The Mahabharata, of, Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, BOOK 3, (Tirtha-yatra Parva), SECTION CXVI

The Mahabharata, of, Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, BOOK 3, (Tirtha-yatra Parva), 

SECTION CXVI

"Akritavrana said, 'Jamadagni devoted himself to the study of the Veda

and the practice of sacred penances, and became famous for his great

austerities. Then he pursued a methodical course of study and obtained a

mastery over the entire Veda. And, O king, he paid a visit to Prasenajit

and solicited the hand of Renuka in marriage. And this prayer was granted

by the king. And the delight of Bhrigu's race having thus obtained Renuka

for his wife, took his residence with her in a hermitage, and began to

practice penances, being assisted by her. And four boys were born of her,

with Rama for the fifth. And although the youngest, Rama was superior to

all in merit. Now once upon a time, when her sons had gone out for the

purpose of gathering fruits, Renuka who had a pure and austere life, went

out to bathe. And, O king, while returning home, she happened to cast her

glance towards the king of Martikavata, known by the name of Chitraratha.

The king was in the water with his wives, and wearing on his breast a

lotus wreath, was engaged in sport. And beholding his magnificent form,

Renuka was inspired with desire. And this unlawful desire she could not

control, but became polluted within the water, and came back to the

hermitage frightened at heart. Her husband readily perceived what state

she was in. And mighty and powerful and of a wrathful turn of mind, when

he beheld that she had been giddy and that the lustre of chastity had

abandoned her, he reproached her by crying out 'Fie!' At that very moment

came in the eldest of Jamadagni's sons, Rumanvan; and then, Sushena, and

then, Vasu, and likewise, Viswavasu. And the mighty saint directed them

all one by one to put an end to the life of their mother. They, however,

were quite confounded and lost heart. And they could not utter a single

word. Then he in ire cursed them. And on being cursed they lost their

sense and suddenly became like inanimate objects, and comparable in

conduct to beasts and birds. And then Rama, the slayer of hostile heroes,

came to the hermitage, last of all. Him the mighty-armed Jamadagni, of

great austerities, addressed, saying, 'Kill this wicked mother of thine,

without compunction, O my son.' Thereupon Rama immediately took up an axe

and therewith severed his mother's head. Then, O great king, the wrath of

Jamadagni of mighty soul, was at once appeased; and well-pleased, he

spake the following words, 'Thou hast, my boy, performed at my bidding

this difficult task, being versed in virtue. Therefore, whatsoever wishes

there may be in thy heart, I am ready to grant them all. Do thou ask me.'

Thereupon Rama solicited that his mother might be restored to life, and

that he might not be haunted by the remembrance of this cruel deed and

that he might not be affected by any sin, and that his brothers might

recover their former state, and that he might be unrivalled on the field

of battle, and that he might obtain long life. And, O Bharata's son,

Jamadagni, whose penances were the most rigid, granted all those desires

of his son. Once, however, O lord, when his sons had gone out as before,

the valourous son of Kartavirya, the lord of the country near the shore

of the sea, came up to the hermitage. And when he arrived at that

hermitage, the wife of the saint received him hospitably. He, however,

intoxicated with a warrior's pride, was not at all pleased with the

reception accorded to him, and by force and in defiance of all

resistance, seized and carried off from that hermitage the chief of the

cows whose milk supplied the sacred butter, not heeding the loud lowing

of the cow. And he wantonly pulled down the large trees of the wood. When

Rama came home, his father himself told him all that had happened. Then

when Rama saw how the cow was lowing for its calf, resentment arose in

his heart. And he rushed towards Kartavirya's son, whose last moments had

drawn nigh. Then the descendant of Bhrigu, the exterminator of hostile

heroes, put forth his valour on the field of battle, and with sharpened

arrows with flattened tips, which were shot from a beautiful bow, cut

down Arjuna's arms, which numbered a thousand, and were massive like

(wooden) bolts for barring the door. He, already touched by the hand of

death, was overpowered by Rama, his foe. Then the kinsmen of Arjuna,

their wrath excited against Rama, rushed at Jamadagni in his hermitage,

while Rama was away. And they slew him there; for although his strength

was great, yet being at the time engaged in penances, he would not fight.

And while thus attacked by his foes, he repeatedly shouted the name of

Rama in a helpless and piteous way. And, O Yudhishthira, the sons of

Kartavirya shot Jamadagni, with their arrows, and having thus chastised

their foe, went their way. And when they had gone away, and when

Jamadagni had breathed his last, Rama, the delight of Bhrigu's race,

returned to the hermitage, bearing in his arms, fuel for religious rites.

And the hero beheld his father who had been put to death. And grieved

exceedingly he began to bewail the unworthy fate that had laid his father

low."

SECTION CXVII

"Rama said, 'The blame is mine, O father, that like a stag in the wood,

thou hast been shot dead with arrows, by those mean and stupid

wretches--the sons of Kartavirya. And O father, virtuous and unswerving

from the path of righteousness and inoffensive to all animated beings as

thou wert, how came it to be permitted by Fate that thou shouldst die in

this way? What an awful sin must have been committed by them, who have

killed thee with hundreds of sharpened shafts, although thou wert an aged

man, and engaged in penances at the time and absolutely averse to

fighting with them. With what face will those shameless persons speak of

this deed of theirs to their friends and servants, viz., that they have

slain an unassisted and unresisting virtuous man?--O protector of men,

thus he, great in penance, bewailed much in a piteous manner, and then

performed the obsequies of his departed sire. And Rama, the conqueror of

hostile cities, cremated his father on the funeral pyre, and vowed, O

scion of Bharata's race, the slaughter of the entire military caste, and

of exceeding strength in the field of battle, and possessed of valour

suited to a heroic soul, and comparable to the god of death himself, he

took up his weapon in wrathful mood, and singlehanded put Kartavirya's

sons to death. And, O chieftain of the military caste, Rama, the leader

of all capable of beating their foes, thrice smote down all the

Kashatriya followers of Kartavirya's sons. And seven times did that

powerful lord exterminate the military tribes of the earth. In the tract

of land, called Samantapanchaka five lakes of blood were made by him.

There the mightiest scion of Bhrigu's race offered libations to his

forefathers--the Bhrigus, and Richika appeared to him in a visible form,

and spake to him words of counsel. Then the son of Jamadagni of dreaded

name, performed a mighty sacrifice and gratified the lord of the

celestials, and bestowed the earth to the ministering priests. And, O

protector of human beings, he raised an altar made of gold, ten Vyamas in

breadth and nine in height, and made a gift of the same to the

magnanimous Kasyapa. Then at Kasyapa's bidding the Brahamanas divided the

altar into a number of shares, and thus they became reputed as the

Khandavayamas (share takers). And the exterminator of the military race

possessed of immense strength, bestowed the earth upon the high-souled

Kasyapa, and then became engaged in penance of an exceedingly severe

form. He now dwells in this Mahendra, monarch of hills. Thus did

hostilities arise between him and the members of the military caste,--all

of them who dwell on this earth; and Rama, endowed with immense strength,

in this way subdued the entire world.'

"Vaisampayana said, 'Then on the fourteenth day of the moon, the

mighty-souled Rama at the proper hour showed himself to those members of

the priestly caste and also to the virtuous king (Yudhishthira) and his

younger brothers. And, O king of kings, the lord together with his

brothers, worshipped Rama, and, O most righteous of the rulers of men,

the very highest honours were paid by him to all those members of the

twice-born class. And after worshipping Jamadagni's son and having

received words of praise from him, at his direction he spent the night on

the Mahendra hill, and then started on his journey towards the southern

regions.'"

SECTION CXVIII

Vaisampayana said, "The magnanimous monarch pursued his journey, and at

different spots on the shore of the sea visited the various bathing

places, all sacred and pleasant and frequented by men of the sacerdotal

caste. And O son of Parikshit! He in proper form took his bath in them

together with his younger brothers and then went to an excellent river,

the holiest of all. There also the magnanimous king, took his plunge, and

offered libations to his forefathers and the gods, and distributed riches

to the leaders of the twice-born class. Then he went to the Godavari, a

river that falls directly into the sea. There he was freed from his sins.

And he reached the sea in the Dravida land, and visited the holy spot

passing under Agastya's name, which was exceedingly sacred and

exceptionally pure. And the valiant king visited the feminine sacred

spots. Here he listened to the story of that well-known feat which was

achieved by Arjuna, chief of all wielders of the bow, and which was

beyond the power of human beings to perform. And here he was praised by

the highest members of the saintly class, and the son of Pandu

experienced the greatest delight. And, O protector of the earth! the

ruler of the world, accompanied by Krishna bathed in those holy spots,

and speaking of Arjuna's valour in laudatory terms delightfully spent his

time in the place. Then he gave away thousands of cows at those holy

spots on the coast of the sea; and with his brothers narrated well

pleased how Arjuna had made a gift of kine. And he, O king! visited one

by one those holy places on the coast of the sea and many other sacred

spots, and thus fulfilled his heart's desire, till he came to the holiest

of all known by the name of Suparaka. Then having crossed a certain tract

on the coast of the sea, he reached a forest celebrated on earth. There

the deities had practised asceticism in former days, and likewise

virtuous rulers of men had performed sacrificial rites. There he,

possessed of long and lusty arms, beheld the celebrated altar of

Richika's son, who was the foremost of all wielders of the bow. And the

altar was girt round by hosts of ascetics, and was fit to be worshipped

by persons of a virtuous life. Then the king beheld the holy and

delightful shrines of all the gods and of the Vasus, and of the hosts of

wind and of the two celestial physicians and of Yama, son of the sun and

of the lord of riches, and of Indra, and of Vishnu, and of the lord

Creator and of Siva, and of the moon, and of the author of day, and of

the lord of waters, and of the host of Sadhyas, and of Brahma, and of the

forefathers, and of Rudra together with all his followers, and of the

goddess of learning, and of the host of Siddhas, and of many immortal

holy gods besides. And in those shrines the king observed various fasts,

and gave away large quantities of gems. He plunged his body in all the

holy spots, and then came again to Surparaka. And he by the same

landing-place of the sea again proceeded with his uterine brothers and

came over to the holy spot Prabhasa, whereof fame hath been spread by

mighty Brahmanas throughout the world. There he, possessed of a pair of

large red eyes, washed himself with all his younger brothers, and offered

libations to the forefathers and the celestial hosts; and so did Krishna

and all those Brahmanas together with Lomasa. For twelve days he

subsisted upon air and water. And he performed ablutions for days and

nights and surrounded himself with fires kindled on all sides. Thus that

greatest of all virtuous men engaged himself in asceticism. While he was

acting thus, information reached both Valarama and Krishna that the king

was practising penances of a most austere form and these two leaders of

the entire Vrishni tribe accompanied with troops came to Yudhishthira of

Ajamidha's race. And when the Vrishnis beheld that the sons of Pandu lay

down on the ground, their bodies besmeared all over with dirt and when

they beheld the daughter of Drupada in a sad state, their grief was great

and they could not refrain from breaking out in loud lamentations. Then

the king, whose courage was such that misfortune never could cast him

down, cordially met Rama and Krishna and Samva, Krishna's son, and the

grand-son of Sini and other Vrishnis, and paid honour to them in a

suitable form. And they also in return paid honour to all the sons of

Pritha, and were similarly honoured by Pandu's sons. And they seated

themselves round about Yudhishthira, as round Indra, O king! are seated

the celestial hosts. And highly pleased, he recounted to them all the

machinations of his adversaries, and how also he had resided in the

forest, and how Arjuna had gone to Indra's abode in order to learn the

science of arms--all this he related with a gladdened heart. And they

were happy to learn all this news from him; but when they saw the

Pandavas so exceedingly lean, the majestic and magnanimous Vrishnis could

not forbear shedding tears, which spontaneously gushed from their eyes on

account of the agony they felt."

SECTION CXIX

Janamejaya said, "O thou of ascetic wealth! when the sons of Pandu and

the Vrishnis reached the holy spot Prabhasa, what did they do and what

conversation was held there by them, for all of them were of mighty

souls, proficient in all the branches of science and both the Vrishnis

and the sons of Pandu held one another in friendly estimation."

Vaisampayana said, "When the Vrishnis reached the holy spot Prabhasa, the

sacred landing-place on the coast of the sea, they surrounded the sons of

Pandu and waited upon them. Then Valarama, resembling in hue the milk of

the cow and the Kunda flower and the moon and the silver and the lotus

root and who wore a wreath made of wild flowers and who had the

ploughshare for his arms, spake to the lotuseyed one, saying, 'O Krishna,

I do not see that the practice of virtue leads to any good or that

unrighteous practices can cause evil, since the magnanimous Yudhishthira

is in this miserable state, with matted hair, a resident of the wood, and

for his garment wearing the bark of trees. And Duryodhana is now ruling

the earth, and the ground doth not yet swallow him up. From this, a

person of limited sense would believe a vicious course of life is

preferable to a virtuous one. When Duryodhana is in a flourishing state

and Yudhishthira, robbed of his throne, is suffering thus, what should

people do in such a matter?--This is the doubt that is now perplexing all

men. Here is the lord of men sprung from the god of virtue, holding fast

to a righteous path, strictly truthful and of a liberal heart. This son

of Pritha would give up his kingdom and his pleasure but would not swerve

from the righteous path, in order to thrive. How is it that Bhishma and

Kripa and the Brahmana Drona and the aged king, the senior member of the

house, are living happily, after having banished the sons of Pritha? Fie

upon the vicious-minded leaders of Bharata's race! What will that sinner,

the chieftain of the earth, say to the departed forefathers of his race,

when the wretch will meet them in the world to come? Having hurled from

the throne his in-offensive sons, will he be able to declare that he had

treated them in a blameless way? He doth not now see with his mind's eye

how he hath become so sightless, and on account of what act he hath grown

blind among the kings of this entire earth. Is it not because he hath

banished Kunit's son from his kingdom? I have no doubt that

Vichitravirya's son, when he with his sons perpetrated this inhuman act,

beheld on the spot where dead bodies are burnt, flowering trees of a

golden hue. Verily he must have asked them, when those stood before him

with their shoulders projected forward towards him, and with their large

red eyes staring at him, and he must have listened to their evil advice,

since he fearlessly sent away Yudhishthira to the forest, who had all his

weapons of war with him and was borne company by his younger brothers.

This Bhima here, whose voracious appetite is like that of a wolf, is able

to destroy with the sole strength of his powerful arms, and without the

help of any weapons of war, a formidable array of hostile troops. The

forces in the field of battle were utterly unmanned on hearing his

war-cry. And now the strong one is suffering from hunger and thirst, and

is emaciated with toilsome journeys. But when he will take up in his hand

arrows and diverse other weapons of war, and meet his foes in the field

of battle, he will then remember the sufferings of his exceedingly

miserable forest-life, and kill his enemies to a man: of a certainty do I

anticipate this. There is not throughout the whole world a single soul

who can boast of strength and prowess equal to his. And his body, alas!

is emaciated with cold, and heat and winds. But when he will stand up for

fight, he will not leave a single man out of his foes. This powerful

hero, who is a very great warrior when mounted on a car--this Bhima, of

appetite rivalling a wolf's conquered single-handed all the rulers of men

in the east, together with, those who followed them in battle; and he

returned from those wars safe and uninjured. And that same Bhima,

miserably dressed in the bark of trees, is now leading a wretched life in

the woods. This powerful Sahadeva vanquished all the kings in the south;

those lords of men who had gathered on the coast of the sea,--look at him

now in an anchorite's dress. Valiant in battle Nakula vanquished

single-handed the kings who ruled the regions towards the west,--and he

now walks about the wood, subsisting on fruit and roots, with a matted

mass of hair on the head, and his body besmeared all over with dirt. This

daughter of a king, who is a great soldier when mounted on a car, took

her rise from beneath the altar, during the pomp of sacrificial rites.

She hath been always accustomed to a life of happiness; how is she now

enduring this exceedingly miserable life in this wood! And the son of the

god of virtue,--virtue which stands at the head of all the there pursuits

of life--and the son of the wind-god and also the son of the lord of

celestials, and those two sons of the celestial physicians,--being the

sons of all those gods and always accustomed to a life of happiness, how

are they living in this wood, deprived of all comforts? When the son of

Virtue met with defeat, and when his wife, his brothers, his followers,

and himself were all driven forth, and Duryodhana began to flourish, why

did not the earth subside with all its hills?"

SECTION CXX

Satyaki said, "O Rama! this is not the time of lamentation; let us do

that which is proper and suited to the present occasion, although

Yudhishthira doth not speak a single word. Those who have persons to look

after their welfare do not undertake anything of themselves; they have

others to do their work, as Saivya and others did for Yayati. Likewise, O

Rama! those who have appointed functionaries to undertake their work on

their own responsibility, as the leaders of men, they may be said to have

real patrons, and they meet with no difficulty, like helpless beings. How

is it that when the sons of Pritha have for their patrons these two men,

Rama and Krishna, and the two others, Pradyumna and Samva, together with

myself,--these patrons being able to protect all the three worlds,--how

is it that the son of Pritha is living in the wood with his brothers? It

is fit that this very day the army of the Dasarhas should march out,

variously armed and with checkered mails. Let Dhritarashtra's sons be

overwhelmed with the forces of the Vrishinis and let them go with their

friends to the abode of the god of death. Let him alone who wields the

bow made of the horn (Krishna), thou alone, if roused, wouldst be able to

surround even the whole of this earth. I ask thee to kill Dhritarashtra's

son with all his men, as the great Indra, the lord of the gods kill

Vritra. Arjuna, the son of Pritha, is my brother, and also my friend, and

also my preceptor, and is like the second self of Krishna. It is for this

that men desire for a worthy son, and that preceptor seeks a pupil who

would contradict him not. It is for this that the time is come for that

excellent work, which is the best of all tasks and difficult to perform.

I shall baffle Duryodhana's volleys of arms by my own excellent weapons.

I shall overpower all in the field of battle. I shall in my wrath cut off

his head with my excellent shafts, little inferior to snakes and poison

and fire. And with the keen edge of my sword, I shall forcibly sever his

head from the trunk, in the field of battle; then I shall kill his

followers, and Duryodhana, and all of Kuru's race. O son of Rohini! let

the followers of Bhima look at me with joy at their heart, when I shall

keep up the weapons of war in the field of battle, and when I shall go on

slaying all the best fighting men on the side of the Kurus, as at the end

of time fire will burn vast heaps of straw. Kripa and Drona and Vikarna

and Kama are not able to bear the keen arrows shot by Pradyumna. I know

the power of Arjuna's son--he conducts himself like the son of Krishna in

the field of battle. Let Samva chastise by the force of his arms

Dussasana; let him destroy by force Dussasana and his charioteer and his

car. In the field of battle when the son of Jamvavati becomes

irresistible in fight, there is nothing which can withstand his force.

The army of the demon Samvara was speedily routed by him when only a boy.

By him was killed in fight Asvachakra, whose thighs were round, and whose

muscular arms were of exceeding length. Who is there that would be able

to go forward to the car of Samva, who is great in fight, when mounted on

a car? As a mortal coming under the clutches of death can never escape;

so who is there that once coming under his clutches in the field of

battle, is able to return with his life? The son of Vasudeva will burn

down by the volleys of his fiery shafts all the hostile troops, and those

two warriors, Bhishma and Drona,--who are great on a car, and Somadatta

surrounded by all his sons. What is there in all the world including the

gods, which Krishna cannot encounter on an equal footing, when he takes

up the weapons of war, wields in his hands excellent arrows, arms himself

with his dice, and thus becomes unrivalled in fight? Then let Aniruddha

also take up in his hand his buckler and sword, and let him cover the

surface of the earth with Dhritarashtra's sons, their heads separated

from their trunks, their bodies devoid of all consciousness as in a

sacrificial rite the altar is overspread with sacred grass placed upon

the same. And Gada and Uluka, and Vahuka and Bhanu and Nitha and the

young Nishatha valiant in battle and Sarana, and Charudeshna,

irresistible in war, let them perform feats befitting their race. Let the

united army of the Satwatas and Suras, together with the best soldiers of

the Vrishnis, the Bhojas, and the Andhakas, kill those sons of

Dhritarashtra in the field of battle and let them swell their expanded

fame throughout the world. Then let Abhimanyu rule the world so long as

this most excellent of virtuous men, the magnanimous Yudhishthira, may be

engaged in fulfilling his vow,--the vow that was accepted and declared by

him, the most righteous of Kuru's race, on the occasion of the famous

play at dice. Afterwards the virtuous king will protect the earth, all

his foes defeated in battle by shafts which will be discharged by us.

Then there will remain no sons of Dhritarashtra on earth,--nor the son of

the charioteer (Kama). This is the most important work for us to do, and

this will surely lead to fame."

"Krishna said, 'O scion of the race of Madhu! no doubt what thou sayest

is true; we accept thy words, O thou of courage that is never weak! But

this bull of the Kuru race (Yudhishthira) would never accept the

sovereignty of the earth, unless it were won by the prowess of his own

arms. Neither for the sake of pleasure, nor from fear, nor from

covetousness, would Yudhishthira ever renounce the rules of the caste;

nor would these two heroes, who are mighty, when mounted on a car--Bhima

and Arjuna; nor the twin brothers, nor Krishna, the daughter of Drupada.

He possessing the appetite of a wolf (Bhima), and the winner of riches

(Arjuna), are both unrivalled in fight throughout the world. And why

should not this king rule over the entire world when he hath the two sons

of Madri to espouse his cause? The high-souled ruler of Panchala together

with the Kekaya king, and we also should put forth our united strength,

and then would the enemies of Yudhisthira be annihilated.'"

"Yudhishthira said, 'It is not strange that thou shouldst speak thus, O

scion of Madhu's race! but to me truth seems to be the first

consideration, above that of my sovereign power itself. But it is Krishna

alone who precisely knoweth what I am; and it is I alone who precisely

know what Krishna (really) is. O thou endued with valour! O scion of

Madhu's race! as soon as he will perceive that the time is come for feats

of bravery, then, O most valiant of Sini's race, he also of beautiful

hair (Krishna) will defeat Suyodhana. Let the brave men of the Dasarha

race go back today. They are my patrons; and the foremost of human

beings, they have visited me here. O ye of immeasurable strength! never

fall off from the path of virtue. I shall see you again, when ye will be

happily gathered together.'

"Then after mutual greeting and obeisance to seniors, and having embraced

the youthful, those valiant men of the Yadu race and the sons of Pandu

separated. And the Yadus reunited to their home; and the Pandavas

continued their journey to the sacred spots. Then having parted with

Krishna, the virtuous king, accompanied by his brothers and servants, and

also by Lomasa, went to the sacred river Payosini. Its fine landing place

was constructed by the king of Vidarbha. And he began to dwell on the

banks of the Payosini, whose waters were mingled with the distilled Soma

juice. There the high-souled Yudhishthira was greeted with excellent

laudatory, terms by numerous leaders of the twice-born class, who were

delighted to see him there."