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

 The Mahabharata of

Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa BOOK 1

ADI PARVA

 SECTION CVI

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana said, 'Soon after the monthly season of the princess of

Kosala had been over, Satyavati, purifying her daughter-in-law with a

bath, led her into the sleeping apartment. There seating her upon a

luxurious bed, she addressed her, saying, 'O Princess of Kosala, thy

husband hath an elder brother who shall this day enter thy womb as thy

child. Wait for him tonight without dropping off to sleep.' Hearing these

words of her mother-in-law, the amiable princess, as she lay on her bed,

began to think of Bhishma and the other elders of the Kuru race. Then the

Rishi of truthful speech, who had given his promise in respect of Amvika

(the eldest of the princesses) in the first instance, entered her chamber

while the lamp was burning. The princess, seeing his dark visage, his

matted locks of copper hue, blazing eyes, his grim beard, closed her eyes

in fear. The Rishi, from desire of accomplishing his mother's wishes,

however knew her. But the latter, struck with fear, opened not her eyes

even once to look at him. And when Vyasa came out, he was met by his

mother, who asked him, 'Shall the princess have an accomplished son?'

Hearing her, he replied, 'The son of the princess she will bring forth

shall be equal in might unto ten thousand elephants. He will be an

illustrious royal sage, possessed of great learning and intelligence and

energy. The high-souled one shall have in his time a century of sons. But

from the fault of his mother he shall be blind 'At these words of her

son, Satyavati said, 'O thou of ascetic wealth, how can one that is blind

become a monarch worthy of the Kurus? How can one that is blind become

the protector of his relatives and family, and the glory of his father's

race? It behoveth thee to give another king unto the Kurus.' Saying, 'So

be it,' Vyasa went away. And the first princess of Kosala in due time

brought forth a blind son.

"Soon after Satyavati, O chastiser of foes, summoned Vyasa, after having

secured the assent of her daughter-in-law. Vyasa came according to his

promise, and approached, as before, the second wife of his brother. And

Ambalika beholding the Rishi, became pale with fear And, O Bharata,

beholding her so afflicted and pale with fear, Vyasa addressed her and

said, 'Because thou hast been pale with fear at the sight of my grim

visage, therefore, thy child shall be pale in complexion. O thou of

handsome face, the name also thy child shall bear will be Pandu (the

pale).' 'Saying this, the illustrious and best of Rishis came out of her

chamber. And as he came out, he was met by his mother who asked him about

the would-be-child. The Rishi told her that the child would be of pale

complexion and known by the name of Pandu. Satyavati again begged of the

Rishi another child, and the Rishi told her in reply, 'So be it.'

Ambalika, then, when her time came, brought forth a son of pale

complexion. Blazing with beauty the child was endued with all auspicious

marks. Indeed, it was this child who afterwards became the father of

those mighty archers, the Pandavas.

"Some time after, when the oldest of Vichitravirya's widows again had her

monthly season, she was solicited by Satyavati to approach Vyasa once

again. Possessed of beauty like a daughter of a celestial, the princess

refused to do her mother-in-law's bidding, remembering the grim visage

and strong odour of the Rishi. She, however, sent unto him, a maid of

hers, endued with the beauty of an Apsara and decked with her own

ornaments. And when the Vyasa arrived, the maid rose up and saluted him.

And she waited upon him respectfully and took her seat near him when

asked. And, O king, the great Rishi of rigid vows, was well-pleased with

her, and when he rose to go away, he addressed her and said, 'Amiable

one, thou shalt no longer be a slave. Thy child also shall be greatly

fortunate and virtuous, and the foremost of all intelligent men on

earth!' And, O king, the son thus begotten upon her by Krishna-Dwaipayana

was afterwards known by the name of Vidura. He was thus the brother of

Dhritarashtra and the illustrious Pandu. And Vidura was free from desire

and passion and was conversant with the rules of government, and was the

god of justice born on earth under the curse of the illustrious Rishi

Mandavya. And Krishna-Dwaipayana, when he met his mother as before,

informed her as to how he had been deceived by the seniormost of the

princesses and how he had begotten a son upon a Sudra woman. And having

spoken thus unto his mother the Rishi disappeared from her sight.

"Thus were born, in the field of Vichitravirya, even of Dwaipayana those

sons of the splendour of celestial children, those propagators of the

Kuru race.'"

SECTION CVII

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Janamejaya said, 'What did the god of justice do for which he was

cursed? And who was the Brahmana ascetic from whose curse the god had to

be born in the Sudra caste?'

"Vaisampayana said, 'There was a Brahmana known by the name of Mandavya.

He was conversant with all duties and was devoted to religion, truth and

asceticism. The great ascetic used to sit at the entrance of his

hermitage at the foot of a tree, with his arms upraised in the observance

of the vow of silence. And as he sat there for years together, one day

there came into his asylum a number of robbers laden with spoil. And, O

bull in Bharata's race, those robbers were then being pursued by a

superior body as guardians of the peace. The thieves, on entering that

asylum, hid their booty there, and in fear concealed themselves

thereabout before the guards came. But scarcely had they thus concealed

themselves when the constables in pursuit came to the spot. The latter,

observing the Rishi sitting under the tree, questioned him, O king,

saying, 'O best of Brahmanas, which way have the thieves taken? Point it

out to us so that we may follow it without loss of time.' Thus questioned

by the guardians of peace the ascetic, O king, said not a word, good or

otherwise, in reply. The officers of the king, however, on searching that

asylum soon discovered the thieves concealed thereabout together with the

plunder. Upon this, their suspicion fell upon the Muni, and accordingly

they seized him with the thieves and brought him before the king. The

king sentenced him to be executed along with his supposed associates. And

the officers, acting in ignorance, carried out the sentence by impaling

the celebrated Rishi. And having impaled him, they went to the king with

the booty they had recovered. But the virtuous Rishi, though impaled and

kept without food, remained in that state for a long time without dying.

And the Rishi by his ascetic power not only preserved his life but

summoned other Rishi to the scene. And they came there in the night in

the forms of birds, and beholding him engaged in ascetic meditation

though fixed on that stake, became plunged into grief. And telling that

best of Brahmanas who they were, they asked him saying, 'O Brahmana, we

desire to know what hath been thy sin for which thou hast thus been made

to suffer the tortures of impalement!'"

SECTION CVIII

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana said, 'Thus asked, the tiger among Munis then answered

those Rishis of ascetic wealth, 'Whom shall I blame for this? In fact,

none else (than my own self) hath offended against me!' After this, O

monarch, the officers of justice, seeing him alive, informed the king of

it. The latter hearing what they said, consulted with his advisers, and

came to the place and began to pacify the Rishi. fixed on the stake. And

the king said, 'O thou best of Rishis, I have offended against thee in

ignorance. I beseech thee to pardon me for the same. It behoveth thee not

to be angry with me.' Thus addressed by the king, the Muni was pacified.

And beholding him free from wrath, the king took him up with the stake

and endeavoured to extract it from his body. But not succeeding therein,

he cut it off at the point just outside the body. The Muni, with a

portion of the stake within his body, walked about, and in that state

practised the austerest of penances and conquered numberless regions

unattainable by others. And for the circumstances of a part of the stake

being within his body, he came to be known in the three worlds by the

name of Ani-Mandavya (Mandavya with the stake within). And one day that

Brahamana acquainted with the highest truth of religion went unto the

abode of the god of justice. And beholding the god there seated on his

throne, the Rishi reproached him and said, 'What, pray, is that sinful

act committed by me unconsciously, for which I am bearing this

punishment? O, tell me soon, and behold the power of my asceticism.'

"The god of justice, thus questioned, replied, 'O thou of ascetic wealth,

a little insect was once pierced by thee on a blade of grass. Thou

bearest now the consequence of the act. O Rishi, as a gift, however

small, multiplieth in respect of its religious merits, so a sinful act

multiplieth in respect of the woe it bringeth in its train.' On hearing

this, Ani-Mandavya asked, 'O tell me truly when this act was committed by

me. Told in reply by the god of justice that he had committed it, when a

child, the Rishi said, 'That shall not be a sin which may be done by a

child up to the twelfth year of his age from birth. The scriptures shall

not recognise it as sinful. The punishment thou hast inflicted on me for

such a venial offence hath been disproportionate in severity. The killing

of a Brahmana involves a sin that is heavier than the killing of any

other living being. Thou shall, therefore, O god of justice, have to be

born among men even in the Sudra order. And from this day I establish

this limit in respect of the consequence of acts that an act shall not be

sinful when committed by one below the age of fourteen. But when

committed by one above that age, it shall be regarded as sin.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Cursed for this fault by that illustrious

Rishi, the god of justice had his birth as Vidura in the Sudra order. And

Vidura was well-versed in the doctrines of morality and also politics and

worldly profit. And he was entirely free from covetousness and wrath.

Possessed of great foresight and undisturbed tranquillity of mind, Vidura

was ever devoted to the welfare of the Kurus.'"

SECTION CIX

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana said, 'Upon the birth of those three children, Kurujangala,

Kurukshetra, and the Kurus grew in prosperity. The earth began to yield

abundant harvest, and the crops also were of good flavour. And the clouds

began to pour rain in season and trees became full of fruits and flowers.

And the draught cattle were all happy and the birds and other animals

rejoiced exceedingly. And the flowers became fragrant and the fruits

became sweet; the cities and towns became filled with merchants,

artisans, traders and artists of every description. And the people became

brave, learned, honest and happy. And there were no robbers then, nor

anybody who was sinful. And it seemed that the golden age had come upon

every part of the kingdom. And the people devoted to virtuous acts,

sacrifices and truth, and regarding one another with love and affection

grew in prosperity. And free from pride, wrath and covetousness, they

rejoiced in perfectly innocent sports. And the capital of the Kurus, full

as the ocean, was a second Amaravati, teeming with hundreds of palaces

and mansions, and possessing gates and arches dark as the clouds. And men

in great cheerfulness sported constantly on rivers, lakes and tanks, and

in fine groves and charming woods. And the southern Kurus, in their

virtuous rivalry with their northern kinsmen, walked about in the company

of Siddhas and Charanas and Rishis. And all over that delightful country

whose prosperity was thus increased by the Kurus, there were no misers

and no widowed women. And the wells and lakes were ever full; the groves

abounded with trees, and the houses and abodes of Brahmanas were full of

wealth and the whole kingdom was full of festivities. And, O king,

virtuously ruled by Bhishma, the kingdom was adorned with hundreds of

sacrificial stakes. And the wheel of virtue having been set in motion by

Bhishma, and the country became so contented that the subjects of other

kingdoms, quitting their homes, came to dwell there and increase its

population. And the citizens and the people were filled with hope, upon

seeing the youthful acts of their illustrious princes. And, O king, in

the house of the Kuru chiefs as also of the principal citizens, 'give',

'eat' were the only words constantly heard. And Dhritarashtra and Pandu

and Vidura of great intelligence were from their birth brought up by

Bhishma, as if they were his own sons. And the children, having passed

through the usual rites of their order, devoted themselves to vows and

study. And they grew up into fine young men skilled in the Vedas and all

athletic sports. And they became well-skilled in the practice of bow, in

horsemanship, in encounters with mace, sword and shield, in the

management of elephants in battle, and in the science of morality.

Well-read in history and the Puranas and various branches of learning,

and acquainted with the truths of the Vedas and their branches they

acquired knowledge, which was versatile and deep. And Pandu, possessed of

great prowess, excelled all men in archery while Dhritarashtra excelled

all in personal strength, while in the three worlds there was no one

equal to Vidura in devotion to virtue and in the knowledge of the

dictates of morality. And beholding the restoration of the extinct line

of Santanu, the saying became current in all countries that among mothers

of heroes, the daughters of the king of Kasi were the first; that among

countries Kurujangala was the first; that among virtuous men, Vidura was

the first; that among cities Hastinapura was the first. Pandu became

king, for Dhritarashtra, owing to the blindness, and Vidura, for his

birth by a Sudra woman, did not obtain the kingdom. One day Bhishma, the

foremost of those acquainted with the duties of a statesman and dictates

of morality, properly addressing Vidura conversant with the truth of

religion and virtue, said as follows."

SECTION CX

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Bhishma said, 'This our celebrated race, resplendent with every virtue

and accomplishment, hath all along sovereignty over all other monarchs on

earth. Its glory maintained and itself perpetuated by many virtuous and

illustrious monarchs of old, the illustrious Krishna (Dwaipayana) and

Satyavati and myself have raised you (three) up, in order that it may not

be extinct. It behoveth myself and thee also to take such steps that this

our dynasty may expand again as the sea. It hath been heard by me that

there are three maidens worthy of being allied to our race. One is the

daughter of (Surasena of) the Yadava race; the other is the daughter of

Suvala; and the third is the princess of Madra. O son, all these maidens

are of course of blue blood. Possessed of beauty and pure blood, they are

eminently fit for an alliance with our family. O thou foremost of

intelligent men, I think we should choose them for the growth of our

race. Tell me what thou thinkest.' Thus addressed, Vidura replied, 'Thou

art our father and thou art our mother, too. Thou art our respected

spiritual instructor. Therefore, do thou what may be best for us in thy

eyes.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Soon after Bhishma heard from the Brahmanas

that Gandhari, the amiable daughter of Suvala, having worshipped Hara

(Siva) had obtained from the deity the boon that she should have a

century of sons. Bhishma, the grandfather of the Kurus, having heard

this, sent messengers unto the king of Gandhara. King Suvala at first

hesitated on account of the blindness of the bridegroom, but taking into

consideration the blood of the Kurus, their fame and behaviour, he gave

his virtuous daughter unto Dhritarashtra and the chaste Gandhari hearing

that Dhritarashtra was blind and that her parents had consented to marry

her to him, from love and respect for her future husband, blindfolded her

own eyes. Sakuni, the son of Suvala, bringing unto the Kurus his sister

endued with youth and beauty, formally gave her away unto Dhritarashtra.

And Gandhari was received with great respect and the nuptials were

celebrated with great pomp under Bhishma's directions. And the heroic

Sakuni, after having bestowed his sister along with many valuable robes,

and having received Bhishma's adorations, returned to his own city. And,

O thou of Bharata's race, the beautiful Gandhari gratified all the Kurus

by her behaviour and respectful attentions. And Gandhari, ever devoted to

her husband, gratified her superiors by her good conduct; and as she was

chaste, she never referred even by words to men other than her husband or

such superiors.'"