धार्मिक ग्रंथ

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘Man is not the disposer of either his prosperity oradversity. He is like a wooden doll moved by strings. Indeed, the Creatorhath made man subject to Destiny. Go on telling me, I am attentive towhat thou sayest.’

“The Holy One said, ‘They say that the Aswattha, having its roots aboveand branches below, is eternal, its leaves are the Chhandas. He whoknoweth it, knoweth the Vedas.

“Vaisampayana said,–Beholding that vast assembly of kings agitated withwrath, even like the terrific sea agitated by the winds that blow at thetime of the universal dissolution, Yudhishthira addressing the agedBhishma, that chief of intelligent men and the grandsire of the Kurus,even like Puruhita (Indra) that slayer of foes, of abundant energyaddressing Vrihaspati, said,–‘This vast ocean of kings, hath beenagitated by wrath.

Vaishampayana said, “Having passed one night more, Rama, having theplough for his weapon, worshipped the dwellers of that tirtha and showedhis regard for Mankanaka.

“Yudhishthira said, ‘All men, O king, in this world, are seen to attachthemselves to women, overcome by the illusion that is created by thedivine Being.

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Beholding that bull among men seated on the car inthe habit of a person of the third sex, driving toward the Sami tree,having taken (the flying) Uttara up, all the great car-warriors of theKurus with

“‘Shalya said, “Do not, O Suta’s son, give away to any man a golden carwith six bulls of elephantine proportions. Thou wilt obtain a sight ofDhananjaya today.

¹ And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made finely wrought garments, for ministering in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as Jehovah commanded Moses.

“Sauti said, ‘O best of regenerate ones, hearing these words of Elapatra,all the serpents, in great delight, exclaimed, ‘Well said, well said!’And from that time Vasuki set about carefully bringing up that maiden,viz., his sister Jaratkaru. And he took great delight in rearing her.

“Vaisampayana said, ‘At the time the Parthas entered the city, thousandsupon thousands of the citizens came out to behold the sight.

“Brahmana said, ‘The qualities are incapable of being declared ascompletely separate from one another.

¹ And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hand of the Ishmaelites, that had brought him down thither.

“Sanjaya said, ‘Then the younger brother of Karna, uttering loud roars,bow in hand, and repeatedly stretching the bow-string, quickly placedhimself between those two illustrious warriors.

Vaisampayana said, “After all those illustrious ascetics had gone away,that wielder of the Pinaka and cleanser of all sins–the illustriousHara–assuming the form of a Kirata resplendent as a golden tree, andwith a huge and stalwart form like a second Meru, and taking up a handsome bow and a number of arrows resembling snakes of virulent poison, andlooking like an embodiment of fire, came quickly down on the breast ofHimavat.

“Narada said, ‘The king has not been burnt to death by an unsanctifiedfire. I have heard this there.

“Sanjaya said, ‘Unto him who was talking thus, the aged Kuru grandsirewith a cheerful heart, said these words adapted to both time and place:’

¹ And Jehovah spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

¹ And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice; for they will say, Jehovah hath not appeared unto thee.

Vaishampayana said, “Hearing this intelligence, O monarch, Dhritarashtrathe son of Ambika, feeling the acme of grief, regarded Suyodhana to bealready dead. Exceedingly agitated, the king fell down on the Earth likean elephant deprived of its senses.

“Vyasa said, ‘O mighty-armed Yudhishthira, do without any scruple whatDhritarashtra of Kuru’s race hag said. This king is old. He has, again,been made sonless.

“Drupada said, ‘O mighty-armed one, it will, without doubt, be even asthou hast said! Never will Duryodhana give up the kingdom by peacefulmeans, and Dhritarashtra, who dotes on his son, will follow him in hiswish.

Vaishampayana said: “Then Daruka and Keshava and Vabhru left that spot,following in the wake of Rama (for discovering his retreat).

Vaisampayana said,–“Having said these words unto Dhritarashtra, Vyasatook his departure. And Dhritarashtra also, having heard those words,began to reflect in silence.

“Vaisampayana said,–“Then that chief of men, king Yudhishthira, enteredthat palatial sabha having first fed ten thousand Brahmanas withpreparations of milk and rice mixed with clarified butter and honey withfruits and roots, and with pork and venison.

Kripa said, “By good luck, O thou of unfading glory, thy heart is settoday on vengeance. The wielder of the thunder himself will not succeedin dissuading thee today.

Vaishampayana said, “King Yudhishthira, thus praised by the gods, theMaruts and the Rishis, proceeded to that place where those foremost onesof Kurus race were.

¹ And the man knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man with [the help of] Jehovah.

“Vaisampayana said,–“After the Pandavas had gone to the forest,Dhritarashtra the son of Amvika, whose knowledge was his eye,[14] becameexceedingly sorrowful. And seated at his ease the king addressed thesewords to the virtuous Vidura of profound intelligence, ‘Thy understandingis as clear as that of Bhargava.[15] Thou knowest also all the subtletiesor morality, and thou lookest on all the Kauravas with an equal eye. O,tell me what is proper for me and them. O Vidura, things having thustaken their course, what should we do now? How may I secure the goodwillof the citizens so that they may not destroy us to the roots? O, tell usall, since thou art conversant with every excellent expedient.’

“Dhritarashtra said, O foremost speakers, how may the wilderness of thisworld be known? I desire to hear this. Asked by me, tell me this.

Yudhishthira said, “Ye have already said what offices ye willrespectively perform. I also, according to the measure of my sense, havesaid what office I will perform.

‘UGRASRAVA SAUTI, the son of Lomaharshana, versed in the Puranas, whilepresent in the forest of Naimisha, at the twelve years’ sacrifice ofSaunaka, surnamed Kulapati, stood before the Rishis in attendance.

‘UGRASRAVA SAUTI, the son of Lomaharshana, versed in the Puranas, whilepresent in the forest of Naimisha, at the twelve years’ sacrifice ofSaunaka, surnamed Kulapati, stood before the Rishis in attendance.

“Narada said, ‘Having thus obtained weapons from him of Bhrigu’s race,Karna began to pass his days in great joy, in the company of Duryodhana,O bull of Bharata’s race!

¹ And now, O Israel, hearken unto the statutes and unto the ordinances, which I teach you, to do them; that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which Jehovah, the God of your fathers, giveth you.

“Sanjaya said, ‘Beholding the fallen boxes of cars, as also the cars ofhigh-souled warriors, and the elephants and foot-soldiers, O sire, slainin battle,

¹ And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

“Bhishma said, ‘Listen truly in detail, O son of Pritha, how in oldentimes Viswamitra attained to the status of a Brahmana Rishi.

“Yudhishthira said, ‘O righteous one, I am desirous of hearing thehistory of that royal sage Marutta. Do thou, O Dwaipayana, relate thisunto me, O sinless one.’

“Vidura said, ‘Worshipped by the good and abandoning pride, that good manwho pursueth his objects without outstepping the limits of his power,soon succeedeth in winning fame, for they that are good, when gratifiedwith a person, are certainly competent to bestow happiness on him.

“The Holy One said, ‘Fearlessness, purity of heart, perseverance in (thepursuit of) knowledge and Yoga meditation, gifts, self-restraint,sacrifice, study of the

‘Sisupala said,–‘Old and infamous wretch of thy race, art thou notashamed of affrighting all these monarchs with these numerous falseterrors! Thou art the foremost of the Kurus, and living as thou dost inthe third state (celibacy) it is but fit for thee that thou shouldst givesuch counsel that is so wide of morality.

“Bhishma said, ‘It is even so as thou sayest, O thou of mighty arms.There is nothing untrue in all this that thou sayest, O thou of Kuru’srace, on the subject of women.

Janamejaya said, “Why did the adorable Arshtishena undergo the austerestof penances? How also did Sindhudwipa acquire the status of a Brahmana?

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Having reached that Sami tree, and havingascertained Virata’s son to be exceedingly delicate and inexperienced inbattle, Partha addressed him, saying, ‘Enjoined by me, O Uttara, quicklytake down (from this tree) some bows that are there.

“Sanjaya said, ‘Thus rebuked by Shalya of immeasurable energy, the son ofRadha, feeling the propriety of his rebuker’s name in consequence of hiswordy darts, and becoming filled with rage, answered him thus:

¹ And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

“Saunaka said, ‘O son of Suta, I desire to know the reason why theillustrious Rishi whom thou hast named Jaratkaru came to be so called onearth. It behoveth thee to tell us the etymology of the name Jaratkaru.’

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Then Devaki’s son Janardana of universal knowledgeaddressed king Yudhishthira who stood there with his brothers, saying,’In this world, O sire, Brahmanas are always the objects of worship withme.

“Brahmana said, ‘From the unmanifest first sprang Mahat (the Great Soul)endued with great intelligence, the source of all the qualities. That issaid to be the first creation.

¹ And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord the king of Egypt.

“Dhritarashtra said, A mere child in years, brought up in great luxury,proud of the strength of his arms, accomplished in battle, endued withgreat heroism, the perpetuator of his race, and prepared to lay down hislife–when Abhimanyu penetrated into the Katirava army, borne on histhree-years old steeds of spirited mettle, was there any of greatwarriors, in Yudhishthira’s army, that followed the son of Arjuna?’

“Mahadeva said, ‘Thou wert in thy former life Nara, the friend ofNarayana. In Vadari wert thou engaged in fierce ascetic austerities forseveral thousands of years.

“Arjuna said, ‘What is the state, O Krishna, of those who abandoning theordinance of the scriptures, perform sacrifices endued with faith? It isone of Goodness, or Passion, or Darkness?’

“Sisupala said,–“That mighty king Jarasandha who desired not to fightwith Krishna, saying ‘He is a slave,’ was worthy of my greatest esteem.

‘Bhishma said, One day the chief of the celestials assuming a form ofcelestial beauty, came to the retreat of the Rishi, thinking that theopportunity he had been expecting had at last come.

Vaishampayana said, “The delighter of the Yadus then proceeded to theasylum (of Vaka) which resounded with the chanting of the Vedas.

“Uttara said, ‘It hath been heard by us that a corpse is tied in thistree. How can I, therefore, being a prince by birth, touch it with myhands?

“Sauti said, ‘Being thus addressed, and hearing that his sire was bearinga dead snake, the powerful Sringin burned with wrath. And looking atKrisa, and speaking softly, he asked him, ‘Pray, why doth my father beartoday a dead snake?’ And Krisa replied, ‘Even as king Parikshit wasroving, for purpose of hunting, O dear one, he placed the dead snake onthe shoulder of thy sire.’

“Sanjaya said, ‘Hearing, O sire, these words of Radha’s son who delightedin battle, Shalya once more addressed Karna, citing an example, “I amborn in the race of men who performed great sacrifices, who neverretreated from battle, who were kings whose coronal locks underwent thesacred bath.

“Vaisampayana said, ‘The royal son of Kunti, freed from grief and thefever of his heart, took his seat, with face eastwards, on excellent seatmade of gold.

“Brahmana said, ‘That Mahat who was first produced is called Egoism. Whenit sprang up as I, it came to be called as the second creation. ThatEgoism is said to be the source of all creatures, for these have sprungfrom its modifications.

¹ And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.

“Sanjaya said, ‘Thou askest me, O monarch, about the prowess of the rulerof the Sindhus. Listen to me as I describe in detail how he fought withthe Pandavas.

Vaisampayana said, “The wielder of the Pinaka, having the bull for hissign, thus disappeared in the very sight of the gazing son of Pandu, likethe sun setting in the sight of the world. Arjuna, that slayer of hostileheroes, wondered much at this, saying, ‘O, I have seen the great god ofgods.

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘If there is anything still left unsaid by thee, OVidura, say it then, as I am ready to listen to thee. The discourse is,indeed, charming.’

“Arjuna said, ‘Of renunciation, O thou of mighty arms, I desire to knowthe true nature, and also of abandonment, O lord of the sensesdistinctly, O slayer of Kesi.'[293]

“Bhishma said,–This Sisupala was born in the line of the king of Chediwith three eyes and four hands. As soon as he was born, he screamed andbrayed like an ass. On that account, his father and mother along withtheir relatives, were struck with fear.

“Bhishma said, ‘Having accomplished his preceptor’s behest, Vipulapractised the most severe penances.

Janamejaya said, “Why is the current of (the tirtha known by the name of)Vasishthapavaha so rapid? For what reason did the foremost of rivers bearaway Vasishtha?

“Uttara said, ‘To what warrior of fame doth this excellent bow belong, onwhich are a hundred golden bosses and which hath such radiant ends?

“Sauti said, ‘And Sringin then replied to his father, saying, ‘Whetherthis be an act of rashness, O father, or an improper act that I havedone, whether thou likest it or dislikest it, the words spoken by meshall never be in vain. O father, I tell thee (a curse) can never beotherwise. I have never spoken a lie even in jest.’

“Sanjaya said, ‘The high-souled son of Adhiratha, having listenedunconvinced to these words of the ruler of the Madras, addressed Shalya,saying, “That which Vasudeva and Arjuna are is well-known to me.

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Having heard those words, suitable to time andplace, of his subjects, king Yudhishthira answered them in the followingwords, ‘Great must be the sons of Pandu, in sooth, whose merits, true orfalse, are thus recited by such foremost of Brahmanas assembled together.

‘Brahmana said, From Egoism were verily born the five great elements.They are earth, air, ether, water, and light numbering the fifth.

“Sanjaya said, ‘When the ruler of the Sindhus checked the Pandavas,desirous of success, the battle that took place then between thy troopsand the enemy became awful.

¹ Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?

Vaisampayana said, “After the Lokapalas had gone away, Arjuna–thatslayer of all foes–began to think, O monarch, of the car of Indra!

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Then the illustrious and wise king Dhritarashtra,having applauded the words spoken by Vidura, questioned Sanat-sujata insecret, desirous of obtaining the highest of all knowledge.

Sanjaya said,–“Beholding Dhananjaya then to take up once again (his)arrows and Gandiva, the mighty car-warriors (of the Pandava party)uttered a tremendous shout.

“Bhishma said,–The will under which the ruler of Chedi summoneth thee tofight though thou art of strength that knoweth no deterioration, isscarcely his own intention. Assuredly, this is the purpose of Krishnahimself, the lord of the universe.

“Bhishma said, ‘Beholding his disciple returned from his mission,Devasarman of great energy addressed him in words which I shall recite tothee O king!’

Vaishampayana said, “Cursed by the intelligent Vishvamitra in anger,Sarasvati, in that auspicious and best of tirthas, flowed, bearing bloodin her current.

“Vrihannala said, ‘That about which thou hath first enquired is Arjuna’sbow, of world-wide fame, called Gandiva, capable of devastating hostilehosts.

“Sauti said, ‘And Takshaka, after this, answered, ‘If, indeed, thou artable to cure any creature bitten by me, then, O Kasyapa, revive thou thistree bit by me. O best of Brahmanas, I burn this banian in thy sight. Trythy best and show me that skill in mantras of which thou hast spoken.’

“Sanjaya said, ‘That chastiser of foes, viz., the son of Radha, thussilencing the ruler of the Madras, once more addressed him, O monarch,saying these words, “In answer to that which,

“Vaisampayana said, ‘After this king Yudhishthira of magnanimous soulcaused the Sraddha rites to be performed of every one of his kinsmenslain in battle.

“Brahmana said, ‘Among men, the royal Kshatriya is (endued with) themiddle quality. Among vehicles, the elephant (is so); and among denizensof the forest the lion; among all (sacrificial) animals, the sheep;

“Sanjaya said, ‘Engaged in taking the lives of brave warriors, Arjuna’sson then resembled the Destroyer himself, when the latter takes the livesof all creatures on the arrival of the Universal Dissolution.

¹ And the famine was sore in the land.

Vaisampayana said, “And the city of Indra which Arjuna saw was delightfuland was the resort of Siddhas and Charanas. And it was adorned with theflowers of every season, and with sacred trees of all kinds.

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘What is the object of asceticism (mauna)? Of thetwo kinds of mauna (viz., the restraining of speech and meditation),which is approved by thee?

Dhritarashtra said, ‘When the divisions of both my side and the foe werethus arrayed, who struck first, the Kurus or the Pandavas?’

“Vaisampayana said,–Hearing these words of Bhishma, the ruler of Chediendued with exceeding prowess, desirous of combating with Vasudevaaddressed him and said,–O Janarddana, I challenge thee. Come, fight withme until I slay thee today with all the Pandavas.

“Yudhishthira said, “Tell me of that, O grandsire, which is the root ofall duties, which is the root of kinsmen, of home, of the Pitris and ofguests. I think this should be regarded as the foremost of all duties,(viz., the marriage of one’s daughter). Tell me, however, O king, uponwhat sort of a person should one bestow one’s daughter?’

Janamejaya said, “Thou hast described the merits of the Sarasvati, O bestof Brahmanas! It behoveth thee, O regenerate one, to describe to me theinvestiture of Kumara (by the gods).

“Uttara said, ‘Indeed, these weapons adorned with gold, belonging to thelight-handed and high-souled Partha, look exceedingly beautiful.

“Sauti said, ‘Then the councillors beholding the king in the coils ofTakshaka, became pale with fear and wept in exceeding grief. And hearingthe roar of Takshaka, the ministers all fled. And as they were flyingaway in great grief, they saw Takshaka, the king of snakes, thatwonderful serpent, coursing through the blue sky like a streak of the hueof the lotus, and looking very much like the vermilion-coloured line on awoman’s crown dividing the dark masses of her hair in the middle.

“‘Shalya said, “These, O Karna, are ravings that thou utterest regardingthe foe. As regards myself without a 1,000 Karnas I am able to vanquishthe foe in battle.'”

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Having got back the kingdom, king Yudhishthira ofgreat wisdom and purity, after the ceremony of installation had beenover, joining his hands together, addressed the lotus-eyed Krishna ofDasarha’s race, saying,

“Brahmana said, ‘I shall now tell you truly about all that which has abeginning, middle, and end, and which is endued with name andcharacteristics, together with the means of apprehension.