The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa BOOK 1 ADI PARVA SECTION CXXVI (Sambhava Parva continued)

 The Mahabharata of

Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa BOOK 1

ADI PARVA

 SECTION CXXVI

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana said, 'The godlike Rishis, wise in counsels, beholding the

death of Pandu, consulted with one another, and said, 'The virtuous and

renowned king Pandu, abandoning both sovereignty, and kingdom came hither

for practising ascetic austerities and resigned himself to the ascetics

dwelling on this mountain. He hath hence ascended to heaven, leaving his

wife and infant sons as a trust in our hands. Our duty now is to repair

to his kingdom with these his offspring, and his wife.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Then those godlike Rishis of magnanimous

hearts, and crowned with ascetic success, summoning one another, resolved

to go to Hastinapura with Pandu's children ahead, desiring to place them

in the hands of Bhishma and Dhritarashtra. The ascetics set out that very

moment, taking with them those children and Kunti and the two dead

bodies. And though unused to toil all her life, the affectionate Kunti

now regarded as very short the really long journey she had to perform.

Having arrived at Kurujangala within a short time, the illustrious Kunti

presented herself at the principal gate. The ascetics then charged the

porters to inform the king of their arrival. The men carried the message

in a trice to the court. And the citizens of Hastinapura, hearing of the

arrival of thousands of Charanas and Munis, were filled with wonder. And

it was soon after sunrise that they began to come out in numbers with

their wives and children to behold those ascetics. Seated in all kinds of

cars and conveyances by thousands, vast numbers of Kshatriyas with their

wives, and Brahmanas with theirs came out. And the concourse of Vaisyas

and Sudras too was as large on the occasion. The vast assemblage was very

peaceful, for every heart then was inclined to piety. And there also came

out Bhishma, the son of Santanu, and Somadatta or Valhika and the royal

sage (Dhritarashtra) endued with the vision of knowledge and Vidura

himself and the venerable Satyavati and the illustrious princess of

Kosala and Gandhari accompanied by the other ladies of the royal

household. And the hundred sons of Dhritarashtra, decked with various

ornaments, also came out.

"The Kauravas, then, accompanied by their priest, saluted the Rishis by

lowering their heads, and took their seats before them. The citizens also

saluting the ascetics and bowing down unto them with touching the ground,

took their seats there. Then Bhishma, setting that vast concourse

perfectly still, duly worshipped, O king, those ascetics by offering them

water to wash their feet with and the customary Arghya. And having done

this, he spoke unto them about the sovereignty and the kingdom. Then the

oldest of the ascetics with matted locks on head and loins covered with

animal skin, stood up, and with the concurrence of the other Rishis,

spoke as follows, 'You all know that that possessor of the sovereignty of

the Kurus who was called king Pandu, had, after abandoning the pleasures

of the world, repaired hence to dwell on the mountain of a hundred peaks.

He adopted the Brahmacharya mode of life, but for some inscrutable

purpose the gods have in view, this his eldest son, Yudhishthira, was

born there, begotten by Dharma himself. Then that illustrious king

obtained from Vayu this other son--the foremost of all mighty men--called

Bhima. This other son, begotten upon Kunti by Indra, is Dhananjaya whose

achievements will humble all bowmen in the world. Look here again at

these tigers among men, mighty in the use of the bow, the twin children

begotten upon Madri by the twin Aswins. Leading in righteousness the life

of a Vanaprastha in the woods, illustrious Pandu hath thus revived the

almost extinct line of his grandfather. The birth, growth, and Vedic

studies of these children of Pandu, will, no doubt, give you great

pleasure. Steadily adhering to the path of the virtuous and the wise, and

leaving behind him these children, Pandu departed hence seventeen days

ago. His wife Madri, beholding him placed in the funeral pyre and about

to be consumed, herself ascended the same pyre, and sacrificing her life

thus, hath gone with her lord to the region reserved for chaste wives.

Accomplish now whatever rites should be performed for their benefit.

These are (the unburnt portions of) their bodies. Here also are their

children--these oppressors of foes--with their mother. Let these be now

received with due honours. After the completion of the first rites in

honour of the dead, let the virtuous Pandu, who had all along been the

supporter of the dignity of the Kurus, have the first annual Sraddha

(sapindakarana) performed with a view to installing him formally among

the Pitris.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'The ascetics with Guhyakas, having said this

unto the Kurus, instantly disappeared in the very sight of the people.

And beholding the Rishis and the Siddhas thus vanish in their sight like

vapoury forms appearing and disappearing in the skies, the citizens

filled with wonder returned to their homes.'"

SECTION CXXVII

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Dhritarashtra then said, 'O Vidura, celebrate

the funeral ceremonies of that lion among kings viz., Pandu, and of Madri

also, in right royal style. For the good of their souls, distribute

cattle, cloths, gems and diverse kinds of wealth, every one receiving as

much as he asketh for. Make arrangements also for Kunti's performing the

last rites of Madri in such a style as pleaseth her. And let Madri's body

be so carefully wrapped up that neither the Sun nor Vayu (god of wind)

may behold it. Lament not for the sinless Pandu. He was a worthy king and

hath left behind him five heroic sons equal unto the celestials

themselves.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Then Vidura, O Bharata, saying, 'So be it,' in

consultation with Bhishma, fixed upon a sacred spot for the funeral rites

of Pandu. The family priests went out of the city without loss of time,

carrying with them the blazing sacred fire fed with clarified butter and

rendered fragrant therewith. Then friends, relatives, and adherents,

wrapping it up in cloth, decked the body of the monarch with the flowers

of the season and sprinkled various excellent perfumes over it. And they

also decked the hearse itself with garlands and rich hangings. Then

placing the covered body of the king with that of his queen on that

excellent bier decked out so brightly, they caused it to be carried on

human shoulders. With the white umbrella (of state) held over the hearse

with waving yak-tails and sounds of various musical instruments, the

whole scene looked bright and grand. Hundreds of people began to

distribute gems among the crowd on the occasion of the funeral rites of

the king. At length some beautiful robes, and white umbrellas and larger

yak-tails, were brought for the great ceremony. The priests clad in white

walked in the van of the procession pouring libations of clarified butter

on the sacred fire blazing in an ornamental vessel. And Brahmanas, and

Kshatriyas, and Vaisyas, and Sudras by thousands followed the deceased

king, loudly wailing in these accents, 'O prince, where dost thou go,

leaving us behind, and making us forlorn and wretched for ever?' And

Bhishma, and Vidura, and the Pandavas, also all wept aloud. At last they

came to a romantic wood on the banks of the Ganga. There they laid down

the hearse on which the truthful and lion-hearted prince and his spouse

lay. Then they brought water in many golden vessels, washed the prince's

body besmeared before with several kinds of fragrant paste, and again

smeared it over with sandal paste. They then dressed it in a white dress

made of indigenous fabrics. And with the new suit on, the king seemed as

if he was living and only sleeping on a costly bed.

"When the other funeral ceremonies also were finished in consonance with

the directions of the priests, the Kauravas set fire to the dead bodies

of the king and the queen, bringing lotuses, sandal-paste, and other

fragrant substances to the pyre.

"Then seeing the bodies aflame, Kausalya burst out, 'O my son, my

son!'--and fell down senseless on the ground. And seeing her down the

citizens and the inhabitants of the provinces began to wail from grief

and affection for their king. And the birds of the air and the beasts of

the field were touched by the lamentations of Kunti. And Bhishma, the son

of Santanu, and the wise Vidura, and the others also that were there,

became disconsolate.

"Thus weeping, Bhishma, Vidura, Dhritarashtra, the Pandavas and the Kuru

ladies, all performed the watery ceremony of the king. And when all this

was over, the people, themselves filled with sorrow, began to console the

bereaved sons of Pandu. And the Pandavas with their friends began to

sleep on the ground. Seeing this the Brahmanas and the other citizens

also renounced their beds. Young and old, all the citizens grieved on

account of the sons of king Pandu, and passed twelve days in mourning

with the weeping Pandavas.'"

SECTION CXXVIII

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana said, 'Then Bhishma and Kunti with their friends celebrated

the Sraddha of the deceased monarch, and offered the Pinda. And they

feasted the Kauravas and thousands of Brahmanas unto whom they also gave

gems and lands. Then the citizens returned to Hastinapura with the sons

of Pandu, now that they had been cleansed from the impurity incident to

the demise of their father. All then fell to weeping for the departed

king. It seemed as if they had lost one of their own kin.

"When the Sraddha had been celebrated in the manner mentioned above, the

venerable Vyasa, seeing all the subjects sunk in grief, said one day to

his mother Satyavati, 'Mother, our days of happiness have gone by and

days of calamity have succeeded. Sin beginneth to increase day by day.

The world hath got old. The empire of the Kauravas will no longer endure

because of wrong and oppression. Go thou then into the forest, and devote

thyself to contemplation through Yoga. Henceforth society will be filled

with deceit and wrong. Good work will cease. Do not witness the

annihilation of thy race, in thy old age.'

"Acquiescing in the words of Vyasa, Satyavati entered the inner

apartments and addressed her daughter-in-law, saying, 'O Ambika, I hear

that in consequence of the deeds of your grandsons, this Bharata dynasty

and its subjects will perish. If thou permit, I would go to the forest

with Kausalya, so grieved at the loss of her son.' O king, saying this

the queen, taking the permission of Bhishma also, went to the forest. And

arriving there with her two daughters-in-law, she became engaged in

profound contemplation, and in good time leaving her body ascended to

heaven.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Then the sons of king Pandu, having gone

through all the purifying rites prescribed in the Vedas, began to grow up

in princely style in the home of their father. Whenever they were engaged

in play with the sons of Dhritarashtra, their superiority of strength

became marked. In speed, in striking the objects aimed at, in consuming

articles of food, and scattering dust, Bhimasena beat all the sons of

Dhritarashtra. The son of the Wind-god pulled them by the hair and made

them fight with one another, laughing all the while. And Vrikodara easily

defeated those hundred and one children of great energy as if they were

one instead of being a hundred and one. The second Pandava used to seize

them by the hair, and throwing them down, to drag them along the earth.

By this, some had their knees broken, some their heads, and some their

shoulders. That youth, sometimes holding ten of them, drowned them in

water, till they were nearly dead. When the sons of Dhritarashtra got up

to the boughs of a tree for plucking fruits, Bhima used to shake that

tree, by striking it with his foot, so that down came the fruits and the

fruitpluckers at the same time. In fact, those princes were no match for

Bhima in pugilistic encounters, in speed, or in skill. Bhima used to make

a display of his strength by thus tormenting them in childishness but not

from malice.

"Seeing these wonderful exhibitions of the might of Bhima, the powerful

Duryodhana, the eldest son of Dhritarashtra, began to conceive hostility

towards him. And the wicked and unrighteous Duryodhana, through ignorance

and ambition, prepared himself for an act of sin. He thought, 'There is

no other individual who can compare with Bhima, the second son of Pandu,

in point of prowess. I shall have to destroy him by artifice. Singly,

Bhima dares a century of us to the combat. Therefore, when he shall sleep

in the garden, I shall throw him into the current of the Ganga.

Afterwards, confining his eldest brother Yudhishthira and his younger

brother Arjuna, I shall reign sole king without molestation.' Determined

thus, the wicked Duryodhana was ever on the watch to find out an

opportunity for injuring Bhima. And, O Bharata, at length at a beautiful

place called Pramanakoti on the banks of the Ganga, he built a palace

decorated with hangings of broad-cloth and other rich stuffs. And he

built this palace for sporting in the water there, and filled it with all

kinds of entertaining things and choice viands. Gay flags waved on the

top of this mansion. The name of the house was 'the water-sport house.'

Skilful cooks prepared various kinds of viands. When all was ready, the

officers gave intimation to Duryodhana. Then the evil-minded prince said

unto the Pandavas, 'Let us all go to the banks of the Ganga graced with

trees and crowned with flowers and sport there in the water.' And upon

Yudhishthira agreeing to this, the sons of Dhritarashtra, taking the

Pandavas with them, mounted country-born elephants of great size and cars

resembling towns, and left the metropolis.

"On arriving at the place, the princes dismissed their attendants, and

surveying the beauty of the gardens and the groves, entered the palace,

like lions entering their mountain caves. On entering they saw that the

architects had handsomely plastered the walls and the ceilings and that

painters had painted them beautifully. The windows looked very graceful,

and the artificial fountains were splendid. Here and there were tanks of

pellucid water in which bloomed forests of lotuses. The banks were decked

with various flowers whose fragrance filled the atmosphere. The Kauravas

and the Pandavas sat down and began to enjoy the things provided for

them. They became engaged in play and began to exchange morsels of food

with one another. Meanwhile the wicked Duryodhana had mixed a powerful

poison with a quantity of food, with the object of making away with

Bhima. That wicked youth who had nectar in his tongue and a razor in his

heart, rose at length, and in a friendly way fed Bhima largely with that

poisoned food, and thinking himself lucky in having compassed his end,

was exceedingly glad at heart. Then the sons of Dhritarashtra and Pandu

together became cheerfully engaged in sporting in the water. Their sport

having been finished, they dressed themselves in white habiliments, and

decked themselves with various ornaments. Fatigued with play, they felt

inclined in the evening to rest in the pleasurehouse belonging to the

garden. Having made the other youths take exercise in the waters, the

powerful second Pandava was excessively fatigued. So that on rising from

the water, he lay down on the ground. He was weary and under the

influence of the poison. And the cool air served to spread the poison

over all his frame, so that he lost his senses at once. Seeing this

Duryodhana bound him with chords of shrubs, and threw him into the water.

The insensible son of Pandu sank down till he reached the Naga kingdom.

Nagas, furnished with fangs containing virulent venom, bit him by

thousands. The vegetable poison, mingled in the blood of the son of the

Wind god, was neutralised by the snake-poison. The serpents had bitten

all over his frame, except his chest, the skin of which was so tough that

their fangs could not penetrate it.

"On regaining consciousness, the son of Kunti burst his bands and began

to press the snakes down under the ground. A remnant fled for life, and

going to their king Vasuki, represented, 'O king of snakes, a man drowned

under the water, bound in chords of shrubs; probably he had drunk poison.

For when he fell amongst us, he was insensible. But when we began to bite

him, he regained his senses, and bursting his fetters, commenced laying

at us. May it please Your Majesty to enquire who is.'

"Then Vasuki, in accordance with the prayer of the inferior Nagas, went

to the place and saw Bhimasena. Of the serpents, there was one, named

Aryaka. He was the grandfather of the father of Kunti. The lord of

serpents saw his relative and embraced him. Then, Vasuki, learning all,

was pleased with Bhima, and said to Aryaka with satisfaction, 'How are we

to please him? Let him have money and gems in profusion."

"On hearing the words of Vasuki, Aryaka said, 'O king of serpents, when

Your Majesty is pleased with him, no need of wealth for him! Permit him

to drink of rasakunda (nectar-vessels) and thus acquire immeasurable

strength. There is the strength of a thousand elephants in each one of

those vessels. Let this prince drink as much as he can.'

"The king of serpents gave his consent. And the serpents thereupon began

auspicious rites. Then purifying himself carefully, Bhimasena facing the

east began to drink nectar. At one breath, he quaffed off the contents of

a whole vessel, and in this manner drained off eight successive jars,

till he was full. At length, the serpents prepared an excellent bed for

him, on which he lay down at ease.'"

SECTION CXXIX

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana said, 'Meanwhile the Kauravas and the Pandavas, after

having thus sported there, set out, without Bhima, for Hastinapura, some

on horses, some on elephants, while others preferred cars and other

conveyances. And on their way they said to one another, 'Perhaps, Bhima

hath gone before us.' And the wicked Duryodhana was glad at heart to miss

Bhima, and entered the city with his brothers in joy.

"The virtuous Yudhishthira, himself unacquainted with vice and

wickedness, regarded others to be as honest as himself. The eldest son of

Pritha, filled with fraternal love, going unto his mother, said, after

making obeisance to her, 'O mother, hath Bhima come? O good mother, I

don't find him here. Where may he have gone? We long sought for him

everywhere in the gardens and the beautiful woods; but found him nowhere.

At length, we thought that the heroic Bhima preceded us all. O

illustrious dame, we came hither in great anxiety. Arrived here, where

hath he gone? Have you sent him anywhere? O tell me, I am full of doubts

respecting the mighty Bhima. He had been asleep and hath not come. I

conclude he is no more.'

"Hearing these words of the highly intelligent Yudhishthira, Kunti

shrieked, in alarm, and said, 'Dear son, I have not seen Bhima. He did

not come to me. O, return in haste, and with your brothers search for

him.'

"Having said this in affliction to her eldest son, she summoned Vidura,

and said, 'O illustrious Kshattri, Bhimasena is missing! Where has he

gone? The other brothers have all come back from the gardens, only Bhima

of mighty arms does not come home! Duryodhana likes him not. The Kaurava

is crooked and malicious and low-minded and imprudent. He coveteth the

throne openly. I am afraid he may have in a fit of anger slain my

darling. This afflicts me sorely, indeed, it burns my heart.'

"Vidura replied, 'Blessed dame, say not so! Protect thy other sons with

care. If the wicked Duryodhana be accused, he may slay thy remaining

sons. The great sage hath said that all thy sons will be long-lived.

Therefore, Bhima will surely return and gladden thy heart.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'The wise Vidura, having said this unto Kunti,

returned to his abode, while Kunti, in great anxiety, continued to stay

at home with her children.

"Meanwhile, Bhimasena awoke from that slumber on the eighth day, and felt

strong beyond measure in consequence of the nectar he had taken having

been all digested. Seeing him awake, the Nagas began to console and cheer

him, saying, 'O thou of mighty arms, the strength-giving liquor thou hast

drunk will give thee the might of ten thousand elephants! No one now will

be able to vanquish thee in fight. O bull of Kuru's race, do thou bath in

this holy and auspicious water and return home. Thy brothers are

disconsolate because of thee.'

"Then Bhima purified himself with a bath in those waters, and decked in

white robes and flowery garlands of the same hue, ate of the paramanna

(rice and sugar pudding) offered to him by the Nagas. Then that oppressor

of all foes, decked in celestial ornaments, received the adorations and

blessings of the snakes, and saluting them in return, rose from the

nether region. Bearing up the lotus-eyed Pandava from under the waters,

the Nagas placed him in the selfsame gardens wherein he had been

sporting, and vanished in his very sight.

"The mighty Bhimasena, arrived on the surface of the earth, ran with

speed to his mother. And bowing down unto her and his eldest brother, and

smelling the heads of his younger brothers, that oppressor of all foes

was himself embraced by his mother and every one of those bulls among

men. Affectionate unto one another, they all repeatedly exclaimed, 'What

is our joy today, O what joy!'

'Then Bhima, endued with great strength and prowess, related to his

brothers everything about the villainy of Duryodhana, and the lucky and

unlucky incidents that had befallen him in the world of the Serpents.

Thereupon Yudhishthira said, 'Do thou observe silence on this. Do not

speak of this to any one. From this day, protect ye all one another with

care.' Thus cautioned by the righteous Yudhishthira, they all, with

Yudhishthira himself, became very vigilant from that day. And lest

negligence might occur on the part of the sons of Kunti, Vidura

continually offered them sage advice.

"Some time after, Duryodhana again mixed in the food of Bhima a poison

that was fresh, virulent, and very deadly. But Yuyutsu (Dhritarashtra's

son by a Vaisya wife), moved by his friendship for the Pandavas, informed

them of this. Vrikodara, however, swallowed it without any hesitation,

and digested it completely. And, though virulent the poison produced no

effects on Bhima.

"When that terrible poison intended for the destruction of Bhima failed

of its effect, Duryodhana. Karna and Sakuni, without giving up their

wicked design had recourse to numerous other contrivances for

accomplishing the death of the Pandavas. And though every one of these

contrivances was fully known to the Pandavas, yet in accordance with the

advice of Vidura they suppressed their indignation.

"Meanwhile, the king (Dhritarashtra), beholding the Kuru princes passing

their time in idleness and growing naughty, appointed Gautama as their

preceptor and sent them unto him for instruction. Born among a clump of

heath, Gautama was well-skilled in the Vedas and it was under him (also

called Kripa) that the Kuru princes began to learn the use of arms.'"

SECTION CXXX

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Janamejaya said, 'O Brahmana, it behoveth thee to relate to me

everything about the birth of Kripa. How did he spring from a clump of

heath? Whence also did he obtain his weapons?'

"Vaisampayana said, 'O king, the great sage Gautama had a son named

Saradwat. This Saradwat was born with arrows (in hand). O oppressor of

foes, the son of Gautama exhibited great aptitude for the study of the

science of weapons, but none for the other sciences. Saradwat acquired

all his weapons by those austerities by which Brahmanas in student life

acquire the knowledge of Vedas. Gautama (the son of Gotama) by his

aptitude for the science of weapons and by his austerities made Indra

himself greatly afraid of him. Then, O thou of Kuru's race, the chief of

the gods summoned a celestial damsel named Janapadi and sent her unto

Gautama, saying, 'Do thy best to disturb the austerities of Gautama.'

Repairing unto the charming asylum of Saradwat, the damsel began to tempt

the ascetic equipped with bow and arrows. Beholding that Apsara, of

figure unrivalled on earth for beauty, alone in those woods and clad in a

single piece of cloth, Saradwat's eyes expanded with delight. At the

sight of the damsel, his bow and arrows slipped from his hand and his

frame shook all over with emotion; but possessed of ascetic fortitude and

strength of soul, the sage mustered sufficient patience to bear up

against the temptation. The suddenness, however, of his mental agitation,

caused an unconscious emission of his vital fluid. Leaving his bow and

arrows and deer-skin behind, he went away, flying from the Apsara. His

vital fluid, however, having fallen upon a clump of heath, was divided

into two parts, whence sprang two children that were twins.

"And it happened that a soldier in attendance upon king Santanu while the

monarch was out a-hunting in the woods, came upon the twins. And seeing

the bow and arrows and deer-skin on the ground, he thought they might be

the offspring of some Brahmana proficient in the science of arms.

Deciding thus, he took up the children along with the bow and arrows, and

showed what he had to the king. Beholding them the king was moved with

pity, and saying, 'Let these become my children,' brought them to his

palace. Then that first of men, Santanu, the son of Pratipa having

brought Gautama's twins into his house, performed in respect of them the

usual rites of religion. And he began to bring them up and called them

Kripa and Kripi, in allusion to the fact that he brought them up from

motives of pity (Kripa). The son of Gotama having left his former asylum,

continued his study of the science of arms in right earnest. By his

spiritual insight he learnt that his son and daughter were in the palace

of Santanu. He thereupon went to the monarch and represented everything

about his lineage. He then taught Kripa the four branches of the science

of arms, and various other branches of knowledge, including all their

mysteries and recondite details. In a short time Kripa became an eminent

professor of the science (of arms). And the hundred sons of

Dhritarashtra, and the Pandavas along with the Yadavas, and the Vrishnis,

and many other princes from various lands, began to receive lessons from

him in that science.'"