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

 The Mahabharata of

Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa BOOK 1

ADI PARVA

 SECTION CLXXVIII

(Chaitraratha Parva continued)

"The Gandharva continued, 'There was, O Partha, a king in this world,

named Kalmashapada, who was of the race of Ikshvaku and was unequalled on

earth for prowess. One day the king went from his capital into the woods

for purposes of hunting, and this grinder of foes pierced (with his

arrows) many deer and wild boars. And in those deep woods the king also

slew many rhinoceroses. Engaged in sport for some length of time, the

monarch became very much fatigued and at last he gave up the chase,

desiring to rest awhile.

"The great Viswamitra, endued with energy, had, a little while ago,

desired to make that monarch his disciple. As the monarch, afflicted with

hunger and thirst, was proceeding through the woods, he came across that

best of Rishis, the illustrious son of Vasishtha, coming along the same

path. The king ever victorious in battle saw that Muni bearing the name

of Saktri, that illustrious propagator of Vasishtha's race, the eldest of

the high-souled Vasishtha's hundred sons, coming along from opposite

direction. The king, beholding him said, 'Stand out of our way.' The

Rishi, addressing the monarch in a conciliatory manner, said unto him

sweetly, 'O king, this is my way. This is the eternal rule of morality

indicated in every treatise on duty and religion, viz., that a king

should ever make way for Brahmanas.' Thus did they address each other

respecting their right of way. 'Stand aside, stand aside', were the words

they said unto each other. The Rishi, who was in the right, did not

yield, nor did the king yield to him from pride and anger. That best of

monarchs, enraged at the Rishi, refusing to yield him the way, acted like

a Rakshasa, striking him with his whip. Thus whipped by the monarch, that

best of Rishis, the son of Vasishtha, was deprived of his senses by

anger, and speedily cursed that first of monarchs, saying, 'O worst of

kings, since thou persecutest like a Rakshasa an ascetic, thou shalt from

this day, became a Rakshasa subsisting on human flesh! Hence, thou worst

of kings! thou shalt wander over the earth, affecting human form!' Thus

did the Rishi Sakti, endued with great prowess, speak unto king

Kalmashapada. At this time Viswamitra, between whom and Vasishtha there

was a dispute about the discipleship of Kalmashapada, approached the

place where that monarch and Vasishtha's son were. And, O Partha, that

Rishi of severe ascetic penances, viz., Viswamitra of great energy,

approached the pair (knowing by his spiritual insight that they had been

thus quarrelling with each other). After the curse had been pronounced,

that best of monarchs knew that Rishi to be Vasishtha's son and equal

unto Vasishtha himself in energy. And, O Bharata, Viswamitra, desirous of

benefiting himself, remained on that spot, concealed from the sight of

both by making himself invisible. Then that best of monarchs, thus cursed

by Saktri, desiring to propitiate the Rishi began to humbly beseech him.

And, O chief of the Kurus, Viswamitra, ascertaining the disposition of

the king (and fearing that the difference might be made up), ordered a

Rakshasa to enter the body of the king. And a Rakshasa of the name of

Kinkara then entered the monarch's body in obedience to Saktri's curse

and Viswamitra's command. And knowing, O chastiser of foes, that the

Rakshasa had possessed himself of the monarch, that best of Rishis,

Viswamitra, then left the spot and went away.

"Shortly after, O Partha, the monarch, possessed by the Rakshasa and

terribly afflicted by him, lost all his senses. At this time a Brahmana

beheld the king in the woods. Afflicted with hunger, that Brahmana begged

of the king some food with meat. The royal sage, Kalmashapada, that

cherisher of friends, answered the Brahmana, saying, 'Stay thou here, O

Brahmana for a moment. On my return, I will give thee whatever food thou

desirest.' Having said this, the monarch went away, but the Brahmana

stayed on there. The high-minded king having roved for some time at

pleasure and according to his will, at last entered his inner apartment.

Thus waking at midnight and remembering his promise, he summoned his cook

and told him of his promise unto the Brahmana staying in the forest. And

he commanded him, saying, 'Hie thee to that forest. A Brahmana waiteth

for me in the hope of food. Go and entertain him with food and meat.'

"The Gandharva continued, 'Thus commanded, the cook went out in search of

meat. Distressed at not having found any, he informed the king of his

failure. The monarch, however, possessed as he was by the Rakshasa,

repeatedly said, without scruple of any kind, 'Feed him with human

flesh.' The cook, saying, 'So be it,' went to the place where the

(king's) executioners were, and thence taking human flesh and washing and

cooking it duly and covering it with boiled rice offered it unto that

hungry Brahmana devoted to ascetic penances. But that best of Brahmanas,

seeing with his spiritual sight that the food was unholy and, therefore,

unworthy of being eaten, said these words with eyes red with anger,

'Because that worst of kings offereth me food that is unholy and unworthy

of being taken, therefore that wretch shall have himself a fondness for

such food. And becoming fond of human flesh as cursed by Saktri of old,

the wretch shall wander over the earth, alarming and otherwise troubling

all creatures.' The curse, therefore, on that king, thus repeated a

second time, became very strong, and the king, possessed by a Rakshasa

disposition, soon lost all his senses.

"A little while after, O Bharata, that best of monarchs, deprived of all

his senses by the Rakshasa within him, beholding Saktri who had cursed

him, said, 'Because thou hast pronounced on me this extraordinary curse,

therefore, I shall begin my life of cannibalism by devouring thee.'

Having said this, the king immediately slew Saktri and ate him up, like a

tiger eating the animal it was fond of. Beholding Saktri thus slain and

devoured, Viswamitra repeatedly urged that Rakshasa (who was within the

monarch) against the other sons of Vasishtha. Like a wrathful lion

devouring small animals, that Rakshasa soon devoured the other sons of

the illustrious Vasishtha that were junior to Saktri in age. But

Vasishtha, learning that all his sons had been caused to be slain by

Viswamitra, patiently bore his grief like the great mountain that bears

the earth. That best of Munis, that foremost of intelligent men, was

resolved rather to sacrifice his own life than exterminate (in anger) the

race of Kusikas. The illustrious Rishi threw himself down from the summit

of Meru, but he descended on the stony ground as though on a heap of

cotton. And, O son of Pandu, when the illustrious one found that death

did not result from that fall, he kindled a huge fire in the forest and

entered it with alacrity. But that fire, though burning brightly,

consumed him not. O slayer of foes, that blazing fire seemed to him cool.

Then the great Muni under the influence of grief, beholding the sea, tied

a stony weight to his neck and threw himself into its waters. But the

waves soon cast him ashore. At last when that Brahmana of rigid vows

succeeded not in killing himself by any means, he returned, in distress

of heart, to his asylum.'"

SECTION CLXXIX

(Chaitraratha Parva continued)

"The Gandharva continued, 'Beholding his asylum bereft of his children,

the Muni afflicted with great grief left it again. And in course of his

wandering he saw, O Partha, a river swollen with the waters of the rainy

season, sweeping away numberless trees and plants that had grown on its

margin. Beholding this, O thou of Kuru's race, the distressed Muni

thinking that he would certainly be drowned if he fell into the waters of

that river, he tied himself strongly with several cords and flung

himself, under the influence of grief, into the current of that mighty

stream. But, O slayer of foes, that stream soon cut those cords and cast

the Rishi ashore. And the Rishi rose from the bank, freed from the cords

with which he had tied himself. And because his cords were thus broken

off by the violence of the current, the Rishi called the stream by the

name of Vipasa (the cord-breaker). For his grief the Muni could not, from

that time, stay in one place; he began to wander over mountains and along

rivers and lakes. And beholding once again a river named Haimavati

(flowing from Himavat) of terrible aspect and full of fierce crocodiles

and other (aquatic) monsters, the Rishi threw himself into it, but the

river mistaking the Brahmana for a mass of (unquenchable) fire,

immediately flew in a hundred different directions, and hath been known

ever since by the name of the Satadru (the river of a hundred courses).

Seeing himself on the dry land even there he exclaimed, 'O, I cannot die

by my own hands!' Saying this, the Rishi once more bent his steps towards

his asylum. Crossing numberless mountains and countries, as he was about

to re-enter his asylum, he was followed by his daughter-in-law named

Adrisyanti. As she neared him, he heard the sound from behind of a very

intelligent recitation of the Vedas with the six graces of elocution.

Hearing that sound, the Rishi asked, 'Who is it that followeth me?' His

daughter-in-law then answered, 'I am Adrisyanti, the wife of Saktri. I am

helpless, though devoted to asceticism.' Hearing her, Vasishtha said, 'O

daughter, whose is this voice that I heard, repeating the Vedas along

with the Angas like unto the voice of Saktri reciting the Vedas with the

Angas?' Adrisyanti answered, 'I bear in my womb a child by thy son

Saktri. He hath been here full twelve years. The voice thou hearest is

that of the Muni, who is reciting the Vedas.'

"The Gandharva continued, 'Thus addressed by her the illustrious

Vasishtha became exceedingly glad. And saying, 'O, there is a child (of

my race)!'--he refrained, O Partha, from self-destruction. The sinless

one accompanied by his daughter-in-law, then returned to his asylum. And

the Rishi saw one day in the solitary woods (the Rakshasa) Kalmashapada.

The king, O Bharata, possessed by fierce Rakshasa, as he saw the Rishi,

became filled with wrath and rose up, desiring to devour him. And

Adrisyanti beholding before her that the Rakshasa of cruel deeds,

addressed Vasishtha in these words, full of anxiety and fear, 'O

illustrious one, the cruel Rakshasa, like unto Death himself armed with

(his) fierce club, cometh towards us with a wooden club in hand! There is

none else on earth, except thee, O illustrious one, and, O foremost of

all that are conversant with the Vedas to restrain him today. Protect me,

O illustrious one, from this cruel wretch of terrible mien. Surely, the

Rakshasa cometh hither to devour us' Vasishtha, hearing this, said, 'Fear

not, O daughter, there is no need of any fear from any Rakshasa. This one

is no Rakshasa from whom thou apprehendest such imminent danger. This is

king Kalmashapada endued with great energy and celebrated on earth. That

terrible man dwelleth in these woods.'

"The Gandharva continued, 'Beholding him advancing, the illustrious Rishi

Vasishtha, endued with great energy, restrained him, O Bharata, by

uttering the sound Hum. Sprinkling him again with water sanctified with

incantations the Rishi freed the monarch from that terrible curse. For

twelve years the monarch had been overwhelmed by the energy of

Vasishtha's son like Surya seized by the planet (Rahu) during the season

of an eclipse. Freed from the Rakshasa the monarch illumined that large

forest by his splendour like the sun illumining the evening clouds.

Recovering his power of reason, the king saluted that best of Rishis with

joined palms and said, 'O illustrious one, I am the son of Sudasa and thy

disciple, O best of Munis! O, tell me what is thy pleasure and what I am

to do.' Vasishtha replied, saying, 'My desire hath already been

accomplished. Return now to thy kingdom and rule thy subjects. And, O

chief of men, never insult Brahmanas any more.' The monarch replied, 'O

illustrious one, I shall never more insult superior Brahmanas. In

obedience to thy command I shall always worship Brahmanas. But, O best of

Brahmanas, I desire to obtain from thee that by which, O foremost of all

that are conversant with the Vedas, I may be freed from the debt I owe to

the race of Ikshvaku! O best of men, it behoveth thee to grant me, for

the perpetuation of Ikshvaku's race, a desirable son possessing beauty

and accomplishments and good behaviour.'

"The Gandharva continued, 'Thus addressed, Vasishtha, that best of

Brahmanas devoted to truth replied unto that mighty bowman of a monarch,

saying, 'I will give you.' After some time, O prince of men, Vasishtha,

accompanied by the monarch, went to the latter's capital known all over

the earth by the name of Ayodhya. The citizens in great joy came out to

receive the sinless and illustrious one, like the dwellers in heaven

coming out to receive their chief. The monarch, accompanied by Vasishtha,

re-entered his auspicious capital after a long time. The citizens of

Ayodhya beheld their king accompanied by his priest, as if he were the

rising sun. The monarch who was superior to everyone in beauty filled by

his splendour the whole town of Ayodhya, like the autumnal moon filling

by his splendour the whole firmament. And the excellent city itself, in

consequence of its streets having been watered and swept, and of the rows

of banners and pendants beautifying it all around, gladdened the

monarch's heart. And, O prince of Kuru's race, the city filled as it was

with joyous and healthy souls, in consequence of his presence, looked gay

like Amaravati with the presence of the chief of the celestials. After

the royal sage had entered his capital, the queen, at the king's command,

approached Vasishtha. The great Rishi, making a covenant with her, united

himself with her according to the high ordinance. And after a little

while, when the queen conceived, that best of Rishis, receiving the

reverential salutations of the king, went back to his asylum. The queen

bore the embryo in her womb for a long time. When she saw that she did

not bring forth anything, she tore open her womb by a piece of stone. It

was then that at the twelfth year (of the conception) was born Asmaka,

that bull amongst men, that royal sage who founded (the city of)

Paudanya.'"

SECTION CLXXX

(Chaitraratha Parva continued)

"The Gandharva continued, 'Then, O Partha, Adrisyanti, who had been

residing in Vasishtha's asylum, brought forth (when the time came) a son

who was the perpetuator of Saktri's race and who was a second Saktri in

everything. O foremost of Bharatas, that best of Munis, the illustrious

Vasishtha himself performed the usual after-birth ceremonies of his

grandson. And, because the Rishi Vasishtha had resolved on

self-destruction but had abstained therefrom as soon as he knew of the

existence of that child, that child, when born, was called Parasara (the

vivifier of the dead). The virtuous Parasara, from the day of his birth,

knew Vasishtha for his father and behaved towards the Muni as such. One

day, O son of Kunti, the child addressed Vasishtha, that first of

Brahmana sages, as father, in the presence of his mother Adrisyanti.

Adrisyanti, hearing the very intelligible sound father sweetly uttered by

her son, addressed him with tearful eyes and said, 'O child, do not

address this thy grandfather as father? Thy father, O son, has been

devoured by a Rakshasa in a different forest. O innocent one, he is not

thy father whom thou regardest so. The revered one is the father of that

celebrated father of thine.' Thus addressed by his mother that best of

Rishis of truthful speech, gave way to sorrow, but soon fired up and

resolved to destroy the whole creation. Then that illustrious and great

ascetic Vasishtha, that foremost of all persons conversant with Brahma,

that son of Mitravaruna, that Rishi acquainted with positive truth,

addressed his grandson who had set his heart upon the destruction of the

world. Hear, O Arjuna, the arguments by which Vasishtha succeeded in

driving out that resolution from his grandson's mind.'

"The Gandharva continued, 'Then Vasishtha said, 'There was a celebrated

king of the name of Kritavirya. That bull among the kings of the earth

was the disciple of the Veda-knowing Bhrigus. That king, O child, after

performing the Soma sacrifice, gratified the Brahmanas with great

presents of rice and wealth. After that monarch had ascended to heaven,

an occasion came when his descendants were in want of wealth. And knowing

that the Bhrigus were rich, those princes went unto those best of

Brahmanas, in the guise of beggars. Some amongst the Bhrigus, to protect

their wealth, buried it under earth; and some from fear of the

Kshatriyas, began to give away their wealth unto (other) Brahmanas; while

some amongst them duly gave unto the Kshatriyas whatever they wanted. It

happened, however, that some Kshatriyas, in digging as they pleased at

the house of particular Bhargava, came upon a large treasure. And the

treasure was seen by all those bulls among Kshatriyas who had been there.

Enraged at what they regarded as the deceitful behaviour of the Bhrigus,

the Kshatriyas insulted the Brahmanas, though the latter asked for mercy.

And those mighty bowmen began to slaughter the Bhrigus with their sharp

arrows. And the Kshatriyas wandered over the earth, slaughtering even the

embryos that were in the wombs of the women of the Bhrigu race. And while

the Bhrigu race was thus being exterminated, the women of that tribe fled

from fear to the inaccessible mountains of Himavat. And one amongst these

women, of tapering thighs, desiring to perpetuate her husband's race,

held in one of her thighs an embryo endued with great energy. A certain

Brahmana woman, however, who came to know this fact, went from fear unto

the Kshatriyas and reported the matter unto them. And the Kshatriyas then

went to destroy that embryo. Arrived at the place, they beheld the

would-be mother blazing with inborn energy, and the child that was in her

thigh came out tearing up the thigh and dazzling the eyes of those

Kshatriyas like the midday sun. Thus deprived of their eyes, the

Kshatriyas began to wander over those inaccessible mountains. And

distressed at the loss of sight, the princes were afflicted with woe, and

desirous of regaining the use of their eyes they resolved to seek the

protection of that faultless woman. Then those Kshatriyas, afflicted with

sorrow, and from loss of sight like unto a fire that hath gone out,

addressed with anxious hearts that illustrious lady, saying, 'By thy

grace. O lady, we wish to be restored to sight. We shall then return to

our homes all together and abstain for ever from our sinful practice. O

handsome one, it behoveth thee with thy child to show us mercy. It

behoveth thee to favour these kings by granting them their eye-sight.'"

SECTION CLXXXI

(Chaitraratha Parva continued)

"Vasishtha continued, 'The Brahmana lady, thus addressed by them, said,

'Ye children, I have not robbed you of your eye-sight, nor am I angry

with you. This child, however, of the Bhrigu race hath certainly been

angry with you. There is little doubt, ye children, that ye have been

robbed of your sight by that illustrious child whose wrath hath been

kindled at the remembrance of the slaughter of his race. Ye children,

while ye were destroying even the embryos of the Bhrigu race, this child

was held by me in my thigh for a hundred years! And in order that the

prosperity of Bhrigu's race might be restored, the entire Vedas with

their branches came unto this one even while he was in the womb. It is

plain that this scion of the Bhrigu race, enraged at the slaughter of his

fathers, desireth to slay you! It is by his celestial energy that your

eyes have been scorched. Therefore, ye children, pray ye unto this my

excellent child born of my thigh. Propitiated by your homage he may

restore your eye-sight.'

"Vasishtha continued, 'Hearing those words of the Brahmana lady, all

these princes addressed the thigh-born child, saying, 'Be propitious!'

And the child became propitious unto them. And that best of Brahmana

Rishis, in consequence of his having been born after tearing open his

mother's thigh, came to be known throughout the three worlds by the name

of Aurva (thigh-born). And those princes regaining their eye-sight went

away. But the Muni Aurva of the Bhrigu race resolved upon overcoming the

whole world. And the high-souled Rishi set his heart, O child, upon the

destruction of every creature in the world. And that scion of the Bhrigu

race, for paying homage (as he regarded) unto his slaughtered ancestors,

devoted himself to the austerest of penances with the object of

destroying the whole world. And desirous of gratifying his ancestors, the

Rishi afflicted by his severe asceticism the three worlds with the

celestials, the Asuras and human beings. The Pitris, then, learning what

the child of their race was about, all came from their own region unto

the Rishi and addressing him said:

'Aurva, O son, fierce thou hast been in thy asceticism. Thy power hath

been witnessed by us. Be propitious unto the three worlds. O, control thy

wrath. O child, it was not from incapacity that the Bhrigus of souls

under complete control were, all of them, indifferent to their own

destruction at the hands of the murderous Kshatriyas. O child, when we

grew weary of the long periods of life alloted to us, it was then that we

desired our own destruction through the instrumentality of the

Kshatriyas. The wealth that the Bhrigus had placed in their house

underground had been placed only with the object of enraging the

Kshatriyas and picking a quarrel with them. O thou best of Brahmanas, as

we were desirous of heaven, of what use could wealth be to us? The

treasurer of heaven (Kuvera) had kept a large treasure for us. When we

found that death could not, by any means, overtake us all, it was then, O

child, that we regarded this as the best means (of compassing our

desire). They who commit suicide never attain to regions that are

blessed. Reflecting upon this, we abstained from self-destruction. That

which, therefore thou desirest to do is not agreeable to us. Restrain thy

mind, therefore, from the sinful act of destroying the whole world. O

child, destroy not the Kshatriyas nor the seven worlds. O, kill this

wrath of thine that staineth thy ascetic energy.'"

SECTION CLXXXII

(Chaitraratha Parva continued)

"The Gandharva said, 'Vasishtha after this, continued the narration

saying, 'Hearing these words of the Pitris, Aurva, O child, replied unto

them to this effect:

'Ye Pitris, the vow I have made from anger for the destruction of all the

worlds, must not go in vain. I cannot consent to be one whose anger and

vows are futile. Like fire consuming dry woods, this rage of mine will

certainly consume me if I do not accomplish my vow. The man that

represseth his wrath that hath been excited by (adequate) cause, becometh

incapable of duly compassing the three ends of life (viz., religion,

profit and pleasure). The wrath that kings desirous of subjugating the

whole earth exhibit, is not without its uses. It serveth to restrain the

wicked and to protect the honest. While lying unborn within my mother's

thigh, I heard the doleful cries of my mother and other women of the

Bhrigu race who were then being exterminated by the Kshatriyas. Ye

Pitris, when those wretches of Kshatriyas began to exterminate the

Bhrigus together with unborn children of their race, it was then that

wrath filled my soul. My mother and the other women of our race, each in

an advanced state of pregnancy, and my father, while terribly alarmed,

found not in all the worlds a single protector. Then when the Bhrigu

women found not a single protector, my mother held me in one of her

thighs. If there be a punisher of crimes in the worlds no one in all the

worlds would dare commit a crime; if he findeth not a punisher, the

number of sinners becometh large. The man who having the power to prevent

or punish sin doth not do so knowing that a sin hath been committed, is

himself defiled by that sin. When kings and others, capable of protecting

my fathers, protect them not, postponing that duty preferring the

pleasures of life, I have just cause to be enraged with them. I am the

lord of the creation, capable of punishing its iniquity. I am incapable

of obeying your command. Capable of punishing this crime, if I abstain

from so doing, men will once more have to undergo a similar persecution.

The fire of my wrath too that is ready to consume the worlds, if

repressed, will certainly consume by its own energy my own self. Ye

masters, I know that ye ever seek the good of the worlds: direct me,

therefore, as to what may benefit both myself and the worlds.'

"Vasishtha continued, 'The Pitris replied saying, O, throw this fire that

is born of thy wrath and that desireth to consume the worlds, into the

waters. That will do thee good. The worlds, indeed, are all dependent on

water (as their elementary cause). Every juicy substance containeth

water, indeed the whole universe is made of water. Therefore, O thou best

of Brahmanas, cast thou this fire of thy wrath into the waters. If,

therefore, thou desirest it, O Brahmana, let this fire born of thy wrath

abide in the great ocean, consuming the waters thereof, for it hath been

said that the worlds are made of water. In this way, O thou sinless one,

thy word will be rendered true, and the worlds with the gods will not be

destroyed.'

"Vasishtha continued, 'Then, O child, Aurva cast the fire of his wrath

into the abode of Varuna. And that fire which consumeth the waters of the

great ocean, became like unto a large horse's head which persons

conversant with the Vedas call by the name of Vadavamukha. And emitting

itself from that mouth it consumeth the waters of the mighty ocean. Blest

be thou! It behoveth not thee, therefore, to destroy the worlds. O thou

Parasara, who art acquainted with the higher regions, thou foremost of

wise men!'"