Mahabharata English

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Having heard these words of his son Vasudeva, thatdescendant of Sura, of righteous soul, casting off his grief, madeexcellent obsequial offerings (unto Abhimanyu).

“Narada said, ‘Nabhaga’s son, Amvarisha, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a preyto death. Alone he battled a thousand times with a thousand kings.Desirous of victory, those foes, accomplished in weapons, rushed againsthim in battle from all sides, uttering fierce exclamations.

“Sanjaya said, ‘The handsome Arjuna then, on that foremost car of his,unto which were yoked white steeds, and which was urged by Narayanahimself, appeared on the scene.

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Without much minding Dhritarashtra, the son ofVichitravirya who was about to ask of Partha,

Dhritarashtra said,–“I regard destiny to be superior to exertion, OSanjaya, inasmuch as the army of my son is continually slaughtered by thearmy of the Pandavas.

“Vidura said,–“Gambling is the root of dissensions. It bringeth aboutdisunion. Its consequences are frightful. Yet having recourse to this,Dhritarashtra’s son Duryodhana createth for himself fierce enmity.

“Nala said, ‘Surely, thy father’s kingdom is as my own. But thither Iwill not, by any means, repair in this extremity. Once I appeared therein glory, increasing thy joy. How can I go there now in misery,augmenting thy grief?’

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Then while a great havoc was being made among theKurus, Santanu’s son, Bhishma, and grandsire of the Bharatas rushed at

“Vaisampayana said, ‘There was a king of the name of Uparichara. Thatmonarch was devoted to virtue. He was very much addicted also to hunting.That king of the Paurava race, called also Vasu, conquered the excellentand delightful kingdom of Chedi under instructions from Indra. Some timeafter, the king gave up the use of arms and, dwelling in a secludedretreat, practised the most severe austerities.

“Bhishma said, ‘Drawing the bow-string, destruction of foes, agriculture,trade, tending cattle, and serving others for wealth, these are improperfor a Brahmana.

“Yudhishthira said, ‘When a king becomes desirous of making gifts in thisworld, what, indeed, are those gifts which he should make, O best of theBharatas, unto such Brahmanas as are possessed of superioraccomplishments?

Janamejaya said, “For what reason did that tiger among kings,Yudhishthira the just, despatch that scorcher of foes, Vasudeva, untoGandhari?

“Janamejaya said, ‘Having heard these words, O regenerate one, that werespoken by the high-souled Vyasa in respect of the horse-sacrifice, whatsteps were taken by Yudhishthira? Do thou tell me, O foremost ofregenerate ones, how the king succeeded in obtaining the wealth whichMarutta had buried in the Earth.’

“Narada said, ‘King Sasavindu, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey to death.Of great beauty and of prowess incapable of being baffled, he performeddiverse sacrifices.

“Sanjaya said, ‘Meanwhile Karna also began, with his arrowy showers, toafflict the mighty car-warriors of the Kaikayas, viz., those great bowmenthat stood before him.

“Duryodhana said, ‘The son of Pritha are all as other men, and are, infact, of earthly birth as other men. Why then dost thou think that theyare sure to win victory?

Sanjaya said, “When that elephant division was exterminated, thy sonDuryodhana urged his entire army, commanding the warriors to slayBhimasena.

Duryodhana said,–‘O Kshatta, thou art always boasting of the fame of ourenemies, deprecating the sons of Dhritarashtra. We know, O Vidura, ofwhom thou art really fond.

Vrihadaswa said, “O king, after Nala had gone away, the beauteousDamayanti, now refreshed, timorously awoke in that lonely forest. And Omighty monarch, not finding her lord Naishadha, afflicted with grief andpain, she shrieked aloud in fright, saying, ‘O lord?

“Vaisampayana said, ‘After Bhishma had fled, leaving the van of battle,the illustrious son of Dhritarashtra hoisting high flag approachedArjuna, bow in hand and setting up a loud roar.

“Janamejaya said, ‘O Brahmana, those thou hast named and those thou hastnot named, I wish to hear of them in detail, as also of other kings bythousands. And, O thou of great good fortune, it behoveth thee to tell mein full the object for which those Maharathas, equal unto the celestialsthemselves, were born on earth.’

“Bhishma said, ‘The duties in respect of all the four modes of life,those of yatis, O son of Pandu, and the customs relating to the conductof men in general, are all included in kingly duties.

“Yudhishthira said, ‘I have heard the discourse regarding the ordinanceabout the gift of food. Do thou discourse to me now about the conjunctionof the planets and the stars in relation to the subject of makinggifts.[334]

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘Kicked at the head, his thighs broken, prostratedon the ground, exceedingly proud, what, O Sanjaya, did my son then say?

“Vaisampayana said, ‘They then set out, with cheerful hearts, andaccompanied by men and animals all of whom and which were equallycheerful.

“Narada said, ‘Gaya, the son of Amartarayas, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell aprey to death, That king, for a hundred years, ate nothing but whatremained of the libations of clarified butter poured into the sacrificialfire.

“Sanjaya said, ‘Meanwhile Drona’s son, surrounded by a large car-force, Oking, suddenly proceeded to that spot where Partha was.

“Vidura said, ‘We have heard, O sire, from old men, that once on a time afowler spread his net on the ground for catching feathery denizens of theair.

Sanjaya said, “Then, O king, Bhurisravas, excited with great wrath,pierced Satyaki with nine arrows like the conductor of an elephantpiercing an elephant with the iron hook.

“Sakuni said,–‘Thou hast, O Yudhishthira, lost much wealth of thePandavas. If thou hast still anything that thou hast not yet lost to us,O son of Kunti, tell us what it is!”

“Vrihadaswa continued, ‘Having destroyed that hunter Damayanti of eyeslike lotus leaves, went onwards through that fearful and solitary forestringing with the chirp of crickets.

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Thus summoned to battle by the illustrious hero,Dhritarashtra’s son turned back stung by those censures, like aninfuriate and mighty elephant pricked by a hook.

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Then Indra had a consultation with Narayana aboutthe latter’s descent on the earth from heaven with all the gods accordingto their respective parts. And, having commanded all the dwellers inheaven, Indra returned from the abode of Narayana.

“Indra said, ‘Kshatriya duties, O king, which are possessed of suchenergy, which include in their exercise all other duties, and which arethe foremost of all duties, should be observed by persons that are, likethee, so high-souled and so employed in seeking the good of the world.

“Bhishma said, ‘The illustrious Atri, the son of the Grandsire Brahman,said, ‘They who make gifts of gold are said to make gifts of everythingin the world.’

“Sanjaya said, ‘Having heard of Duryodhana’s fall from the messengers,those mighty car-warriors, the unslain remnant of the Kaurava army,exceedingly wounded with keen shafts, and maces and lances and darts,those three,

“‘The Brahmanas said, ‘Let offerings be made unto the high-souledMahadeva of three eyes. Having duly dedicated those offerings, O king, weshall then strive to gain our object.’

“Sanjaya said, ‘Having vanquished the son of Drona and achieved a mightyand heroic feat that is exceedingly difficult of accomplishment,Dhananjaya, irresistible by foes,

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘Consider, O Duryodhana, O dear son, what I tellthee. Like an ignorant traveller thou thinkest, the wrong path to be theright one, since thou art desirous of robbing the energy of the five sonsof Pandu, who are even as the five elements of the universe in theirsubtle form upholding all mobile and immobile things.

Dhritarashtra said, ‘Hearing of those feats of the sons of Pandu whichare incapable of being achieved by the gods themselves, my heart, OSanjaya, is filled with fear and wonder.

Duryodhana said,–‘Come, Kshatta, bring hither Draupadi the dear andloved wife of the Pandavas. Let her sweep the chambers, force herthereto, and let the unfortunate one stay where our serving-women are.’

“Vrihadaswa said, ‘Having heard the words of the leader of that caravan,Damayanti of faultless limbs proceeded with that caravan itself anxiousto behold her lord.

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Having vanquished the Kurus in battle, that one witheyes like those of a bull brought back that profuse cattle wealth ofVirata.

“Vaisampayana said, ‘It is known that the spiritual sons of Brahman werethe six great Rishis (already mentioned). There was another of the nameof Sthanu. And the sons of Sthanu, gifted with great energy, were, it isknown, eleven.

“Yudhishthira said, ‘Thou hast spoken to me about the four modes of humanlife. I desire to know more of-them. Do thou discourse on them in detail.’

“Yudhishthira said, ‘I desire to hear, O grandsire, what the merits areof that person who makes the gift of a pair of sandals unto a Brahmanawhose feet are burning or being scorched by hot sand, while he iswalking.’

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Meanwhile, Vasudeva of great energy accompanied bythe Vrishnis, came to the city called after the elephant.

“Bhishma said, ‘Then that illustrious Deity, the Lord of the worlds,replied unto Brahma in a soft deep voice, saying,–‘Through Yoga, O sire,all that is wished by thee is known to me.

“Narada said, ‘Dushmanta’s son, Bharata, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a preyto death. While only a child (living) in the forest, he achieved featsincapable of being achieved by others.

“‘Yudhishthira said, “Welcome, O thou that hast Devaki for thy mother,and welcome to thee, O Dhananjaya! The sight of both of you, O Acyuta andArjuna, is exceedingly agreeable!

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Having addressed Suyodhana thus, the highly blessedand wise Dhritarashtra again asked Sanjaya, saying, ‘Tell me, O Sanjaya,what thou hast not yet said, viz., what Arjuna told thee after theconclusion of Vasudeva’s speech, for great is my curiosity to hear it.’

Vaisampayana said,–“Intoxicated with pride, the son of Dhritarashtraspake,–‘Fie on Kshatta! and casting his eyes upon the Pratikamin inattendance, commanded him, in the midst of all those reverend seniors,saying,–‘Go Pratikamin, and bring thou Draupadi hither. Thou hast nofear from the sons of Pandu. It is Vidura alone that raveth in fear.Besides, he never wisheth our prosperity!'”

“Vrihadaswa said, ‘O monarch, having deserted Damayanti, king Nala saw amighty conflagration that was raging in that dense forest.

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Having speedily recovered his wealth Virata owning alarge army entered his city with a cheerful heart, accompanied by thefour Pandavas.

“Janamejaya said, ‘O worshipful one, I wish to hear from thee in detailabout the birth, among men, of the gods, the Danavas, the Gandharvas, theRakshasas, the lions, the tigers, and the other animals, the snakes, thebirds, and in fact, of all creatures. I wish also to hear about the actsand achievements of those, in due order, after they became incarnate inhuman forms.’

“Yudhishthira said, ‘Thou hast said what the duties are of the four modesof the life and the four orders. Tell me now, O grandsire, what are theprincipal duties of a kingdom.’

“Yudhishthira said, ‘I have heard, O sire, of the merits of the differentkinds of gift upon which thou hast discoursed to me.

“Vaisampayana said, ‘After Kunti had sat up, Subhadra, beholding herbrother, began to weep aloud, and afflicted with excessive grief,said,–‘O thou of eyes like lotus petals, behold the grandson of Arjunaof great intelligence.

“Narada said, ‘Vena’s son, king Prithu, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a preyto death, In the Rajasuya sacrifice he performed, the great Rishisinstalled him as Emperor (of the world).

“Sanjaya said, ‘Hearing these words of the righteous king who had beenfilled with anger, that high-souled atiratha, Jishnu of infinite energy,replied unto the invincible Yudhishthira of great might, saying, “Whilebattling with the samsaptakas today,

“Vaisampayana said, ‘When Duryodhana, the son of Dhritarashtra, showedlittle regard for the words spoken by Sanjaya, and when the rest remainedsilent, the assembled kings rose up and retired.

“Duryodhana said, ‘In all the worlds Vasudeva is spoken of as the SupremeBeing. I desire, O Grandsire, to know his origin and glory.”

Draupadi said,–‘Wait a little, thou worst of men, thou wicked-mindedDussasana. I have an act to perform–a high duty that hath not beenperformed by me yet. Dragged forcibly by this wretch’s strong arms, I wasdeprived of my senses. I salute these reverend seniors in this assemblyof the Kurus. That I could not do this before cannot be my fault.'”

“Vrihadaswa said, ‘After the snake had vanquished, Nala, the ruler of theNishadhas, proceeded, and on the tenth day entered the city of Rituparna.And he approached the king, saying, ‘My name is Vahuka.

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Then Bhuminjaya, the eldest son of the king,entered, and having worshipped the feet of his father approached Kanka.And he beheld Kanka covered with blood, and seated on the ground at oneend of the court, and waited upon by the Sairindhri.

“Janamejaya said, ‘O Brahmana, I have, indeed, heard from thee thisaccount of the incarnation, according to their portions, of the gods, theDanavas, the Rakshasas, and also of the Gandharvas and the Apsaras. Ihowever, again desire to hear of the dynasty of the Kurus from the verybeginning. Therefore, O Brahmana, speak of this in the presence of allthese regenerate Rishis.’

“Yudhishthira said, ‘Why, O bull of Bharata’s race, have the Brahmanassaid that the king, that ruler of men, is a god?’

“Yudhishthira said, ‘Do thou discourse to me once again, O grandsire,upon the merits attaching to gifts of sesame and of lamps for lightingdarkness, as also of food and robes.’

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Thus addressed, O king, (by his sister and others),the slayer of Kesin, exceedingly afflicted by grief, answered,–‘So beit!’–These words were uttered with sufficient loudness and theygladdened all the inmates of the inner apartments of the palace.

“Narada said, ‘Even the great ascetic Rama, the hero worshipped by allheroes, that son of Jamadagni, of great fame, will die, without beingcontented (with the period of his life).

“Sanjaya said, ‘Hearing that Karna of mighty energy was still alive,Pritha’s son Yudhishthira of immeasurable energy, exceedingly angry withPhalguna and burning with the shafts of

“Sanjaya said, ‘Those adorable bowmen, Arjuna and Vasudeva, who areperfectly equal unto each other in respect of their godlike nature, havetaken their births of their own will.

“Bhishma said, ‘Hear from me, O king, this hymn that was uttered byBrahman himself.

Vaisampayana said,–“The kings present in that assembly, from tear ofDuryodhana, uttered not a word, good or ill, although they beheldDraupadi crying piteously in affliction like a female osprey, andrepeatedly appealing to them.

“Vaisampayana said, ‘After Nala, despoiled of his kingdom, had, with hiswife, become a bondsman, Bhima with the desire of seeing Nala sent outBrahmanas to search for him.

“Sudeva said, ‘There is a virtuous and illustrious ruler of theVidarbhas, Bhima by name. This blessed lady is his daughter, and widelyknown by the name of Damayanti.

“Uttara said, ‘The kine have not been recovered by me, nor have the foebeen vanquished by me. All that hath been accomplished by the son of adeity.

“Janamejaya said, ‘I desire to hear from thee about the birth and life ofthe high-souled Bharata and of the origin of Sakuntala. And, O holy one,I also desire to hear all about Dushmanta–that lion among men–and howthe hero obtained Sakuntala. It behoveth thee, O knower of truth and thefirst of all intelligent men, to tell me everything.’

“Yudhishthira said, ‘What other special duties remain for the king todischarge? How should he protect his kingdom and how subdue his foes? Howshould he employ his spies? How should he inspire confidence in the fourorders of his subjects, his own servants, wives, and sons, O Bharata?’

“Yudhishthira said, ‘Do thou, O foremost one of Kuru’s race, discourseunto me once again of the excellent ordinance regarding gifts, withespecial reference, O thou of great wisdom, to the gift of earth.

“Vaisampayana said, ‘The helpless Uttara, desirous of getting back herchild, having indulged in these piteous lamentations, fell down inaffliction on the earth like a demented creature.

“Vyasa said, ‘Hearing this sacred history of sixteen kings, capable ofenhancing the period of life (of the listener), king Srinjaya remainedsilent without saying anything.

“Sanjaya said, ‘Thus addressed by Yudhishthira, Kunti’s son owning whitesteeds, filled with rage, drew his sword for slaying that bull ofBharata’s race.

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘How hast thou, O Sanjaya, been able to know Madhavaas the Supreme Lord of the universe? And how is it that I am unable toknow Him as such? Tell me this, O Sanjaya.’

Sanjaya said, “After the night had passed away and the sun had risen, thetwo armies, O king, approached each other for battle. Beholding eachother, each rushed in united ranks towards the other excited with rageand desirous of vanquishing the other.

“Karna said,–‘Of all the persons in the assembly, three, viz., Bhishma,Vidura, and the preceptor of the Kurus (Drona) appear to be independent;for they always speak of their master as wicked, always censure him, andnever wish for his prosperity.

“Drona said, ‘I know the Vedas with their six branches. I know also thescience of human affairs. I am acquainted also with the Saiva weapon, anddiverse other species of weapons.

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘When all the foremost of my warriors, O Sanjayahave perished, I do not think that the remnant of my army will notperish!

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘O best of kings, thou shouldst also reflectproperly on war and peace. Each is of two kinds.

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Having despatched the priest to the city calledafter the elephant they sent messengers to the kings of variouscountries.

“Dhritarashtra said,–‘Tell me, O Sanjaya, thou of great intelligence, ofthe regions to the north and the east side of Meru, as also of themountains of Malyavat, in detail.[50]

Vaishampayana said: “That scorcher of foes, Vibhatsu, thus addressed byhis maternal uncle, replied, with great cheerlessness of heart, untoVasudeva who was equally cheerless, saying, O uncle, I am unable to lookat this Earth when she is reft of that hero of Vrishnis race and those myother kinsmen.

“Narada said,–the celestial assembly room of Sakra is full of lustre. Hehath obtained it as the fruit of his own acts. Possessed of the splendourof the sun, it was built, O scion of the Kuru race, by Sakra himself.

Sanjaya said, “The son of Drona, O monarch, having reflected thus,descended from the terrace of his car and stood, bending his head untothat supreme god.

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Hearing that Vidura had returned, and that the kinghad consoled him, the evil-minded son of Dhritarashtra began to burn ingrief.

Vaisampayana said, “Then tying up in his cloth dice made of gold and setwith lapis lazuli, and holding them below his arm-pit, kingYudhishthira,–that illustrious lord of men–that high-souled perpetuatorof the

“Dhritarashtra said, Excellent is this parable that thou hast recited!Indeed, thou art acquainted with truth! Having listened to thy nectarlikespeech, I desire to hear thee more.

“Sauti said, ‘the god of fire enraged at the curse of Bhrigu, thusaddressed the Rishi, ‘What meaneth this rashness, O Brahmana, that thouhast displayed towards me? What transgression can be imputed to me whowas labouring to do justice and speak the truth impartially?

Vaisampayana said, “The righteous-souled Yudhishthira, with an agitatedheart and burning with sorrow, began to grieve for that mightycar-warrior Karna.

“Sanjaya said, ‘Hearing these words of the (Kuru) king, the valiantmonarch (Shalya), O king, said these words unto Duryodhana in reply, “Omighty-armed Duryodhana, listen to me, O foremost of eloquent men.