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

  The Mahabharata of

Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa BOOK 1

ADI PARVA

SECTION XCVI

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana said, 'There was a king known by the name of Mahabhisha

born in the race of Ikshvaku. He was the lord of all the earth, and was

truthful (in speech) and of true prowess. By a thousand horse-sacrifices

and a hundred Rajasuyas he had gratified the chief of the celestials and

ultimately attained to heaven.

"One day the celestials had assembled together and were worshipping

Brahman. Many royal sages and king Mahabhisha also were present on the

spot. And Ganga, the queen of rivers, also came there to pay her

adorations to the Grandsire. And her garments white as the beams of the

moon was displaced by the action of the wind. And as her person became

exposed, the celestials bent down their heads. But the royal sage

Mahabhisha rudely stared at the queen of rivers. And Mahabhisha was for

this cursed by Brahman, who said, 'Wretch, as thou hast forgotten thyself

at the sight of Ganga, thou shalt be re-born on earth. But thou shall

again and again attain to these regions. And she, too, shall be born in

the world of men and shall do thee injuries. But when thy wrath shall be

provoked, thou shalt then be freed from my curse.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'King Mahabhisha then recollecting all the

monarchs and ascetics on earth, wished to be born as son to Pratipa of

great prowess. And the queen of rivers, too, seeing king Mahabhisha lose

his firmness, went away, thinking of him wishfully. And on her way, she

saw those dwellers in heaven, the Vasus, also pursuing the same path. And

the queen of rivers beholding them in the predicament, asked them, 'Why

look ye so dejected? Ye dwellers in heaven, is everything right with

you?' Those celestials, the Vasus, answered her, saying, 'O queen of

rivers, we have been cursed, for a venial fault, by the illustrious

Vasishtha in anger. The foremost of excellent Rishis, Vasishtha, had been

engaged in his twilight adorations and seated as he was, he could not be

seen by us. We crossed him in ignorance. Therefore, in wrath he hath

cursed us, saying, Be ye born among men!' It is beyond our power to

frustrate what hath been said by that utterance of Brahma. Therefore, O

river, thyself becoming a human female make us the Vasus, thy children. O

amiable one, we are unwilling to enter the womb of any human female.'

Thus addressed, the queen of rivers told them, 'Be it so and asked them,

'On earth, who is that foremost of men whom ye will make your father?'

"The Vasus replied, 'On earth, unto Pratipa shall be born a son, Santanu,

who will be a king of world-wide fame.' Ganga then said, 'Ye celestials,

that is exactly my wish which ye sinless ones have expressed. I shall,

indeed, do good to that Santanu. That is also your desire as just

expressed.' The Vasus then said, 'It behoveth thee to throw thy children

after birth, into the water, so that, O thou of three courses (celestial,

terrestrial, and subterranean) we may be rescued soon without having to

live on earth for any length of time.' Ganga then answered, 'I shall do

what ye desire. But in order that his intercourse with me may not be

entirely fruitless, provide ye that one son at least may live.' The Vasus

then replied, 'We shall each contribute an eighth part of our respective

energies With the sum thereof, thou shall have one son according to thy

and his wishes. But this son shall not begat any children on earth.

Therefore, that son of thine endued with great energy, shall be

childless.'

"The Vasus, making this arrangement with Ganga, went away without Waiting

to the place they liked.'"

SECTION XCVII

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana said. 'There was a king of the name of Pratipa, who was

kind to all creatures. He spent many years in ascetic penances at the

source of the river Ganga. The accomplished and lovely Ganga, one day,

assuming the form of a beautiful female, and rising from the waters, made

up to the monarch. The celestial maiden, endued with ravishing beauty,

approached the royal sage engaged in ascetic austerities, and sat upon

his right thigh that was, for manly strength, a veritable Sala tree. When

the maiden of handsome face had so sat upon his lap, the monarch said

unto her, 'O amiable one, what dost thou desire? What shall I do?' The

damsel answered, 'I desire thee, O king, for my husband! O foremost one

of the Kurus, be mine! To refuse a woman coming of her own accord is

never applauded by the wise.' Pratipa answered, 'O thou of the fairest

complexion, moved by lust, I never go in unto others' wives or women that

are not of my order. This, indeed, is my virtuous vow.' The maiden

rejoined, 'I am not inauspicious or ugly. I am every way worthy of being

enjoyed. I am a celestial maiden of rare beauty; I desire thee for my

husband. Refuse me not, O king.' To this Pratipa answered, 'I am, 'O

damsel, abstaining from that course to which thou wouldst incite me. If I

break my vow, sin will overwhelm and kill me. O thou of the fairest

complexion, thou hast embraced me, sitting on my right thigh. But, O

timid one, know that this is the seat for daughters and daughters-in-law.

The left lap is for the wife, but thou hast not accepted that. Therefore,

O best of women, I cannot enjoy thee as an object of desire. Be my

daughter-in-law. I accept thee for my son!'

"The damsel then said, 'O virtuous one, let it be as thou sayest. Let me

be united with thy son. From my respect for thee, I shall be a wife of

the celebrated Bharata race. Ye (of the Bharata race) are the refuge of

all the monarchs on earth! I am incapable of numbering the virtues of

this race even within a hundred years. The greatness and goodness of many

celebrated monarchs of this race are limitless. O lord of all, let it be

understood now that when I become thy daughter-in-law, thy son shall not

be able to judge of the propriety of my acts. Living thus with thy son, I

shall do good to him and increase his happiness. And he shall finally

attain to heaven in consequence of the sons I shall bear him, and of his

virtues and good conduct.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'O king, having said so, the celestial damsel

disappeared then and there. And the king, too, waited for the birth of

his son in order to fulfil his promise.'

"About this time Pratipa, that light of the Kuru race, that bull amongst

Kshatriyas, was engaged, along with his wife, in austerities from desire

of offspring. And when they had grown old, a son was born unto them. This

was no other than Mahabhisha. And the child was called Santanu because he

was born when his father had controlled his passions by ascetic penances.

And the best of Kurus, Santanu, knowing that region of indestructible

bliss can be acquired by one's deeds alone, became devoted to virtue.

When Santanu grew up into a youth, Pratipa addressed him and said, 'Some

time ago, O Santanu, a celestial damsel came to me for thy good. If thou

meetest that fair-complexioned one in secret and if she solicit thee for

children, accept her as thy wife. And, O sinless one, judge not of the

propriety or impropriety of her action and ask not who she is, or whose

or whence, but accept her as thy wife at my command!'" Vaisampayana

continued, 'Pratipa, having thus commanded his son Santanu and installed

him on his throne, retired into the woods. And king Santanu endued with

great intelligence and equal unto Indra himself in splendour, became

addicted to hunting and passed much of his time in the woods. And the

best of monarchs always slew deer and buffaloes. And one day, as he was

wandering along the bank of the Ganges, he came upon a region frequented

by Siddhas and Charanas. And there he saw a lovely maiden of blazing

beauty and like unto another Sri herself; of faultless and pearly teeth

and decked with celestial ornaments, and attired in garments of fine

texture that resembled in splendour the filaments of the lotus. And the

monarch, on beholding that damsel, became surprised, and his raptures

produced instant horripilation. With steadfast gaze he seemed to be

drinking her charms, but repeated draughts failed to quench his thirst.

The damsel also beholding the monarch of blazing splendour moving about

in great agitation, was moved herself and experienced an affection for

him. She gazed and gazed and longed to gaze on him evermore. The monarch

then in soft words addressed her and said, 'O slender-waisted one, be

thou a goddess or the daughter of a Danava, be thou of the race of the

Gandharvas, or Apsaras, be thou of the Yakshas or the Nagas, or be thou

of human origin, O thou of celestial beauty, I solicit thee to be my

wife!'"

SECTION XCVIII

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana said, 'The maiden then, hearing those soft and sweet words

of the smiling monarch, and remembering her promise to the Vasus,

addressed the king in reply. Of faultless features, the damsel sending a

thrill of pleasure into the heart by every word she uttered, said, 'O

king, I shall become thy wife and obey thy commands. But, O monarch, thou

must not interfere with me in anything I do, be it agreeable or

disagreeable. Nor shall thou ever address me unkindly. As long as thou

shalt behave kindly I promise to live with thee. But I shall certainly

leave thee the moment thou interferest with me or speakest to me an

unkind word.' The king answered, 'Be it so.' And thereupon the damsel

obtaining that excellent monarch, that foremost one of the Bharata race

for her husband, became highly pleased. And king Santanu also, obtaining

her for his wife, enjoyed to the full the pleasure of her company. And

adhering to his promise, he refrained from asking her anything. And the

lord of earth, Santanu, became exceedingly gratified with her conduct,

beauty, magnanimity, and attention to his comforts. And the goddess Ganga

also, of three courses (celestial, terrestrial, and subterranean)

assuming a human form of superior complexion and endued with celestial

beauty, lived happily as the wife of Santanu, having as the fruit of her

virtuous acts, obtained for her husband, that tiger among kings equal

unto Indra himself in splendour. And she gratified the king by her

attractiveness and affection, by her wiles and love, by her music and

dance, and became herself gratified. And the monarch was so enraptured

with his beautiful wife that months, seasons, and years rolled on without

his being conscious of them. And the king, while thus enjoying himself

with his wife, had eight children born unto him who in beauty were like

the very celestials themselves. But, O Bharata, those children, one after

another, as soon as they were born, were thrown into the river by Ganga

who said, 'This is for thy good.' And the children sank to rise no more.

The king, however, could not be pleased with such conduct. But he spoke

not a word about it lest his wife should leave him. But when the eighth

child was born, and when his wife as before was about to throw it

smilingly into the river, the king with a sorrowful countenance and

desirous of saving it from destruction, addressed her and said, 'Kill it

not! Who art thou and whose? Why dost thou kill thy own children?

Murderess of thy sons, the load of thy sins is great!'" His wife, thus

addressed, replied, 'O thou desirous of offspring, thou hast already

become the first of those that have children. I shall not destroy this

child of thine. But according to our agreement, the period of my stay

with thee is at an end. I am Ganga, the daughter of Jahnu. I am ever

worshipped by the great sages; I have lived with thee so long for

accomplishing the purposes of the celestials. The eight illustrious Vasus

endued with great energy had, from Vasishtha's curse, to assume human

forms. On earth, besides thee, there was none else to deserve the honour

of being their begetter. There is no woman also on earth except one like

me, a celestial of human form, to become their mother. I assumed a human

form to bring them forth. Thou also, having become the father of the

eight Vasus, hast acquired many regions of perennial bliss. It was also

agreed between myself and the Vasus that I should free them from their

human forms as soon as they would be born. I have thus freed them from

the curse of the Rishi Apava. Blest be thou; I leave thee, O king! But

rear thou this child of rigid vows. That I should live with thee so long

was the promise I gave to the Vasus. And let this child be called

Gangadatta.'"

SECTION XCIX

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Santanu asked, 'What was the fault of the Vasus and who was Apava,

through whose curse the Vasus had to be born among men? What also hath

this child of thine, Gangadatta, done for which he shall have to live

among men? Why also were the Vasus, the lords of the three worlds,

condemned to be born amongst men? O daughter of Jahnu, tell me all.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed, the celestial daughter of

Jahnu, Ganga, then replied unto the monarch, her husband, that bull

amongst men, saying, 'O best of Bharata's race, he who was obtained as

son by Varuna was called Vasishtha, the Muni who afterwards came to be

known as Apava. He had his asylum on the breast of the king of mountains

called Meru. The spot was sacred and abounded with birds and beasts. And

there bloomed at all times of the year flowers of every season. And, O

best of Bharata's race, that foremost of virtuous men, the son of Varuna,

practised his ascetic penances in those woods abounding with sweet roots

and water.

"Daksha had a daughter known by the name of Surabhi, who, O bull of

Bharata's race, for benefiting the world, brought forth, by her

connection with Kasyapa, a daughter (Nandini) in the form of a cow. That

foremost of all kine, Nandini, was the cow of plenty (capable of granting

every desire). The virtuous son of Varuna obtained Nandini for his Homa

rites. And Nandini, dwelling in that hermitage which was adored by Munis,

roamed about fearlessly in those sacred and delightful woods.

"One day, O bull of Bharata's race, there came into those woods adored by

the gods and celestial Rishis, the Vasus with Prithu at their head. And

wandering there with their wives, they enjoyed themselves in those

delightful woods and mountains. And as they wandered there, the

slender-waisted wife of one of the Vasus, O thou of the prowess of Indra,

saw in those woods Nandini, the cow of plenty. And seeing that cow

possessing the wealth of all accomplishments, large eyes, full udders,

fine tail, beautiful hoofs, and every other auspicious sign, and yielding

much milk, she showed the animal to her husband Dyu. O thou of the

prowess of the first of elephants, when Dyu was shown that cow, he began

to admire her several qualities and addressing his wife, said, 'O

black-eyed girl of fair thighs, this excellent cow belongeth to that

Rishi whose is this delightful asylum. O slender-waisted one, that mortal

who drinketh the sweet milk of this cow remaineth in unchanged youth for

ten thousand years.' O best of monarchs, hearing this, the

slender-waisted goddess of faultless features then addressed her lord of

blazing splendour and said, 'There is on earth a friend of mine, Jitavati

by name, possessed of great beauty and youth. She is the daughter of that

god among men, the royal sage Usinara, endued with intelligence and

devoted to truth. I desire to have this cow, O illustrious one, with her

calf for that friend of mine. Therefore, O best of celestials, bring that

cow so that my friend drinking of her milk may alone become on earth free

from disease and decrepitude. O illustrious and blameless one, it

behoveth thee to grant me this desire of mine. There is nothing that

would be more agreeable to me.' On hearing these words of his wife, Dyu,

moved by the desire of humouring her, stole that cow, aided by his

brothers Prithu and the others. Indeed, Dyu, commanded by his lotus-eyed

wife, did her bidding, forgetting at the moment the high ascetic merits

of the Rishi who owned her. He did not think at the time that he was

going to fall by committing the sin of stealing the cow.

"When the son of Varuna returned to his asylum in the evening with fruits

he had collected, he beheld not the cow with her calf there. He began to

search for them in the woods, but when the great ascetic of superior

intelligence found not his cow on search, he saw by his ascetic vision

that she had been stolen by the Vasus. His wrath was instantly kindled

and he cursed the Vasus, saying, 'Because the Vasus have stolen my cow of

sweet milk and handsome tail, therefore, shall they certainly be born on

earth!'

"O thou bull of Bharata's race, the illustrious Rishi Apava thus cursed

the Vasus in wrath. And having cursed them, the illustrious one set his

heart once more on ascetic meditation. And after that Brahmarshi of great

power and ascetic wealth had thus in wrath cursed the Vasus, the latter,

O king, coming to know of it, speedily came into his asylum. And

addressing the Rishi, O bull among kings, they endeavoured to pacify him.

But they failed, O tiger among men, to obtain grace from Apava--that

Rishi conversant, with all rules of virtue. The virtuous Apava, however,

said, 'Ye Vasus, with Dhava and others, ye have been cursed by me. But ye

shall be freed from my curse within a year of your birth among men. But

he for whose deed ye have been cursed by me he, viz., Dyu, shall for his

sinful act, have to dwell on earth for a length of time. I shall not make

futile the words I have uttered in wrath. Dyu, though dwelling on Earth,

shall not beget children. He shall, however, be virtuous and conversant

with the scriptures. He shall be an obedient son to his father, but he

shall have to abstain from the pleasure of female companionship.'

"Thus addressing the Vasus, the great Rishi went away. The Vasus then

together came to me. And, O king, the begged of me the boon that as soon

as they would be born, I should throw them into the water. And, O best of

kings, I did as they desired, in order to free them from their earthly

life. And O best of kings, from the Rishi's curse, this one only, viz.,

Dyu, himself, is to live on earth for some time.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having said this, the goddess disappeared then

and there. And taking with her the child, she went away to the region she

chose. And that child of Santanu was named both Gangeya and Devavrata and

excelled his father in all accomplishments.

"Santanu, after the disappearance of his wife, returned to his capital

with a sorrowful heart. I shall now recount to thee the many virtues and

the great good fortune of the illustrious king Santanu of the Bharata

race. Indeed, it is this splendid history that is called the

Mahabharata.'"

SECTION C

(Sambhava Parva continued )

"Vaisampayana said, 'The monarch Santanu, the most adored of the gods and

royal sages, was known in all the worlds for his wisdom, virtues, and

truthfulness (of speech). The qualities of self-control, liberality,

forgiveness, intelligence, modesty, patience and superior energy ever

dwelt in that bull among men, viz., Santanu, that great being endued with

these accomplishments and conversant with both religion and profit, the

monarch was at once the protector of the Bharata race and all human

beings. His neck was marked with (three) lines, like a conch-shell; his

shoulders were broad, and he resembled in prowess an infuriated elephant.

It would seem that all the auspicious signs of royalty dwelt in his

person, considering that to be their fittest abode. Men, seeing the

behaviour of that monarch of great achievements came to know that virtue

was ever superior to pleasure and profit. These were the attributes that

dwelt in that great being--that bull among men--Santanu. And truly there

was never a king like Santanu. All the kings of the earth, beholding him

devoted to virtue, bestowed upon that foremost of virtuous men the title

of King of kings. And all the kings of the earth during the time of that

lord-protector of the Bharata race, were without woe and fear and anxiety

of any kind. And they all slept in peace, rising from bed every morning

after happy dreams. And owing to that monarch of splendid achievements

resembling Indra himself in energy, all the kings of the earth became

virtuous and devoted to liberality, religious acts and sacrifices. And

when the earth was ruled by Santanu and other monarchs like him, the

religious merits of every order increased very greatly. The Kshatriyas

served the Brahmanas; the Vaisyas waited upon the Kshatriyas, and the

Sudras adoring the Brahmanas and the Kshatriyas, waited upon the Vaisyas.

And Santanu residing in Hastinapura, the delightful capital of the Kurus,

ruled the whole earth bounded by seas. He was truthful and guileless, and

like the king of the celestials himself conversant with the dictates of

virtue. And from the combination in him of liberality, religion and

asceticism, he acquired a great good fortune. He was free from anger and

malice, and was handsome in person like Soma himself. In splendour he was

like the Sun and in impetuosity of valour like Vayu. In wrath he was like

Yama, and in patience like the Earth. And, O king, while Santanu ruled

the earth, no deer, boars, birds, or other animals were needlessly slain.

In his dominions the great virtue of kindness to all creatures prevailed,

and the king himself, with the soul of mercy, and void of desire and

wrath, extended equal protection unto all creatures. Then sacrifices in

honour of the gods, the Rishis, and Pitris commenced, and no creature was

deprived of life sinfully. And Santanu was the king and father of all--of

those that were miserable and those that had no protectors, of birds and

beasts, in fact, of every created thing. And during the rule of the best

of Kurus--of that king of kings--speech became united with truth, and the

minds of men were directed towards liberality and virtue. And Santanu,

having enjoyed domestic felicity for six and thirty years, retired into

the woods.

"And Santanu's son, the Vasu born of Ganga, named Devavrata resembled

Santanu himself in personal beauty, in habits and behaviour, and in

learning. And in all branches of knowledge worldly or spiritual his skill

was very great. His strength and energy were extraordinary. He became a

mighty car-warrior. In fact he was a great king.

"One day, while pursuing along the banks of the Ganges a deer that he had

struck with his arrow, king Santanu observed that the river had become

shallow. On observing this, that bull among men, viz., Santanu, began to

reflect upon this strange phenomenon. He mentally asked why that first of

rivers ran out so quickly as before. And while seeking for a cause, the

illustrious monarch beheld that a youth of great comeliness, well-built

and amiable person, like Indra himself, had, by his keen celestial

weapon, checked the flow of the river. And the king, beholding this

extraordinary feat of the river Ganga having been checked in her course

near where that youth stood, became very much surprised. This youth was

no other than Santanu's son himself. But as Santanu had seen his son only

once a few moments after his birth, he had not sufficient recollection to

identify that infant with the youth before his eyes. The youth, however,

seeing his father, knew him at once, but instead of disclosing himself,

he clouded the king's perception by his celestial powers of illusion and

disappeared in his very sight.

"King Santanu, wondering much at what he saw and imagining the youth to

be his own son then addressed Ganga and said, 'Show me that child.' Ganga

thus addressed, assuming a beautiful form, and holding the boy decked

with ornaments in her right arm, showed him to Santanu. And Santanu did

not recognise that beautiful female bedecked with ornaments and attired

in fine robes of white, although he had known her before. And Ganga said,

'O tiger among men, that eighth son whom thou hadst some time before

begat upon me is this. Know that this excellent child is conversant with

all weapons, O monarch, take him now. I have reared him with care. And go

home, O tiger among men, taking him with thee. Endued with superior

intelligence, he has studied with Vasishtha the entire Vedas with their

branches. Skilled in all weapons and a mighty bowman, he is like Indra in

battle. And, O Bharata, both the gods and the Asuras look upon him with

favour. Whatever branches of knowledge are known to Usanas, this one

knoweth completely. And so is he the master of all those Sastras that the

son of Angiras (Vrihaspati) adored by the gods and the Asuras, knoweth.

And all the weapons known to the powerful and invincible Rama, the son of

Jamadagni are known to this thy illustrious son of mighty arms. O king of

superior courage, take this thy own heroic child given unto thee by me.

He is a mighty bowman and conversant with the interpretation of all

treatises on the duties of a king.' Thus commanded by Ganga, Santanu took

his child resembling the Sun himself in glory and returned to his

capital. And having reached his city that was like unto the celestial

capital, that monarch of Puru's line regarded himself greatly fortunate.

And having summoned all the Pauravas together, for the protection of his

kingdom he installed his son as his heir-apparent. And O bull of

Bharata's race, the prince soon gratified by his behaviour his father and

the other members of the Paurava race: in fact, all the subjects of the

kingdom. And the king of incomparable prowess lived happily with that son

of his.

"Four years had thus passed away, when the king one day went into the

woods on the bank of the Yamuna. And while the king was rambling there,

he perceived a sweet scent coming from an unknown direction. And the

monarch, impelled by the desire of ascertaining the cause, wandered

hither and thither. And in course of his ramble, he beheld a black-eyed

maiden of celestial beauty, the daughter of a fisherman. The king

addressing her, said, 'Who art thou, and whose daughter? What dost thou

do here, O timid one?' She answered, 'Blest be thou! I am the daughter of

the chief of the fishermen. At his command, I am engaged for religious

merit, in rowing passengers across this river in my boat.' And Santanu,

beholding that maiden of celestial form endued with beauty, amiableness,

and such fragrance, desired her for his wife. And repairing unto her

father, the king solicited his consent to the proposed match. But the

chief of the fishermen replied to the monarch, saying, 'O king, as soon

as my daughter of superior complexion was born, it was of course,

understood that she should be bestowed upon a husband. But listen to the

desire I have cherished all along in my heart. O sinless one, thou art

truthful: if thou desirest to obtain this maiden as a gift from me, give,

me then this pledge. If, indeed, thou givest the pledge, I will of course

bestow my daughter upon thee for truly I can never obtain a husband for

her equal to thee.'

"Santanu, hearing this, replied, 'When I have heard of the pledge thou

askest, I shall then say whether I would be able to grant it. If it is

capable of being granted, I shall certainly grant it. Otherwise how shall

I grant it.' The fisherman said, 'O king, what I ask of thee is this: the

son born of this maiden shall be installed by thee on thy throne and none

else shall thou make thy successor.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'O Bharata, when Santanu heard this, he felt no

inclination to grant such a boon, though the fire of desire sorely burnt

him within. The king with his heart afflicted by desire returned to

Hastinapura, thinking all the way of the fisherman's daughter. And having

returned home, the monarch passed his time in sorrowful meditation. One

day, Devavrata approaching his afflicted father said, 'All is prosperity

with thee; all chiefs obey thee; then how is it that thou grievest thus?

Absorbed in thy own thoughts, thou speakest not a word to me in reply.

Thou goest not out on horse-back now; thou lookest pale and emaciated,

having lost all animation. I wish to know the disease thou sufferest

from, so that I may endeavour to apply a remedy.' Thus addressed by his

son, Santanu answered, 'Thou sayest truly, O son, that I have become

melancholy. I will also tell thee why I am so. O thou of Bharata's line,

thou art the only scion of this our large race. Thou art always engaged

in sports of arms and achievements of prowess. But, O son, I am always

thinking of the instability of human life. If any danger overtake thee, O

child of Ganga, the result is that we become sonless. Truly thou alone

art to me as a century of sons. I do not, therefore, desire to wed again.

I only desire and pray that prosperity may ever attend thee so that our

dynasty may be perpetuated. The wise say that he that hath one son hath

no son. Sacrifices before fire and the knowledge of the three Vedas

yield, it is true, everlasting religious merit, but all these, in point

of religious merit, do not, come up to a sixteenth part of the religious

merit attainable on the birth of a son. Indeed, in this respect, there is

hardly any difference between men and the lower animals. O wise one, I do

not entertain a shadow of doubt that one attains to heaven in consequence

of his having begotten a son. The Vedas which constitute the root of the

Puranas and are regarded as authoritative even by the gods, contain

numerous proof of this. O thou of Bharata's race, thou art a hero of

excitable temper, who is always engaged in the exercise of arms. It is

very probable that thou wilt be slain on the field of battle. If it so

happen, what then will be the state of the Bharata dynasty, It is this

thought that hath made me so melancholy. I have now told thee fully the

causes of my sorrow.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Devavrata who was endued with great

intelligence, having ascertained all this from the king, reflected within

himself for a while. He then went to the old minister devoted to his

father's welfare and asked him about the cause of the king's grief. O

bull of Bharata's race, when the prince questioned the minister, the

latter told him about the boon that was demanded by the chief of the

fishermen in respect of his daughter Gandhavati. Then Devavrata,

accompanied by many Kshatriya chiefs of venerable age, personally

repaired to the chief of the fishermen and begged of him his daughter on

behalf of the king. The chief of the fishermen received him with due

adorations, and, O thou of Bharata's race, when the prince took his seat

in the court of the chief, the latter addressed him and said, 'O bull

among the Bharatas, thou art the first of all wielders of weapons and the

only son of Santanu. Thy power is great. But I have something to tell

thee. If the bride's father was Indra himself, even then he would have to

repent of rejecting such an exceedingly honourable and desirable proposal

of marriage. The great man of whose seed this celebrated maiden named

Satyavati was born, is, indeed, equal to you in virtue. He hath spoken to

me on many occasions of the virtues of thy father and told me that, the

king alone is worthy of (marrying) Satyavati. Let me tell you that I have

even rejected the solicitations of that best of Brahmarshis--the

celestial sage Asita--who, too, had often asked for Satyavati's hand in

marriage. I have only one word to say on the part of this maiden. In the

matter of the proposed marriage there is one great objection founded on

the fact of a rival in the person of a co-wife's son. O oppressor of all

foes, he hath no security, even if he be an Asura or a Gandharva, who

hath a rival in thee. There is this only objection to the proposed

marriage, and nothing else. Blest be thou! But this is all I have to say

in the matter of the bestowal or otherwise, of Satyavati.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'O thou of Bharata's race, Devavrata, having

heard these words, and moved by the desire of benefiting his father thus

answered in the hearing of the assembled chiefs, 'O foremost of truthful

men, listen to the vow I utter! The man has not been or will not be born,

who will have the courage to take such a vow! I shall accomplish all that

thou demandest! The son that may be born of this maiden shall be our

king.' Thus addressed, the chief of the fishermen, impelled by desire of

sovereignty (for his daughter's son), to achieve the almost impossible,

then said, 'O thou of virtuous soul, thou art come hither as full agent

on behalf of thy father Santanu of immeasurable glory; be thou also the

sole manager on my behalf in the matter of the bestowal of this my

daughter. But, O amiable one, there is something else to be said,

something else to be reflected upon by thee. O suppressor of foes, those

that have daughters, from the very nature of their obligations, must say

what I say. O thou that art devoted to truth, the promise thou hast given

in the presence of these chiefs for the benefit of Satyavati, hath,

indeed, been worthy of thee. O thou of mighty arms, I have not the least

doubt of its ever being violated by thee. But I have my doubts in respect

of the children thou mayst beget.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'O king, the son of Ganga, devoted to truth,

having ascertained the scruples of the chief of the fishermen, then said,

moved thereto by the desire of benefiting his father, 'Chief of

fishermen, thou best of men, listen to what I say in the presence of

these assembled kings. Ye kings, I have already relinquished my right to

the throne, I shall now settle the matter of my children. O fisherman,

from this day I adopt the vow of Brahmacharya (study and meditation in

celibacy). If I die sonless, I shall yet attain to regions of perennial

bliss in heaven!'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Upon these words of the son of Ganga, the hair

on the fisherman's body stood on end from glee, and he replied, 'I bestow

my daughter!' Immediately after, the Apsaras and the gods with diverse

tribes of Rishis began to rain down flowers from the firmament upon the

head of Devavrata and exclaimed, 'This one is Bhishma (the terrible).'

Bhishma then, to serve his father, addressed the illustrious damsel and

said, 'O mother, ascend this chariot, and let us go unto our house.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having said this, Bhishma helped the beautiful

maiden into his chariot. On arriving with her at Hastinapura, he told

Santanu everything as it had happened. And the assembled kings, jointly

and individually, applauded his extraordinary act and said, 'He is really

Bhishma (the terrible)!' And Santanu also, hearing of the extraordinary

achievements of his son, became highly gratified and bestowed upon the

high-souled prince the boon of death at will, saying, 'Death shall never

come to thee as long as thou desirest to live. Truly death shall approach

thee, O sinless one, having first obtained thy command.'"