostile towns, aKshatriya mindful of the duties of his own or, should never, within evenhis heart, be as thou art. Filled with pride, never insult anybody on anyoccasion, be inferior or superior to thee. Even such conduct would befitthee. Acquiring wisdom, abandoning covetousness and pride, controllingthy soul, restraining thy passions, practising forgiveness and humility,and becoming amiable, O king, go, and cherish thy subjects. Withoutascertaining the strength and weakness of men, never insult any one underany circumstances. Blessed be thou, and with our leave, go hence, andnever again behave in this way. At our command, enquire thou always ofthe Brahmanas as to what is for thy good! The king then, worshipping thefeet of those two illustrious Rishis, returned to his city, and from thattime began to practise righteousness. Great indeed, was that featachieved of old by Nara. Narayana, again, became superior to Nara inconsequence of many more qualities. Therefore, O king, besides suchweapons as Kakudika, Suka, Naka, Akshisantarjana, Santana, Nartana,Ghora, and Asyamodaka, are placed on the string of that best of bowscalled Gandiva, go thou unto Dhananjaya, laying aside thy pride Struckwith these weapons, men always yield up their lives. Indeed, theseweapons have other means corresponding with the eight passions, such aslust, wrath, covetousness, vanity, insolence, pride, malice, andselfishness. Struck with them, men are confounded, and move aboutfrantically deprived of their senses. Under their influence, personsalways sleep heavily, cut capers, vomit, pass urine and excreta, weep,and laugh incessantly. Indeed, that Arjuna is irresistible in fight, whohath for his friend Narayana–the Creator and Lord of all theworlds–fully acquainted with the course of everything. Who is there inthe three worlds, O Bharata, who would venture to vanquish that hero–theApe-bannered Jishnu–who hath no equal in battle? Countless are thevirtues that reside in Partha. Janardana again, is superior to him. Thouart thyself well-acquainted with Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti. They thatwere Nara and Narayana in days of yore are now Arjuna and Kesava. Knowthen, O great king, who those brave and foremost of persons are. If thoubelievest in this and dost not mistrust me adopt thou a virtuousresolution and make peace with the sons of Pandu. If thou regardest thisas thy good, viz., that there should be no disunion in thy family, thenmake peace, O foremost of Bharata’s race, and do not set thy heart uponbattle. O thou, that are foremost of Kuru’s line, the race to which thoubelongest is highly regarded on earth. Let that regard continue to bepaid to it. Blessed be thou, think of what conduces to thy own welfare.'”