SECTION
IX
(Pauloma
Parva continued)
"Sauti said, 'While those illustrious Brahmanas were
sitting around the dead body of Pramadvara, Ruru, sorely afflicted, retired
into a deep wood and wept aloud. And overwhelmed with grief he indulged in much
piteous lamentation. And, remembering his beloved Pramadvara, he gave vent to
his sorrow in the following words, 'Alas! The delicate fair one that increaseth
my affliction lieth upon the bare ground. What can be more deplorable to us,
her friends? If I have been charitable, if I have performed acts of penance, if
I have ever revered my superiors, let the merit of these arts restore to life
my beloved one! If from my birth I have been controlling my passions, adhered
to my vows, let the fair Pramadvara rise from the ground.
"And while Ruru was indulging in these lamentations
for the loss of his bride, a messenger from heaven came to him in the forest
and addressed him thus, 'The words thou utterest, O Ruru, in thy affliction are
certainly ineffectual. For, O pious man, one belonging to this world whose days
have run out can never come back to life. This poor child of a Gandharva and
Apsara has had her days run out! Therefore, O child, thou shouldst not consign
thy heart to sorrow. The great gods, however, have provided beforehand a means
of her restoration to life. And if thou compliest with it, thou mayest receive
back thy Pramadvara.'
"And Ruru replied, O messenger of heaven! What is
that which the gods have ordained. Tell me in full so that (on hearing) I may
comply with it. It behoveth thee to deliver me from grief!' And the celestial
messenger said unto Ruru, 'Resign half of thy own life to thy bride, and then,
O Ruru of the race of Bhrigu, thy Pramadvara shall rise from the ground.' 'O
best of celestial messengers, I most willingly offer a moiety of my own life in
favour of my bride. Then let my beloved one rise up once more in her dress and
lovable form.'
"Sauti said, 'Then the king of Gandharvas (the
father of Pramadvara) and the celestial messenger, both of excellent qualities,
went to the god Dharma (the Judge of the dead) and addressed him, saying, 'If
it be thy will, O Dharmaraja, let the amiable Pramadvara, the betrothed wife of
Ruru, now lying dead, rise up with a moiety of Ruru's life.' And Dharmaraja
answered, 'O messenger of the gods, if it be thy wish, let Pramadvara, the
betrothed wife of Ruru, rise up endued with a moiety of Ruru's life.'
"Sauti continued, 'And when Dharmaraja had said so,
that maiden of superior complexion, Pramadvara, endued with a moiety of Ruru's
life, rose as from her slumber. This bestowal by Ruru of a moiety of his own
span of life to resuscitate his bride afterwards led, as it would be seen, to a
curtailment of Ruru's life.
"And on an auspicious day their fathers gladly
married them with due rites. And the couple passed their days, devoted to each
other. And Ruru having obtained such a wife, as is hard to be found, beautiful
and bright as the filaments of the lotus, made a vow for the destruction of the
serpent-race. And whenever he saw a serpent he became filled with great wrath
and always killed it with a weapon.
"One day, O Brahmana, Ruru entered an extensive
forest. And there he saw an old serpent of the Dundubha species lying stretched
on the ground. And Ruru thereupon lifted up in anger his staff, even like to
the staff of Death, for the purpose of killing it. Then the Dundubha,
addressing Ruru, said, 'I have done thee no harm, O Brahmana! Then wherefore
wilt thou slay me in anger?'"
So
ends the ninth section of the Pauloma Parva of the Adi Parva of the blessed
Mahabharata.
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